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!
# posted by Vince Hopkins @ 7:41 PM 
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I missed last night so this is going to be a super long edition. I'm not going to type a lot on the movies that you have already talked about.
40-21:
#40 Unforgiven (1992) - My favorite part was the ending. Great climax in which Eastwood exacts revenge for his fallen buddy.
#39 Almost Famous (2000) - Great soundtrack featuring two Elton John songs including Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters which is played during an incredible scene in New York City
#38 The Bad News Bears (1976) - I like the cast of kids but I'm a big fan of Walter Mathau and I love him as Buttermaker.
#37 Goodfellas (1990) - Joe Pesci steals this one. I'm a big fan of De Niro as well.
#36 Jaws (1975) - A movie that made everyone afraid to go in the water. The action is great and Robert Shaw is great as Cpt. Quint.
#35 Saving Private Ryan (1998) Should have one best picture. Phenomenal action
#34 Fight Club (1999) Edward Norton plays an office employee who is completely fed up with his life and needs a way to vent his aggression. After meeting Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, he teams up and makes a Fight Club in which men can beat the living crap out of each other and make explosives out of soap.
#33 The Dark Knight (2008) Heath Ledgers last role is by far his best. Great acting job.
#32 Schindler's List (1993) One of the most beautifully made film's ever. Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a factory owner during the Holocaust. He saves the lives of many Jewish people as he makes a list of Jewish people to come work in his factory. The best acting however is done Ray Fiennes who plays the ruthless Amon Goethe, the nazi in charge of a concentration camp.
#31 Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Very funny. Peter Sellars at his best.
#30 Jurassic Park (1993) The effects are still pretty impressive for being made in the early 90's. The best part is the girl jiggling the jello when she sees the raptor
#29 Star Wars (1977) What started it all. The original is great because it has the original Obi Wan in a full role and I love that Tatooine scenes.
#28 The Deer Hunter (1978) Christopher Walken's best acting performance. He is disturbing and the roulette scenes are absolutely gripping.
#27 The Wizard of Oz (1939) Great film. After being swept away, Dorothy has to make her way back to Kansas with the help of her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. On the way she has to escape flying monkeys, talking trees and of course, the Wicked Witch of the West.
#26 Gladiator (2000) Russell Crowe turns in an academy award winning performance as Maximus.
Some of the greatest action ever in the Coloseum.
#25 Old School (2003) Three guys trying to hold onto their college days start up a fraternity on a college campus. Staring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell, this is a great comedy.
#24 E.T. (1982) I found out upon going to college that most people my age are afraid of this movie but I loved it. ET is one of the most classic movie characters ever
#23 Shrek (2001) Shrek (voice by Mike Myers) is an ogre who is on a mission to get his swamp back, must travel to a castle in the middle of a volcano to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). On the trip he is accompanied by a talking donkey voice by Eddie Murphy. They make a great tamdem.
#22 The Princess Bride (1987) Billy Crystal is great as miracle max in an all-time feel good movie. His role however is minimal. The adventure is great.
#21 Christmas Vacation (1989) Chevy Chase is back as Clark Griswold and this time around he has the family over for Christmas. My third favorite christmas movie..
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40-21:
#40 Unforgiven (1992) - My favorite part was the ending. Great climax in which Eastwood exacts revenge for his fallen buddy.
#39 Almost Famous (2000) - Great soundtrack featuring two Elton John songs including Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters which is played during an incredible scene in New York City
#38 The Bad News Bears (1976) - I like the cast of kids but I'm a big fan of Walter Mathau and I love him as Buttermaker.
#37 Goodfellas (1990) - Joe Pesci steals this one. I'm a big fan of De Niro as well.
#36 Jaws (1975) - A movie that made everyone afraid to go in the water. The action is great and Robert Shaw is great as Cpt. Quint.
#35 Saving Private Ryan (1998) Should have one best picture. Phenomenal action
#34 Fight Club (1999) Edward Norton plays an office employee who is completely fed up with his life and needs a way to vent his aggression. After meeting Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, he teams up and makes a Fight Club in which men can beat the living crap out of each other and make explosives out of soap.
#33 The Dark Knight (2008) Heath Ledgers last role is by far his best. Great acting job.
#32 Schindler's List (1993) One of the most beautifully made film's ever. Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a factory owner during the Holocaust. He saves the lives of many Jewish people as he makes a list of Jewish people to come work in his factory. The best acting however is done Ray Fiennes who plays the ruthless Amon Goethe, the nazi in charge of a concentration camp.
#31 Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Very funny. Peter Sellars at his best.
#30 Jurassic Park (1993) The effects are still pretty impressive for being made in the early 90's. The best part is the girl jiggling the jello when she sees the raptor
#29 Star Wars (1977) What started it all. The original is great because it has the original Obi Wan in a full role and I love that Tatooine scenes.
#28 The Deer Hunter (1978) Christopher Walken's best acting performance. He is disturbing and the roulette scenes are absolutely gripping.
#27 The Wizard of Oz (1939) Great film. After being swept away, Dorothy has to make her way back to Kansas with the help of her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. On the way she has to escape flying monkeys, talking trees and of course, the Wicked Witch of the West.
#26 Gladiator (2000) Russell Crowe turns in an academy award winning performance as Maximus.
Some of the greatest action ever in the Coloseum.
#25 Old School (2003) Three guys trying to hold onto their college days start up a fraternity on a college campus. Staring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell, this is a great comedy.
#24 E.T. (1982) I found out upon going to college that most people my age are afraid of this movie but I loved it. ET is one of the most classic movie characters ever
#23 Shrek (2001) Shrek (voice by Mike Myers) is an ogre who is on a mission to get his swamp back, must travel to a castle in the middle of a volcano to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). On the trip he is accompanied by a talking donkey voice by Eddie Murphy. They make a great tamdem.
#22 The Princess Bride (1987) Billy Crystal is great as miracle max in an all-time feel good movie. His role however is minimal. The adventure is great.
#21 Christmas Vacation (1989) Chevy Chase is back as Clark Griswold and this time around he has the family over for Christmas. My third favorite christmas movie..
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