Saturday, February 20, 2010
Have a Little Faith/Team in Training....
Hello everyone. Sorry it's been a while since my last post. With the snow, olympics and Xavier events I just haven't had time to do any blogging. Right now I'm waiting for the Xavier/Charlotte game to come on (in about 40 minutes) so I thought I'd try to get something out on the old blog.
While we were flying out to Vegas a couple weeks ago I finished reading a book by Mitch Albom called Have a Little Faith. I like Albom's books because they're usually short, easy to read and have a nice message to them. (If they only had a few more pictures they'd be perfect!) I'm sure you've heard of some of his other books, most notably; Tuesday's With Morie and The Fivye People You Meet in Heaven. Anyway, Have a Little Faith is about two men in Albom's life who helped him reconnect with his own faith; one was the Rabbi from the synagogue where he grew up in New Jersey and the other, a reformed drug addict and ex-con who became a minister in one of the poorest areas of Detroit, which is where Albom lives today. The story bounces back and forth to the lives of the two men; Albom is asked by the Rabbi to deliver the eulogy at his funeral so he decides he needs to get to know him better in order to truly do 'The Reb' justice when the day of his final exit arrives. Meanwhile, Albom meets the minister by chance, writes about the struggles his ministry is facing during the horrible economic times Detroit has been through recently in his newspaper column which winds up having a positive effect as Albom's readers pitch in to add support to the struggling ministry. It was one of those heartwarming stories that makes you wonder how you can have a similar impact. I obviously don't have the readership that Albom has with the Detroit Free Press, I imagine there might be a few regular readers of this blog but if there are more than 10 I'd be shocked. And I'm not naive enough to think that something I might say or do would inspire others to go out and do something nice for someone they may not even know but it certainly would be nice if people would. I think we all have the capacity to make a difference, we just need to make an effort to do it. You have to make it part of your regular routine. It may require you giving up some of your free time but I'm sure you'd find whatever you'd choose to do far more rewarding. Sometimes I think we feel like we can't make a difference; the task is far too great for one person to accomplish. What you don't realize is others are watching and your actions just might provide the inspiration for your family and friends to follow your lead. We all can make a difference, all we need to do is have a little faith.
This segues perfectly into my next topic. This summer, as I've done the past two years, I'm going to be riding in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team in Training program. On June 19 I'll be riding in the Ride to Montauk, a 100+ mile bike ride to the tip of New York's Long Island. Between now and then, I'll be riding close to 1,000 miles to prepare for this ride. As part of the commitment riders are asked to raise close to $4000 for the LLS. In the past two years, with the help of many family members and friends, I've raised over $12,000 for the LLS and hopefully that total will be close to $20,000 by the time we do the ride in June. Following is a link to my web page for the ride. If you would like to support this effort please go to the web page and make a pledge. With your help I know we can find the treatments and cures needed to eliminate blood related cancers once and for all. I can't think of a better legacy for us to pass on to future generations. Here is the link....
While we were flying out to Vegas a couple weeks ago I finished reading a book by Mitch Albom called Have a Little Faith. I like Albom's books because they're usually short, easy to read and have a nice message to them. (If they only had a few more pictures they'd be perfect!) I'm sure you've heard of some of his other books, most notably; Tuesday's With Morie and The Fivye People You Meet in Heaven. Anyway, Have a Little Faith is about two men in Albom's life who helped him reconnect with his own faith; one was the Rabbi from the synagogue where he grew up in New Jersey and the other, a reformed drug addict and ex-con who became a minister in one of the poorest areas of Detroit, which is where Albom lives today. The story bounces back and forth to the lives of the two men; Albom is asked by the Rabbi to deliver the eulogy at his funeral so he decides he needs to get to know him better in order to truly do 'The Reb' justice when the day of his final exit arrives. Meanwhile, Albom meets the minister by chance, writes about the struggles his ministry is facing during the horrible economic times Detroit has been through recently in his newspaper column which winds up having a positive effect as Albom's readers pitch in to add support to the struggling ministry. It was one of those heartwarming stories that makes you wonder how you can have a similar impact. I obviously don't have the readership that Albom has with the Detroit Free Press, I imagine there might be a few regular readers of this blog but if there are more than 10 I'd be shocked. And I'm not naive enough to think that something I might say or do would inspire others to go out and do something nice for someone they may not even know but it certainly would be nice if people would. I think we all have the capacity to make a difference, we just need to make an effort to do it. You have to make it part of your regular routine. It may require you giving up some of your free time but I'm sure you'd find whatever you'd choose to do far more rewarding. Sometimes I think we feel like we can't make a difference; the task is far too great for one person to accomplish. What you don't realize is others are watching and your actions just might provide the inspiration for your family and friends to follow your lead. We all can make a difference, all we need to do is have a little faith.
This segues perfectly into my next topic. This summer, as I've done the past two years, I'm going to be riding in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team in Training program. On June 19 I'll be riding in the Ride to Montauk, a 100+ mile bike ride to the tip of New York's Long Island. Between now and then, I'll be riding close to 1,000 miles to prepare for this ride. As part of the commitment riders are asked to raise close to $4000 for the LLS. In the past two years, with the help of many family members and friends, I've raised over $12,000 for the LLS and hopefully that total will be close to $20,000 by the time we do the ride in June. Following is a link to my web page for the ride. If you would like to support this effort please go to the web page and make a pledge. With your help I know we can find the treatments and cures needed to eliminate blood related cancers once and for all. I can't think of a better legacy for us to pass on to future generations. Here is the link....
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/montauk10/vhopkins
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Final Ten...
Not much new to report tonight so I'll get right into the top ten movies on my list. These movies may not be on everyone's top ten list but for me, they are the best I've ever seen. Some have sentimental meaning, others are just perfect movies. If there are any on this list that you haven't seen I highly recommend you make an effort to see them, you'll be in for an enjoyable evening.
#10. Finding Neverland (2004) - "By believing, Peter. Just believe." The story of author J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired him to write his most famous work, Peter Pan. Johnny Depp, in one of his finest roles, plays Barrie and Kate Winslet is the terminally ill mother of the boys who Barrie spends his days with, making up stories about the boy from Neverland who never grows up. I saw this movie with Abbey when she was in the 6th grade and I have to admit I was wiping away tears at the end when Depp says the highlighted line above while trying to console Winslet's youngest son, Peter. Finding Neverland is a beautiful film, full of heart and emotion and a great film to start my top ten list.
#9. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - "Get busy living or get busy dying...damn right!" I have to say, I think the title of this film turned off a lot of movie goers. I know I really didn't have a desire to see it until after it was nominated for best picture. And then, while on vacation in Hilton Head and watching it rain for a 4th consecutive, I decided to give this movie a chance - it instantly became one of my all time favorites. The story about a man who is wrongly sent to prison for the murder of his wife, The Shawshank Redemption shows how the human spirit can triumph against the toughest of odds. Tim Robbins plays the wrongly accused, Andy DeFreunse, and Morgan Freeman is flawless as his best friend in prison, Red. The line above, which Red says toward the end of the movie as he's trying to adjust to his new found freedom, served as inspiration to me when I was going through treatments for lymphoma. This isn't the only movie from 1994 to make my top ten - Judd was right; 1994 was a great year for movies.
#8. The Graduate (1967) - "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me." Dustin Hoffman plays recent college graduate, Benjamin Braddock, who finds himself in quite a unique love triangle; he's having an affair with the mother of the girl of his dreams, who he's also dating - much to the mother's chagrin. Made in 1967, this movie was ahead of it's time when it first came out and it remains fresh 33 years later. Anne Bancroft plays Mrs. Robinson and Katherine Ross is her daughter, Elaine. And while there was supposedly quite an age difference between Hoffman and Bancroft's characters, in real life there was only 5 year's difference. The 60's was a wonderful decade for movies and the Graduate was easily one of the best of the bunch.
#7. E.T., The Extraterrestrial (1982) - "E.T. phone home." The story of a young boy who finds a stranded alien and decides to keep him as his pet, few films have packed as much heart into it as Spielberg's crowd pleaser from 1982. Told through a child's eyes, the youngsters (including Drew Berrymore in her first film) carry this movie, along with a rubber, robotic alien. By the time the film get's to the point where the kids have to save E.T. from the scientists who want to conduct experiments on him, you believe he is a real creature. And the ending, when Elliot has to say goodbye to his friend when he's rescued and heading back to his home planet, is one of the most emotional scenes ever filmed. I didn't think Spielberg could top his 1981 film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and he was able to do it in less than a year.
#6. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - "...I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird." When the American Film Institute ranked the top heroes in movie history, Atticus Finch was named #1. This is testament to not only what a great character Atticus is but also how perfectly the role was cast with Gregory Peck. Atticus was a widower in the south during the depression. He's raising two children and been asked to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. Told through the eyes of Atticus's young daughter, Scout, few characters have had the dignity, strength and passion of the greatest movie hero of all time. And the story, which also includes a recluse who the kids try to see throughout the entire film, was as thought provoking as any during a time when bigotry and civil rights were polarizing our country.
#5. Forrest Gump (1994) - "Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're going to get." Having lived through all the events that Forrest Gump is thrust into throughout this wonderful film, watching this movie for the first time was the most enjoyable evening I've ever spent in a theater. And Tom Hanks performance is nothing short of spectacular. This is a movie that I've watched numerous times with our family and I'd say it is probably our family's favorite movie. And you have to love Bubba, Lt. Dan and the love of Forrest's life, Jenny. Of all the great films from 1994, this one won best picture.
#4. Wizard of Oz (1939) - "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The movie that made me a movie fan, few films are as perfect The Wizard of Oz. There's no need to recap the story; everyone knows about Dorothy, her trip to Oz, and the friends (and foes) she encounters along the way. What I love about this movie is the simple message that we all seem to take for granted from time to time; there really is no place like home.
#3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - "Kiss me. When I'm being f$%#ked I like to be kissed."
The story of a mid-day bank robbery gone bad on a sweltering hot, August afternoon. When word gets out about the robbers holding hostages in the bank, the scene becomes a media circus. Based on a true story, the greatness of this movie is escalated by Al Pacino's amazing portrayal of Sonny, the leader of the robbery; easily the most powerful performance I've ever seen.
#2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - "Look daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. That's right, that's right. Atta boy Clarence!" I first saw this movie when I was in Chicago visiting my sister back in 1979. The story of a man on the brink of suicide until a guardian angel shows him what life would have been like had he never been born, I have never been able to watch this film without shedding tears of joy at the end. I think we all wish we could live our life like George Bailey. And I think we all hope we can impact others lives to the point where they'd be willing to come to our rescue in our darkest hours. It's a Wonderful Life is a movie that provides us with a blueprint on how to touch other lives and few have done it as well as George Bailey. Jimmy Stewart is brilliant as George and Donna Reed plays his adoring wife, Mary. There will never be another movie quite like It's a Wonderful Life.
#1. Terms of Endearment (1983) - "I know you like me. I know it." Julie and I saw Terms of Endearment on our first date and it has been our favorite movie ever since. Shirley MacLaine stars as Aurora Greenway and Debra Winger is her daughter, Emma, in a story that spans over 30 years. Jack Nicholson co-stars as their next door neighbor, an astronaut with an eye for younger women who eventually becomes the object of Aurora's affection. The ending is gut wrenching as Winger's character is diagnosed with cancer and she eventually has to tell her son's that she's dying. I cried like a baby during the scene where Emma tells her oldest son..."I know you like me. I know it." To me, that was the most emotional and perfectly performed and written scene I've ever seen. You could tell the love that Emma had for her boys, you could feel the anger that her older son was feeling and your heart ached for the the younger son who's finally had enough of his brother treating his dying mother so rudely. Just a great, great scene and movie.
Well that's a wrap. It took me the entire episode of Survivor to hack out this list. I don't know what I'm going to write about next but I don't think it's going to be a top 100 list!!!
#10. Finding Neverland (2004) - "By believing, Peter. Just believe." The story of author J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired him to write his most famous work, Peter Pan. Johnny Depp, in one of his finest roles, plays Barrie and Kate Winslet is the terminally ill mother of the boys who Barrie spends his days with, making up stories about the boy from Neverland who never grows up. I saw this movie with Abbey when she was in the 6th grade and I have to admit I was wiping away tears at the end when Depp says the highlighted line above while trying to console Winslet's youngest son, Peter. Finding Neverland is a beautiful film, full of heart and emotion and a great film to start my top ten list.
#9. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - "Get busy living or get busy dying...damn right!" I have to say, I think the title of this film turned off a lot of movie goers. I know I really didn't have a desire to see it until after it was nominated for best picture. And then, while on vacation in Hilton Head and watching it rain for a 4th consecutive, I decided to give this movie a chance - it instantly became one of my all time favorites. The story about a man who is wrongly sent to prison for the murder of his wife, The Shawshank Redemption shows how the human spirit can triumph against the toughest of odds. Tim Robbins plays the wrongly accused, Andy DeFreunse, and Morgan Freeman is flawless as his best friend in prison, Red. The line above, which Red says toward the end of the movie as he's trying to adjust to his new found freedom, served as inspiration to me when I was going through treatments for lymphoma. This isn't the only movie from 1994 to make my top ten - Judd was right; 1994 was a great year for movies.
#8. The Graduate (1967) - "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me." Dustin Hoffman plays recent college graduate, Benjamin Braddock, who finds himself in quite a unique love triangle; he's having an affair with the mother of the girl of his dreams, who he's also dating - much to the mother's chagrin. Made in 1967, this movie was ahead of it's time when it first came out and it remains fresh 33 years later. Anne Bancroft plays Mrs. Robinson and Katherine Ross is her daughter, Elaine. And while there was supposedly quite an age difference between Hoffman and Bancroft's characters, in real life there was only 5 year's difference. The 60's was a wonderful decade for movies and the Graduate was easily one of the best of the bunch.
#7. E.T., The Extraterrestrial (1982) - "E.T. phone home." The story of a young boy who finds a stranded alien and decides to keep him as his pet, few films have packed as much heart into it as Spielberg's crowd pleaser from 1982. Told through a child's eyes, the youngsters (including Drew Berrymore in her first film) carry this movie, along with a rubber, robotic alien. By the time the film get's to the point where the kids have to save E.T. from the scientists who want to conduct experiments on him, you believe he is a real creature. And the ending, when Elliot has to say goodbye to his friend when he's rescued and heading back to his home planet, is one of the most emotional scenes ever filmed. I didn't think Spielberg could top his 1981 film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and he was able to do it in less than a year.
#6. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - "...I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird." When the American Film Institute ranked the top heroes in movie history, Atticus Finch was named #1. This is testament to not only what a great character Atticus is but also how perfectly the role was cast with Gregory Peck. Atticus was a widower in the south during the depression. He's raising two children and been asked to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. Told through the eyes of Atticus's young daughter, Scout, few characters have had the dignity, strength and passion of the greatest movie hero of all time. And the story, which also includes a recluse who the kids try to see throughout the entire film, was as thought provoking as any during a time when bigotry and civil rights were polarizing our country.
#5. Forrest Gump (1994) - "Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're going to get." Having lived through all the events that Forrest Gump is thrust into throughout this wonderful film, watching this movie for the first time was the most enjoyable evening I've ever spent in a theater. And Tom Hanks performance is nothing short of spectacular. This is a movie that I've watched numerous times with our family and I'd say it is probably our family's favorite movie. And you have to love Bubba, Lt. Dan and the love of Forrest's life, Jenny. Of all the great films from 1994, this one won best picture.
#4. Wizard of Oz (1939) - "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The movie that made me a movie fan, few films are as perfect The Wizard of Oz. There's no need to recap the story; everyone knows about Dorothy, her trip to Oz, and the friends (and foes) she encounters along the way. What I love about this movie is the simple message that we all seem to take for granted from time to time; there really is no place like home.
#3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - "Kiss me. When I'm being f$%#ked I like to be kissed."
The story of a mid-day bank robbery gone bad on a sweltering hot, August afternoon. When word gets out about the robbers holding hostages in the bank, the scene becomes a media circus. Based on a true story, the greatness of this movie is escalated by Al Pacino's amazing portrayal of Sonny, the leader of the robbery; easily the most powerful performance I've ever seen.
#2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - "Look daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. That's right, that's right. Atta boy Clarence!" I first saw this movie when I was in Chicago visiting my sister back in 1979. The story of a man on the brink of suicide until a guardian angel shows him what life would have been like had he never been born, I have never been able to watch this film without shedding tears of joy at the end. I think we all wish we could live our life like George Bailey. And I think we all hope we can impact others lives to the point where they'd be willing to come to our rescue in our darkest hours. It's a Wonderful Life is a movie that provides us with a blueprint on how to touch other lives and few have done it as well as George Bailey. Jimmy Stewart is brilliant as George and Donna Reed plays his adoring wife, Mary. There will never be another movie quite like It's a Wonderful Life.
#1. Terms of Endearment (1983) - "I know you like me. I know it." Julie and I saw Terms of Endearment on our first date and it has been our favorite movie ever since. Shirley MacLaine stars as Aurora Greenway and Debra Winger is her daughter, Emma, in a story that spans over 30 years. Jack Nicholson co-stars as their next door neighbor, an astronaut with an eye for younger women who eventually becomes the object of Aurora's affection. The ending is gut wrenching as Winger's character is diagnosed with cancer and she eventually has to tell her son's that she's dying. I cried like a baby during the scene where Emma tells her oldest son..."I know you like me. I know it." To me, that was the most emotional and perfectly performed and written scene I've ever seen. You could tell the love that Emma had for her boys, you could feel the anger that her older son was feeling and your heart ached for the the younger son who's finally had enough of his brother treating his dying mother so rudely. Just a great, great scene and movie.
Well that's a wrap. It took me the entire episode of Survivor to hack out this list. I don't know what I'm going to write about next but I don't think it's going to be a top 100 list!!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
All You Need Is Love/getting close to the top 10...
While Jules and I were in Las Vegas last week, we went to see The Beatles Love show at The Mirage. As a huge fan of The Beatles, I was really looking forward to seeing the show and wasn't disappointed. The music was phenomenal as they remixed and re-engineered over 25 songs; giving them a fresh, new sound. And the show, which told the story of England through The Beatles era was spectacularly performed by Cirque Du Soliel. For me, growing up during that amazing era, the show was also very nostalgic. I sat and recalled the first time I heard many of the songs as I watched in amazement as the performers climbed ropes, did flips, did one armed hand stands and other physical feats that you simply couldn't believe you were witnessing. It was unbelievable. But I have to say the highlight for me was the ending when they showed video clips of The Beatles playing 'All You Need is Love'. It took me back to that time - a time when everything The Beatles did was magical, a time when they were as big and famous and influential as any artist(s) in my entire lifetime. I was actually kind of sad when the show ended, I looked at the pictures of the fab four and they looked so young and happy. They looked invincible. But those times are gone and they'll never return. And with only 2 of The Beatles still alive, I realize those days of youth were a long, long time ago. I'll always be a big fan of The Beatles and the 90 minutes I spent watching Love in Vegas was a trip down memory lane that I'm glad I had the opportunity to make.
Now it's time for the next 10 films of my countdown. This will take us down to the top 10 - there are 6 Academy Award best picture winners in this list of movies...
#20. The Sting (1973) - The third and final film from 1973 to make my list, The Sting was the winner of the Oscar for best picture. The story of two con men, played by the two biggest stars of that time (Robert Redford and Paul Newman) , trying to make a big score by duping big time gamblers into making a fools bet in a make believe (and very illegal) gambling operation. Full of great twists and successful scams that you cheer for, The Sting also featured a wonderful musical score arranged by Marvin Hamlisch. One night I got the kids to grudgingly watch The Sting and by the end of the movie, they loved it.
#19. Field of Dreams (1989) - I guess you would call this movie a guy's 'chick flick'; I don't know many guys who don't get a little emotional when Kevin Costner asks his dad if he want's to play catch at the end of the movie. In addition, the story about an Iowa farmer who hears voices which tell him to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn crop is also one of the more imaginative movies I've ever seen. Field of Dreams was a nominee for Best Picture (Driving Miss Daisy was the winner) and featured two fantastic supporting performances by James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster.
#18. Gone With The Wind (1939) - 1939 may have been the greatest year in the history of movies and Gone With the Wind was named the best picture of that year. I actually have a couple of the '39 movies rated higher but it would be hard to argue against the greatness of Gone With the Wind. A sweeping epic set in the days of the Civil War; Scarlet O'Hara, played to perfection by Vivien Leigh, is easily one of the top 10 movie characters of all time. The movie also contained some of the most iconic movie lines in the history of movies including one that many consider #1; "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!"
#17. Psycho (1961) - Alfred Hitchcock was the master of suspense movies and 'Psycho' is arguably his greatest effort. The story of a lonely hotel clerk (Anthony Perkins) who becomes the focus of a missing persons case, this film keeps you guessing until the very end when the clerk's ugly past is revealed. Also noted for some of the innovative film making techniques employed by Hitchcock, 'Psycho' will be in the top 20 of almost every movie fan's top 20 lists.
#16. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Jimmy Stewart is one of my all time favorites and he shines in this movie about a naive, junior senator from Nebraska who winds up taking on the senior senator when he learns his older colleague is being 'bought' by a powerful contributor to his political campaign. With tremendous supporting roles by Jean Arthur, Claude Raines and Edward Albert - Mr. Smith is the kind of senator we could use in Washington today.
#15. Casablanca (1942) - Just a perfect movie filled with great performances, memorable lines, passion and suspense - the mark of a great movie is it get's better every minute and that certainly applies to 'Casablanca', the deeper you get into the story, the juicier it gets.
#14. Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Hard to believe this movie didn't win the best picture Oscar in 1952, especially when you realize the winner, The Greatest Show on Earth, is generally referred to as the worst best picture winner of all time. Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds; Singin' in the Rain is the story of the top two Hollywood stars of the silent movie era trying to make the transition to talking movies. The only problem is the female star, Lina Lamont, has the worst voice you'd ever want to listen to. To cover up for her nasally delivery, they talk Debbie Reynolds character into dubbing her voice over Lina's which leads to box office gold. And Lina is so stupid, she doesn't even realize its not her voice. This is the greatest musical of all time and it features tremendous show pieces, hysterical scenes and of course the song we've all sang when were caught in a storm; Singin' in the Rain.
#13. On the Waterfront (1954) - Another film where our lead character decides to take on greed and corruption, On The Waterfront is one of the most outstandingly performed films, ever. Led by Marlon Brando, this movie received 5 acting nominations, including 3 for best supporting actor - Rod Steiger, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. Eva Marie Saint won best supporting actress but Brando's performance is one of the top 5 I've ever seen. He was born to play Terry Malone.
#12. Schindler's List (1993) - Steven Spielberg is the greatest movie director of this era and his story about a German industrialist who saves many Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factory is as chilling a story as you will ever see. Very difficult to watch at times as you witness the horrible atrocities that the people in the concentration camps were subjected to, I've never felt so numb leaving a movie theater. And few villains have been portrayed as convincingly as Ralph Fiennes performance as the Nazi in charge of the concentration camp.
#11. The Godfather (1972) - The greatest gangster movie ever made, its also one of the greatest movies about the importance of family commitment ever made, as well. The greatest compliment I can pay to The Godfather is this; I own a DVD copy of this movie so I could watch it any time I want but whenever I see it on television I'll watch it from the moment I discover it's on until the movie ends. Every scene is perfect and the baptism scene at the end is easily one of the best movie segments ever filmed. Marlon Brando won his second Oscar as Vito Corleone and it's hard to believe Al Pacino didn't win best supporting actor for his role as Vito's son, Michael. Nevertheless, The Godfather is fim making at it's best.
And then there were 10 - you'll find out the top ten in my next post.
Now it's time for the next 10 films of my countdown. This will take us down to the top 10 - there are 6 Academy Award best picture winners in this list of movies...
#20. The Sting (1973) - The third and final film from 1973 to make my list, The Sting was the winner of the Oscar for best picture. The story of two con men, played by the two biggest stars of that time (Robert Redford and Paul Newman) , trying to make a big score by duping big time gamblers into making a fools bet in a make believe (and very illegal) gambling operation. Full of great twists and successful scams that you cheer for, The Sting also featured a wonderful musical score arranged by Marvin Hamlisch. One night I got the kids to grudgingly watch The Sting and by the end of the movie, they loved it.
#19. Field of Dreams (1989) - I guess you would call this movie a guy's 'chick flick'; I don't know many guys who don't get a little emotional when Kevin Costner asks his dad if he want's to play catch at the end of the movie. In addition, the story about an Iowa farmer who hears voices which tell him to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn crop is also one of the more imaginative movies I've ever seen. Field of Dreams was a nominee for Best Picture (Driving Miss Daisy was the winner) and featured two fantastic supporting performances by James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster.
#18. Gone With The Wind (1939) - 1939 may have been the greatest year in the history of movies and Gone With the Wind was named the best picture of that year. I actually have a couple of the '39 movies rated higher but it would be hard to argue against the greatness of Gone With the Wind. A sweeping epic set in the days of the Civil War; Scarlet O'Hara, played to perfection by Vivien Leigh, is easily one of the top 10 movie characters of all time. The movie also contained some of the most iconic movie lines in the history of movies including one that many consider #1; "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!"
#17. Psycho (1961) - Alfred Hitchcock was the master of suspense movies and 'Psycho' is arguably his greatest effort. The story of a lonely hotel clerk (Anthony Perkins) who becomes the focus of a missing persons case, this film keeps you guessing until the very end when the clerk's ugly past is revealed. Also noted for some of the innovative film making techniques employed by Hitchcock, 'Psycho' will be in the top 20 of almost every movie fan's top 20 lists.
#16. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - Jimmy Stewart is one of my all time favorites and he shines in this movie about a naive, junior senator from Nebraska who winds up taking on the senior senator when he learns his older colleague is being 'bought' by a powerful contributor to his political campaign. With tremendous supporting roles by Jean Arthur, Claude Raines and Edward Albert - Mr. Smith is the kind of senator we could use in Washington today.
#15. Casablanca (1942) - Just a perfect movie filled with great performances, memorable lines, passion and suspense - the mark of a great movie is it get's better every minute and that certainly applies to 'Casablanca', the deeper you get into the story, the juicier it gets.
#14. Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Hard to believe this movie didn't win the best picture Oscar in 1952, especially when you realize the winner, The Greatest Show on Earth, is generally referred to as the worst best picture winner of all time. Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds; Singin' in the Rain is the story of the top two Hollywood stars of the silent movie era trying to make the transition to talking movies. The only problem is the female star, Lina Lamont, has the worst voice you'd ever want to listen to. To cover up for her nasally delivery, they talk Debbie Reynolds character into dubbing her voice over Lina's which leads to box office gold. And Lina is so stupid, she doesn't even realize its not her voice. This is the greatest musical of all time and it features tremendous show pieces, hysterical scenes and of course the song we've all sang when were caught in a storm; Singin' in the Rain.
#13. On the Waterfront (1954) - Another film where our lead character decides to take on greed and corruption, On The Waterfront is one of the most outstandingly performed films, ever. Led by Marlon Brando, this movie received 5 acting nominations, including 3 for best supporting actor - Rod Steiger, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. Eva Marie Saint won best supporting actress but Brando's performance is one of the top 5 I've ever seen. He was born to play Terry Malone.
#12. Schindler's List (1993) - Steven Spielberg is the greatest movie director of this era and his story about a German industrialist who saves many Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factory is as chilling a story as you will ever see. Very difficult to watch at times as you witness the horrible atrocities that the people in the concentration camps were subjected to, I've never felt so numb leaving a movie theater. And few villains have been portrayed as convincingly as Ralph Fiennes performance as the Nazi in charge of the concentration camp.
#11. The Godfather (1972) - The greatest gangster movie ever made, its also one of the greatest movies about the importance of family commitment ever made, as well. The greatest compliment I can pay to The Godfather is this; I own a DVD copy of this movie so I could watch it any time I want but whenever I see it on television I'll watch it from the moment I discover it's on until the movie ends. Every scene is perfect and the baptism scene at the end is easily one of the best movie segments ever filmed. Marlon Brando won his second Oscar as Vito Corleone and it's hard to believe Al Pacino didn't win best supporting actor for his role as Vito's son, Michael. Nevertheless, The Godfather is fim making at it's best.
And then there were 10 - you'll find out the top ten in my next post.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Maybe I Jynxed Peyton/Countdown to #21....
As you may recall, following the AFC Championship I came out and surrendered to Peyton Manning; I called him great, admitted that I was wrong about him and that there was no way the Colts would lose to the Saints in the Super Bowl. Well, this is one time when I'm happy to admit - I WAS WRONG! In a classic Super Bowl, Drew Brees led the Saints to a 31-17 upset on Manning's Colts in a game that wasn't decided until the great Peyton threw a crucial pick-six with less than 4 minutes left to play. New Orleans fell behind 10-0 after one quarter but outscored the Colts 31-7 the rest of the way to claim their first Super Bowl championship. Congrats to the Colts for doing what many thought wasn't possible, they proved Peyton Manning is human afterall.
Of course, a couple of the other highlights of the Super Bowl are the commercials and the halftime show. The big commercial winner this year was from Snickers which featured Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing football. I had no idea Abe was still alive; he looked like he was about 70 years old when he was in The Godfather over 35 years ago. You have to give Snickers extra credit for having the savvy to add another acting credit to the long and illustrious career of the former, Mr. Fish. As for halftime (and speaking of long and illustrious careers, I'm a big fan of The Who and they were entertaining last night but have they put out a song in the past 30 years? Seriously, I think it's time the Super Bowl organizers get over the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction of a few years ago and bring in a musical act that's created some new material recently. So football is over until next August. Maybe next season will be the year the Cincinnati Bengals finally return to the Super Bowl. Right. And Abe Vigoda might win an Academy Award, too.
Here are the next 10 movies in my countdown - we are getting close to the top ten....
#30. Taxi Driver (1976) - Robert DeNiro stars as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran working the night shift in New York City as a taxi driver. Travis sees all the filth NYC has to offer; drugs, prostitution, crime and it boils up inside him as he drives the streets, night after night after night. Finally, he discovers a soul he thinks he can save in a teen-aged prostitute portrayed by Jodie Foster. He arms himself with guns and practices his trade in front of a full length mirror in his lonely apartment as he prepares to liberate Foster's character from her abusive pimp, Sport. DeNiro is phenomenal as Travis and Jodie Foster also earned an academy award nomination. Another classic directed by Martin Scorcese.
#29. Annie Hall (1977) - Woody Allen's masterpiece about relationships in 1he 1970's. The winner of the 1977 Oscar for best picture, Diane Keaton also won the Oscar for best actress as the title character. Allen's best movie by far, an intelligent comedy with great lines and wonderful supporting characters.
#28. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the young, depression era, bank robbers in a film that basically makes them out to be the 'good guys'. At the time, Bonnie and Clyde was one of the bloodiest films ever made and featured 5 performances nominated for an academy award. One of the best movies the the 60's.
#27. Gladiator (2000) - Russell Crowe plays the Roman general, Maximus, who's out for vengeance when he is betrayed by the son (Commodus) of the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and his family is murdered. Commodus plans to execute Maximus but he escapes ad is sold into slavery, forced to become a gladiator. Eventually, Maximus and his fellow gladiators are sent to Rome to perform for Commodus. Through his bravery he wins over the masses and reveals his true identity, much to the chagrin of Commodus and leading to a showdown which is the only thing Maximus has to live for. Great special effects and the winner of the 2000 Oscars for best picture and actor.
#26. The Sound of Music (1965) - Julie Andrews shines as the nun, Maria, who is sent to care for the Von Trapp children during World War II. Set in Salzburg, Austria which is where Julie and I went on our honeymoon, The Sound of Music is one of the greatest musicals ever made and the 1965 winner for best picture.
#25. Raging Bull (1980) - Many consider this Martin Scorcese's crowning achievement. Brutal tale of boxer, Jake LaMotta, filmed in black and white with tremendous performances by Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty. the real LaMotta was a technical advisor for this film and often said it was a very accurate depiction of his life. Hard to believe that anyone could be as pathetic and disgusting as LaMotta was portrayed in the Raging Bull but if the original Jake says its accuarate, I'll take him for his word. It's a tough story to watch but from a style and technical standpoint, this movie is among the best ever.
#24. The Empire Strikes Back (1979) and....
#23. Star Wars (1977) - I lumped these movies together. To me, they were the best two of the Star Wars series. I really didn't think there was a need to do prequels but at least they brought new attention to the original films which were as fun to watch as any movies ever made. Darth Vader is among the greatest villains of all time and John Williams soundtrack was timeless and perfect. It is funny to watch the special effects which we marveled over in 1977 and realize how far movie technology has come over the past 30 years.
#22. Pride of the Yankees (1942) - Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright star in the story of Lou Gehrig, baseball's original iron man whose career and life were tragically cut short by the fatal disease, ALS. Great old fashioned movie making which also featured a cameo appearance by Gehrig's Yankee team mate, Babe Ruth. I always thought it would have been a class move if Cal Ripken would have tied Lou's record and then sat out the game breaking game as a tribute to Gehrig's legacy.
#21. Atlantic City (1980) - Great little movie starring Burt Lancaster as a never-has-been crook who finds himself in the middle of a drug deal gone bad, loving every minute of it. Susan Sarandon co-stars as his 'love interest' and both Sarandon and Lancaster earned academy award nominations. Lancaster was 68 when he made this film and it gave his career a little boost in the twilight of his years. Unfortunately, Atlantic City came out the same year as On Golden Pond and nothing was going to stop the Academy from honoring Henry Fonda in what turned out to be the final performance of his career. Still, if you haven't seen this Atlantic City try to find it at the video store or Netflix; you won't be disappointed.
That's it for tonight. Check back tomorrow for #20 - #11!
Of course, a couple of the other highlights of the Super Bowl are the commercials and the halftime show. The big commercial winner this year was from Snickers which featured Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing football. I had no idea Abe was still alive; he looked like he was about 70 years old when he was in The Godfather over 35 years ago. You have to give Snickers extra credit for having the savvy to add another acting credit to the long and illustrious career of the former, Mr. Fish. As for halftime (and speaking of long and illustrious careers, I'm a big fan of The Who and they were entertaining last night but have they put out a song in the past 30 years? Seriously, I think it's time the Super Bowl organizers get over the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction of a few years ago and bring in a musical act that's created some new material recently. So football is over until next August. Maybe next season will be the year the Cincinnati Bengals finally return to the Super Bowl. Right. And Abe Vigoda might win an Academy Award, too.
Here are the next 10 movies in my countdown - we are getting close to the top ten....
#30. Taxi Driver (1976) - Robert DeNiro stars as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran working the night shift in New York City as a taxi driver. Travis sees all the filth NYC has to offer; drugs, prostitution, crime and it boils up inside him as he drives the streets, night after night after night. Finally, he discovers a soul he thinks he can save in a teen-aged prostitute portrayed by Jodie Foster. He arms himself with guns and practices his trade in front of a full length mirror in his lonely apartment as he prepares to liberate Foster's character from her abusive pimp, Sport. DeNiro is phenomenal as Travis and Jodie Foster also earned an academy award nomination. Another classic directed by Martin Scorcese.
#29. Annie Hall (1977) - Woody Allen's masterpiece about relationships in 1he 1970's. The winner of the 1977 Oscar for best picture, Diane Keaton also won the Oscar for best actress as the title character. Allen's best movie by far, an intelligent comedy with great lines and wonderful supporting characters.
#28. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the young, depression era, bank robbers in a film that basically makes them out to be the 'good guys'. At the time, Bonnie and Clyde was one of the bloodiest films ever made and featured 5 performances nominated for an academy award. One of the best movies the the 60's.
#27. Gladiator (2000) - Russell Crowe plays the Roman general, Maximus, who's out for vengeance when he is betrayed by the son (Commodus) of the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and his family is murdered. Commodus plans to execute Maximus but he escapes ad is sold into slavery, forced to become a gladiator. Eventually, Maximus and his fellow gladiators are sent to Rome to perform for Commodus. Through his bravery he wins over the masses and reveals his true identity, much to the chagrin of Commodus and leading to a showdown which is the only thing Maximus has to live for. Great special effects and the winner of the 2000 Oscars for best picture and actor.
#26. The Sound of Music (1965) - Julie Andrews shines as the nun, Maria, who is sent to care for the Von Trapp children during World War II. Set in Salzburg, Austria which is where Julie and I went on our honeymoon, The Sound of Music is one of the greatest musicals ever made and the 1965 winner for best picture.
#25. Raging Bull (1980) - Many consider this Martin Scorcese's crowning achievement. Brutal tale of boxer, Jake LaMotta, filmed in black and white with tremendous performances by Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty. the real LaMotta was a technical advisor for this film and often said it was a very accurate depiction of his life. Hard to believe that anyone could be as pathetic and disgusting as LaMotta was portrayed in the Raging Bull but if the original Jake says its accuarate, I'll take him for his word. It's a tough story to watch but from a style and technical standpoint, this movie is among the best ever.
#24. The Empire Strikes Back (1979) and....
#23. Star Wars (1977) - I lumped these movies together. To me, they were the best two of the Star Wars series. I really didn't think there was a need to do prequels but at least they brought new attention to the original films which were as fun to watch as any movies ever made. Darth Vader is among the greatest villains of all time and John Williams soundtrack was timeless and perfect. It is funny to watch the special effects which we marveled over in 1977 and realize how far movie technology has come over the past 30 years.
#22. Pride of the Yankees (1942) - Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright star in the story of Lou Gehrig, baseball's original iron man whose career and life were tragically cut short by the fatal disease, ALS. Great old fashioned movie making which also featured a cameo appearance by Gehrig's Yankee team mate, Babe Ruth. I always thought it would have been a class move if Cal Ripken would have tied Lou's record and then sat out the game breaking game as a tribute to Gehrig's legacy.
#21. Atlantic City (1980) - Great little movie starring Burt Lancaster as a never-has-been crook who finds himself in the middle of a drug deal gone bad, loving every minute of it. Susan Sarandon co-stars as his 'love interest' and both Sarandon and Lancaster earned academy award nominations. Lancaster was 68 when he made this film and it gave his career a little boost in the twilight of his years. Unfortunately, Atlantic City came out the same year as On Golden Pond and nothing was going to stop the Academy from honoring Henry Fonda in what turned out to be the final performance of his career. Still, if you haven't seen this Atlantic City try to find it at the video store or Netflix; you won't be disappointed.
That's it for tonight. Check back tomorrow for #20 - #11!
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Bachelorhood and the films of the '30's....
Thankfully, Jules will be home tonight. Since Wednesday night, I've been living as a bachelor and I have to say I don't like it. Jules has been in Las Vegas, Abbey is in Chicago for a school function and obviously the boys are off at school. It gets pretty lonely hanging out at home as there is only so much television a person can watch. Today I took a few hours to clean the house but I think I'd rather have it messy and filled with people than sitting around in a spotless home with nothing to do.
I'm going to get right into the next 10 movies in my countdown. This is a pretty impressive list but still not good enough to crack the top 30...
#40. Amadeus (1984) - Tale of two very tortured souls; chamber composer Antonio Salieri (wonderfully performed by F. Murray Abraham) and the musical 'wunderkind', Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri is severely humbled when he realizes Mozart is composing better music at the age of 6 than he had ever produced in his entire life. At the same time, Mozart's destructive lifestyle further infuriates Salieri as he realizes the boy genius is wasting his incredible talent. Tom Hulce, whose previous role was playing Pinto in Animal House is solid as Mozart but hasn't made a decent performance since. Abraham deservedly took the Oscar for Best Actor and Amadeus won Best Picture.
#39. The Departed (2006) - One thing you can say about Director Martin Scorcese - he gets the best possible performances out of his actors. Every performer shines in this thriller, the 2006 winner for Best Picture. The tale of two cops working undercover - one for the good guys (Leonardo DiCaprio), the other for the bad guys (Matt Damon), the only chink in this movies armor is that the police psychologist (played by Vera Farmiga) has a relationship with both cops which is somewhat hard to believe. And of all the great performances, Mark Wahlberg was the only performer to earn an Oscar nomination. DiCaprio should have been nominated for this movie, not Blood diamond.
#38. Beauty and the Beast (1991) - Disney had a tremendous run of successful animated hits in the late '80's and throughout the 1990's and none was as perfect and downright beautiful as the 'tale as old as time'. With a score and musical numbers as good as any broadway production (which made it no surprise that Disney turned this hit into a broadway musical), Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture and featured one of the most incredible scenes of animation ever produced when Belle and the Beast danced in the ballroom of his mansion.
#37. Breaking Away (1979) - Story of 4 buddies trying to figure out what to do with their lives while growing up in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana. Called 'Cutters' by the college kids who take over their hometown during the school year; Dave, Mike, Cyril and Moochie try to gain acceptance by competing against the college kids in the Little 500, a 100 mile bike race held annually just before the Indy 500. One of those movies where you find yourself cheering in the end, Paul Dooley is tremendous as the frustrated father of one of the 'Cutters'.
#36. Goodfellas (1991) - Another great 'mob' story by Martin Scorcese - this movie follows the criminal exploits of 3 'Goodfellas' brilliantly portrayed by Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci. Pesci won the Oscar for best supporting actor as the flamable and short-tempered Tommy who nearly kills a kid when the young man says he's funny and finishes the job later in the show when the kid finally decides to fight back and tell's Pesci's Tommy to f%$%k off. Big Mistake when Tommy sitting their with a loaded gun. This film was trumped for Best Picture by Kevin Costner's, Dances With Wolves - I'm not sure the right movie won.
#35. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975) - Another film that swept the top 5 Academy Awards, Jack Nicholson delivers the best performance of his career as Randall McMurphy, a man sent to a mental institution to be evaluated and turns it into an opportunity to be as disruptive as possible - afterall; he's nuts. He meets his match in Nurse Ratchett, coldly played by Louise Fletcher, and the two butt heads throughout the movie as McMurphy tries to push every button she has and she refuses to give in to his antics. Fine supporting performances by all the men in the institution; Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito are among McMurphy's mentally disturbed new friends.
#34. Unforgiven (1992) - Clint Eastwood shines as retired killer whose coaxed back into the killing business to collect a bounty in exchange for killing a cow hand and his buddy who cut up a prostitute for laughing at the size of his 'manhood'. Filled with lines that have made Eastwood legendary, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman are also fantastic in what I consider the best western ever made.
#33. Some Like it Hot (1959) - After witnessing the infamous St. Valentines Day Masacre, two musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) don dresses and join a female orchestra to escape from the mob who are trying to 'silence' the witnesses. Marilyn Monroe is along for the ride and her moves continually frustrate our heroes as they have 'the hots' for her but can do nothing about it since she thinks they're women. At the same time, Lemmon is wooed by a dirty, old man wonderfully played by Joe E. Brown. Great comedy by director Billy Wilder.
#32. The Godfather Part II (1974) - It's very rare when a sequel matches the power of an original movie but this winner of the 1974 Oscar for best picture certainly delivers. Containing two story lines, one following Vito Corleone's rise to power upon his arrival in America and the other focused on Michael Coleone after he assumes power following the death of his father, The Godfather Part II jumps back and forth to the different eras as we watch two actors at the top of their game, Robert DeNiro as young Vito and Al Pacino as Michael. We'll talk a little bit more about the Godfather saga a bit later in the countdown.
#31. Dr. Strangelove (or Why I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb) (1964) - Clearly the longest title of any movie in the top 100, Dr. Strangelove is Stanley Kubrick's classic tale of what ensues after the Americans and Russians launch bombs toward each other at the height of the Cold War. Peter Sellers plays several roles including Dr. Strangelove and the President of the United States and Slim Pickens is hysterical as one of the pilots sent toward Russia to deliver his payload. Sometimes you need a movie that helps you laugh at the absurdities of real life and Dr. Strangelove allowed us to do just that.
Only 30 more films to go...there are 3 more best pictures in the next ten and four movies from the 1970's.
I'm going to get right into the next 10 movies in my countdown. This is a pretty impressive list but still not good enough to crack the top 30...
#40. Amadeus (1984) - Tale of two very tortured souls; chamber composer Antonio Salieri (wonderfully performed by F. Murray Abraham) and the musical 'wunderkind', Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri is severely humbled when he realizes Mozart is composing better music at the age of 6 than he had ever produced in his entire life. At the same time, Mozart's destructive lifestyle further infuriates Salieri as he realizes the boy genius is wasting his incredible talent. Tom Hulce, whose previous role was playing Pinto in Animal House is solid as Mozart but hasn't made a decent performance since. Abraham deservedly took the Oscar for Best Actor and Amadeus won Best Picture.
#39. The Departed (2006) - One thing you can say about Director Martin Scorcese - he gets the best possible performances out of his actors. Every performer shines in this thriller, the 2006 winner for Best Picture. The tale of two cops working undercover - one for the good guys (Leonardo DiCaprio), the other for the bad guys (Matt Damon), the only chink in this movies armor is that the police psychologist (played by Vera Farmiga) has a relationship with both cops which is somewhat hard to believe. And of all the great performances, Mark Wahlberg was the only performer to earn an Oscar nomination. DiCaprio should have been nominated for this movie, not Blood diamond.
#38. Beauty and the Beast (1991) - Disney had a tremendous run of successful animated hits in the late '80's and throughout the 1990's and none was as perfect and downright beautiful as the 'tale as old as time'. With a score and musical numbers as good as any broadway production (which made it no surprise that Disney turned this hit into a broadway musical), Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture and featured one of the most incredible scenes of animation ever produced when Belle and the Beast danced in the ballroom of his mansion.
#37. Breaking Away (1979) - Story of 4 buddies trying to figure out what to do with their lives while growing up in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana. Called 'Cutters' by the college kids who take over their hometown during the school year; Dave, Mike, Cyril and Moochie try to gain acceptance by competing against the college kids in the Little 500, a 100 mile bike race held annually just before the Indy 500. One of those movies where you find yourself cheering in the end, Paul Dooley is tremendous as the frustrated father of one of the 'Cutters'.
#36. Goodfellas (1991) - Another great 'mob' story by Martin Scorcese - this movie follows the criminal exploits of 3 'Goodfellas' brilliantly portrayed by Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci. Pesci won the Oscar for best supporting actor as the flamable and short-tempered Tommy who nearly kills a kid when the young man says he's funny and finishes the job later in the show when the kid finally decides to fight back and tell's Pesci's Tommy to f%$%k off. Big Mistake when Tommy sitting their with a loaded gun. This film was trumped for Best Picture by Kevin Costner's, Dances With Wolves - I'm not sure the right movie won.
#35. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975) - Another film that swept the top 5 Academy Awards, Jack Nicholson delivers the best performance of his career as Randall McMurphy, a man sent to a mental institution to be evaluated and turns it into an opportunity to be as disruptive as possible - afterall; he's nuts. He meets his match in Nurse Ratchett, coldly played by Louise Fletcher, and the two butt heads throughout the movie as McMurphy tries to push every button she has and she refuses to give in to his antics. Fine supporting performances by all the men in the institution; Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito are among McMurphy's mentally disturbed new friends.
#34. Unforgiven (1992) - Clint Eastwood shines as retired killer whose coaxed back into the killing business to collect a bounty in exchange for killing a cow hand and his buddy who cut up a prostitute for laughing at the size of his 'manhood'. Filled with lines that have made Eastwood legendary, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman are also fantastic in what I consider the best western ever made.
#33. Some Like it Hot (1959) - After witnessing the infamous St. Valentines Day Masacre, two musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) don dresses and join a female orchestra to escape from the mob who are trying to 'silence' the witnesses. Marilyn Monroe is along for the ride and her moves continually frustrate our heroes as they have 'the hots' for her but can do nothing about it since she thinks they're women. At the same time, Lemmon is wooed by a dirty, old man wonderfully played by Joe E. Brown. Great comedy by director Billy Wilder.
#32. The Godfather Part II (1974) - It's very rare when a sequel matches the power of an original movie but this winner of the 1974 Oscar for best picture certainly delivers. Containing two story lines, one following Vito Corleone's rise to power upon his arrival in America and the other focused on Michael Coleone after he assumes power following the death of his father, The Godfather Part II jumps back and forth to the different eras as we watch two actors at the top of their game, Robert DeNiro as young Vito and Al Pacino as Michael. We'll talk a little bit more about the Godfather saga a bit later in the countdown.
#31. Dr. Strangelove (or Why I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb) (1964) - Clearly the longest title of any movie in the top 100, Dr. Strangelove is Stanley Kubrick's classic tale of what ensues after the Americans and Russians launch bombs toward each other at the height of the Cold War. Peter Sellers plays several roles including Dr. Strangelove and the President of the United States and Slim Pickens is hysterical as one of the pilots sent toward Russia to deliver his payload. Sometimes you need a movie that helps you laugh at the absurdities of real life and Dr. Strangelove allowed us to do just that.
Only 30 more films to go...there are 3 more best pictures in the next ten and four movies from the 1970's.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Catching up and the movies continue....
Once again, it's been a few days since my last post. The return from Vegas and spending the evening with Abbey last night left me little time to blog. Now I'm sitting at home all alone with Jeopardy on in the background so I thought I'd do a little catching up.
First, if you'll recall from Monday, I'd like to congratulate myself for correctly projecting 29 of the top 35 academy award nominations for this year's movies. I got all the Best Actor, Actress and Supporting Actor nominations correct, got 4 of the 5 director nominees correct, 3 of the 5 Supporting Actress nominees correct and 7 of the 10 best pictures correct. In addition, I said Lee Daniels (even though I called him Stevens in my previous post) and Penelope Cruz would be nominated if one of my top 5 in their respective categories were not. Not a bad effort if I do say so myself. Who will win? Right now I'm projecting the following....
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges/Crazy Heart
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock/The Blindside
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Waltz/Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique/Precious
Best Animated Feature - Up
I'll update this as the awards show approaches - I'll also be seeing a few ofthese movies between now and then which could also change my opinion.
I have to comment on the recently concluded college football recruiting period. As an Ohio State fan, I watched closely to see if the Buckeyes might be able to land the consensus top player in the country in offensive lineman, Seantrel Henderson. In the end, the young man from Minnesota decided to go to USC which is fine, you have to follow your heart. What amazes me is some of the comments attributed to Henderson and his father. Most notably, they called Coach Tressel boring. Apparently he talked with Seantrel and his father at great length about what to expect his freshman year - they said it was very business like and somewhat boring. I'll be the first to admit that on the surface, Tressel is not the most excitable guy. At the same time, I find him to be genuine and I sincerely believe he has the players best interest in mind when he recruits them. I can only imagine what he told them to expect the first year at Ohio State; he probably talked about time management, classes, academic support that would be available to him, conditioning programs, summer practices, getting a good start and staying on top of the academic side of college. And the Hendersons thought that was boring. True it's not Hollywood, movie stars, warm weather and the beach but it is what playing college football is all about. Obviously this kid and his dad wants the bright lights of Hollywood. They don't want to hear about school, they want to hang out with the beautiful people. They'd prefer to pin Seantrel's football future on a coach who has a losing record as in a little over 2 years as a head coach over a man who has 5 national championships, won 6 Big Ten titles, has a 94-21 record at Ohio State and taken the Buckeyes to 7 BCS bowl games and a national championship in 2002. If that's boring, sign me up. And perhaps if Seantrel paid a little more attention to the 'boring' stuff he wouldn't be taking the ACT test again in a couple weeks as he's yet to qualify academically to go to any school.
I've got a few other things to talk about but I'll save them for another post - now it's time for #50 - #41 of my favorite movies countdown....
#50. Pulp Fiction (1994) - 75% of this movie is absolutely brilliant, 25% is downright disturbing. The brilliant parts (any scene with Samuel E. Jackson and John Travolta) earned Pulp Fiction a spot in my top 100, the disturbing parts (most notably the gimp) kept it from being higher. While I've yet to see Inglorious Basterds its hard to believe it could top Pulp Fiction as Tarantino's best film.
#49. American Grafitti (1973) - Set in southern California in the 1963, American Grafitti follows the final night before best friends head off to college. Featuring an all star cast (before they were actually all stars) American Grafitti was director George Lucas' break though film and helped launch the careers of Harrision Ford, Richard Dryfuss, Suzanne Sommers and Cindy Williams. Lucas's film was spot on with it's authenticity and made you feel like you were actually lived in that time when a fun night was spent cruising with your friends down the strip.
#48. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) - As technically amazing as the computer animation is in movies like Finding Nemo and Up, it can't compare to the acievement of Snow White. The first, feature length animated movie was done the old-fashioned way, one detailed cel at a time. Simply a beautiful work of art that paved the way for today's technically advanced wonders.
#47. Blazing Saddles (1974) - From the opening scene, you knew you were watching special (and as we would learn many years later, one of the most politically incorrect movies of all time). The great thing about Blazing Saddles was, it allowed us to laugh at ourselves because no one was sacred in Mel Brooks hysterical farce of the old west. Every character was perfectly cast with Madeline Kahn stealing the show as a German stripper with a speech impediment who is recruited to seduce the new black sheriff in town. I'm not sure this movie would receive the same attention if were made today.
#46. The Miracle of Morgans Creek (1944) - Betty Hutton and Eddie Bracken star in this classic about a woman who goes to a USO show and wakes up the next day to realize she was married the night before but has no who her husband his. Not long after she realizes not only is she married, she's pregnant, which doesn't sit well with her cantankerous father, wonderfully played by William Demarest. This movie plays on Turner Classic Movies from time to time and if you ever get a chance to watch it, do it; they don't make movies like this anymore.
#45. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Tremendously chilling tale about a young FBI agent trying to solve a serial killer case with the help of one of the most notorious movie, bad guys of all time, Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lector. Anthony Hopkins won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Jodie Foster was Best Actress as The Silence of the Lambs became only the 3rd movie in history to sweep the top five Oscars (picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay) . Hopkins is absolutely amazing as Lector.
#44. On Golden Pond (1981) - Two of the greatest movie stars of all time, Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn, are magical as an aged couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer who spend their summers at their seasonal home on Golden Pond. Full of life, warmth, and heart; On Golden Pond proved that like a fine bottle of wine, some performers are also better with age. Fonda and Hepburn were both Academy Award winners for this gem of a movie.
#43. Heaven Can Wait (1978) - Warren Beatty stars as Joe Pendleton, an NFL quarterback with a goal of playing in the Super Bowl, who is mistakenly called to Heaven by an eager guardian angel. When the angel's boos, Mr. Jordan, realizes that Pendleton is right and he's not supposed to be in Heaven...yet, they try to return him to his earthly body only to find it was cremated. The search is then on for a body that will allow Pendleton the opportunity to fulfill his destiny of playing in the Super Bowl. A remake of the 1941 classic, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, this film was a throwback to the screwball comedies of the 1940's and included fantastic performances by Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason, Jack Warden, Buck Henry and Charles Grodin.
#42. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - From the opening scene, watching Raiders of the Lost Ark was like going to an amusement park with thrills and chills popping up around every corner. Inspired by the films, stories and heroes of Stephen Spielberg's childhood, Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced movie fans to Indiana Jones (perfectly played by Harrison Ford) a swashbuckling, archeologist with only one weakness, a tremendous dislike of snakes.
#41. The Deer Hunter (1978) - One of the most intense movies I've ever seen, The Deer Hunter follows the lives of three best friends who go to Vietnam and how their experiences change their lives forever. Robert DeNiro turns in one of his greatest performances and Christopher Walken is chilling in his Academy Award winning role. Meryl Streep earned her first Academy Award nomination as the love interest of both DeNiro and Walken's characters.
I'll try to get the next 10 films, which includes 5 Best Pictures, no later than Saturday. They're calling for the white death tomorrow - be safe on the roads!!!
First, if you'll recall from Monday, I'd like to congratulate myself for correctly projecting 29 of the top 35 academy award nominations for this year's movies. I got all the Best Actor, Actress and Supporting Actor nominations correct, got 4 of the 5 director nominees correct, 3 of the 5 Supporting Actress nominees correct and 7 of the 10 best pictures correct. In addition, I said Lee Daniels (even though I called him Stevens in my previous post) and Penelope Cruz would be nominated if one of my top 5 in their respective categories were not. Not a bad effort if I do say so myself. Who will win? Right now I'm projecting the following....
Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges/Crazy Heart
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock/The Blindside
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Waltz/Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique/Precious
Best Animated Feature - Up
I'll update this as the awards show approaches - I'll also be seeing a few ofthese movies between now and then which could also change my opinion.
I have to comment on the recently concluded college football recruiting period. As an Ohio State fan, I watched closely to see if the Buckeyes might be able to land the consensus top player in the country in offensive lineman, Seantrel Henderson. In the end, the young man from Minnesota decided to go to USC which is fine, you have to follow your heart. What amazes me is some of the comments attributed to Henderson and his father. Most notably, they called Coach Tressel boring. Apparently he talked with Seantrel and his father at great length about what to expect his freshman year - they said it was very business like and somewhat boring. I'll be the first to admit that on the surface, Tressel is not the most excitable guy. At the same time, I find him to be genuine and I sincerely believe he has the players best interest in mind when he recruits them. I can only imagine what he told them to expect the first year at Ohio State; he probably talked about time management, classes, academic support that would be available to him, conditioning programs, summer practices, getting a good start and staying on top of the academic side of college. And the Hendersons thought that was boring. True it's not Hollywood, movie stars, warm weather and the beach but it is what playing college football is all about. Obviously this kid and his dad wants the bright lights of Hollywood. They don't want to hear about school, they want to hang out with the beautiful people. They'd prefer to pin Seantrel's football future on a coach who has a losing record as in a little over 2 years as a head coach over a man who has 5 national championships, won 6 Big Ten titles, has a 94-21 record at Ohio State and taken the Buckeyes to 7 BCS bowl games and a national championship in 2002. If that's boring, sign me up. And perhaps if Seantrel paid a little more attention to the 'boring' stuff he wouldn't be taking the ACT test again in a couple weeks as he's yet to qualify academically to go to any school.
I've got a few other things to talk about but I'll save them for another post - now it's time for #50 - #41 of my favorite movies countdown....
#50. Pulp Fiction (1994) - 75% of this movie is absolutely brilliant, 25% is downright disturbing. The brilliant parts (any scene with Samuel E. Jackson and John Travolta) earned Pulp Fiction a spot in my top 100, the disturbing parts (most notably the gimp) kept it from being higher. While I've yet to see Inglorious Basterds its hard to believe it could top Pulp Fiction as Tarantino's best film.
#49. American Grafitti (1973) - Set in southern California in the 1963, American Grafitti follows the final night before best friends head off to college. Featuring an all star cast (before they were actually all stars) American Grafitti was director George Lucas' break though film and helped launch the careers of Harrision Ford, Richard Dryfuss, Suzanne Sommers and Cindy Williams. Lucas's film was spot on with it's authenticity and made you feel like you were actually lived in that time when a fun night was spent cruising with your friends down the strip.
#48. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) - As technically amazing as the computer animation is in movies like Finding Nemo and Up, it can't compare to the acievement of Snow White. The first, feature length animated movie was done the old-fashioned way, one detailed cel at a time. Simply a beautiful work of art that paved the way for today's technically advanced wonders.
#47. Blazing Saddles (1974) - From the opening scene, you knew you were watching special (and as we would learn many years later, one of the most politically incorrect movies of all time). The great thing about Blazing Saddles was, it allowed us to laugh at ourselves because no one was sacred in Mel Brooks hysterical farce of the old west. Every character was perfectly cast with Madeline Kahn stealing the show as a German stripper with a speech impediment who is recruited to seduce the new black sheriff in town. I'm not sure this movie would receive the same attention if were made today.
#46. The Miracle of Morgans Creek (1944) - Betty Hutton and Eddie Bracken star in this classic about a woman who goes to a USO show and wakes up the next day to realize she was married the night before but has no who her husband his. Not long after she realizes not only is she married, she's pregnant, which doesn't sit well with her cantankerous father, wonderfully played by William Demarest. This movie plays on Turner Classic Movies from time to time and if you ever get a chance to watch it, do it; they don't make movies like this anymore.
#45. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Tremendously chilling tale about a young FBI agent trying to solve a serial killer case with the help of one of the most notorious movie, bad guys of all time, Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lector. Anthony Hopkins won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Jodie Foster was Best Actress as The Silence of the Lambs became only the 3rd movie in history to sweep the top five Oscars (picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay) . Hopkins is absolutely amazing as Lector.
#44. On Golden Pond (1981) - Two of the greatest movie stars of all time, Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn, are magical as an aged couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer who spend their summers at their seasonal home on Golden Pond. Full of life, warmth, and heart; On Golden Pond proved that like a fine bottle of wine, some performers are also better with age. Fonda and Hepburn were both Academy Award winners for this gem of a movie.
#43. Heaven Can Wait (1978) - Warren Beatty stars as Joe Pendleton, an NFL quarterback with a goal of playing in the Super Bowl, who is mistakenly called to Heaven by an eager guardian angel. When the angel's boos, Mr. Jordan, realizes that Pendleton is right and he's not supposed to be in Heaven...yet, they try to return him to his earthly body only to find it was cremated. The search is then on for a body that will allow Pendleton the opportunity to fulfill his destiny of playing in the Super Bowl. A remake of the 1941 classic, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, this film was a throwback to the screwball comedies of the 1940's and included fantastic performances by Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason, Jack Warden, Buck Henry and Charles Grodin.
#42. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - From the opening scene, watching Raiders of the Lost Ark was like going to an amusement park with thrills and chills popping up around every corner. Inspired by the films, stories and heroes of Stephen Spielberg's childhood, Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced movie fans to Indiana Jones (perfectly played by Harrison Ford) a swashbuckling, archeologist with only one weakness, a tremendous dislike of snakes.
#41. The Deer Hunter (1978) - One of the most intense movies I've ever seen, The Deer Hunter follows the lives of three best friends who go to Vietnam and how their experiences change their lives forever. Robert DeNiro turns in one of his greatest performances and Christopher Walken is chilling in his Academy Award winning role. Meryl Streep earned her first Academy Award nomination as the love interest of both DeNiro and Walken's characters.
I'll try to get the next 10 films, which includes 5 Best Pictures, no later than Saturday. They're calling for the white death tomorrow - be safe on the roads!!!
Monday, February 01, 2010
The Nominees Are and One Makes My Countdown....
I've been off-line for a few days. Jules and I are in Las Vegas and I haven't had a chance to sit down and knock out a new post. Sorry to let you all down over the weekend, I know most of you who can't go 24 hours without a daily dose of ramblings from my blog. I'll post about our trip when I get back to Cincinnati but today I'll make my predictions for the 2010 Academy Award nominations which will be announced tomorrow in Hollywood. I haven't seen all these movies - my predictions are based on the other award shows and word of mouth. I will say one of my projected movies, and I'm pretty confident it will get nominated for Best Picture, earned a spot in my top 100 - you'll read about this movie later in the post. Here are the predictions...
Best Supporting Actress
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Mo'Nique - Precious
Samantha Morton - The Messenger
Julianne Moore - A Single Man
The top 3 are slam dunk nominees with Mo'Nique being the favorite to win the Oscar. Morton and Moore have been nominated in previous years and I think they'll fill out the category - I wouldn't expect either one to win. My spoiler pick is Penelope Cruz from Nine who won this category last year for one of the most boring movies I've ever see; Vicki Christina Barcelona.
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Chrstopher Waltz - Inglorous Basterds
This category is the hardest to predict but there is no difficulty projecting the winner; Christopher Waltz will take home the Oscar. I think Tucci and Plummer will pick up their first nominations while Damon and Harrelson pick up the second of their respective careers. My spoiler pick is Alfred Molina from An Education.
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie and Julia
This would appear to be a two-filly race. Does the Academy go with the most nominated performer in Oscar history and give Streep her third, or will Bullock win her first. Based on the other award shows, I'd say the favorite is Bullock. Mirren just won a couple years ago and the two youngsters, Mulligan and Sidibe, will have to be content being nominated. My possible spoiler is Emily Blount for Young Victoria.
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
The pecking order is probably the same, Bridges is the favorite and Clooney is most likely the only one who can beat him. Clooney may have picked up a lot of ground with his recent telethon for Haiti - the academy loves to reward humanitarian efforts even if it had nothing to do with acting. The other guys are along for the ride. I'm not even sure there is a spoiler pick in this category.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglorious Basterds
The favorites are Bigelow and Cameron. Reitman and Tarantino would appear to be safe bets for nominations. The fifth spot will come down to Eastwood or Lee Stevens of Precious. I'm going with Academy favorite, Eastwood, but would not be shocked if Stevens gets the final nomination. I do think Kathryn Bigelow will become the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar.
Best Picture
Avatar
An Education
Invictus
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
The Hangover
A Single Man
Up
Up in the Air
This category is wide open. Unlike previous years where there always seems to be a clear cut favorite, I think there are several movies that could win. It most likely will come down to a three-way showdown between Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds. I don't think An Education, A Single Man, Invictus, The Hangover, Up or Up in the Air have a serious shot. There are a few potential spoilers; The Strange Man, District 9 and The Last Station could nab one of the final spots. This is the problem with nominating 10 films, the bottom three or four are really interchangeable with another half dozen films. The top 5 are probably Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, Inglorious Basterds and Up in the Air - the rest will not get serious consideration but they could bet a boost at the box office for being nominated. I do believe Up will be honored with the best animated feature oscar and truly deserves one of the ten spots for best picture. I guess we'll see tomorrow morning!
Time for the next 10 films in my countdown starting with...
#60. Tootsie (1982) - Comedy about a man who can't find an acting job so he secretly auditions for a female role on a soap opera, gets the job and becomes a national sensation. Dustin Hoffman is hilarious (and quite homely) as the cross-dressing actor and Jessica Lange won the best supporting actress as the soap co-star who Hoffman's character falls in love with but can't pursue due to his awkward gender situation. Charles Durning and Bill Murray are equally funny in supporting roles.
#59. Almost Famous (2000) - Semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Cameron Crowe about a 16 year old boy who lands a job as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine and his adventures traveling on a bus with a rock band and their groupies. Solid performances including a breakthrough role for Kate Hudson and the soundtrack is perfect. Frances McDormand is also great as the 16 year old's mother. I saw this movie the same day I saw Billy Elliot - I hit the jackpot that night at Blockbuster!
#58. Chariots of Fire (1981) - Story of two runners from Great Britain and their efforts to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympic games. The 1981 winner for Best Picture, this movie focused on runners Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams who both won Olympic gold after overcoming religious hurdles which almost kept them from competing altogether. This film also featured a tremendous soundtrack written by Vangelis - you may not recall his name but I'm sure you'd remember the music.
#57. Paper Moon (1973) - This movie featured Ryan O'Neal and his daughter, Tatum, as small time con artist trying to make a buck during the Great Depression. Throw in supporting performances by Madeline Kahn, Randy Quaid and John Hillerman and you have one of my favorite movies from the 1970's. O'Neal became the youngest actress ever to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in her role as Addie Prey - she hasn't come close to equaling this performance since. Cleverly filmed in black and white to match the feel of the 1930's.
#56. Apocalypse Now (1979) - Another film with a Vietnam War focus, Martin Sheen plays an officer whose mission is to eliminate an extremely deranged Marlon Brando from his post. Along the way he encounters the surf-happy Robert Duvall who immortalized the line 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning...'. A very strange but brilliant piece of film making by Francis Ford Copolla.
#55. The Crying Game (1992) - Stephen Rea is great as an Irish soldier (Fergus) who kidnaps a British soldier (Jody) and holds him for ransom in return for the release of prisoners being held by the British. When it becomes apparent that the British are not going to give in to the demands, Fergus realizes he's going to have to kill Jody, played by Forrest Whitaker - the only problem is, they've befriended each other and Fergus is not sure he can kill Jody. Jody tells Fergus that he understands what he has to do and asks him to let his girlfriend, Dil, know what happened to him after he is killed. An accident occurs, Jody is killed and Fergus looks to fulfill his promise of getting in touch with Dil. That's when the movie gets really interesting. Jaye Davidson plays the girlfriend and was deserving of an Oscar for the portrayal. Great twist, great movie.
#54. Chinatown (1974) Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway star in another movie with an interesting twist, set in the Chinatown district of San Francisco. Roman Polanski directed this film and Nicholson's private eye role is one of the best of his career.
#53. Rocky (1976) The film about an underdog boxer who gets a chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world was the surprise hit film of 1976. Sylvester Stallone was little known when this movie debuted but he wracked up several academy award nominations for starring and writing this film and Rocky took home the Best Picture Oscar, as well. I just wish he would have stopped making Rocky movies after this one.
#52. Up (2009) The only film from 2009 to make my list. Granted, there are still films from 2009 that I've yet to see but this heart warmer about a widower who sets out to fulfill his wife's dream of traveling to and exploring Paradise Falls in Argentina is one of the most impressive animated features I've ever seen. It's very rare that a movie emotionally grabs you within the first 10 minutes of the film but Up does it with characters you immediately connect with. I'll be very disappointed if Up does not receive a Best Picture nomination tomorrow.
#51. Braveheart (1995) Mel Gibson's epic about the life of Scottish legend, William Wallace. Beautifully detailed with tremendously staged battle scenes, this is Gibson's crowning achievement.
That concludes #100 - #51, I'll try to post tomorrow evening when I get back home from Vegas.
Best Supporting Actress
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Mo'Nique - Precious
Samantha Morton - The Messenger
Julianne Moore - A Single Man
The top 3 are slam dunk nominees with Mo'Nique being the favorite to win the Oscar. Morton and Moore have been nominated in previous years and I think they'll fill out the category - I wouldn't expect either one to win. My spoiler pick is Penelope Cruz from Nine who won this category last year for one of the most boring movies I've ever see; Vicki Christina Barcelona.
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Chrstopher Waltz - Inglorous Basterds
This category is the hardest to predict but there is no difficulty projecting the winner; Christopher Waltz will take home the Oscar. I think Tucci and Plummer will pick up their first nominations while Damon and Harrelson pick up the second of their respective careers. My spoiler pick is Alfred Molina from An Education.
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie and Julia
This would appear to be a two-filly race. Does the Academy go with the most nominated performer in Oscar history and give Streep her third, or will Bullock win her first. Based on the other award shows, I'd say the favorite is Bullock. Mirren just won a couple years ago and the two youngsters, Mulligan and Sidibe, will have to be content being nominated. My possible spoiler is Emily Blount for Young Victoria.
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
The pecking order is probably the same, Bridges is the favorite and Clooney is most likely the only one who can beat him. Clooney may have picked up a lot of ground with his recent telethon for Haiti - the academy loves to reward humanitarian efforts even if it had nothing to do with acting. The other guys are along for the ride. I'm not even sure there is a spoiler pick in this category.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglorious Basterds
The favorites are Bigelow and Cameron. Reitman and Tarantino would appear to be safe bets for nominations. The fifth spot will come down to Eastwood or Lee Stevens of Precious. I'm going with Academy favorite, Eastwood, but would not be shocked if Stevens gets the final nomination. I do think Kathryn Bigelow will become the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar.
Best Picture
Avatar
An Education
Invictus
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
The Hangover
A Single Man
Up
Up in the Air
This category is wide open. Unlike previous years where there always seems to be a clear cut favorite, I think there are several movies that could win. It most likely will come down to a three-way showdown between Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds. I don't think An Education, A Single Man, Invictus, The Hangover, Up or Up in the Air have a serious shot. There are a few potential spoilers; The Strange Man, District 9 and The Last Station could nab one of the final spots. This is the problem with nominating 10 films, the bottom three or four are really interchangeable with another half dozen films. The top 5 are probably Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Precious, Inglorious Basterds and Up in the Air - the rest will not get serious consideration but they could bet a boost at the box office for being nominated. I do believe Up will be honored with the best animated feature oscar and truly deserves one of the ten spots for best picture. I guess we'll see tomorrow morning!
Time for the next 10 films in my countdown starting with...
#60. Tootsie (1982) - Comedy about a man who can't find an acting job so he secretly auditions for a female role on a soap opera, gets the job and becomes a national sensation. Dustin Hoffman is hilarious (and quite homely) as the cross-dressing actor and Jessica Lange won the best supporting actress as the soap co-star who Hoffman's character falls in love with but can't pursue due to his awkward gender situation. Charles Durning and Bill Murray are equally funny in supporting roles.
#59. Almost Famous (2000) - Semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Cameron Crowe about a 16 year old boy who lands a job as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine and his adventures traveling on a bus with a rock band and their groupies. Solid performances including a breakthrough role for Kate Hudson and the soundtrack is perfect. Frances McDormand is also great as the 16 year old's mother. I saw this movie the same day I saw Billy Elliot - I hit the jackpot that night at Blockbuster!
#58. Chariots of Fire (1981) - Story of two runners from Great Britain and their efforts to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympic games. The 1981 winner for Best Picture, this movie focused on runners Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams who both won Olympic gold after overcoming religious hurdles which almost kept them from competing altogether. This film also featured a tremendous soundtrack written by Vangelis - you may not recall his name but I'm sure you'd remember the music.
#57. Paper Moon (1973) - This movie featured Ryan O'Neal and his daughter, Tatum, as small time con artist trying to make a buck during the Great Depression. Throw in supporting performances by Madeline Kahn, Randy Quaid and John Hillerman and you have one of my favorite movies from the 1970's. O'Neal became the youngest actress ever to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in her role as Addie Prey - she hasn't come close to equaling this performance since. Cleverly filmed in black and white to match the feel of the 1930's.
#56. Apocalypse Now (1979) - Another film with a Vietnam War focus, Martin Sheen plays an officer whose mission is to eliminate an extremely deranged Marlon Brando from his post. Along the way he encounters the surf-happy Robert Duvall who immortalized the line 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning...'. A very strange but brilliant piece of film making by Francis Ford Copolla.
#55. The Crying Game (1992) - Stephen Rea is great as an Irish soldier (Fergus) who kidnaps a British soldier (Jody) and holds him for ransom in return for the release of prisoners being held by the British. When it becomes apparent that the British are not going to give in to the demands, Fergus realizes he's going to have to kill Jody, played by Forrest Whitaker - the only problem is, they've befriended each other and Fergus is not sure he can kill Jody. Jody tells Fergus that he understands what he has to do and asks him to let his girlfriend, Dil, know what happened to him after he is killed. An accident occurs, Jody is killed and Fergus looks to fulfill his promise of getting in touch with Dil. That's when the movie gets really interesting. Jaye Davidson plays the girlfriend and was deserving of an Oscar for the portrayal. Great twist, great movie.
#54. Chinatown (1974) Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway star in another movie with an interesting twist, set in the Chinatown district of San Francisco. Roman Polanski directed this film and Nicholson's private eye role is one of the best of his career.
#53. Rocky (1976) The film about an underdog boxer who gets a chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world was the surprise hit film of 1976. Sylvester Stallone was little known when this movie debuted but he wracked up several academy award nominations for starring and writing this film and Rocky took home the Best Picture Oscar, as well. I just wish he would have stopped making Rocky movies after this one.
#52. Up (2009) The only film from 2009 to make my list. Granted, there are still films from 2009 that I've yet to see but this heart warmer about a widower who sets out to fulfill his wife's dream of traveling to and exploring Paradise Falls in Argentina is one of the most impressive animated features I've ever seen. It's very rare that a movie emotionally grabs you within the first 10 minutes of the film but Up does it with characters you immediately connect with. I'll be very disappointed if Up does not receive a Best Picture nomination tomorrow.
#51. Braveheart (1995) Mel Gibson's epic about the life of Scottish legend, William Wallace. Beautifully detailed with tremendously staged battle scenes, this is Gibson's crowning achievement.
That concludes #100 - #51, I'll try to post tomorrow evening when I get back home from Vegas.
