Let's do an easy blog! Easy blogs are the best! I just recently watched my 20th John Goodman movie (and I've , which means it's time to do a Top 5, Bottom 5 list for this actor. I'm sure I've seen a lot more movie where he's in it but just not mentioned in the top five actors, which is all Flickchart counts. Let's find out my favorite and least favorite movies of his.
Top 5:
1. Monsters, Inc. (2001, #8). My favorite Pixar movie, though it's been quite a few years since I rewatched it. I love the imaginative concept, I love the characters, and I love the narrative. The first Pixar film to make me cry, though not the one that made me cry the hardest.
2. The Emperor's New Groove (2000, #58). Interesting that my top two Goodman films are both voiceover roles for him. I'm delighted this movie has developed such a cult following, because it's a bright spot in the middle of the awful Disney decade from 1995-2005. Pixar aside, there was just nothing good out there... and then there was this, which is ridiculous and goofy and totally works.
3. Punchline (1988, #346). I'll be honest, I don't even remember Goodman being in Punchline, because all I remember are Tom Hanks and Sally Field, both of whom are phenomenal in their respective roles. This was a Movie Challenge 2014 assignment, and it ended up being a wonderful little gem.
4. Flight (2012, #420). This could have been horrifically cheesy if not for great acting on Denzel's part, and he completely sold me on this movie. I do remember Goodman in it and I remember him being good, but he's definitely not the star of this film.
5. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, #436). Oh man, now this is a starring role for John Goodman. It's a terrific movie, both as a thematic sequel to the original and as a standalone thriller, and Goodman is so, so good in it. I can't give many more details without getting spoilery, so I'll just say... go see it.
Bottom 5:
5. Raising Arizona (1987, #1487 out of 2607). Probably the only controversial choice on this list. I just can't get into this. I never like the Coen movies I'm supposed to like.
4. The Monuments Men (2014, #1882). I was so ready to love this despite the critics, but turns out it's just boring and not artistically inspiring at all.
3. Always (1989, #2097). Aside from some great flight scenes, this movie is pretty much wholly ridiculous and inept. A rare but definite miss from Spielberg.
2. Frosty Returns (1992, #2563). And even as my top two were voiceovers from Goodman, my bottom two are as well. Here he plays Frosty in a creepy, joyless sequel to the original Rankin Bass special. Ugh.
1. The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove (2005, #2564). Ugh. The first was so good and the sequel so awful.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Revenge of the Nerds (1984, #1661 on the global charts)
2. Sea of Love (1989, #2341)
3. Fallen (1998, #2608)
4. The Big Easy (1986, #2644)
5. Arachnophobia (1990, #2836)
What are your favorite John Goodman roles? Which of those unseens should I tackle first? I've only even heard of two of them.
Showing posts with label top 5 bottom 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top 5 bottom 5. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017
Top 5, Bottom 5: 1985
Here, let's have a quick, simple blog post to talk about my favorite and least-favorite movies of 1985 according to my Flickchart. I've only seen 23, so there are a lot more I've yet to get to, but here are the standouts so far. All rankings are out of 2588 movies.
Top 5:
1. The Purple Rose of Cairo (#10). My second-favorite Woody Allen movie is this charming story of a woman whose favorite movie character steps off the screen to spend some time with her. It takes an unexpected turn at the end that I used to like, but I have since fully embraced it.
2. Back to the Future (#20). Two 1985 movies in my top 20? Wow. This is a classic favorite for a reason. It's such a creative, smart, funny script, and all the actors do an amazing job bringing it to life.
3. Ladyhawke (#69). Granted this is a nostalgic pick for me, but I have always liked tragic love stories, and this has such a great one at the heart of it.
4. The Breakfast Club (#134). I need to rewatch this one, but I remember being really impressed with how the script brought these characters to life. This kind of one-room drama has often been attempted but this is one of the few true successes.
5. Better Off Dead (#285). A delightful surprise when I first watched it. It's a morbidly quirky rom com starring John Cusack as an emotional teenager, and it's fantastic.
Bottom 5:
5. Silverado (#2080). This one, to be fair, probably isn't nearly deserving of its spot here. I mostly remember thinking it was just okay, not bad.
4. After Hour (#1882). This Martin Scorsese comedy is so over-the-top that it doesn't sit right with me at all and ends up reminding me of Lynchian horror more than anything else.
3. The Goonies (#1818). From my experience, it seems like most people who watch this as an adult are as unimpressed with it as I am. The tone of it is super weird to me, and I don't like any of the characters.
2. Legend (#1639). Tim Curry aside, this weird little movie is pretty forgettable. I had to think for a minute to remember which one it even was.
1. The Man With One Red Shoe (#1515). Like Legend, this movie just isn't terribly memorable. I think Tom Hanks was okay in it.
Top 5 I Haven't Seen:
1. Come and See (globally #337)
2. Re-Animator (#502)
3. Pale Ride (#792)
4. Day of the Dead (#803)
5. Witness (#848)
What's your favorite movie of 1985? And which of my unseen ones should I watch first?
Top 5:
1. The Purple Rose of Cairo (#10). My second-favorite Woody Allen movie is this charming story of a woman whose favorite movie character steps off the screen to spend some time with her. It takes an unexpected turn at the end that I used to like, but I have since fully embraced it.
2. Back to the Future (#20). Two 1985 movies in my top 20? Wow. This is a classic favorite for a reason. It's such a creative, smart, funny script, and all the actors do an amazing job bringing it to life.
3. Ladyhawke (#69). Granted this is a nostalgic pick for me, but I have always liked tragic love stories, and this has such a great one at the heart of it.
4. The Breakfast Club (#134). I need to rewatch this one, but I remember being really impressed with how the script brought these characters to life. This kind of one-room drama has often been attempted but this is one of the few true successes.
5. Better Off Dead (#285). A delightful surprise when I first watched it. It's a morbidly quirky rom com starring John Cusack as an emotional teenager, and it's fantastic.
Bottom 5:
5. Silverado (#2080). This one, to be fair, probably isn't nearly deserving of its spot here. I mostly remember thinking it was just okay, not bad.
4. After Hour (#1882). This Martin Scorsese comedy is so over-the-top that it doesn't sit right with me at all and ends up reminding me of Lynchian horror more than anything else.
3. The Goonies (#1818). From my experience, it seems like most people who watch this as an adult are as unimpressed with it as I am. The tone of it is super weird to me, and I don't like any of the characters.
2. Legend (#1639). Tim Curry aside, this weird little movie is pretty forgettable. I had to think for a minute to remember which one it even was.
1. The Man With One Red Shoe (#1515). Like Legend, this movie just isn't terribly memorable. I think Tom Hanks was okay in it.
Top 5 I Haven't Seen:
1. Come and See (globally #337)
2. Re-Animator (#502)
3. Pale Ride (#792)
4. Day of the Dead (#803)
5. Witness (#848)
What's your favorite movie of 1985? And which of my unseen ones should I watch first?
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Top 5, Bottom 5: Coming-of-Age Movies
Let's get back into blogging with a Top 5, Bottom 5 post! Whooooo! I apparently watched my 100th and 101st coming-of-age movies this year (Albatross and Finding Forrester) so this seems like a good time to write about my favorite and least favorite movies in the genre.
Top 5:
1. Charlie Bartlett (2007, #24). It's been a long time since I rewatched it -- though if I ever get back to my Top 100 project, I'll get around to it -- but I still remember how delightful I found Anton Yelchin and how compelling I found Robert Downey, Jr. And there was a period of time where I recommended it to everyone around me.
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, #31). I've written about this one before in my list of the happiest movies of all time, and I still think it belongs in that list. There's a tremendous sense of the freedom in this movie, and it always makes me feel better watching it.
3. American Beauty (1999, #34). I always forget about the coming-of-age aspect of this movie, since I think of it as revolving so much around Kevin Spacey's midlife crisis. But it is one of my favorite movies.
4. Donnie Darko (2001, #35). This movie is propelled almost entirely by Jake Gyllenhaal's fascinating performance, but it totally works.
5. Napoleon Dynamite (2004, #71). After several coming-of-age movies stuck together in the 30s of my Flickchart, we jump down several slots to find this weird little film that always makes me laugh.
Bottom 5:
5. Hoot (2006, #2329 out of 2374). This movie is terrible. It's unfunny and uninteresting and propaganda trying to masquerade as a story, and I don't have a lot of tolerance for that.
4. Bee Season (2005, #2318). I don't remember much about this one except that I found it extremely disappointing.
3. Anne B. Real (2003, #2276). Well, there could've been a story here, but it got drowned out by ridiculousness.
2. Mean Streets (1973, #2267). This is maybe unfairly ranked so low. I really don't remember it. But I don't think I'll ever care enough to want to watch it again.
1. Tuck Everlasting (2002, #2140). I was a moderate fan of the book but was not so much a fan of this sappy movie.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. City of God (2002, global #201)
2. The Last Picture Show (1971, #223)
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984, #227)
4. Come and See (1985, #471)
5. Dazed and Confused (1993, #476)
What are your favorite and least favorite coming-of-age movies? Which of my top unseen ones should I watch first?
Top 5:
1. Charlie Bartlett (2007, #24). It's been a long time since I rewatched it -- though if I ever get back to my Top 100 project, I'll get around to it -- but I still remember how delightful I found Anton Yelchin and how compelling I found Robert Downey, Jr. And there was a period of time where I recommended it to everyone around me.
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, #31). I've written about this one before in my list of the happiest movies of all time, and I still think it belongs in that list. There's a tremendous sense of the freedom in this movie, and it always makes me feel better watching it.
3. American Beauty (1999, #34). I always forget about the coming-of-age aspect of this movie, since I think of it as revolving so much around Kevin Spacey's midlife crisis. But it is one of my favorite movies.
4. Donnie Darko (2001, #35). This movie is propelled almost entirely by Jake Gyllenhaal's fascinating performance, but it totally works.
5. Napoleon Dynamite (2004, #71). After several coming-of-age movies stuck together in the 30s of my Flickchart, we jump down several slots to find this weird little film that always makes me laugh.
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| © 2006 CGP Grey, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio |
5. Hoot (2006, #2329 out of 2374). This movie is terrible. It's unfunny and uninteresting and propaganda trying to masquerade as a story, and I don't have a lot of tolerance for that.
4. Bee Season (2005, #2318). I don't remember much about this one except that I found it extremely disappointing.
3. Anne B. Real (2003, #2276). Well, there could've been a story here, but it got drowned out by ridiculousness.
2. Mean Streets (1973, #2267). This is maybe unfairly ranked so low. I really don't remember it. But I don't think I'll ever care enough to want to watch it again.
1. Tuck Everlasting (2002, #2140). I was a moderate fan of the book but was not so much a fan of this sappy movie.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. City of God (2002, global #201)
2. The Last Picture Show (1971, #223)
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984, #227)
4. Come and See (1985, #471)
5. Dazed and Confused (1993, #476)
What are your favorite and least favorite coming-of-age movies? Which of my top unseen ones should I watch first?
Monday, April 27, 2015
Top 5, Bottom 5: Crime
It's time for another Top 5, Bottom 5 blog, this time focusing on crime movies, because I apparently watched my 200th the other day, according to Flickchart. I'm not all that crazy about crime movies, so it's going to be really interesting to me to see which ones really did rise to the top, and which ones may be good but just didn't interest me.
Top 5:
1. Memento (2000, #15). Easily one of my all-time favorites, and I've written about it more in depth before on one of my other movie blogs. It's a fantastic movie with deep themes and a gimmick that really works for telling the story.
2. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944, #80). A completely different feel from Memento, this movie is wacky and funny and one of my favorite classic comedies. I wouldn't have thought of it as a "crime" movie because it's so different tonally, but I suppose it is!
3. A Fish Called Wanda (1988, #96). Another crime comedy, though this one is a bit more morbid in tone than Arsenic and Old Lace. Kevin Kline is one of my favorite comedic actors, and on top of that you've got two members of Monty Python, and Jamie Lee Curtis being forever frustrated as the "straight man" of the group. Really entertaining.
4. My Cousin Vinny (1992, #102). So maybe all the crime movies I like are comedies. This is one of my parents' favorites, so it's one I watched with them as a teenager, and I still think it's great fun. Joe Pesci and Marissa Tomei create two really funny, likable characters, and it's awesome to watch them interact with the world around them.
5. Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers (1993, #108). And this one is not only a comedy, it's a short. This is my favorite of all the Wallace & Gromit stories, and while it might be a little high on my chart, it's really delightful.
Bottom 5:
5. Mr. Superinvisible (1970, #2281 out of 2348). I honestly don't remember this movie much except that I watched it as a kid and thought it was super lame then.
4. Identity Thief (2013, #2273). Oh, man. This movie was tough to watch, and I find Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy both pretty likable. But it was some actively painful comedy. It deserved the bad reputation it got.
3. American Gangster (2007, #2269). This movie took me forever to get through because I just couldn't make myself care about it.
2. Mean Streets (1973, #2239). I watched this in one of my film appreciation classes, and it's absolutely my lowest Scorsese film on my chart. I just didn't care about it at all.
1. Cold Blood (2012, #2218). Ha! This was a film I did the captioning for at work a month or two ago. It's quite lame. It should probably be lower on the chart, because it being ahead of anything Scorsese did is not OK.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Breathless (1960, global chart #125)
2. Dog Day Afternoon (1975, #147)
3. The French Connection (1971, #165)
4. Miller's Crossing (1990, #188)
5. City of God (2002, #200)
What are your favorite and least favorite crime movies? And which of my top unseen ones should I watch first?
Top 5:
1. Memento (2000, #15). Easily one of my all-time favorites, and I've written about it more in depth before on one of my other movie blogs. It's a fantastic movie with deep themes and a gimmick that really works for telling the story.
2. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944, #80). A completely different feel from Memento, this movie is wacky and funny and one of my favorite classic comedies. I wouldn't have thought of it as a "crime" movie because it's so different tonally, but I suppose it is!
3. A Fish Called Wanda (1988, #96). Another crime comedy, though this one is a bit more morbid in tone than Arsenic and Old Lace. Kevin Kline is one of my favorite comedic actors, and on top of that you've got two members of Monty Python, and Jamie Lee Curtis being forever frustrated as the "straight man" of the group. Really entertaining.
4. My Cousin Vinny (1992, #102). So maybe all the crime movies I like are comedies. This is one of my parents' favorites, so it's one I watched with them as a teenager, and I still think it's great fun. Joe Pesci and Marissa Tomei create two really funny, likable characters, and it's awesome to watch them interact with the world around them.
5. Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers (1993, #108). And this one is not only a comedy, it's a short. This is my favorite of all the Wallace & Gromit stories, and while it might be a little high on my chart, it's really delightful.
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| © 2009 Alan Cleaver, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio |
Bottom 5:
5. Mr. Superinvisible (1970, #2281 out of 2348). I honestly don't remember this movie much except that I watched it as a kid and thought it was super lame then.
4. Identity Thief (2013, #2273). Oh, man. This movie was tough to watch, and I find Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy both pretty likable. But it was some actively painful comedy. It deserved the bad reputation it got.
3. American Gangster (2007, #2269). This movie took me forever to get through because I just couldn't make myself care about it.
2. Mean Streets (1973, #2239). I watched this in one of my film appreciation classes, and it's absolutely my lowest Scorsese film on my chart. I just didn't care about it at all.
1. Cold Blood (2012, #2218). Ha! This was a film I did the captioning for at work a month or two ago. It's quite lame. It should probably be lower on the chart, because it being ahead of anything Scorsese did is not OK.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Breathless (1960, global chart #125)
2. Dog Day Afternoon (1975, #147)
3. The French Connection (1971, #165)
4. Miller's Crossing (1990, #188)
5. City of God (2002, #200)
What are your favorite and least favorite crime movies? And which of my top unseen ones should I watch first?
Monday, February 16, 2015
Top 5, Bottom 5: Caper Movies
It's been a little while since we did a Top 5, Bottom 5 feature, and I just recently hit 21 movies watched on the "caper" filter on Flickchart. You can see the order of all 21 movies here, but in the meantime, here are my favorites and least favorites from the genre.
Top 5:
1. A Fish Called Wanda (1988, #98 on my chart). This movie grows on me every time I watch it. It's got such a marvelous cast, and they're all hilarious.
2. Inception (2010, #108). One of Christoper Nolan's most inventive movies, and my second favorite of his after Memento. It's a solid heist movie, but it's just fascinating to watch, period.
3. Muppets Most Wanted (2014, #353). Well, this heist is very silly, but I liked this Muppets movie a lot more than other people did, I think. Didn't hurt that it had a lot of great songs.
4. Ocean's Eleven (2001, #459). A good cool caper/heist movie that is really enjoyable to watch. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are excellent together.
5. Sneakers (1992, #473). A lighthearted caper with a good ensemble cast. I admittedly haven't seen it in a long time, but I remember having a good time with it.
Bottom 5:
5. Inside Man (2006, #2124 out of 2319). I don't remember a single thing about this movie other than that I found it boring.
4. Three Kings (1999, #2064). This is one I want to give a second chance to someday, as I was pretty young when I watched it and maybe just didn't get it yet.
3. The Italian Job (2003, #1842). Another entry that just didn't stick with me, and the few memories I have associated with it are not great.
2. Flawless (2007, #1826). This is probably ranked a little too low because I never though it was actively bad, just... nothing special.
1. Snatch. (2000, #1654). I tried so hard to appreciate this movie when I was assigned it for last year's movie challenge, but it just never caught my attention.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Rififi (1955, #222 on the global charts)
2. The Red Circle (1970, #403)
3. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998, #409)
4. The Asphalt Jungle (1950, #450)
5. Thief (1981, #623)
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I see first?
Top 5:
1. A Fish Called Wanda (1988, #98 on my chart). This movie grows on me every time I watch it. It's got such a marvelous cast, and they're all hilarious.
2. Inception (2010, #108). One of Christoper Nolan's most inventive movies, and my second favorite of his after Memento. It's a solid heist movie, but it's just fascinating to watch, period.
3. Muppets Most Wanted (2014, #353). Well, this heist is very silly, but I liked this Muppets movie a lot more than other people did, I think. Didn't hurt that it had a lot of great songs.
4. Ocean's Eleven (2001, #459). A good cool caper/heist movie that is really enjoyable to watch. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are excellent together.
5. Sneakers (1992, #473). A lighthearted caper with a good ensemble cast. I admittedly haven't seen it in a long time, but I remember having a good time with it.
Bottom 5:
5. Inside Man (2006, #2124 out of 2319). I don't remember a single thing about this movie other than that I found it boring.
4. Three Kings (1999, #2064). This is one I want to give a second chance to someday, as I was pretty young when I watched it and maybe just didn't get it yet.
3. The Italian Job (2003, #1842). Another entry that just didn't stick with me, and the few memories I have associated with it are not great.
2. Flawless (2007, #1826). This is probably ranked a little too low because I never though it was actively bad, just... nothing special.
1. Snatch. (2000, #1654). I tried so hard to appreciate this movie when I was assigned it for last year's movie challenge, but it just never caught my attention.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Rififi (1955, #222 on the global charts)
2. The Red Circle (1970, #403)
3. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998, #409)
4. The Asphalt Jungle (1950, #450)
5. Thief (1981, #623)
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I see first?
Monday, December 22, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Holiday Movies Edition!
I didn't do this last year, but in 2012 and 2011 I looked at my top 5 and bottom 5 holiday movies on Flickchart, and in 2012 I looked to see how the rankings had changed. So let's do that here too, comparing it to 2012!
I don't know how many holiday movies I'd seen in 2012, but right now I have 43 on my Flickchart.
My current top 5:
1. Love Actually (#2)
2. Amahl and the Night Visitors (#155)
3. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (#164)
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (#207)
5. It's a Wonderful Life (#217)
2012's top 5:
1. Love Actually (#2)
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (#145)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (#181)
4. White Christmas (#193)
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (#199)
Oooh, that is definitely a difference. White Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas don't make the cut on this year's top 5, but they are numbers 6 and 7, so that's not too far behind. In the meantime, we have two new musical holiday movies at the top, though they could not be more different in terms of tone and music.
Let's look at the bottom 5, which changed virtually not at all from 2011 to 2012.
My current bottom 5:
5. The Christmas Shoes (#2232 out of 2281 movies)
4. Frosty Returns (#2233)
3. The Santa Clause 2 (#2262)
2. The Star Wars Holiday Special (#2276)
1. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (#2277)
2012's bottom 5:
5. The Christmas Shoes (#1751)
4. Frosty Returns (#1756)
3. The Santa Clause 2 (#1786)
2. Star Wars Holiday Special (#1801)
1. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (#1802)
So, yup, the exact same lineup, but I've seen more movies this year, so they all got pushed down farther. Santa Claus 3 is 475 spots lower than it was two years ago -- as it deserves to be.
What new holiday movies have I seen since December 2012? Well, none in 2014. I watched Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (#2006) and The Year Without a Santa Claus (#1169) in May of 2013, and Arthur Christmas (#1123) in January of 2013.
I should watch more holiday movies this year. So, as I did two years ago, let me look at the top 5 holiday movies I have not seen.
Top 5 unseen holiday movies:
1. Gremlins (#493 on the global chart)
2. Die Hard 2 (#584)
3. Black Christmas (#713)
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (#769)
5. Diner (#823)
I am going to make a pact to see all of these in 2015. We'll see if any of them end up at the top or the bottom of next year's list!
I don't know how many holiday movies I'd seen in 2012, but right now I have 43 on my Flickchart.
My current top 5:
1. Love Actually (#2)
2. Amahl and the Night Visitors (#155)
3. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (#164)
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (#207)
5. It's a Wonderful Life (#217)
2012's top 5:
1. Love Actually (#2)
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (#145)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (#181)
4. White Christmas (#193)
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (#199)
Oooh, that is definitely a difference. White Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas don't make the cut on this year's top 5, but they are numbers 6 and 7, so that's not too far behind. In the meantime, we have two new musical holiday movies at the top, though they could not be more different in terms of tone and music.
Let's look at the bottom 5, which changed virtually not at all from 2011 to 2012.
My current bottom 5:
5. The Christmas Shoes (#2232 out of 2281 movies)
4. Frosty Returns (#2233)
3. The Santa Clause 2 (#2262)
2. The Star Wars Holiday Special (#2276)
1. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (#2277)
2012's bottom 5:
5. The Christmas Shoes (#1751)
4. Frosty Returns (#1756)
3. The Santa Clause 2 (#1786)
2. Star Wars Holiday Special (#1801)
1. The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (#1802)
So, yup, the exact same lineup, but I've seen more movies this year, so they all got pushed down farther. Santa Claus 3 is 475 spots lower than it was two years ago -- as it deserves to be.
What new holiday movies have I seen since December 2012? Well, none in 2014. I watched Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (#2006) and The Year Without a Santa Claus (#1169) in May of 2013, and Arthur Christmas (#1123) in January of 2013.
I should watch more holiday movies this year. So, as I did two years ago, let me look at the top 5 holiday movies I have not seen.
Top 5 unseen holiday movies:
1. Gremlins (#493 on the global chart)
2. Die Hard 2 (#584)
3. Black Christmas (#713)
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (#769)
5. Diner (#823)
I am going to make a pact to see all of these in 2015. We'll see if any of them end up at the top or the bottom of next year's list!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Family Drama
Flickchart informed me a few weeks ago that I'd just seen my 100th family drama -- note that in this case, it's drama about families, not family-friendly dramas -- and I thought it was about time I did one of these.
Top 5:
1. American Beauty (1999, #36 on my chart). I didn't get this movie the first time I saw it, but then I watched it again a couple years ago and fell in love. The first half is darkly biting and the last half is fascinating and poignant.
2. Billy Elliot (2000, #72). Gotta love a movie about a kid wanting to be a dancer. This is just a really gorgeous flick.
3. Proof (2005, #76). A really excellent play gets a really excellent movie adaptation. I rewatched it a couple years ago after seeing the play and still loved it.
4. Ordinary People (1980, #77). This is one I do have to rewatch, as it's been years since I've seen it. When I first saw it, though, I loved it.
5. Rain Man (1988, #113). One of those movies that just sucks me into the story no matter when I sit down to watch it.
Bottom 5:
5. Bee Season (2005, #2203). This movie is weird, but not good weird -- mostly just "why am I watching this?" weird.
4. The Other Sister (1999, #2144). I watched this in college and was thoroughly unimpressed. I even got to write a paper on why I hated this movie so much.
3. Horse Sense (1999, #2126). One of those cheesy TV movies by... Disney channel, maybe? Anyway, it's basically one of those movies about how rural areas teach people character, which is just not an appealing idea to me at all.
2. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002, #2124). I barely remember this, but I remember being bored.
1. The Jazz Singer (1927, #2123). The film history of this movie isn't enough to make it interesting to me.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Tokyo Story (1953, #128 on the global charts). I've been meaning to see this one for awhile -- though, frankly, it's more because I should have seen it than because it sounds very interesting to me.
2. Fanny and Alexander (1982, #190). I like Bergman on and off, so I know I'm supposed to see this, but have never been able to quite muster up the urge to do so.
3. Five Easy Pieces (1970, #375). My mind still somehow mixes this up with Full Metal Jacket. Even when I've seen Full Metal Jacket.
4. Cries and Whispers (1972, #388). Another Bergman, but one I know very, very little about.
5. East of Eden (1955, #450). The one James Dean film I haven't seen. I suspect I'd like it more than his other two.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I see first?
Top 5:
1. American Beauty (1999, #36 on my chart). I didn't get this movie the first time I saw it, but then I watched it again a couple years ago and fell in love. The first half is darkly biting and the last half is fascinating and poignant.
2. Billy Elliot (2000, #72). Gotta love a movie about a kid wanting to be a dancer. This is just a really gorgeous flick.
3. Proof (2005, #76). A really excellent play gets a really excellent movie adaptation. I rewatched it a couple years ago after seeing the play and still loved it.
4. Ordinary People (1980, #77). This is one I do have to rewatch, as it's been years since I've seen it. When I first saw it, though, I loved it.
5. Rain Man (1988, #113). One of those movies that just sucks me into the story no matter when I sit down to watch it.
Bottom 5:
5. Bee Season (2005, #2203). This movie is weird, but not good weird -- mostly just "why am I watching this?" weird.
4. The Other Sister (1999, #2144). I watched this in college and was thoroughly unimpressed. I even got to write a paper on why I hated this movie so much.
3. Horse Sense (1999, #2126). One of those cheesy TV movies by... Disney channel, maybe? Anyway, it's basically one of those movies about how rural areas teach people character, which is just not an appealing idea to me at all.
2. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002, #2124). I barely remember this, but I remember being bored.
1. The Jazz Singer (1927, #2123). The film history of this movie isn't enough to make it interesting to me.
Top 5 Unseen:
1. Tokyo Story (1953, #128 on the global charts). I've been meaning to see this one for awhile -- though, frankly, it's more because I should have seen it than because it sounds very interesting to me.
2. Fanny and Alexander (1982, #190). I like Bergman on and off, so I know I'm supposed to see this, but have never been able to quite muster up the urge to do so.
3. Five Easy Pieces (1970, #375). My mind still somehow mixes this up with Full Metal Jacket. Even when I've seen Full Metal Jacket.
4. Cries and Whispers (1972, #388). Another Bergman, but one I know very, very little about.
5. East of Eden (1955, #450). The one James Dean film I haven't seen. I suspect I'd like it more than his other two.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I see first?
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Medical Drama
Time to tackle another very specific Flickchart genre: the medical drama. I saw my twentieth fairly recently, and now it's time to look at my favorite and least favorite of the genre. I'm actually pretty surprised I haven't seen more of these!
Top 5:
1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (#53, 1975). This movie just captivates me every time I watch it. One of these days I'm going to make Jacob sit down and watch it with me too, since he's seen all the parody versions of it (most recently the one on Spaced) but never the real thing.
2. Wit (#66, 2001). A heartbreaking adaptation of an equally heartbreaking play. Emma Thompson is superb as a woman battling ovarian cancer, looking back over her life and wondering whether she was the kind of person she wanted to be.
3. Awakenings (#136, 1990). I need to rewatch this movie, but I remember that, like Wit, it just broke me.
4. 50/50 (#210, 2011). This should possibly be up higher on my list. It's the perfect mix of funny and dramatic, and the main cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anna Kendrick are all brilliant in their roles.
5. Shadowlands (#258, 1993). It's been a long time since I watched this one, but I remember being really drawn into Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of C.S. Lewis. I should definitely give it a rewatch sometime and see if it deserves to be so high on my chart.
Bottom 5:
5. Talk to Her (#1226, 2002). I like this genre in general, so it's not too surprising that my fifth least favorite is only about halfway down my chart. I admired the ambitiousness of this movie, but the surrealism was an emotional barrier for me.
4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (#1351, 2007). I was surprised how apathetic I was toward this movie. It's a great story... and I just didn't care.
3. The Savages (#1491, 2007). Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are such amazing actors, but even they couldn't save what was a pretty boring script.
2. John Q. (#1727, 2002). Another ambitious film that could have been so much better but fizzled out.
1. Steel Magnolias (#1798, 1989). My opinion of this has grown slightly since I saw my college do the play version, but I'm still pretty uninterested in the whole story. It's a movie dominated by female characters, but I don't relate to any of them.
Top 5 Unseen (I keep forgetting to do this category);
1. The Elephant Man (#586, 1980). I have been meaning to see this one for quite some time. It recently got added to Netflix, so it's in my queue. It's just a matter of making way for it.
2. Dead Ringers (#806, 1988). I really haven't seen a lot of Cronenberg, but I've been interested in this one for awhile too.
3. My Left Foot (#885, 1989). Yup, another one I've been meaning to see. I'm almost always interested in medical dramas, so it makes sense that these are all ones I do want to see.
4. Red Beard (#1179, 1965). Now this is one I've never heard of, but it's Kurosawa and I really like his work, so I'm sure I'll check it out eventually.
5. Drunken Angel (#1283, 1948). Another Kurosawa one I'm not familiar with... so, yes, I'll watch it someday.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I tackle first?
Top 5:
1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (#53, 1975). This movie just captivates me every time I watch it. One of these days I'm going to make Jacob sit down and watch it with me too, since he's seen all the parody versions of it (most recently the one on Spaced) but never the real thing.
2. Wit (#66, 2001). A heartbreaking adaptation of an equally heartbreaking play. Emma Thompson is superb as a woman battling ovarian cancer, looking back over her life and wondering whether she was the kind of person she wanted to be.
3. Awakenings (#136, 1990). I need to rewatch this movie, but I remember that, like Wit, it just broke me.
4. 50/50 (#210, 2011). This should possibly be up higher on my list. It's the perfect mix of funny and dramatic, and the main cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anna Kendrick are all brilliant in their roles.
5. Shadowlands (#258, 1993). It's been a long time since I watched this one, but I remember being really drawn into Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of C.S. Lewis. I should definitely give it a rewatch sometime and see if it deserves to be so high on my chart.
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| © 2012 Phalinn Ooi, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio |
Bottom 5:
5. Talk to Her (#1226, 2002). I like this genre in general, so it's not too surprising that my fifth least favorite is only about halfway down my chart. I admired the ambitiousness of this movie, but the surrealism was an emotional barrier for me.
4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (#1351, 2007). I was surprised how apathetic I was toward this movie. It's a great story... and I just didn't care.
3. The Savages (#1491, 2007). Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are such amazing actors, but even they couldn't save what was a pretty boring script.
2. John Q. (#1727, 2002). Another ambitious film that could have been so much better but fizzled out.
1. Steel Magnolias (#1798, 1989). My opinion of this has grown slightly since I saw my college do the play version, but I'm still pretty uninterested in the whole story. It's a movie dominated by female characters, but I don't relate to any of them.
Top 5 Unseen (I keep forgetting to do this category);
1. The Elephant Man (#586, 1980). I have been meaning to see this one for quite some time. It recently got added to Netflix, so it's in my queue. It's just a matter of making way for it.
2. Dead Ringers (#806, 1988). I really haven't seen a lot of Cronenberg, but I've been interested in this one for awhile too.
3. My Left Foot (#885, 1989). Yup, another one I've been meaning to see. I'm almost always interested in medical dramas, so it makes sense that these are all ones I do want to see.
4. Red Beard (#1179, 1965). Now this is one I've never heard of, but it's Kurosawa and I really like his work, so I'm sure I'll check it out eventually.
5. Drunken Angel (#1283, 1948). Another Kurosawa one I'm not familiar with... so, yes, I'll watch it someday.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which of my top 5 unseen should I tackle first?
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Marvel Comics
A few weeks ago I watched my 20th movie based on comics made by Marvel. I'm not much of a comics reader, but I've enjoyed a lot of the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. I like superhero movies that are fun and lighthearted, rather than just crime dramas with capes, and they certainly deliver on that front. So, without further ado, here are my favorite and least favorite movies based on Marvel comics.
Top 5:
1. Spider-Man (2002, #106). There's just something about the original Spider-Man movie that still connects with me. I love Peter figuring out what he can do and what that means for him. I think the Green Goblin is a sufficiently creepy but also delightfully campy villain. It's just a solid film all round for me.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014, #285). Oh, man, I loved this movie. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted the disappointing Avengers movie to be.
3. Iron Man (2008, #418). Iron Man's easily my favorite of the cinematic Avengers. I like that he doesn't take himself all that seriously. It's a nice change from the extreme angst of so many superhero movie stories.
4. Kick-Ass (2010, #558). The Nicolas Cage part of the story I didn't care about so much, but I was really engaged in the Aaron Johnson plotline, and even more so Christopher Mintz-Plasse's.
5. Men in Black III (2012, #766). This is the extremely rare case where I liked a sequel better than the original. The characters in this are vivid and fun, the jokes consistently funny, and the plot decently smart for a silly comedy.
Bottom 5:
5. Thor: The Dark World (2013, #1673). I liked the first Thor pretty well, thanks to its enormously theatrical tone. It was fun and campy and enjoyable. This one, however, gets dark and ugly and its plot doesn't really make any sense. A disappointing follow-up.
4. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, #1675). Most people agree this movie was pretty much just a mess. I concur.
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012, #1984). This one isn't even fun campy Nic Cage, it's just... weird.
2. The Incredible Hulk (2008, #2092). Another dark, gloomy one. I'm really not sure how a movie that featured both Edward Norton and Tim Roth managed to make me hate it, but somehow it did.
1. Men in Black II (2002, #2107). A truly awful sequel. I'm not sure a single joke landed for me. It's completely terrible.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which Marvel movies are you looking forward to next?
Top 5:
1. Spider-Man (2002, #106). There's just something about the original Spider-Man movie that still connects with me. I love Peter figuring out what he can do and what that means for him. I think the Green Goblin is a sufficiently creepy but also delightfully campy villain. It's just a solid film all round for me.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014, #285). Oh, man, I loved this movie. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted the disappointing Avengers movie to be.
3. Iron Man (2008, #418). Iron Man's easily my favorite of the cinematic Avengers. I like that he doesn't take himself all that seriously. It's a nice change from the extreme angst of so many superhero movie stories.
4. Kick-Ass (2010, #558). The Nicolas Cage part of the story I didn't care about so much, but I was really engaged in the Aaron Johnson plotline, and even more so Christopher Mintz-Plasse's.
5. Men in Black III (2012, #766). This is the extremely rare case where I liked a sequel better than the original. The characters in this are vivid and fun, the jokes consistently funny, and the plot decently smart for a silly comedy.
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| © 2012 Helgi Halldórsson, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio |
Bottom 5:
5. Thor: The Dark World (2013, #1673). I liked the first Thor pretty well, thanks to its enormously theatrical tone. It was fun and campy and enjoyable. This one, however, gets dark and ugly and its plot doesn't really make any sense. A disappointing follow-up.
4. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, #1675). Most people agree this movie was pretty much just a mess. I concur.
3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012, #1984). This one isn't even fun campy Nic Cage, it's just... weird.
2. The Incredible Hulk (2008, #2092). Another dark, gloomy one. I'm really not sure how a movie that featured both Edward Norton and Tim Roth managed to make me hate it, but somehow it did.
1. Men in Black II (2002, #2107). A truly awful sequel. I'm not sure a single joke landed for me. It's completely terrible.
What are your favorites and least favorites? Which Marvel movies are you looking forward to next?
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Horror
I hit a milestone, guys. I watched my 100th horror movie. I wouldn't say I'm a horror movie fan -- it's not like musicals, where I love the genre so much that I tend to enjoy even not-very-good movies -- but I can definitely appreciate a good horror movie and am happy I've now seen so many. This seemed like a good time for a Top 5, Bottom 5.
Top 5
1. Bug (2006, #54). This little psychological horror flick based on a play not only gives Michael Shannon a chance to be freaking awesome, but it definitely freaks me out. It builds its characters and its story brilliantly. Good writing, good acting, good movie.
2. Little Shop of Horrors (1986, #64). I do enjoy my dark musicals, and this is one of the best, although the horror aspect of it is not what elevates it to my second favorite. It just has such good songs!
3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007, #100). I figured this one would be in my top five as well. I think this is a good adaptation of a Sondheim musical I didn't like for the longest time. Tim Burton embraces the campy over-the-topness of a murderous barber in a way that really works for me.
4. Psycho (1960, #118). While not my favorite Hitchcock movie, it is (obviously) my favorite one is that is straight-up horror. I love the characters it creates and its final reveal is still a fantastic moment.
5. Cloverfield (2008, #120). I need to rewatch this one. I was completely drawn into it the first time I saw it, though, and I still remember some of the scenes that freaked me out the most.
Bottom 5
5. Devil Doll (1964, #1964). OK, fun fact, ALL the movies in my bottom 5 list were ones I first saw on MST3K. I don't remember much about this one, just that it wasn't very interesting to me.
4. Squirm (1976, #2172). I don't like worms, so even if this movie had been smart and interesting, I probably still wouldn't love it.
3. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966, #2173). Unlike some other so-bad-they're-good movies, this one is really hard to watch and laugh at on my own. Half the time it's mind-numbingly boring, half the time it's seriously disturbing -- and not in a good way.
2. Zombie Nightmare (1986, #2174). Another one I can't remember very much of... so it's hard to look at almost any other movie on my Flickchart and say, "Yeah, Zombie Nightmare was better."
1. Blood Waters of Dr. Z (1971, #2191). Six spots up from the very bottom of my chart, we have this horrifically blah movie that not even MST3K could make interesting.
What are your favorite horror movies?
Top 5
1. Bug (2006, #54). This little psychological horror flick based on a play not only gives Michael Shannon a chance to be freaking awesome, but it definitely freaks me out. It builds its characters and its story brilliantly. Good writing, good acting, good movie.
2. Little Shop of Horrors (1986, #64). I do enjoy my dark musicals, and this is one of the best, although the horror aspect of it is not what elevates it to my second favorite. It just has such good songs!
3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007, #100). I figured this one would be in my top five as well. I think this is a good adaptation of a Sondheim musical I didn't like for the longest time. Tim Burton embraces the campy over-the-topness of a murderous barber in a way that really works for me.
4. Psycho (1960, #118). While not my favorite Hitchcock movie, it is (obviously) my favorite one is that is straight-up horror. I love the characters it creates and its final reveal is still a fantastic moment.
5. Cloverfield (2008, #120). I need to rewatch this one. I was completely drawn into it the first time I saw it, though, and I still remember some of the scenes that freaked me out the most.
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| © 2012 r. nial bradshaw, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio |
Bottom 5
5. Devil Doll (1964, #1964). OK, fun fact, ALL the movies in my bottom 5 list were ones I first saw on MST3K. I don't remember much about this one, just that it wasn't very interesting to me.
4. Squirm (1976, #2172). I don't like worms, so even if this movie had been smart and interesting, I probably still wouldn't love it.
3. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966, #2173). Unlike some other so-bad-they're-good movies, this one is really hard to watch and laugh at on my own. Half the time it's mind-numbingly boring, half the time it's seriously disturbing -- and not in a good way.
2. Zombie Nightmare (1986, #2174). Another one I can't remember very much of... so it's hard to look at almost any other movie on my Flickchart and say, "Yeah, Zombie Nightmare was better."
1. Blood Waters of Dr. Z (1971, #2191). Six spots up from the very bottom of my chart, we have this horrifically blah movie that not even MST3K could make interesting.
What are your favorite horror movies?
Monday, July 28, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: DreamWorks
This week, I watched my 20th movie from DreamWorks Animation, so I figured I'd celebrate with a Top 5, Bottom 5 list. DreamWorks really is ALL over the place with me, with my top 5 being dearly loved and my bottom 5 being... dearly hated. So here we go. All ratings are out of 2184 movies.
Top 5:
1. The Prince of Egypt (1998, #49). I think this is the best Bible-themed movie I've ever seen. The animation is lovely, the music is incredible, and it tells one of my favorite stories in a very powerful way.
2. Shrek (2001, #90). I do think this movie is fairly funny, but mostly it's in my top 5 because I absolutely adore the love story. It's so rare to see a movie where the girl gets the guy while being conventionally unattractive, and it's heartwarming and makes me very happy.
3. Chicken Run (2000, #140). There's just something fun and silly about this movie. The jokes all work, all the way through.
4. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005, #205). While the Wallace and Gromit shorts are still my favorite, this is a pretty solid long-form version. It's great fun.
5. Rise of the Guardians (2012, #376). Possibly my favorite animated movie from 2012, I think this movie is severely underrated. The animation is astonishingly beautiful, the story is solid, the voice acting is engaging (Jude Law makes a GREAT villain), and it's just wonderfully creative. #376 is probably too low for this flick, because I really do love it a lot.
Bottom 5:
5. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002, #1915). I found this a horrifically boring movie, even for a movie about horses.
4. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000, #1945). DreamWorks' second attempt at a Biblical story told via animation did not go as well as their first. It was dull, had no memorable music at all, and the voice acting was bland.
3. Antz (1998, #1979). I'm not the biggest fan of A Bug's Life, but it was certainly better than this, which is a cheesy, awkward, unfunny movie that goes in too many directions and doesn't do well with any of them.
2. Shark Tale (2004, #1992). This movie exemplifies everything that DreamWorks gets wrong when it does get it wrong. The animation is creepy, the characters are obnoxious, the jokes are all pop culture references that are instantly dated.
1. Shrek the Third (2007, #2047). But even Shark Tale is not as bad as Shrek the Third, which does all that times a thousand. As you can see, I love the first Shrek movie, and I'm OK with the second. This one is just... awful and stupid.
What are your favorite DreamWorks movies?
Top 5:
1. The Prince of Egypt (1998, #49). I think this is the best Bible-themed movie I've ever seen. The animation is lovely, the music is incredible, and it tells one of my favorite stories in a very powerful way.
2. Shrek (2001, #90). I do think this movie is fairly funny, but mostly it's in my top 5 because I absolutely adore the love story. It's so rare to see a movie where the girl gets the guy while being conventionally unattractive, and it's heartwarming and makes me very happy.
3. Chicken Run (2000, #140). There's just something fun and silly about this movie. The jokes all work, all the way through.
4. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005, #205). While the Wallace and Gromit shorts are still my favorite, this is a pretty solid long-form version. It's great fun.
5. Rise of the Guardians (2012, #376). Possibly my favorite animated movie from 2012, I think this movie is severely underrated. The animation is astonishingly beautiful, the story is solid, the voice acting is engaging (Jude Law makes a GREAT villain), and it's just wonderfully creative. #376 is probably too low for this flick, because I really do love it a lot.
Bottom 5:
5. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002, #1915). I found this a horrifically boring movie, even for a movie about horses.
4. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000, #1945). DreamWorks' second attempt at a Biblical story told via animation did not go as well as their first. It was dull, had no memorable music at all, and the voice acting was bland.
3. Antz (1998, #1979). I'm not the biggest fan of A Bug's Life, but it was certainly better than this, which is a cheesy, awkward, unfunny movie that goes in too many directions and doesn't do well with any of them.
2. Shark Tale (2004, #1992). This movie exemplifies everything that DreamWorks gets wrong when it does get it wrong. The animation is creepy, the characters are obnoxious, the jokes are all pop culture references that are instantly dated.
1. Shrek the Third (2007, #2047). But even Shark Tale is not as bad as Shrek the Third, which does all that times a thousand. As you can see, I love the first Shrek movie, and I'm OK with the second. This one is just... awful and stupid.
What are your favorite DreamWorks movies?
Monday, July 14, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Sea Adventure
Well, hello again, everyone! I know it's been about a month since I posted here, but it's been a busy one. We moved from a house to an apartment much closer to my husband's workplace, and so it's been a month of packing and cleaning and unpacking and cleaning and while not everything is unpacked yet, things are getting done slowly. Hopefully now I can get back into the routine of blogging again.
But to start things off, here's a quick top 5, bottom 5 post, since I watched my 20th "sea adventure" movie last week with Deep Blue Sea. All Flickchart rankings are out of a total chart of 2176, as of this writing.
Top 5:
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, #42). One of my very favorite action/adventure movies, Pirates is still super fun to me. I didn't like any of the sequels, but I enjoy this one a lot.
2. Jaws (1975, #419). It's been awhile since I saw Jaws, but I thought it was solid and interesting the last (and first) time I watched it.
3. The Pirates of Penzance (1983, #437). A good, very funny film adaptation of what is probably my favorite Gilbert & Sullivan show of the three or four I know.
4. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012, #494). This movie didn't get anywhere near the attention I thought it deserved. An animated flick by Peter Lord, I thought it was funny and creative and entertaining.
5. Crimson Tide (1995, #655). A good serious sea adventure that I really need to get around to rewatching.
Bottom 5:
5. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001, #1805). For such an exciting and interesting premise, this movie is surprisingly boring.
4. Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989, #1817). This is the old BBC version of the story, and to be far, most of my downvoting here is for Prince Caspian, which I find the least interesting of all the Narnia stories. But Voyage isn't that fun either.
3. Rich and Strange (1931, #1848). I can remember very little about this movie except that I found it awkward and weird, so I can't really say whether it's justified being this far down the list.
2. Shark Tale (2004, #1983). Ugh, I hate this one so much. It's creepy and not funny at all and just bizarre.
1. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, #2079). OK, Shark Tale should definitely be further down the list with this one, because I don't hate it as much as I just find it blah.
Top 5 Sea Adventure Movies I Haven't Seen:
1. Das Boot (1981, #553 on global rankings)
2. The Abyss (1989, #593)
3. Lifeboat (1944, #600)
4. Titanic (1997, #741)
5. The Poseidon Adventure (1972, #1133)
What are your favorite movies set at sea? What do you think of these choices? Which of the top 5 unseen ones do you most think I should watch?
But to start things off, here's a quick top 5, bottom 5 post, since I watched my 20th "sea adventure" movie last week with Deep Blue Sea. All Flickchart rankings are out of a total chart of 2176, as of this writing.
Top 5:
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, #42). One of my very favorite action/adventure movies, Pirates is still super fun to me. I didn't like any of the sequels, but I enjoy this one a lot.
2. Jaws (1975, #419). It's been awhile since I saw Jaws, but I thought it was solid and interesting the last (and first) time I watched it.
3. The Pirates of Penzance (1983, #437). A good, very funny film adaptation of what is probably my favorite Gilbert & Sullivan show of the three or four I know.
4. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012, #494). This movie didn't get anywhere near the attention I thought it deserved. An animated flick by Peter Lord, I thought it was funny and creative and entertaining.
5. Crimson Tide (1995, #655). A good serious sea adventure that I really need to get around to rewatching.
Bottom 5:
5. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001, #1805). For such an exciting and interesting premise, this movie is surprisingly boring.
4. Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989, #1817). This is the old BBC version of the story, and to be far, most of my downvoting here is for Prince Caspian, which I find the least interesting of all the Narnia stories. But Voyage isn't that fun either.
3. Rich and Strange (1931, #1848). I can remember very little about this movie except that I found it awkward and weird, so I can't really say whether it's justified being this far down the list.
2. Shark Tale (2004, #1983). Ugh, I hate this one so much. It's creepy and not funny at all and just bizarre.
1. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954, #2079). OK, Shark Tale should definitely be further down the list with this one, because I don't hate it as much as I just find it blah.
Top 5 Sea Adventure Movies I Haven't Seen:
1. Das Boot (1981, #553 on global rankings)
2. The Abyss (1989, #593)
3. Lifeboat (1944, #600)
4. Titanic (1997, #741)
5. The Poseidon Adventure (1972, #1133)
What are your favorite movies set at sea? What do you think of these choices? Which of the top 5 unseen ones do you most think I should watch?
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Political Thrillers
Not long ago, I watched my 20th political drama, according to Flickchart, and this past week I watched my 20th and 21st political thrillers. That means it's time for a Top 5, Bottom 5 post! These rankings are all out of 2145 movies on my Flickchart thus far.
Top 5:
1. The Lives of Others (2006, #118). Calling this a "thriller" is probably a stretch, as it's a pretty slow-moving drama. But it is really, really amazing.
2. Fail-Safe (1964, #350). Man, this is a good movie. It reminds me of 12 Angry Men -- another Henry Fonda flick -- in that it's mostly people sitting around talking, but it's gripping stuff.
3. Argo (2012, #528). It's dropped down a few spots since I talked about it in my political drama blog. Still a pretty entertaining thriller though.
4. The Manchurian Candidate (1962, #552). Another one mentioned in my political drama blog. Super entertaining, even if the plot is kind of ridiculous.
5. The Crying Game (1992, #671). I just watched this one, although I definitely enjoyed the dramatic parts of it far more than the thriller parts. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, though.
Bottom 5:
5. Man Hunt (1941, #1335). I really like the end of this movie, but you have to wait through a lot of weird characterization to get there.
4. JFK (1991, #1473). This is a decent movie, but I felt every minute of those three hours. There have been plenty of three-hour movies that were really engaging throughout, but this was not one of them.
3. The Interpreter (2005, #1525). A fun premise that just doesn't live up to its potential.
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, #1737). I vastly prefer the 1930s version to this, which feels very, very slow to me and gives us approximately 10 trillion renditions of "Que Sera Sera." Actually, if that song hadn't been in the movie I'd probably like it much better.
1. The Art of War (2000, #1806). And this is the other one I just watched. To be honest, it's only been like a week since I saw this movie and I still can't remember what actually happened in it.
Top 5:
1. The Lives of Others (2006, #118). Calling this a "thriller" is probably a stretch, as it's a pretty slow-moving drama. But it is really, really amazing.
2. Fail-Safe (1964, #350). Man, this is a good movie. It reminds me of 12 Angry Men -- another Henry Fonda flick -- in that it's mostly people sitting around talking, but it's gripping stuff.
3. Argo (2012, #528). It's dropped down a few spots since I talked about it in my political drama blog. Still a pretty entertaining thriller though.
4. The Manchurian Candidate (1962, #552). Another one mentioned in my political drama blog. Super entertaining, even if the plot is kind of ridiculous.
5. The Crying Game (1992, #671). I just watched this one, although I definitely enjoyed the dramatic parts of it far more than the thriller parts. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, though.
Bottom 5:
5. Man Hunt (1941, #1335). I really like the end of this movie, but you have to wait through a lot of weird characterization to get there.
4. JFK (1991, #1473). This is a decent movie, but I felt every minute of those three hours. There have been plenty of three-hour movies that were really engaging throughout, but this was not one of them.
3. The Interpreter (2005, #1525). A fun premise that just doesn't live up to its potential.
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, #1737). I vastly prefer the 1930s version to this, which feels very, very slow to me and gives us approximately 10 trillion renditions of "Que Sera Sera." Actually, if that song hadn't been in the movie I'd probably like it much better.
1. The Art of War (2000, #1806). And this is the other one I just watched. To be honest, it's only been like a week since I saw this movie and I still can't remember what actually happened in it.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Hitman/Assassin Films
Well, since I've finished up Skye, I'm going to have to come up with actual blogs to fill my Fridays until snarky times start up again. I meant to write something real yesterday, but that never happened, so here's a quick blog I threw together after watching my 20th movie about hitmen/assassins... at least according to Flickchart.
Top 5:
1. In Bruges (2008, #197). I need to go back and rewatch this one, since it's been quite awhile, but I laughed super hard. When morbid humor gets it right, it really works for me.
2. Road to Perdition (2002, #426). Another one I should rewatch. I remember really loving the cinematography and thinking it was a surprisingly moving film.
3. Looper (2012, #446). A fun sci-fi flick that did pretty much exactly what I wanted and expected out of a time travel movie.
4. The Boondock Saints (1999, #541). This was the 20th one I saw, so it's fresh in my mind, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There's an odd over-the-top campy quality to the whole thing that I liked a lot.
5. The Manchurian Candidate (1962, #550). This is a CRAZY movie. Its insane plot tries to merge serious political drama and futuristic sci-fi silliness, and it should never have worked, but I have to admit I really enjoy it.
Bottom 5:
5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005, #1818). Really all I remember about this is how bored I was. I don't care for Brad Pitt as an action star, that's for sure.
4. Pulp Fiction (1994, #1524). I watched this when I really was too young to understand Tarantino, and now that I know I like his other stuff, I really need to rewatch this one as well and see if I like it any better. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
3. The Professional (1994, #1491). There are some cool actors involved here, but I just couldn't get into the story.
2. The Bourne Identity (2002, #1480). Generic bland action stuff I can't really appreciate. I never watched any of the others in the series.
1. Buddy Buddy (1981, #1376). I'll be honest, I don't remember most of this, and if I can't remember a Billy Wilder flick, something has gone terribly wrong.
What are your favorites? And for that matter, who are your favorite fictional hitmen?
Top 5:
1. In Bruges (2008, #197). I need to go back and rewatch this one, since it's been quite awhile, but I laughed super hard. When morbid humor gets it right, it really works for me.
2. Road to Perdition (2002, #426). Another one I should rewatch. I remember really loving the cinematography and thinking it was a surprisingly moving film.
3. Looper (2012, #446). A fun sci-fi flick that did pretty much exactly what I wanted and expected out of a time travel movie.
4. The Boondock Saints (1999, #541). This was the 20th one I saw, so it's fresh in my mind, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There's an odd over-the-top campy quality to the whole thing that I liked a lot.
5. The Manchurian Candidate (1962, #550). This is a CRAZY movie. Its insane plot tries to merge serious political drama and futuristic sci-fi silliness, and it should never have worked, but I have to admit I really enjoy it.
Bottom 5:
5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005, #1818). Really all I remember about this is how bored I was. I don't care for Brad Pitt as an action star, that's for sure.
4. Pulp Fiction (1994, #1524). I watched this when I really was too young to understand Tarantino, and now that I know I like his other stuff, I really need to rewatch this one as well and see if I like it any better. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
3. The Professional (1994, #1491). There are some cool actors involved here, but I just couldn't get into the story.
2. The Bourne Identity (2002, #1480). Generic bland action stuff I can't really appreciate. I never watched any of the others in the series.
1. Buddy Buddy (1981, #1376). I'll be honest, I don't remember most of this, and if I can't remember a Billy Wilder flick, something has gone terribly wrong.
What are your favorites? And for that matter, who are your favorite fictional hitmen?
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Alien Invasion Movies
Last week I watched my 20th political drama, and this week, with Ender's Game, I watched my 20th alien invasion movie. So, out of those 20, here are my top 5 and my bottom 5, out of 2118 movies in my Flickchart at the time I wrote this.
Top 5
1. The World's End (2013, #222). This is also one of my top 5 films of 2013, and probably my favorite of the Cornetto Trilogy. A wildly funny take on the idea of an alien invasion.
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, #259). Old horror movies can feel very dated, so I was surprised at how tense this movie was when I first watched it. It does a great job of building the suspense.
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, #320). This one does seem very dated, but I grew up on it and still really enjoy it. The characters are interesting and the story is a good one.
4. Mars Attacks! (1996, #460). Totally flips around the trope of well-meaning aliens that America gets way too aggressive about. Every time the aliens promise it'll be different and then just start gleefully shooting everyone for no reason, I start laughing.
5. Signs (2002, #709). Though this movie really does kind of fall apart once the aliens are seen, I think the build-up throughout creates a nice atmosphere and I enjoy the religious themes explored.
Bottom 5
5. Chicken Little (2005, #1740). A lame, unfunny attempt at retelling a kids' story.
4. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964, #1920). Not nearly ridiculous enough to enjoy on its own as a so-bad-it's-awesome movie. Thank goodness for MST3K.
3. Men in Black II (2002, #2004). I enjoy the first and third in this series, but this second one is painfully awful with absolutely no jokes that work.
2. Prince of Space (1959, #2089). This is probably unfairly low, as I seem to remember one or two unintentionally funny moments, but mostly I just remember it being boring and bad.
1. This Island Earth (1955, #2092). Also probably unfairly low, but the fact that I can hardly remember anything about it certainly doesn't speak in its favor.
How about you guys? What are your favorites and least favorites?
Top 5
1. The World's End (2013, #222). This is also one of my top 5 films of 2013, and probably my favorite of the Cornetto Trilogy. A wildly funny take on the idea of an alien invasion.
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, #259). Old horror movies can feel very dated, so I was surprised at how tense this movie was when I first watched it. It does a great job of building the suspense.
3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, #320). This one does seem very dated, but I grew up on it and still really enjoy it. The characters are interesting and the story is a good one.
4. Mars Attacks! (1996, #460). Totally flips around the trope of well-meaning aliens that America gets way too aggressive about. Every time the aliens promise it'll be different and then just start gleefully shooting everyone for no reason, I start laughing.
5. Signs (2002, #709). Though this movie really does kind of fall apart once the aliens are seen, I think the build-up throughout creates a nice atmosphere and I enjoy the religious themes explored.
Bottom 5
5. Chicken Little (2005, #1740). A lame, unfunny attempt at retelling a kids' story.
4. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964, #1920). Not nearly ridiculous enough to enjoy on its own as a so-bad-it's-awesome movie. Thank goodness for MST3K.
3. Men in Black II (2002, #2004). I enjoy the first and third in this series, but this second one is painfully awful with absolutely no jokes that work.
2. Prince of Space (1959, #2089). This is probably unfairly low, as I seem to remember one or two unintentionally funny moments, but mostly I just remember it being boring and bad.
1. This Island Earth (1955, #2092). Also probably unfairly low, but the fact that I can hardly remember anything about it certainly doesn't speak in its favor.
How about you guys? What are your favorites and least favorites?
Monday, April 21, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Political Dramas
(Last week was... not a great week, and I didn't get any blogs written. Anxiety went crazy at me, and I ended up having to spend way more time than usual to get basic everyday productive tasks done, which didn't leave a lot of time left for blogging. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things this week. In the meantime, here's what I've got today!)
I watched my 20th political drama this week, according to Flickchart (The Whistleblower, which landed at #10 out of 20). I figured that meant it was time to do a Top 5, Bottom 5 list for this particular genre. Rankings are out of 2109 movies currently on my chart.
Top 5:
1. Frost/Nixon (2008, #65). This is one example of why I love movies based on plays so much. The tension in this movie is carried entirely by taut dialogue and excellent acting, and it's captivating to watch.
2. All the President's Men (1976, #75). Apparently the Nixon era is my favorite historical period for political dramas. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are truly excellent here. Fascinating movie.
3. Argo (2012, #519). It wasn't my favorite movie of 2012 by far, but I was impressed by how interesting and exciting the story was. Go, Ben Affleck.
4. Malcolm X (1992, #634). I didn't know much about Malcolm X before watching this movie, and watching his story unfold was very interesting. Denzel Washington is great in this.
5. Amazing Grace (2006, #872). My first political drama about British politics, rather than American. I initially watched it just for Benedict Cumberbatch, but it's a pretty engaging story.
Bottom 5:
1. Island in the Sun (1957, #2019). This movie was excruciatingly boring. I forgot it existed approximately ten minutes after finishing it.
2. Paradise Now (2005, #2005, which is a fun coincidence). Someday I might give this another shot, but when I first saw it, I just didn't get it.
3. Medium Cool (1969, #1966, which is ALMOST a fun coincidence). I couldn't stay interested, and now I've almost completely forgotten it, so it'll probably be stuck in the bottom 200 of my chart for awhile.
4. To Kill a King (2003, #1691). Another one I watched solely for Benedict Cumberbatch, only to find out he plays, like... Royalist #2 or something and isn't even in it. Much as I like Tim Roth, this movie plods.
5. All the King's Men (2006, #1690). The problem with all the political dramas at the bottom of my list is that they were mostly just dull and now I've forgotten them. I can't think of a single memory I have of this movie.
What are your favorite political dramas? Is this a genre you like or dislike overall?
I watched my 20th political drama this week, according to Flickchart (The Whistleblower, which landed at #10 out of 20). I figured that meant it was time to do a Top 5, Bottom 5 list for this particular genre. Rankings are out of 2109 movies currently on my chart.
Top 5:
1. Frost/Nixon (2008, #65). This is one example of why I love movies based on plays so much. The tension in this movie is carried entirely by taut dialogue and excellent acting, and it's captivating to watch.
2. All the President's Men (1976, #75). Apparently the Nixon era is my favorite historical period for political dramas. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are truly excellent here. Fascinating movie.
3. Argo (2012, #519). It wasn't my favorite movie of 2012 by far, but I was impressed by how interesting and exciting the story was. Go, Ben Affleck.
4. Malcolm X (1992, #634). I didn't know much about Malcolm X before watching this movie, and watching his story unfold was very interesting. Denzel Washington is great in this.
5. Amazing Grace (2006, #872). My first political drama about British politics, rather than American. I initially watched it just for Benedict Cumberbatch, but it's a pretty engaging story.
Bottom 5:
1. Island in the Sun (1957, #2019). This movie was excruciatingly boring. I forgot it existed approximately ten minutes after finishing it.
2. Paradise Now (2005, #2005, which is a fun coincidence). Someday I might give this another shot, but when I first saw it, I just didn't get it.
3. Medium Cool (1969, #1966, which is ALMOST a fun coincidence). I couldn't stay interested, and now I've almost completely forgotten it, so it'll probably be stuck in the bottom 200 of my chart for awhile.
4. To Kill a King (2003, #1691). Another one I watched solely for Benedict Cumberbatch, only to find out he plays, like... Royalist #2 or something and isn't even in it. Much as I like Tim Roth, this movie plods.
5. All the King's Men (2006, #1690). The problem with all the political dramas at the bottom of my list is that they were mostly just dull and now I've forgotten them. I can't think of a single memory I have of this movie.
What are your favorite political dramas? Is this a genre you like or dislike overall?
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Top 5, Bottom 5: Movies With Colors in the Title
Someone asked on the Flickchart Facebook group this week how many movies in our top 100 had colors in the title, so I figured this was a good opportunity for me to write up a quick Top 5, Bottom 5 list of my favorites and least favorites! This is out of 2065 movies on my Flickchart thus far.
Top 5
1. Moulin Rouge! (2001, #3). I can watch this movie over and over again without ever getting tired of it.
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, #26). My second favorite Woody Allen flick of all time, with, as I've mentioned recently, an amazing performance from Jeff Daniels.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, #40). While this may be a bit too high for this movie, I still do really enjoy it, mostly thanks to Johnny Depp's uber-fun performance.
4. On Golden Pond (1981, #108). I owe this one a rewatch soon, as it's been way too long since my last viewing. I remember being captivated by Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn's performances.
5. Black Swan (2010, #124). King's Speech is a good movie and all, but this bizarre yet beautiful movie by Darren Aronofsky pretty easily gets my vote for best movie of 2010.
Bottom 5
1. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde (2003, #2055). The first movie was fluffy but forgettable, but this one... holy crap, it was painfully bad.
2. Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995, #2004). This is probably too low for this movie, as I don't remember it being painful... but then again I can't remember it at all, so it certainly wasn't good.
3. Ladies in Lavender (2004, #1969). Another one that is just mind-numbingly boring. I had high hopes for it and then couldn't even pay attention through most of it.
4. Aquamarine (2006, #1938). Whoo, this movie was dumb, even for a preteen romance.
5. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012, #1814). A dismal, ugly movie that became ridiculous the minute it tried to pretend Kristen Stewart was objectively prettier than Charlize Theron.
How about you? What are some of your favorite/least favorite color-titled movies?
Top 5
1. Moulin Rouge! (2001, #3). I can watch this movie over and over again without ever getting tired of it.
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, #26). My second favorite Woody Allen flick of all time, with, as I've mentioned recently, an amazing performance from Jeff Daniels.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003, #40). While this may be a bit too high for this movie, I still do really enjoy it, mostly thanks to Johnny Depp's uber-fun performance.
4. On Golden Pond (1981, #108). I owe this one a rewatch soon, as it's been way too long since my last viewing. I remember being captivated by Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn's performances.
5. Black Swan (2010, #124). King's Speech is a good movie and all, but this bizarre yet beautiful movie by Darren Aronofsky pretty easily gets my vote for best movie of 2010.
Bottom 5
1. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde (2003, #2055). The first movie was fluffy but forgettable, but this one... holy crap, it was painfully bad.
2. Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995, #2004). This is probably too low for this movie, as I don't remember it being painful... but then again I can't remember it at all, so it certainly wasn't good.
3. Ladies in Lavender (2004, #1969). Another one that is just mind-numbingly boring. I had high hopes for it and then couldn't even pay attention through most of it.
4. Aquamarine (2006, #1938). Whoo, this movie was dumb, even for a preteen romance.
5. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012, #1814). A dismal, ugly movie that became ridiculous the minute it tried to pretend Kristen Stewart was objectively prettier than Charlize Theron.
How about you? What are some of your favorite/least favorite color-titled movies?
Monday, September 23, 2013
Top 5, Bottom 5: Parodies and Spoofs
Parodies are hard to get right, but when they're good, they're really good. Here are my favorite and least favorite parodies, according to Flickchart.
Top 5:
1. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2003, #25). One of my very favorite comedies, Lost Skeleton is a hilarious parody of bad 1950s sci fi B-movies. It gets the wooden dialogue and acting just perfect and has some of the most quotable lines ever.
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, #38). Monty Python's parody of the Arthur legend is ridiculous and silly and easily my favorite of the comedy group's full-length movies.
3. Airplane! (1980, #175). The snappy one-liners are the best reason to watch this classic. Even if one joke doesn't make you laugh, there's another one just around the corner that probably will.
4. Take the Money and Run (1969, #185). This is easily my favorite of Woody Allen's very early film, with a great series of jokes. It's also one of the earlier examples of a mockumentary before they became super popular.
5. Love and Death (1975, #253). I just rewatched this the other day, and it is so funny. Even if you're not familiar with the styles Allen is spoofing, the scenes and dialogue are funny enough on their own that you'll still enjoy them all.
Bottom 5:
1. Spaceballs (1987, #1770). I know a lot of people love this movie, but to me it showcases everything I hate about bad parody. Instead of parodying an actual movie or genre by mimicking dialogue or acting styles, it relies on lame name puns and standalone jokes that have little to do with what it claims to be parodying. Blech.
2. The Cheap Detective (1978, #1588). You know, I don't even remember anything about this movie aside from the fact that I never laughed.
3. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, #1581). The entire premise of this movie seemed to be that it is intrinsically funny to put a bunch of sexual references into a Robin Hood story. That kind of anachronism can only go so far with its humor.
4. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983, #1355). Monty Python manages to make favorite and least favorite. Nice. This one just has a lot of dud sketches mixed in with only one or two great ones, and then ends with one of the most unpleasant scenes I've ever seen on film.
5. Get Smart (2008, #1326). Just a lame series of jokes that were not entertaining as either a parody of the show itself or spy films and TV shows in general.
Top 5:
1. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2003, #25). One of my very favorite comedies, Lost Skeleton is a hilarious parody of bad 1950s sci fi B-movies. It gets the wooden dialogue and acting just perfect and has some of the most quotable lines ever.
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, #38). Monty Python's parody of the Arthur legend is ridiculous and silly and easily my favorite of the comedy group's full-length movies.
3. Airplane! (1980, #175). The snappy one-liners are the best reason to watch this classic. Even if one joke doesn't make you laugh, there's another one just around the corner that probably will.
4. Take the Money and Run (1969, #185). This is easily my favorite of Woody Allen's very early film, with a great series of jokes. It's also one of the earlier examples of a mockumentary before they became super popular.
5. Love and Death (1975, #253). I just rewatched this the other day, and it is so funny. Even if you're not familiar with the styles Allen is spoofing, the scenes and dialogue are funny enough on their own that you'll still enjoy them all.
Bottom 5:
1. Spaceballs (1987, #1770). I know a lot of people love this movie, but to me it showcases everything I hate about bad parody. Instead of parodying an actual movie or genre by mimicking dialogue or acting styles, it relies on lame name puns and standalone jokes that have little to do with what it claims to be parodying. Blech.
2. The Cheap Detective (1978, #1588). You know, I don't even remember anything about this movie aside from the fact that I never laughed.
3. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, #1581). The entire premise of this movie seemed to be that it is intrinsically funny to put a bunch of sexual references into a Robin Hood story. That kind of anachronism can only go so far with its humor.
4. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983, #1355). Monty Python manages to make favorite and least favorite. Nice. This one just has a lot of dud sketches mixed in with only one or two great ones, and then ends with one of the most unpleasant scenes I've ever seen on film.
5. Get Smart (2008, #1326). Just a lame series of jokes that were not entertaining as either a parody of the show itself or spy films and TV shows in general.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Top 5, Bottom 5: Musicals
It's hard to believe I haven't already done one of these for my favorite musical movies, but it appears I haven't. So here's the list, out of 214 movie musicals and 1956 total movies I've ranked on Flickchart.
Top 5:
1. Moulin Rouge! (2001, #3). I absolutely love what this movie does visually during the musical numbers. It takes the primary emotion of the music, gives it visual representation, and amps it up to like 10,000. Highlights: "Your Song" and "El Tango de Roxanne."
2. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008, #5). The movie that made me fall in love with both Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris. These songs are not only musically interesting, they're very lyrically complex. The musical commentary is nearly as good as the original feature.
3. Beauty and the Beast (1991, #6). My favorite Disney flick and my favorite fairy tale. Great musical numbers in this one as well, from cheerful flashy numbers like "Be Our Guest" to the super dark ominous sound of "The Mob Song."
4. Singin' in the Rain (1952, #7). This is a near-perfect movie. In fact, aside from the lengthy and mostly-uninteresting "Broadway Melody" number at the end, I'd argue this pretty much is a perfect movie. So much happiness in all the songs and dances!
5. This Is Spinal Tap (1984, #10). The first one that probably most people don't think of as a musical. It's a spectacularly funny movie with lots of subtle humor that keeps creeping up on me. It might be a little high on my list these days, but I still really enjoy it.
Bottom 5:
1. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978, #1951). Oh, man, this is a painful one. Let's not even think about this one again.
2. 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003, #1919). I don't even remember there being songs in this one, so clearly they weren't terribly interesting or important.
3. Tarzan II (2005, #1915). Or in this one. I don't remember this movie at all, just that I thought it was extremely stupid.
4. Frosty Returns (1992, #1907). Oh, wait, I think this one did have like one song. I really like the original Frosty the Snowman cartoon, but this one is dumb and awful and ridiculous.
5. Oklahoma! (1955, #1890). I figured this one would show up. It's easily my least favorite stage musical of all time. I hate everything about it - the annoying but forever catchy songs, the obnoxious characters, and the dialogue and plot development that makes no sense from beginning to end. Ugh.
Top 5:
1. Moulin Rouge! (2001, #3). I absolutely love what this movie does visually during the musical numbers. It takes the primary emotion of the music, gives it visual representation, and amps it up to like 10,000. Highlights: "Your Song" and "El Tango de Roxanne."
2. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008, #5). The movie that made me fall in love with both Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris. These songs are not only musically interesting, they're very lyrically complex. The musical commentary is nearly as good as the original feature.
3. Beauty and the Beast (1991, #6). My favorite Disney flick and my favorite fairy tale. Great musical numbers in this one as well, from cheerful flashy numbers like "Be Our Guest" to the super dark ominous sound of "The Mob Song."
4. Singin' in the Rain (1952, #7). This is a near-perfect movie. In fact, aside from the lengthy and mostly-uninteresting "Broadway Melody" number at the end, I'd argue this pretty much is a perfect movie. So much happiness in all the songs and dances!
5. This Is Spinal Tap (1984, #10). The first one that probably most people don't think of as a musical. It's a spectacularly funny movie with lots of subtle humor that keeps creeping up on me. It might be a little high on my list these days, but I still really enjoy it.
Bottom 5:
1. The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978, #1951). Oh, man, this is a painful one. Let's not even think about this one again.
2. 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003, #1919). I don't even remember there being songs in this one, so clearly they weren't terribly interesting or important.
3. Tarzan II (2005, #1915). Or in this one. I don't remember this movie at all, just that I thought it was extremely stupid.
4. Frosty Returns (1992, #1907). Oh, wait, I think this one did have like one song. I really like the original Frosty the Snowman cartoon, but this one is dumb and awful and ridiculous.
5. Oklahoma! (1955, #1890). I figured this one would show up. It's easily my least favorite stage musical of all time. I hate everything about it - the annoying but forever catchy songs, the obnoxious characters, and the dialogue and plot development that makes no sense from beginning to end. Ugh.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Top 5, Bottom 5: Woody Allen
I haven't done one of these in awhile, so let's devote one to my all-time favorite director! I have seen all but four of Allen's movies, and I debated holding onto this list until I finished those four, but, well, I needed a blog for today. So let's look at my favorite and least favorite Woody Allen movies. They're ranked out of 1945 movies on my Flickchart currently.
Top 5:
1. Annie Hall (1977, #4). This is not only my favorite Woody Allen flick, it's one of the four movies that keeps jumping in and out of my #1 of all time spot. I just feel happy and encouraged and refreshed after watching it. It's a perfect blend of sentimentality and cynicism.
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, #26). Jeff Daniels in this movie is just a great character. The movie has such an amazing premise, and even though the ending is... something of a twist, I think it's an incredible flick. Solid all the way through.
3. Midnight in Paris (2011, #75). Allen's first really brilliant film in a long, long time. It's smart and fun and charming and has that beautiful combination of fantasy and reality that I love in his movies. Plus, it has one of my favorite movie quotes ever: "That's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life's a little unsatisfying."
4. Scoop (2006, #92). Scoop doesn't have a lot of love from critics, but it's my favorite just-silly Allen. I love the premise, I love Hugh Jackman in it, it has some of my favorite bits of dialogue ("I think the glass is half full, but with poison") and it's just all great fun as long as you don't think about it too much.
5. Bullets Over Broadway (1994, #139). This is the first one on my list I don't own and haven't yet watched multiple times. I should do that. The set up here is just great, and of all the people Allen's ever cast as himself in his movies, John Cusack is my favorite.
Bottom 5:
1. Celebrity (1998, #1731). I just didn't enjoy this one, not even a little bit. While John Cusack is my favorite Woody Allen acting substitute, Kenneth Branagh seems to just be doing an awkward impersonation of him all the way through and it's very awkward. The main theme didn't come through clearly, the jokes weren't funny... it was just long and uninteresting.
2. Whatever Works (2009, #1678). And Larry David's version of Woody Allen seems thoroughly unlikeable. Allen's movies always carry an air of discontent and snobbery, but while it makes me smile when Allen himself plays it, David's interpretation just makes me go, "That is a very angry man."
3. Sleeper (1973, #1590). Easily my least favorite of his early ones. The jokes all seem obvious and fairly dumb. I watched this with a fellow Woody Allen fan and neither one of us got the hype.
4. Stardust Memories (1980, #1502). This one isn't poorly made so much as paying homage to films I'd never seen, so I just didn't get most of it. I'll have to try it again sometime when I have more frame of reference.
5. A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982, #1273). Note the jump in Flickchart ranking. We're out of the ones I don't like and into the ones I was just OK with. There's nothing really bad about this movie, but it never really made me laugh either.
Top 5:
1. Annie Hall (1977, #4). This is not only my favorite Woody Allen flick, it's one of the four movies that keeps jumping in and out of my #1 of all time spot. I just feel happy and encouraged and refreshed after watching it. It's a perfect blend of sentimentality and cynicism.
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985, #26). Jeff Daniels in this movie is just a great character. The movie has such an amazing premise, and even though the ending is... something of a twist, I think it's an incredible flick. Solid all the way through.
3. Midnight in Paris (2011, #75). Allen's first really brilliant film in a long, long time. It's smart and fun and charming and has that beautiful combination of fantasy and reality that I love in his movies. Plus, it has one of my favorite movie quotes ever: "That's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life's a little unsatisfying."
4. Scoop (2006, #92). Scoop doesn't have a lot of love from critics, but it's my favorite just-silly Allen. I love the premise, I love Hugh Jackman in it, it has some of my favorite bits of dialogue ("I think the glass is half full, but with poison") and it's just all great fun as long as you don't think about it too much.
5. Bullets Over Broadway (1994, #139). This is the first one on my list I don't own and haven't yet watched multiple times. I should do that. The set up here is just great, and of all the people Allen's ever cast as himself in his movies, John Cusack is my favorite.
Bottom 5:
1. Celebrity (1998, #1731). I just didn't enjoy this one, not even a little bit. While John Cusack is my favorite Woody Allen acting substitute, Kenneth Branagh seems to just be doing an awkward impersonation of him all the way through and it's very awkward. The main theme didn't come through clearly, the jokes weren't funny... it was just long and uninteresting.
2. Whatever Works (2009, #1678). And Larry David's version of Woody Allen seems thoroughly unlikeable. Allen's movies always carry an air of discontent and snobbery, but while it makes me smile when Allen himself plays it, David's interpretation just makes me go, "That is a very angry man."
3. Sleeper (1973, #1590). Easily my least favorite of his early ones. The jokes all seem obvious and fairly dumb. I watched this with a fellow Woody Allen fan and neither one of us got the hype.
4. Stardust Memories (1980, #1502). This one isn't poorly made so much as paying homage to films I'd never seen, so I just didn't get most of it. I'll have to try it again sometime when I have more frame of reference.
5. A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982, #1273). Note the jump in Flickchart ranking. We're out of the ones I don't like and into the ones I was just OK with. There's nothing really bad about this movie, but it never really made me laugh either.
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