Wednesday, February 10, 2010
AMC's Best Picture Nominees Event Schedule Is Ready (Update)
Nevermind if you read this post already. AMC screwed up somewhere along the way and they have to redo the schedule. I'll let you know when it is ready.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
So AMC Theatres Is Ticking Me Off
The theater chain was supposed to release the schedule for the upcoming 10 Oscar Best Picture Nominees in two weekends watching program yesterday, but they released a statement saying to return Monday night. The schedule was never released and as of 9:30 Tuesday night they still don't have an idea when it is going to be ready.
AMC Theatres has already stated that Avatar would be shown in 3D on Feb. 27 and people were given the option to vote what the other four movies would be to go with it. I threw out an idea on AMC's facebook page to use the following schedule.
Feb. 27:
A Serious Man
Up
Precious
Avatar
The Blind Side
March 6:
Up in the Air
Inglourious Basterd
An Education
The Hurt Locker
District 9
My schedule splits the two frontrunners with the best chance of winning the Oscar (which is Avatar and The Hurt Locker) and it also splits the two science-fiction movies between both days. Another good thing about my schedule is the run times for both days end up being separated by only two minutes (Feb. 27 ends up running for 6 hours and 2 minutes; March 6 is 6 hours flat).
After posting my schedule, another guy then listed his idea. Basically we were showing AMC that it shouldn't take this long to put together a schedule of 10 movies. The business said they have to take more things into account than just run times and genres, but they should have already had a good idea of what the schedule would be prior to the end of voting. Just my opinion.
Wednesday Morning Update:
Still no schedule. By this point it isn't even the fact that tickets go on sale Friday but nobody even knows what movies are playing on what day. The point of it all now is being told we would have a schedule ready on Monday and two days later we're not even sure if it will be ready any time this afternoon or tonight.
The company's Facebook page was turning ugly with frustrated voices like mine being heard regarding the wait, but now people are stating as long as it is out before Friday they don't mind. They are stating how great it is AMC is being so open about the wait and apologetic. However, AMC really isn't being that honest about the whole thing. I'm not saying they are lying to us by any means. But they just aren't updating that much or giving a time table of any sorts.
If they would just say, "OK, we'll be ready on Thursday night. We promise. Check back then," it would be all good. It is this constant aggravation of having to repeatedly check their Web site that is ticking me off.
AMC Theatres has already stated that Avatar would be shown in 3D on Feb. 27 and people were given the option to vote what the other four movies would be to go with it. I threw out an idea on AMC's facebook page to use the following schedule.
Feb. 27:
A Serious Man
Up
Precious
Avatar
The Blind Side
March 6:
Up in the Air
Inglourious Basterd
An Education
The Hurt Locker
District 9
My schedule splits the two frontrunners with the best chance of winning the Oscar (which is Avatar and The Hurt Locker) and it also splits the two science-fiction movies between both days. Another good thing about my schedule is the run times for both days end up being separated by only two minutes (Feb. 27 ends up running for 6 hours and 2 minutes; March 6 is 6 hours flat).
After posting my schedule, another guy then listed his idea. Basically we were showing AMC that it shouldn't take this long to put together a schedule of 10 movies. The business said they have to take more things into account than just run times and genres, but they should have already had a good idea of what the schedule would be prior to the end of voting. Just my opinion.
Wednesday Morning Update:
Still no schedule. By this point it isn't even the fact that tickets go on sale Friday but nobody even knows what movies are playing on what day. The point of it all now is being told we would have a schedule ready on Monday and two days later we're not even sure if it will be ready any time this afternoon or tonight.
The company's Facebook page was turning ugly with frustrated voices like mine being heard regarding the wait, but now people are stating as long as it is out before Friday they don't mind. They are stating how great it is AMC is being so open about the wait and apologetic. However, AMC really isn't being that honest about the whole thing. I'm not saying they are lying to us by any means. But they just aren't updating that much or giving a time table of any sorts.
If they would just say, "OK, we'll be ready on Thursday night. We promise. Check back then," it would be all good. It is this constant aggravation of having to repeatedly check their Web site that is ticking me off.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Maybe Next Year Colts (Not At The Cowboys Expense Though)
It's a disappointing night. The Saints won. Manning lost. Hopefully he will get another shot in the future to win more Super Bowl Championships and fulfill his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
I'm happy for Drew Brees. He seems like a really good guy. It is just a shame Jeremy Shockey had to win a ring. That guy sucks.
I'm happy for Drew Brees. He seems like a really good guy. It is just a shame Jeremy Shockey had to win a ring. That guy sucks.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Don't F With The Manning
As Super Bowl Sunday nears I get more and more excited about the prospect of Peyton Manning winning another title. Since getting into football these past few years, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback has been pretty much as close to cluch as you can get. I didn't pay attention through the years that everyone questioned him and whether he could win the big game. The year I got into football was the season he did just that.
My personal rule regarding football games is you don't bet against Peyton Manning. No matter how high the odds are stacked against him, you just don't count him out for one second. By the end of his career he will be in the discussion for greatest quarterback to ever play the game. It is unavoidable. Even if he loses on Sunday, which I don't think is going to happen.
His leadership at the line of scrimmage, dedication to mastering his craft and in-the-moment actions to throw off defenses like dummy audibles, varying snap counts, fake pumps, play action maneuvering and avoidance of eye contact with the receiver he is actually going to. You would think losing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez while adding two receivers who going into the year had a combined four receptions in the NFL would be too much of an obstacle for Manning to overcome. But what did he do? Went on to nearly have a perfect 16-0 season had his coach not benched the brilliant QB in the third quarter of Week 16.
Although it is his characteristics on the field that makes him the legend he will become known as decades to come, it's his off-the-field commercials and Saturday Night Live hosting spot that gives him the charisma and charm he is also known to have by non-sports enthusiasts. It's just a shame he has to be related to Eli "Dumb Face" Manning.
My personal rule regarding football games is you don't bet against Peyton Manning. No matter how high the odds are stacked against him, you just don't count him out for one second. By the end of his career he will be in the discussion for greatest quarterback to ever play the game. It is unavoidable. Even if he loses on Sunday, which I don't think is going to happen.
His leadership at the line of scrimmage, dedication to mastering his craft and in-the-moment actions to throw off defenses like dummy audibles, varying snap counts, fake pumps, play action maneuvering and avoidance of eye contact with the receiver he is actually going to. You would think losing Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez while adding two receivers who going into the year had a combined four receptions in the NFL would be too much of an obstacle for Manning to overcome. But what did he do? Went on to nearly have a perfect 16-0 season had his coach not benched the brilliant QB in the third quarter of Week 16.
Although it is his characteristics on the field that makes him the legend he will become known as decades to come, it's his off-the-field commercials and Saturday Night Live hosting spot that gives him the charisma and charm he is also known to have by non-sports enthusiasts. It's just a shame he has to be related to Eli "Dumb Face" Manning.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Okay, So Big News
This is a big deal regarding everything in my life that is not important. This does not involve anything regarding my wife, my child, my job status or my slowly degrading health. So don't get too excited and suffer from shortness of breath or anything.
No, this post is in regard to the promotion AMC Theatres is taking part in by showing off the ten Academy Award Best Picture nominees. Two years ago my wife and I took part in the same sort of thing when the Grapevine Mills theater showed the five films nominated, including eventual winner No Country For Old Men. We loved it and wanted to do it every year after that. Unfortunately, we didn't even make it back the following year and then this year I was worried it wouldn't happen because of the rule change that doubled the number of nominees.
Well, they are still going to show the films on Feb. 27 and March 6. The line-up will be announced and I'll know which movies will be shown on what day. I'm hoping to see them all, even the ones I've already seen (which include Avatar, District 9, Inglourious Basterds, and Up).
As soon as the list of films with the specific date is released I'll throw it up here in case I need an easy place to find the listing for my own knowledge.
That was a joke for all my readers out there, which is pretty much me. I can't even convince my wife to read this thing.
No, this post is in regard to the promotion AMC Theatres is taking part in by showing off the ten Academy Award Best Picture nominees. Two years ago my wife and I took part in the same sort of thing when the Grapevine Mills theater showed the five films nominated, including eventual winner No Country For Old Men. We loved it and wanted to do it every year after that. Unfortunately, we didn't even make it back the following year and then this year I was worried it wouldn't happen because of the rule change that doubled the number of nominees.
Well, they are still going to show the films on Feb. 27 and March 6. The line-up will be announced and I'll know which movies will be shown on what day. I'm hoping to see them all, even the ones I've already seen (which include Avatar, District 9, Inglourious Basterds, and Up).
As soon as the list of films with the specific date is released I'll throw it up here in case I need an easy place to find the listing for my own knowledge.
That was a joke for all my readers out there, which is pretty much me. I can't even convince my wife to read this thing.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
An Interesting Article
Although it was written prior to the announcement of this year's Oscar nominees, this link will take you to an article that ponders what the last decade's nominee lists would look like had the ten Best Picture nominee rule been put into effect in 2000.
The most interesting part of the article is when the writer suggests that the rule would have divided the votes for Crash in 2005 that would have resulted in Brokeback Mountain winning the top prize, like many feel it deserved.
The most interesting part of the article is when the writer suggests that the rule would have divided the votes for Crash in 2005 that would have resulted in Brokeback Mountain winning the top prize, like many feel it deserved.
How Avatar Stacks Up In Tickets Sold
A lot of hype has been made about the amount of money Avatar has made, and rightly so because in the short time it has been in theaters it has crushed previous records. However, due to inflation, box office receipts aren't always the most honest ways to compare movies from different decades.
The music industry keeps count of things by records sold and the equivalent of that in the movie business is by the amount of tickets sold for a film. If you go by those statistics then James Cameron's Avatar falls behind some pretty important films to the 26th spot. Avatar will certainly move up the list, but there is just no way it is going to break the top five any time soon.
Here is the list of the top 30 movies, the year the film was initially release, the estimated amount of tickets sold and their unadjusted domestic gross.
1. Gone With the Wind (1939) - 202,044,600 tickets sold/$198.6 million
2. Star Wars (1977) - 178,119,600 tickets sold/$460.9 million
3. The Sound of Music (1965) - 142,415,400 tickets sold/$158.6 million
4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 141,854,300 tickets sold/$435.1 million
5. The Ten Commandments (1956) - 131,000,000 tickets sold/$65.5 million
6. Titanic (1997) - 128,345,900 tickets sold/$600.7 million
7. Jaws (1975) - 128,078,800 tickets sold/$260 million
8. Doctor Zhivago (1965) - 124,135,500 tickets sold/$111.7 million
9. The Exorcist (1973) - 110,568,700 tickets sold/$232.6 million
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - 109,000,000 tickets sold/$184.9 million
11. 101 Dalmatians (1961) - 99,917,300 tickets sold/$144.8 million
12. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 98,180,600 tickets sold/$290.4 million
13. Ben-Hur (1959) - 98,000,000 tickets sold/$74 million
14. Return of the Jedi (1983) - 94,059,400 tickets sold/$309.3 million
15. The Sting (1973) - 89,142,900 tickets sold/$156 million
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 88,141,900 tickets sold/$242.3 million
17. Jurassic Park (1993) - 86,205,800 tickets sold/$357 million
18. The Graduate (1967) - 85,571,400 tickets sold/$104.9 million
19. Star Wars: Episode I (1999) - 84,825,800 tickets sold/$431 million
20. Fantasia (1941) - 83,043,500 tickets sold/$76.5 million
21. The Godfather (1972) - 78,922,600 tickets sold/$134.9 million
22. Forrest Gump (1994) - 78,545,600 tickets sold/$329.6 million
23. Mary Poppins (1964) - 78,181,800 tickets sold/$102.2 million
24. The Lion King (1994) - 77,231,800 tickets sold/$328.5 million
25. Grease (1978) - 76,921,800 tickets sold/$188.3 million
26. Avatar (2009) - 76,421,000 tickets sold/$601 million
27. Thunderball (1965) - 74,800,000 tickets sold/$63.5 million
28. The Dark Knight (2008) - 74,282,100 tickets sold/$533.3 million
29. The Jungle Book (1967) - 73,679,900 tickets sold/$141.8 million
30. Sleeping Beauty (1959) - 72,676,100 tickets sold/$51.6 million
The music industry keeps count of things by records sold and the equivalent of that in the movie business is by the amount of tickets sold for a film. If you go by those statistics then James Cameron's Avatar falls behind some pretty important films to the 26th spot. Avatar will certainly move up the list, but there is just no way it is going to break the top five any time soon.
Here is the list of the top 30 movies, the year the film was initially release, the estimated amount of tickets sold and their unadjusted domestic gross.
1. Gone With the Wind (1939) - 202,044,600 tickets sold/$198.6 million
2. Star Wars (1977) - 178,119,600 tickets sold/$460.9 million
3. The Sound of Music (1965) - 142,415,400 tickets sold/$158.6 million
4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 141,854,300 tickets sold/$435.1 million
5. The Ten Commandments (1956) - 131,000,000 tickets sold/$65.5 million
6. Titanic (1997) - 128,345,900 tickets sold/$600.7 million
7. Jaws (1975) - 128,078,800 tickets sold/$260 million
8. Doctor Zhivago (1965) - 124,135,500 tickets sold/$111.7 million
9. The Exorcist (1973) - 110,568,700 tickets sold/$232.6 million
10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - 109,000,000 tickets sold/$184.9 million
11. 101 Dalmatians (1961) - 99,917,300 tickets sold/$144.8 million
12. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 98,180,600 tickets sold/$290.4 million
13. Ben-Hur (1959) - 98,000,000 tickets sold/$74 million
14. Return of the Jedi (1983) - 94,059,400 tickets sold/$309.3 million
15. The Sting (1973) - 89,142,900 tickets sold/$156 million
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 88,141,900 tickets sold/$242.3 million
17. Jurassic Park (1993) - 86,205,800 tickets sold/$357 million
18. The Graduate (1967) - 85,571,400 tickets sold/$104.9 million
19. Star Wars: Episode I (1999) - 84,825,800 tickets sold/$431 million
20. Fantasia (1941) - 83,043,500 tickets sold/$76.5 million
21. The Godfather (1972) - 78,922,600 tickets sold/$134.9 million
22. Forrest Gump (1994) - 78,545,600 tickets sold/$329.6 million
23. Mary Poppins (1964) - 78,181,800 tickets sold/$102.2 million
24. The Lion King (1994) - 77,231,800 tickets sold/$328.5 million
25. Grease (1978) - 76,921,800 tickets sold/$188.3 million
26. Avatar (2009) - 76,421,000 tickets sold/$601 million
27. Thunderball (1965) - 74,800,000 tickets sold/$63.5 million
28. The Dark Knight (2008) - 74,282,100 tickets sold/$533.3 million
29. The Jungle Book (1967) - 73,679,900 tickets sold/$141.8 million
30. Sleeping Beauty (1959) - 72,676,100 tickets sold/$51.6 million
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
And The Nominees Are ...
This morning the nominees for the Academy Awards were announced. Despite sleeping in and having my wife record the broadcast, she did give me one tease about a nominee that made me very happy to hear.
Avatar and The Hurt Locker each received nine nominations, the most for a movie this year. Inglourious Basterds fell short of that honor by just one. Precious and Up in the Air received six nominations. Pixar's Up received five nominations.
So here are the nominees for the major nominees.
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
I've seen four of the ten nominees for this category and hopefully I can find time in the next month to view the other six. Well, what am I saying hopefully. I've got nothing else to do. I am happy to see Up nominated because ever since it was released I have been saying how good of a movie it was.
This year the Academy changed things up and allowed ten movies to be nominated for the Best Picture category. If I had to guess, I would say the five movies lucky enough to benefit from the new rule are District 9, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man, and Up.
Best Director:
James Cameron for Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels for Precious
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
The real showdown will be between Cameron's Avatar for its visual 3D/CGI magnificence and Bigelow's The Hurt Locker for its compelling story. Going into the Oscars, Avatar has already won two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director and The Hurt Locker won at the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement as well as Best Picture and Best Director awards from the National Society of Film Critics, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Chicago Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics, Austin Film Critics Association, and Las Vegas Film Critics Society.
The most interesting thing about the Best Director race between Cameron and Bigelow is they used to be married to one another. Bigelow was Cameron's wife before marrying Terminator star Linda Hamilton. So it is sort of like a Battle of the Exes.
Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
George Clooney for Up in the Air
Colin Firth for A Single Man
Morgan Freeman for Invictus
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Firth and Renner are receiving their first Oscar nominations this year, but Bridges, Clooney and Freeman have all been nominated four times before (although Clooney's nominations weren't all for acting categories).
Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side
Helen Mirren for The Last Station
Carey Mulligan for An Education
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious
Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia
This is Streep's sixteenth Academy Award nomination, previously winning for 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer and 1982's Sophie's Choice. Both wins were in the supporting actress category.
Best Supporting Actor:
Matt Damon for Invictus
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz for Nine
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
Mo'Nique for Precious
Best Original Screenplay:
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up
Best Adapted Screenplay:
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Animated Picture:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up
There really is no question as to which movie is going to win. It is kind of hard to justify allowing an animated picture being nominated for Best Picture and it not be the best in the animated category.
Avatar and The Hurt Locker each received nine nominations, the most for a movie this year. Inglourious Basterds fell short of that honor by just one. Precious and Up in the Air received six nominations. Pixar's Up received five nominations.
So here are the nominees for the major nominees.
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
I've seen four of the ten nominees for this category and hopefully I can find time in the next month to view the other six. Well, what am I saying hopefully. I've got nothing else to do. I am happy to see Up nominated because ever since it was released I have been saying how good of a movie it was.
This year the Academy changed things up and allowed ten movies to be nominated for the Best Picture category. If I had to guess, I would say the five movies lucky enough to benefit from the new rule are District 9, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man, and Up.
Best Director:
James Cameron for Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels for Precious
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
The real showdown will be between Cameron's Avatar for its visual 3D/CGI magnificence and Bigelow's The Hurt Locker for its compelling story. Going into the Oscars, Avatar has already won two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director and The Hurt Locker won at the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement as well as Best Picture and Best Director awards from the National Society of Film Critics, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Chicago Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics, Austin Film Critics Association, and Las Vegas Film Critics Society.
The most interesting thing about the Best Director race between Cameron and Bigelow is they used to be married to one another. Bigelow was Cameron's wife before marrying Terminator star Linda Hamilton. So it is sort of like a Battle of the Exes.
Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
George Clooney for Up in the Air
Colin Firth for A Single Man
Morgan Freeman for Invictus
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Firth and Renner are receiving their first Oscar nominations this year, but Bridges, Clooney and Freeman have all been nominated four times before (although Clooney's nominations weren't all for acting categories).
Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side
Helen Mirren for The Last Station
Carey Mulligan for An Education
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious
Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia
This is Streep's sixteenth Academy Award nomination, previously winning for 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer and 1982's Sophie's Choice. Both wins were in the supporting actress category.
Best Supporting Actor:
Matt Damon for Invictus
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz for Nine
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air
Mo'Nique for Precious
Best Original Screenplay:
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up
Best Adapted Screenplay:
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Animated Picture:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up
There really is no question as to which movie is going to win. It is kind of hard to justify allowing an animated picture being nominated for Best Picture and it not be the best in the animated category.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Too Bored To Sleep
Do you ever get so bored at night that you don't want to do anything, and that includes not going to sleep? I keep clicking on the same 10 links while browsing the Internet hoping for an update so I can have something new to read. I guess I'm going to go to bed in order to pass the next nine hours so I can then waste another day with nothing to do. Man do I need a job.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
My Personal Rank Of The James Bond Pre-title Sequences
This is the last in the series of my preference for the different elements found in 007 movies. The other ranks can be found in earlier posts that include favorite films, songs, girls, villains, henchmen and title sequences.
The following is my list of the worst to best pre-title sequences. They usually include Bond in some sort of separate action sequence somehow related to the plot, but every once in a while it is completely disunited from the rest of the film.
It should be noted, Dr. No did not include a pre-title sequence and that element of the film did not come along until the second movie.
21. Live and Let Die
20. For Your Eyes Only
19. Diamonds are Forever
18. A View to a Kill
17. License to Kill
16. Moonraker
15. Die Another Day
14. The Man With the Golden Gun
13. You Only Live Twice
12. Octopussy
11. Tomorrow Never Dies
10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
9. Casino Royale
8. From Russia With Love
7. Thunderball
6. Quantum of Solace
5. Goldfinger
4. Goldeneye
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. The World is not Enough
1. The Living Daylights
The following is my list of the worst to best pre-title sequences. They usually include Bond in some sort of separate action sequence somehow related to the plot, but every once in a while it is completely disunited from the rest of the film.
It should be noted, Dr. No did not include a pre-title sequence and that element of the film did not come along until the second movie.
21. Live and Let Die
20. For Your Eyes Only
19. Diamonds are Forever
18. A View to a Kill
17. License to Kill
16. Moonraker
15. Die Another Day
14. The Man With the Golden Gun
13. You Only Live Twice
12. Octopussy
11. Tomorrow Never Dies
10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
9. Casino Royale
8. From Russia With Love
7. Thunderball
6. Quantum of Solace
5. Goldfinger
4. Goldeneye
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. The World is not Enough
1. The Living Daylights
Thursday, January 14, 2010
My Personal Rank Of The James Bond Title Sequences
This is part of an ongoing account I have started where I list from my most disliked to my favorite elements of the 007 film series.
Today I will be focusing on the part of the film that most people probably don't pay too much attention to: the title sequences. That is when the cast and makers of the film are listed while silhouettes of nude women dance around in the background to the theme song of the movie.
Each title sequence for a film is unique in its own right, but the James Bond movies tie in elements of the film or of the time period to accentuate the film.
Here is my list.
22. License to Kill
21. Moonraker
20. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
19. Octopussy
18. The Living Daylights
17. The Man With the Golden Gun
16. Quantum of Solace
15. You Only Live Twice
14. Diamonds Are Forever
13. Dr. No
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
11. A View to a Kill
10. Die Another Day
9. Goldfinger
8. Goldeneye
7. For Your Eyes Only
6. The World is not Enough
5. Casino Royale
4. Live and Let Die
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. From Russia With Love
1. Thunderball
Today I will be focusing on the part of the film that most people probably don't pay too much attention to: the title sequences. That is when the cast and makers of the film are listed while silhouettes of nude women dance around in the background to the theme song of the movie.
Each title sequence for a film is unique in its own right, but the James Bond movies tie in elements of the film or of the time period to accentuate the film.
Here is my list.
22. License to Kill
21. Moonraker
20. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
19. Octopussy
18. The Living Daylights
17. The Man With the Golden Gun
16. Quantum of Solace
15. You Only Live Twice
14. Diamonds Are Forever
13. Dr. No
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
11. A View to a Kill
10. Die Another Day
9. Goldfinger
8. Goldeneye
7. For Your Eyes Only
6. The World is not Enough
5. Casino Royale
4. Live and Let Die
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. From Russia With Love
1. Thunderball
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Consider The Pain Brought
I was nervous before the BCS National Championship game, but after the first few drives and seeing that the Longhorns were getting some breaks go their way, I was optimistic that Colt McCoy could handle the Alabama defense. Yet, the second McCoy went out and I saw what the substitute quarterback was capable of I knew this was a hopeless cause.
As long as McCoy is out, I have no hope this will end well. Let's hope he comes back for the second half.
Ray of Sunshine Update: Texas is showing their grit and giving me just a little confidence they can pull this one out. It is now up to the defense to get a stop and then the offense needs to get three points to tie or a touchdown for the win.
As long as McCoy is out, I have no hope this will end well. Let's hope he comes back for the second half.
Ray of Sunshine Update: Texas is showing their grit and giving me just a little confidence they can pull this one out. It is now up to the defense to get a stop and then the offense needs to get three points to tie or a touchdown for the win.
Monday, January 04, 2010
My Personal Rank Of The James Bond Henchmen
In the continuing quest to list my classify the different elements of James Bond movies, here are the different henchmen and women of the 007 series.
The previous listings can be found here for the films, here for the theme songs, here for the Bond girls, and here for the villains.
21. Professor Dent (from Dr. No)
20. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (from Diamonds are Forever)
19. Elvis (from Quantum of Solace)
18. Ivana Milicevic (from Casino Royale)
17. Emile Leopold Locque (from For Your Eyes Only)
16. Gobinda (from Octopussy)
15. Necros (from The Living Daylights)
14. Helga Brandt (from You Only Live Twice)
13. Nick Nack (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
12. Elektra King (from The World is not Enough)
11. Stamper (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
10. Zao (from Die Another Day)
9. Mayday (from A View to a Kill)
8. Dario (from License to Kill)
7. Tee-Hee (from Live and Let Die)
6. Irma Bunt (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
5. Xenia Onatopp (from Goldeneye)
4. Fiona Volpe (from Thunderball)
3. Jaws (from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker)
2. Donald "Red" Grant (from From Russia With Love)
1. Oddjob (from Goldfinger)
The previous listings can be found here for the films, here for the theme songs, here for the Bond girls, and here for the villains.
21. Professor Dent (from Dr. No)
20. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (from Diamonds are Forever)
19. Elvis (from Quantum of Solace)
18. Ivana Milicevic (from Casino Royale)
17. Emile Leopold Locque (from For Your Eyes Only)
16. Gobinda (from Octopussy)
15. Necros (from The Living Daylights)
14. Helga Brandt (from You Only Live Twice)
13. Nick Nack (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
12. Elektra King (from The World is not Enough)
11. Stamper (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
10. Zao (from Die Another Day)
9. Mayday (from A View to a Kill)
8. Dario (from License to Kill)
7. Tee-Hee (from Live and Let Die)
6. Irma Bunt (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
5. Xenia Onatopp (from Goldeneye)
4. Fiona Volpe (from Thunderball)
3. Jaws (from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker)
2. Donald "Red" Grant (from From Russia With Love)
1. Oddjob (from Goldfinger)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Happy Fantasy Ending...
But it could have been better.
In both fantasy football leagues I participated in this year, I took home a trophy in each. However, neither was a gold.
The league I put together with my wife and her family, I was in the Super Bowl against my buddy Jim. He crushed me and I finished in second place.
The other league, which was commissioned by my friend and old colleague Tye, resulted in a third place finish. Brett Favre and Percy Harvin outscored Adrian Peterson and Ryan Longwell in last night's Minnesota loss to give me the win. The worst part about that league is had I beaten my opponent last week by leaving in the Dallas defense (as opposed to replacing them with the Chicago defense leading to a loss), I would have outscored the guy who ended up earning the league's championship.
Yet, finishing in third place with a team that was autodrafted and not influenced in any way by me is pretty good. I'll probably be posting some statistics from the trades I made throughout the season in order to have them on record and hopefully learn something from the moves made.
In both fantasy football leagues I participated in this year, I took home a trophy in each. However, neither was a gold.
The league I put together with my wife and her family, I was in the Super Bowl against my buddy Jim. He crushed me and I finished in second place.
The other league, which was commissioned by my friend and old colleague Tye, resulted in a third place finish. Brett Favre and Percy Harvin outscored Adrian Peterson and Ryan Longwell in last night's Minnesota loss to give me the win. The worst part about that league is had I beaten my opponent last week by leaving in the Dallas defense (as opposed to replacing them with the Chicago defense leading to a loss), I would have outscored the guy who ended up earning the league's championship.
Yet, finishing in third place with a team that was autodrafted and not influenced in any way by me is pretty good. I'll probably be posting some statistics from the trades I made throughout the season in order to have them on record and hopefully learn something from the moves made.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Come On Fantasy Team
It is my Super Bowl this week against my buddy Jim in fantasy football land. I'm going to need some luck because he is the favored team (and rightly so, because he has a really good team). Ryan Grant is doing well, but he is really my only star right now.
In my other league I'm playing for third or fourth place. Apparently kicker Lawrence Tynes isn't playing for the New York Giants today, which I was not aware of. The silver lining in that loss is that the Giants haven't scored any points yet and are getting shelled by the Carolina Panthers (hahahaha).
Update: I guess Tynes is playing because his field goal gave me five points. Maybe just the fact that he was questionable had fantasy owners worried and more than 7,000 of them dropped the guy.
In my other league I'm playing for third or fourth place. Apparently kicker Lawrence Tynes isn't playing for the New York Giants today, which I was not aware of. The silver lining in that loss is that the Giants haven't scored any points yet and are getting shelled by the Carolina Panthers (hahahaha).
Update: I guess Tynes is playing because his field goal gave me five points. Maybe just the fact that he was questionable had fantasy owners worried and more than 7,000 of them dropped the guy.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I don't expect any traffic to this site today (especially since 95% of my hits are my own on any given day), but should you find yourself wandering this way I wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
My Personal Rank Of The James Bond Villains
In my continued listings of the different aspects of 007 films, which include the movies, theme songs, and Bond girls in earlier posts, I will now give my ratings of the main villains from each official Bond film.
22. Brad Whitaker (from The Living Daylights)
21. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from Diamonds are Forever)
20. Aris Kristatos (from For Your Eyes Only)
19. Gustav Graves (from Die Another Day)
18. Kamal Khan (from Octopussy)
17. Elliot Carver (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
16. Dr. Kananga (from Live and Let Die)
15. Karl Stromberg (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
14. Max Zorin (from A View to a Kill)
13. Rosa Klebb (from From Russia With Love)
12. Francisco Scaramanga (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
11. Franz Sanchez (from License to Kill)
10. Renard (from The World is not Enough)
9. Emilio Largo (from Thunderball)
8. Dominic Greene (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Alec Trevelyn (from Goldeneye)
6. Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale)
5. Hugo Drax (from Moonraker)
4. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
3. Dr. Julius No (from Dr. No)
2. Auric Goldfinger (from Goldfinger)
1. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from You Only Live Twice)
Monday, December 21, 2009
New Blog Is Up
Per request from James (and inspired by the Texas Poker Guy), I am giving updates on my poker play as of late. Go here to check it out.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Music Of John Williams
As I am watching Richard Donner's cut of Superman II, I started to wonder what John Williams' most famous theme song is. Humming the Superman theme, I was almost positive it would be among the top five of Williams' tunes, but once I looked his filmography up on IMDb, I was astounded at how many great scores he has delivered. I always knew he had produced some great music, but I had forgotten how famous some of his work really was.
Well, I have narrowed down his top five theme songs and here they are. The following selections are the most recognizable pieces of music that any person would be able to identify whether they had seen the movie or not.
5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Those famous five notes might not immediately remind people what sci-fi movie they saw in 1977, but it certainly has become an oft-repeated hummed tune. It was even used in 1979's Moonraker as a passcode for a secret laboratory.
4. Superman
Any time I hear the Man of Steel's theme song I instantly think of those blue letters zooming through space telling the audience you are about to watch a movie that made an entire world believe a man could really fly.
3. Jaws
What boy hasn't thought of this hugely popular theme song while underwater slowly swimming toward a sibling? The monstrous shark's theme helped begin what is now known as the summer blockbuster and it also kept a large number of frightened moviegoers out of the water.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
While Indiana Jones' theme song might not be quite as famous as Jaws' "Dun Dun, Dun Dun, Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Doodoodoo," it certainly reminds me of my adolescence and brings to mind my childhood hero whipping his way through temples of doom and fighting off Nazis during the last crusade. The personal touch this theme song has helped it move up one notch on the list.
1. Star Wars
What's there to say about this theme song? Williams did such a good job with the Star Wars series, he created two famous theme songs decades apart (The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Episode V and Duel of the Fates from Episode I), but he also established that any time the 20th Century drumroll is heard it brings to mind George Lucas' hit film series. This is his most recognized work and will most likely be what he is known for by the largest group of people.
Two movie themes that get honorable mention and just missed the cut were Jurassic Park
and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Williams' theme for Jurassic Park immediately takes people back to the moment the scientists (and audience) see the dinosaurs for the first time roaming the plains of the island.
Obviously Williams' theme songs are products of the great movies they go along with, but it is his music that helps shape the films into classics. John Williams is a genius at his craft and deserves the 34 Academy Award nominations, five Oscar wins and countless other musical accolades for his talents and contributions to the film industry.
Well, I have narrowed down his top five theme songs and here they are. The following selections are the most recognizable pieces of music that any person would be able to identify whether they had seen the movie or not.
5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Those famous five notes might not immediately remind people what sci-fi movie they saw in 1977, but it certainly has become an oft-repeated hummed tune. It was even used in 1979's Moonraker as a passcode for a secret laboratory.
4. Superman
Any time I hear the Man of Steel's theme song I instantly think of those blue letters zooming through space telling the audience you are about to watch a movie that made an entire world believe a man could really fly.
3. Jaws
What boy hasn't thought of this hugely popular theme song while underwater slowly swimming toward a sibling? The monstrous shark's theme helped begin what is now known as the summer blockbuster and it also kept a large number of frightened moviegoers out of the water.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
While Indiana Jones' theme song might not be quite as famous as Jaws' "Dun Dun, Dun Dun, Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Doodoodoo," it certainly reminds me of my adolescence and brings to mind my childhood hero whipping his way through temples of doom and fighting off Nazis during the last crusade. The personal touch this theme song has helped it move up one notch on the list.
1. Star Wars
What's there to say about this theme song? Williams did such a good job with the Star Wars series, he created two famous theme songs decades apart (The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Episode V and Duel of the Fates from Episode I), but he also established that any time the 20th Century drumroll is heard it brings to mind George Lucas' hit film series. This is his most recognized work and will most likely be what he is known for by the largest group of people.
Two movie themes that get honorable mention and just missed the cut were Jurassic Park
and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Williams' theme for Jurassic Park immediately takes people back to the moment the scientists (and audience) see the dinosaurs for the first time roaming the plains of the island.
Obviously Williams' theme songs are products of the great movies they go along with, but it is his music that helps shape the films into classics. John Williams is a genius at his craft and deserves the 34 Academy Award nominations, five Oscar wins and countless other musical accolades for his talents and contributions to the film industry.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My Personal Rank Of The James Bond Girls
When it comes to the 007 films, there are certain elements that will always be seen. This includes over-the-top action sequences, exotic locations, and beautiful women paraded throughout. For my third (and fourth) list I have decided to spotlight the girls of James Bond's world.
You can check out my first two Bond lists here and here.
For the following lists, I have broken down the main girl of the picture (excluding supporting females who are mostly eye candy for a scene or two and henchwomen) into two categories. The first list is made up of the actress' beauty alone. The second list factors in their overall contribution to the film, which ranges from how good her acting is to whether or not she enhances the scenes she is in or just stands around looking pretty. The woman's beauty is also factored in for the second list.
So here we go.
Bond Girls - Beauty
22. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
21. Pam Bouvier (from License to Kill)
20. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
19. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
18. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
17. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
16. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
15. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
14. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
13. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
12. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
11. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
10. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
9. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
8. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
7. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
6. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
5. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
4. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
3. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
2. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
1. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
Bond Girls - Overall
22. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
21. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
20. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
19. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
18. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
17. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
16. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
15. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
14. Pam Bouvier (from License to Kill)
13. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
12. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
11. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
10. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
9. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
6. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
5. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
4. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
3. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
2. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
1. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
You can check out my first two Bond lists here and here.
For the following lists, I have broken down the main girl of the picture (excluding supporting females who are mostly eye candy for a scene or two and henchwomen) into two categories. The first list is made up of the actress' beauty alone. The second list factors in their overall contribution to the film, which ranges from how good her acting is to whether or not she enhances the scenes she is in or just stands around looking pretty. The woman's beauty is also factored in for the second list.
So here we go.
Bond Girls - Beauty
22. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
21. Pam Bouvier (from License to Kill)
20. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
19. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
18. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
17. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
16. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
15. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
14. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
13. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
12. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
11. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
10. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
9. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
8. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
7. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
6. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
5. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
4. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
3. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
2. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
1. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
Bond Girls - Overall
22. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
21. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
20. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
19. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
18. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
17. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
16. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
15. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
14. Pam Bouvier (from License to Kill)
13. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
12. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
11. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
10. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
9. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
6. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
5. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
4. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
3. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
2. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
1. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
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