Shawshank Redemption
Shawshank Redemption is the #1 movie on IMDB. Obviously any ranking like that is by nature very subjective, but it's one I can live with. There are movies that I like better, there are movies that I enjoy for a specific reason, or when I'm in a specific mood, but in terms of broad appeal, in terms of a movie that speaks to just about everyone I think that it's as good a candidate as any. Obviously in any case I'm glad that it's no longer "The Dark Knight" (though it's only dropped to #3, which is still significantly inflated in my opinion).
You may be wondering why I would be blogging about the movie now. Well I put Disk Two of Shawshank (the bonus disk with all the special features) into my NetFlix queue. I've never put a bonus disk into my queue, and I confess that I kind of thought it was going to end up being a waste, but that I'd give it a shot in case I was wrong. I haven't watched all of the features yet, but so far I'd have to say that I was in fact wrong (mark it on your calendars). Now obviously this is probably not true for all movies, or even most, but I'm a little bit more open to the idea. Of course this realization is quite inconvenient. I just got done adding a bunch of movies to my queue bringing it up to 200 total (I admit that I suffer from the same irrational fondness for round numbers common to most human beings). I did the math on how long it's going to take me to get through those movies based on my past viewing history, and it's too embarrassing to share, let's just say that it's going to be awhile, a long while.
Some other movies that might make the "top ten", for those that are curious (and yes I'm aware that there are more than ten, thus the quotes): Empire Strikes Back, Royal Tenenbaums, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Se7en (it's all about the last line), Last of the Mohicans, Groundhog Day, Casablanca, Sunset Blvd., Glory, The Mission, Tommy Boy, Die Hard, and Iron Giant. That's probably enough, I think I hit most of the different genres. I'm curious what sort of movies would make your "top ten", in other words comments are welcome.
One final point, my lovely and long suffering wife let me out of the reception on Saturday, so I only ended up being on the road for three hours which was still a lot, but vastly preferable to the alternative.
I wanted to include "SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2" in the list, but I was too embarrassed
You may be wondering why I would be blogging about the movie now. Well I put Disk Two of Shawshank (the bonus disk with all the special features) into my NetFlix queue. I've never put a bonus disk into my queue, and I confess that I kind of thought it was going to end up being a waste, but that I'd give it a shot in case I was wrong. I haven't watched all of the features yet, but so far I'd have to say that I was in fact wrong (mark it on your calendars). Now obviously this is probably not true for all movies, or even most, but I'm a little bit more open to the idea. Of course this realization is quite inconvenient. I just got done adding a bunch of movies to my queue bringing it up to 200 total (I admit that I suffer from the same irrational fondness for round numbers common to most human beings). I did the math on how long it's going to take me to get through those movies based on my past viewing history, and it's too embarrassing to share, let's just say that it's going to be awhile, a long while.
Some other movies that might make the "top ten", for those that are curious (and yes I'm aware that there are more than ten, thus the quotes): Empire Strikes Back, Royal Tenenbaums, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Se7en (it's all about the last line), Last of the Mohicans, Groundhog Day, Casablanca, Sunset Blvd., Glory, The Mission, Tommy Boy, Die Hard, and Iron Giant. That's probably enough, I think I hit most of the different genres. I'm curious what sort of movies would make your "top ten", in other words comments are welcome.
One final point, my lovely and long suffering wife let me out of the reception on Saturday, so I only ended up being on the road for three hours which was still a lot, but vastly preferable to the alternative.
I wanted to include "SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2" in the list, but I was too embarrassed
posted by DireKobold at 10:27 PM
4 Comments:
Shame on you for letting Liz traverse the dangerous Utah County roads by herself (and the kids?) I've lived there, man!! You can't comprehend the things I've seen!
Some from me (in alphabetical order): The African Queen, Amelie, Fiddler on the Roof, Groundhog Day, How Green Was My Valley, Kirikou and the Sorceress, The Manchurian Candidate (the old one), Office Space, Stranger Than Fiction, To Kill a Mockingbird, Wait Until Dark, West Side Story, and Wit.
For those movies based on books I have also loved (African Queen, How Green, Manchurian, Mockingbird), the book becomes an essential part of the movie for me. Even when they differ, I am so reminded of the book that it changes how I view the movie. There is a significant difference between the ending of the book version of Manchurian Candidate and the movie. I can never believe the movie ending having read the book, but the book ending makes the movie all the more powerful.
Only ten... ?!?
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
2001 A Space Odyssey
Rocky (first movie)
The Godfather (series)
Star Wars
Young Frankenstein
Blade Runner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
JAWS
I don't know if I have a "Top Ten," but movies I've really enjoyed, in no particular order:
UHF. Return of the Jedi (yes, I liked it more than Empire Strikes Back). Office Space. On the Beach. Only Yesterday (Omoide Poro Poro). The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Tie between Monsters-a-Go-Go (MST3K Version) and Manos, Hands of Fate (MST3K version). Airplane (kind of the granddaddy of all contemporary spoof movies). I actually like some musicals, and I fondly remember "Carousel" from my youth, but can't tell if I'd like it today. Duck Soup is one of the best Marx Bros.
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