365 Movie Challenge - Week 43

Week forty-three saw me face one of my fears, scary movies. It also included a really good movie and a really really bad one.

Below are my movies of the week:

October 21

               The Pacifier (Directed by Adam Shankman) I don't care what others say but I really enjoy this movie. No it isn't a great story nor does it include amazing acting. It is just a fun movie that makes me laugh from beginning to end.  

October 22

               Friday the 13th (2009) (Directed by Marcus Nispel) This has to be one of the worst remakes I have ever seen. It was not scary at all and the plot in general was boring. Hollywood really needs to get over this PG-13 BS when it comes to scary movies.

October 23

               Big Shot (Directed by Kevin Connolly) I really enjoyed this ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about John Spano and the scam he pulled on the NHL that led to him being in control of the New York Islanders. I had wondered why major league sports take so long to approve a new owner for a team and this movie shows the reason why. To think that what truly brought Spano down in the end was him sending a fax from his banker from his own personal fax machine. I'm sorry Islander fans that you went through all this, but on the bright side you did get rid of that horrible cartoon-like fisherman logo finally.

October 25

               The Way Way Back (Directed by Nat Faxon & Jim Rash) I watched this based on a recommendation from my friend Lexi and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was a very good story that reminded me a bit of Perks of Being a Wallflower that I watched earlier this year. If you are thinking this will be a comedy based on the cast I'm sorry to say you will be disappointed.

               The Conjouring (Directed by James Wan) It is a well known fact that I do not like scary movies and though I agreed to watch this with my girlfriend I was still scared. For the first half I was psyching myself out and my girlfriend had to ask me multiple times if I was okay and if I wanted to turn it off. I resisted the offer of turning it off and stuck with it. By the end of the film I found myself enjoying the movie and was glad to finish it.

October 26

               The Dotted Line (Directed by Morgan Spurlock) I was really hoping for more from this ESPN 30 for 30 about sports agents. The biggest problem I had with it was that the main agent being followed around was not high profile in the least. I did not recognize any of the names he was representing. I like Morgan's other documentaries but I thought this one was not up to his standards.

               R.I.P.D. (Directed by Robert Schwentke) If you thought the movie looked bad based on the previews you were dead on! 20 minutes in to this movie my dad and I both agreed there is no way that there should be a sequel for this really bad Men in Black rip-off. Take my word for it and avoid this movie. I don't know who I liked less whether it was Jeff Bridges or Ryan Reynolds.

Movies Watched: 464

Movies To Go for 2.0: 36

365 Movie Challenge - Week 42

Week forty-two included clues to my Target origin story as well as my last attempt at enjoying Kevin Hart comedy.

Below are my movies of the week:

October 16

               No Mas (Directed by Eric Drath) Having been born in 1982 I missed both of the Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran fights which included Duran giving up mid-fight during their rematch. This wasn't my favorite ESPN 30 for 30 documentary but it was still very interesting to see all the trash talking that led up to the fights and all the media scrutiny that followed Duran giving up.

October 17

               Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (Directed by Leslie Small & Tim Story) I am over Kevin Hart. It took almost 20 minutes in this comedy special for him to tell a joke and it wasn't funny. I don't get why people like him so much. My dad is a big fan of his but I just don't get it.

October 18

               Ted (Directed by Seth MacFarlane) This movie was funnier the first time I saw it after it originally came out. MacFarlane isn't very funny to me in general and during this viewing I realized what I originally thought was hilarious was very childish now.

               Grown Ups 2 (Directed by Dennis Dugan) I didn't like the first 35 minutes or so but after that I actually enjoyed the movie. Not the best thing out there but it was still something fun to watch. One thing I will say about Adam Sandler is that he never forgets about his friends. This movie was filled with appearances by friends from his past movies and Saturday Night Live days.

               Machete Kills (Directed by Robert Rodriguez) This sequel based on Rodriguez's fake trailer turned movie is full of over the top kills and celebrity cameos. The movie gets a little confusing at one point but then someone is killed in a not quite possible way to bring everything back together.

October 19

               Mannequin (Directed by Michael Gottlieb) I can't believe this was a movie back in the 80's and it actually spawned a sequel too. I am not sure what else can be said besides "Please Hollywood do not remake this piece of garbage!"

               Miracle (Directed by Gavin O'Connor) I still get chills down my spine whenever I hear the "Do you believe in miracles" line from the 1980 Winter Olympics. This Disney film looking back at what led up to the Semi-Final game against the Soviet Union is so well done that it might be my favorite true sports movie ever. The casting was perfect in bringing to life the characters that went from being a bunch of kids on different college teams to being a team themselves representing the United States of America.

               Career Opportunities (Directed by Bryan Gordon) I worked for Target for eight and a half years from High School all the way through college, this movie was the reason why. Okay my Target origin story didn't really come about because of this 1991 movie, it just sounded funny. I don't know what it is about this movie but I like it. The story and the characters besides Jennifer Connelly aren't anything special but this movie is still enjoyable to me. I think it is because I did work at Target for so long and I realize that though this movie is 20 years old not a lot has changed for the company. The signage is still the same and the general store decor is the same. One thing that was a bit over the top was how messy the store is after closing. I worked overnight many times while working for Target and even during Christmas there was not as much trash on the floors as in the movie, yes I am nitpicking now.

Movies Watched: 457

Movies To Go for 2.0: 43

365 Movie Challenge - Week 41

Week forty-one saw my weekly intake of movies go up again but that is because of an extra day off of work.  I have a feeling more of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentaries will be making it on to my list.

Below are my movies of the week:

October 6

               The Birth of Big Air (Directed by Jeff Tremaine) If you're a fan of the X-Games then you know who Mat Hoffman is. This ESPN documentary looks at how Mat grew from a kid in Oklahoma to one of the greatest extreme sports stars in history. I really liked that Jeff Tremaine the director of the Jackass movies directed this film as he and Mat are friends in real life.

October 10

               Monsters University (Directed by Dan Scanlon) I didn't have high hopes for this movie but in the end it surprised me as I enjoyed it. Yes some of it was cheesy and not well thought out but overall I liked the story and the animation was of true Pixar quality. Goodman and Crystal are great as the leads.

October 11

               The Campaign (Directed by Jay Roach) Will Ferrell punches a baby and a dog and I still wanted him to win the election. This movie is pretty stupid mainly with Zach Galifianakis' part but that is because I am not a big fan of his. Ferrell brings the funny though and he brings it BIG time. This reminded me of his George Bush skits on SNL back in the day.

               Gravity (Directed by Alfonso Cuarón) Angie and I saw this is IMAX 3D and I have to say it is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. The ever changing scenery in space as they circle the moon is just mesmerizing. Yes there are inconsistencies of what would actually happen in space but that doesn't matter to me because it is a movie. This film reminds me of Tom Hanks' Cast Away but in space. I highly recommend it.

               Swordfish (Directed by Dominic Sena) Hacker movies are funny to watch because Hollywood loves to play up how easy it is for someone to hack a high security website. Having said that, I enjoyed the plot of this movie and all of the characters. Travolta makes a great villain that is so easy to hate.

October 12

               40 Minutes of Hell (Directed by Kenan Harris-Holley) This ESPN Documentary about former Arkansas Basketball coach was very interesting to watch. I knew that he was a successful basketball coach but I also remembered the controversy after he left Arkansas a decade ago. Learning about his family life and early coaching career shed a new light on Richardson. Bill Clinton is featured numerous times throughout the film as he is a big Arkansas fan and a friend of Richardson.

               King Ralph (Directed by David S. Ward) I use to watch this as a kid and really enjoy it. Fast forward 20 years and I still get a kick out of it. John Goodman is hilarious as the Vegas singer turned King of England. I think the reason I like this movie so much is because of Goodman. It is hard not to enjoy a movie he is in.

               After Earth (Directed by M. Night Shyamalan) What in the world did I just watch? I was afraid to watch this movie because of all the bad things I heard about it. Well, they were wrong. The movie is worse than you have heard. The dialogue and storyline is hard to follow and did every member of the main family have to have a different accent or was that just another screw-up by Shyamalan? This is the new frontrunner for worst movie of my challenge.

Movies Watched: 449

Movies To Go for 2.0: 51

365 Movie Challenge - Week 40

Week forty included a few more movies compared to the week before but still a bit slow in comparison to earlier in the year. That is okay though as I am becoming a bit pickier when it comes to what movies I watch.

Below are my movies of the week:

September 30

               Night at the Museum (Directed by Shawn Levy) This is one of my favorite Ben Stiller movies. It has a creative storyline about how everything comes alive in the museum at night. The subplot about a few guys trying to steal the source of the power was okay but I would have enjoyed seeing a few hours of them focusing on the different museum sections coming to life. Ben Stiller does have some cheesy moments but it works in this film.

               Lethal Weapon 3 (Directed by Richard Donner) My Lethal Weapon watching has come to an end. While part 3 is my least favorite of the series it is still a fun movie. The comedy and action were there but the main storyline was a bit boring for the Lethal Weapon series.

               The Girl Next Door (Directed by Luke Greenfield) No matter what people say about Kim Bauer's character on 24, I still had a major crush on Elisha Cuthbert back when this movie came out. I laugh every time I watch this movie but not because of Elisha or leading man Emile Hirsch, The funny comes from the supporting cast mainly Chris Marquette and Timothy Olyphant.

35 Different Movies Watched in September. 437 Movies in 273 Days

October 1

               The Purge (Directed by James DeMonaco) I started watching this with my girlfriend one night but we had to stop because the movie is very disturbing. I decided to finish watching it a few days later and I have to say the second half is just as disturbing. I am not sure if so many people liked this movie because they know it will never happen but during the opening credits as they are showing security camera footage I got a bad feeling in my stomach as soon as I saw Westminster Colorado show up as one of the videos. That clip hit a little too close to home for me.

October 2

               Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Directed by Shawn Levy) This sequel is not nearly as fun as the original. A lot of the jokes are similar to the original. I like the history facts discussed throughout it but it doesn't make up for overall lame storyline. Also, Amy Adams looks nothing like 9News traffic reporter Amelia Earhart. I'm pretty sure only Colorado residents will understand that comment.

October 5

               Executive Decision (Directed by Stuart Baird) This is another movie that I remember watching with my dad numerous times while I was growing up. I was not a big fan of it early on but I grew to enjoy this terrorist hijack film more and more as I watched it with my dad. The movie features a pretty good list of Hollywood stars that were just coming up the ranks when this film was released.

               30 Little Big Men (Directed by Al Szymanski) This ESPN 30 for 30 documentary has been sitting in my Netflix queue for months now and I finally came across it again and decided to watch it. I was a newborn when the events featured in this film so I don't remember any of it. It is a very interesting look at a Little League team from Washington that shocked the Baseball world with their upset victory in the World Series. The film also looks at how fame can put pressure on a star athlete to perform even better while also making them a target for unwanted comments and threats.

Movies Watched: 441

Movies To Go for 2.0: 59