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Commentary — Ladies and gentlemen, I've had a personal breakthrough.

And I'd like to share it with the group.

A couple of weeks ago, at 2:37 a.m. in the middle of the movie "Heat," I managed to turn off the TV and go to bed.

True, I couldn't do it until after Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro's face-to-face in the Los Angeles diner. That's just too good.

But I was able to forego all the shoot-out scenes — and the one in which DeNiro tosses the chair through the plate glass window while that weasel Van Sant is watching a hockey game.

That means I didn't watch the entire movie for the 19th time.

It's a little something I call progress.

Although a certain woman in my life doesn't seem to capice (that's EYE-talian for Ka PEESH), there are certain movies you just have to watch whenever they come on.

"The Untouchables" is one. The overhead shots are just too good. There's the one at the beginning when Capone is being shaved, and there's the other in which Frank Nitty's crumpled body is bleeding out in the last of a row of neatly angle-parked cars.

That's when Mr. Ness tells the Andy Garcia character, "He's in the car."

Ron Howard classics on my list include "Ed TV," "Cinderella Man" and "Backdraft," in which Donald Sutherland plays a frighteningly twisted Ronald.

When it comes to Clint Eastwood, my tastes run to the cowboy films "Pale Rider" ("I love you preacher") and "The Outlaw Josie Wales." (Spit .... "You be 10 Bears?"). I also like him in "Million Dollar Baby."

"Three Days of the Condor," with the creepy corporate assassin wonderfully played by Max Von Sidow, heads my Robert Redford list. A close second is "Jeremiah Johnson." My favorite scene may be when the crusty old mountain man played by Will Geer (Grandpa Walton) gnaws a little rabbit leg and says, "You've come a long way, pilgrim."

Lately I've been latching on to a somewhat cheesier Redford movie, "The Last Castle" co-starring the Sopranos' James Gandolfini. For that, I offer no defense, save for Cpl. Aguilar.

Because I can't forgive Michael for killing Fredo, I've pretty much worn out on "The Godfather: Part II," although I still hang in for the scenes with the young man Vito, played by DeNiro. ("Michael, your father loves you very much.")

Pierce Brosnan's 007 movies are automatics. Who can wait for him to fix his tie after he crashes through the wall with the tank in "Goldeneye"? And the scene in which Moneypenny is romancing Bond with through virtual reality glasses is as good as John Cleese's performaces.

As for The "Lord of the Rings" movies? The evil look that flashes into Bilbo's eyes when he spots the ring around Frodo's neck never gets old. Nor does the moment when Gimli, the dwarf, unable to jump to a castle bridge, turns to Aragorn land says, in a dwarfen brogue: "Toss me."

Finally, we arrive at Matt Damon. Although the scenes in which Will torments his professors are hard to watch on reply, "Good Will Hunting" is worth watching for the look on Ben Affleck's face when Will actually takes off to find Skyler. And I'm a total addict of the Bourne movies.

Even before my daughter bought me the DVDs, I'd let my wife know I would be unavailable for any social contact by paraphrasing the line Bourne delivers to Pamela Landy: "Get some rest, Ann, you look tired."

Theme music, please.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0368 or tstafford@coxohio.com.