Saturday, March 28, 2009

Time to Update My Netflix Queue

Yahoo! Movies recently came out with a list of 100 Movies To See Before You Die and, of course, I had to see how many of them I've seen. You can find the complete article here, but I've decided to post the list on my site, too and mark the ones I've seen in green.

Note: I'm not saying these are great movies nor am I saying that you SHOULD watch all of these films. In fact, there are some films I'd tell you NOT to watch! After all, movie lists are always subjective according to the tastes of the authors. This isn't a bad list, though. It actually matches up somewhat with lists I have made before. I have my film classes to thank for a lot of the movies I've seen on this list.

  • 12 Angry Men (1957)

    Directed By: Sidney Lumet

    Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E. G. Marshall

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

    Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester

  • The 400 Blows (1959)

    Directed By: Francois Truffaut

    Starring: Jean-Pierre Leaud, Patrick Auffay


  • 8 ½ (1963)

    Directed By: Federico Fellini

    Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee

  • The African Queen (1952)

    Directed By: John Huston

    Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley

  • Alien (1979)

    Directed By: Ridley Scott

    Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright

  • All About Eve (1950)

    Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

    Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders

  • Annie Hall (1977)

    Directed By: Woody Allen

    Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

  • Apocalypse Now (1979)

    Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

    Starring: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall

  • The Battle of Algiers (1967)

    Directed By: Gillo Pontecorvo

    Starring: Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Brahim Haggiag


  • The Bicycle Thief (1948)

    Directed By: Vittorio De Sica

    Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola


  • Blade Runner (1982)

    Directed By: Ridley Scott

    Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

  • Blazing Saddles (1974)

    Directed By: Mel Brooks

    Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens

  • Blow Up (1966)

    Directed By: Michelangelo Antononi

    Starring: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles

  • Blue Velvet (1986)

    Directed By: David Lynch

    Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper


  • Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

    Directed By: Arthur Penn

    Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard

  • Breathless (1960)

    Directed By: Jean-Luc Godard

    Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg

  • The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

    Directed By: David Lean

    Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins,

  • Bringing Up Baby (1938)

    Directed By: Howard Hawks

    Starring: Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn


  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

    Directed By: George Roy Hill

    Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross

  • Casablanca (1942)

    Directed By: Michael Curtiz

    Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

  • Chinatown (1974)

    Directed By: Roman Polanski

    Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston

  • Citizen Kane (1941)

    Directed By: Orson Welles

    Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore

  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

    Directed By: Ang Lee

    Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang

  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Starring: Dee Wallace Stone, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore

  • Enter the Dragon (1973)

    Directed By: Robert Clouse

    Starring: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

  • The Exorcist (1973)

    Directed By: William Friedkin

    Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair,

  • The Godfather (1972)

    Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

    Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan,

  • The Godfather, Part II (1974)

    Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

    Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

  • Goldfinger (1964)

    Directed By: Guy Hamilton

    Starring: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman


  • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)

    Directed By: Sergio Leone

    Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef

  • Goodfellas (1990)

    Directed By: Martin Scorsese

    Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci

  • The Graduate (1967)

    Directed By: Mike Nichols

    Starring: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross,

  • Grand Illusion (1938)

    Directed By: Jean Renoir

    Starring: Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim

  • Groundhog Day (1993)

    Directed By: Harold Ramis

    Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

  • Jaws (1975)

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

  • King Kong (1933)

    Directed By: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Shoedsack

    Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong

  • The Lady Eve (1941)

    Directed By: Preston Sturges

    Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn

  • Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

    Directed By: David Lean

    Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn

  • The Lord of the Rings (2001,2002,2003)

    Directed By: Peter Jackson

    Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen

  • M (1931)

    Directed By: Fritz Lang

    Starring: Peter Lorre, Theodor Loos, Otto Wernicke


  • M*A*S*H (1970)

    Directed By: Robert Altman

    Starring: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt

  • The Maltese Falcon (1941)

    Directed By: John Huston

    Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet

  • The Matrix (1999)

    Directed By: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski

    Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss

  • Modern Times (1936)

    Directed By: Charlie Chaplin

    Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard

  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

    Directed By: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

    Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin

  • National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

    Directed By: John Landis

    Starring: John Belushi, Tim Matheson


  • Network (1976)

    Directed By: Sidney Lumet

    Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch

  • Nosferatu (1922)

    Directed By: F.W. Murnau

    Starring: Max Schreck, Gustave Von Wagenheim, Greta Schroeder,

  • Paths of Glory (1958)

    Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

    Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou


  • Princess Mononoke (1999)

    Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

    Starring: Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver

  • Psycho (1960)

    Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

    Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh

  • Pulp Fiction (1994)

    Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

    Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman

  • Raging Bull (1980)

    Directed By: Martin Scorsese

    Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty-Gentile, Joe Pesci

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman

  • Raise the Red Lantern (1992)

    Directed By: Zhang Yimou

    Starring: Gong Li, He Caifei, Cao Cuifeng

  • Rashomon (1951)

    Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

    Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo


  • Rear Window (1954)

    Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

    Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr

  • Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

    Directed By: Nicholas Ray

    Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo

  • Rocky (1976)

    Directed By: John Avildsen

    Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

  • Roman Holiday (1953)

    Directed By: William Wyler

    Starring: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

  • Saving Private Ryan (1998)

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore


  • Schindler's List (1993)

    Directed By: Steven Spielberg

    Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes

  • The Searchers (1956)

    Directed By: John Ford

    Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles

  • Seven Samurai (1954)

    Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

    Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Yoshio Inaba

  • The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

    Directed By: Frank Darabont

    Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

  • The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    Directed By: Jonathan Demme

    Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn

  • Singin' in the Rain (1952)

    Directed By: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelley

    Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds

  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    Directed By: David Hand

    Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell


  • Some Like It Hot (1959)

    Directed By: Billy Wilder

    Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

  • The Sound of Music (1965)

    Directed By: Robert Wise

    Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer

  • Star Wars (1977)

    Directed By: George Lucas

    Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher

  • Sunset Blvd. (1950)

    Directed By: Billy Wilder

    Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim

  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

    Directed By: James Cameron

    Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton

  • The Third Man (1949)

    Directed By: Carol Reed

    Starring: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles

  • This is Spinal Tap (1984)

    Directed By: Rob Reiner

    Starring: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest

  • Titanic (1997)

    Directed By: James Cameron

    Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet


  • To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

    Directed By: Robert Mulligan

    Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford

  • Toy Story (1995)

    Directed By: John Lasseter

    Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

  • Vertigo (1958)

    Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

    Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak





Well, I've seen 62. . .does this mean that I'm close to dying?? My brother refuses to watch Titanic. . .does this mean that he's going to live forever??

How about you? How many have you seen?
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Monday, March 23, 2009

Blinded by the Flashbulbs

One of the hardest things about writing this blog (aside from coming up with the subject material, getting the will-power to actually write something, and finding all the pointless hyperlinks) is the publicity. People will just not leave The Former 786 alone. I can't go anywhere these days without someone saying "Can I get you to sign here?" and "Can I see your driver's license?" and "Can I get your name for when we call out your order, sir?" It's maddening. Fans just can't get enough of me - especially when I am dining out. Which is why, I must admit, that I was shocked when I found out that there is a website out there now that allows you to HIRE YOUR OWN PAPARAZZI for a day! Now THAT is insanity! Now, when I say "for a day," I'm actually hyperbolizing (it's a word - look it up). Packages start at about 500 bucks and for that you only get four (4) paparazzi following you around for a half-hour. I mean, come on, how much can you really do in a half-hour? But there are other packages and options, too. For only 800 bucks you can actually BE a paparazzo on the streets of LA! Wow, you mean we can have the chance to wander the streets like a bum and mindlessly follow D-List celebrities around to see them eating a salad while we annoy innocent bystanders and block traffic in the hopes that one of them can knock us down so we can publicize it and sue them for millions???? Sign me up!! But, in all seriousness and sincerity, can't one do this package on your own, for free? Hollywood celebrities are constantly hounded by the press, while being bombarded by flashbulbs and inappropriate questions - not to mention the constant danger they're in of accidentally running a paparazzi member over or having one run into your fist. So why would the "Average Joel" choose to subject themselves to this? I guess it's just an ego thing for people who are starved for attention. . . . . . . . . . . I just booked the All-Inclusive Vacation package.
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Saturday, March 14, 2009

What A Difference One Letter Mames

Recently Worth1000.com had a Photoshop contest to change one letter in a movie title and then make a poster for it.

Some of them were quite hilarious. I've put my favorites below:
















You can check out the rest of the list here.

Can you think of any other movie titles that you could drastically change by one letter?
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Monday, March 9, 2009

What is it with Floridians?

Florida is a beautiful place to live. It has rolling green hills, beautiful beaches and Firehouse Subs. So why are the people that live there so insane?

Many people stereotype Florida by saying that it's full of old people, but I think we're missing a key demographic - the people who misuse 9-1-1. What? You don't think that's an accurate stereotype? Here are just three (3) examples in only six (6) month's time.


August 2008 - Jacksonville, Florida.

Reginald Peterson entered a Subway Sandwich store (this was previous to their incredible 5-dollar foot long deal) and ordered a sandwich. Apparently it didn't have everything he wanted so he freaked out and called 911. . . twice. The 42-year-old "man" whined and complained to the police and wanted them to come down to the Subway and get them to make his sandwich right. When they got there, the employees had actually locked Peterson out of the store because he was yelling and screaming at the other customers. All efforts by the police to calm him down and explain to him the proper use of 911 failed and he was arrested for placing false 911 calls.


February 2009 - Boynton Beach, Florida.

Jean Fortune, a 66-year-old man, went to Burger King one Saturday morning and ordered a #7 combo meal at the drive-thru. For those of you who don't know, a #7 includes chicken fries, French fries and a drink. Well, when Fortune ordered lemonade, the employees told him that they didn't have any. They offered him a Coke instead. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?? Fortune raised his voice and started to cause a scene. He then told Burger King that he was going to call the police, to which the employee said "Go ahead." And Fortune called 911. Apparently the 911 operator was not in the mood for this, either. She told Fortune "Sir, come on. I know you don't seriously think that the police need to make Burger King give you food faster. I cannot believe that." and even went on to say "Customer service is not a reason to call 911. 911 is if you're dying. Do you understand that?" It was a Saturday morning - I can't blame the operator at all for this one. Fortune was, unFORTUNEatley (ZING!) charged with abuse of 911 communications.


And finally

March 2009 - Fort Pierce, Florida.

Latreasa Goodman, 27, felt that she was wronged when she wanted chicken nuggets and McDonalds didn't have any to give her. So she ALSO called 911. . . three times. When the police finally arrived Goodman told them, "This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one." Now here's the odd twist about this story: Apparently Goodman ordered a 10-piece McNugget meal and got her change and was THEN informed by the employee that they didn't have any Chicken McNuggets and that they couldn't give her a refund because McDonalds has a "no-cash refund" policy. Then why didn't they tell her this beforehand? Odd? Yes. Reason to call 911? No. Goodman was cited for misuse of 911.

Now I don't know why all these Floridians feel that it is necessary to call 911 at the slightest fast-food order mess-up. Maybe 911 just has a really good marketing system down there and they advertise a lot.

Or maybe that's the only phone number they can remember in this pre-programmed cell phone generation (I mean, how many numbers do YOU know by heart?).

Who knows?
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