Best (?) Movies Inspired by Shakespeare

Ok, I saw this list earlier this morning and quite frankly didn’t love it, but it’s going around like crazy on Twitter so maybe I’m in the minority.

These films are not adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays – that would be a completely
different list – but rather stories that showcase the inspirational
power of Shakespeare’s work. It’s a list that is eclectic, with
something for everyone, so get some WIll power and check out one of
these DVDs this weekend!

They’re certainly right that a list including the Hobart Shakespeareans, Shakespeare in Love and Shakespeare Behind Bars is “eclectic”.  I think that was my problem with it, I’m not really sure that a list with no meaningful theme (other than, apparently, having the word Shakespeare in the name? :)) does any good for anybody.  At the very least it should have more than 5 items on it.

Compare that list to the one over at The Stir which seems more consistent.  They call it “movies you might not know where based on Shakespeare”, and it swings from She’s the Man and 10 Things to Lion King and West Side Story.  But at least I can point at that list and say “Ok, I see what you were going for there.”