Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert lost his battle with cancer and we lost one of the best movie critics ever. He brought movies to us through his and Gene Siskel's show "Sneak Previews" and it's sequels. Roger always seemed like a regular guy and usually fair in his reviews (not like many critics with arrogant snooty manner ie Rex Reed).

Thanks Roger, two thumbs up to you.

Rest In Peace

Movies I've Watched Recently

I finally got around to buying a copy of Death Proof. Tarantino is a filmmaker you either love or hate, seems to be no in between there. I love his work, because his movies are fun to watch, that's good enough for me.

Kurt Russell's best part in years and the girls were amazing.

The 365 Films Challenge

The 365 Films Challenge
Short and Sweet Overview: Watch 365 films in the year 2012.
What Is This Challenge?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spend the next year delving into the world of film by watching one film that you have never seen before per day.
How Do I Participate?
The extent of how you participate is totally up to you, however it is recommended that you post some form of a review, whether it be as simple as a star rating or as extensive as a critical film analysis. Some also do graphics along with their reviews.
When Do We Start?
Like most 365 challenges, the best day to start is January 1st so that you end on December 31st.
But Isn’t This A Leap Year? It Should Be 366.
Consider it a free day or a bonus film, I could care less.
What If I Can’t Watch A Film Each Day?
No one is monitoring how you reach 365 films, so if you fall behind or watch ahead a few movies, that is your choice.
How Am I Going To Find 365 Films To Watch?
I suggest signing up for iCheckMovies and start with their top movies lists. You’re bound to find something you haven’t seen before.

The 365 Films Challenge

The 365 film challenge is to watch 365 films in 2012. Not sure if i'll watch that many but i'm up to the challenge!
#One
The Young Lions (1958)
Directed by Edward Dmytryk
Starring - Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, Montgomery Clift, Hope Lange, Lee Van Cleef, Barbara Rusg, May Britt.

Hands Up!

Who knew they made a third Alvin and the Chipmunks movie?
And who really wanted it?
For Jason Lee i guess it's "My Name Is Stuck In Awful Chipmunk Movies"

Friday Night Movie

Watched one of the best movies ever made tonight and one of my top 50.

The movie is a classic with action and adventure, No crappy cgi like most movies today and thank goodness no 3 D. It's a type of film making that seems lost now, great actors,story and directing, Steven Spielberg really used to know how to make a great movie. Raiders never gets old.

Just what does a banana watch on DVD?

I'm trying to get my blogging mojo back, so how about an easy post on what movies i've watched so far on DVD (yes i am a luddite and haven't "upgraded" to blu-ray). ENJOY!

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Private Navy Of Sgt. O'Farrell (1968)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Stop Me Before I Kill! (1960)
Them! (1954)
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)
Tremors 3 (2001)
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
Brain That Wouldn't Die (1963)
Star Wars (1977)
Kansas Pacific (1953)
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince (2009)
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Zombieland (2009)
Superman (1948)
Airport (1970)
Airport 1975 (1974)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Airport '77 (1977)
Concorde - Airport '79 (1979)
Bushwhackers (1952)
Fight Zatoichi Fight (1964)
Adventures Of Zatoichi (1964)
Zatoichi's Revenge (1965)
Rio Lobo (1970)
Zatoichi And The Doomed Man (1965)
Carry On Teacher (1959)
Hound Of The Baskervilles (1978)
Zatoichi And The Chess Expert (1965)
Carry On Constable (1960)
Carry On Regardless (1961)
Blood On The Sun (1945)
Carry On Cruising (1962)
Carry On Cabby (1963)
Delta Force (1986)
Lawman (1971)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Carry On Spying (1964)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Follow The Fleet (1936)
Appaloosa (2008)
Steel Claw (1961)
Witchfinder General (1968)
Broadway Melody Of 1940 (1940)
Inside Man (2006)
Army Of Darkness (1992)
And Justice For All (1979)
White Heat (1949)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)

Captain America

Great new pic of the new Captain America.

Captain America First Avenger.
I do like how Marvel is interconnecting most of their movies into one Universe, something DC should have done.

3 D Scam

Yes, Hollywood is scamming you all with this latest 3-D crap they're forcing on the movir public. It's no different than the 3-D tech of the 1950's and it's not even real 3-D. Most of us "see" movies already in 3-D because of our eyes and brain works and with the skill of good camermen the create a 3-D world that's lost when you add the 3-D crap, which has always come down to people throwing things at the camera (ooooh wow so exciting). So Hollywood as always beats a minor trend to death by making everything (well actually only a few films are made with the 3-D tech most are just transferred to 3-D from the original "Flat" source) and you have the pleasure of paying much more to "see" their crappy movies while getting axe to the head size headaches.
Even if i could get out to see more movies (agoraphobia really keeps you from doing normal stuff) i wouldn't go to 3-D because i can't see the magical effect on phoney 3-D because i have myopia aka nearsightness and one eye see's things differently than the other, this causes headaches and nausea for me.
Latest figures on box office sales shows the overload of 3-D movies is hurting the film business.
It's funny that the best 3-D movie ever made "House Of Wax" was made 60 years ago by a one-eyed director named Andre De Toth who couldn't even see the effect!

Ingrid Pitt - 1937 - 2010

Sad loss, so sexy and beautiful. Here she is from "Where Eagles Dare", Thankyou Ingrid and goodbye.

Anne Hathaway

I've realized watching commercials for her latest movie that i've never seen any of her films, not a single one. I know she's been around for ten years or so but i cannot name a single film she's been in. Her films seem all to be "Rom Coms" aka "Chick Flicks" which isn't a bad thing and i've seen many of these types of films.
I can't tell you if she's a good actor and her films are fun, etc etc, never seen one. As a movie lover this seems odd to not have seen any of her films.
It just seems (and i could be wrong) she's one of those actors who get films that Queen of the RomComs Julia Roberts turns down.
There's a new Hathaway film out like i mentioned before, looks the same as the last one and the one before it and i most likely won't see it. Nothing against her but her films seems quite dull.

Zulu

Cal was talking about Zulu Dawn over at the Cave of Cool, the prequel to Zulu made abour 15 years later. It's a good film but for me Zulu is the best. Stanley Baker (my favorite Welsh actor), Michael Caine ( no this wasn't his first film no matter what the "And introducing Michael Caine" credit says) and some great British actors like Nigel Green, Jack Hawkins ( not sure if this was before he lost his voice to cancer or after) and many more.
It's a darn good well made film with drama,adventure and all done without cgi,mindless camera pans, mtv like whiplash editing. It's the way films should be made.
You'll Enjoy Zulu, go see it if you haven't.

It's A Lee Van Cleef Kind Of Day

Lee Van Cleef - Commandos (1968)

Movie of the Day

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
"We're in the money"

Harry Palmer

I think Harry Palmer was/is (since there is talk of another Palmer film) Michael Caine's best role. The name Harry Palmer was created for the films, since the character had no name in the novels.

Caine made 5 Harry Palmers (the last two in the 90's and set in Russia). If you want a good spy movie to watch, you can't go wrong with a Harry Palmer film.

DVDs

I don't seem to be watching as many movies on DVD like used to, been watching more tv on DVD these days. Here's a list of the films i have watched on DVD for the past few months.
Star Trek (2009)
Ipcress File (1965)
Thin Man (1934)
Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1974)
They Live (1988)
Go West (1940)
War Wagon (1967)
Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
Skull (1965)
Son Of Kong (1933)
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Deadly Bees (1967)
Three Musketeers (1973)
Zulu (1964)
Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
Land That Time Forgot (1975)
Nightbreed (1990)
Man From Nowhere (1966)
Fistful Of Lead (1970)
Sergeants 3 (1962)
Juggernaut (1974)
Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939)
Blood Money (1974)
White Comanche (1968)

Some classic and some not so classic.

Bad Idea

One of my favorite comics was "Our Army At War" starring Sgt. Rock. For many years Hollywood has tried to make the World War Two based comic book into a movie, at one time Ahnuld the Governator was picked to star. Now Hollywood hack producer Joel Silver has the rights and is ditching WWII for the future : Silver says "It's a little bit in the future. As a war movie, it's not going to be 'where it's been,' it's going to be 'where it's going.' We didn't want to do Iraq, we didn't want to do a contemporary war. We wanted to do a sort of futuristic war." Gee it's like he wants to make it into another G.I. Joe film.

Can we say "train wreck" boys and girls? I'm hoping this piece crap hits development hell and never see's the light of day.

Priceless

I think it's time for a Vincent Price movie marathon for Halloween.
Price is a class act even in the worst film, like i say, you can't go wrong with a film that has Vincent Price in it.

Cult Actor of the Week

John Agar (1921-2002) From "Mr Shirley Temple" and movies with John Wayne and directed by John Ford to 50's Sci-fi and western film hero and then Z-grade films of the 60's, Agar had an interesting career in Hollywood.
In 1972 Forry Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland reported Agar had died much to Mr Agar's surprise. It did get him some cameo film work, like the Mayor of New York in the King Kong remake. John Wayne remembered him and got Agar small parts in his movie in the late 60's.
"I don't resent being identified with B science fiction movies at all. Why should I? Even though they were not considered top of the line, for those people that like sci-fi, I guess they were fun. My whole feeling about working as an actor is, if I give anybody any enjoyment, I'm doing my job, and that's what counts." - John Agar
He kept getting a few parts in films up till the end, one was in Nightbreed (1990).
John Agar one of my favorite actors.

Worst Movie Poster, Ever

Yeah makes me want to go see Spy Who Loved Me