Why Romance is in the Eye of the Beholder

Being a sucker for romance, and with the upcoming holidays, it's easy to start waxing sentimental and get all gooey-hearted over things that usually don't cause us to blink. The season encourages family get-togethers and of course, watching holiday classics and then some. For some reason, many of us revisit the classics over the holidays, and they don't have to be holiday-themed, either. Usually, they're romance-genre, but to keep the guys happy, most long-suffering girlfriends and wives will agree, reluctantly, to check out the usual adventure or thriller types as well.

Here comes the tricky part. Can romance be disguised in a thriller or an action drama? How can we get around this? Better yet, can romance be found in something palatable enough for a guy and yet something that will please our own viewing tastes? It all depends what theatre seat you're sitting in. Take some of these classics, for example.

Some have commented that they find Sir Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the infamous Hannibal Lector romantic. Okay, so he's a bit off the deep end, but how many people do you know who would actually chop off his own hand to save you? Actually, if you think about it long enough, you wonder what the bloody heck he did with the handcuff key in the first place. He could have saved himself the trouble, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Or how about Eric Draven, (the original Brandon Lee) from 'The Crow'? So, the guy wears enough makeup to put Alice Cooper to shame, but look at his pecs! And don't forget, he comes back from the grave to avenge Shelley, his dead fiancé. What's more romantic than that? Even the birds like him! No?