Fallen Behind

Yes..I know this would happen.  I have not kept up on posting updates here.  Last post I did was for #89 the Sixth Sense.  Since then I have watched several movies and I am up to #84 Easy Rider.  I am waiting on finding a copy of #83 Titanic, so I can move on.  I'll try to get some more done tonight.

#89 The Sixth Sense

# 89 the Sixth Sense (1999) 107 mins.


Viewed on Friday Oct 21st

I believe that this may be the first movie on the list that I actually saw in the theatre. And I gotta say, I'm not much or a scary movie guy.  Ok, give me some zombies and I'll watch. But, I have no love for most of them.  I remembered most of the "gottcha" moments that are meant to scare, but one slipped past.

M. Night Shyamalan, you are a crafty bastard, Bruce Willis was dead the whole time!  Sorry for spoilers...but it's been out for over a decade.  And it I did spoil that then you probably don't want to hear the Darth Vader is really Luke's father.  Anyways, I did enjoy watching this movie from the end that I knew what was going on and tried to see all the little twists and turns.  


Great movie, perfect running time, and we got to see Donny Wahlberg post NKOTB and pre everything else to redeem himself as a human being.


Movies Watched 12:
Movies to go: 88
Total running time:  1,537 mins.


Up next: #88 Bringing Up Baby (1939)

#90 Swing Time

#90 Swing Time  (1936) 103 mins.


Not a bad movies at all.  It's Fed & Ginger movie, so there's lots of singing and dancing, I really didn't mind too much.  There was an actual plot line. Now granted, it's not a very complex one, but one none the less.  Just a nice little film; not a lot of action, no secret plot twists, just a film to pass the time and feel good.

Fred plays "Lucky" a gambler/dancer that need $25,000 to marry this girl, not Ginger. He goes to NYC to win the cash.  He meet Ginger "Penny" and comedy ensues.  And yes They fall in love, sing songs, and of course dance.  And yes, Luck Penny are their names.

Sidenotes: The song "The Way You Look Tonight" was first sung in this movie.  And Fred dances in blackface, hey it was 1936.


Movies watched: 11
Movies to go: 89
Total Runnning time: 1,430

Up Next: #89 The Sixth Sense (1999)

#91 Sophie's Choice

#91 Sophie's Choice (1982) 150 mins.


Viewed on Saturday Oct 15th
This movie was odd.  I was not expecting by any stretch of the imagination that Auschwitz would be the setting for a scene in this movie.


I wholly expected for the "choice" would have to had been made would be the one to choose a person. However I expected it to be Nathan or Stingo being chosen. Not the actual choice that was made.


Meryl Streep won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for this and it was deserved.  She had lines in English, German, and Polish.  Kevlin Kline wasn't too bad either. Peter MacNicol I gotta admit out of all the shows he's been in my mind said, "Hey, ins't that that guy from Ghostbusters II?"


Anyways...pretty good movie, I might watch it again someday.


Movies Watched: 10
Movies to go: 90
Total running time: 1,327 mins.


Up next: #90 Swing Time (1936)

#92 Goodfellas

#92 Goodfellas (1990) 146 min.


I am really surprised that Goodfellas is this far down on the list.  I've seen this movies plenty of times.  You know the kind of movie you'll watch on TV if you find it while flipping through channels. You sit through commercials and badly over dubbed audio, even though you have a copy on DVD ready to pop it.

Once again I noticed something.  Samuel L. Jackson has a bit part in this. Maybe one of two lines, but it's him.  And apparently Tommy's mother in the movies is played by director Martin Scorsese's actual mother.

I'm going to do some research and see which actor/actress has the most movies in the Top 100.

Anyways...great movie, great actors, great director, great story.  I'f you've been living under a rock for the last 21 years and have not seen it, you should get it this weekend.  And no, it's not suitable for people who don't like violence, drugs, sex, and swearing every 3 seconds.  But hey, that's part of the charm of this movie.

Movies Watched: 9
Movies to go: 91
Total running time:  1,177 mins

Up next: #91 Sophie's Choice (1982)

#93 The French Connection

#93 The French Connection (1971) 104 min.

Viewed on Tuesday, Oct. 11th.
Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider star in this cop-detective drama. They are narcotic detectives that have a hunch some big deal is about to go down.  They spend the rest of the film following and chasing the bad guys, trying to convince the brass they are right, and shaking down informants for information.

The chase scenes and the tail the french guy were my favorite parts.  The ending left something to be desired. You know the kind where you think something big is going to happen and then the screen fades to black and it's over.  that's exactly what happens.

I didn't hate it, I didn't love it, it was just OK.  It's really the kind of movie they would play on TV if a baseball game is on a long rain delay.


Movies watched: 8
Movies to go: 92
Total running time: 1,031 mins.

Up next #92 Goodfellas.

#94 Pulp Fiction

#94 Pulp Fiction (1994) 154 mins.


Viewed Friday Oct. 7th


The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."
Ezekiel 25:17


Need I say more?


Gotta love this film, had not watched it in a long time.


Movies watched: 7
Movies to go: 93
Total Running time: 927 mins.

Up next: #93 The French Connection

#95 The Last Picture Show

#95 The Last Picture Show (1971) 118 mins.


Watched this on Friday Oct 7th.
A retro type film from 1971, filmed in B&W, taking place in the 50's. It takes place in a run down dying town in Texas.  A coming of age film with a few young stars. Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Cloris Leachman (ok, not so young), and Dennis Quaid.

All the kids are trying to figure out what to do with their lives and where they should go.  Nobody really makes any good decisions, tumbleweeds and dust blow through the town, and Billy gets hit by a cattle truck.

Probably another one I won't watch again.  It just kept going on and on until most everyone leaves town or dies.




Movies watched: 6
Movies to go: 94
Total Running time: 773


Up next: #94 Pulp Fiction (1994)

#96 Do the Right Thing

#96 Do the Right Thing (1989) 120 mins.


I do not like Spike Lee.
I do not like him, Sam I am. 
I do not like him in the hood. 
I did not like him if  I should.
I do not like him in Bedford-Stuy.
I did not like it when Radio Raheem died.
I did not like him cheering for the Knicks.
I still do not like him for his flix.


It's a hot day in Bedford-Stuy a neighborhood in Brooklyn.  People get pissed off, shit happens, the cops kill someone, there's a riot.  Does Mookie follow Malcom X or Dr. King's lead?  Prepare for a lot on "N" words to be dropped.


The cast is actually pretty surprising.  Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence. And oh ya, Rosie Perez, which is enough to not watch this film just by herself.


Once again confused by the film.    Probably hard for me to tell because I'm a white boy from Indiana.


Movies Watched: 5
Movies to go: 95
Total Running time: 655 mins.


Up next: #95  The Last Picture Show (1971)

#97 Blade Runner

#97 Blade Runner (1982) 117 min.


To be perfectly honest, I have not effing idea what this movie was about.  And why does every film from the 70s or 80s that takes place in the 2010's have to be in an urban sprawl, that's always dark, rainy, cluttered, and a society that's taken on an oriental flavor?

Here's what I got from Blade Runner:

Harrison Ford: I hunt down replicants and dislike them, but I don't know why.
Rutger Howard: I'm a replicant and don't know why, but I hate those who made us
Harrison Ford: I think I love a replicant...
Rutger Howard: You should know what it's like to fear death. Then I'll kill you
Harrison Ford: Don't kill me
Rutger Howard: I'll save you, life is precious.
Harrison Ford: Thank you and I love that other replicant

FIN


Like I said, i have no idea if I like or don't like this movie.  I prefer my Harrison Ford as Han Solo or Dr. Jones

Movies Watched: 4
Movies to go: 96
Total Running Time: 535 min.


Up next # 96 Do The Right Thing.

Updated rules.

I'd been asked to update my list of rules.  It's seems to be like a gremlins kind of list now.

1. Watch ALL 100 movies.
2. Watch them in order.
3. Watch at least 2 a week.
4. Write a short review of each in this blog.
5. Not to watch any film in bed after 10 pm.
6. Eat a bag of popcorn while watch each movie.
7. (New rule) I must watch  10% of #100-#26, 20% of  #25-#11, 50% of #10-6, and all of #5-#1 with someone.  This may be the hardest rule.

Tonight I'll be watching #97 Bladerunner, and maybe #96 Do the Right Thing.

#98 Yankee Doodle Dandy

#98 Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) 126 mins.

Ok, I freely admit that I probably never had picked this to be in my top 100 or to even watch. However, watching movies that i normally wouldn't is the reason for going through the list. 

James Cagney portrays George Cohan, in this pseudo bio-pc. Like other movies made during WW II there is a very patriotic theme. Oh, it's also a half step away from being a full blow musical. Some of the songs include: "The Yankee Doodle Boy", "Over There", "You're a Grand Old Flag", "(I Wish I Was in) Dixie's Land", "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", "America, My Country 'Tis of Thee", etc. You get the point, they did everything but try to sell War Bonds.

Even with songs, this film barely kept my attention.  I literally had to rewind twice to watch portions that I dozed off during watching. And note to self, add new rule don't watch films in bed after 10 pm.  I see my list of rules growing and they are beginning to sound like the rules from Gremlins.

While on the topic of rules and not feeding after midnight, I'm going to add another rule as well.  Popcorn, my sister Sara reminded me the other day that Boy Scout popcorn sale is coming up soon.  I have tons of popcorn left over from the last sale and as well as mini micowave bags that I gave out as Halloween treats.  the Halloween ones i thought were a great idea. http://www.actii.com/products/halloween.jsp  But anyways, I need to get rid of some of these and eating a bag during each film sounds like a plan to me.

In conclusion, I could have seen this film not even making the list.  It was #100 in the 1997 list and was luck to move up the two spots in the ten years between the polling.

Movies Watched: 3

Movies to go: 97

Total Running Time: 418 min.

Up next: #97 Blade Runner (1982)

#99 Toy Story

#99 Toy Story (1995) 80 mins.

Released in 1995 as the first of many amazing Pixar releases that have entertained countless families for over 16 years.

We've probably all seen Toy Story and know how good it is.  I have a hard time really understanding how it did not score higher on the list.  I would have rather seen Toy Story closer to the mid 60s.  It was truly a groundbreaking film and technology.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen steal the show and continue to do so with the releases of  Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.

Always with Disney and Pixar there are many hidden jokes and gems for you to find.  Just this viewing I noticed that Buzz Lightyear pushes a toolbox off a milkcrate to free Woody, the toolbox has a Binford Tools logo on in.  A clear nod to Tim Allen's gig of Home Improvement at the time of production.

Pixar does release some good movies and they almost never fail.  Well...maybe not A Bug's Life, but Ratatouille has got to be up there as probably my favorite.


Movies Watched: 2
Movies to go: 98
Total Viewing Time:  292 min.


Up Next...#98 Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Swing and a miss...

I tried to watch #99 Toy Story on Friday night.  Yup after sitting trough all 3 1/2 hours of Ben-Hur, I fell asleep about half way through Toy Story and it's only like 90 mins.

Going to try to get through it tonight.

Yes, I've probably seen this movies a dozen times, but gotta stick to the rules.  ALL 100 movies, in order.

# 100 Ben-Hur

So, I started off this adventure by watching #100 Ben-Hur last night.  Released in 1959 it grabbed a ton of Oscars in 1960.  I had seen it before, but totally forgot how long it is actually.  It came on 2 DVDs, yes two.  Netflix says it's running time is 222 minutes while IMDB puts it at 212 minutes.  Either way that's over 3 1/2 of Charlton Heston trying to portray a Jew.  Throw in a naval battle, a chariot race, revenge, leprosy, and a cameo of Jesus. And that is a long time


It's probably the longest movie on the list, but it really does not drag too badly. Yes, there is a Jesus element that added to the running time. But can you really cut out the big JC to save 20 minutes?  After you hit 3 hours you can throw in about anything you want, just ask Peter Jackson...


Oh a sidenote. the original novel the movie is based from, was written by General Lew Wallace.  Wallace was born in Indiana, spent his childhood in Indy, and died in Crawfordsville.


Here's the link to the IMDB page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052618/

Movies watched: 1
Movies Left: 99
Total viewing time: 212

The General Idea

So here's what is going on.  I'm burnt out on watching random movies and TV shows.  I need some sort of plan for my viewing pleasure.

About two years ago I came across the AFI Top 100 Movies list (2007 version), I went through and checked off what I had already seen and then started watching some that I had not seen.  Well...just picking one out of the list every once in a while did not work.  I think Lawrence of Arabia sat on my table for like a month, before sending it back unwatched.  I think my count after this failed attempt put my total viewed somewhere around 40.

The plan is to watch all 100 movies in order, starting at #100 (Ben-Hur) and finishing with #1 (Citizen Kane).  I of course belong to Netflix and started entering them into my queue.  All but 1 are available with Netflix; about 35 of the titles are available on Blu-ray and about 20 are available through streaming.  The only title not available is  "Shane",  a western from the 50s.

My first thought is to watch at least two films a week and my finish will be around Labor Day next year.  However, anyone who has watched movies with me knows that I can watch 2 a day and more on the weekends.  My Netflix membership allows my 2 disks out at a time and unlimited streaming.  With the quick turnaround time with the disks and streaming, I could do much more than two in a week.

The rules for this project are simple.  Watch ALL 100 in order, write a quick and simple review on this blog, watch at least two movies a week, and keep track of the total running time of the movies.

Netflix should have the first two movies in my mailbox tomorrow #100 Ben-Hur and #99 Toy Story

Here is a link to a PDF of the AFI Top 100 list, if you care to play along.
http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/100Movies.pdf?docID=301