2011 - 2012: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Silver Linings Playbook

What's fun about these two movies is they're also the only ones on this list that I also read the books for. I looooved both books and while the movies are different I also really liked the movies as well.

2011: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Movie Facts:
Directed by  David Fincher
Rated R
Genre Thriller/Drama
Tagline: The feel bad movie of Christmas.
Daniel Craig - as sexy and frequently stupid.
Rooney Mara - as creepy as hell
Stellan Skarsgard - as perfect
And everyone else. Like everyone else lots of people.

Movie Thoughts:
I haven't seen this movie since I saw it in the theater. It's no that I didn't like it, because I do, but it's one of those movies you don't need to see over and over again to remember the details. Especially after reading the books and watching the Swedish films as well.  I read the books on my first Cruise bake in 2010 and I saw the Swedish movies shortly after.  When this movie came out the following Christmas I guess I was just wanting something more.  But the Swedish movies didn't leave anything to be desired and neither does this movie. As far as movie adaptations there's nothing that makes me angry about this film.  The scenery is gorgeous and stark, perfect for the story.  The cast is also pretty perfect when I read the books I imagined Stellan Skarsgard involved somehow so I saw super pleased when he was.  It's such a good fun mystery, the books suck you in and I feel like the movies do too.

The rape scene in the movie was just as painful as the rape scene in the book. I used it for a drink remix break because really the scene is hard to forget and who needs to relive it. And when Lisbeth gets him back it's still hard to watch- yes he deserves it but still hard to watch.

For some reason the ending of this movies doesn't surprise me as much as it did in the book. I feel like you can see it coming more in the movie- anyone else feel that way? Just realized that. About Harriet, not Lisbeth. This deviation from the book is probably the biggest but really doesn't bother me.  I wasn't too disappointed when they said they wouldn't make the other movies, they aren't needed. The Swedish ones are great! Again, this one is good too though.

Tyler's Rating: Aish  maybe A-.

2012: Silver Linings Playbook

Movie Facts:
Directed by David O. Russell
Rated R
Genre Drama/Comedy
Tagline: Watch for the signs.
Bradley Cooper - as crazy and awesome
Jennifer Lawrence - as crazy and neurotic
Robert DeNiro - as heartbreaking

Movie Thoughts:
One of the things in the book and movie I never understood was the fanaticism of football fans. I don't understand how these grown men act - I asked lots of people and apparently it's realistic...I just don't get it. So this is a movie that's I've definitely seen in the last 6 months. I love this movie. I find parts of it uncomfortable to watch but that's a good thing. It's acted really well and I just love Cooper and Lawrence together. I love the music, David O Russell really likes music he tends to do that part well too. I love that this movie is about mental illness, I love that Robert DeNiro came out and spoke about his son's illness during promotions. I like that their craziness is relatable and real and a work in progress.  There are so many deviations from the book in this movie but that's not what this project is about. I think the movie is a good clean happy ending that doesn't feel cheap- predictable yes but not cheap. So yay.

Tyler's Rating: A. Solid A.

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One more movie. One more.

Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend
1986-1989 Movies
1990-1993 Movies

1994 Leon

1995-1999

2000 - 2005

2006-2010
2006 & 2013

2006- Pan's Labyrinth and 2013- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

These two movies were claimed by my friend Linda.  So they're being watched very out of order.

2006: Pan's Labyrinth

Movie Facts:
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Rating R
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
Tagline: What happens when make-believe believes it's real?
Staring beautiful Spanish/Mexican actors and actresses

Movie Before Thoughts:
The first time I saw this movie was in 2007 at an outdoor movie screening at my first job at SAC.  We were showing the movie for Hispanic Heritage month.  OMG it was so scary! Why did no one tell me this movie was scary! I blame my first boss, he told me it was a great movie- nothing about it being scary as all hell! It is beautiful. I'll give everyone credit for that.  Guillermo del Toro makes the most beautiful movies but this one was beautiful and scary. Like horror movie scary. Like I had nightmares and can't watch a certain scene ever again- I don't think I even watched it that first time, so I don't know how that scene ends! This is a movie that was claimed by my friend Linda, so we're going to watch it sometime during the week when there's time.  But these are my thoughts- I'm excited to see it again because it's beautiful, I'm less excited to see the scary white may without eyes again because I may scream.

Movie After Thoughts:
As usual my friend Linda does not like this movie as much as her husband and I do. She did let us keep the subtitles on but did spend the entire movie correcting it and repeating things in Spanish under her breath- it was kinda entertaining.  I still love this movie.  I love it because it's such a dark film both aesthetically and story wise. I am a fan of sad and depressing movies and this does not disappoint.  The world the girl lives in is dark and harsh and awful, as if her fantasy. Even her escape is dark! As usual I couldn't watch the scary hand eye man eat the fairies because it's scary! So I took that moment to refill my champagne. But the rest of the movie isn't scary so just that one part. Overall it's a gorgeous film and I love the fairy tale aspected of it and just overall love it.

Tyler's Rating: A+! Did I mention I love it?

20013: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 

Movie Facts:
Directed by Ben Stiller
Rated PG
Genre Fantasy/Drama
Tagline: Stop Dreaming, Start Living.
Ben Stiller - as awesome, I love him in this movie.
Kristen Wiig - I dislike her in the end I think...can't remember
Sean Penn - Cameo!

Movie Thoughts:
I saw this with my mom when I was home for Christmas break two years ago. We both loved it. One of the few movies on this list I saw with my mama! I remember it being just a nice, light, feel good movie.  I've only seen it the once so we'll see how I remembered it. This is one of those movies that I remember how I felt after I watched it and I liked that feeling, a nice happy warm feeling. So let's see!

Awww still same good feeling at the end. I think its just a nice fun adventure movie. It's so beautiful! Oh my gosh lets go to Iceland! I love the cinematography in this film. I appreciated the moments of "silence" or at least lack of dialogue because the music fit the scenery so well.  Just a good feel good movie.


Tyler's Rating: A.

--------------------
Okay I have 3 more movies to review, but since we're a bit out of order I only have two more to watch at this time. We're almost there!

Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend
1986-1989 Movies
1990-1993 Movies

1994 Leon

1995-1999

2000 - 2005

2006-2010

2006 - 2010: Pan's Labyrinth, Juno, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Up in the Air, and Repo Men

We're in the home stretch! Only a few days left and still 9 more movies to go! I can do it. With the help of my friends and some binges this weekend all should be good! This week's films will be shown out of order because movies have been claimed by certain friends.

2006: Pan's Labyrinth

Documented in separate post- I'll link when I have it. Watched out of order. Wont watch till March 28th.
















2007: Juno 

Movie Facts:
Directed by Jason Reitman
Rated PG-13
Genre: Drama/Romance
Tagline: A comedy about growing up...and the bumps along the way.
Ellen Page - omg she looks so young
Michael Cera - awkward as always
Jennifer Garner- playing herself?
Jason Bateman- playing himself.
Allison Janney- perfect as stepmom.
JC Simmons- perfect as father.

Movie Thoughts:
I cannot remember if I saw this with Deirdre or my mom. Either way it was a bad choice. I remember all the tears! It's such a good movie though. I remember crying so much the first time I saw it.  Watching it now it doesn't make me cry as much, the ridiculous language Diablo Cody uses seems to shticky to me now. I feel like there are things in this movie that ring really true and things that don't.  I find Juno so dumb throughout this.  She was smart enough to con some guy into having sex with her but doesn't realize her relationship with the adoptive dad is getting inappropriate?  Also she's a terrible liar why does anyone believe her? Anyways good movie, annoying characters, all the tears.

Tyler's Rating: Just a B+

2008: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Movie Facts:
Directed by Woody Allen
Rated PG-13 (really? hard to imagine)
Genre: Drama/Comedy (again- really?
Tagline: Life is the ultimate work of art.
Scarlett Johannson as sexy- with an ulcer...
Penelope Cruz as sexy
Javier Bardem as sexy

Movie Thoughts:
I saw this movie shortly after it came out. I don't remember loving it but I remember liking it and thinking it spoke to me for lots of reasons...at the time. Who knows how I'll feel now- let's watch!
What an interesting movie. Not completely what I remembered from it but I understand why I remembered it fondly. It's about two screwed up girls in love. Neither know what they want, they don't want what they think they want and they do want what they don't think they want. Love it.

Tyler's Rating: A-

2009: Up in the Air

Movie Facts:
Directed by Jason Reitman (repeat director!)
Rated R
Genre: Romance/Drama
Tagline: The story of a man ready to make a connection.
George Clooney - as sad and lonely
Vera Farmiga - as a cold bitch, who is also so beautiful! First time I saw her and thought she was gorgeous!
Anna Kendrick - as young and sad and naive and a really bad crier.

Movie Thoughts:
Bruce got this movie for my back a hundred years ago. I don't think he watched it with me. I can't remember if I cried, but I definitely know I found it depressing, but not nearly as depressing as I now find it. OMG. Ann Kendrick get your life together. George! What's wrong with you! You know I don't hate Vera Farmiga. I think in the past I would have, but you know I kinda understand. I think that's what depressed me when I first saw it. I understood how people could get there. But you just feel so bad for George! Of course you do. Your entire relationship was a lie and fake and just one woman's escape! How depressing! But in the end I feel like he gets what he wants and helps Anna Kendrick get what she wants but Vera hopefully doesn't. She's selfish and insensitive. So is this movie about how you need a co-pilot? Or is it about how you can only rely on yourself?

Tyler's Rating: A that makes you think.

20010: Repo Men

Movie Facts:
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik
Rated R
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Tagline: For a price, any organ in your body can be replaced. But it can also be repossessed.
Jude Law - look he grew a conscience
Forest Whitaker - crazy, jerk

Movie Thoughts:
We're in my Bruce movie era...so saw this one with Bruce. We tried to watch the movie this was based off of first the Genetic Opera one? And it was so bad I didn't finish it I don't remember if he did, but it was bad, so anything was going to be better than that.  I remember when we first saw this I really liked it. I thought it was just a good fun B movie. Not the best acting in the world unless crazy jerk is what Forest Whitaker was going for...but anyways. I remember I bought the Blu Ray of it when it came out too because I enjoyed it, but now I can't find the Blu Ray so I rented it online and maybe because I had to pay $2.99 to watch it but I just didn't like it as much this time around.  The story is still fun repossessing people's organ's when they can't pay for them- good fun for all! I just found some of the violence sooooo gratuitous. Which I'm fine with it doesn't bother me, but it wasn't even good gratuitous violence! At the end when Jude Law takes out all those people, it's sooooooo not believable! Unlikes the rest of the movie, lol. I enjoy the soundtrack and like the story/plot stuff but it was just kinda weird.  Oooh there's also an awesome John Leguizamo cameo, I remember freaking out when I saw him because I hadn't seen him in anything in forever- so redeeming value? Maybe. Anyways

Tyler's Rating: B just be. Not bad, not good, just B.


--------------------------
Okay sorry these were out of order, when I watch PL I'll link it above too.  But we're almost done! This project maybe has 3 - 4 more posts left in it!  I'm excited to start the last 5 movies!!!!

Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend
1986-1989 Movies
1990-1993 Movies

1994 Leon

1995-1999

2000 - 2005

30:30:30: 1995 - 1999: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, Mars Attacks, Starship Troopers, The Truman Show, and Office Space

10 years in feeling good. 30 is a lot of movies...I can't remember ever watching 30 movies in so short a period of time. But I am committed so I will do it. Hopefully the blog posts wont get too lazy, some in that last batch were but that's okay. 1996-2000 maybe I'll figure out a way to abbreviate the reviews more. I'll think about it. So lets get on with it.

1995: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar

Movie Facts:
Directed by Beeban Kidron
Rated PG-13 awww fun
Tagline: Attitude is everything.
Patrick Swayze -
John Leguizamo - he's got more legs than a bucket of fried chicken
Wesley Snipes -

Before Thoughts: Drag queens yes. Another movie I saw with my dad and sister. I remember thinking this was the funniest movie growing up. I don't remember ever thinking it was weird that these men were drag queens or anything and I don't remember it ever being a conversation.  I do remember John Leguizamo and how fabulous he was in this.  What ever happened to him?  I remember the plot pretty well. The story is these queens are on their way to a competition, their car breaks down in a small town and that small town does not welcome them because they're different.  They have prejudices and issues.  The drag queens try to help them all out and they do in a little way but it's about being who you are and not being ashamed, standing up for yourself and all those fun things.  I remember it just being an overall fun movie with a good little point. Let's watch!

After Thoughts: I remembered a lot of this movie. I don't think I watched it like a lot a lot when I was younger but I think it's just a story that sticks in your mind. I probably hadn't watched the whole movie since High School. I think I've seen bits and pieces again on TV a few times. It was entertaining. Not as funny as I remember.  But still enjoyable.  Yay for drag queens though- lots of fun quotes. Lots of words of wisdom. I don't really have a lot of after thoughts on this film because my initial impression holds true...so I'm going to figure out a newish format for the upcoming movies, because I think as we get closer to now I'm going to remember more and it wont be as surprising as the 1980s and early 90s movies were...

Tyler's Rating: B movie B.

1996: Mars Attacks (PS this was a hard movie year to pick! Lots of good choices)

Movie Facts:
Directed by Tim Burton
Everyone was in this movie- Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Michael J Fox, Martin Short and Tom Jones! Seriously every decided this would be a fun movie to be a part of.

Quotes:
"Prepare a speech, Abraham Lincoln meets Leave it to Beaver, kind of thing" - Jack Nicholson
"Didn't I tell you honey if I just stayed in place and never spoke up, good things were bound to happen." Military Alien Greeter who gets killed.
"I just want the people to know that they have 2 out of the 3 branches of government still working for them, and that ain't bad." -Jack Nicholson

Thoughts: Fun, silly movie. Good background movie for lazy Sunday afternoon laundry. I love all the random actors that came together for this movie it was so funny! I love Natalie Portman's fashion too so totally 90s, chunky sandals, flannel, baggy jeans, straight flat hair. Good job.  Also Jack Nicholson was awesome, as he always is.  Annette Bening's character was delightful as the spacey hippie.  Tom Jones flew the airplane, good for you. Martin Short was so so wrong...Michael J Fox died too soon.  Sarah Jessica Parker was adorable. Yah nothing bad to say.

Tyler's Rating: Strong A+ B movie.

1997: Starship Troopers

Movie Facts:
Directed By Paul Verhoeven
Rated R
Genre: Action/Adventure! Sci-Fi! Cult Movie- yes it's really a category apparently.
Tagline: The only good bug, is a dead bug.
Staring no one of mention...Collagen Lips and that chick who played the lawyer on Ally McBeal everyone referred to as The Teeth.

Movie Memory:
I have no idea when the firs time I saw this movie was, but I'm pretty sure I was in Middle School and it was with my sister. I remember it wasn't scary but it was definitely hilarious. Lines we stole and quoted from this movie included but are not limited to "Medic!", ""One day someone like me is going to kill you", "Do you want to know more?". Haley and I were kinda ridiculous about the movie too, we talked about it and why it was so great and so bad. At some point our stepbrother Michael got in on the conversation as well, he was a fan too. Haley always enjoyed discussing Collagen Lip's cut on her head and how it healed very quickly. Michael and I discussed the Medic situation, what was the medic going to do with the guy who got his head shot off? I want to know.

At some point this became my go to movie while I was sick. If I was sick this movie would always make me feel better. I probably hadn't watched it since moving to College Station, but it's just as good as I remember it, just as ridiculous and just as fun. Medic!

Tyler's Rating: Best A+ B movie ever!

1998: The Truman Show

Movie Facts:
Directed by Peter Weir
Rating PG
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Tagline: The story of a lifetime.
Jim Carrey - as poor Jim Carrey
Laura Linney - as horrible! How do you do that?
Ed Harris - as worse man alive!
Natascha McElhorne - as the unexplained love interest

Thoughts:
Definitely hadn't seen this movie since like the 90s. It was still good. I remembered a lot of the plot so it wasn't as surprising, but I guess I still forgot some of the nuances. Jim Carrey and Laura Linney make no sense. If he was interested in what's her face then why did he marry Laura Linney. Also I don't know how time passed in the show, all of the sudden Laura Linney was just gone, I know they referenced it in the God bubble, but what happened. So you know many years later this kinda reminds me of Hunger Games with the reality TV tie in thing. I think having had to live with another dozen plus years of reality tv this is so less far fetched than it was in 1999.  Eh not bad, just not my favorite. Love Jim Carrey though he's great.

Tyler's Rating:  B+ eh, it'll do.

1999: Office Space

Movie Facts:
Directed by Mike Judge
Rated R
Genre Romance (really?), Comedy and Special Interest
Tagline: Work sucks.
Ron Livingston- why didn't he have a better career?
There are a bunch of people in this movie that were on Ally McBeal!!! That's always exciting.

Movie Memory:
So I've seen this movie a handful of times, but the viewing that will always stick out in my mind the most is my senior year of high school we watched this in my internship class.  I think it was our internship teacher's first year teaching that class and so for some reason thought this was appropriate for high school students, but again this is also the school that I ran into my principal at Starbucks and she knew I was skipping dance and recommended I bring back our teacher something...it seems like a fake school sometimes.  Anyways. We watched this movie in that class and I remember all of us agreeing that cubicle life would never be an option for any of us.

Tyler's Rating:  B+ again eh, I can take it or leave it. It didn't age too well.

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Okay it's time to enter the new millennium. The movie choices will get harder because these movies I will have seen more recently....  To catch up on the previous posts go here!

Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend
1986-1989 Movies
1990-1993 Movies

1994 Leon

30:30:30 1990-1993 Movies- Arachnophobia, City Slickers, Reservoir Dogs, and Falling Down

Okay it's time to start in on the 90s, I meant to start watching these on Wednesday but we'll take today March 5th to get it going.

1990: Arachnophobia:

Movie Facts:
Directed by Frank Marshall
Triller/Horror
Rated PG-13
Jeff Daniels as a spider fearing dad
John Goodman as the "yah I'm bad" exterminator
Big ass fake spiders with attitude and theme songs...
The rest of the cast made less of an impression
Tagline: Eight legs, two fangs and an attitude.

Before Thoughts: Okay so the last time I saw this movie was probably sometime in High School when it was on TV or something I can't imagine having seen this moving within the last 12 years.  I remember someone goes to South American and brings back fruit that a scary dangerous spider hitches a ride in.  This spider then comes to some small town (it's always a small town) and breeds with the biggest spider there to create super spider.  Super spider's children go out and kill people in a web like pattern away from Jeff Daniel's house.  Jeff Daniel just moved in I think and they have a wine cellar that's important in the end and a barn- nothing good ever comes from barns- and he has a hot teenage daughter who takes a shower and almost gets bit by a spider but John Goodman comes to the semi-rescue and squashes a bug on the porch. He also had like a super serum to kill spiders.  A football player dies, an old couple dies while eating popcorn...does a doctor die? Anyways the spider likes Jeff Daniel's wine cellar and there's a show down in the end with flames and a dancing spider.  Then they move?

I have pretty positive memories of this movie. I always found it very entertaining and sure it was a bit predictable but it was fun. I don't remember it being too terribly cheesy but I can't wait to see how wrong I was about that...I smell a delightfully A+ B movie!

After Thoughts: This movie made me jumpy! I'm not afraid of spiders or bugs or really any sort of creepy crawler thing, but I still found myself jumping lots and shrieking at this movie.  But it was all just fun stuff. I really enjoy this movie. It's just fun and silly and takes itself a little too seriously. But John Goodman for the win! OMG he's just the best part of it! I had the summary pretty accurate although the "hot" daughter was the Football Coach's daughter- whateves. And at the end when they move they have earthquakes to deal with.  The spiders are the end were super cheesy and poor production, but the littler spiders throughout looked really really life like- kinda like wolf-spiders.

Half way through the movie my friend Linda dropped by and she was mostly shocked about by how young Jeff Daniels as and commented on the clothing.  We both jumped and shrieked when the spiders were dropping from the ceiling.  But it was so laughable when the house was just covered in spiders, so not believable.  But it was fun.  Good Thursday night entertainment.

Tyler's Ranking: A grade B Movie. Not A+ but pretty darn good.

1991: City Slickers

Movie Facts:
Directed by Ron Underwood
Rated PG-13
Tagline: Yesterday they were businessmen, today they're cowboys, tomorrow they'll be walking funny.
Billy Crystal
That guy from When Harry Met Sally
That guy from Home Alone

Before Thoughts: Probably haven't seen this movie since the 90s. I remember it being about a group of friends having mid-life crisis-es and going on a Cattle Drive. Every year for their birthdays they do some stupid trip together and this year it's a Cattle Drive. They are all from the city so it's rough for some of them, but in the end they do it because of "friendship". I don't really remember the moral of this story actually. I remember Billy Crystal birth's a cow and on the trail ride there's like one woman.  The Ben and Jerry guys are there and they have a challenge over what ice cream goes best with what food.  They have to cross a river in a crazy storm, someone falls into some cactus and they all live happily ever after....yah that's all I got. Let's see how much I forgot :)

After Thoughts: Ehhh. This one didn't stand up to the test of time to me as much. I just wasn't too impressed. I thought parts were still funny. I remembered some but forgot a lot.  So the cattle drive guy dies! And Billy Crystal and his friends end up leading the cattle to the ranch they were headed to.  They get abandoned by the douchey cowboys and just drive them all themselves.  In the end all the guys figure out their lives and are no longer in their crisis moods and go home to better lives.  The cow Billy Crystal helps birth goes home with him too.  His name is Norman.  It was a very pretty cow.  Maybe this movie is why I've always liked cows so much.  But I also forgot that the guy from Home Alone was upset because he was stupid and had an affair with a young girl and got her pregnant.  They just kinda forgot about that part for the rest of the movie even though it was kinda a major part in the beginning.  The point of the whole movie and the cattle drive in general is you have to find that one thing that makes you happy that can sustain you...and that's the secret of life.

Tyler's Ranking: B solid, B. Good, not great.

1992: Reservoir Dogs

Movie Facts:
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Rated R
Tagline: Every "dog" has its day.
Besides Steven Buscemi and Harvey Keitel I never really recognize the actor's name unless I have my phone handy. But I recognize Tim Roth when I see him...

Before Thoughts: I own this movie so it's sad I haven't watched it in probably 10 years...I own a lot of DVDs it happens. So what I remember is there are a bunch of guys brought together by a 'boss' to hold a heist. Something in the heist goes wrong, lots of people die or are arrested, but 3 guys make it back to the hide out or the safe house thing. The guy who's name I can't remember cuts off some guys ear cause he thinks he's the undercover cop.  All the guys have color names, Mr. Pink, Mr. Orange, Mr. White. And the undercover cop is the one that gets shot and Harvey Keitel's character tries to help him.  I think Tim Roth's character lives even though he's the undercover and he was shot but I'm not too sure. I can't remember if everyone gets away in the end or if the cops raid the safe house. Who knows... so let's see!

After Thoughts: So I fell asleep...I may never know how it ends! Also Mr. Blonde is the guy I can never recognize.  I stayed awake for about 30 minutes. Just enough to notice how young Steve Buscemi looks and Harvey Keitel! So weird seeing them younger.  So since I fell asleep I guess I can talk about why I picked this movie. I probably saw this movie for the first time in High School after seeing Pulp Fiction, I did not like Pulp Fiction. Then I saw Four Rooms around the same time and really enjoyed some of it but not all. So then I watched Reservoir Dogs and have no idea why I liked it so much more. I still like it more...I think.  So sorry I fell asleep, I don't think I have time to watch it again, but that's okay. I'm ready to move onto the next phase of the 90s.  Also something I noticed in the first 30 minutes was that it doesn't matter that this movie took place in the 90s, there wasn't a lot of stuff that made you think oooh that's a 90s film...so kinda timeless. I like that.

Tyler's Ranking:

1993: Falling Down

Movie Facts:
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Rated R
Drama; Action/Suspense
Michael Douglas- playing a nerdy guy who's been pushed too far, with a predisposition towards anger...yah I buy it
Robert Duval- playing a cop retiring because his annoying wife wants him too...yah I buy it
Barbara Hershey- playing the ex-wife to Michael Douglas' nerdy guy who's been pushed too far with a predisposition towards anger...I don't buy it

Movie Thoughts: I had a friend over for dinner and let him pick the movie. Out of my list and this is what he chose. So I didn't get to do my usual before thoughts and after thoughts, but here are some of my general thoughts.  When describing the movie before we started watching it I said, "Michael Douglas was a cubicle worker who's had enough. He walks out of his car in traffic and is trying to get home for his daughter's birthday". I mentioned something about the ex-wife and then that he basically goes on a downward spree breaking shit all over LA.  He was sold!

This movie was on my list because I remember when my dad first showed it to my sister and I. He thought it was hilarious and talked about how at some point lots of people feel this way, they just don't go on a terror spree throughout town.  But my dad used to do this impression of the fed up angry guy but in a really comedic way that always made us laugh and so this movie was kinda the embodiment of that character to me. I hadn't seen this movie probably in about 5-7 years. I've watched in in my 20s at some point but can't really remember when.

Love Robert Duval in everything but in this movie I really enjoyed him.  There's also this female cop in this movie who plays "the' female cop in LA in all the movies with cops in LA in the early 90s, she's also on Lost as you guessed it a female cop!  My whole female cop issue is kinda addressed in the movie which is funny, with the neo-nazi guy who asks why female cops aren't called officer-ess like actress.  She says because they just thought police officer covered it all.

One thing I'm noticing about all these movies right now is that I'm not missing technology in them. Sometimes you'll see a movie from the past and can't get over how much easier it would be with the internet or cell phones, but this and Arachnophobia I didn't really miss it. I think while they look dated because of costumes and well history I guess they don't feel as dated as say some of todays movies will when 15 years from now we aren't all obsessed with iPhone and Social Media as we are today. I feel like some movies just stand up better.

My dinner guest really enjoyed the movie too he thought it was a dark comedy.  Which is kinda accurate as well. He was able to figure out the ending after about thirty minutes into the film.  Overall good movie. 93 was a hard year to pick from. I think I'd seen a lot of 93 movies recently.

Tyler's Ranking: A-

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Next up watching Leon with some friends for 1994. I'm super excited.

Previous 30 day movie project posts
Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend
1986-1989 Movies

30:30:30 1986-1989 Movies- Short Circuit, Lost Boys, Heathers, and Say Anything

Okay so I'm going to try to knock out the 80s while doing laundry and cleaning the house. This week will be pretty busy so I don't know how many movies I'll get to before the next weekend.  So here we go!

1986: Short Circuit

Movie Facts:
Directed by John Badham
Movie tagline: Something wonderful has happened...No. 5 is alive!
Steve Guttenberg - he's played this character before
Ally Sheedy - I kinda like some of her clothes

Before Thoughts: I had this movie on VHS for the longest time growing up and think the last time I watched it was probably middle school or early high school. I remember it being about an escaped government robot who wanders into Ally Sheedy's house and starts looking for "input" it learns by watching and reading and it can imitate. I think Steve Guttenberg works for the government and is trying to get it back.  I think it almost dies at some point but they are able to fix it...don't really remember how it ends but I think it's a happy ending... sometimes I get it confused with Short Circuit 2- cause that one there's a wharehouse and he makes like miniature robots I think... on with the show!


After Thoughts:
Oh this was bad...seriously. So I remembered the story pretty much. Guttenberg ends up being a good guy in the end. But can we please talk about the horribly racist white/indian guy?!? OMG it was terrible! This actor has been in a million things why did he play a horrible stereotype in this.  Anyways Ally Sheedy looks just like she did in Breakfast Club so that was entertaining. The special effects were sad and bad, but that's okay. Again glad this movie was short too.  Now they're off to Montana...Short Circuit 2 is not on my to watch list during this project.  Really no sequel was needed.

Tyler's Ranking:   B-

1987: The Lost Boys

Movie Facts:
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Movie Tagline: Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.
Kiefer Sutherland - international vampire spy
Corey Haim - less annoying than the other Corey
Corey Feldman - the annoying one
Jamie Gertz - as the same character from Less than Zero- right? of course her name is Star

Before thoughts: I probably haven't seen this movie since High School. I know Haley used to like it and that's probably how I ended up seeing it.  Vampires, absent parents, annoying teen "heartrhobs" the Coreys. I remember the soundtrack being really good.  Of the story what I remember is there's two brothers who move somewhere near a boardwalk with their mom and they used to be close, but the brother falls in with the wrong crowd- vampires- and falls in love with like the head vampire's girlfriend, and then Corey Feldman and his friend convince the younger brother they have to kill them vampires or something...is this one of those movies that doesn't really have a happy ending? I hope so cause Short Circuit was too cheesy.

A Few Live Thoughts: (I'm doing laundry and trying to clean so I'll throw in a few thoughts here and there)
- Diane West really? Wow totally did not remember she was in this
- Did Jason Patric ever do anything again?
- Awwww brotherly love!
- Words of wisdom "if you read the TV guide you don't need a TV"
- Oh no, spandex...and body grease this is not good
- OMG the outfits- next ear for Halloween I'm going as Corey Haim in Lost Boys
- Look it's Richard Gilmore!
- Corey Haim taking a serious bubble bath...
- How old is Corey supposed to be? I'm so confused...
- Ewwwww he bit his head...
- Garlic Holy Water...okay
- This reminds me I need a dog when I move home...my cats aren't very protective
- Ewwwwwwwwww
- This song is so creepy
- I want her hair

After thoughts:  Ehhh. Like all movies...from the 80s...or from forever. Why do these people fall in love?!? Like seriously you just see a chick dancing to some sweaty guy in spandex and all of the sudden you're in love?  Why was she with David to begin with? He had bad bleached hair!  So this is an excellent example of a great bad movie. It definitely wasn't good, but it wasn't painfully bad.  Very entertaining and the best costumes. Apparently I remembered the plot I needed to.  It was mom's new boyfriend who was the head vampire...figures. It's always a woman's fault.

Tyler's Ranking : A for a B movie.

1988: Heathers

Movie Facts: 
Directed by Michael Lehmann
Movie tagline: Best friends, social trends and occasional murder.
Winona Ryder being angsty
Christian Slater being weird and Jack Nicholson-y
Shannen Doherty being a bitch

Before thoughts:  I was probably in college the first time I saw this movie and have probably seen it more recently than the last three. A bunch of girls name Heather are in a clique and after one dies of an apparent suicide there are copy cats.  The one chick not named Heather in the group is basically responsible because her new boyfriend Christian Slater is a horrible influence...also she's kinda a freak and shouldn't be friends with the Heathers anyways.  So basically it's the 80s mean girls right?  Eh we'll see. However it does contain a lot of my favorite one liners "what's your damage" and "gag me with a spoon".

After thoughts: Oh yah it's actually just them that kill everybody. The fashion is fabulous, the music is synthesized.  I love the priest it's that one guy and he's fabulous. Blowing up a school is obviously not something that would have gone over well in the 90s. It was also fun to watch all the teenage smoking. I feel like not a lot of my friends smoked in High School. The parents all suck, cause apparently they don't hear people breaking into their daughter's rooms in the morning to kill them! Also they have bomb equipment in their homes with their sociopathic children. Excellent parenting all around. Good job.

Tyler's Ranking: B+

1989: Say Anything

Movie Facts:
Directed by Cameron Crowe
John Cusack being himself
Ione Skye as the only character where she didn't have to act
The old guy from Fraiser

Before Thoughts: Ummm it's another teen movie. I'm in a rut and I'm only 4 years in! So it's another movie where people fall in love for no reason, they're compatible for no reason.  So girl falls for guy for some stupid reason. They have sex and she tries to break up with him. He doesn't take no for an answer. Her dad is evading the IRS and then they leave for London together.  She's really smart, he's what happens to millennials in the early 2000s. And that's all I got.

After Thoughts: Ummm why did I start crying in this middle of this! So good. This movie was way better than I remembered it.  Stands the test of time nicely. So guy falls for girl for some stupid reason not the other way around. I think Ione's character is so unlikeable! I really dislike her. Why does she break up with Lloyd? I mean really, her dad is the douche, she tells him everything and he still doesn't get it! I mean come on. Who tell's their dad that much... Also the pen! OMG so annoyed with the damn pen. But Lloyd reminds me of this Mixed CD a High School friend made me when I was in college "Songs where the guy hurts" it's a great mixed CD I still have it on my Google Music.  But it's all about when the guys are left with questions and all WTF after girls do stupid stuff like break up with them after sex. But I still love this movie I mean Lloyd may not be the perfect guy, because really what the hell is he going to do with his life, but his adoration of the useless Diane Court is admirable.

Tyler's Ranking: A. Just an A.  Good all around movie.

--------

Previous 30 day movie project posts
Overview of the Project
My thoughts on Legend

30:30:30: 1985 Legend

February 27th - Day One!

(To hear more about this crazy project visit my first post about it here)

Fun Facts:
Directed by Ridley Scott (From Blade Runner to Legend...okay)
Released in 1985 in the UK 1986 in the US
Tom Cruise was 22-23
Mia Sara was 16
Tim Curry was fabulous

Before: 
What I remember of this movie before it starts is Tom Cruise as a weird man/boy and Tim Curry as an evil Devil like thing.  The chick from Ferris Bueller gets kidnapped or something by Tim Curry and the world almost turns evil.  There are unicorns involved and weird trolls. And that's about it.

Live thoughts:
- Oh it has those kind of special effects...I'm sorry Tim Curry
- Awww the evil ones rhyme
- Maybe I should watch Ferris Bueller next.
- Oooh I feel like these play this soundtrack in River Center Mall...or at least in the nature store
- Tom Cruise looks like Peter Pan
- Why does she have glitter all over her face?
- "Don't you trust me?" ummmm yah don't put that blindfold on
- Too bad The Last Unicorn came out before I was born...the dialogue is much better and America did the soundtrack.
- Those poor horses
- And inconsistent accent award goes to Tom Cruise...
- And a woman destroys peace...typical.
- OMG the trolls are so flamboyant it's amazing...look at that sass
- oh nevermind they're goblins apparently...my bad
- Why is the snow sparkling?
- Oh ya there's a fairy! Ummm did the Fairy just touch Tom's ass?
- Oh god this little fairy boy is going to so get on my nerves
- I feel like we're in Narnia...a weird drunk Narnia
- And Tom's crying...and there's no accent anymore just normal Cruise voice I'm cool with that
- Yah yah, there's always a Last Unicorn
- Ooh yah Oona- she's worse than Gump! And she tells Jack "I can be anything you want" you're a child stop that!
- Also why is everyone covered in stripper glitter
- Oh you're a really bad crier Lily- Do the goblins have guns?
- Lily you're useless
- Thank god this movie is only an hour and a half...
- Ewwwwww you're gross....green swamp goblin thing....so gross
- Kill it!!!!
- Oh yah I remember her annoying breathing...and eventually her voices gets weird and low and kind guttural
- Hey it's that one guy, he played a weird troll/gnome thing in some other movie too
- Ooona that is inappropriate, he loves someone else don't ask that
- Uuuhhhhh no Jack, uhhg teenagers are stupid, she's not real!
(Hey Sookie joined me! She doesn't seem to like the movie either... Bellatrix is cool with it. Although neither seems to like my commentary)
- Yah hissing will scare them Gump...good job, even Tom thinks you're exasperating
- Lily how did your clothes get so torn up so quickly, it's been a day chid
- Oh yah dangle diamond's in front of her and she'll forget she's lost her love and in some weird underworld...uhg
- oh yah the creepy dementor dancing and the weird guttural noises, I remember this
- Don't dance with it, it's creepy!
- See what happens when you dance, you turn goth! Sparkly goth!
- Oh Tim Curry you're so fabulous.
- Yah, just gasp and don't communicate that'll help your situation
- Gump you suck, like he's going to give up it's Tom Cruise he always gets his girl
- The music is definitely different now...very rock opera-esque
- No means no...so I guess never means like really no
- Really Darkness you're just as bad as Jack and Lily, you really believe her shit?
- Okay Lily your accent sucks now too, especially in that low register
- Yah that wasn't very subtle Jack
- Really you think arrows would stop Darkness?
- I'm so glad Tom can fight in a a sparkly dress.
- I really don't remember this ending...I know Jack and Lily win but still...
- How does he end up in space? I'm so confused...
- Awww Tom you cleaned up so fast.
- Loved by the Sun...no just no. Or Yes...cause you know the singer...
- So the moral was the usual right, women cause the world to almost end and a man had to save the girl and the world...
- Hey look Tim Curry lives!

After:
Okay final thoughts. Glad this was a shorter movie...it just does not stand the test of time. I remember liking it as a kid and thinking it was cool and stuff, but it's been 30 years and now it just looks sad and dated. Like old bad TV movies from the 90s with lots of glitter and fairies. Tom Cruise started off with an accent then lost it very quickly and became the Tom we all know and love today. Mia was obnoxious the whole time...seriously I have no idea what that chick's motivations were.  Tim Curry you're perfect never change. The elfs and goblins and fairies were sooooooooooo annoying. Seriously they were creepy and useless.

The story was pretty blah too.  Women touches something she shouldn't touch because a stupid guy in love "wanted to show her something". So of course she touches it and the world falls apart into evil.  Then the guy in love has to save the girl because she caused Evil to happen and the entire world almost falls apart because of it....blah blah blah, love conquers all and good triumphs over the fabulous Tim Curry.

OMG the music was like the nature store music you heard in the malls in the 90s it was hysterical.  Then the costumes were useless too. One fairy was wrapped in medical gauze, Tom was in a giant sequined dress armor and Lily's clothes kept getting more and more disheveled and torn even though she wasn't really doing anything but running and making weird gasping noises.

Overall it was a fun movie to snark watch, would have been better with friends instead of just my cats, but it's cool.  My running commentary above is what I would have said if I'd watched it with my friends...or Haley since I remember her really liking this movie too.

Tyler ranking: B+ B movie.
It was good for a B movie, but not enough to be an A+ B movie...

30 days, 30 years, 30 movies.

Soon I will have been alive for 30 years! I am so excited to turn thirty it scares my friends.  To celebrate I'm doing a lot- spending time with friends, family, eating super good food and drinking really good wine.  That's basically all I got.  But since I'm super lucky and my 30th birthday falls on March 30th I thought I'd do something extra fun and silly.  I'm going to watch one movie from every year I've been alive-  here are my options if you have thoughts on which should win feel free to comment below and I'll update and post new blogs for movies that really had a fun impact. as well as at the end which once I ended up watching.

1985- The Breakfast Club
           Legend
           Clue*
           A Chorus Line*
1986-  Top Gun
           Stand By Me*
           Pretty in Pink*
           Short Circuit
           Little Shop of Horrors*

1987- The Princess Bride*
           Dirty Dancing*
           The Lost Boys
           Empire of the Sun
           Harry and the Hendersons

1988-  Beetlejuice*
           Rain Man
           Who Framed Roger Rabbit*
           Willow*
           Heathers*        
           Big

1989-  Batman
           Dead Poets Society
           The Little Mermaid*
           Say Anything*
           Steal Magnolias*
           Troop Beverly Hills*

1990- Pretty Woman
           Edward Scissorhands*
           Dick Tracy*
           Arachnophobia
           The Witches
           Mermaids* 

1991- The Silence of the Lambs
           Hook*
           Thelma & Louise
           My Girl*
           The Father of the Bride*
           City Slickers
           Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
           Drop Dead Fred

1992-  Reservoir Dogs*
           A Few Good Men
           A League of Their Own
           Newsies*
           Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1993-  Jurassic Park
           The Sandlot
           Hocus Pocus*
           Robin Hood Men in Tights
           Falling Down
           The Three Musketeers
           Benny & Joon*

1994- The Shawshank Redemption
           Forrest Gump
           Leon
           Interview with a Vampire*
           Clerks*
1995- Se7en
          Clueless

          Toy Story*
           A Little Princess*
           Empire Records
           Too Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
1996- Jerry Maguire*
           Romeo + Juliet*
           The Birdcage
           The Craft*
           Mars Attacks!
1997-  Boogie Nights*

           Starship Troopers*
           The Fifth Element*
           Contact
           The Saint*
1998- The Big Lebowski*
           Saving Private Ryan
           The Truman Show
           The Wedding Singer*
           The X-Files
1999-  American Beauty*

           Office Space
           Girl, Interrupted*
           Magnolia*
           The Talented Mr. Ripley
           Dogma*
2000- Snatch*
           Almost Famous*
           O Brother, Where Art Thou*
           Chocolat*
           High Fidelity*
           Boondock Saints*

2001- Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone*
           Ocean's Eleven*
           Moulin Rouge*
           Blow
           Vanilla Sky*
           Gosford Park*

2002- Star Wars Episode 2- Attack of the Clones*

           Ice Age
           Chicago*
           Signs
           Punch Drunk Love*
2003- Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl* 

           Finding Nemo*
           Big Fish*
           Lost in Translation*
           Mystic River*
2004-  Mean Girls*

           Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*
           50 First Dates*
           The Life Aquatic*
           Closer*
2005- Batman Begins*

           Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire*
           V for Vendetta*
           The Chronicles of Narnia- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe*
           Walk the Line*
           Jarhead*
2006- The Departed*

           The Prestige*
           Pan's Labyrinth
           Cars
           Stranger than Fiction*
2007-  Stardust*

           Juno*
           The Golden Compass*
           Knocked Up*
           Pirates of Caribbean at World's End*
          Ocean's Thirteen*
          Across the Universe*
2008- The Dark Knight*

           Twilight*
           Mamma Mia*
           Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2009- Watchmen

           The Hangover*
           District 9*
           Up in the Air
           Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Price*
          Up*
2010- Inception*

          The Social Network*
           Easy A*
           Toy Story 3
           Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World*
2011- Harry Potter & the Dealthy Hallows Part 2*

           X-Men First Class*
           The Help
           The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2012- The Hunger Games*

           The Dark Knight Rises*
           Zero Dark Thirty
           Silver Linings Playbook*
           Moonrise Kingdom*
           Les Miserables*
2013-  Frozen*

           The Great Gatsby*
           The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
           American Hustle*
2014- Gone Girl

           Big Hero 6
           Interstellar
           Guardians of the Galaxy*
           The Grand Budapest Hotel*
           The Book of Life

* = I own.


With the help of IMBD these are not my favorite movies from these years, not all the movies I own from these years in fact since I own over 300 DVDs (yes I know I have a problem).  I own 104 on this list of 165.  There are no movies on this list I haven't already seen.  And there are a few movies I'll disqualify because I've seen them pretty recently like in the last 3ish months.  I could have added all the Harry Potter movies but I may watch those all before the end of February so we'll see. Either way these are all movies I really like for some weird reason or another.

So this all starts March 1st.  Now I probably wont be able to watch one movie a day so I'll probably end up binging a bit on the weekends.  Also for the rest of February I'm going to tackle some of these I know I can't make in March.  So I'll try to post at least once a week maybe twice a week in March with my progress and what years I cover.  This should be fun! Anyone who knows me knows how obsessive I can be when I decide I want to do something so while it'll be fun it will also be really really obnoxious.