365 Movie Challenge - Week 39

Week thirty-nine was the week of very few movies. After long days at work, most nights I didn't feel like watching a movie. Add that to the continuing trend of going out with my girlfriend and watching football this movie watching challenge is getting to be a bit tough. I will continue to stay strong in my journey to five hundred movies.

Below are my movies of the week:

September 25 

               The Book of Manning (Directed by Rory Karpf) When Peyton Manning first came to Denver last year I wasn't as excited as the majority of Colorado because I wasn't a big fan of him and I thought he was a bit of a showoff. Fast forward 18 months and through his actions on and off the field I have grown to like him. After watching this documentary by Rory Karpf, who is a great director and comedian, I wish I knew the Manning family personally because they are amazing. I had heard of Archie Manning before but I didn't know much about him otherwise. I can't even dislike Eli Manning anymore after watching this. If you have a chance to check this out do so.

September 27 

               Knucklehead (Directed by Michael W. Watkins) I will admit I was only paying half attention to this movie when I watched it. I was doing stuff around the house and just wanted something on in the background. What I did see of it I enjoyed, mainly because I have been a fan of Paul Wight since his days back in WCW and now WWE.

September 28 

               The Five-Year Engagement (Directed by Nicholas Stoller) I don't usually like romantic comedies but this movie is a lot of fun. Segel and Blunt play well off one another and Pratt is hilarious every time he is on the screen. The final proposal scene is my favorite part of the movie but it doesn't take away from all the enjoyable scenes throughout the film.

               The Heat (Directed by Paul Feig) This movie made me laugh, it did take until 90 minutes in to laugh but I laughed nonetheless. I like Sandra Bullock but I don't get the love everyone has for Melissa McCarthy. Her characters always seem to be the same kind and it isn't very funny. The movie itself wasn't bad but like I said, it only made me laugh once.

Movies Watched: 434

Movies To Go for 2.0: 66

365 Movie Challenge - Week 38

Week thirty-eight was even quieter than the week before but for good reasons. It is a good thing that I already hit my initial goal because if I went at this pace all year I wouldn't have made it.

Below are my movies of the week:

September 16 

               Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Directed by Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath) This is my favorite movie in the Madagascar series. The characters and voice actors help carry the movie along at a good pace. It also makes me laugh the most.

September 18 

               24: Redemption (Directed by Jon Cassar) To this day 24 is still one of my favorite shows of all time. This TV movie helped fill the gap between seasons when the writers strike shut down production. I cannot wait for the new mini season to start next spring.

September 19 

               Yellowbrickroad (Directed by Jesse Holland & Andy Mitton) This movie was recommended to me by my girlfriend and while it wasn't the best movie visually it was still a good movie because of how each of the characters broke down in their own way while lost. SPOILER ALERT:  Neither The Wizard or Elton John make an appearance.

September 20 

               Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Directed by Carlos Saldanha & Mike Thurmeier) My least favorite of the Ice Age series. This movie felt like they just made a sequel to make keep the series alive. It didn't feel as fun or creative as the first two movies in the series.

  

September 21 

               The Bling Ring (Directed by Sofia Coppola) This movie annoys me to a new level. The movie itself isn't the problem but the characters and the plot does. This movie is based on the real life Bling Ring from a few years ago when a much of stupid high school students decided to rob from celebrities. Though most the parents of the kids aren't in the movie that much I put a lot of blame on them for what their kids did. Leslie Mann’s role as one of the parents was especially disturbing.

               The Croods (Directed by Kirk De Micco & Chris Sanders) One of the best animated movies I have seen in a long time. The story was fun and the animation itself was really well done. The best part of the movie though has to be the actors voicing all the characters. Nic Cage was the perfect choice for the father role and the rest of the cast down to Clark Duke, who I am not a huge fan of, helped bring their characters to life.

Movies Watched: 430

Movies To Go for 2.0: 70

365 Movie Challenge - Week 37

Week thirty-seven was a bit quieter than usual when it comes to movies but that is because it is Football season and I was spending time with my girl. Both of those are great reasons to skip a couple movies, especially the latter. I did make sure to watch a Michael Keaton movie this week though.

Below are my movies of the week:

September 8

                The Great Outdoors (Directed by Howard Deutch) This use to be one of my favorites growing up. Dan Aykroyd and John Candy did a great job playing off one another. 25 years later the movie holds up pretty good in my opinion.

September 10

                Shrek (Directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson) I love this animated film. It does a great job of mixing child and adult humor throughout while not going overboard. There are so many great one liners in the movie and the story is enjoyable too.

September 11

                Project X (Directed by Nima Nourizadeh) This movie is bad and shows what is wrong with the youth of America today. I was not popular enough to get invited to a lot of high school parties growing up but I am pretty sure none of them turned out like this. The only thing I like about this movie is the soundtrack. One thing that really sucks is I actually own this movie.

September 12

                Invincible (Directed by Ericson Core) Hmmm a sports movie based on a true story? You know I am already sold on it. Who doesn't like a story about a normal guy who defies the odds and makes something of himself? The lead and supporting cast of this movie help bring the characters to life.

September 13

                Armageddon (Extended Edition) (Directed by Michael Bay) Over the top Michael Bay with cheesy romantic storyline and a memorable song makes for a fun action flick. I think the supporting cast is better than Bruce and Ben. It also makes me miss Michael Clarke Duncan even more. He was always so much fun to watch.

                Chicken Little (Directed by Mark Dindal) Fun but forgotten animated film. The story is nothing too special but I enjoyed the animation and voice actors. It did have some funny one liners tossed in as well.

                Night Shift (Directed by Ron Howard) If I haven't said it before I will now, I withdraw my Michael Keaton popularity question that I posed a couple months ago. Though he wasn't the main star of this comedy about morgue attendants that become pimps, his character was hilarious pretty much every moment he is on screen.

September 14

                Leathal Weapon 2 (Directed by Richard Donner) Diplomatic Immunity doesn't mean shit when you cross Riggs and Murtaugh. This Richard Donner sequel was full of action right from the start. The addition of Joe Pesci was a nice touch to add a little more comedy.

                Blackfish (Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite) After watching this documentary I don't know if I ever want to go or could go to Sea World. This film contains a lot of interviews with former trainers and archive footage from park visitors. I originally thought this was going to be about how the killer whales are treated at Seas World but I was wrong. The film mainly focuses on a specific mall killer whale Tilikum that over the years has killed three people but still performs on a daily basis down in Florida.

Movies Watched: 424

Movies To Go for 2.0: 76

365 Movie Challenge - Week 36

Week thirty-six included another #KendrickCrush movie but for the first time in over a month no Michael Keaton movie. I promise to make up for the no Keaton week.

Below are my movies of the week:

September 1

                Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Directed by Chris Columbus) When I originally saw this movie I didn't know it was based on a book series. I really liked the movie so I thought I would give the books a shot. I have now read all of the books in the series including the spinoff series. If you're a fan of the Harry Potter movies then you will enjoy this movie. There are some pretty good cameos in it too.

                The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew (Directed by Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas) I remember watching this as a kid with my dad and finding it hilarious. Now all these years later it is still funny but not as hilarious as I remember it as a kid.. This was my first and only experience with Bob & Doug McKenzie. One big thing I can't believe about this movie is it is rated PG even when it is all about beer and takes place for a majority at a beer factory.

                Robin Hood: Men in Tights (Directed by Mel Brooks) Blazing Saddles was long before my time but I like to think that this and Spaceballs are the Blazing Saddles of my generation if that makes sense. Mel Brooks is a genius and I really wish he was still directing movies even at age 87.

September 2

                The Mummy (Directed by Stephen Sommers) Fun action movie with a good cast and visuals. The sequels were not as good as the first in the series and the last one was horrible after recasting the main character. This movie has held up pretty well over the years.

                Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Directed by Edgar Wright) I know this movie didn't do great in theaters but it is still a favorite of mine. The special effects and visuals throughout the movie helped to tell a fun yet awkward story. The one problem I have with this movie is there wasn't enough Anna Kendrick. #KendrickCrush

                The Perfect Game (Directed by William Dear) I have mentioned before that I am a fan of sport movies especially ones that are based on a true story. Until I came across it on Netflix I had never heard of this movie about a little league team from Mexico in the late 1950's that came to the United States to compete in the Little League World Series. I do not know why I had never heard of this movie. This could have easily been a Disney movie. Even though it wasn't from Disney, it was still a very good movie that I have already suggested to a friend.

September 3

                Contagion (Directed by Steven Soderbergh) It took all of five minutes for this movie to freak me out beyond belief. I contemplated turning it off but stuck with it. Overall it was a pretty good movie. The story while scary was intriguing and all of the characters played their roles well. What scared me most was how easy this could happen in real life.

September 4

                Madagascar (Directed by Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath) Another fun animated movie from Dreamworks. Like with Ice Age they found a simple story that was fun to follow and a good cast of characters to voice the different animals. It is easy to see how they got so many sequels out of this series.

September 6

                The Blind Side (Directed by John Lee Hancock) After watching the Broncos dismantle Michael Oher and the Ravens I decided to watch this movie again because it is one of my favorite sports related movies in recent years. It is still a lot of fun to watch the Michael Oher and the Tuohy's grow in to one united family. I was very happy when Sandra Bullock won her Oscar for this movie.

                Ice Age: The Meltdown (Directed by Carlos Saldanha) Fun sequel to the Ice Age franchise. The introduction of new characters was nice but it felt like some parts ran on just so they could fill time.

                300 (Directed by Zach Snyder) From start to finish this movie is amazing in all aspects. The storyline sucks you in as you begin to feel like one of the warriors defending your land. The scenery is also beautiful to look at. Snyder knew what he was doing when he brought this movie together.

September 7

                Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Directed by Amy Heckerling) This was the first time I ever saw this movie from beginning to end, I had only seen it in pieces previously. The story as a whole was good but what really stuck out to me was how different some things are now compared to back then. I mean hell, concert tickets were really cheap back then even when being scalped.

                Bait (Directed by Antoine Fuqua) This movie is stupid but still enjoyable to watch because of Jamie Foxx and his comedy. It is funny how this movie doesn't feel that old but GPS tracking technology is completely different and easier now compared to when this movie came out.

Movies Watched: 415

Movies To Go for 2.0: 85

365 Movie Challenge - Week 35

Week thirty-five put me over the four hundred movie mark and introduced me to another Michael Keaton classic.

Below are my movies of the week:

August 25

               The Island (Directed by Michael Bay) One of Michael Bay's better films. The storyline alone had me interested from the start The action scenes were big budget but not over the top like his Transformers fight scenes. It also didn't hurt that he cast the lovely and always stunning Scarlett Johansson.

               The Other Guys (Directed by Adam McKay) I have a problem with stupid humor movies at times because the characters stupidity leads to the humor and I don't enjoy that; having said that this movie is hilarious. The pairing of Mark and Will is a great one. Michael Keaton as the police captain / Bed Bath and Beyond manager was funny too.

               A Bug's Life (Directed by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton) Early Pixar film that showed you don't have to have all A-list actors to make a good animated film. I hadn't watched this is probably seven years but it was still as enjoyable now as it was back then.

August 26

               Chronicle (Directed by Josh Trank) As the old comic book saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility." Too bad the main character in this comic book style movie didn't live by that oath. This was a surprise favorite of mine last year. I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Trank in the future.

August 27

               Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Directed by Tom Shadyac) Who doesn't enjoy early Jim Carrey? I never watched much In Living Color so this was my main introduction to Carrey and I have been a fan most of the time since then. His voices and mannerisms are what make this movie great.

August 28

               Mean Girls (Directed by Mark Waters) This movie has been on my DVR for a few months and today was probably not the best day to watch it. I was bored during most the movie and though I have liked it on previous viewings I didn't really care for it this time.

August 29

               Ice Age (Directed by Carlos Saldanha & Chris Wedge) Dreamworks has gotten a lot better of the years with their animated films and this was one of the movies that helped set them on the right path. They figured out that along with good animation and a strong plot you need to find the right mix of voices, and they did just that.

August 30

               Lethal Weapon (Directed by Richard Donner) What is with action movies in the 80's taking place right around Christmas? Both Die Hard and Die Hard 2 followed the Christmas timeline as did Lethal Weapon. Not your typical buddy cop action movie but a good introduction to the characters that we would see onscreen three more times.

               Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Directed by Chris Columbus) Before seeing this movie after it first came out on DVD I had never read any of the Harry Potter books. Since then I have read all of them two and for a couple of the books three times through. This was a pretty good adaptation from book to screen.

               Bulletproof Monk (Directed by Paul Hunter) The plot to this movie is beyond stupid but it turned out to be fun to watch in the end. I am not sure how the studio was sold on the casting of Chow Yun-Fat & Seann William Scott in the same movie but they were.

August 31

               Toy Story 2 (Directed by John Lasseter & Ash Brannon & Lee Unkrich) Not as good as the original but it is still better than any other Pixar sequel to this point. I never saw this movie in theaters. I didn't actually watch it for the first time until it was released on Blu-Ray a few years back.

               Thor (Directed by Kenneth Branagh) Before seeing this movie I didn't really know much about the character but Marvel did a really good job of taking a comic book character and introducing him to the masses in this film. I am really looking forward to the sequel this fall.

               The Dream Team (Directed by Howard Zieff) This was my first time watching this Michael Keaton film and I really enjoyed it. Four mental patients are on their own in New York, what can go wrong? Well they might get suspected of murder. If you haven't seen this movie check it out, it is really funny.


56 Different Movies Watched in August. 402 Movies in 243 Days

Movies Watched: 402

Movies To Go for 2.0: 98