Stephen King is... well, you know, Stephen King. He's written good books and bad books. Had great movies come from his novels, and really bad ones as well. He may not have the most impressive movie taste out there, but at least he's honest, and likes what he likes. So anyways, EW posts Stephen King's top 2006 movies, and guess what number one is.
"1. Pan's Labyrinth I happened to see this in July and was completely seduced by its beauty and emotional ferocity. Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Mimic, Blade II) directed, and to call this his best work isn't enough. I think this extraordinary R-rated fairy tale for adults is the best fantasy film since The Wizard of Oz. And while it's much darker than Wizard, it still celebrates the human spirit. Your Uncle Stevie thinks you will see this movie."
Score!
12.22.2006
12.17.2006
Lack of posts because I haven't really been doing anything, just playing old RPGs over again (Final Fantasy V, Wild ARMs 2). That, and slowly knocking off the days until my birthday.
The other night I was bored and watched 'Just Like Heaven.' What a terrible movie. The only good line was towards the end, when Mark Ruffalo's friend says something like, "Someday, trust me, I'm gonna need help moving a body. When that day comes, I don't wanna hear any shit from you." Other than that, there's just an onslaught of plotholes and terrible dialogue. I generally like Mark Ruffalo, but Reese Witherspoon... sigh. She played the most unbelievable doctor in the history of both doctors and acting.
Rating: 2.5/10
However, 'Mary Poppins' was on TV the other day and I hadn't seen it in years. Now I remember why I loved that movie so much. A definite 9/10
Oh, and the 'Nip/Tuck' season(series, maybe?) finale wasn't very good at all, but did have a few good moments. The show has gone downhill since season 2, but for some reason I just can't stop watching it. This season gets a very solid rating of a 6.
12.13.2006
It's time for my monthly post about Pan's Labyrinth.
With a continuing perfect percentage on rottentomatoes (31 reviews), this movie may turn out to be pretty good. Also, the good news is it's opening 'everywhere' by January 19th, but maybe near me (you) sooner. Closer to that time, I'm sure the ratings will drop a bit, but it still seems to be going strong.
This movie looks so good! You can even listen to the mesmerizing score online for free here. Also, lots of pictures and trailers and crap here. I'm probably the only person I know exicted for this, but whatever. I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class - especially since I rule.
12.10.2006
Until tonight I had a good deal of respect for AFI (American Film Institute, not the band). As usual, they announced the movies they think were the best 10 of the year. There's a jury or 13 people who debate about it and whatnot. Anyway, here's the list:
BABEL
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
HALF NELSON
HAPPY FEET
INSIDE MAN
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
UNITED 93
This is clearly some kind of joke. I have no desire to see Borat, but I don't even have a problem with that being on the list. I'm also glad Devil Wears Prada is on there, but does anyone else notice a significant gap? Obviously 'The Departed' should be on there, regardless of taste in movies and personal opinions. That movie was amazing in every aspect, and to be written off like this must be some kind of joke. I guess AFI plans on releasing their real list tomorrow, which replaces any of these movies, particularly Inside Man (...), with The Departed.
Oh, and I think 'The Queen' wasn't on there because it's not an American movie. If it was eligable and not on that list, I'd be even more upset, but...
12.09.2006
Apocalypto is an extremely intense action/adventure movie about, well, savages. The village where our protagonist Jaguar Paw lives is pillaged, and all the men are taken prisoner to the Mayan empire to be sacrificed, while the children are left to fend for themselves and the women are auctioned off. When Jaguar Paw escapes (in one of the better scenes of the movie), it's a brutal chase as he tries to escape and make it home (about a forty-eight hour run) in time to save his pregnant wife and child that he managed to hide in some sort of well.
What's so moving about this movie is that it shows the extreme depth of the family relationships that developed during that time. Mostly centered on JP (I like that), but also on how the Father/Son relationship is treated in other civilizations.
But the family bonds serve as a backdrop to the non-stop, brutally real, MacGyver-like shit that JP has to go through. Seeing everything from hearts being ripped out of chests, to a jaguar eating the flesh off a person's face, to a vicious Mortal Kombat-style uppercut, this movie has all the elements of a great action movie.
The one thing that lacks is the dialogue. Granted, it has to be basic, since it's all in subtitles and it's primitive speech, but... I don't know. Plus I don't know how I feel about the ending. It almost seems like Mel Gibson didn't know how to end his flick, so he just stuck something totally random in there. But don't let that be a turn off, the other 95% of the movie is fucking great.
And also, if you plan to see this movie, you HAVE TO see it on the big screen. Seriously. Most of the times the DVD is just as good but here... no.
Rating: 8.5/10
12.07.2006
The semester has been winding down, and this week is finals week. I have two tests on Friday, and both are pretty important (obviously?). I also have a DVD buying addiction, and have these movies in my possession, still unopened: Being John Malkovich, Amelie, and Cabin Fever.
Now, I've seen BJM and Amelie before, but not Cabin Fever. I bought it because it was like $4.50 at Wal Mart, and I kind of wanted to see it, and I figured that was close to the price of renting it anyway. So what does all this have to do with anything?
Tonight at about ten o'clock, since I'm doing all my studying tomorrow, I figured I'd finally get around to watching Cabin Fever. But then at around eleven, one of my friends said I should come to the library to study. I did. So in conclusion, I'm anticipating Cabin Fever to be so bad that I'd rather study than sit through its 90 minute runtime, even though I did buy it. Maybe it will be one of those things I always say I'll do, but never actually do.
In other very important news (so important that it's at the bottom of my post...), today I've reached somewhat of a milestone in my movie viewing quest. I've now seen 66/100 of AFI's 100 Greatest Movies (you can see my checklist here). That's two-thirds down (I round decimals down, shut the fuck up), one-third to go.
Most recent viewing: 'My Fair Lady'
Rating: 9/10
Notes: Yay Audrey Hepburn, though I got sick of her Dad pretty fast. Some pretty catchy songs, too. Also, some scenes dragged on a bit too long, but it gives time to take in the amazing costumes and scenery, so it's all right.
12.05.2006
For those of you who don't see me on a regular basis, know this: I have a red t-shirt that had REDRUM written on it. This is a reference to the movie 'The Shining.'
A few minutes ago I went to Wal Mart to buy some stuff, and the cashier said, "Why do you have murder written on your shirt?"
"Uh, it says redrum. It's from a The Shining."
"I know, I've seen the movie, that's why I said 'murder.' Why would you get that on a shirt?"
"I like the movie."
"But why would you wear that out in public, unless it was Halloween?"
I didn't respond. It's like, ok, so people shouldn't be allowed to get random items or words or trademarks or pictures from movies put on shirts because it's not a certain time of year? Hell, why don't we take away slogan expression on shirts in general, and only allow plain colored shirts to be worn, and on Wednesdays you can be creative and pick either plaid or stripes. YAY!
11.28.2006
Tonight I was at Chipotle, which is kind of like a Subway with Mexican food. So the line was about ten-fifteen people long, and there was this cop, in uniform, about halfway back.
Then out of nowhere, he pushes his way (no 'excuse me's or anything) to the front of the line, and cuts everyone, thinking that just because he's in uniform he gets special privileges. I'm all about the po-po, but this guy was a complete asshole about it. I can understand if you have to go patrol or whatever, but he got his burrito, then went and sat down with his other buddies and took his sweet time. If you have the time to sit down and eat, you should have the time to wait in line like everyone else.
What an asshole.
11.27.2006
I'm not one for reality TV. Tonight was the season finale of The Bachelor: Rome, in which one decent looking 'Prince' had to pick between two blonde dunces. I was stuck watching the show with four female friends; two of which were hardcore rooting for Sadie, and two of which liked Sadie more than Jennifer, but didn't really care. I, of course, picked Jennifer, for a number of reasons.
Now, I made this decision about 30 minutes into the 2 hour episode. The girls were positive that Sadie would win, and that she was the better of the two, but I held my ground, because Jennifer was the obvious choice.
There was lots of build-up, but when Lorenzo (the Bachelor) met with Sadie, and told her she wasn't the one, while the girls, both on-screen and off, were like 'wtf?' I was enjoying my moment of brilliance. So what can we learn from this post?
A) Jon is amazing at picking the winner on these shows (I also predicted the winner for Average Joe 2 correctly).
B) If you use logic and reasoning, it's not hard to see who will win.
C) Don't get thrown off by the red herrings, which are aplenty.
Oh, and here's the reasons why it was obvious he would pick Jennifer (debate if you want, but think of it this way: if you were right, I wouldn't be making this blog post right now):
1) While when they were both coated in makeup Sadie looked a bit better, it's obvious Jennifer was much more naturally attractive.
2) Lorenzo freaked the fuck out when Sadie made him that memory book thing. Seriously, he just wants to have some fun, and Sadie seemed way too serious.
3) Sadie, in her last dress, while she has "awesome breasts," seemed to be trying too hard to show them, which was an act of desperation.
4) Jennifer is from Florida, and Florida owns California.
So in conclusion, I won five dollars and am the master of the universe.
11.25.2006
The Fountain (IMDb), the new film from Darren Aronofsky ('Requiem for a Dream'), is a complete waste of time and energy, and about halfway through the film I felt like I'd been in the theater for the literal amount of time between the on-screen lifetime of Wolverine. (pretend that was worded better and made sense)
The film appears to revolve around Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in the 16th century, the modern day, and some random time when apparently living in gigantic bubbles floating through space is the in thing to do. I'm going to try to do chart to help myself out a bit:
16th Century: Conquistador 'Tom' (Wolverine) is sent on a quest by his queen (Weisz) to find the fount-- wait, the movie isn't about a fountain, it's about a tree. . . to find a tree that promises eternal life. Throughout the film, we see Hugh Jackman get hit about thirty times by a flaming sword, and be interrupted while doing some work, and eat bark with pubic hair, and for some reason Rachel Weisz can stare straight into the sun and not go blind.
Modern day: Wolverine is busy trying to cure cancer on some monkey, and Rachel Weisz dies.
Future: Wolverine has a completely shaved head and beard (and looks really fucking scary), and does yoga in a gravity-less environment. Occasionally he eats bark from the most sexually active tree in existance. Also, he hallucinates about his dead wife/queen.
It's bad when part of the method of the film is to show repeat scenes over for effect, and even after seeing each part at least four times, the thing still doesn't make any goddam sense. I have this theory that if you took out all duplicate shots, the movie would barely break 45 minutes. Then there's some random scene of Rachel Weisz in a red outfit with long hair (she has short hair in 'present day'), and it has no relevance to any of the three plotlines whatsoever. Actually, none of the plotlines have any relevance to any sort of 'Fountain' whatsoever.
The climax of the film finally comes when Hugh Jackman slits flaming sword man's throat and makes it to the Tree of Life, which appears to be in a moldy Olympic pool on top of some pyramid in the middle of the jungle. After using the tree's white sap to heal a wound (I don't think it was the tree, I think it was his mutant power, but that's just me), he impales the hairy (yes) tree with a holy dagger (like that pun?), and then begins to guzzle mouthfuls of the tree's semen. Definitely the single best scene of the movie, providing much needed comic relief.
At this point I was beginning to put some obscure meanings together (somehow), but the last ten minutes of the film completely demolished any concept of intelligence the movie might have been hoping to achieve. The finale contradicts everything it tried to set up, and ultimately becomes the most laughably bad movie since 'The Hulk.' Aronofsky must've given the producers a different script to gain approval, because this seems to be the biggest joke of the last decade.
Rating: 1/10 (only because Rachel Weisz is hot)
11.19.2006
Am I the only one who finds this quite the coincidence?
Casablanca (1942)
The Good German (2006)
Maybe I'm missing something, but was that intentional? Either way, every time I see the poster for 'The Good German' I can't help thinking of 'Casablanca.'
In other news, tonight I got into a class I needed, called 'Modern British Literature.'
The good news: It's with a teacher I had before, and he's awesome. Plus, this proves that good things can come from staying in on a Saturday. I was so bored I checked to see if any classes opened up, and BAM, there it was.
The bad news: Since it's Modern British Literature, that means most of the stuff probably won't be on Sparknotes, so I'll have to actually read for the class (ba da, crash). But then again, maybe all we'll go over are the Harry Potter books. Yeah, that'd be pretty funny.
11.18.2006
Casino Royale - Great, spectacular, extremely entertaining. First off, the opening credits were innovative and fresh, and I enjoyed them more than any other credit scene in any movie. Also, the first chase scene is straight-up action and badass-ness, so after the first twenty minutes I knew this movie would be a winner.
What a great 'beginning' to the James Bond story. Since I'm a guy, we'll first look at the 'Bond Girls.' Caterina Murino was kinda hot until she opened her mouth, for two reason. A) Her accent sucks and is annoying, and B) she has really messed up teeth. Thankfully, Eva Green, who plays Bond's first (ever) and last (ever) romance, is gorgeous, in a very unique way (which is sure to be pointed out in the movie itself). Despite her being physically beautiful, she's also mysterious and strangely charismatic; however, that doesn't change the one flaw of the movie - buying the romance between her and Bond is hard to do. It seems forced at some points, and towards the end, the small interlude is definitely the weak point of the film.
Daniel Craig fits into the James Bond persona perfectly, and based solely on this movie, I'd put him as my third favorite (after Connery and Roger Moore, respectively). He plays a flawed Bond, a novice, arrogant, self-absorbed character whose cocky attitude gets him into a lot of trouble. Nothing is ever more interesting to watch than a flawed character overcome his weaknesses and become stronger in the end, and this movie puts things into place very well for the rest of the franchise (even explaining how and why he drinks his martinis the way he does).
Being a James Bond movie, it's not too hard to see the plot twists coming, because you know they're going to come, and can usually predict when, it's just a matter of what twist is going to happen. Given that everyone and their mother is suspecting everyone and their mother to be a 'bad guy,' the story still manages to keep at least a few scenes ahead of the audience. Plus, what's the point of going to a movie just to try to figure stuff out ahead of time? Doing so just makes you look like a jackass, and ruins the movie for you anyway. There's a difference between crappy writing, where you can't help knowing what happens next, and good writing where you think more about trying to be ahead of the game than enjoying the excessive action right in front of you.
Sorry, random digression.
This movie was just as good as I expected it to be. Lots of actions, a good plot, some pretty girls, and some long-term explanations. I miss John Cleese, but oh well, we can't have everything. Very enjoyable.
Rating: 8.5/10
11.16.2006
So right now I'm reading Catch-22 for the first time, and I'm about ten chapters in. It's pretty phenominal so far, but anyway... I went online to look up some quotes from parts I already went through, because there's some great shit. I went to some random site that Google showed, and the quotes were haphazardly ordered, instead of listed by chapter. Of course, I didn't notice this until I came across the last line in the book quoted.
God damnit. Oh well, I just skimmed it, and I don't think it'll matter too much. The book's like 500 pages, so by the time I get to the last chapter everything should be jake. (I've been waiting for two weeks to use that word. Yeah, I'm bringing it back.)
PS. 'The Deer Hunter' was pretty awesome. Christopher Walken is The Man. In other news, 'Girl, Interrupted' was pretty shitty. A poor man's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Obviously.
11.14.2006
The Butterfly Effect 2 (2006) - IMDb - It's rare when a movie sequel comes along that makes the original look like child's play. This is one of those times, with the second installment of this widley popular series coming straight-to-DVD earlier this year. Don't let the trailer fool you - with the first 30 seconds being clips from the first movie - this movie is an emotionally charged, epic rollercoaster. From John R. Leonetti, the acclaimed director of 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,' we see his triumphant return to the world of glamour and prestige, the world of movies. This is also another trophy in writer Michael D. Weiss' collection, following other gems such as 'Octopus,' 'Octopus 2: River of Fear,' 'Disaster,' and 'Death Train.' His body of work is so spectacular that I like to imagine all his titles put into one screenplay, and I come up with 'Octopus, Crocodile, U.S. Seals, and the Disastrous Death Train Effect Over the River of Fear 2.' That screenplay has 'Oscar' written all over it. Even without all the Crocodiles and Seals', 'Butterfly Effect 2' is a stand-alone work of genius and I don't see how it could go unnoticed by the Academy this coming Oscar season. Beg, borrow, steal - someway, somehow, see this movie.
Rating: 10/10
This post dedicated to Russell Miller.
11.12.2006
(I know I've been making lots of YouTube posts lately. Oh well.)
In regards to this post, there's been some surprisingly good reviews. 8.4 on IMDB with almost 2,000 votes, and a perfect percentage on rottentomatoes (as much as I hate that site).
Anyway, here's a more thorough trailer:
You can view the much more pretty QuickTime version here.
The other day on the radio there was an advertisement for something, and it started like this, "Hi, I'm Hall of Famer _____ ______," which is a fine way to sell a product. It's a common marketing technique. But then, halfway through the commercial, the same guy made some comment that began with, "People like you and me," . . . I'm sorry, but you can't have it both ways. I'm not like a Hall of Fame player, and I don't know many people who are. In fact, other than male genetalia, I probably don't have anything in common with that guy. If you're going to try being cheesy in your sales, at least be consistent, damn.
And because I'm so excited, watch this and share in the experience.
11.11.2006
11.10.2006
Stranger Than Fiction - This movie is just what you expect it to be, and then more. There's humor like in the previews, but the plot also trails into love and romance (not the cheesy, 'A Walk to Remember' kind). Will Ferrell proves that he can also take on serious roles, Emma Thompson is always great, and the same goes for Dustin Hoffman. Queen Latifah sucks, but she only had a small role. I'm also going to marry Maggie Gyllenhaal, in case anyone asks. In the end, it's hard not to feel attached to Will Ferrell's character. There wasn't a single moment during the film where I was thinking, "Ugh, next scene please," which is pretty rare. Should be a minimum of at least an Oscar nod for the screenplay.
Rating: 8.5/10
11.09.2006
The Queen - Lots of subtle humor. Lots of emotional attachment. I'm only twenty years old, so back when Princess Diana died I wasn't really affected (but I do remember it). Seeing some archive footage of her, and the thousands of flowers left outside Buckingham Palace, and how much people were attached to her, was all so overwhelming. Movies try to have emotional appeal fairly often by using real events or old news clips from television (Hi, Sept. 11), but this was the first time I ever felt a connection to the events without actually being there. That's a goal almost all movies want to achieve, but few manage to accomplish. Then, of course, Helen Mirren's performance. Spectacular. Hell, Michael Sheen was even good as Tony Blair. So many great scenes and so much lasting effect. Limited releases are lame, but if you get the chance, see this movie for sure. Rating: 9/10
Running With Scissors - Another movie released in 'Limited,' but don't go rushing out to see this one. Most of the funny moments are in the previews. There's only a few laughs not in the trailer, and it's quite disappointing. I understand it's based on memoirs, but Ryan Murphy was trying to do too much in this one movie. Rating: 6/10
My teacher said this is the shortest story to ever be published (I don't know if that's true - it's just what she said). It's pretty genius, though I almost hate to admit it. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Characters, a climax, a resolution. Wish I would've thought of it first.
"The Scarlatti Tilt," by Richard Brautigan
"It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who's learning to play the violin." That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.
Yeah, that's all it is. Read the fresh post below this one for movie news.
Recent movie viewings:
The Queen (2006) - Oh wait, the power at the theatre died while I was there. Lame. Trying again tomorrow.
The Sting (1973) - The chapter 'The Hook' has to be some of the best directing I've ever seen. The splicing of some amazing card playing by Paul Newman (well, his character) with auditions for parts in 'the wire' is amazing. So much tension. I love 'Butch Cassidy...' but I think this movie's a bit better. Robert Redford is the shit (in this movie, and as the Sundance Kid). 9.5/10
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - The opening scene for this movie was pretty amazing. Overall quite good, but if you just watched the first seven minutes you might be fulfilled. 26 year-old Faye Dunaway is pretty hot. 8/10
Edit 9/4/2008: Bonnie and Clyde is a definite 10/10.
The Pianist (2002) - Finally saw it. Quite great. That's all. 8/10
Oldboy (2003) - A fairly popular Korean movie that is both heartbreaking and brutally violent. There's also a mix of some magical realism that is quite touching, and I would actually highly recommend this film. 9/10
(Holy shit, I haven't done one of these in a long time. Let's see... these aren't very recent, but 'recent' since my last update in September. Netflix owns.)
I've been watching lots of Scrubs lately and just finished season five. 10/10
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - 9/10
As Good As It Gets (1997) - 7.5/10 (I don't really like James L. Brooks' stuff much, though Jack Nicholson of course is the master of everything ever.)
Mystic River (2003) - 8/10
It Happened One Night (1934) - Frank Capra, Clarke Gable, some random probably famous starlet... 9.5/10
Barry Lyndon (1975) - Some really moving moments, some really good looking art direction and costumes, but still a bit too long and not my personal type of movie. 7.5/10
Amelie (2001) - Love love love. 10/10
Ok, that should do.
11.04.2006
Tonight I caught a showing of the not very much anticipated 'Saw 3.'
I will admit that, despite it's terrible acting, the first 'Saw' movie succeeded because of its writing. The second movie also had terrible acting, but they had a budget and managed to somehow pull off a decent flick. I enjoyed them both.
Though part three is was once again written by Leigh Whannell, the Australian who played one of the main characters in the first movie, it seems he was scrounging for ideas and came up shorthanded in the end, resulting in lazy writing and still terrible directing and acting.
After the first two movies I left the theatre with a sense of "whoa" that is hard to achieve, because I'm usually good at spotting endings and tie-ups just before you're supposed to be able to. I hate to get picky on details, but as a writer, I just have to. There's a huge difference between weaving hints and backstory throughout a plot while dropping subtle hints (that make sense - coming later in explanation) - which works well - and relying on gimmicky diction choices to provide a loophole for a real plot, and even then only use them as bookends. Yes, that was a long sentence, but I don't feel like redoing it.
FOR EXAMPLE, the whole "I am responsible for your child," with child replacing "boy," is a cheap trick. Also, the whole discussion about the divorce in the beginning tries to lead us to believe that the couple there are married, but it never says that, and it means a divorce from her husband (because she's having an affair). These serve as bookend plot devices, which are never good. There were a couple things, like the missing photograph piece, but that made it a tiny bit too obvious. Come on now.
Also, the thrill of the original 'Saw' movie was it's method to the madness, whereas the third installment is just straight 'method.' Ok, so we have four rooms, and we're going to progress through them, one by one, and have one challenge for each room. Between each room we will show a scene involving 'Jigsaw' and 'Amanda' and 'Other Bitch Who No One Cares About.' It felt like I was playing a game of Candy Land, working towards a predictable finish.
I couldn't buy the whole attachment of Shawnee Smith's character (Amanda) to Jigsaw. It seemed forced through flashbacks that were only mildly interesting and delivered in chunks, which goes back to weaving plot throughout a story. The story was: Past (scene from end of Saw 2), Present, Present, Present, Present....... BAM! FLASHBACK! SHE WAS IN ON IT THE WHOLE TIME! GET IT?! Present, Present..... Yawn.
Not all was bad though. There was still a couple scenes that made me uneasy, mainly the first one with the chains, and the puzzles seemed to get progressively less original as the movie went on, though I liked the rib-ripping device. The bullet-shooting necklace thing was cool looking, but we didn't even see it in action. Weak.
Also, from the first minute of the movie I could tell who would die because the style of writing has become somewhat predictable, almost a caricature of itself. Anyone remotely attached to the 'game,' other than one main character dies. The main character of course lives, because we need another cliffhanger for another sequel.
As my friend David said, this is how he felt afterwards: "Meh." I will ditto that. Dear Leigh Whannell - please don't make a part four.
Rating: 4.5/10
11.02.2006
Today I finally finished reading Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I must say, Vonnegut is the definite master of 'weaving' or 'threading,' aka making every single tiny event in the story relate to every single other tiny event in some way or another, and all have a common theme. It's amazing how so many of his characters are recurring throughout his books as well, and the way he makes himself a character is always genius. I can't get enough of the character Kilgore Trout. In my opinion this wasn't as good as Slaughterhouse-Five, but still a very good read. Many funny moments, and an ending that is actually quite sad.
Rating: 9.25/10
(SH5 = 10/10, highly recommended)
10.26.2006
Over the last few months I've been eating out a lot, which means almost no grocery shopping. The other day I went and bought $60 worth of groceries, and I thought, "Well, I'm going to buy a pack of mini Milky Way candy bars, because chocolate = delicious." (Yes, I think in math equations sometimes)
So I bought them but haven't touched them yet. This was Tuesday. It is now Thursday night.
Since I left for college my Mom has always sent me stuff on holidays, and for this Halloween she sent me a box containing a bowl filled with 4-5 bags of mini candies and chocolates. Last year when this happened I ate all the chocolate within a three day period, but I'm not even craving it now, and I actually felt sick after a couple bars.
Am I turning in to a healthy person? God, I hope not.
10.20.2006
Funny how I said I wasn't going to be posting for a while, and here I am...
So in my bedroom I have three primary clocks: computer clock, alarm clock, and clock on the DVD player. For months now, the clock on my DVD player has been getting progressively slower, and it ended up being a steady 40-45 minutes behind the actual time.
This morning I woke up at 8:40 to leave at 9:00 for my 9:30 class. I got ready and was putting on my shoes when I glanced up and saw that the clock on my DVD player said 9:02. I panicked, and thought, "No way. Shit, I'm so late... How the Hell did this happen?" I then look at both my computer clock and alarm clock, and they say it is nine o'clock as well.
I have no idea how the DVD clock became synched up again. It doesn't do it automatically, and I didn't fix it myself... it's kind of scary. Cheers to mysteries.
10.14.2006
I'm bored so I'm going to compile list of Oscar buzz that's going around, because, as lame as I am, Oscar season is the highlight of my year.
'The Queen' seems to be a big shoe-in for a Best Pic nom, and Best Actress as well. I haven't seen it yet though, but that's the rumor.
'United 93' is getting Best Pic and Director buzz.
'Dreamgirls' has lots of hype for Best Pic, and a few acting awards. All skeptical.
'Babel' has good hype for lots of awards, to include Brad Pitt.
'World Trade Center' is what it is, but I don't see it winning much/anything.
'The Departed' could sweep or it could sadly be overlooked (again for Scorsese). I'm hoping it's the former, because I loved it.
'Half Nelson' has some strong buzz for Ryan Gosling and his supporting actress. It's a bit of a long shot, though, being a very indie flick.
'The Last King of Scotland' has huge buzz for Forest Whitaker. He's a great actor, and an Oscar for him would be justified in my eyes.
'Little Children' has buzz, but I don't know much about it. Kate Winslet and whatnot.
'The Devil Wears Prada' should get Meryl Streep another Oscar Nod, and while I love her and hope she wins, I doubt it.
'Flags of our Fathers' is the new Clint Eastwood flick, and you can always count on him to deliver a great picture that is Oscar gold. God, he's so good.
'Hollywoodland' might get Ben Affleck an acting nod. Maybe Diane Lane too, but that's about it.
'Little Miss Sunshine' should get a writing nod at least, but if it wins... wtf.
'Marie Antoinette' will get costume and art direction nods for sure, and maybe cinematography, but who the fuck knows when it comes to the actual movie. Hopefully Sophia Coppola delivers, though.
'The Prestige' is going to be great, but I don't know if it's what the Academy is looking for.
'Fur' puts Nicole Kidman in a role for another potential nod.
'A Good Year' seems like Oscar bait, and while Ridley Scott is good, and Russell Crowe is a great actor, I see this as an easy pass.
'The Good German' is a Soderbergh picture, and with George Clooney fresh off a win, has lots of potential. It may be overlooked though by the stronger emotional appeal of the pics listed above.
'The Good Shepherd' is a DeNiro directed film with Damon, Jolie, and Alec Baldwin. Could go either way.
I think that about covers the buzz.
10.12.2006
Tonight I went through the Wendy's drive-thru and ordered the Jon Special, which consists of:
Jr. Cheeseburger, no onions.
5 piece chick nuggets, with BBQ sauce
Medium fries
The total is $3.66.
I heard the order for the guy behind me because I left my window down, and he ordered a number three, which is like $5ish. So I pull up to the window and don't check my bag because I'm lazy. I get home, and find no chicken nuggets, and instead, the big number three. So technically I made money, or got a better value, but I didn't want that huge f-ing sandwich, and did want chicken nuggets. So stupid. It does make me wonder, though, how the guy at the window knew not to give me a drink...
I should look at the receipt that's in the bag, but it's all crumpled inside of my garbage can, so fuck it.
South Park has been around a long time. The show has been consistently one of the funniest segments on Comedy Central, or on TV in general. I think I've seen almost all of the episodes, and it's time I make a list of my top 10. There's even links to each episode if you want to watch (recommended). David made his top 10 list too (which had the same episodes as mine, but in a different order), but if you want to see his, go to his blog. Har, har.
1. Scott Tenorman Must Die
Link to Episode
2. Casa Bonita
Link to Episode
3. The Jeffersons
Link to Episide
4. Good Times With Weapons
Link to Episode
5. AWESOM-O
Link to Episode
6. Christian Rock Hard
Link to Episode
7. The Death Camp of Tolerance
Link to Episode
8. The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers
Link to Episode
9. Cartman Joins NAMBLA
Link to Episode
10. Chinpokomon
Link to Episode
Damn, what a fucking good show.
10.09.2006
10.08.2006
10.07.2006
Oh, man...
The Departed is easily the best movie of the year so far. Nice to see Scorsese go back to his gangster style and produce a high-tension, thickly layered, fast-paced drama. I know not everyone appreciates Leo DiCaprio, but he's becoming one of the best actors of this generation, coming far from his 'Titanic' days. Matt Damon is always solid, and Jack Nicholson, well, is Jack Nicholson. The 2.5 hour run time goes by so fast, half the time I'm still comprehending what happened the scene before and it's already on a new plot twist. Fantastic writing.
9.5/10 at least.
10.04.2006
10.02.2006
Earlier tonight I went to the coffee shop in the library. The "fresh" sign had only the magnet up for the Irish Cream. Normally I just get house blend, but I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to go all out and try something new.
So I went up to the counter and ordered a large coffee. I pay, and normally they ask me which type of coffee I want, to which I normally say, "Regular." This time when they asked I was planning to say "Irish Cream." They didn't ask, and just assumed I was alright with the Cream. Bastards.
Now, in all fairness, I was going to order Irish Cream anyway, so no big deal. But the fact that they didn't ask me, and just assumed I was okay with that particular blend really pissed me off. What if I was allergic to Ireland? How bad would they feel when I broke out in hives and passed out at their condiment stand?
10.01.2006
9.25.2006
9.23.2006
9.21.2006
Lately I've been playing a lot of Kingdom Hearts 2, which is a PlayStation 2 game centering around Disney worlds/characters (Disney partnered with Squaresoft, AKA makers of the Final Fantasy games, AKA best games ever). The first KH was amazing and the second one is very addicting, but that's beside the point.
So playing the game just makes me more pissed off at the Disney "vault," which is defined as them selectively releasing certain movies for a short amount of time, then vaulting them up for years. Some examples include Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and The Little Mermaid. I've been wanting to buy, well, all of them, and today I was at Target. I saw a big poster above the DVDs for The Little Mermaid. It was next to a Prince poster (ugh), but didn't say anything like "music from the movie," so I was like "SCORE!"
But guess what? It was no where to be found. I searched every damn inch of their terrible DVD selection, and couldn't find it. Or the original Sabrina, which they had plenty of a few weeks ago. Sigh. Such is the life of a DVD buying addict.
Edit: Ok, either I'm a retard, or Target needs to properly label their items (and by "items" I mean "posters"). I checked their website, which says the DVD will be available Oct. 3rd. I guess this explains why I couldn't find it. Thank you for letting me know while I was there, Target.
9.19.2006
The other day I was studying on the first floor of the campus library with a friend of mine. This moderately cute girl came up to us and was like, "Can you help me find these books?" She said that there should be someone on the first floor to help her out, but there wasn't (there never is). I volunteered to help her, and she asked how the system worked. I explained that you just look at the cards placed on the sides of the aisles, which are in descending/ascending order, and go from there. She was like, "Oh," and I took her to where the first book should be.
"What's the book called?"
"Uh, I don't know."
"...well, it's not here, so maybe it's checked out. What did it say in the computer?"
"I didn't look it up, some guy upstairs gave me the call numbers."
So, she was an idiot, and I was getting annoyed. She asked again how to find the books, so I explained it AGAIN, and left her alone. Seriously, when you get into college, they explain all this to you, but how do you even get into college without knowing how to find a book in a library? The worst part was that she was a full-on Monet.
Hollywoodland: 7.5/10
The Philadelphia Story: 8/10
All About Eve: 10/10 (amending this previous score. What a perfect movie.)
9.12.2006
Top Three Most Overrated Movies (Ever?)
1) Scarface
Seriously... get a real gangster movie. There was nothing unique about this movie, and I'm so sick of seeing every male college room filled with posters from this movie. Al Pacino is a great actor, and this movie had a few moments, but overall a total snoozefest and waste of time.
2) The Boondock Saints
I finally watched this movie a year or two ago since people wouldn't shut up about it, and this is the epitome of a movie that is a failed attempt to be a "cult classic." It definitely isn't mainstream, and you know why? Because everything in this movie has been done before, and in much better ways. Seriously, if you like this movie, grow up.
3) Dodgeball
I know I'm going to get shit for this, but whatever. I'm sorry if people getting hit with objects and falling over doesn't amuse me more than once. And hey, sorry if I want running gags to actually be funny. Ben Stiller usually sucks, and this is one of those situations. His wife is hot, but that's not enough to save this movie. This movie was so bad I walked into another movie afterwards to get my dollars worth. Also, I believe this to be the cause of the Chuck Norris fad, which is fucking annoying, old, and terrible. Sigh.
-------
However, I did watch 'Roman Holiday' today and that movie was fantastic. Gregory Peck owns, and, you know, Audrey Hepburn <3 The ending was kind of disappointing, probably because I'm too used to the happy endings of modern cinema. Either way, some good laughs and very enjoyable. 9/10
P.S. I couldn't help noticing similarities between 'Roman Holiday' and 'Notting Hill.' There's quite a few.
9.08.2006
Yesterday I was taking the shuttle to my 10:30 class. All the seats were full so I was one of a handful of people standing. We were pulling out of my apartment complex when the shuttle came to a jerking stop (I almost fell on a few people, but luckily I was holding the handrail). I look up front and see our shuttle driver arguing with this black girl (this whole thing may sound racist, but I assure you it's not - the girl just happened to be black) because she sat in the front on this platform thing next to the driver's seat (technically you're not supposed to sit there, but when the shuttle's full, people always do and no one cares).
So the bus is stopped and I'm standing there, at this point still trying to figure out what's going on. The driver finally says, "I'm not going until she apologizes." What?! You drive a fucking bus, you're not our parent. It is your job to drive the bus, not to lecture us on manners. Yes, the girl was being idiotic and rude, but you don't have the right to make 50 people late for their classes because you want an apology.
So the girl was being a stubborn prick, and the driver got off the bus and made a phone call. This was after about five minutes. 90% chance he called one of his driver friends or his boss to ask if he would do what he was doing, and 100% chance they told him, "No, now go drive the fucking bus."
So he got back on and we went to campus. During the ride they both made phone calls and were both telling the situations in their own words, which was pretty funny since they were right next to each other. People like that suck.
Spirited Away - 9/10
Little Miss Sunshine - 8.5/10
Network - 8/10
Edit 10/18/2008: Network should be a 10/10, and Spirited Away as well. I failed at recognizing classics.
8.31.2006
Double Indemnity - 8.5/10
Akeelah and the Bee - 7/10
Maria Full of Grace - 8.5/10
Training Day - 8/10
World Trade Center - 7.75/10
Taxi Driver - 8.5/10
The Wizard of Oz - 9/10 (what a classic, never gets old)
Sabrina - 9/10
The Lost Weekend - 7.5/10
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - 9/10
The Untouchables - 7.5/10
No, I haven't been busy - this is going back a long time.
Edit 10/18/2006: Wow, I was an idiot. Double Indemnity 10/10, World Trade Center 6/10, Taxi Driver 9/10, Wizard of Oz 10/10.
8.26.2006
Today in one of my writing workshops the teacher was doing a class exercise where she put first lines from short stories/novels on the overhead, and then asked the class for a 'yay' or 'nay,' on whether they would keep reading based only on that sentence.
I don't remember the quote or novel or anything, but after numerous one-liners, there was one sentence that took up 3 lines in the Word document, so there were a few commas and a couple thoughts combined. Actually, it was probably as long as the sentence just before this one. A few people in the class said 'nay,' and she asked why. This one girl said, "I don't know, the sentence seemed too long." Then I muttered, "Well then what do you read, Dr. Seuss?" Of course, when I said that, the class got quiet, and the teacher asked me to repeat what I said.
So I elaborated (slightly), and said something like, "Well if three lines is too long, what do you read, Dr. Seuss? I mean, come on..." The girl got all defensive, and started to explain what she meant, but a majority of the class was still laughing at my comment.
Funny aftermath - when we set out to do group work, she sat next to me in our small groups, so I almost felt bad. And for the record, I have nothing against Dr. Seuss.
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - Not without flaws, but lots of fun to watch. 8/10
8.24.2006
American Beauty is the most amazing movie ever.
I know I put this as my number two favorite a bit ago, because I could not, in good faith, put it before 'It's a Wonderful Life.' However, this is one of those movies where the more I watch it, the more I love it, understand it, learn from it, and cherish it. Ok, that last bit sounded corny and lame, but seriously...
Everything about this movie is perfect. Every role, even the smallest parts, are outstanding. Yes, we all know Kevin Spacey is the shiznit, and Annette Bening is great and all, but how about Wes Bentley explaining why a simple plastic bag floating in the wind is beautiful (however much it was parodied in other movies)? Or the girl that Angela and Jane run into at school, who tells off Angela and says, 'Stop acting like you're God damn Christie Turlington!' The brilliant, little things we just hear in passing, like how Annette Bening's shear handles match her gardening clogs, or how Mena Suvari's last name 'Hayes' is a play on the character Lolita Haze in 'Lolita,' which is a novel dealing with similar subject matter.
The musical score is so soothing, and so flawless that I listen to it often. And the beautiful representation of the rose petals throughout the movie... the concept of nothing being what it seems (pleasant, typical suburban house is not quite so typical)... huge character arcs for everyone in the movie (except maybe Chris Cooper, who is always great in any role)...
Few movies can make me both happy and sad, pessimistic and optimistic at the same time. This is one of them. There's so many small things to notice. I 'like' a lot of movies, and 'love' only a few. This is one of them. Is it stupid to love something that's just a roll of film, a collection of sound and vision, a little circular DVD that reads in an electronic player? Maybe. Possibly. But who the hell cares?
8.23.2006
Though this may seem obvious (and it did to me as well, but I did it anyway), take note; mixed fruit and coffee do not mix. This morning after my first class I was a bit hungry and very tired, so I went to a coffee place on campus and got a huge mixed fruit thing (grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc) and a large coffee. Now, individually, both of these are delicious. Together, not so much.
I guess those fruit things are designed for people who get those fruity smoothies or other cold drinks. Or, you know, people who just want fruit and nothing to drink. Yet, saying all this, I'll probably do it again in the future because I like to mix very healthy, nutritious fruit with excessive caffeine/sugar/cream intake.
8.21.2006
I'm going on my fourth year in college and have yet to see something like this. This morning I had a professor hand out his syllabus, which is customary for the first day of class, and it was just a single page listing the grading scale and tentative schedule. He held up our book for the class, and I was annoyed when I saw it was something different than I picked up from the bookstore. The book from the bookstore was a big, fat Norton Anthology, the book he held up was some old book for like ten dollars.
He then kept bashing the big, fat Norton book, saying it's excessive and expensive. Then he talked about the literary canon and how the newer book (the one he had was from 1966 and was basically all white, male authors) had more diversity. He asked which book the class wanted to use, since the book he had wasn't available and was on order, and most people wanted the cheap, thin, simple book. "As long as all our readings are in the small book, let's get it," people said.
He goes on talking for 25 minutes about how he's going to go to the bookstore and fix the book they have labeled for his class. Then finally, he says, "Well what if this was a fake syllabus, and the real syllabus is for the Norton book." Then, turns out it was, and he handed out a real, typical 5 page syllabus for the book I already had.
He was a fairly good actor, saying that he would 'change the syllabus' if the class voted to use the big book (which no one did). It was also suspicious that the original, fake syllabus was only one page, didn't have his email address, and had a 15-17 page paper on it. I was thinking, "Wow, this teacher sucks. I may have to drop this class."
By the end of the class I really liked the guy, so hopefully he's not too bad. I need to remember this for if I ever become a teacher.
8.11.2006
8.04.2006
Finishing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever! Don't be lame and just skip to the end. Pretend it's a TV show and you can't.
The Princess Bride (1987) | IMDb
This movie has it all. The best swordfight of all time. Great comedy (inconceivable!). True love for the little chick flick side of us. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Such a fantastic movie.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) | IMDb
How did this movie not win an Oscar? This is another one of those movies where when it's on TV, I can't change the channel. The plot is such a brilliant story of Tim Robbins' time in the Shawshank prison. Morgan Freeman is one of the better actors of this generation, and at the end, when the movie climaxes (I don't want to spoil it for the 2 people who haven't seen it), it's such a great moment.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) | IMDb
I think I'm a little biased for a few reasons. First off, I love the play, and since most of this screenplay is taken word-for-word from the play, it's great. If it's not broken, don't fix it, right? Also, Vivien Leigh is so gorgeous (see previous 'Gone With the Wind' ranking). Marlon Brando is the best actor ever. What more do you need? Well...
American Beauty (1999) | IMDb
Sam Mendes' first real movie, and sadly, when you win a Best Director Oscar and the movie wins Best Picture, it's hard to keep up that momentum. The story of how a miserable, ordinary man flips his life around is just so... I can't even describe it. Partially because I've used all my good phrases before, but mostly because everything about this movie is so far above the standard, I'm speechless. Kevin Spacey is the perfect Lester Burnham, and I just can't get enough of this movie.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) | IMDb
The classic, best, and most moving Christmas movie. If you haven't seen Frank Capra's masterpiece, something's wrong with you (yes, I'm talking about you, Allison). Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors of all time, plus he's one of the best actors of all time, so yeah... The ending few scenes of this movie always get to me, even if it's the middle of July. The Christmas story about family and friends is too good. It's impossible to watch this movie and not feel happy afterwards. Best movie ever.
So there it is, guys. Hope you're not disappointed. If you are, oh well, it's my list. Deal with it. Rock 'n' roll.
ten through six
fifteen through eleven
twenty-five through sixteen
thirty through twenty-six
thirty-five through thirty-one
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
8.03.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
Annie Hall (1977) | IMDb
Definitely Woody Allen's best movie. Diane Keaton is also so ditzy that it's very lovable. With totally random comedy, ranging from cartoon drawings to subtitles showing what characters really think, it's so much fun watching Woody Allen be neurotic.
Psycho (1960) | IMDb
One of the great, classic Hitchcock movies. Such a masterpiece, showing the depths of many human traits, i.e. greed, jealousy. The acting is flawless, the pacing is perfect (as with all Hitchcock movies), and nothing more can be asked for in a thriller/suspense movie.
Some Like It Hot (1959) | IMDb
Jack Lemmon. Tony Curtis. Marilyn Monroe. Billy Wilder. Win, win, win, win. Such a ridiculous premise for a movie, and it's nonstop laughs all the way through. Very traditional comedy in a lot of ways, but also still hilarious by today's standards. AFI ranked this as their number one comedy of all time, and I can't debate that point with them.
A Show in the Dark (1964) | IMDb
Peter Sellers could be the funniest actor ever. His role of Inspecter Jacques Clouseau could be the best comedy role ever. The 'Pink Panther' movies are great and all, but this spin-off is much better than the rest, and I can't get enough of it.
The Godfather (1972) | IMDb
One of the best movies ever made, and rightfully so. This story of the Corleone family and its rise back to power after the murder of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) spans over three hours, but there's never a dull moment. Everything in this movie is perfect. Perfect, I say. PERFECT. Despite many deaths and betrayals and intricate plot points, there's even a few lines that have me laughing every time. Great masterpiece.
fifteen through eleven
twenty-five through sixteen
thirty through twenty-six
thirty-five through thirty-one
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
8.02.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
Dr. Strangelove (1964) | IMDb
First, I love the full title. 'Dr. Strangelove or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.' Ok, anyway... To be honest, the first time I watched this movie, I was like 'yaaaaaaaaaawn!' Then I watched it again, and loved it. I don't know why I didn't like it the first time, but that doesn't matter. Each repeat viewing only enhances my love for Peter Sellers, and the whole witty satire thing comes off great and all, but my favorite part is definitely the closing line/scene. Watch it to find out, if you haven't seen it. Loser.
Clue (1985) | IMDb
Screw the board game, book, or whatever else this movie is based on. This constant string of slapstick and subtle humor is fucking great. Three different endings also make this movie awesome, but come on, Tim Curry wins everything.
Halloween (1978) | IMDb
I have many terrible memories of this movie. In a good way. Michael Myers haunted my childhood and caused me many sleepless nights. The whole idea of a murderer stalking you in the day, coming to slash you at night, always watching you, never actually dying... Not to mention this is one of the best genuine horror movies ever made in the first place. Sure, they made 800 terrible sequels, but the original is classic.
All About Eve (1950) | IMDb
I'm going to just say this here to prevent further debate: Best Screenplay Ever. Bette Davis is always fantastic, but this is definitely one of her best performances; however, I like Anne Baxter's performance a lot more anyway. Maybe it's my love for beautiful young adult actresses, but who knows. This story about climbing the social ladder and the apprentice/master tale is the best there is.
Casablanca (1942) | IMDb
If this was a 'best movie ever' list, I'd put this as number one. Despite being over 60 years old, the dialogue is still crisp and better than most stuff written today. And, of course, Humphrey Bogart is one of the best actors ever, along with Ingrid Bergman (a personal favorite of mine). If you don't like this movie, something's wrong with you.
twenty-five through sixteen
thirty through twenty-six
thirty-five through thirty-one
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
8.01.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever! I'm posting 10 today because I may not be able to post tomorrow. If I am able to, I'll post 15-11, and if not, at least we'll still be on track. Note: I probably should've said this earlier; some of my readers don't follow movies as much as me, so if there's a name you don't recognize as an actor, nine times out of ten it's the director. That's why the IMDb link is there, I guess. Just so you know.
The Godfather: Part II (1974) | IMDb
The second part of the Godfather series, this time following both Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in two storylines. I'm going to be honest here: while DeNiro does have an amazing performance, I find it hard to watch a lot of his scenes more than a couple times (except, of course, when he's killing people. So badass.), so I mostly watch the 'modern' half with Al Pacino. The scene captured above has to be my favorite moment in any movie, ever. Better than the original? No. Phenominal piece of cinema? Yes.
Fight Club (1999) | IMDb
When I first saw this movie, like most people, I was just in a state of shock and 'what the fuck?' I watched it a second time right afterwards, and for the next few years probably about once every two months. I don't know whose character I like more - Brad Pitt's or Ed Norton's, but either way, they both dominate. A great movie based on a great novel - how odd, since one or the other usually sucks.
Chinatown (1974) | IMDb
From the first time I saw this movie, as soon as it finished, all I could think was, 'Wow, that movie could be one of the best movies ever.' Partially because of my love for Jack Nicholson, partially because of my love for crime dramas, and partially because Roman Polanski is the shit.
Blazing Saddles (1974) | IMDb
Question: How funny is Mel Brooks? Answer: Very. Lots of great jokes in this movie, including the punching of a horse and lots of racial slur usage. Gene Wilder is the man, too. Willy Wonka aside, his performances in Mel Brooks movies are always top notch.
Finding Nemo (2003) | IMDb
God, do I love this movie. Whoever said comedy needs to be crude in order to be funny obviously has never seen a movie by Pixar. Definitely my favorite Pixar movie (though I love them all, to be honest [that kinda spoiled the rest of my list]), and I could watch this on loop forever and never be bored. So many great lines.
Traffic (2000) | IMDb
Steven Soderbergh's Oscar-winning directing job - and with good reason. The three stories in this movie are all top notch, and the way they all have a different style of being filmed makes this movie fantastic. Plus Topher Grace has a small role. I love 'Gladiator' and all, but I think the Academy fucked up by not giving this flick the Best Picture Oscar.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | IMDb
Do I really need to explain why this movie is on the list? Hannibal Lecter is possibly the coolest bad guy ever, and even without him this is still a brilliant movie. But mostly it has to do with how awesome Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter, and how the atmosphere of the movie centers around him, despite him only having a tiny bit of screen time.
The Producers (1968) | IMDb
More Mel Brooks... I know I may get some shit for this one, but I like 'The Producers' more than 'Blazing Saddles.' Deal with it. I recently saw the remake, and it was decent, but not much compares to the original. If 'Springtime for Hitler' ever hit a theatre near me, I'd be there every night.
Lilo & Stitch (2002) | IMDb
In case you didn't know, I'm all about the Disney movies. I just can't get over how cute and funny both Lilo and Stitch are. Soooo cute. Sooooooooo cute! It cannot be described, so just take my word for it - I love this movie. Also, any movie with lots of Elvis music is awesome by default.
Sunset Boulevard (1950) | IMDb
If I had to pick a favorite director of all time, it'd probably be Billy Wilder. Not only can he direct, but he's one hell of a writer, too. This movie is a story of an outdated silent movie star who (pretty much) captures a screenwriter to help her build up for a new role for her comeback to motion pictures... and then lots of freaky stuff happens. I don't really want to ruin it, but writing this up, I'm wishing I put this movie in my top 10. I guess I'll go look at the rest of my list now to assure myself I made the right decision.
thirty through twenty-six
thirty-five through thirty-one
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
7.31.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
Mean Girls (2004) | IMDb
Where to begin... this movie has so many good quotes for every day usage. Or maybe I'm just lame - who knows. Either way, this comedic look at High School girl drama is straight out hilarious. Even though it can be universally acknowledged that Lindsay Lohan sucks, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, and pretty much everyone else compensate more than enough. Oh, and for the record, I'm going to marry Lacey Chabert.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) | IMDb
Probably my biggest movie obsession during my younger days (and by "younger," I mean 5 or so years ago), this gangster flick about an undercover cop, a bank robbery, and concepts of how much to tip is great all around. The dialogue is amazing as well, which can only be expected from Tarantino.
Moulin Rouge! (2001) | IMDb
Not to hate on 'A Beautiful Mind' or 'Gosford Park,' but this was definitely my favorite when the 2002 Oscars came around. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor make a perfect duo. The songs (with the exception of one) are all outstanding, the costumes are beautiful, and I adore the storyline.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) | IMDb
Biggest guilty pleasure ever (or is it?). I'm pretty sure I've seen this movie more times than any other. Don't ever watch this movie with me because I'll be quoting every line as it happens verbatim and you'll get annoyed really fast. The combination of the city, the plot, the pretty lead actors, the cheap jokes, and the line "No, honey, it's just sleeping," when Kate Hudson says Matt McConaughey let their 'love fern' die make this movie perfect for me.
Clerks. (1994) | IMDb
Ok, so the recent sequel wasn't that good (but still not bad), but the original Clerks is a classic. This is another movie I've probably seen 20+ times where I laugh at the jokes before they even play out. Randal Graves is one of my favorite movie characters of all time, and after you watch this movie, it won't be hard to see why (that is, if you know me at all).
thirty-five through thirty-one
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
7.30.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
About a Boy (2002) | IMDb
So, back to my whole Hugh Grant fetish... Just kidding. No, actually, I'm not kidding. Okay, anyway! Chris Weitz is a really great writer/director, and despite 'American Dreamz' failing terribly, this story about Hugh being a complete asshole is both hilarious and ultimately heartwarming.
The Graduate (1967) | IMDb
This movie is so funny, Dustin Hoffman is so awesome, and Katharine Ross is so pretty. That's all I'm going to say. If you haven't seen this movie, what's wrong with you?
Jerry MaGuire (1996) | IMDb
Even though "You had me at 'hello'" and "Show me the money!" have become extremely overused, the original source is still a great piece of cinema. I think this is Tom Cruise at his finest, and Cuba Gooding Jr. is great. Like I said before (for the Almost Famous notes), Cameron Crowe is a great writer. I just love the line, "No heart? No heart?! I'm all heart, motherfucker!"
Gone With the Wind (1939) | IMDb
The oldest movie on this list so far, and one that changed cinema in a lot of ways. Though the first 3 hours or so can drag on, they're still very watchable. The last 40 minutes of this movie is some of the best artwork out there. So breathtaking. Also, Vivien Leigh is extremely talented (and pretty). This movie should be watched at least once by everyone.
The Usual Suspects (1995) | IMDb
This movie is just... damn near perfect. Kevin Spacey is one of the best actors of this generation, and his character Verbal Kint is outstanding. Plus the writing is brilliant, and even after you've seen it through once, twice, three times, it's still great fun to watch over and over. This is probably one of my favorite non-gangster crime movies of all time.
thirty-six through forty
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
7.29.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
28 Days Later... (2002) | IMDb
What happens when one man wakes up in London, only to find that while he was passed out for a month the whole British population had pretty much died off? Well, one of the coolest zombie movies ever is made, that's what happens. I like this movie because of the sense of realism. I use realism loosely, because I don't usually see people's eyes turn blood red and witness them eating each other in my everyday life; however, I like how Cillian Murphy reacts to various situations, and that's why this movie is so good.
Schindler's List (1993) | IMDb
A very highly emotional movie, and one of the most significant productions ever made. The story of the change of heart by Oskar Schindler, and how he saved the lives of hundreds (or was it thousands?) of Jews is amazing. Just picturing his emotional breakdown towards the end of the movie is enough to get me all tingly inside.
Army of Darkness (1992) | IMDb
Back before Sam Raimi directed the 'Spider-man' movies, yes, he existed, and yes, the movies weren't too bad. Army of Darkness is all about Bruce Campbell being a badass with a chainsaw for one hand and a shotgun in the other, sent back in time and on a quest to retrieve the Necronomicon. How much more awesome can a movie get?
Ghostbusters (1984) | IMDb
One of the best comedy movies ever. Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, and Harold Ramis are all hilarious. Even Rick Moranis is funny. This movie is just a series of great one-liners coupled with a plot so ridiculous that it can't help but to be loved. Just remember, don't cross the streams.
Chocolat (2000) | IMDb
It was hard for me to not put this movie much higher on the list, but 36 isn't bad at all. This is a story of Juliette Binoche (one of my favorite modern actresses) opening a chocolate shop in a French town, only to be shunned by the town's moral highground (and the concept of lent). A very great, very unique story of acceptance, and there's even a totally random Johnny Depp role where he plays a pirate.
Notes: See, this is where we see some discrepancy between 'best movies' and 'favorite movies.' Schindler's List is probably easily one of the top ten best movies ever made, and though it's really good, there's just plenty of movies I like more. Also, horror movies have been monopolizing the countdown, but I think there's significantly fewer in the upcoming posts - in case you were wondering.
forty-five through forty-one
fifty through forty-six
7.28.2006
Continuing the countdown of my 50 favorite movies ever!
A Night at the Roxbury (1998) | IMDb
Ever since I saw this movie in theatres, one of my running jokes has been 'EMILIOOOOO!' Even though it's now common to see 'Roxbury' jokes online or hear two prepubescent kids talking about how funny it is after they saw it for the first time, this is still one of my favorite comedies, regardless of the jokes being beaten into the ground.
Mallrats (1995) | IMDb
One of Kevin Smith's earlier films, the jokes in this flick are spread evenly between cheap gags and witty humor. I don't think I'd like this movie half as much if Jason Lee wasn't the star, but he is, so this definitely makes the list.
The Shining (1980) | IMDb
The eeryness of isolation in the middle of nowhere makes this Kubrick horror film so great. That, and Jack Nicholson axe-ing the black guy in the chest (oops, that was a spoiler). The axe-ing moment has to be one of my top 5 movie moments ever. The whole movie isn't too bad either.
Love Actually (2003) | IMDb
Even though a lot of this movie is sappy, I'm just a sucker for all this feel-good happy ending nonsense. Some of the scenes in this movie are just too heartwarming, and no matter how bad I feel, somehow this movie always cheers me up. Hugh Grant is also one of my weaknesses, but let's not get into that.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) | IMDb
'Pink Panther' movies aside, Blake Edwards makes this Truman Capote novel come to life perfectly. Well, actually, I think it has more to do with Audrey Hepburn being her fabulously amazing self. Come on, who doesn't like Audrey Hepburn? No one, that's right.
fifty through forty-six
7.27.2006
Alright kids, here it is. My 50 favorite movies of all time. See the post below for a few details. Without further ado, here we go!
Scream (1996) | IMDb
Wes Craven's mock horror film that is, in some ways, a parody of itself. With that in mind, there are also plenty of classic 'slasher' moments and a few great scenes of suspense. The sequels were terrible, but the original was very solid and whenever it's on HBO I can't change the channel.
Shakespeare in Love (1998) | IMDb
The Best Picture winner for the 1999 Oscars isn't the only reason for my love of this movie. It mainly has to do with Geoffrey Rush's great comedic performance and some very witty one-liners that make even Ben Affleck seem funny.
Almost Famous (2000) | IMDb
Cameron Crowe sure can write, even if his directing is only decent. This story of Patrick Fugit's High School character joining the band Stillwater on the road for an article in Rolling Stone Magazine is a great blend of comedy, drama, and music. Plus it has Jason Lee, so...
Dawn of the Dead (2004) | IMDb
This seemingly low budget remake of George A. Romero's classic zombie movie, in my opinion, turned out much better than one could've hoped. Nothing is held back, with kids eating adult's necks, spikes through heads, babies shot in the face, tons of blood and carnage, and even some great humor. If only all horror movies were this good.
My Cousin Vinny (1992) | IMDb
Joe Pesci plays the New York (I think) unknowledgeable lawyer who is sent to Alabama to help defend his cousin and his cousin's friend, who were wrongly accused of murder. Oh, but this is a comedy. A very funny one, where Joe Pesci actually learns stuff, despite having no clue how people operate down in the South.
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