Video Rewind: The St. Patrick's Day Version

I've always liked movies which have a holiday theme to them or if the storyline crosses the path of a holiday. And try to find one with St. Patrick's Day and you're in luck.

We've always been told police officers are not to be feared but in Maniac Cop it's best to look the other way.

Starring Bruce Campbell, this little gem of a thriller came out in 1988 and surprisingly it's pretty good. Campbell is a New York City cop who works the nightshift much to the dismay of his wife (Victoria Catlin). When he leaves for work she receives calls from an unknown woman accusing him of being the "cop killer."

You'd think someone was out killing the cops but it's the other way around. Innocent people are the victims here when they seek help or are doing nothing illegal. The cop always strikes at night and Jack Forrest (Campbell) becomes the main suspect when his wife becomes one of the crazed killers' victims.

Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) is on the trail of the killer but falls victim when he gets too close to the truth. With the help of Theresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) a vice cop, she takes the information and helps spring Campbell from the pokey.

As the two get closer to solving the mystery, most of the cops are outside either participating or enjoying the St. Patrick's Day parade. This St. Patrick's Day even the mayor won't be able to enjoy himself since the killer is after him.

And again it's best not to go to the police if you're Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive.

Accused of murdering his wife (Sela Ward) Kimble's been sentenced to execution and on the way to prison a situation occurs on the bus, it tumbles down a hill rests on some railroad tracks and is hit by an oncoming train.The good doctor finds a way out of the mess and returns to his hometown of Chicago where he sets about looking for his wife's real killer.

As he sets about finding the killer, U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his band of merry Marshal's keep a keen eye out for him. Always close but far behind, Gerard and Kimble meet up at the prison where Kimble's search has taken him.

Gerard then starts chasing him through the prison and as Kimble gets away dissolves into the St. Patrick's Day parade right outside.

Often I've often criticized About Last Night... as a bad movie, but after watching it again for the St. Patrick's Day scene, the movie's kind of grown on me.

Maybe it's because that's how I've always thought the holiday was. People living it up both inside and out of a bar with everyone having a good time (I've only been out on this pivotal drinking holiday about three times and never had a good time).

But at this point in the movie, the recently separated couple (Rob Lowe and Demi Moore) are reunited at the bar and she tells him to stop following her around the city. His turn near the holiday almost becomes that of stalker and finally confronts her while everyone around them is having a good time.

About Last Night... was also filmed in Chicago and if you watch closely, you'll see the waitresses carrying green beer and I'm not sure if they filmed The Fugitive on the day of the actual holiday, but it is cool to see a river dyed green.

One movie to avoid is St. Patrick's Day which is about an Irish family who come together on the holiday for a day of fun. Only this year, MaryPat Donnelly-McDonough (Piper Laurie) has taken the pledge and won't allow drinking in the house, much to the dismay of the rest of the family.

The whole movie takes place within the house and you'd be hard pressed if you didn't find yourself looking for a wee bit of whiskey around your house.

There are way too many characters in the movie and it's hard to keep tabs on who's who.

Cousins are having sex (Marty Maguire and Geraldine Hughes); Priss and Adam (Joanne Baron and Jim Metzler) are getting a divorce and announce it to the clan at dinner; John Michael (David Ault) has brought his boyfriend with him and Millicent (Michele Elizabeth Lawrence) might be a witch.

In a twenty-four hour period more goes on in this house than a year's worth of watching a soap opera.

If you watch any of these movies, you'll still have the leprechaun spirit and you won't have to worry about driving.