365 Movie Challenge - Week 34

Week thirty-four included some old, some new, some classics and a really big boo.

Below are my movies of the week:
August 18

               Dawn of the Dead (2004) (Directed by Zach Snyder) Not really the best thing to watch during breakfast after you don't get much sleep. I am not a big fan of horror movies but this one isn't bad. I like the actors in it.

               The Princess Bride (Directed by Rob Reiner) I don't know anyone that doesn't like this movie. It is a fun story and full of quotable moments. I like that the movie is told as if it was a book being read. Now if Hollywood could figure out a way to make a movie that follows its original source more closely.

August 20

               Caddyshack II (Directed by Allan Arkush) Stupid me for watching this. I got home late and decided to watch this while I was making dinner. I had forgotten how bad it was. I will make a mental note to never watch this movie again.

August 21

               The Expendables 2 (Directed by Simon West) There is never a wrong time to enjoy a movie with lots of explosions and cheesy one liners. Can The Expendables 3 get released immediately please?

August 22

               Bronson (Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn) I don't get the love people have for this movie. I thought Tom Hardy did great, especially on stage playing multiple parts. The story however lost me in multiple parts. I was really looking forward to finally watching this movie too. Maybe I should revisit it at a later date to see if my opinion of it changes.

August 23

               Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Directed by Gore Verbinski) Lately I have been playing the Pirates of the Caribbean Lego game on my PS3 and while playing through the first movie on the game I realized I didn't remember much about the movie itself. Ten years later and this movie still holds up. The story and characters are very strong all the way through. Though the sequels went downhill more and more with each release this movie can still stand on its own without much trouble at all.

August 24

               Coyote Ugly (Directed by David McNally) I forgot that there is an actual storyline for this movie. I thought it was jsut about cute girls dancing on bars to the jukebox. Thankfully it isn't much of a storyline otherwise it would ruin the movie.

               Back to the Future Part II (Directed by Robert Zemeckis) Still fun to watch all these years later. I made sure to take note that the movie takes place in 2015 and not 2012, 2013 or whenever someone tries to create a fake meme about the date. I've always wondered if the Sports Almanac held all the sports scores for the previous century why was it so small? The print had to be really really tiny to fit it all in.

               Tommy Boy (Directed by Peter Segal) I really think that if he didn't die Chris Farley would still be in Adam Sandler's movies in place of Kevin James. I like Kevin James a lot but there was always something about Farley that made it hard not to enjoy whenever he was on the screen.

               Multiplicity (Directed by Harold Ramis) I'd say this filled my weekly Michael Keaton quota quite well. Keaton delivers four solid performances all as a different version of himself. I had forgotten about this movie when I asked about the merits of Michael Keaton. I’m glad some friends reminded me because it is a very funny movie.

Movies Watched: 389

Movies To Go for 2.0: 111

365 Movie Challenge - Week 33

Week thirty-three included yet another Michael Keaton movie as well some questions about a John Hughes classic.

Below are my movies of the week:

August 11

               Mars Attacks (Directed by Tim Burton) So many big name stars in this alien invasion movie from Tim Burton. Too bad all the stars couldn't make it a good movie. I know it was meant to be cheesy but they could have at least made it somewhat enjoyable. I still remember seeing this in theaters with my dad and brother.

               Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Directed by John Hughes) This is probably my favorite John Hughes movie from my childhood. Looking back now though I wonder why Jeanie was arrested at home for making a false police report. Shouldn't the cops, already knowing he was sick, have tried to confirm her story before taking her to the police station? There are a couple other things I question but that one stuck out most to me. Oh and how did all the flowers get inside if the front door was locked?

August 12

               How High (Directed by Jesse Dylan) Boy I had forgotten how bad this movie was. Not really sure what I enjoyed about it 12 years ago. The highlight for me had to be the re-emergence of Lisa Turtle from Saved by the Bell.

August 13

               Big Miracle (Directed by Ken Kwapis) This true story based film was fun to watch. I remember the whale craze of the early 90's with Free Willy and a whale exhibit at our local history museum. I don't remember when the events of the film took place but it was cool to see the archive footage during the credits to show that people around the world did come together to save a small family of whales.

August 14

               The Associate (Directed by Donald Petrie) I don't know why I enjoy watching this movie because it is stupid and not overly funny. Having said that if I come across it on TV I usually stop to watch it or I record it. It is funny to see that back in the 90's they made it seem like all you needed to create a fake identity was Windows 95 and AOL.

August 15

               Starship Troopers (Directed by Paul Verhoeven) I saw this movie opening night almost 16 years ago and ever since it has been a guilty pleasure of mine. My dad and I went to the RiffTrax screening of this film and had a GREAT time. The movie itself is cheesy beyond belief and the acting by the bugs is more believable than Denise Richards.

August 16

               Avatar (Extended Edition) (Directed by James Cameron) I know people will take shots at this movie but I enjoy it. Visually it is beautiful and though the story isn't original it is told well. I am not so sure we need all the sequels they are supposedly planning but the first one is fun to watch from time to time. That does include the 3 hour extended version.

               Kick-Ass 2 (Directed by Jeff Wadlow) This movie had some good parts but it had many more bad parts. It felt very inconsistent and lost its flow from the first film. The high school 'Mean Girls' story line was very predictable and didn't belong in an action movie.

               The Whole Nine Yards (Directed by Jonathan Lynn) They should have never made a sequel to this comedy, it ruined the fun of the first one. I like the cast as a whole in this movie and I thought Matthew Perry did a good job as the neurotic dentist.

August 17

               Batman (Directed by Tim Burton) To continue my now weekly Michael Keaton viewing I went with Tim Burton's Batman. It is interesting to see the difference between this Batman and Nolan's trilogy. Burton's Batman focused more on the battle of Batman and The Joker while only developing a couple supporting characters. Nolan's Batman did a really good job of developing a lot of the supporting characters. He also found the right actors to fit the characters.

               Epic (Directed by Chris Wedge) There was nothing special about this mediocre animated film. The characters and voice actors were just ok. I liked the concept of the story but I also thought it was lacking in substance. It is a good movie for children but I like my animated movies to have a bit more depth compared to this.

Movies Watched: 379

Movies To Go for 2.0: 121

365 Movie Challenge - Week 32

Week thirty-two included the completion of my 365 movie challenge  Just because I watched all 365 movies doesn't mean I am stopping there. Now begins challenge 2.0!

Below are my movies of the week:

August 4

               Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Directed by Shane Black) This is one of my Top 10 favorite movies of all time. It is so well directed, written and acted. If you are a fan of old school detective novels then you will love this movie. The mystery and character twists feel just like a detective novel and it is narrated like one too.

               Smokin' Aces (Directed by Joe Carnahan) Very fun action movie told from the viewpoint of multiple characters. The very last scene of the movie in the hospital with Reynolds giving up on his career to defend his partners honor is amazing to watch.

               Johnny Dangerously (Directed by Amy Heckerling) I was wrong about Michael Keaton! He was hilarious in this comedy. It reminded me of an old Mel Brooks film.

               The Longest Yard (2005) (Directed by Peter Segal) This Adam Sandler remake is a lot of fun to watch. The plot is fun, the characters are fun and so is the comedy. It isn't a movie that everyone will enjoy but I like the stupid humor it delivers.

               Commando (Directed by Mark L. Lester) Cheesy over the top action film with big death scenes using crazy weapons. But that is what we came to know Arnold for back in the 80's. Dan Hedaya doesn't make a very scary bad guy though.

August 5

               The Shawshank Redemption (Directed by Frank Darabont) I don't have a #1 favorite movie of all time because it might change depending on the mood I am in. But The Shawshank Redemption is easily in my Top 5 movies of all time. I don't know what it is but I start watching it and next thing I know over two hours have gone by and I have watched a great movie again. The story, the characters and the music all combine together to create one of the best movies ever made in my opinion.

               Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (Directed by Richard Marquand) It is still weird to see Hayden Christensen show up as a spirit at the end of the movie during a celebration. I know Lucas likes to tweak the series when he re-releases it but did he really have to add in someone who was only two when the movie originally came out?

               The Truman Show (Directed by Peter Weir) I remember seeing this movie in theater five times the summer it came out. I enjoyed it and it just happen to be the only movie playing when I got off work at the theater and before I got picked up, I didn't have my license yet. It has been at least five years since I have seen it and watching it now feels different since the idea of "reality television" is on every single TV network every day of the week.

August 6

               PCU (Directed by Hart Bochner) I LOVE this movie. I still remember seeing it for the first time on Comedy Central and laughing all the way through. I always hoped college would be like this, but we all know it isn't. This movie has provided me with so many quotes to throw out from time to time and when I do, I find new people that have seen and enjoy the movie.

August 7

               Office Space (Directed by Mike Judge) After being disappointed by Ron Livingston in Drinking Buddies I decided I needed to watch one of his better movies. Office Space is also a fun movie to watch when you want to unwind and not think about much about what you're seeing.

August 9

               Beetlejuice (Directed by Tim Burton) This was movie 365 for my challenge this year and I picked it because of the memories I have of seeing it for the first time 25 years ago. This is one of my favorite Tim Burton movies.

365 Movies in 221 Days

When I first started this challenge I wasn’t certain if I would reach 365 by the end of the year, let alone early August. Now that I have completed my initial challenge I am working towards challenge 2.0 now. My new goal is to watch 500 total movies by the end of the year.

August 10

               Weird Science (Directed by John Hughes) Classic John Hughes movie. This was the first Hughes movie I have watched this year but it won't be the last.

               I Got Next (Directed by Ian Cofino) This documentary about a few guys who play Street Fighter in tournaments was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more about the culture of video games and tournaments but it focused only on Street Fighter. Street Fighter was fun to play back in the 90's and early 00's but it doesn't appeal to me much anymore.

               Cloud Atlas (Directed by Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski) I have been holding off on watching this movie for months because of mixed reviews from people. I finally watched it and though I am confused about a few parts I really enjoyed the movie. Besides the storyline being very interesting the movie was visually stunning and the score was beautiful to listen to.

Movies Watched: 368

Movies To Go for 2.0: 132

Beetlejuice and Memories with My Dad

My dad, Chuck Fleming, with a Zombie Beatles poster I got for him.

About a month ago I asked for suggestions on what I should watch when it came time for my 365^th movie of the year. My friend John who originally gave me the idea about this challenge suggested I watch my favorite movie from childhood or the first movie I saw in theaters. I decided to go with the first movie I saw in theaters because that day started me on a journey that has seen me sit in a number of different movie theater while I lean back and enjoy a brand new adventure in front of my eyes.

A couple weeks after I turned six years old in March of 1988 my dad took me to see my first movie in a theater. That day he picked the new movie from director Tim Burton, Beetlejuice. The one thing I remember most about that day was the fact that we didn’t stay for the entire movie. We didn’t stay because I was too scared of what I saw on the screen, I just didn’t tell my dad that. I told him I had to go to the bathroom a few times after I got scared. By the fourth time of telling him I needed to go to the bathroom he said we should go home, he knew I was scared and didn’t want to tell him. Even though I didn’t stay for the whole movie that day it is the first of many movie going memories with my dad. Last night my dad along with my Aunt Teresa, my Uncle Tim and I watched Beetlejuice together. I had not seen the movie in a few years so I was excited for another viewing. As we all sat in my parent’s living room I felt the same excitement I did 25 years ago as it started. Throughout the movie when something scary came on the screen either my dad or I would make a comment about that might have been one of the things that scared me so much as a kid. It was a lot of fun getting to watch the movie again last night and there was no one else I would have wanted to watch it with besides my dad.

One of our favorite things to do together is watch movies. I have watched hundreds if not thousands of movies with my dad over the years. When I turned sixteen I got a job working for the AMC movie theater chain. The theater I was hired to work at was still being built and wouldn’t open for a few weeks so I did my training at another theater. A few days before the theater opened they invited all of the employees and parents or spouses to a sneak preview of Lost in Space which was premiering the same day the theater would open. My mom couldn’t make it that day so a longtime family friend of ours, Sherry, joined my dad and me for the movie. Since the theater was not open to the public yet it was very cool to walk around the building and all the theaters before anyone else. I took Sherry and my dad on a tour around the building showing them the different places I knew of. Once we took our seats for the movie our managers talked to us about the fun and excitement we would be having in a few days but to also remember this was a job. The movie was not very good that night but it was exciting to know that we were watching something before the general public. A year later when I was working at Target my dad came in and bought our families first DVD player. With the purchase he also got three free DVD’s. One of the three movies he picked was Lost in Space.

My dad is one of my best friends and heroes. To steal a saying from my friend Sarah, I have a Rad Dad!  Ever since the day I was born he has been there for me no matter what. He has taught me to shave, to drive and how to be a man.  Two memories that will never leave my mind involve my dad and I both driving cars. The first memory came after my first brain surgery in 1999 my dad taking me to a follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon in Denver. It was an early morning appointment which meant there was a lot of traffic on the highway. My dad decided to take the carpool lane down as far as we could to beat some of the traffic. His plan worked and we made it downtown pretty fast. Another problem arose when the carpool lane ended and we had to cross four lanes of rush hour traffic to make our exit which was less than a half mile away. In what might be one of the scariest moments in my life, yes even after having brain surgery four times, my dad crossed all four lanes in less than ten seconds while going sixty miles per hour. I still remember gripping the armrest and bracing for impact because I thought we were definitely going to hit someone or something, but we didn’t. I still mention that to my dad every few years and he tells me it was a piece of cake and nothing to worry about.

Another memory that I have of a car, my dad and I came when he was trying to teach me how to drive stick. When I was seventeen my parents helped me buy a 1991 Isuzu Trooper. Though I had already had my license for a year I was not able to drive it when I first got it because I didn’t know how to drive stick. To teach me to drive stick he took me to the parking lot of my mom’s work which wasn’t far from our house. We started out in the main part of the parking lot so I could get the hang of starting, and shifting between gears. I don’t remember how many times it took to get it down but I do know I was told to not grind the gears more than a few times. Once I had mastered the parking lot he said it was time to learn how to drive stick on an incline. There was a long drive way at my mom’s work that went from the main level down to the basement. My dad backed up my Trooper about halfway down the driveway, put it in park, turned it off and told me to get in the driver’s seat. Instead of getting in next to me he went and stood about five feet behind the car. He told me to do everything we had just done in the parking lot and drive up the hill without rolling back and hitting him. I asked him to back up further just in case I couldn’t get it in to gear fast enough but he declined my request. I was so nervous at the time because if I hit my dad and hurt him how was I going to get him help, I couldn’t drive up the hill. As I sat behind the wheel trying to build up the courage to turn the car on and drive up the hill I looked to the top of the driveway to see one of my mom’s co-workers Ralph watching me with a smile. I finally worked up enough courage to give it a shot. I started the car and was able to get it in gear and make it up the hill without rolling back very far at all. After making it up the hill my dad told me to put it in reverse and go back down the driveway. Once I got to the halfway point again he stood behind the car again, this time closer, and told me to do it again. I was still scared I might hit him but made it up the hill. We did this a couple more times that day before heading home. Looking back now, I know the reason my dad stood behind my car that day without fear was because he knew I could do it. He knew I wouldn’t hit him and he knew I would soon figure that out.

There are so many more memories of my dad and I floating around in my head. I knew I wouldn’t be able to write about all of them at once so I decided that I will break them up over different movie memories. This is just the first installment of what will be many more to come.

I Love You Dad!

365 Movie Challenge - Week 31

Week thirty-one was a movie filled week. Fourteen total movies watched which means I only have eleven more to go to reach my goal.

Below are my movies of the week:

July 28

               X-Men: The Last Stand (Directed by Brett Ratner) This X-Men movie had a different feeling from the previous two in the series. I think it is because they brought in a new director to take over a big storyline from the X-Men universe. The movie wasn't horrible but compared to X2 it was a downgrade. Some of the new characters introduced were fun but I felt they were introduced just to give a one liner more than anything.

               Gamer (Directed by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor) This reminds me a little of one of my favorite books, Ready Player One. Instead of living their own lives people live virtual lives of real people. Interesting concept but overall the movie felt disconnected and cheesy in parts.

               Red 2 (Directed by Dean Parisot) Great follow-up to 2010's Red. I was a little worried that it would fail in comparison to the original which I am a big fan of, I was wrong. Both my dad and I had a great time watching the movie. The action sequences and comedy throughout made for a very fun movie going experience.

July 29

               Mr. Mom (Directed by Stan Dragoti) I enjoy this movie every time I watch it but I still don't see why Michael Keaton was so popular in the early 80's. I just don't think there is anything special about him at that time. A couple friends suggested I watch a couple other movies from him so I am going to give it a shot and see if my opinion changes.

July 30

               Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (Directed by Jay Oliva) In my opinion one of the best from DC Animated. From beginning to end I was hooked. Great overall storyline and voice acting. I was really happy to see a Flash led film. I am going to be reading the Flashpooint comic book arc very soon

July 31

               Drinking Buddies (Directed by Joe Swanberg) I was excited about this movie because it was starring Anna Kendrick, Olivia Wilde and Ron Livingston. I soon found out that just because it has 3 great actors in it, doesn't mean it will be a good movie. I was very bored watching this movie. It was cliché filled and very drawn out.

49 Different Movies Watched in July. 346 Movies in 212 Days

August 1

               Piranha 3DD (Directed by John Gulager) Continuity errors and a crappy storyline made for a less than stellar sequel. There were some funny moments but compared to its predecessor it was lacking all around.

August 2

               A Band Called Death (Directed by Mark Christopher Covino & Jeff Howlett) I have wanted to see this documentary about a punk band from the 1970's about three African American brothers who live in Detroit. The film followed two of the brothers as they tell their story from learning to play music in their parents’ house to being re-discovered over 30 years later. One of the brothers passed away over 10 years ago and you can see to this day that they still miss him, especially now that they are becoming better known.

               Captain America: The First Avenger (Directed by Joe Johnston) Top quality film from Marvel about Captain America. This was the last movie that would lead in to The Avengers and it didn't disappoint. The film follows the origin of Steve Rogers as he goes from puny kid rejected by the military to the ultimate super soldier. Besides the story being very strong, the special effects are amazing. Seeing the transformation of Chris Evans is pure movie magic.

August 3

               This is Spinal Tap (Directed by Rob Reiner) My best friend Sarah suggested I watch this movie in her honor so I gave it a shot. Yes this was the first time I watched it all the way through. The movie is funny but I really don't see why so many people love it. I might have to watch it again to get anything I might have missed.

               The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (Directed by Don Scardino) Had this movie come out 5-10 years ago when Carrey and Carell were at their peak this movie would have done better. The last third of the movie was really enjoyable but the first two thirds were a bit boring and felt like a lot of other movies about former stars that don't want to change with the times. Jim Carrey's character was missing the humor that I grew up on. It felt like he was going for a bit of Fire Marshall Bill but it fell flat in my opinion.

               LEGO Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite (Directed by Jon Burton) This movie was fun but completely predictable. It was predictable because I played the video game it was based on and beat it, quite proud of myself for that. Not as good as DC Animated films but for this being my first Lego animated film it was good.

               Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Directed by Kevin Smith) Another classic Kevin Smith movie about two lifelong friends that have hit rock bottom and decide to make a porn to pay the bills. Besides Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks brining the funny in this movie, the supporting cast was just as funny. This is one of my favorite Kevin Smith movies and I never get tired watching it.

               Gung Ho (Directed by Ron Howard) After starting this Michael Keaton movie around 10 at night I didn’t think I would finish it before falling asleep. But two hours later I was still awake as the credits rolled. Even though I still don't see what is so special about Keaton in this movie it is still a very good movie about a small town car assembly plant taken over by the Japanese. When their two methods of work clash the entire town is put in jeopardy. Michael Keaton is put in charge of being the go-between for both sides but when he runs his mouth he is put in the crosshairs. The scene with him trying to pack his car and leave as soon as possible was fun to watch.

Movies Watched: 354

Movies To Go: 11

The Rookie and Memories of My Grandmother

My grandma Lorraine with her Great Granddaugher Ella

Growing up I loved baseball. I loved watching it, playing it and learning about its history. My parents got me a giant encyclopedia about Major League Baseball when I was 8 or 9 and I read that thing front to back multiple times. My favorite player was Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants and my favorite team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. As like most kids I wanted to grow up to be a professional baseball player or maybe an announcer. I was never good enough playing baseball to make it past the Little League level but I still had fun. Baseball themed movies have always been a favorite of mine too, especially ones based on true stories.

In my sophomore year of college I had a class with a friend that I knew from high school. One day before class my friend Scott mentioned that a friend of ours that graduated with us was going to be in a Disney movie about baseball called The Rookie. After doing some research I found that The Rookie was about a High School teacher/ baseball coach that use to play baseball as a kid that missed his chance at the major leagues because of an injury. To motivate his players to try harder he agrees to go to a try-out if they make it to the championship. When his players don’t just make it to the big game but win it, he goes to an open try-out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. I won’t go in to much more detail about the movie but let’s just say I was interested in it from just reading the initial premise. I knew I would be seeing the movie as soon as it came out

As a child my love of baseball was fueled by one of the most important and influential people in my life, my grandmother Lorraine. My grandma Lorraine was my mom’s mom. She would babysit me when I was little and introduced me to so many different things in the world. One thing I would do a lot with her and my grandfather was to go camping. While camping we would go fishing and ride four wheelers. My grandmother is the one that taught me how to do both. She taught me how to bait the hook and cast the line. When we weren’t camping one of my favorite things to do with my grandmother was to play card games. She taught me to play so many different card games that I still play to this day. Card games were one thing that all her grandchildren had in common.

My grandmother and I watched a lot of movies and TV together when she would watch me. I still remember watching Alvin and the Chipmunks movies over and over again with her, they were my favorite. My grandmother loved to watch The Price is Right and the soap opera Another World. After spending so much time with her watching those shows I grew to enjoy them almost as much as her. She loved to guess the cost of the showcase showdowns and got pretty good at it. She also loved to do crossword puzzles. She would read the paper every morning and save the crossword puzzle to do later.

I also have many memories of my grandmother that involve Baseball. Before we had the Colorado Rockies her favorite teams were the Milwaukee Brewers and the Minnesota Twins. I was never a fan of the Twins but I did like the Brewers and that is because of her. My favorite Brewer was Paul Molitor. To this day I still have my old Paul Molitor baseball action figure of him sliding on my desk at work. It reminds me of my grandmother every time I look at it. In 8^th grade my grandmother surprised me with tickets to see the Colorado Rockies take on the Atlanta Braves in the second ever playoff game for the Rockies. I still remember taking the bus from the Park and Ride on 225 and Parker road down to the stadium. Funny thing is I drive by that Park and Ride every day because it is close to my office. Once downtown my grandmother and I walked around the stadium while waiting to pick up our tickets. The Rockies ended up losing that game but it was one of the happiest and most memorable moments in my life. It was freezing cold that October night and I remember that all of the concession stands were sold out of hot chocolate on the third level where our seats were. After the game I stayed the night at my grandparents’ house before getting up early the next morning so they could take me to school.

The Rookie was released in theaters on March 29.2002. I was planning on spending that weekend with my grandparents at their house in Aurora. Since I knew I was already going to be there I asked my grandmother if she would like to go see the movie with me. After telling her a little bit about it she said yes. Early in the afternoon of March 29 I bought us two tickets at the Arapahoe Crossing movie theater and we got in line for the movie. I haven’t been to that theater since seeing The Rookie but I can picture the seats we sat in as the other moviegoers sat around us. The movie is probably one of my favorite baseball movies I have ever watched. When my friend Matt first appeared on screen briefly as one of the high school baseball players I pointed him out to her. After the movie we talked about it and how we both enjoyed it.

That was the last movie my grandmother and I saw together in the theater. We would watch more movies together over the next 9 years but those were always at her house. I have missed my grandmother every single day since she passed just over two years ago and will continue to do so for many more years. When I watched The Rookie earlier this year I watched it with a smile on my face the entire time. Not because it is a good movie but because it was a movie that my grandmother and I enjoyed together.

I love you grandma Lorraine. Thank you for everything you did for me and taught me. You will be in my heart always and forever.