So, it's fitting that the Crescent City's Saints have made it to this year's Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Miami.
Saints fans are no doubt stocking up on gumbo, jambalaya, crawdads and red beans and rice for their parties. All of those fixin's will be washed down with Abita beer or a Dixie brand such as Blackened Voodoo.
New Orleans has been a favorite of filmmakers over the years. Films about New Orleans range from historical epics such as "The Buccaneer" about Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson and the War of 1812 to period pieces such as "Jezebel," which is set in pre-Civil War New Orleans, to the city's notorious side such as "Walk on the Wild Side," which is set in a 1930s bordello.
Movies have focused on the city's darker side in films such as "Hard Times" about Depression-era bare-knuckle fighters, "Tightrope" with Clint Eastwood as a cop hunting a serial killer who is murdering women linked to him, "Panic in the Streets" about a hunt for a criminal carrying the plague, and "No Mercy" about a Chicago cop who travels to New Orleans to find a missing woman.
No list is complete without mentioning movies that cater to the city's musical roots. "Mardi Gras" features Pat Boone and some other 1950s teen crooners heading to the city to ask a movie star to homecoming.
Mardi Gras and the city's voodoo influence is featured in many movies including "Hoodoo for Voodoo."
New Orleans is also featured in some silly movies such as "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars," which finds the hapless duo in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and drek such as "Mardi Gras Massacre."
Here are six movies available on video or DVD that are sure to get members of the Who Dat Nation revved up before Sunday's big game.
"Hurricane Season" (2009) -- This one actually won't be available until Tuesday, but this is a great film about a basketball coach (Forest Whitaker) who brings together players from five high schools affected by Hurricane Katrina and gets them into the state playoffs a year after the hurricane has ravaged the city. Other stars include Taraji Henson, Bonnie Hunt, Isaiah Washington, Lil Wayne and Bow Wow.
"Pretty Baby" (1978) -- A young girl (Brooke Shield) is being raised by her prostitute mother (Susan Sarandon) in the city's notorious Storyville red-light district in the days before legalized prostitution is about to end in 1917. Other stars include Keith Carradine and Antonio Fargas.
"The Big Easy" (1986) -- The city is well represented in this film about a shady cop (Dennis Quaid) who is investigating murders of mob bosses and then finds himself under investigation for taking bribes by a pretty prosecutor (Ellen Barkin). Other stars include Ned Beatty and John Goodman.
"Angel Heart" (1987) -- Voodoo and such take center stage in this thriller about a private eye (Mickey Rourke) hired by a creepy character (Robert De Niro) to find a missing man following World War II. He finds the man and a lot more before it's all over. Also stars Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling.
"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) -- A disturbed woman (Vivien Leigh) moves in with sister and her brutish husband (Marlon Brando) while she slowly loses touch with reality in this Elia Kazan masterpiece. Other stars include Kim Hunter and Karl Malden.
"Hotel" (1967) -- Rod Taylor manages a New Orleans hotel in this film based on Arthur Hailey's novel. Other stars include Melvyn Douglas as the owner who is mulling over an offer for the hotel, Karl Malden as a thief preying on guests and Michael Rennie as as nobleman with a dark secret.
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