Pick your movie of the week: Car Titles (Apr 28 – May 4, 2024)

Every day I work with cars, and many of them have names that are in movie titles, like the Toyota Matrix or the Chrysler 300. In 2016 when the Star Wars movie Rogue One was released, Nissan dealerships even had marketing campaigns using the movie’s title and characters. Here are three more, all cars I’ve worked on. You can vote according to the movie, the car, or whatever fits you. Vote with a comment:

Silverado (1985, Chevrolet)

Highlander (1986, Toyota)

The Patriot (2000, Jeep)

Criminally Funny Movies

There are so many good crime/comedies that I decided to take all the ones I’ve seen (that I can remember) and break them down into several smaller lists. Here are the criteria:

• They fall under both categories of “crime” and “comedy” according to IMDb.
• They do not include heist, con artist, superhero, or spy movies, as I see them as really having their own genre. I also didn’t include biopics.
• This time I’ve listed them in order of how much I enjoy(ed) them. No critical thinking this time.

And here we go…

Best Crime Comedies: “Good Guys”

1. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
2. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
3. Miss Congeniality (2000)
4. Fletch franchise (1985-2022)
5. I Care A Lot (2020)
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 1&2 (2009, 2015)
7. The Naked Gun trilogy (1988-1994)
8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
9. Glass Onion (2022)
10. Knives Out (2019)

Honourable Mention: Charlie’s Angels (2000)

Best Crime Comedies: “Bad Guys”

1. Where’d You Go Bernadette (2019)
2. Small Time Crooks (2000)
3. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
4. In Bruges (2008)
5. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
6. American Hustle (2013)
7. Logan Lucky (2017)
8. Snatch (2000)
9. Kajillionaire (2020)
10. Raising Arizona (1987)

Honourable Mentions: Throw Momma From the Train (1987); Blue Streak (1999); Johnny Dangerously (1984)

Best Crime Comedies: “Buddy Cop”

1. 48 Hours (1982)
2. 21 Jump Street series (2012, 2014)
3. Dragnet (1987)
4. Rush Hour trilogy (1998-2007)
5. Turner & Hooch (1989)
6. The Other Guys (2010)
7. The Nice Guys (2016)

Best Crime Comedies: “Unexpectedly caught in the middle of crime”

1. Analyze That (2002)
2. Analyze This (1999)
3. Keanu (2016)
4. See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
5. The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
6. Date Night (2010)
7. My Cousin Vinny (1992) – I find this one to be more of a courtroom comedy, but it fits the criteria. Plus it’s awesome.
8. Strange Brew (1983)
9. Game Night (2018)
10. The Big Lebowski (1998)

Congratulations The Other Guys. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Kim Basinger as Judith Kuttner in The Nice Guys

Best Actor: Daniel Craig as Joe Bang in Logan Lucky

Best Quote: “Your farts aren’t manly… They sound like a baby blowing out birthday candles.” – Mark Wahlberg as Terry Hoitz in The Other Guys

 

Crime is no laughing matter. But in the movies they are. Last night the Leafs lost to the Bruins in game 1 of the 2024 NHL playoffs. And THAT is no laughing matter.

 

Pick your movie of the week: 10’s Comedies (Apr 21-27, 2024)

The last full decade was a good one for some iconic comedies, such as Bridesmaids (2011), Game Night (2018), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Deadpool (2016), and The Big Sick (2017). Here are three others that I got a good laugh out of. Choose one you think should be our movie of the week, using whatever selection method you choose…

The Other Guys (2010)

The Nice Guys (2016)

Logan Lucky (2017)

It’s Not Easy Being Jessie

Yesterday while I was working, “Bein’ Green” by Kermit the Frog popped up on my random shuffle playlist. It’s quite a long list of songs, so it’s every once in a while that I hear it. “Bein’ Green” is the earliest memory I have of a song hitting me deep inside. Not that it made me emotional, but I could feel the song. Could I identify with it. Was inspired by it.

So yesterday, another kind of memory came to mind. Like most of us, I grew up learning the virtues of not “feeling sorry for yourself.” If someone was by themselves moping, someone else was saying, “Aw there they go, feeling sorry for themselves.” Or maybe a motivational speaker tells a group of kids that in times of struggle they have two choices: 1) “You can feel sorry for yourself, or 2) you can pull up your socks–or bootstraps or something–and get out there and…” This came to my mind when Kermit’s voice started crooning while I sanded a bumper. It made me wonder, “Well, what’s Kermit doing in this song then?”

Of course, feeling sorry for oneself is real and should be avoided. But maybe some of those times we accused someone of this (including ourselves), we simply mistook someone who was actually just sad. And were there times when we gave someone the same advice as the aforementioned motivational speaker, and we inadvertently told them that when they feel sad, to just bury it.

I like what Kermit does in his song. He identifies something in life that’s hard, acknowledges it, acknowledges how it feels, and looks to the positive reality of it. Instead of burying it, he deals with it.

It’s the same thing that I remember Jessie doing in Toy Story 2. Talk about a child’s song that hits us where it counts, anyone with a pulse was moved when her story is revealed with the help of Sarah McLauchlan’s powerful delivering of “When She Loved Me.” And like Kermit, Jessie lets it be known what she’s dealing with and allows herself to be sad. Her arc brings her to Kermit’s conclusion as well, though it’s through a story, not lyrics, that we see it happen.

Something tells me we were a lot better at this as children than we are as adults.

Congratulations Toy Story 2. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Holly Hunter as Helen/Elastigirl in Incredibles 2

Best Actor: Idris Elba and Dominic West as Fluke and Rudder in Finding Dory. They were a great pair of seals.

Best Quote: “For a guy with three hearts you’re not very nice.” – Ellen Degeneres as Dory in Finding Dory

My top 10 favourite Disney and/or Pixar original movie songs

1. “One Little Slip” – Chicken Little
2. “Into the Unknown” – Frozen II
3. “Married Life” – Up
4. “I Have a Dream” – Tangled
5. “Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me” – Monsters Inc. (It’s very short, but it counts.)
6. “Un Poco Loco” – Coco 
7. “How Far I’ll Go” – Moana 
8. “Immortals” – Big Hero 6
9. “When She Loved Me” – Toy Story 2 
10. “Remember Me” – Coco 

Though none of them can compare to “Bein’ Green.” Just sayin’.

Pick your movie of the week: Pixar Sequels (April 14-20, 2024)

Coming out in theaters this year is Inside Out 2. As a fan of the first one, I sure hope this new one is at least ok. Some of Pixar’s sequels are forgettable, but some are really good. Here are three that I liked a lot, so pick one to be our movie of the week and vote for it with a comment.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Finding Dory (2016)

Incredibles 2 (2018)

 

Greatest Opening Movie Scenes

Recently I saw the opening scene of The Mask of Zorro. It was such a good action and adventure scene, complete with music, a brooding villain, inept henchmen, unrealistic stunts, and an unbeatable hero. I loved it! And seeing as it’s the first scene, I don’t think it would be a spoiler to reveal that you get to see Anthony Hopkins as Zorro. Can you get any cooler??

It got me thinking of the greatest opening scenes in movies. There are so many of them (from Citizen Kane to Deadpool) that I couldn’t possibly provide an apt representation. However, here is what I could come up with as the 20 greatest  movie openings of the last 100 years:

1. Batman (1989) – It’s not necessarily the greatest acting or set, but the swell of Danny Elfman’s music with the iconic “I’m Batman” from Michael Keaton permanently established this opening as a bona fide pop culture artifact.
2. The Lord of War (2005) – There’s a monologue by Nicholas Cage standing in a street full of bullets, followed by the journey of a single bullet being made, shipped, loaded, and shot, while Buffalo Springfield sings “For What It’s Worth.” Awesome.
3. Dumb and Dumber (1994) – “Let’s throw another shrimp on the baw-bee.” The reveal of what Lloyd Christmas is actually doing in the limo is classic comedy at its best.
4. The Dark Knight (2008) – A bank heist by men in clown masks. Back stabbings. A bus’s arrival. “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you makes you… stranger!”
5. Scream (1996) – If you can believe it, I’ve never seen this movie. But the opening scene has a reputation all its own, to the point that I believe it deserves a solid spot here.
6. Goodfellas (1990) – It’s gruesome, but so memorable. It grabs your attention and makes you want to see what happens next.
7. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – As much as I love the opening of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), this is the best one of any western. If you haven’t seen this movie, at least watch the first 10 minutes or so.
8. Touch of Evil (1958) – It’s a continuous 3-minute camera shot, and considering the year it was made, it’s nothing short of amazing. I wasn’t a fan of the movie, but it’s an opening that can’t be denied. 
9. The Sound of Music (1965) – I have no idea how they did that shot where they go from flying over mountains for miles, then zoom right in on a figure you can at first barely see. She spins and stops at just the right moment. I don’t have to know. It just looks incredible.
10. Up (2009) – The montage of Carl and Ellie exploded in 2009. Everyone was talking about “that first part where…” Very few romantic and/or sad scenes in all of movie history can even come close to how good it is, and how much it’s loved. 
11. Trainspotting (1996) – Choose life. This one is striking. There is so much that happens in the movie, but nothing gets by the imagery of the opening scene in my memory.
12. The Matrix (1999) – We didn’t even know they could do that in movies! Seeing Trinity do her thing is something no viewer can forget.  
13. It (2017) – Georgie chasing the paper boat and meeting Pennywise is chilling. And unforgettable.
14. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – I’ve seen this movie, and though the opening is not among my favourites, its reputation as well as impact on future movie making is the stuff of legends. The dawn of man…
15. Jaws (1975) – Two characters that no one cares anything about start the movie. But what happens in that scene is so masterfully done, drawing out the fear in you and keeps you helplessly glued to your seat.
16. Inglourious Basterds (2009) – It’s mostly just two people sitting at a table talking, so it’s hard to imagine that it can score so high on a list like this. But does it ever. Has to be seen to be believed. 
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – No scene sets up a hero as good as this one. The whole movie is classic, but the opening is one of the most epic and iconic in all of cinema.
18. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Many movies do a wonderful job of portraying the horrors of war, but none can beat this Spielberg masterpiece.
19. The Lion King (1994) – It’s that one fraction of a second. It’s all that’s needed for someone to know what movie it is. A great song that sets the tone, the setting (in such a refreshing way considering Africa was rarely well-represented in movies before 1994), the majesty, and everything else that’s great about The Lion King.
20. Star Wars (1977) – The giant ship chasing down another in space shooting lazers followed by the arrival of Darth Vader is pretty awesome, but that’s not what makes this one so high on the list. It’s the appearance of “long ago in a galaxy far, far away…” followed by the movie title and John Williams score. It’s so triumphant, so attention grabbing, and instantly recognizable to virtually anyone on the planet.

Congratulations The Mask of Zorro. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Olivia Coleman as Anne in The Father

Best Actor: Aside from Anthony Hopkins, how about Ralph Macchio as Joseph Stefano in Hitchcock?

Best Quote: [Alejandro draws his sword] Don Diego de la Vega:  “Do you know how to use that thing?”  Alejandro Murrieta: Yeah. The pointy end goes into the other man.

My top 10 favourite swashbuckling movies

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
2. Robin Hood (1973, Disney animated)
3. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
4. The Mask of Zorro (1998)
5. Peter Pan (2003)
6. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
7. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
8. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
9. Hook (1991)
10. The Princess Bride (1987)

 

Pick your movie of the week: Anthony Hopkins (April 7-13, 2024)

I can’t believe we have never had this acting behemoth as a theme on here! My first exposure to him was the same as a lot of people in my generation: The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Here are three others of his for us to choose from to be our movie of the week. Vote with a comment:

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

Hitchcock (2012)

The Father (2020)

Name That Romance Movie

There are 10 questions, and the focus is romance-drama. See how much of a hopeless movie romantic you are…

1. This Molly Ringwald classic had a character named “Duckie”:
   1. Sixteen Candles (1984)
   2. The Pick-up Artist (1987)
   3. Pretty in Pink (1986)

2. Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, taught Bradley Cooper how to play guitar in preparation for his role in…
   1. Maestro (2023)
   2. Valentine’s Day (2010)
   3. A Star is Born (2018)
      
      
3. Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford played opposite each other in this 70’s romance:
   1. The Way We Were (1973)
   2. Annie Hall (1977)
   3. Love Story (1970)

4. This movie still has the best selling soundtrack of all time:
   1. Titanic (1997)
   2. The Bodyguard (1992)
   3. Grease (1978)

5. Which movie did a 2016 British Film Institute survey conclude was the best LGBT of all time?
   1. Boys Don’t Cry (1999) 
   2. Carol (2015)
   3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

6. Rick, Ilsa, and Sam are all characters from this old classic:
   1. Casablanca (1942)
   2. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
   3. Sabrina (1954)

7. Patrick Swayze said that the sexiest thing he’d ever done in a movie was in this one: 
   1. Dirty Dancing (1987)
   2. Road House (1989)
   3. Ghost (1990)

8. The actors playing the romantic couple in this Nicholas Sparks movie did not get along with each other at first. One even tried to have the other replaced. But the director gave them a chance to air their grievances in a kind of intervention. It worked.
   1. The Notebook (2004)
   2. Message in a Bottle (1999)
   3. A Walk to Remember (2002)

9. Which of the following Audrey Hepburn movies does Carey Grant play her love interest?
   1. Roman Holiday (1953)
   2. Charade (1963)
   3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

10. Ranker.com is a crowd-sourcing site that allows people to vote on a kajillion different categories. This movie currently sits at #1 in the category of “Best Romance Drama Movies”:
    1. Love Actually (2003)
    2. The Notebook (2004)
    3. Sense and Sensibility (2005)

BONUS QUESTION: Who sang “Carolina” for the soundtrack of Where the Crawdads Sing?

1. 1. Taylor Swift
   2. Ariana Grande 
   3. Lana Del Rey

Congratulations Where the Crawdads Sing. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Brie Larson as Ma in Room AND as Jeannette in The Glass Castle

Best Actor: Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings in Gone Girl

Best Quote: “We’re so cute. I wanna punch us in the face.” – Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl

 

ANSWERS

1. C) Pretty in Pink
2. C) A Star is Born
3. A) The Way We Were
4. B) The Bodyguard
5. B) Carol
6. A) Casablanca
7. C) Ghost – It was the pottery scene he was referring to.
8. A) The Notebook – It worked so well they became a real life couple afterward. And it was Ryan Gosling who originally tried to get Rachel McAdams replaced. 
9. B) Charade
10. C) Sense and Sensibility

BONUS QUESTION: A) Taylor Swift

Happy Easter everyone.

Pick your movie of the week: Adaptations (Mar 31-Apr 6, 2024)

My wife is such an avid reader, and something we both find a lot of fun is watching a movie after she has read the book. The following nominees for our new movie of the week are all examples of that; and I’d say we really enjoyed each one. Whether you liked the book, the movie, both, or just have a good feeling about one of them, throw it a vote in a comment:

Gone Girl (2012)

Room (2015)

The Glass Castle (2017)

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

The Top 10 Quintessential “Teen Movies”

Let’s start with ones that I don’t believe should be included. They may technically fall into the category of “teen movie,” but I chose not to count them. Here they are:

• Back to the Future (1985)
• Dead Poets Society (1989)
• Freaky Friday (1976, 2003)
• Never Been Kissed (1999)
• Red Dawn (1984)
• Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
• Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996)
• Stand by Me (1986)
• School of Rock (2003)
• Spider-Man movies
• Donnie Darko (2001)
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023)

They’re good movies, yes, but there’s something about each one that doesn’t fit the description for me. Speaking of which, here are some prerequisites that I used as a guide to compile this top 10:

A. The main characters, and usually most of the secondary characters, are teenagers.

B. The marketing is/was directed at teenagers as a target audience. A good example of this is Never Been Kissed, which was directed more to adults who enjoy romcoms.

C. The plot often focuses on teenage subculture and interests.

D. Another genre cannot be a more obvious theme. For example, Spider-Man: Homecoming is more of a superhero movie than a teen movie. (This one is a big reason for many of the exclusions listed above.)

And, of course, the top 10 is not based on my preferences (otherwise Better Off Dead and Eighth Grade would’ve made it), but rather the ones that have secured their spot in the zeitgeist as quintessential teen movies. Drum roll please…

1. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
2. American Pie (1999)
3. Heathers (1988)
4. Pretty in Pink (1986)
5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
6. High School Musical (2006)
7. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
8. Mean Girls (2004)
9. Clueless (1995)
10. The Breakfast Club (1985)

And here is a collection of ones that were also considered. Keep in mind, there may be a better or more “classic” movie that didn’t make the list, but the top 10 were more firmly planted in the teen movie genre. 

Say Anything (1989) American Graffiti (1973) Thirteen (2003) Grease (1978) Teen Wolf (1985) Easy A (2010) A Walk to Remember (2002) The Fault in Our Stars (2014) Dirty Dancing (1987) Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) Sixteen Candles (1984)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) School Ties (1992) The Outsiders (1983) Footloose (1984) Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Dazed and Confused (1993) Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist (2008) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) The Edge of Seventeen (2016) Eighth Grade (2018) Juno (2007)

Better Off Dead (1985) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Booksmart (2019) Lady Bird (2017) I Love You Beth Cooper (2009) Say Anything (1989) Bye Bye Birdie (1963) Bottoms (2023) Hairspray (1988, 2007) Superbad (2007) Twilight (2008) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

And the following I have not seen, so there may be one of them that should have made the list (?):

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012); Love, Simon (2018); To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018); She’s the Man (2006); She’s All That (1999); Paper Towns (2015); The Spectacular Now (2013); Bring It On (2000)

Congratulations The Fault in Our Stars. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett as Dr. Lilith Ritter in Nightmare Alley

Best Actor: Adrien Brody as Dmitri in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Quote: “Who’s got the throat-slitter?” – Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel

My top 10 favourite Willem Dafoe Movies:

1. Nightmare Alley (2021)
2. Clear and Present Danger (1994)
3. John Wick (2014)
4. Inside Man (2006)
5. The Aviator (2004)
6. Mississippi Burning (1988)
7. The Florida Project (2017)
8. Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
9. Poor Things (2023)
10. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)