We got through 2003 nice and quick for y'all. We're starting to figure out how to be parents and do other things as well (like watch movies), so maybe this challenge will speed up a bit. But, hey, we can't make any promises. That being said, let's go!
2003 was the year of the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Best Picture. We've already stated our feelings about this film, so let's take a look at the movies we picked. First, Kim's pick was the Clint Eastwood thriller Mystic River, starring Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins (not to mention an excellent supporting cast). If you've never read the book, written by Dennis Lehane, go read it. If you don't read, and you have never seen this movie, go see it. It starts off with Bacon, Penn and Robbins as friends when they are children, and Robbins is abducted by men pretending to be cops. He is tortured and sexually abused for days before finally escaping. Flash forward 30 years or so, and Penn's 19 year old daughter is murdered. On the same night, Robbins comes home to his wife at 3 AM covered in someone else's blood. What really all went down that one fateful night, and how is it related to the terrible events of their past? Did I hook you yet? Go see it. Excellent film.
Then we watched my pick, a little known sleeper called Identity, which was also a psychological thriller, starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet. While this movie did not warrant Best Picture consideration, it was a fun and entertaining flick. It was essentially about 10 strangers, whose lives end up intertwined at a dinky motel and they all share a connection. One by one, they are murdered and the only way to stop the murders is to figure out that connection. Great twist in this movie and an ending you may not see coming. Rent it on a Friday night.
To put it simply, we both felt Mystic River should have won Best Picture this year. No disrespect to the LOTR trilogy, but their awards should have only come out of the more technical categories, like Art Direction and Special Effects.
Ok, next movie year comes from 1956. The Best Picture that year was Around the World in 80 Days. This was basically about a guy who went on an adventure to travel around the world in a hot air balloon. He made a bet with some guys he could do it in 80 days. He brought along this funny Spanish dude, who provided most of the entertainment of the film. Somewhere along the way he met and fell in love with Shirley McLaine, who played some kind of tribal queen. Strange, but for the most part fun, film. It was a bit long, and Kim felt many scenes could have been cut. I gave it a 4, while Kim gave it a generous 4.4, giving it a solid 8.4. Now let's see what we picked for 1956...
Kim: The King and I (vetoed! Adam has now used 2/5, Kim has also used 2/5)
Adam: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
So the veto comes into play this year, as I rejected Kim's attempt to watch yet another musical about a woman who comes to some guys house to take care of his kids. Surprisingly, Kim is allowing us to watch the classic horror flick Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which neither of us has ever seen. Should be fun!
Which movie from 1956 is your favorite? Around the World in 80 Days, The King and I, or Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Or is there another film you prefer? Let us know!!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
1941 DONE! Year #23: 2003
Ok, boys and girls. Let's get started here. As you may remember, 1941 was a bit of a strange year. Two of the most renowned classics were from this year, Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcon. Yet, when the Oscars came around, the now unheard of How Green Was My Valley went home with the Best Picture. Now, for your very enjoyment, Adam and Kim will tell you which of the three was the best!
First, we watched my pick, The Maltese Falcon. This was a mystery-drama starring Mr. Casablanca himself Humphrey Bogart. He plays a detective who is approached by a mysterious woman to investigate her sister and her boyfriend. That night, his partner and the sister's boyfriend are both murdered, and Bogart has to figure out who's behind the murders and what they have to do with a prized statuette of a bird. All in all, we both found it to be interesting and decent for a old time mystery, but nothing to write home about.
Then we watched Kim's pick, the movie many consider to be the best movie of all time, Citizen Kane. It was more or less a biopic about a fictional person named Charles Kane, played by Orson Welles, who dies right at the beginning of the movie, his last words being....."rosebud..." It then chronicles his life as the richest and most influential private citizen there ever was. We both enjoyed the movie very much (Kim more than I did), but I was more entertained by the realization that the White Stripes song "The Union Forever" was pretty much all directly quoted from this movie.
So, here's the moment of truth. Which was the best? NEITHER of us thought Maltese Falcon was the best, nor did it really warrant Best Picture consideration. Kim thought Citizen Kane was much better than How Green Was My Valley and should have beaten it. While I didn't disagree that Citizen Kane probably should have won, I may have enjoyed How Green was My Valley a little better. So there you go.
OK, let's keep moving. Our next year is from the new millennium! 2003 to be exact, the year of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Neither of us are huge LOTR fans, and I am under the firm belief that third parts of trilogies should never win Best Picture, unless the movies preceding it won. But then again, I am not in the Academy, so what do I know. That being said, LOTR 3 was pretty good. Watching it was especially difficult for Kim, considering she never watched the Two Towers, but hey that's the breaks when you're watching every best picture. There are definitely some great battle scenes and exciting rising suspense with Frodo, Sam and Gollum, but it was very long, at times very confusing, and the movie never freakin ended! I'm sure we'll get some LOTR backlash for this critical review, so bring it. I gave it a 3.5, Kim gave it a 4.2, giving it a total 7.7. Now let's see what we picked.
Kim: Mystic River
Adam: Identity
Kim picked the great Dennis Lehane book turned Clint Eastwood film that cough cough should have won Best Picture and I went with a relatively little known John Cusack thriller that neither of us have ever seen. We'll write back after we've watched the films!
In the meantime, which movie was your favorite? LOTR: The Return of the King, Mystic River, or Identity? What other 2003 films did you enjoy?
First, we watched my pick, The Maltese Falcon. This was a mystery-drama starring Mr. Casablanca himself Humphrey Bogart. He plays a detective who is approached by a mysterious woman to investigate her sister and her boyfriend. That night, his partner and the sister's boyfriend are both murdered, and Bogart has to figure out who's behind the murders and what they have to do with a prized statuette of a bird. All in all, we both found it to be interesting and decent for a old time mystery, but nothing to write home about.
Then we watched Kim's pick, the movie many consider to be the best movie of all time, Citizen Kane. It was more or less a biopic about a fictional person named Charles Kane, played by Orson Welles, who dies right at the beginning of the movie, his last words being....."rosebud..." It then chronicles his life as the richest and most influential private citizen there ever was. We both enjoyed the movie very much (Kim more than I did), but I was more entertained by the realization that the White Stripes song "The Union Forever" was pretty much all directly quoted from this movie.
So, here's the moment of truth. Which was the best? NEITHER of us thought Maltese Falcon was the best, nor did it really warrant Best Picture consideration. Kim thought Citizen Kane was much better than How Green Was My Valley and should have beaten it. While I didn't disagree that Citizen Kane probably should have won, I may have enjoyed How Green was My Valley a little better. So there you go.
OK, let's keep moving. Our next year is from the new millennium! 2003 to be exact, the year of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Neither of us are huge LOTR fans, and I am under the firm belief that third parts of trilogies should never win Best Picture, unless the movies preceding it won. But then again, I am not in the Academy, so what do I know. That being said, LOTR 3 was pretty good. Watching it was especially difficult for Kim, considering she never watched the Two Towers, but hey that's the breaks when you're watching every best picture. There are definitely some great battle scenes and exciting rising suspense with Frodo, Sam and Gollum, but it was very long, at times very confusing, and the movie never freakin ended! I'm sure we'll get some LOTR backlash for this critical review, so bring it. I gave it a 3.5, Kim gave it a 4.2, giving it a total 7.7. Now let's see what we picked.
Kim: Mystic River
Adam: Identity
Kim picked the great Dennis Lehane book turned Clint Eastwood film that cough cough should have won Best Picture and I went with a relatively little known John Cusack thriller that neither of us have ever seen. We'll write back after we've watched the films!
In the meantime, which movie was your favorite? LOTR: The Return of the King, Mystic River, or Identity? What other 2003 films did you enjoy?
Friday, June 25, 2010
YES! 1963 is DONE! Year #22: 1941
So, I bet you all didn't think we'd ever get back to this thing, huh? I will admit, we've been a little busy these days, with you know, the typical things...school, work, laundry, pets, housework, a new baby, bills, etc., but nothing will keep us from finishing our contest! Gotta finish what we started. Back when we last posted, our next year on the agenda was from 1963- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. This went up against that year's less than stellar best picture, Tom Jones. My pick, How the West Was Won, was vetoed by Kim. Here's how we did...
Mad World was an ensemble cast comedy, featuring many of the old greats: Spencer Tracey, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman and Mickey Rooney. It was very Rat Race-ish, basically about a bunch of strangers who witness the death of some rich guy, whose last words told them where all his cash is hidden. You can probably see where this is going. Filled with wild goose chases and a lot of physical, slap stick humor, this was a fun little movie with not much substance, but it at least had a followable plot, unlike cough cough Tom Jones. Considering movies like Shawshank Redemption, Cabaret and 2001 A Space Odyssey did not win a Best Picture, I felt neither of these films even deserved to be nominated. Kim enjoyed both these films more than I did (she's more a comedy lover than me anyway), and preferred Mad World over Tom Jones.
Whew, that dreaded year is over. Now, onto 1941! The Best Picture this year was one neither of us had heard of, How Green was My Valley. When you see the movies we picked, this winner may befuddle you. It is also the film Kim and I most disagree on. I really liked it, Kim really did not. It was a "slice of life" film about a mining town and about the trials and tribulations of one specific family in that town. I thought it was very well made, had great depth, and felt genuine. There were also some powerful, and entertaining, scenes. Kim thought it was excruciatingly dull and only could have been helped if Charlton Heston was in it. We just agree to disagree. I gave it a 4.5, she gave it a 2.875, with an overall score of a very uneven 7.375. Now, let's see the movies we picked...
Kim: Citizen Kane
Adam: The Maltese Falcon
You're thinking, WHAAAAAA?? I know, I know. Citizen Cane, considered by many to be the greatest film of all time, and Maltese Falcon, another classic. What movie won again? Anyway, we're putting How Green Was my Valley up to the test, against the powerhouses of that year. Stay tuned to find out who will win!
In the meantime....your favorite film? Citizen Kane, Maltese Falcon, or How Green was My Valley? Curious ears are listening...
Mad World was an ensemble cast comedy, featuring many of the old greats: Spencer Tracey, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman and Mickey Rooney. It was very Rat Race-ish, basically about a bunch of strangers who witness the death of some rich guy, whose last words told them where all his cash is hidden. You can probably see where this is going. Filled with wild goose chases and a lot of physical, slap stick humor, this was a fun little movie with not much substance, but it at least had a followable plot, unlike cough cough Tom Jones. Considering movies like Shawshank Redemption, Cabaret and 2001 A Space Odyssey did not win a Best Picture, I felt neither of these films even deserved to be nominated. Kim enjoyed both these films more than I did (she's more a comedy lover than me anyway), and preferred Mad World over Tom Jones.
Whew, that dreaded year is over. Now, onto 1941! The Best Picture this year was one neither of us had heard of, How Green was My Valley. When you see the movies we picked, this winner may befuddle you. It is also the film Kim and I most disagree on. I really liked it, Kim really did not. It was a "slice of life" film about a mining town and about the trials and tribulations of one specific family in that town. I thought it was very well made, had great depth, and felt genuine. There were also some powerful, and entertaining, scenes. Kim thought it was excruciatingly dull and only could have been helped if Charlton Heston was in it. We just agree to disagree. I gave it a 4.5, she gave it a 2.875, with an overall score of a very uneven 7.375. Now, let's see the movies we picked...
Kim: Citizen Kane
Adam: The Maltese Falcon
You're thinking, WHAAAAAA?? I know, I know. Citizen Cane, considered by many to be the greatest film of all time, and Maltese Falcon, another classic. What movie won again? Anyway, we're putting How Green Was my Valley up to the test, against the powerhouses of that year. Stay tuned to find out who will win!
In the meantime....your favorite film? Citizen Kane, Maltese Falcon, or How Green was My Valley? Curious ears are listening...
Sunday, May 16, 2010
1975 DONE! Year #21: 1963
So, we've been on a bit of a 60's/70's run here...1964, 1972, 1967, 1975, 1963. The movies we watched from 1975 were Dog Day Afternoon and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I would have to agree with our readers, however, that Rocky Horror Picture Show would have also been a fine selection. That being said, let's see how our movies fared against the 1975 Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...
First we watched my selection Dog Day Afternoon, a film neither of us has seen before. Based on a true story, it starred Al Pacino and his Godfather brother John Cazale as bank robbers who run into a comedy of errors when the botched robbery becomes a media circus. It turns out Pacino needed the money to get his "wife" (a man) a sex change operation, but the whole scene eventually ends in tragedy. We thought it was very well made and the acting was great, but Kim felt it dragged on a little at the end. Like Cuckoo's Nest, it did a great job of making a seemingly serious situation very humorous.
Then we watched Monty Python, a film both of us had seen many times. What a funny movie. For anyone who has never seen this film, please go watch it. You will be laughing your socks off. It's basically about Arthur, King of the Britians, and his troop of Knights who are given a quest from God to seek the Holy Grail. Very quotable film...in fact, for your response posts, please post your favorite Monty Python line. Mine would have to be "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" Kim's is when they are about to throw the Holy Hand Grenade and King Arthur shouts "One...Two....Five!" But there are so many others!
Looking back, this may be the best set of 3 films we have watched thus far. Every movie was fantastic in its own way. Cuckoo's nest definitely deserved the Best Picture, but Dog Day was no slouch, and Monty Python may be the most re-watchable movie ever. Good times.
We move on to 1963, a year that pales in comparison to 1975. The Best Picture that year was *sigh* Tom Jones. Yikes, this was a strange film. I guess it was a comedy, but that's still up for debate. Kim liked it, but agrees with me that it really had no semblance of plot and just didn't make any sense! I wrote in my original review, "I felt myself shaking my head during most of this movie for one reason or another..." Kim found it "entertaining" and "wacky" I am not even going to try to explain what it's supposed to be about, because that would be a lie. I gave it a 2.5, Kim gave it a 3.4, giving it a lowly 5.9. In retrospect, Kim may have given it too low a score, but I wouldn't have. That all being said, let's see what we picked from this year.
Adam: How the West Was Won (vetoed by Kim, 2/5 used)
Kim: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
This year was slim pickens. No wonder Tom Jones won Best Picture. My pick, How the West Was Won, was a very shaky pick on my part to begin with, and Kim bailed me out with a veto. She picked Mad World because it's a comedy with many famous comedians from the time, and I was satisfied with that.
In addition to your favorite Monty Python quote, can anyone find a good movie from 1963? Did anyone like Tom Jones, How the West Was Won, or It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World? As you know, we'd love to hear from you!
First we watched my selection Dog Day Afternoon, a film neither of us has seen before. Based on a true story, it starred Al Pacino and his Godfather brother John Cazale as bank robbers who run into a comedy of errors when the botched robbery becomes a media circus. It turns out Pacino needed the money to get his "wife" (a man) a sex change operation, but the whole scene eventually ends in tragedy. We thought it was very well made and the acting was great, but Kim felt it dragged on a little at the end. Like Cuckoo's Nest, it did a great job of making a seemingly serious situation very humorous.
Then we watched Monty Python, a film both of us had seen many times. What a funny movie. For anyone who has never seen this film, please go watch it. You will be laughing your socks off. It's basically about Arthur, King of the Britians, and his troop of Knights who are given a quest from God to seek the Holy Grail. Very quotable film...in fact, for your response posts, please post your favorite Monty Python line. Mine would have to be "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" Kim's is when they are about to throw the Holy Hand Grenade and King Arthur shouts "One...Two....Five!" But there are so many others!
Looking back, this may be the best set of 3 films we have watched thus far. Every movie was fantastic in its own way. Cuckoo's nest definitely deserved the Best Picture, but Dog Day was no slouch, and Monty Python may be the most re-watchable movie ever. Good times.
We move on to 1963, a year that pales in comparison to 1975. The Best Picture that year was *sigh* Tom Jones. Yikes, this was a strange film. I guess it was a comedy, but that's still up for debate. Kim liked it, but agrees with me that it really had no semblance of plot and just didn't make any sense! I wrote in my original review, "I felt myself shaking my head during most of this movie for one reason or another..." Kim found it "entertaining" and "wacky" I am not even going to try to explain what it's supposed to be about, because that would be a lie. I gave it a 2.5, Kim gave it a 3.4, giving it a lowly 5.9. In retrospect, Kim may have given it too low a score, but I wouldn't have. That all being said, let's see what we picked from this year.
Adam: How the West Was Won (vetoed by Kim, 2/5 used)
Kim: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
This year was slim pickens. No wonder Tom Jones won Best Picture. My pick, How the West Was Won, was a very shaky pick on my part to begin with, and Kim bailed me out with a veto. She picked Mad World because it's a comedy with many famous comedians from the time, and I was satisfied with that.
In addition to your favorite Monty Python quote, can anyone find a good movie from 1963? Did anyone like Tom Jones, How the West Was Won, or It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World? As you know, we'd love to hear from you!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
1967 FINALLY DONE! Plus Year #20: 1975
So, as many of you already know, we're preparing for a big change in our family. Thus, over the past month, our movie challenge has taken a bit of a back seat to Baby Watch 2010. This may become even more evident in the weeks and months to come, post birth. We are still fully planning on completing our challenge, but it just may take a little bit longer than we expected, so bear with us. While you are waiting, please enjoy my younger brother Cory's challenge he recently began where he is rebuilding his iTunes music catalog, one CD at a time. Very interesting stuff, you can check it out here. Ok, now what you've been waiting for.
1967 was the year of Sidney Poitier's In the Heat of the Night as Best Picture. Great Great movie. We put it up against The Graduate (Kim's pick) and Bonnie and Clyde (my pick).
We first watch Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft steam up the TV screen in the coming of age film The Graduate. It was basically about Hoffman graduating college and not knowing what to do with his life, when Bancroft, an older woman who was family friends with his parents, seduces him. They begin a turbulent relationship, further complicated when Hoffman falls in love with Bancroft's daughter. Whew, that movie was oozing with hormones and sexual tension. Even to this day, this is not a movie for the kiddies, but back in the 60's, this movie must have been only whispered about. It must have begun a film revolution of exploring and depicting sex on a whole different level, that we now find common among movies today. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, as the acting was fantastic and the plot unfolded very well. And on a funny note, even though I had never seen this movie before, the ending rung very familiar . Ah.
Then we watched Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the ill-fated outlaw couple. This was basically a "based on true events" account of the terror Bonnie and Clyde, along with their gang, brought to the mid-west in the 1920s. They mainly robbed banks, but had to commit some murders along the way. Their eventual demise will blow you away, which was depicted really accurately in the movie. This movie did for violence what the Graduate did for sex. These days, we take violence and blood and guns for granted in the movies, but back in the day, they really didn't show that kind of stuff except for in war movies. Well, this film helped change all that, and it really paved the way for the violence you saw in later movies, such as the Godfather. We enjoyed this movie a lot, as well, and if you are interested in the story of Bonnie and Clyde, go out and rent it. Oh, and Gene Wilder makes his on screen debut, with a rather comical 5 minute cameo.
We watched 3 excellent movies for this year, In the Heat of the Night, The Graduate, and Bonnie and Clyde. All are worth watching. But as much as we loved In the Heat of the Night, we both liked The Graduate slightly better and both feel it should have won Best Picture, but not by much.
Ok, now onto our new year 1975, the year of another EXCELLENT Best Picture. Considered by many as one of the greatest films ever, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is going to be one hard movie to top. It is vintage early Jack Nicholson, and one of the reasons he's my favorite actor. This movie had it all- humor, tragedy, drama, action, and a "deaf and dumb" indian. The movie is about what happens when you put Jack Nicholson into a mental institution - total insanity. Louise Fletcher plays a perfect evil nurse, she really is pretty scary! This is definitely a movie you should see at least once in your life. I gave it a perfect 5, Kim posted a 4.825, giving it an impressive 9.825.
So, what movie's will we be watching for 1975?
Adam: Dog Day Afternoon
Kim: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
I bet you're all smiling at Kim's pick. What a great pick! She really needs no explanation for that one. As for my pick, Dog Day Afternoon is a movie I've never seen before and looks like it has the potential to be very interesting. But that's really it.
Ok, which movie from 1975 do you like best? Cuckoo's Nest, Holy Grail, or Dog Day Afternoon? Any other picks from 1975? It's your turn!
1967 was the year of Sidney Poitier's In the Heat of the Night as Best Picture. Great Great movie. We put it up against The Graduate (Kim's pick) and Bonnie and Clyde (my pick).
We first watch Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft steam up the TV screen in the coming of age film The Graduate. It was basically about Hoffman graduating college and not knowing what to do with his life, when Bancroft, an older woman who was family friends with his parents, seduces him. They begin a turbulent relationship, further complicated when Hoffman falls in love with Bancroft's daughter. Whew, that movie was oozing with hormones and sexual tension. Even to this day, this is not a movie for the kiddies, but back in the 60's, this movie must have been only whispered about. It must have begun a film revolution of exploring and depicting sex on a whole different level, that we now find common among movies today. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, as the acting was fantastic and the plot unfolded very well. And on a funny note, even though I had never seen this movie before, the ending rung very familiar . Ah.
Then we watched Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the ill-fated outlaw couple. This was basically a "based on true events" account of the terror Bonnie and Clyde, along with their gang, brought to the mid-west in the 1920s. They mainly robbed banks, but had to commit some murders along the way. Their eventual demise will blow you away, which was depicted really accurately in the movie. This movie did for violence what the Graduate did for sex. These days, we take violence and blood and guns for granted in the movies, but back in the day, they really didn't show that kind of stuff except for in war movies. Well, this film helped change all that, and it really paved the way for the violence you saw in later movies, such as the Godfather. We enjoyed this movie a lot, as well, and if you are interested in the story of Bonnie and Clyde, go out and rent it. Oh, and Gene Wilder makes his on screen debut, with a rather comical 5 minute cameo.
We watched 3 excellent movies for this year, In the Heat of the Night, The Graduate, and Bonnie and Clyde. All are worth watching. But as much as we loved In the Heat of the Night, we both liked The Graduate slightly better and both feel it should have won Best Picture, but not by much.
Ok, now onto our new year 1975, the year of another EXCELLENT Best Picture. Considered by many as one of the greatest films ever, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is going to be one hard movie to top. It is vintage early Jack Nicholson, and one of the reasons he's my favorite actor. This movie had it all- humor, tragedy, drama, action, and a "deaf and dumb" indian. The movie is about what happens when you put Jack Nicholson into a mental institution - total insanity. Louise Fletcher plays a perfect evil nurse, she really is pretty scary! This is definitely a movie you should see at least once in your life. I gave it a perfect 5, Kim posted a 4.825, giving it an impressive 9.825.
Publish Post
So, what movie's will we be watching for 1975?
Adam: Dog Day Afternoon
Kim: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
I bet you're all smiling at Kim's pick. What a great pick! She really needs no explanation for that one. As for my pick, Dog Day Afternoon is a movie I've never seen before and looks like it has the potential to be very interesting. But that's really it.
Ok, which movie from 1975 do you like best? Cuckoo's Nest, Holy Grail, or Dog Day Afternoon? Any other picks from 1975? It's your turn!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
1972 DONE! Moving on to Year #19: 1967
So, I (Kim) decided to take some initiative and do the blog this time around! Are you excited? You should be. I would like to start by saying that we were both rather disappointed in everyone out there in readerland last time around. No comments? Really? COME ON! We will forgive you however, as long as you don't pull that crap again.
Okie dokie, well it turned out that 1972 was a pretty good year movie-wise. The Best Picture was "The Godfather" which we thought was just swell (maybe a tad overrated, but still an undeniably good movie). The two movies we chose to accompany The Godfather were Cabaret and Deliverance.
First we watched Deliverance, which was a nice little movie about 4 guys who decided one weekend to go canoeing down a deadly river in the middle of God's country inhabited by crazy mountain people instead of doing something that would have guaranteed them a much more pleasant weekend, like jumping out of an airplane without parachutes. Basically everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Of the 4 people who go on this trip one of them is sexually molested by mountain people, one of them dies, one of them gets so severely injured that he almost dies and all of them pretty much die on the inside. It was a good movie, typical suspense/thriller/action/adventure type movie with good acting and a fast pace. Overall, we enjoyed it.
After Deliverance we watched Cabaret, which was one of my favorite movies to watch back in High School. It takes place in 1931 Berlin, about a self-centered American singer who headlines at a dingy little club played by Liza Minelli, and her room mate/boyfriend, a Brit who came to Berlin to teach English lessons played by Michael York. The movie chronicles their stories along with a few other minor characters. It's interesting because they are living in Berlin at a time when the Nazi's are still working their way into power by schmoozing the locals and making themselves look like they are basically the German version of boy scouts. It also has a lot of fun musical numbers that take place in the club that Minelli works at, where the emcee is superbly portrayed by Joel Gray. Adam really enjoyed this one and even went as far as to say it was his favorite musical of this era (he enjoyed 2002's Chicago more, but in terms of 60's & 70's musicals, this one wins out as his favorite.) Even though I knew this movie well I was pleasantly surprised by it, I had mostly enjoyed it for it's musical numbers in High School and I worried that the plot might let me down, but it held up very well.
In terms of overall review, we both think that Godfather was rightly awarded the Best Picture award, even if just for the cultural significance it has. However, we both enjoyed Cabaret the most and felt bad for it having to go up against The Godfather, it probably could have won Best Picture in most other years. Joel Gray was definitely deserving of his Best Supporting Actor win for Cabaret, as he was easily the best part of the movie. We both enjoyed Deliverance but we don't think it had much of a chance for Best Picture against either Godfather or Cabaret, it just isn't quite in the same league.
So, moving onto our next year: 1967 where the Best Picture was: In The Heat Of The Night
We both really liked In The Heat Of The Night, it was one of our early movies in the original challenge and it did not let us down. Adam scored it a Perfect 5 and I gave it a 4.85 (it was early on and I didn't want to be so frivolous with my 5's even though looking back on it, it may have deserved one.) This was a fast-paced action movie starring Sidney Poitier, who plays a homicide detective from Philadelphia who comes to help solve a crime in a small southern town where they aint used to black folks much. It was superbly acted, suspenseful and funny. Overall a great film. So here are the films from 1967 we chose to compare...
Kim's pick: The Graduate
Adam's pick: Bonnie and Clyde
First, a quick (in my blog terms) note about movies that we did not choose. This was a great year for movies. Along with In The Heat of the Night and the 2 movies we chose, also nominated for Best Picture were Dr. Doolittle and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Dr. Doolittle was another one of my childhood favorites, but I decided to go with what I remember being a more high-quality movie instead of a whimsical story about a man who can talk to animals. This was also the year of Sidney Poitier. He did what are probably his 3 most famous movies all in this one year (In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir With Love, all came out in 1967) and although they are all excellent movies, we had already given him his due in the Best Picture for the year, so we each went with a non-Poitier film.
I chose The Graduate because, well... it's The Graduate. Come on. Hoffman being seduced by Anne Bancroft? Good times. I've seen this movie once all the way through, it was one of my dad's favorites, and I remember it being excellent. This is also one of Adam's dad's favorites, but he has only seen bits and pieces of it.
Adam chose Bonnie and Clyde because it stood out to him as a very well-known story that he had never been fully exposed to. Everyone knows the names "Bonnie & Clyde" but he didn't know the story that went with the names, so he thought why not watch the movie! I have also never seen this one, nor do I really know what it's about other than a couple of outlaws, so we are both very interested.
So now it's your turn (for real this time!) to tell us which movie from 1967 you enjoyed the most or if there were any other movies you enjoyed more than the 3 we chose. We love to read your comments, so please oblige us :)
Okie dokie, well it turned out that 1972 was a pretty good year movie-wise. The Best Picture was "The Godfather" which we thought was just swell (maybe a tad overrated, but still an undeniably good movie). The two movies we chose to accompany The Godfather were Cabaret and Deliverance.
First we watched Deliverance, which was a nice little movie about 4 guys who decided one weekend to go canoeing down a deadly river in the middle of God's country inhabited by crazy mountain people instead of doing something that would have guaranteed them a much more pleasant weekend, like jumping out of an airplane without parachutes. Basically everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Of the 4 people who go on this trip one of them is sexually molested by mountain people, one of them dies, one of them gets so severely injured that he almost dies and all of them pretty much die on the inside. It was a good movie, typical suspense/thriller/action/adventure type movie with good acting and a fast pace. Overall, we enjoyed it.
After Deliverance we watched Cabaret, which was one of my favorite movies to watch back in High School. It takes place in 1931 Berlin, about a self-centered American singer who headlines at a dingy little club played by Liza Minelli, and her room mate/boyfriend, a Brit who came to Berlin to teach English lessons played by Michael York. The movie chronicles their stories along with a few other minor characters. It's interesting because they are living in Berlin at a time when the Nazi's are still working their way into power by schmoozing the locals and making themselves look like they are basically the German version of boy scouts. It also has a lot of fun musical numbers that take place in the club that Minelli works at, where the emcee is superbly portrayed by Joel Gray. Adam really enjoyed this one and even went as far as to say it was his favorite musical of this era (he enjoyed 2002's Chicago more, but in terms of 60's & 70's musicals, this one wins out as his favorite.) Even though I knew this movie well I was pleasantly surprised by it, I had mostly enjoyed it for it's musical numbers in High School and I worried that the plot might let me down, but it held up very well.
In terms of overall review, we both think that Godfather was rightly awarded the Best Picture award, even if just for the cultural significance it has. However, we both enjoyed Cabaret the most and felt bad for it having to go up against The Godfather, it probably could have won Best Picture in most other years. Joel Gray was definitely deserving of his Best Supporting Actor win for Cabaret, as he was easily the best part of the movie. We both enjoyed Deliverance but we don't think it had much of a chance for Best Picture against either Godfather or Cabaret, it just isn't quite in the same league.
So, moving onto our next year: 1967 where the Best Picture was: In The Heat Of The Night
We both really liked In The Heat Of The Night, it was one of our early movies in the original challenge and it did not let us down. Adam scored it a Perfect 5 and I gave it a 4.85 (it was early on and I didn't want to be so frivolous with my 5's even though looking back on it, it may have deserved one.) This was a fast-paced action movie starring Sidney Poitier, who plays a homicide detective from Philadelphia who comes to help solve a crime in a small southern town where they aint used to black folks much. It was superbly acted, suspenseful and funny. Overall a great film. So here are the films from 1967 we chose to compare...
Kim's pick: The Graduate
Adam's pick: Bonnie and Clyde
First, a quick (in my blog terms) note about movies that we did not choose. This was a great year for movies. Along with In The Heat of the Night and the 2 movies we chose, also nominated for Best Picture were Dr. Doolittle and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Dr. Doolittle was another one of my childhood favorites, but I decided to go with what I remember being a more high-quality movie instead of a whimsical story about a man who can talk to animals. This was also the year of Sidney Poitier. He did what are probably his 3 most famous movies all in this one year (In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir With Love, all came out in 1967) and although they are all excellent movies, we had already given him his due in the Best Picture for the year, so we each went with a non-Poitier film.
I chose The Graduate because, well... it's The Graduate. Come on. Hoffman being seduced by Anne Bancroft? Good times. I've seen this movie once all the way through, it was one of my dad's favorites, and I remember it being excellent. This is also one of Adam's dad's favorites, but he has only seen bits and pieces of it.
Adam chose Bonnie and Clyde because it stood out to him as a very well-known story that he had never been fully exposed to. Everyone knows the names "Bonnie & Clyde" but he didn't know the story that went with the names, so he thought why not watch the movie! I have also never seen this one, nor do I really know what it's about other than a couple of outlaws, so we are both very interested.
So now it's your turn (for real this time!) to tell us which movie from 1967 you enjoyed the most or if there were any other movies you enjoyed more than the 3 we chose. We love to read your comments, so please oblige us :)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
1964 Finished! And now Year #18: 1972
Well, we're about to hit up Virginia Beach for a few days, but we wanted to check in and let you all know we did watch our 1964 movies, and after our vacation is over, we will be getting right back to it with our new year, 1972. Boy, I think that was a run on sentance. Yikes, I just spelled sentence wrong, and it's giving me those squiggly lines, but I don't feel like changing it. It's early, and I prefer to be grammatically incorrect! Ok, back on topic, here's how we fared with our 1964 films...
We first watched Kim's pick, Mary Poppins! I feel like you have to say her name with a higher pitched British voice and an exclamation point. This was a fun little number about these 2 kids who apparently no nanny can handle, until this lady Mary Poppins comes floating in from the sky with her umbrella. She is seemingly the creation of all the qualities the children wanted from a nanny, plus way more. She's got crazy magical powers to clean rooms and jump through paintings. Then there is Dick Van Dyke (who was definitely the best and funniest part of this film), who plays this guy who seems to be homeless and has various jobs around town, but is also in cahoots with Mary Poppins. Good times. I had never seen this movie before and enjoyed it very much - it was certainly entertaining. Kim has seen it before, and whilst it is not her favorite 60's musical, she felt it was an important piece of work and good enough to sit through again.
And now on to the complete other side of crazy town, we watched my pick Dr. Strangelove or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Well this was interesting. Sometimes I forget how bizarre Kubrick can be. This is about this insane air force general guy named Jack Ripper who, in post WWII America, decided the Russian Commies are trying to infect their bodily fluids with tampered water, and orders a missions to nuke the bastards. Well, this order he made was called Plan R, which is an emergency tactic that the planes on the mission can no longer receive open communication and Ripper's base is sealed off, thus the order is basically irreversible. Anyway, the President and joint chiefs of staff get word of this, and are trying to figure out any way to stop this while sitting around a large table in the war room of the Pentagon. Hilarity and horror ensue, and can they stop the world from ending? We both enjoyed this one, although I think it's either A) a bit overrated or B) a movie that you need to watch more than once to fully enjoy. Either way, interesting stuff.
So now, we decide, what's the best? I think I enjoyed the two musicals, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady, pretty equally, but Strangelove was a little bit more my style, so I'll go with that one. Whereas, Kim's love for My Fair Lady could not be topped by either of the two movies we watched.
Alright, time for our next year. Another solid pick: 1972! The year of the Best Picture movie many believe to be the greatest movie of all time (not us, but we'll get to that). Duh Duh Duh! Yes, 1972 was the year of The Godfather. Ah yes, Vito Corleone and his lovely Mafia family who put horse heads in your bed if you mess with him. Basically, this movie just chronicles his family and Al Pacino's transformation from reluctant Mafia member to crazy new leader. Lots of action, lots of blood, lots of food. We both really liked this film, but would not put it in the Top 5 movies of all time, which as I said before, many do. We both scored this film a 4.5, giving it a 9, which is a solid score, but it ain't no 10. And now to our picks...
Adam: Deliverance
Kim: Cabaret
Ooooooooooooh weeeeeeeeeee! Squeal like a pig! Yes, I did it. I remember watching Deliverance when I was younger and loving it, and also being terrified by it. Kim has never seen it, so there you go. As for Kim, Cabaret was another one of those movies that she thought, "Why aren't we watching Cabaret?" when we were watching The Godfather. To add insult to injury, Cabaret won 8 Academy Awards that year, Godfather only won 3. Also, I have never seen Cabaret, so there you go again. Time to be cultured once again!
And now your turn, which movie was the best? The Godfather, Deliverance or Cabaret (they were ALL nominated for Best Picture that year, yikes!) What other movies from 1972 did you enjoy? Please post!!
We first watched Kim's pick, Mary Poppins! I feel like you have to say her name with a higher pitched British voice and an exclamation point. This was a fun little number about these 2 kids who apparently no nanny can handle, until this lady Mary Poppins comes floating in from the sky with her umbrella. She is seemingly the creation of all the qualities the children wanted from a nanny, plus way more. She's got crazy magical powers to clean rooms and jump through paintings. Then there is Dick Van Dyke (who was definitely the best and funniest part of this film), who plays this guy who seems to be homeless and has various jobs around town, but is also in cahoots with Mary Poppins. Good times. I had never seen this movie before and enjoyed it very much - it was certainly entertaining. Kim has seen it before, and whilst it is not her favorite 60's musical, she felt it was an important piece of work and good enough to sit through again.
And now on to the complete other side of crazy town, we watched my pick Dr. Strangelove or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Well this was interesting. Sometimes I forget how bizarre Kubrick can be. This is about this insane air force general guy named Jack Ripper who, in post WWII America, decided the Russian Commies are trying to infect their bodily fluids with tampered water, and orders a missions to nuke the bastards. Well, this order he made was called Plan R, which is an emergency tactic that the planes on the mission can no longer receive open communication and Ripper's base is sealed off, thus the order is basically irreversible. Anyway, the President and joint chiefs of staff get word of this, and are trying to figure out any way to stop this while sitting around a large table in the war room of the Pentagon. Hilarity and horror ensue, and can they stop the world from ending? We both enjoyed this one, although I think it's either A) a bit overrated or B) a movie that you need to watch more than once to fully enjoy. Either way, interesting stuff.
So now, we decide, what's the best? I think I enjoyed the two musicals, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady, pretty equally, but Strangelove was a little bit more my style, so I'll go with that one. Whereas, Kim's love for My Fair Lady could not be topped by either of the two movies we watched.
Alright, time for our next year. Another solid pick: 1972! The year of the Best Picture movie many believe to be the greatest movie of all time (not us, but we'll get to that). Duh Duh Duh! Yes, 1972 was the year of The Godfather. Ah yes, Vito Corleone and his lovely Mafia family who put horse heads in your bed if you mess with him. Basically, this movie just chronicles his family and Al Pacino's transformation from reluctant Mafia member to crazy new leader. Lots of action, lots of blood, lots of food. We both really liked this film, but would not put it in the Top 5 movies of all time, which as I said before, many do. We both scored this film a 4.5, giving it a 9, which is a solid score, but it ain't no 10. And now to our picks...
Adam: Deliverance
Kim: Cabaret
Ooooooooooooh weeeeeeeeeee! Squeal like a pig! Yes, I did it. I remember watching Deliverance when I was younger and loving it, and also being terrified by it. Kim has never seen it, so there you go. As for Kim, Cabaret was another one of those movies that she thought, "Why aren't we watching Cabaret?" when we were watching The Godfather. To add insult to injury, Cabaret won 8 Academy Awards that year, Godfather only won 3. Also, I have never seen Cabaret, so there you go again. Time to be cultured once again!
And now your turn, which movie was the best? The Godfather, Deliverance or Cabaret (they were ALL nominated for Best Picture that year, yikes!) What other movies from 1972 did you enjoy? Please post!!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
1987 Done! Time for Year #17: 1964
Hello again, folks. We finished watching our 2 picks from 1987, Fatal Attraction and The Witches of Eastwick, and we want to let you know how they did. Here goes...
We first watched Fatal Attraction and this was a pretty sick movie. What seemed like an innocent little love affair between Michael Douglas and Glenn Close became a twisted, messed up, violent mistake on Douglas' part. To put it simply, Glenn Close went all Beetlejuice on him! Totally, head spinningly bonkers! Kim argues that Charlie Manson is the more appropriate reference. And she likely deserved a Best Actress award for her craziness. We both enjoyed it very much, although I think it freaked Kim out quite a bit.
Then came The Witches of Eastwick, which was a very bizarre film in itself. Michelle Pfeiffer, Cher and Susan Sarandon are these magical witchy women, who summon good ole Jack Nicholson to share as their lovers, or something like that. Well, turns out Jack is the devil (whoops) and wild fun times ensue. I won't give away the ending, but it was a little whack. Fun movie, however, and Jack was simply great, as usual.
We watched 3 incredibly different movies from 1987, but we both agreed that Fatal Attraction was the best film, and should have beaten The Last Emperor for Best Picture. But if you want to be most entertained, go see those Witches.
Alright boys and girls, now onto our 17th year, 1964. The Best Picture of this year was the fun little musical My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison as the proper British linguist Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn as the poorly educated flower girl turned Socialite Eliza Doolittle. Very good movie with lots of fun songs, including the wildly entertaining song Just You Wait. It also has that song from the Birdcage. Being a first time viewer, I gave My Fair Lady a fair score of 4, and Kim (who has always been a big fan of this movie) gave it a 4.6, totaling 8.6. Not bad, not bad. Now, let us tell you the movies we picked...
Adam- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Kim- Mary Poppins
This year should be a doozy! I picked Strangelove because it looks very interesting and you can't go wrong with Kubrick. Kim went with Mary Poppins because she felt it's a movie everyone should see at least once (and poor, uncultured me has never really seen it). So, here we go!
This is a good one. Let's hear the responses! Which movie from 1964 was your favorite, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, or Dr. Strangelove? What other movies are your faves?
We first watched Fatal Attraction and this was a pretty sick movie. What seemed like an innocent little love affair between Michael Douglas and Glenn Close became a twisted, messed up, violent mistake on Douglas' part. To put it simply, Glenn Close went all Beetlejuice on him! Totally, head spinningly bonkers! Kim argues that Charlie Manson is the more appropriate reference. And she likely deserved a Best Actress award for her craziness. We both enjoyed it very much, although I think it freaked Kim out quite a bit.
Then came The Witches of Eastwick, which was a very bizarre film in itself. Michelle Pfeiffer, Cher and Susan Sarandon are these magical witchy women, who summon good ole Jack Nicholson to share as their lovers, or something like that. Well, turns out Jack is the devil (whoops) and wild fun times ensue. I won't give away the ending, but it was a little whack. Fun movie, however, and Jack was simply great, as usual.
We watched 3 incredibly different movies from 1987, but we both agreed that Fatal Attraction was the best film, and should have beaten The Last Emperor for Best Picture. But if you want to be most entertained, go see those Witches.
Alright boys and girls, now onto our 17th year, 1964. The Best Picture of this year was the fun little musical My Fair Lady, starring Rex Harrison as the proper British linguist Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn as the poorly educated flower girl turned Socialite Eliza Doolittle. Very good movie with lots of fun songs, including the wildly entertaining song Just You Wait. It also has that song from the Birdcage. Being a first time viewer, I gave My Fair Lady a fair score of 4, and Kim (who has always been a big fan of this movie) gave it a 4.6, totaling 8.6. Not bad, not bad. Now, let us tell you the movies we picked...
Adam- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Kim- Mary Poppins
This year should be a doozy! I picked Strangelove because it looks very interesting and you can't go wrong with Kubrick. Kim went with Mary Poppins because she felt it's a movie everyone should see at least once (and poor, uncultured me has never really seen it). So, here we go!
This is a good one. Let's hear the responses! Which movie from 1964 was your favorite, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, or Dr. Strangelove? What other movies are your faves?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
1940 DONE! & Year #16: 1987
Alright, so for our 1940 movie we watched "The Great Dictator" starring the great Charlie Chaplin. I must say, we rather enjoyed it. The humor was very silly as you might expect from old Charlie, lots of physical goofiness going on. The story is basically about a Jewish barber (Chaplin) living in the 1930s slums who just so happens to look exactly like the Great Dictator of Tomania (think Germany) whose name is Adenoid Hynkel (also Chaplin, don't think we need to explain who this represents). This barber somehow keeps outwitting the "Nazi's" whenever they try to kill him by having his girlfriend hit them over the head with a frying pan (this happens like 4 times, you'd think the Nazi's would see it coming eventually) and at the end of the movie the fact that the barber and the dictator look EXACTLY alike finally comes into play when he is actually mistaken for Hynkel. Well, that got fun. Actually, it got quite serious. Right at the very end of the movie when Chaplin is playing the barber who is being mistaken for the dictator he is at a rally and gives a pretty awesome and very serious speech about freedom and equal rights and stuff. Pretty much the most serious ending to such a ridiculous film we've ever seen. It was quite the gutsy movie, considering it was made in 1940, one year into World War II.
Both movies we watched from 1940 were very good - Rebecca and The Great Dictator - but were extremely different styles, which makes it very hard to compare. I mean, it's Hitchcock vs. Chaplin, so either way you know you're in good hands. However, we would both have to choose Rebecca as the "better" film.
So now we move along to our next year, 1987. The Best Picture from 1987 was "The Last Emperor" starring some Asian guy and Peter O'Toole. It was a good movie but not great, Adam gave it a 4, I gave it a 4.2, totaling out at 8.2 It was very interesting especially considering it was based on the true story of China's transition from being a nation run by an emperor to more of a republic. It follows the story of the last emperor (duh) from when he comes into power (basically when he's still a baby) to his adulthood. O'Toole comes in a little ways into the film as the emperor's tutor in the teenage years, when China is in the process of switching over their government but no one has told the kid this yet, so the emperor still lives in and rules the forbidden city and doesn't even realize that he's going to be losing his power soon. Anyway he eventually becomes an adult and is sent to prison for some reason (I honestly don't remember and neither does Adam) but I do remember that in one scene his wife starts eating a bunch of flowers at a party to get herself high, which was cool. It was a long movie that felt long, and even though it was interesting I probably wouldn't watch it again by choice. I will say it was the kind of movie that made you want to read up on the actual story, which is at least serving some sort of purpose.
So, onto our picks from this year!
Adam's pick: Fatal Attraction
Kim's pick: Witches of Eastwick
Adam picked Fatal Attraction because he remembers seeing some parts of it when he was younger and thinking it was good and he wanted to watch it again, plain and simple. I have also heard that this is a good (albeit completely messed up) movie, so I'm quite excited for it.
I picked Witches of Eastwick on a recommendation from Adam's parents who said it was a fun movie, and I won't usually turn down a chance to watch a movie that has Jack Nicholson playing the devil.
It is worthy of mentioning that we actually both picked "Good Morning, Vietnam" as our backup choice for this year, but we would have only needed to use it if we picked the same movie as our #1 choice, which we didn't. Oh well, sorry Robin Williams! Better luck next time.
So now it's your turn, which movie from 1987 did you like best?
Both movies we watched from 1940 were very good - Rebecca and The Great Dictator - but were extremely different styles, which makes it very hard to compare. I mean, it's Hitchcock vs. Chaplin, so either way you know you're in good hands. However, we would both have to choose Rebecca as the "better" film.
So now we move along to our next year, 1987. The Best Picture from 1987 was "The Last Emperor" starring some Asian guy and Peter O'Toole. It was a good movie but not great, Adam gave it a 4, I gave it a 4.2, totaling out at 8.2 It was very interesting especially considering it was based on the true story of China's transition from being a nation run by an emperor to more of a republic. It follows the story of the last emperor (duh) from when he comes into power (basically when he's still a baby) to his adulthood. O'Toole comes in a little ways into the film as the emperor's tutor in the teenage years, when China is in the process of switching over their government but no one has told the kid this yet, so the emperor still lives in and rules the forbidden city and doesn't even realize that he's going to be losing his power soon. Anyway he eventually becomes an adult and is sent to prison for some reason (I honestly don't remember and neither does Adam) but I do remember that in one scene his wife starts eating a bunch of flowers at a party to get herself high, which was cool. It was a long movie that felt long, and even though it was interesting I probably wouldn't watch it again by choice. I will say it was the kind of movie that made you want to read up on the actual story, which is at least serving some sort of purpose.
So, onto our picks from this year!
Adam's pick: Fatal Attraction
Kim's pick: Witches of Eastwick
Adam picked Fatal Attraction because he remembers seeing some parts of it when he was younger and thinking it was good and he wanted to watch it again, plain and simple. I have also heard that this is a good (albeit completely messed up) movie, so I'm quite excited for it.
I picked Witches of Eastwick on a recommendation from Adam's parents who said it was a fun movie, and I won't usually turn down a chance to watch a movie that has Jack Nicholson playing the devil.
It is worthy of mentioning that we actually both picked "Good Morning, Vietnam" as our backup choice for this year, but we would have only needed to use it if we picked the same movie as our #1 choice, which we didn't. Oh well, sorry Robin Williams! Better luck next time.
So now it's your turn, which movie from 1987 did you like best?
Friday, February 26, 2010
1985 DONE + Year #15: 1940
Alright boys and girls, we're knocking these movies down left and right and things are moving well again with our little challenge. We've finished our two movies from the wonderful year of 1985 and are now moving on to our next year. First, the results...
We watched my pick first, The Breakfast Club. If somehow you've managed never to see this movie before, please find the time to watch it. It's nothing special in itself, but it is a great little flick and pretty much one of the most culturally significant movies of the 1980s. It's a little cheesy at times, but it is a great study of high school stereotypes and what happens when different "types" of kids get together for a Saturday detention. We both had a nice time watching it, and I think we'd both have been happier watching The Breakfast Club as Best Picture than Out of Africa. But that's not saying much.
Then we watched The Color Purple, which was a pretty excellent film. It's about this poor uneducated little girl (who eventually grows up to be Whoopi Goldberg) who is abused by her father growing up and then sold to evil Mr. Danny Glover to be his wife. Her only true friend is her sister, who is separated from her by Glover. The movie then follows her relationship with Glover into adulthood, eventually finding her way back to her sister. Kim felt this movie deserved to be Best Picture 1985, and I won't disagree with her. Whoopi and Glover were great, plus I was suprisingly impressed by Oprah Winfrey's role as well. This movie may not have been good enough to win Best Picture every year, but in 1985 it should have been no contest.
So now we move on to our 15th year of the challenge (only about 65 to go!): 1940. This was the year of Alfred Hitchcock's ONLY Best Picture movie. No, it wasn't Psycho. Not The Birds. Not Vertigo. Not Rear Window either. (Did I miss any other Hitchcock gems that should have won Best Picture???) Yes, my friends, it was Rebecca. 15 years before Hitchcock became a staple in the mystery genre, he made this film based on a classic book by Daphne du Maurier. And while we might think some of those later Hitchcock films may have been better, Rebecca was no slouch. This was a creepy movie. It stars Sir Laurence Olivier as Maxim de Winter, a rich widower who takes in a second bride, known only as the Second Mrs. de Winter. Then there is the really creepy house maid, Mrs. Danvers, who is right up there with Nurse Ratchett from Cuckoo's Nest in terms of female nut cases. She tries to turn the Second Mrs. de Winter into the deceased First Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Speaking of which, what exactly happened to Rebecca? Don't worry, I won't give it away! I gave the movie a 4, while Kim scored it a 4.5, giving it a respectable 8.5. Now, you ask, what did we select?
Adam: PASS (yea, another one...6 used, 4 to go)
Kim: The Great Dictator
My passes are running out quickly. Oh well. I looked through 1940 and couldn't find jack that I wanted to watch. Kim found The Great Dictator, a Charlie Chaplin film that parodies Hitler. Good times! We already have the movie in our possession and will be watching it soon!
In the meantime, has anyone out there seen Rebecca or The Great Dictator? Which did you like better? Any other movies from 1940 worth watching? We'll talk to you all soon!
We watched my pick first, The Breakfast Club. If somehow you've managed never to see this movie before, please find the time to watch it. It's nothing special in itself, but it is a great little flick and pretty much one of the most culturally significant movies of the 1980s. It's a little cheesy at times, but it is a great study of high school stereotypes and what happens when different "types" of kids get together for a Saturday detention. We both had a nice time watching it, and I think we'd both have been happier watching The Breakfast Club as Best Picture than Out of Africa. But that's not saying much.
Then we watched The Color Purple, which was a pretty excellent film. It's about this poor uneducated little girl (who eventually grows up to be Whoopi Goldberg) who is abused by her father growing up and then sold to evil Mr. Danny Glover to be his wife. Her only true friend is her sister, who is separated from her by Glover. The movie then follows her relationship with Glover into adulthood, eventually finding her way back to her sister. Kim felt this movie deserved to be Best Picture 1985, and I won't disagree with her. Whoopi and Glover were great, plus I was suprisingly impressed by Oprah Winfrey's role as well. This movie may not have been good enough to win Best Picture every year, but in 1985 it should have been no contest.
So now we move on to our 15th year of the challenge (only about 65 to go!): 1940. This was the year of Alfred Hitchcock's ONLY Best Picture movie. No, it wasn't Psycho. Not The Birds. Not Vertigo. Not Rear Window either. (Did I miss any other Hitchcock gems that should have won Best Picture???) Yes, my friends, it was Rebecca. 15 years before Hitchcock became a staple in the mystery genre, he made this film based on a classic book by Daphne du Maurier. And while we might think some of those later Hitchcock films may have been better, Rebecca was no slouch. This was a creepy movie. It stars Sir Laurence Olivier as Maxim de Winter, a rich widower who takes in a second bride, known only as the Second Mrs. de Winter. Then there is the really creepy house maid, Mrs. Danvers, who is right up there with Nurse Ratchett from Cuckoo's Nest in terms of female nut cases. She tries to turn the Second Mrs. de Winter into the deceased First Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Speaking of which, what exactly happened to Rebecca? Don't worry, I won't give it away! I gave the movie a 4, while Kim scored it a 4.5, giving it a respectable 8.5. Now, you ask, what did we select?
Adam: PASS (yea, another one...6 used, 4 to go)
Kim: The Great Dictator
My passes are running out quickly. Oh well. I looked through 1940 and couldn't find jack that I wanted to watch. Kim found The Great Dictator, a Charlie Chaplin film that parodies Hitler. Good times! We already have the movie in our possession and will be watching it soon!
In the meantime, has anyone out there seen Rebecca or The Great Dictator? Which did you like better? Any other movies from 1940 worth watching? We'll talk to you all soon!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2006 Done + Year #14: 1985
For your convenience and viewing pleasure, we have decided to condense our little posts to move things along quicker. Instead of separately reviewing our previous year, then introducing our next year, we are going to roll it up all into one massive blog. Woo hoo! Let's get to the review first:
The first movie we watched from 2006 was For Your Consideration. It's basically about that same band of funny people who were contestants in a dog show in Best in Show and were part of a music band in A Mighty Wind. This time they were all part of making a movie, called Home for Purim. And out of nowhere this movie just happened to generate all this Oscar buzz (was this not an appropriate choice?). Well, lots of wacky things happen, like they always do in Christopher Guest movies. We both enjoyed this film a lot (Kim enjoyed this one the most of the three) but it was what it was. It really didn't compare to The Departed in quality, which as we all seem to agree was a great flick.
Then came my pick, Children of Men, which didn't seem too popular among the peanut gallery, but we both enjoyed it very much. For those who don't know, its about the end of fertility in a dystopian future London society. Well, some poor immigrant who is treated like poo poo to the Government just happens to become the first pregnant woman in 20 years. And it became Clive Owen's job to save her and the baby. Quality stuff, but we both agree The Departed was still a better film.
And now onto our next year, 1985- home of the most disappointing Best Picture of all time. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Out of Africa stunk. Stunk. Slow, long, boring. Stunk. You would think a movie with hot stuff Robert Redford and Meryl "i can only do good movies" Streep would at least be mildly entertaining. But no. And somehow, it still won Best Picture - come on! Kim even wrote in her review that she couldn't make it through the whole movie without falling asleep. Well, I stayed awake...she didn't miss much. We really couldn't even tell you what it was really about. Go watch it for yourself, and let us know. Actually, don't. I wouldn't put you through that torture. I gave it a 2.5, Kim a 2.45, giving it a mighty score of 4.95. So, now that I've let that off my chest, onto OUR picks!
Adam's Pick: The Breakfast Club. Yeah, we've all seen it, but you can't go wrong with this one! I really have no other reason for picking this film.
Kim's Pick: The Color Purple. Kim has seen it, I haven't. This movie was the basis for this whole second challenge. After watching Out of Africa and seeing that it beat The Color Purple for Best Picture, Kim must have mentioned a dozen times how much better this movie was and how it should have won and why aren't we watching The Color Purple?
So, whew, now it's your turn. Which of these movies from 1985 was your favorite? The Color Purple or The Breakfast Club. I didn't add Out of Africa because I know that one wasn't your favorite :) What other movies from 1985 did you enjoy? Please let us know! See you real soon!
The first movie we watched from 2006 was For Your Consideration. It's basically about that same band of funny people who were contestants in a dog show in Best in Show and were part of a music band in A Mighty Wind. This time they were all part of making a movie, called Home for Purim. And out of nowhere this movie just happened to generate all this Oscar buzz (was this not an appropriate choice?). Well, lots of wacky things happen, like they always do in Christopher Guest movies. We both enjoyed this film a lot (Kim enjoyed this one the most of the three) but it was what it was. It really didn't compare to The Departed in quality, which as we all seem to agree was a great flick.
Then came my pick, Children of Men, which didn't seem too popular among the peanut gallery, but we both enjoyed it very much. For those who don't know, its about the end of fertility in a dystopian future London society. Well, some poor immigrant who is treated like poo poo to the Government just happens to become the first pregnant woman in 20 years. And it became Clive Owen's job to save her and the baby. Quality stuff, but we both agree The Departed was still a better film.
And now onto our next year, 1985- home of the most disappointing Best Picture of all time. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Out of Africa stunk. Stunk. Slow, long, boring. Stunk. You would think a movie with hot stuff Robert Redford and Meryl "i can only do good movies" Streep would at least be mildly entertaining. But no. And somehow, it still won Best Picture - come on! Kim even wrote in her review that she couldn't make it through the whole movie without falling asleep. Well, I stayed awake...she didn't miss much. We really couldn't even tell you what it was really about. Go watch it for yourself, and let us know. Actually, don't. I wouldn't put you through that torture. I gave it a 2.5, Kim a 2.45, giving it a mighty score of 4.95. So, now that I've let that off my chest, onto OUR picks!
Adam's Pick: The Breakfast Club. Yeah, we've all seen it, but you can't go wrong with this one! I really have no other reason for picking this film.
Kim's Pick: The Color Purple. Kim has seen it, I haven't. This movie was the basis for this whole second challenge. After watching Out of Africa and seeing that it beat The Color Purple for Best Picture, Kim must have mentioned a dozen times how much better this movie was and how it should have won and why aren't we watching The Color Purple?
So, whew, now it's your turn. Which of these movies from 1985 was your favorite? The Color Purple or The Breakfast Club. I didn't add Out of Africa because I know that one wasn't your favorite :) What other movies from 1985 did you enjoy? Please let us know! See you real soon!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Year 13: 2006
It's good to be back in recent times! Amazingly, 2006 was the last year of our original Best Picture challenge, we started the challenge that long ago. It was actually right after we watched the 2007 Best Picture, No Country for Old Men, in theaters that we decided to start this whole thing. We also made sure to watch Slumdog Millionaire around this time last year, and plan on watching whatever wins Best Picture this year. It'll be like a traditional kind of thing. Yeah. Anyway, I'm sure many of you remember the 2006 Best Picture well - The Departed.
The Departed was one of those movies that for some reason everyone in Hollywood signed up to be in. What a cast- Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen all shined on the big stage. Set in Bah-sten, this was a well crafted, action packed Mafia crime thriller that kept you going up until the very end. There were mucho plot twists and double crosses- at times you were left wondering what the hell was going on. Great stuff. I gave the movie a 4.5, but it would have gotten much higher if Matt Damon wasn't in it- I hate that guy! Not really, but Kim is convinced I do because I just happen to hate just about every other movie he's been in. Kim rocked a 4.75 on this one, calling DiCaprio "tolerable, which is the best he can hope for in my book". As good as this movie was, I think we both agreed that it wasn't really a "Best Picture" type movie, so we were surprised that it won.
Now onto our picks!
Kim selected the movie For Your Consideration. This is a Christopher Guest film, who we all know from classics as Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Neither of us has seen it, but it is expected to be a good time by all. Kim chose this movie simply because she hasn't seen it and she really likes the style of movie Christopher Guest brings (which I must say can be a little strange at times, if you've never watched him). But that was a good enough explanation for me!
I decided to go with a movie called Children of Men. Again, neither of us have seen this film, so we could be in for a very interesting year this time around. This film is a futuristic drama about a world where humans can no longer procreate, and it stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. And for all you Harry Potter fans, the director was the same guy who directed Prisoner of Azkaban. Good times. I picked this movie basically because of the interesting plot line and for its potential to be a great movie. So yeah.
Well, there ya go. 2006 is under way! I know it's been awhile, but we want to hear what you think! Which of these 3 movies have you seen? The Departed, For Your Consideration or Children of Men? Which is your favorite? We'll post back soon!
The Departed was one of those movies that for some reason everyone in Hollywood signed up to be in. What a cast- Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen all shined on the big stage. Set in Bah-sten, this was a well crafted, action packed Mafia crime thriller that kept you going up until the very end. There were mucho plot twists and double crosses- at times you were left wondering what the hell was going on. Great stuff. I gave the movie a 4.5, but it would have gotten much higher if Matt Damon wasn't in it- I hate that guy! Not really, but Kim is convinced I do because I just happen to hate just about every other movie he's been in. Kim rocked a 4.75 on this one, calling DiCaprio "tolerable, which is the best he can hope for in my book". As good as this movie was, I think we both agreed that it wasn't really a "Best Picture" type movie, so we were surprised that it won.
Now onto our picks!
Kim selected the movie For Your Consideration. This is a Christopher Guest film, who we all know from classics as Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Neither of us has seen it, but it is expected to be a good time by all. Kim chose this movie simply because she hasn't seen it and she really likes the style of movie Christopher Guest brings (which I must say can be a little strange at times, if you've never watched him). But that was a good enough explanation for me!
I decided to go with a movie called Children of Men. Again, neither of us have seen this film, so we could be in for a very interesting year this time around. This film is a futuristic drama about a world where humans can no longer procreate, and it stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. And for all you Harry Potter fans, the director was the same guy who directed Prisoner of Azkaban. Good times. I picked this movie basically because of the interesting plot line and for its potential to be a great movie. So yeah.
Well, there ya go. 2006 is under way! I know it's been awhile, but we want to hear what you think! Which of these 3 movies have you seen? The Departed, For Your Consideration or Children of Men? Which is your favorite? We'll post back soon!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
After a 2 month hiatus, 1942 is DONE!
Weeeee're Baaaaack! Poltergeist II style yo. After a short break, the must anticipated return of movie watching has finally come. We bet you're all very excited! That being said, let's get right back to business...
Way way back in December, we chose our movies for 1942. They came via Netflix and have been sitting in our house collecting dust for nearly 2 months now. Well, we knew we had to get back into it soon and thanks to the snow storm of the century, we had a nice day off today to watch our 2 movies. For those who need a brief reminder - the Best Picture of 1942 was Mrs. Miniver, I picked The Pride of the Yankees, and Kim picked Roxie Hart. Let's get to it...
First, we watched The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper and Best Picture darling Theresa Wright (she was also in Mrs. Miniver, as well as The Best Years of our Lives). This was basically a biopic of Lou Gehrig, from his childhood years up until his death, with Coop starring as Sweet Lou. The film was very well done and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really cool to see the real BABE RUTH in this film as well (playing himself of course). Good times.
Then we watched Roxie Hart, which is based on the musical Chicago, starring dancing foolette Ginger Rogers. It followed the Chicago story pretty well, and at times seemed almost like a parody of it. There were some real goofy moments it seemed, like when Roxie was fighting with another female inmate, there were the sounds of real cats screaming in the background. So yeah, it was interesting. It was a very short film, only about 75 minutes, and we found it to be very enjoyable as well.
Deciding which of the movies we liked best has been one of the more difficult years to decide upon. Of the 3 we watched, none of them really stood out as superior to the others, and none of them stunk either. If we had to choose, Kim would pick between Miniver and Pride of the Yankees, while I enjoyed Roxy Hart the most, but thought Miniver and Pride of the Yankees were better films. I don't know.
Well, definitely stay tuned, we will be posting our next picks (a recent year!) very very soon! Good to be back!
Way way back in December, we chose our movies for 1942. They came via Netflix and have been sitting in our house collecting dust for nearly 2 months now. Well, we knew we had to get back into it soon and thanks to the snow storm of the century, we had a nice day off today to watch our 2 movies. For those who need a brief reminder - the Best Picture of 1942 was Mrs. Miniver, I picked The Pride of the Yankees, and Kim picked Roxie Hart. Let's get to it...
First, we watched The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper and Best Picture darling Theresa Wright (she was also in Mrs. Miniver, as well as The Best Years of our Lives). This was basically a biopic of Lou Gehrig, from his childhood years up until his death, with Coop starring as Sweet Lou. The film was very well done and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really cool to see the real BABE RUTH in this film as well (playing himself of course). Good times.
Then we watched Roxie Hart, which is based on the musical Chicago, starring dancing foolette Ginger Rogers. It followed the Chicago story pretty well, and at times seemed almost like a parody of it. There were some real goofy moments it seemed, like when Roxie was fighting with another female inmate, there were the sounds of real cats screaming in the background. So yeah, it was interesting. It was a very short film, only about 75 minutes, and we found it to be very enjoyable as well.
Deciding which of the movies we liked best has been one of the more difficult years to decide upon. Of the 3 we watched, none of them really stood out as superior to the others, and none of them stunk either. If we had to choose, Kim would pick between Miniver and Pride of the Yankees, while I enjoyed Roxy Hart the most, but thought Miniver and Pride of the Yankees were better films. I don't know.
Well, definitely stay tuned, we will be posting our next picks (a recent year!) very very soon! Good to be back!
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