The Fall Film Challenge 2017

I've participated in every one of Jenn's Fall Film Challenges, but I've never finished.  Jenn was the same with my book challenges, until the last one...she conquered it.  So, now I'm feeling the heat to complete her challenge as well. 

Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out this link.

Some of these were tough to choose.  I'd find a movie that I'd want to see, but I'd have no idea what category it would work for.  So, some of these may be a stretch... Updated: I need some help with one of the categories, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

one. starring anthony hopkins. - Thor: Ragnarok

two. listed on nathan bransford's best hundred movies challenge. - 25th Hour

three. about charity: an organization, an individual, a cause, an act... interpret this as you will. - The Way Way Back - the guy at the water park tries to help out an awkward teen; that's somewhat of a charitable act, correct?

four. starring robert downey, jr. - Good Night, and Good Luck - I've pretty much seen every RDJ movie I want to see, but I'll give this one a shot.
five. about envy: a character, a plot device... use your imagination - Memoirs of a Geisha

six. about faith. - Spotlight

seven. about greed. - Deepwater Horizon

eight. about hope. - Sing Street

nine. starring jeremy irons. - High-Rise

ten. about justice. - Patriots Day

eleven. starring kevin bacon. - Black Mass

twelve. about lust. - Lawless

thirteen. starring ian mckellen. - The Da Vinci Code

fourteen. set in a castle. - The King's Speech - He's a king; he spends some time in a castle, right?

fifteen. about fortitude. - The Birth of a Nation

sixteen. about pride. - Cinderella Man

seventeen. starring alan rickman. - Eye in the Sky

eighteen. released last year and reviewed on slothsandmovies.com. - Sully

nineteen. about temperance. - Amy - Watching a documentary about someone who died from alcoholism makes you want to abstain from drink, correct?
twenty. about prudence. - The Sound of Music

twenty-one. starring val kilmer. - Palo Alto

twenty-two. about wrath. - The Equalizer

twenty-three. set in an exotic locale. - The Little Mermaid

twenty-four. about gluttony. - The two movies I thought about (Se7en and What's Eating Gilbert Grape?), well, I've seen those - any suggestions?

twenty-five. set in space. - The Force Awakens

Join the facebook group to join in the film fun!

Movie Questionnaire

I've been in a blogging slump.  Some of it is a timing and scheduling factor.  But, all too often, when I sit down to write, I'm just not focused or inspired or articulate.  So, I will keep sharing lists, link-ups, and questionnaires (like the one below that I stole from my friend's facebook page) until I can work that shizznit out:

most hated movie of all-time: Zoolander
movie i think is overrated: People like what they like, and I don't want to criticize that...but, for me, personally, I tried watching one of the Lord of the Rings on 3 separate occasions and fell asleep every time.
movie i think is underrated:  ??
movie i love: Almost Famous
movie i secretly love: If I love a movie, I don't keep it a secret.

favorite action movie: Independence Day
favorite drama: Good Will Hunting
favorite horror: Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween

favorite comedy: Step Brothers

favorite disney movie: The Fox and the Hound

favorite sci-fi movie: Guardians of the Galaxy
favorite animated movie: Since I listed The Fox and the Hound for "Disney", I'll say Big Hero 6 for this.
favorite superhero movie: The Avengers (2012)
favorite musical: Moulin Rouge
favorite western: Tombstone
favorite martial arts: The Karate Kid (because, let's be honest, I can't think of any other "martial arts" film that I've seen and enjoyed)
favorite indie: I think Dazed and Confused was an indie when it was released.  I'm not so good with my knowledge of what's an indie film.
favorite bad movie: Grease 2
childhood favorite: The Outsiders
favorite franchise: Marvel
best trilogy:  The Godfather
guilty pleasure: Urban Cowboy (the guilt comes from the fact that I cheer for a guy who commits domestic violence and adultery)
favorite director:  Stephen Spielberg
*The next 2 have stumped me more than any other question...I just really don't have "a" favorite
*favorite actor:  Morgan Freeman, Jared Leto (he's not just a pretty face), Robert Downey Jr.
*favorite actress:  Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Helen Mirren (really, I just want to be her when I grow up)
favorite foreign film:  City of God
favorite movie this year so far: Lion
worst movie so far this year:  I think Batman v. Superman was last year, but oh well.
movie i have seen recently: watched Sing last night
what i thought of it: it's adorable
most anticipated film of this year: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
favorite movie of all-time: Love Actually

Pick 4 of the above "favorites" and tell me yours...

Award-winning movie stuff to add to your list

My friend, Jenn at Quirky Pickings, is hosting a link-up called Tuesday Topics.  I'm terrible about weekly link-ups, but I'll jump in when I can.  Why don't you find a topic (or topics) that interest or inspire you and join as well?

Jenn likes movies.  She likes them a lot.  She even hosts "the fall film challenge" every autumn.  I'm a fan of film too, and when I love a movie or a performance, I am happy to share and talk about it.  That's why when Jenn encouraged us to list our favorite Oscar-Award-Winners, I thought I'd dive in and share my thoughts.

Plus.....as for link-ups, this is also the day that Lauren at Eat, Drink, and Be Lauren and Bre at Bre Writes host "Add it to My List".  So, why not encourage you to add these movies to your "must watch" list (if you haven't seen them already)?

When it comes to movies, I get more passionate about acting performances.  Sure, movies that are great, as in, the sum of the entire movie is wonderful/inspirational/powerful are awesome to watch.  I don't know...I just get even more moved and passionate about individual performances, the way an actor or actress completely transforms his/herself into a character.  So, here's my list of Oscar-Winning-Performances by an actor or actress. 

1.  Vivien Leigh won for her portrayal as Scarlett O'Hara at the 12th Academy Awards in 1939.  Could Gone with the Wind have become such a long-standing phenomenon if it weren't for Vivien Leigh's performance?  I think not.

2.  Marlon Brando won Best Actor for his portrayal in The Godfather.  Seriously.  Like Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Marlon Brando is Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather.  We can't imagine anyone else playing that iconic role.

3.  The 52nd Academy Awards awarded Meryl Streep Best Supporting Actress and Dustin Hoffman for Best Actor for their performances as divorced parents in a custody battle in Kramer vs. Kramer.  I remember watching Meryl Streep sitting in a witness stand and Dustin Hoffman sitting in court, and I was just sobbing, gasping for breath.  I believed that these parents were fighting for their son.  I didn't see them as actors.  I saw her as a flawed mother and a devoted father who both loved their son dearly.

4.  My personal opinion?  Jodie Foster's Best Actress-winning portrayal of a rape victim in The Accused is quite possibly the most powerful, unnerving performance that I've ever witnessed on film.  I know that's a big statement.  But, damn, I still get chills just thinking about this movie and her performance.  If you haven't seen it, add it to your list and watch it, but be prepared for being angry at the rape culture that existed then and still exists today.

5.  Two wins.  Two years in a row.  Two completely different performances.  One man.  I'm talking Tom Hanks winning Best Actor in 1993 and 1994 for AIDS victim in Philadelphia and the loveable Forrest Gump.  I can't choose which award-winning performance I liked better, and I'm not going to. 

6.  I've mentioned in a previous post how much I love this character and this performance, and I was thrilled when Robin Williams won Best Supporting Actor at the 70th Academy Awards in 1997 for his role in Good Will Hunting.  If you haven't seen this movie, what are you waiting for??  Add this to your list immediately.

7.  I read Cormac McCarthy's book No Country for Old Men before I saw the movie.  The character that Javier Bardem played is the type of guy that can give you nightmares...and his performance was frightening how good it was at playing a murdering maniac.  He deserved that Academy Award he won in 2007 at the 80th ceremony.

8.  Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds is brilliant.  Somehow he was able convey convincingly the role of a polite Nazi sadist.  By doing so, he won Best Supporting Actor at the 82nd Academy Awards.

9.  Yes.  I'm biased.  I love Jared Leto.  But, damn if that boy didn't pull at my heart strings as the damaged, hurt, drug addicted, transgender, AIDS victim in Dallas Buyers Club.  There's a scene in this movie that Jared made me cry big, fat, ugly tears.  He was so convincing.  Matthew McConaughey's performance was stellar and award-winning as well, but Jared practically stole the movie for me.  He won Best Supporting Actor in 2013.

10.  Julianne Moore playing a Harvard professor who is diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimer's is so painful and sincere.  I'd read the book Still Alice before seeing the movie.  I knew that it was entirely possible that an actress could "over-act" this role.  Julianne Moore plays it to perfection, and the Academy awarded her with Best Actress in 2014 for doing so.

Admittedly, when I first made this list, I had over 30 names.  There are a lot of magnificent performances that I could've listed but didn't.  I'd like to hear what you think. 

What performances did I miss?  Will you add any of these to your list?

Linking up with Jenn:

and Lauren and Bre:

Tuesday Topics: Favorite Characters

My friend, jenn at quirky pickings, and her friend, Lauren at Life.Love.Lauren, are hosting a weekly "Tuesday Topics" link-up.  I thought I'd jump in the game this week with "Eight Favorite Characters from Books/Movies".  Stop by Jenn's and/or Lauren's and have a look.  Or participate in future Tuesday Topics.

I know what y'all are thinking.  You think I picked book characters, right?  Well, I'm here to surprise you.  I picked movie characters.  Why?  Because I'm throwing this post together rather quickly and for some reason, the favorite movie characters solidified into a nice, little list much quicker than book characters would/could.

In no particular order:

Stephanie Zinone - Grease 2 - played by Michelle Pfeiffer...  Okay, when I said "in no particular order", I lied.  Stephanie Zinone is #1.  She is soooo much cooler than her predecessor lead female character in the original Grease, Sandy.  In the first Grease, Sandy had to change to get her guy.  In Grease 2, the guy had to change to win Stephanie's heart.  After all, she's tired of "being someone's chick". 

Penny Lane - Almost Famous - played by Kate Hudson...  She was sweet, yet strong; damaged, but not broken; a dreamer, a lover, a music fan; full of adventure and wanderlust; in love with a man she shouldn't be.  I could relate. 

Darrel "Darry" Curtis - The Outsiders - played by Patrick Swayze...  Folks that are fans of this movie probably love Pony Boy, or Johnny, or bad boy Dallas Winston.  And, a lot of folks that fall in love with Patrick Swayze did it during Dirty Dancing.  Not me.  I fell in love with Mr. Swayze as Darry, older brother to Soda Pop and Pony Boy, who quit school to start working and take care of his younger brothers when his beloved parents died in a car crash but could still lead a rumble when necessary.

Doc Holliday - Tombstone - played by Val Kilmer...  This is one of those movies that I can watch over, and over, and over again, and mostly it's because of Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday.  So many good lines, and his delivery is fan-freakin-tastic.

Christian - Moulin Rouge - played by Ewan McGregor... He's a writer and a dreamer; he's in love with a woman knowing that she has a less than stellar profession; he sings songs, writes plays, and has a "ridiculous obsession with love".

Ouiser Boudreaux - Steel Magnolias - played by Shirley MacLaine... One of the beauties of this near-perfect movie is that all of the cast and the characters are stellar.  Superb.  Irreplaceable.  But, I get more laughs and more love from watching the antics of Ouiser. 

Jenny - Forrest Gump - played by Robin Wright... I admit when I first brainstormed and wrote my list, the character of Forrest was listed.  He's a wonderful character.  So heart-warming.  But, as I think more about the movie, the character that is the driving force for me is Jenny.  She is so, so flawed...but we pretty much know that her childhood trauma messed her up, and she tried all she could do to escape the pain of her past.  I think the ugliness of what Jenny experiences, the pain she endures, and the hurt she causes creates such depth to the overall story. 

Sean Maguire - Good Will Hunting - played by Robin Williams...  First, applause to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for writing this character, and Robin Williams plays it brilliantly.  So real.  So genuine.  So many little bits of life lessons.  So much "good stuff".  This movie wouldn't resonate the way it does if this character hadn't been written and portrayed so perfectly.

Honorable mentions that almost made the cut:  Carl Lee Hailey from A Time to Kill, Wooderson from Dazed and Confused, Bud or Sissy from Urban Cowboy, John Bender from The Breakfast Club, Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Rayon from Dallas Buyers Club, John Creasy from Man on Fire

Do you agree on some?  Disagree on others?  Quickly, list your 8 favorite characters.  Or...create your own post and let me know.  I'd enjoy reading it.

#Fav7Films times two

Twitter circulated a hashtag: #Fav7Films.  If I wasn't such a lame blogger, I'd take a couple of minutes and attempt to find how/why this hashtag began, or who started it, but I'm lame lazy. 

I participated and rattled off my #Fav7Films, published the tweet, then thought "wait, but, what about........" and felt I needed to list seven more.  So, I did.  Really, do I need to follow any "rules" when it comes to twitter hashtags?  No.  So, I rattled off seven more. 

I started thinking about these movies and this exercise.  What I liked about it is that I didn't put much thought into it.  I spilled out fourteen movies that I think of as my "favorites", and in that quick, fun tweet(s), I think I came up with a pretty solid list (for me).  So, I thought I'd share them with you.

Plus, it's a good time to talk about movies because jenn's "fall film challenge" begins next week.

Love Actually - It makes me laugh, and it makes me cry.  It makes me enjoy a different storyline or actor or character almost every time I watch it.  I always end with a full heart after watching it, and there's not much better a feeling than a full heart.

The Outsiders - The only piece of poetry that I can recite from memory is the Robert Frost poem that Pony Boy recites in this movie.  My heart loves this movie so much.  Patrick Swayze is so wonderful in so many films, but his supporting role in this one is my fave.  And, I love Cherry Valance (Diane Lane).  And, Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston.  And, Soda Pop and Two Bit.  And, of course, Johnny and Pony Boy.  Oh, and did I mention Tom Cruise is in it (before an agent got a hold of him and made him fix his teeth)?

Urban Cowboy - Stereotypes exist for a reason, because sometimes there is some truth to them.  I have a friend in Texas.  Her parents met at Gilley's.  Her father was a bullrider in his 20s.  Her mother was an underage teen that snuck into the bar.  They married after knowing each other for only 2 weeks.  They are still together with two children and three grandchildren.  This movie is a slice of Texas life and culture that I cherish.  No, the domestic violence and adultery aren't pretty, but they are real.

Notice John Travolta's white boots with brown tips on the toes.  Yep, I had some.

Grease 2 - Stephanie Zinone is so much cooler than Sandy.  I wanted to be Stephanie Zinone.  In the first Grease, Sandy had to change to snag her guy finally.  In Grease 2, a guy had to change to get a girl.  I like that.  Plus, I like the songs better.  And, Maxwell Caulfield is dreamier than John Travolta.

Almost Famous - For someone like myself who feels like some music really speaks to them...or that some of their favorite musicians are "friends", this movie is wonderful and poignant.

Good Will Hunting - Another movie that makes me laugh and makes me cry and is filled with life lessons.  Robin Williams at his finest.  And, hey, that Matt Damon guy and Ben Affleck dude are pretty good too.

The Fox and the Hound - I've mentioned before that this is my all-time favorite Disney movie.  My love of animals and the story of friendship makes me continue to love it, even as an adult. 

Moulin Rouge - The music.  The colors.  The costumes.  The story.  Satine & Christian.  Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.  I love all of this movie. 

Sleepers - This story stuck with me.  The cast and performances are fantastic.  The question of right and wrong...who are the "bad" guys and who are the "good" ones in this particular story is one that is thought-provoking.

A Time to Kill - This movie punches me in the gut every time I see it.  Who won Oscars and Golden Globes that year?  I don't know.  What I do know is Samuel L. Jackson should have.

Pretty in Pink - I adore John Hughes movies with Molly Ringwald as his muse, but this one is my favorite.  James Spader is particularly slimy.  And, really, who doesn't love Duckie?

Brian's Song - I can not watch this movie without sobbing like a baby.  Based on the true story of the life and friendship of Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.

Less Than Zero - I don't really know if I thought much about acting skills until I saw this movie and Robert Downey Jr.'s performance.  Oh, and slimy James Spader makes another appearance.  It's a cautionary tale that "drugs are real bad".

She's the One - I'm a fan of Edward Burns.  There is something miserable, yet comical about this movie.  The familial relationships and love interests are dysfunctional and authentic.

I've got some honorable mentions...but, like I said, for a quick off-the-cuff response, I think this is pretty great reflection of my #Fav7Films. 

What do you think?

Quick.  Don't think too hard.  Tell me your #Fav7Films. 

50 movies I should (and plan to) watch

I bit the bullet, admitted that the next milestone is effing fifty, and created a 50 before 50 list (post coming soon).

One of the goals to meet is to watch 50 movies that I have not seen, but I feel like I "should" see (or I just want to watch and haven't gotten around to it yet.)  I'm giving myself until 17 June 2023 (it sounds so far away when I put it that way), so I should be able to do this, right?  I think so. 

How did I compile this list?

• I admitted that there were some fairly "obvious" movies that I've never seen
• Some are movies I've been meaning to see (like a documentary by Dave Navarro)
• I asked for suggestions from fellow "fall film challenge" members 
• I reviewed lists of Academy Award Winners (If a movie has a year after it, then it won an Oscar for Best Picture that year.) 
• I asked facebook friends for suggestions as well as a couple of blogger buddies that are movie buffs.
• I added movie adaptations of books that I enjoyed immensely but have yet to see
• I looked at lists of Australian-made movies

Here's want I'm going to try to tackle:

1. About Time (because it's from the creator of Love Actually)
2. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
3. Amadeus (1984)
4. Apocalypto
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
6. Beauty & the Beast
7. Bernie
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
9. Breakfast at Tiffany's
10. A Bridge Too Far
11. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
12. Calendar Girls
13. Candy
14. The Castle
15. Cinderella Man
16. Creation
17. The Danish Girl
18. The Dead Pool
19. Devil's Knot
20. Driving Miss Daisy
21. Easy Rider
22. Fiddler on the Roof
23. Gandhi (1982)
24. The Hundred-Foot Journey
25. The Intouchables
26. Kelly's Heroes (it's the husband's favorite)
27. The King's Speech (2010)
28. The Kite Runner  
29. The Little Mermaid
30. Memoirs of a Geisha
31. Mourning Son (documentary)
32. The Painted Veil
33. The Pianist
34. Pride & Prejudice
35. Rebel Without a Cause
36. Red Dog
37. Room
38. Shine
39. Silkwood
40. Sophie's Choice
41. The Sound of Music
42. Spectre
43. Spotlight (2015)
44. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
45. Still Alice
46. There Will Be Blood
47. Trainwreck
48. Two Hands
49. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
50. Wolf Creek

What do you think about my list??

Fall Film Challenge

A friend of mine is hosting a film challenge.  She asked me how many movies I watch per month.  I'm not a good one to ask.  Sometimes, I watch 3 or 4 movies in a weekend.  Sometimes, I don't watch a movie for 3 or 4 weeks.  She's playing along in my book challenge, so I thought I'd play along in the film challenge.
(You can read about it HERE or you can join HERE because I think you should play along too.)

I have three months to watch these - September, October, November - and here are my choices:

one. any action/adventure flick - Captain Phillips

two. any shot in bupapest, hungary - The Raven

three. any awarded an oscar for best cinematography - There Will Be Blood

four. any drama/biography/documentary - Artifact

five. any awarded an oscar for best film editing - Traffic

six. any science-fiction/fantasy flick - Divergent

seven. any starring an actress whose last name begins with the letter g - Texas Killing Fields (Annabeth Gish)

eight. any set during any holiday - Labor Day

nine. any from internet movie database's top flicks list - City of God

ten. any starring an actor whose last name begins with the letter j - Prisoners (Hugh Jackman)

eleven. any starring an actress whose last name begins with the letter k - Rabbit Hole (Nicole Kidman)

twelve. any shot in london, england - RocknRolla

thirteen. any awarded an oscar for best original score - Babel

fourteen. any adapted from any novel - The Great Gatsby

fifteen. any awarded an oscar for best original screenplay - The King's Speech

sixteen. any awarded an oscar for best picture - 12 Years a Slave

seventeen. any featured on american movie classic's fifty great movie quote's list -  The Hours  - "Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more."

eighteen. any romance or comedy - Dedication

nineteen. any sports flick - Invictus

twenty. any thriller or mystery - The Return

twenty-one. any starring an actor whose last name begins with u - Star Trek Into Darkness (Karl Urban)

twenty-two. any shot in a country you've never visited - Blood Diamond (shot in South Africa and Mozambique)

twenty-three. any shot in wilmington, north carolina - Blue Velvet

twenty-four. any western or war film - The Alamo

twenty-five. any from american film institute's greatest american movies of all time - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Since we're talking about movies, I will end with a picture from my favorite Robin Williams' movie performance, Good Will Hunting, which I will watch this weekend.