Where did all the time go? It seems just like yesterday we were getting started with this list but now we are past the half-way point and rounding third. After tonight, Barnes and I will only have 30 more movies to reveal.
On one hand I'm excited to see what everyone thinks of my remaining 40, and on the other I'm a little sad because our journey is coming close to an end.
Brush those tears aside and settle in for my next batch of favorite movies.
Enjoy.
Director: James Wan
Starring: Cary Elwes, Danny Glover and Tobin Bell
Plot: "With a dead body laying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed 'Jigsaw.' The men must follow various rules and objectives if they wish to survive and win the deadly game set for them."
Stock: Holding
Typical "horror" films usually result in me laughing. I never seem to get too scared or frightened by scary movies. It's one of the reasons why you haven't seen too many "scary" flicks on my list. Besides Silence of The Lambs there really hasn't been one.
Saw I is not a typical horror film by any stretch of the imagination. It's not predictable at all and actually puts the viewer on the edge of their seats throughout the entire film.
I've actually seen this movie in the theatre twice mainly because the ending comes completely out of nowhere and I wanted to watch it again. I was utterly shocked at the finale, didn't see it coming at all, and had me leaving the theatre with a huge smile on my face.
Another compelling element of Saw are the complex traps that "Jigsaw" (the "bad" guy) sets up. It forces you to put yourself in the traps and ask how you would get out of there. Some I would attempt and others I would not. At the end of the day it's not a movie for the faint of heart.
Saw continued to pump out movies once a year for a while (I believe they have made seven) and I viewed the first five before finally getting tired with the series. I was tired of trying to keep up with the plot lines. They got more and more confusing as the series went on. But the first one was simple and so great it cracked the top-40.
Director: John Hughes
Starring: John Candy, Macaulay Culkin and Jean Louisa Kelly
Plot: "Bachelor and all round slob, Buck, babysits his brother's rebellious teenage daughter and her cute younger brother and sister."
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I always knew Uncle Buck was going to be on this list but I really had no idea how much I loved this 80s film until now. Part of it is because of John Candy, another part of it is because not a ton of people have heard of it, and another is simply because it's a really funny movie.
John Candy plays the role of Uncle Buck and late one night he is called in to babysit his brother's three kids. What follows is somewhat predictable. Buck has never had any responsibility, let alone three kids, and is learning on the fly.
As the movie goes on, Buck starts to develop a relationship with the kids, the neighbors, and even with his ex-girlfriend. It's a heart-warming film in many aspects.
Some of my friends in high-school decided to watch Uncle Buck and we had an absolute blast. One of our favorite parts was when Buck was dancing in the living room with a neighbor lady. It stayed with us so much that later that year, during prom, people called for me to do the "Uncle Buck" out on the dance floor. I decided to abide as my friends were laughing hysterically while my date looked confused.
Critics of this film will say it doesn't accomplish what it sets out to do, and while that may or may not be true, I always laugh when Uncle Buck comes on which puts it right here.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette
Academy Awards: Nominated six times (including Best Picture, Best Director/M. Shyamalan, Best Supporting Actor/H. Osment, Best Supporting Actress/T. Collette and Best Writing).
Plot: "A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist."
Stock: Up
Fremont, Ohio with my entire family. Big John, Maxine and my little brother Josh.
That's where I first watched The Sixth Sense. It was an unforgettable film so it makes sense that I wouldn't forget where I was when I saw it.
As good as this movie was before the ending went down (and it is a very solid flick), if it was not for the last ten minutes this film wouldn't even come close to this list. I remember sitting at that theatre and continually saying "no way, no way, no way." It's shocking and yet it's right in front of you ... the ENTIRE time.
Usually I'm not a big Bruce Willis fan, but he plays the lead character, Malcolm Crowe, pretty straight-forward. He facilitates the plot without getting in its' way. The star of the show is Haley Joel Osment. He plays a little kid who continually sees dead people. Crowe is his psychologist who is trying to help Osment.
After you've seen this movie twice there really isn't a need to re-watch it, which hurts it a little bit. Having said that, if you are lucky enough to view it with someone who has never seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it with them. You will be able to live vicariously through them as they experience this awesome movie for the first time.
Director: Bill Paxton
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane and Elias Koteas
Plot: "A golf drama based on the true story of the 1913 US Open, where 20-year-old Francis Ouimet defeated his idol, 1900 US Open champion, Englishman, Harry Vardon."
Stock: Holding
April 18, 2006. That's the birthday for the King of Arguments. Hard to believe we are more than five-years old. In dog years I'd be a 35-year-old ... scary.
In my very first rambling of a post I ended with a simple quote, "read it, roll it, hole it." Ever since then, with every column/post I've written on here, I've ended with that simple six-word phrase. It comes from The Greatest Game Ever Played.
I have a soft spot for true stories and this one chronicles the life of Francis Ouimet. In the 1910s golf was seen as a prestigious sport, one that not everyone was allowed to play (you could make the argument that nothing has changed 100 years later), which made it difficult for Ouimet to be granted access. He wasn't from a family of means but he could really play golf.
This movie inspires me. It teaches you that if you have a dream, hold on to it. Don't let anyone else have it. It's your dream and to reach it you will encounter many obstacles along the way.
I absolutely love this movie. It doesn't have the greatest golf sequences in the world and Shia LaBeouf won't knock your socks off with his acting skills, but it's a tremendous film and one definitely worth seeing.
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Jon Voight
Academy Awards: Nominated twice (Best Actor/W. Smith and Best Supporting Actor/J. Voight).
Plot: "A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali, from his early days to his days in the ring."
Stock: Down
For as long as I've known Matt Barnes I've been begging him to go and see Ali. He loves Will Smith and loves Jamie Foxx but has never seen Ali which stars them both. Still not sure what he's waiting for. He's missing an extremely powerful movie.
First off you have the acting, which is quite good for such a challenging film. Everyone knows Muhammad Ali and I can't imagine the pressure Will Smith was under to master Ali's speech. Despite that pressure, Smith shines as Ali. He did an excellent job playing "the greatest of all-time." Throw in an outstanding job by Jon Voight portraying the late Howard Cosell and you have two memorable performances.
Second you have the actual story. Ali was much more than just an athlete, and this movie sheds some light on his back-ground, his religion, and his family. He certainly did not lead a perfect life, and his trials and tribulations are well documented in this movie. I learned a lot about Ali through this film.
The boxing in this flick is actually fairly good, which adds substance to this already great movie. It looks and feels like a real boxing match, something The Fighter struggled with.
Lastly, this isn't just a movie about glorifying Ali. It's about his struggle, his cast of characters surrounding him, and it's about human psychology. It has so much going for it that it continues to boggle my mind that Barnes won't see it.
Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Julianne Moore
Plot: "'Dude' Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it."
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Characters make movies. Memorable characters make great movies. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski is as memorable as they come.
Unlike most of these films, I can't recall where or when I first saw The Big Lebowski. In some weird ways, it's almost as if this movie has always been a part of me. It's tailored-made for my sense of humor.
Everyone knows someone who is similar to "The Dude." Maybe it's even yourself. "The Dude" is a lazy, worry-free, free-natured guy. He usually only ever gets upset when his buddy Walter (played brilliantly by John Goodman) pushes his buttons. Throw in a couple of great cameo appearances by Steve Buscemi and Phillip Seymour Hoffman and you have a complete cast of memorable characters.
Okay, so perhaps the plot is non-existent, but in this movie the plot is unimportant. It's not about following what's going on as it is seeing everyone's reactions. The plot is not the focus but it's rather the dialogue that ensues.
There are so many funny moments and lines in this movie that everyone will find something hilarious about The Big Lebowski. I can remember watching it with Kwame Christian for the first time and how he was practically rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes from laughing so much. That's the impact this movie can have.
"Donny you're out of your element." Make no mistake, The Big Lebowski is certainly in its' element right here at #35.
Director: Robert Redford
Starring: Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron
Plot: "A down-and-out golfer attempts to recover his game and his life with help from a mystical caddy."
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Sports can very easily be used as a metaphor for life. Golf in particular has plenty of parallels that can be drawn as life lessons. The Legend of Bagger Vance plays on those parallels as Matt Damon and Will Smith join forces in this outstanding, heart-warming film.
Will Smith plays the role of Bagger Vance who ends up being Matt Damon's caddy in a special three-person tournament featuring Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones. While the golf tournament serves as the focal point for the plot of this film, the reality is that this movie has very little to do with golf and more to do with how to live your life.
It's also a story of redemption as Rannuplh Junuh (Matt Damon's character) hasn't fulfilled a life-full of promise. It's something we all can relate to. Life doesn't always goes as planned, but there's always an opportunity to redeem yourself, and Junuh gets that very chance when Bagger Vance comes along.
The scene that always gets me is the one when Bagger and his assistant Hardy are reading greens the night before the 1st round of the tournament. Hardy asks Bagger if he things Junuh is going to beat Walter and Bobby. Bagger responds with, "if he finds his true authentic swing." This moment has absolutely zero to do with golf and everything to do with life.
Destiny, golf, and the star power of Smith and Damon are reasons enough for Bagger Vance to reside safely in my top-40.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix and Rory Culkin
Plot: "A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come."
Stock: Up
An on-going joke at the Florence household in Tiffin, Ohio centers around this very film. My mother and brother know how much I like it and they continually tease me for it whenever it's on television. I've tried explaining to them over-and-over again exactly WHY I love Signs, but they just keep on laughing in dis-belief how I could enjoy a movie so much about dumb aliens.
For people like my mom and Josh, Signs is about a bunch of aliens from outer-space who invade Earth. That's the focal point for them. In reality this movie has nothing to with aliens. Nothing at all.
Yes, Signs does deal with aliens invading Earth and Shyamalan is able to capture the anticipation and dramatic buildup to their inevitable arrival brilliantly. He reminds me a lot of Stephen King in this regard. He never loses focus and every scene is important while one situation ends another swiftly begins. My mom has said countless times before that this movie is really good until the end when the alien-reveal takes place. Unfortunately for her, she is missing the point entirely.
The main focus of this movie is actually shown to us in a conversation between Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. Mel talks about how there are two kinds of people in the world. Ones who see events as coincidence while others see it as just plain luck. In essence, Signs tackles the concept of fate. Do you believe we are random acts of occurrences, or that everything happens for a reason?
If you understand the question Signs is trying to ask you will be able to realize how superb of a film this really is. Yes the aliens are goofy-looking and yes, their demise leaves a lot desired, but they are just minor - almost secondary - characters to the central issue of fate.
The more I talk about this movie the more I'm realizing how good Signs is. Top-20 better be on the look-out.
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti
Academy Awards: Nominated three times (including Best Supporting Actor/P. Giamatti and Best Editing).
Plot: "The story of James Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s."
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Cinderella Man is a story of hope, redemption and of under-dogs overcoming obstacles. Every time I watch Cinderella Man I get chills, and those chills count for something because most of the time they are beyond my control. The "chill effect" tells you that whatever you are experiencing is making an impact deeper than just on a superficial level.
Russell Crowe is phenomenal as James J. Braddock, an aging heavyweight boxer who has always been mediocre at best. An injury practically derails his career and he is forced to go to work on the docks in order to feed his family, which is proving to be quite difficult as this film takes place during The Great Depression. But when an unexpected opportunity comes along, Braddock takes advantage of it and the rest as they say is history.
Paul Giamatti was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Braddock's trainer and after you watch it, there's no way you can say he didn't deserve that nomination.
Ron Howard is also phenomenal as the director of Cinderella Man. He is able to capture the human condition during those hard-times magnificently. Howard also never loses focus of the story and what all that story stands for.
The story is about Braddock's rise as a boxer, but the story stands for much more. It's about the human spirit, about never giving up, and about seeing the best in everything.
Maybe this film is up this high because it's based on a true story, and much like The Greatest Game Ever Played there probably is some truth to that. But it's a film that will have you rooting for Braddock and that also counts for something as well.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang and Christopher Carley
Plot: "Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino."
Stock: Up
Clint Eastwood sure is making the rounds the last couple of weeks. This is his 3rd straight week where he has directed a movie that has appeared on my list. But, this is the first time he has starred in a film.
For the first time since #100, we have a lead actor also acting as director of the same movie. Doesn't happen often. What else doesn't happen often are terrific films like Gran Torino.
My Grandpa Florence died in January of 2007. He served in the U.S. Marines during World War II. I miss him every day. I especially miss him whenever I watch Gran Torino because I know he would have loved it.
Clint Eastwood plays a Korean War veteran who constantly reminds me of Grandpa Florence. Whether it be his snarls, his quick racist remark, or just his overall attitude, I see my Grandpa when I look at Eastwood here. They are both hard workers, no-nonsense, flat-out get things done kind of guys. They don't complain, they simply get results.
My dad had been harping on me for a while to see this movie but for one reason or another it never happened. Then one night I stumbled upon it on HBO and I couldn't stop watching it. There's no surprise that my dad would like this film as well, because he, just like Grandpa, are very similar to Eastwood's character of Walt Kowalski.
Gran Torino is more than just Eastwood's epic performance though. It delves into several social and racial issues as well. It also is a gut-wrenching, heart-breaking and overall very emotional movie. You feel connected to some of the characters (mainly Eastwood) and join him on this journey.
Maybe one day I'll be able to watch it with Grandpa Florence ... I think I would like that.
That's all she wrote for this week. We have just one more week left where Barnes and I will unveil 10 films. After next week we will unveil two separate sets of five, and that will lead in to our ten-week final countdown.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
1 comment:
Good post. I'll have to give "Signs" another chance, looking at it from your perspective.
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