Bill Murray Day

ok so technically I am a few days late with this, but how could I let such a momentous day pass, so here is my short and sweet list of my personal favourite Murray Movies,

5. Zombieland 

Technically not a Murray starring vehicle, nevertheless this has to be a true contender for best cameo appearance in anything, ever. The movie itself is a broad comedy about a gang of thrown together misfits trying to make their way across Zombie infested America in search of hope and Twinkies. Murray appears as himself, dressed as a Zombie to try and fit in and throw the real zombies off his scent so to speak so he can relax and play golf. I honestly have not laughed so hard or so long at something in a very long time, everything about the set-up and execution of his scenes is so well thought out and is in many ways a filmic love letter to Murray and his career.

4. Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters 2

When you think about ensemble comedy it honestly doesn't get much better than Ghostbusters, I mean just look at the cast, Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Moranis - you couldn't even start putting together that kind of talent in one movie today - and they managed it with two! Out of all that talent though, Murray really does shine through as the brightest light, playing the somewhat skeptical and sarcastic Peter Venkman. He is a bit of a ringleader, he can talk the team out of tight spots and he is the main love interest of Sigourney Weaver's Dana Barrett, he also isn't too bad at toasting Marshmallow Men or making the Statute of Liberty walk! I've always had more of a fondness for the second movie, maybe because I watched it far too many times as a kid, but as I have gotten older I can truly appreciate what both these movies really are, which the holy trinity of comedy, well written, acted and directed - it's true what they say, they just don't make them like this anymore.

3. Groundhog Day

If you ever wanted a masterclass in comedy, just grab a copy of Groundhog Day and watch it again and again because the 101 minutes are a true lesson in everything you ever wanted to know about being funny. Murray's performance as Phil Connors is just so perfect and the movie itself just gets better and better with each viewing, I'm not sure how many other films can make such a claim.

2. Lost in Translation

Having been used to watching Murray in comedies I was in for a sharp change of pace when I sat down and watched Lost in Translation, nevertheless it is one of the finest dramatic performances I have seen committed to film. Murray is actor Bob Harris, slightly washed up but still making money from advertising whiskey in Japan. He is a shell of his old self until he meets Scarlett Johansson's Charlotte. Both have been slightly abandoned emotionally by their partners and they find some sort of inner peace and stability by being with each other so far away from home. It is a love story, but not your typical one and lets you see a side of Murray that is both heartbreaking and breathtaking.

1. Scrooged 

Along with Santa Claus: The Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol this is the finest Christmas movie ever made. A very 80's version of A Christmas Carol, Murray is Frank Cross, a TV executive who soon learns that being a scrooge is not very festive at all! As he is taken through the Past, Present and Future by an eclectic mix of ghosts, he learns to put a little love in his heart and become the kind man who has always been lurking inside. It is a Christmas Eve staple for me every year.