Good Morning, Vietnam

Good Morning, Vietnam makes me laugh, and it makes me cry. And it moves me. Really. The ability for Robing Williams to come up with so much hilarity off-the-cuff is absolutely fantastic. And the poignant scenes of the young men who went off to fight in such a horrible situation... so sad. Film often does the job of bringing out both the hysterical and the heartwrenching in life. Well done.

The Full Monty

I think that my trip to England earlier this year really helped me understand The Full Monty better. And not really the subtexts or culture--no the speech. Wow, it's hard to keep up with. And unfortunately since it's on VHS I couldn't do subtitles without putting it on mute. Oh well, I still love this movie. More so now that I know what they've all been saying. :)

The Firm

The Firm is one of the few movies made from a novel (and likely the only Grisham story) that I saw before I read the book. And you know what, I have to say that I like the film better. The book is good, don't get me wrong, but I really prefer the ending in the movie. Which is rather unusual for me.

Far and Away

Oh my goodness, Far and Away is one of the two movies that totally encapsulates my Freshman and Sophomore years of college. Which is a bit funny since it came out 5 years before I went to college. Wow, I had no idea the movie was that old. But I suppose it was someone's favorite movie, and she brought it to college with her, and everyone else whose favorite movie it was watched it with her, and then the boys realized that there was a bit of action and hello Nicole Kidman, so they watched it, and all of a sudden we had about 20 people all crammed in front of the TV. So very much fun. And yay for young Tom Cruise.

I have to say, the soundtrack to this movie is also quite phenominal. I think there's a chance that I might think about using the flute piece for my wedding processional, maybe while the bridesmaids walk down the aisle. It's just so beautiful. And it's been a long time since I've stayed to the end of a movie and heard the last song come to such an emphatic conslusion. That's really how all movie soundtracks should end. Plus--Enya. Ok, it's just a great soundtrack all around.

This one definitely must be purchased on DVD. :)

Erin Brockovich

I think I only cried twice watching this today. Erin Brockovich is one of my favorite Julia Roberts movies, partly because it's based on a real story, and partly because of the character Julia plays. Not to mention the beauty of the little person winning out in the end. It's not a fast-paced movie, so it's not the best to watch if you want scintillating action, but it's still quite fantastic. :)

Dirty Dancing

Nobody puts Baby in the corner! Not in Dirty Dancing, anyway. Is there anyone who hasn't seen this movie? It's full of so many fantastic quotes. "Go back to your playpen, Baby." "I carried a watermelon" Love it!!!

Patrick Swayze was at his best in this movie. It's quite possibly one of the reasons that women my age love the bad boy--or at least the slightly bad boy. I think we all wanted to take dancing lessons from him. :)

Dead Poet's Society

Dead Poet's Society was such a formative movie for me. It came out the year I turned 10, although I may not have seen it for a few years. But I know I watched it when I was in school, when I was learing Keating and Tennyson and of course Walt. My resume for a long time had a quote I adapted... I came to the city because I wished to design... I thought it was rather witty. :) And it was totally based not only on my own reading of the text but from Robin William's whispered "Seize the day" on his first day of class.

Reach for your dreams, boys and girls, and do what's right. Be prepared for people not to understand you, and for them to mistreat you. But don't give up, and don't give in. Carpe Diem.

Dave

I do believe this copy of Dave was "liberated" from my parents' house. Either that or I liked the movie so much that I did actually go purchase it at some point. My last post was about inner-city teachers, and this one is about presidents. I've probably only got about 5 movies where the president has a prominent role, but still, it's a number.

The idea for this is great, because it's like the Prince and the Pauper only one-sided, and Dave didn't really come up with the idea so much as had it forced on him. But what a great opportunity to be president for a few months. I wonder how I'd do?

Dangerous Minds

So i just counted, and I have at least six teacher movies. You know, new idealistic teacher goes to the inner-city classroom to attempt to help the children learn and grow. The first day is always horrible, and someone usually either dies or gets arrested (or both). Dangerous Minds is one of these.

If I can write about it with such ambivalence, you might ask whether or not I really like these movies. I do. I love them. I most especially adore them when they're based on real stories of a man or woman who defied culture, norms, and the odds. It's just odd when you think about them all together.

But this is a great one. They all are.

The Cutting Edge

When I first saw The Cutting Edge, I absolutely fell in love with it. I probably saw it somewhere around the Olympics, and anything with ice skating... plus there's such a great play between the two of them. You know, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I love you. :)

Here's my two favorite lines:
"There are only two things I do well, honey, and skating's the other one."
--Doug

"In case you didn't notice, I'm throwing myself at you!"
--Kate

Coyote Ugly

It's kinda fun to watch Coyote Ugly just two movies after Cocktail. They're both movies about lead characters who want to make it big, and start off as bartenders wowing the crowds with their bottle skills and good looks.

Some good songs, and some funny scenes. I wish Tyra's character had a bit more to it, but then again she would've stolen the show. The only thing (spoiler alert, sorta) that really kills me is that Piper Paraboo doesn't do her own singing. I was so bummed the day I found out. That's what I get for reading the credits. And it explains why she didn't get a solo in Because I Said So. But that's for a later post... much much later. :)

Connie and Carla

Every time I break out this old VHS tape I ask myself why I haven't bought Connie and Carla on DVD yet. It's such a great happy film. You know, girl sees murder, girl flees murderer's henchman, girl becomes transvestite, girl gets guy... it's fantastic. Oh and there's singing and Debbie Reynolds. It's fabulous. :)

Cocktail

Well, here's an oldie but goodie. I don't even want to guess at how many years it's been since I've watched Cocktail. I used to watch it all the time though. I love love love the soundtrack. My cousin and I used to listen to it all the time--I think it's how I was introduced to the Beach Boys.

The poem that young Brian Flannigan recites always cracks me up--of course partly that's because he mentioned drinks like Sex on the Beach and the Orgasm, and I was like 9. Well, 9 when the movie came out. Here's hoping that my parents didn't actually let me watch it when I was that young. Of course my little sister's favorite movie at the age of 9 was Pretty Woman. That's pretty much my fault though, 'cause I watched it all the time, at the ripe old age of 14. But that's for a later post.

I love how Brian works really hard to make something of himself, and learns that fast and easy is not the best way to get to the top and stay there. Here's hoping that I can take that advice, and find my Flugalbinder out there somewhere.

And if you're still keeping track, Elizabeth Shue is now connected to Kevin Bacon... and so is everyone else from Adventures in Babysitting, Back to the Future, and the Karate Kid. :)

Clueless

So in the first 5 minutes of Clueless I realized that this is, hands down, one of my favorite movies. Which is a tiny bit embarrasing, until I looked at the release date--1995. This movie about high school romance came out while I was smack dab in the middle of--high school. Duh. I didn't have the clothes, the car, or the money, but I could totally vibe with the themes.

What's great about it also is the realization that Cher comes to, after thinking that the new girl in town was clueless, she realizes that she in fact (Cher) is the one who doesn't get it. How often do we think about others as knowing less than us about the way life is, and suddenly we realize that we're actually in the dark? I don't know about you but I have that happen to me all the time.

So this movie is a great blast from the past, but it also reminds me that we're all of us clueless in one way or another, but what really matters is that we reach out to the people around us, because together we get it. Plus, she totally gets the guy at the end. And that's of course my goal too. :)

Chicken Run

It was quite providential that I watch Chicken Run tonight. No, not because of some special message in the movie. Rather it's because I just needed a cute light movie that I didn't really have to pay any attention to while I did stuff on the computer. And this fits the bill. It was kinda funny hearing Mel Gibson's voice as a rooster just a few movies away from Braveheart though.

I'm realizing as I go through my movies that I have trends already--actors and actresses repeating, chick flicks from college (although I am going through all my college and post-college VHS movies so it makes sense) and of course, 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'm not really good at doing it all in my head though, but I'm sure Mel and Kevin are connected pretty closely.

Ok I just tried for a minute and I'm not quite there. Oh well, maybe next movie. :)

And I'll leave you with the best line, wings-down: "I don't want to be a pie... I don't like gravy!"

Chicago

So when you live in Chicago, you have to own the movie, right? :) The funny thing is I could have sworn that I had it on DVD. But no, still VHS. So that's one I'm gonna have to get on DVD for sure. I mean, I just love singing Big Mama's songs with Queen Latifah.

Does it ever hit you that most movies have the absolute worst morals? I mean it's all about getting away (literally) with murder in this film. I know what people say--it's just a movie, it's escapism, it lets them fantasize but not actually do anything about it. (Untill you get people who don't know real from fake or why what they do in the movies isn't ok in real life. But that's another post)

I guess I'm a pretty big fan of musicals any way I can get them though. There's nothing better than singing along--as long as it's not someone else in the room, the first time you've ever seen it. Not that that's ever happened to me. ;)

Center Stage

For the longest time I was a total chick flick junkie, until I couldn't stand watching those movies any more. Center Stage, however, is one of those movies that I never really grew out of. I think part of it is because it's a movie where the heroine realizes at the end not only what she wants out of life, but what she doesn't want, and she's willing to move on towards her dreams despite the obstacles. And, while it's a "love story," it isn't the kind where the guy rescues the girl. And that's the part I think I like the most. :)

Bring it On

I'm not really a fan of cheerleaders, but Bring it On is a cute high school chick flick. I mean, who doesn't know how to do Spirit Fingers thanks to this movie??

It's funny, I have this little mental note to play six degrees of Kevin Bacon (at least every now and then), but I'm pretty impressed by how often Gabrielle Union has shown up--she's been in 3 out of the 10 movies I've watched so far! I wish I liked her a bit more, but I think ever since 10 Things I Hate About You when she was a little, um, witchy, I never really liked her much. Funny how a movie can influence how you feel about an actor or actress. :)

Braveheart

So when I pulled out Braveheart, I got a little worried. I mean, it's two VHS tapes. Wow, that's a long movie. I was also pretty amazed that each tape was exactly 177 minutes long. That's consistancy.

Yeah... it's only 177 minutes long--total. Right. Which is actually good because it's such a sad movie, I now have time to put in the next one before I go to bed.

When you think about Mel Gibson now, you think about the anti-semetism, the mistakes, the fall from grace. But when I look at Mel in this movie I think "wow, what a beautiful body."

But if you take just one thing from this post, let it be that the man or woman who stands up for that in which he or she believes, they can win the hearts of the world. So stand up for something worth fighting for.

The Birdcage

Oh my goodness, it feels like all I do when I'm home is watch movies. I wonder why that is. :)

Well I just finished watching The Birdcage. I love Robin Williams in just about anything, plus Nathan Lane, double-plus for Christine Baranski (who is just amazing), and of course who can forget Agador Spartacus, the butler who stymies them all with his "gwhatamalaness." You know, I don't think I ever connected this Hank Azaria to the Hank Azaria who does all those voices for the Simpsons (same guy). Wow.

The things you learn when you watch old movies. Hooray.

Bad Boys II

At some point, I might actually have to not start movies at 9:30pm. But I just luuuuurve Bad Boys and Bad Boys II and I didn't want to have to wait a whole nother day to get my Will Smith fix. (Will Smith..... *drool*)

Ok, segue: I just went to imdb.com to get the link for you and I accidentally typed in "bad goys II"

Thank goodness imdb knew what I meant. Seriously... Bad Goys II? That sounds like a hysterical spoof though, doesn't it? I would love to see that.

Ok, movie. Love the car chases and stuff getting blown up. Love the Ferrarri. Love the product placement with Dan Marino (ok it's hokey but funny). Love love love when the mansion gets blown up. And absolutely love it when the hot CIA spy asks "permission to tag along." Man, I'd let him tag along any...

So, the movie. Yeah. Not the best of the best, but always enjoyable. I'd love to see another one. It's sortof a Lethal Weapon for a new era. I think they could totally do it.

Bad Boys

The first time I watched Bad Boys, my boyfriend and I had created a picnic on a blanket, downstairs in my parents' house. Neither of us had seen the movie yet and we laughed so hard, and so long, at some of those lines that we actually had to pause the movie and restart sections--and explain to my mom that we were actually quite all right. This was like my favorite movie, ever.

The next few times I watched it, it was funny, it was good, but there wasn't this big explosive laughter. And I remember I didn't see it again for months after that first time so I was fully expecting the big laughs again. Not really.

Not to take away from the movie. I just watched it not too long ago--it's funny, it's got Will Smith, it's a good lite film.

But I guess there is something about watching a movie the very very first time, when you haven't heard any of the lines before and you don't know what's gonna be funny next, I think that's why it hasn't been laugh-out-loud funny since. No worries though, I still love it. And my favorite line is when Martin Lawrence's character tells Will's character not to get sidetracked by all the "scattered ass" in this nightclub. Seriously, what better description is there??

Looking forward to my next movie night... Bad Boys II!

As Good As it Gets

If you're still counting, everyone in As Good as it Gets is now connected to Kevin Bacon, thanks to Jack Nicholson.

This is another hard movie for me. It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. But watching people who have so many problems on the surface of their lives... it's hard to look at. Of course, in this movie people are only living out some of the problems that the rest of us try to hide.

But there is love, and affection, and caring.

And some beautiful wonderful lines. And some ones that make you think, and make you cringe. Here are my favorites:

"What if this is as good as it gets?"

"How do you write women so well?"
"I think of a man, and then I take away reason and accountability."
(one of the most heinously sexist lines, but it's so pointed you have to remember it)

"You make me want to be a better man."

"I mean, I'm drowning here, and you're describing the water!"

"I feel better sitting outside your house on the curb than any other place I can think of or imagine."

"Why can't I just have a regular boyfriend, one who doesn't go nuts on me?"
"Everybody wants that dear. It doesn't exist."

"Come on in and try not to ruin everything by being you."

"There's a bakery around the corner that'll be open soon... that way we're not screwy, we're just two people who like warm rolls."

--

You know what else gets me? We're 2 for 2 on movies where other characters make fun of Jack's voice. Too funny.

A Time to Kill

So as I may have mentioned previously, I decided against filing these movies under "T" whether or not they should be. :)

A Time To Kill is a hard movie to watch. Don't get me wrong... I do love Matthew McConaughey. And it was humorous to see Keefer Sutherland in two movies in a row (lol, now everyone in ATTK is connected to Kevin Bacon!). Plus this book (John Grisham's first) is very compelling and I love reading it. But watching it, seeing the little girl, seeing the crowds of white vs black people screaming at each other and fighting each other in the streets... even though it's a movie it's disturbing.

There's a reason I can read the book over and over but I don't watch the movie much... I can close the book or skip past the hard parts, or imagine it as less difficult. Watching it though, that's hard.

A Few Good Men

Oh my goodness I love this movie. I L-O-V-E this movie! The writing is fantastic, the execution of the lines is spot-on... and Noah Wiley was so stinkin' adorable!!!!!

This is definitely on my list of movies that I MUST purchase on DVD. I can't let this one slip away when I stop watching the VHS movies.

I mean, come on, what person over the age of 15 doesn't know "You want answers?" "I want the TRUTH!" and doesn't it just send a little shudder down your neck knowing that line is about to come?

Plus it has Tom Cruise. I was soooo in love with him for like a decade, and I still love him from those movies. Especially this one because his character is cute, insanely smart, and crazy sarcastic. But you know what? His eyebrows are HUGE!!! Like seriously, I don't think his eyebrows are that bad any more. AFGM must have happened before it was OK for men to get their brows done. :) Still love it though!

A Bug's Life

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I watched two movies today. My goal for the evening was to just hang out, alphabetize my movies, make some pico de gallo, and relax. So I figured a second movie was a good end to the day.

Continuing alphabetically I moved on to A Bug's Life. As a note, I wasn't entirely sure if I should use the "A" for alphabetizing, but it was hard enough remembering to ignore the "The" on all movies like "The Firm." So the movies that start with "A" stay at the beginning of the alphabet.

A Bug's Life was Pixar's second feature-length movie after Toy Story. Pixar's foray into feature-film animation really took this art form to a whole new level. I remember how amazed I was watching Toy Story, and again with A Bug's life--the details were just astounding. Despite my loyalty to Disney, I can't believe the disagreements they've had with a company which, in my opinion, saved the studio after the quality and inventiveness of their hand-drawn animation movies started to decline.

Plus I'm a huge fan of Pixar's ingenious shorts. Before you watch A Bug's Life you get to see Geri's Game, where a man plays a game of chess against his greatest opponent ever (himself). Love it, love it, love it.

I also really like how these older movies especially are still only about 90 minutes long. Sometimes you just don't want to be sitting for 3 hours, ya know?

10 Things I Hate About You

What a way to start my movie marathon. I don't think I'd watched a movie with Heath Ledger (besides The Dark Knight) since his death. He was soo incredibly cute in 10 Things I Hate About You!

This movie was one of my absolute favorites because of the Shakespeare link of course but also because it's a great high school chick flick. I went through a phase when that's all I watched, so it was pretty sad funny to realize how much of the movie I have memorized!

What I love about this movie besides Heath is the fact that it's a remake of The Taming of the Shrew, but it isn't a word-for-word one. Not that I don't like those too, but I love the idea of introducing an old story to a new audience, in a new way. The concept is still there, just in words and imagery that makes more sense to today's society.

Watching this movie also prompts me to remember a super-old episode of Moonlighting. My parents might be amazed that I actually remember that show, but they did a spoof of The Taming of the Shrew as well, and it was fantastically funny.

So hooray for Shakespeare and Heath Ledger.

A movie a day? Really?? Well, almost.

So when I moved into my apartment after college I decided that cable was a luxury I didn't need. Growing up without it made moving from college (and cable) to my own place and an antenna was fairly easy. Then in June 2009 the country switched to digital TV. I bought the converter box and then a digital antenna, but never quite got around to setting it all up. "It's summer," I thought, "I may as well just not watch TV. I'll set it up when the fall season starts."

Well, the fall season is about to start, and I still haven't set anything up. I've been enjoying actually doing things with my evenings, like reading or watching movies (or taking Zumba classes, going to meetings, working late... I'm sooo not home enough to really miss TV).

I was reorganizing my living room about a week or two ago, however, and realized that I have a bunch of movies I haven't watched in forever, and actually a few that I've never watched at all. I keep putting off signing up for Netflix (why, I have no idea), but it hit me suddenly that I should watch all of my movies one more time (or a first time) before I start catching up on the rest of the movies out there.

I currently have 154 movies in my apartment (not a super-huge collection). 82 are DVD, and 72 are VHS. Oh yes, I still have VHS. My TV has a built-in VCR, so I still use it. I'm a bit worried about how well it's gonna hold up so I'm not going to rewind any of them unless they're already at the end. I figure it's a farewell showing... hopefully soon I can replace them all with DVDs.

Going through movies that I've owned for years and years made me realize how much of my life has been tied up with film. I've sung along with the musicals, pretended I was the princess, and imagined I was the one kissing all those gorgeous, beautiful men. So the point of this blog is to not give a movie review so much as reminisce about how each movie has affected me while I've grown up, or for the new ones, how they affect me now. So, this is pretty much a diary, using a movie as the starting point. I probably won't watch every day, even though this is the "Daily Movie Marthon" blog--but my plan is to do 4-5 a week.

I hope you enjoy my movie selections. Please leave your own comments too. And when I start Netflix, I'll take suggestions. :)

Let the Marathon Begin!