Flashback Time

All right, so Pam’s tagged me with a music meme. And what the hell, I’ll play along. The idea is to go here and grab the list of the top 100 songs from your high school graduation year (though I’m not exactly sure what measuring stick they’re using to pick the “top songs”). Then mark them up as directed. (Oh, and I’ve added hyperlinks from the song titles to the track in the iTunes Store — when it’s available — in case your memory needs some refreshing... or if this little trip down memory lane inspires you to expand your collection.)

I’m going to try to do this with my high-school self in mind; in other words, this is what I thought about the songs then (and I was fairly tolerant at the time, going through a bizarre sort of pop/metal phase). In at least one case (and I’ll leave it to you to pick which one) a song I hated has since grown on me, and in several instances a tune I liked has deteriorated in my estimation into a stinking pile of pus.

I don’t think I can realistically ask you to completely withhold judgment, but I can tell you that any barbs directed my way will leave me psychologically unscathed — I’m long past obsessing over my teenage shortcomings (but if you want clarification on any of my choices, ask away and I’ll gladly address it in the comments).

So without further ado, here’s the list.

Green = Made everyone shut up so I could hear it clearly
Black = Could certainly tolerate it, but wasn’t running out to buy the single (yes, we had singles back then)
Red = Actually made the effort to get up and change the dial on the radio
Blue = Um... what was that one again?

1. That’s What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder
   
2. Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie
   
3. I Miss You, Klymaxx
   
4. On My Own, Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald
   
5. Broken Wings, Mr. Mister
   
6. How Will I Know, Whitney Houston
   
7. Party All The Time, Eddie Murphy
   
8. Burning Heart, Survivor
   
9. Kyrie, Mr. Mister
   
10. Addicted To Love, Robert Palmer
    
11. Greatest Love Of All, Whitney Houston
    
12. Secret Lovers, Atlantic Starr
    
13. Friends And Lovers, Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring
    
14. Glory Of Love, Peter Cetera
    
15. West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys
    
16. There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry), Billy Ocean
    
17. Alive And Kicking, Simple Minds
    
18. Never, Heart
    
19. Kiss, Prince and The Revolution
    
20. Higher Love, Steve Winwood
    
21. Stuck With You, Huey Lewis & The News
    
22. Holding Back The Years, Simply Red
    
23. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
    
24. Sara, Starship
    
25. Human, Human League
    
26. I Can’t Wait, Nu Shooz
    
27. Take My Breath Away, Berlin
    
28. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
    
29. Papa Don’t Preach, Madonna
    
30. You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi
    
31. When The Going Gets Tough, Billy Ocean
    
32. When I Think Of You, Janet Jackson
    
33. These Dreams, Heart
    
34. Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone), Glass Tiger
    
35. Live To Tell, Madonna
    
36. Mad About You, Belinda Carlisle
    
37. Something About You, Level 42
    
38. Venus, Bananarama
    
39. Dancing On The Ceiling, Lionel Richie (a song that I now ridicule mercilessly, but at the time, it didn’t particularly bother me)
    
40. Conga, Miami Sound Machine
    
41. True Colors, Cyndi Lauper
    
42. Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins (maybe this is a Top Gun thing, but I still love it)
    
43. What Have You Done For Me Lately, Janet Jackson
    
44. No One Is To Blame, Howard Jones
    
45. Let’s Go All The Way, Sly Fox
    
46. I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On, Robert Palmer
    
47. Words Get In The Way, Miami Sound Machine
    
48. Manic Monday, Bangles
    
49. Walk Of Life, Dire Straits
    
50. Amanda, Boston
    
51. Two Of Hearts, Stacey Q
    
52. Crush On You, Jets
    
53. If You Leave, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
    
54. Invisible Touch, Genesis
    
55. The Sweetest Taboo, Sade
    
56. What You Need, INXS
    
57. Talk To Me, Stevie Nicks
    
58. Nasty, Janet Jackson
    
59. Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money
    
60. We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart (this one still makes me cringe)
    
61. All Cried Out, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force
    
62. Your Love, Outfield
    
63. I’m Your Man, Wham!
    
64. Perfect Way, Scritti Politti
    
65. Living In America, James Brown
    
66. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., John Cougar Mellencamp
    
67. Who’s Johnny, El Debarge
    
68. Word Up, Cameo
    
69. Why Can’t This Be Love, Van Halen
    
70. Silent Running, Mike and The Mechanics
    
71. Typical Male, Tina Turner
    
72. Small Town, John Cougar Mellencamp
    
73. Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
    
74. All I Need Is A Miracle, Mike and The Mechanics
    
75. Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald
    
76. True Blue, Madonna
    
77. Rumors, Timex Social Club
    
78. Life In A Northern Town, Dream Academy
    
79. Bad Boy, Miami Sound Machine
    
80. Sleeping Bag, ZZ Top (I was a big ZZ Top fan after Eliminator, but this just didn’t do it for me)
    
81. Tonight She Comes, Cars
    
82. Love Touch, Rod Stewart
    
83. A Love Bizarre, Sheila E.
    
84. Throwing It All Away, Genesis
    
85. Baby Love, Regina
    
86. Election Day, Arcadia
    
87. Nikita, Elton John
    
88. Take Me Home, Phil Collins
    
89. Walk This Way, Run-D.M.C.
    
90. Sweet Love, Anita Baker
    
91. Your Wildest Dreams, Moody Blues
    
92. Spies Like Us, Paul McCartney
    
93. Object Of My Desire, Starpoint
    
94. Dreamtime, Daryl Hall
    
95. Tender Love, Force M.D.’s
    
96. King For A Day, Thompson Twins
    
97. Love Will Conquer All, Lionel Richie
    
98. A Different Corner, George Michael
    
99. I’ll Be Over You, Toto
    
100. Go Home, Stevie Wonder

As for tagging... well, since I pretty much abandoned this blog several months back, I think my readership is about nil. So that means that if you’re reading this, then you’ve been tagged. And I do expect you to participate.

What’s in a Title?

Courtesy of Tom Bridge. I don’t often do memes (or if I do, I rarely publish the results), but I thought this result was oddly appropriate.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Lord William the Mystical of Colquhoun St Cahoon Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Meme Time: Five Interesting Things About Me

Okay, so I haven’t done the whole “meme” thing in a while now, but since this one comes straight from MotherReader, I suppose I’d better actually do it this time. After all, not only does she know where I live, but she did produce a kick-ass movie for me.

So here goes (with the caveat that not all of these might be considered particularly “interesting”):

1. My left foot is bigger than my right foot.
   Not quite a full size bigger, but just enough so that buying shoes is a real pain in the ass. Or the foot, as the case may be.


2. I talk to myself. A lot.
   Mostly just venting, but at times I’ll carry on one half of an extended hypothetical conversation. I chalk it up to a side effect of an overactive imagination. Or psychosis in development.


3. I have one seriously screwed-up memory.
   I can remember all sorts of obscure facts and nonsensical information, but I’ll forget someone’s name 30 seconds after we’ve been introduced. And my entire life experience before a couple of years ago is just a blurry jumble of vague impressions. Reunions are hell.


4. I still collect comic books.
   I don’t mean read — hell, I don’t see anything wrong with that — but I obsessively store the damn things in boxes indefinitely. Despite the fact that the entire comic reselling market has pretty much permanently tanked. And I’ve been going to the same comics shop for more than 20 years now, despite the fact that it’s changed owners and locations three times.


5. I love some really crappy movies.
   As much as I try to play the film snob, I still enjoy Moonraker (my first Bond film), and think Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is absolutely inspired. And Strange Brew is a classic.

Now I guess I’m supposed to “tag” some other folks, but I think for now I’ll leave it up to you individually as to whether or not you want to participate (especially since a couple of folks I’d tag aren’t exactly running “public” blogs). So if you want in, consider yourself appropriately tagged.

Still Gotta Keep Living

Okay, so having just completed Tohubohu’s latest NFC entry, I’m in a bit of a movie mood. So here’s the infamous 1001 list, only this time for movies. Let’s see how I’m doing, shall we? Same rules apply — I’ve got to remember enough of it to have it be a legitimate component of my mental catalog.

1. The Gold Rush (1925)
2. Metropolis (1927)
3. Dracula (1931)
4. City Lights (1931)
5. King Kong (1933)
6. Modern Times (1936)
7. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
8. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
9. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
10. Gone With the Wind (1939)
11. Fantasia (1940)
12. Pinocchio (1940)
13. Citizen Kane (1941)
14. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
15. Dumbo (1941)
16. Casablanca (1942)
17. Double Indemnity (1944)
18. The Big Sleep (1946)
19. Notorious (1946)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
21. Rope (1948)
22. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
23. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
24. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
25. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
26. High Noon (1952)
27. Rear Window (1954)
28. The Seven Samurai (1954)
29. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
30. Giant (1956)
31. The Wrong Man (1956)
32. 12 Angry Men (1957)
33. Touch of Evil (1958)
34. Vertigo (1958)
35. North by Northwest (1959)
36. Psycho (1960)
37. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
38. The Hustler (1961)
39. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
40. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
41. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
42. The Birds (1963)
43. Goldfinger (1964)
44. Marnie (1964)
45. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
46. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
47. The Sound of Music (1965)
48. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
49. The Graduate (1967)
50. The Jungle Book (1967)
51. Planet of the Apes (1968)
52. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
53. The Producers (1968)
54. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
55. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
56. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
57. Easy Rider (1969)
58. M*A*S*H (1970)
59. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
60. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
61. The French Connection (1971)
62. Dirty Harry (1971)
63. Sleuth (1972)
64. The Godfather (1972)
65. The Sting (1973)
66. American Graffiti (1973)
67. Young Frankenstein (1974)
68. Chinatown (1974)
69. Blazing Saddles (1974)
70. The Godfather Part II (1974)
71. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
72. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
73. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
74. The Wall (1975)
75. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
76. Jaws (1975)
77. Carrie (1976)
78. All the President’s Men (1976)
79. Rocky (1976)
80. Taxi Driver (1976)
81. Star Wars (1977)
82. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
83. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
84. Grease (1978)
85. Up in Smoke (1978)
86. Halloween (1978)
87. Alien (1979)
88. Breaking Away (1979)
89. Life of Brian (1979)
90. Apocalypse Now (1979)
91. The Jerk (1979)
92. The Muppet Movie (1979)
93. Manhattan (1979)
94. Mad Max (1979)
95. Ordinary People (1980)
96. The Shining (1980)
97. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
98. The Elephant Man (1980)
99. Airplane! (1980)
100. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
101. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
102. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1981)
103. E.T. The Extra-Terestrial (1982)
104. The Thing (1982)
105. Poltergeist (1982)
106. Blade Runner (1982)
107. The Evil Dead (1982)
108. Tootsie (1982)
109. Diner (1982)
110. Gandhi (1982)
111. A Christmas Story (1983)
112. Videodrome (1983)
113. Return of the Jedi (1983)
114. The Big Chill (1983)
115. Terms of Endearment (1983)
116. The King of Comedy (1983)
117. The Right Stuff (1983)
118. Scarface (1983)
119. Amadeus (1984)
120. The Terminator (1984)
121. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
122. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
123. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
124. Ghostbusters (1984)
125. The Killing Fields (1984)
126. The Natural (1984)
127. The Breakfast Club (1985)
128. Out of Africa (1985)
129. Back to the Future (1985)
130. The Color Purple (1985)
131. Manhunter (1986)
132. Stand By Me (1986)
133. Blue Velvet (1986)
134. The Fly (1986)
135. Aliens (1986)
136. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
137. A Room with a View (1986)
138. Platoon (1986)
139. Top Gun (1986)
140. Raising Arizona (1987)
141. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
142. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
143. Broadcast News (1987)
144. The Princess Bride (1987)
145. The Untouchables (1987)
146. Fatal Attraction (1987)
147. Bull Durham (1988)
148. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
149. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
150. The Naked Gun (1988)
151. Big (1988)
152. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
153. Die Hard (1988)
154. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
155. Rain Man (1988)
156. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
157. Batman (1989)
158. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
159. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
160. My Left Foot (1989)
161. Roger & Me (1989)
162. Glory (1989)
163. Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)
164. Say Anything (1989)
165. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
166. Goodfellas (1990)
167. Dances with Wolves (1990)
168. Pretty Woman (1990)
169. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
170. Total Recall (1990)
171. Boyz ’n the Hood (1991)
172. Thelma & Louise (1991)
173. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
174. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
175. JFK (1991)
176. The Player (1992)
177. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
178. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
179. Unforgiven (1992)
180. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
181. The Crying Game (1992)
182. Groundhog Day (1993)
183. Philadelphia (1993)
184. Jurassic Park (1993)
185. The Age of Innocence (1993)
186. Schindler’s List (1993)
187. The Piano (1993)
188. Forrest Gump (1994)
189. Clerks (1994)
190. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
191. The Lion King (1994)
192. The Last Seduction (1994)
193. Pulp Fiction (1994)
194. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
195. Babe (1995)
196. Toy Story (1995)
197. Strange Days (1995)
198. Braveheart (1995)
199. Clueless (1995)
200. Heat (1995)
201. Seven (1995)
202. The Usual Suspects (1995)
203. Fargo (1996)
204. Independence Day (1996)
205. The English Patient (1996)
206. Scream (1996)
207. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
208. L.A. Confidential (1997)
209. Boogie Nights (1997)
210. Titanic (1997)
211. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
212. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
213. Run Lola Run (1998)
214. Rushmore (1998)
215. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
216. Magnolia (1999)
217. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
218. Three Kings (1999)
219. Fight Club (1999)
220. Being John Malkovich (1999)
221. American Beauty (1999)
222. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
223. The Sixth Sense (1999)
224. The Matrix (1999)
225. Gladiator (2000)
226. Meet the Parents (2000)
227. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
228. Memento (2000)
229. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
230. Moulin Rouge (2001)
231. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
232. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
233. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
234. The Pianist (2002)
235. Adaptation (2002)
236. Chicago (2002)
237. The Two Towers (2002)
238. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
239. The Return Of The King (2003)
240. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
241. Collateral (2004)
242. The Aviator (2004)
243. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Okay, so 243 is a bit more respectable, but still a lot lower than someone in my position should rightfully score. Not quite a quarter of ’em. I wonder if this’ll be a legitimate excuse to spend a lot more time in front of the screen?

Somehow, I doubt it.

Four Things

Okay, so I haven’t done a lot of memes lately. Back in the day, I used to do the Friday Five thing, but I couldn’t keep it up, and didn’t seem to run out of things of my own to say. But since I’ve been tagged by MotherReader — someone it would be unwise to refuse — I’ll give it a go.

For the sake of variety, I’ll try to avoid duplicating any of Pam’s entries (since we do have a bit of overlap), and I’ll also try to avoid current jobs, homes, etc., and stick with ones you wouldn’t know just by reading my profile.

Four jobs I’ve had

1. Restaurant host
2. Campus patrolman
3. Newspaper graphics editor
4. Receptionist

Four movies I could watch over and over again

1. The Usual Suspects
2. Memento
3. North by Northwest
4. Die Hard

Four places I have lived

1. Papillion, Nebraska
2. Rome, New York
3. Grand Forks, North Dakota (I still have chills)
4. Easthampton, Massachusetts

Four TV shows I love to watch

1. Battlestar Galactica
2. 24
3. High Stakes Poker
4. The Sopranos

Four places I’ve been on vacation

1. Jamaica
2. Mount Rushmore
3. Niagara Falls
4. Los Angeles

Four websites I visit daily

1. Dark Horizons
2. Ain’t It Cool News (it’s a sick, sick, addiction)
3. ChipTalk.net (I won that chip design contest, remember?)
4. MotherReader (what, you thought I wouldn’t put that one in there?)

Four of my favorite foods

1. Alaskan king crab
2. Lobster
3. Filet mignon
4. Sushi

Four places I would rather be right now

1. Hollywood
2. Las Vegas
3. Monte Carlo
4. On the Scotch whisky trail

Four blogs I’ll tag

1. Geoff
2. Penda
3. Tom
4. Tiff

(And no obligations there, folks — just a friendly invitation.)

I Am Hollywood’s Bitch, Part 1

Okay, another movie list meme. This one courtesy of Tom Bridge. Here, we’re looking at the 100 top-grossing films of all time (domestic grosses, that is). As per meme instructions, I am putting films I’ve seen in italics, films I liked in boldface (an admittedly vague designation), and attaching an asterisk to films I liked on original viewing, but which no longer have quite the same appeal (basically, movies I probably wouldn’t watch again, or at least not repeatedly).

Since the list appeared on Tom’s site, I’ve adjusted the rankings to keep them up-to-date (as of today), and omitted the actual dollar figures (I’m just too lazy to keep typing them in). For an up-to-date (and complete) list, check out the regularly maintained list at Box Office Mojo.

So here we go:

1. Titanic (1997)
   
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
   
3. Shrek 2 (2004)
   
4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
   
5. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace* (1999)
   
6. Spider-Man (2002)
   
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
   
8. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
   
9. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
   
10. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
    
11. Jurassic Park (1993)
    
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
    
13. Finding Nemo (2003)
    
14. Forrest Gump (1994)
    
15. The Lion King (1994)
    
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
    
17. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    
18. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
    
19. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
    
20. Independence Day* (1996)
    
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
    
22. The Sixth Sense (1999)
    
23. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    
24. Home Alone* (1990)
    
25. The Matrix Reloaded* (2003)
    
26. Meet the Fockers (2004)
    
27. Shrek (2001)
    
28. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
    
29. The Incredibles (2004)
    
30. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
    
31. Jaws (1975)
    
32. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
    
33. Batman (1989)
    
34. Men in Black (1997)
    
35. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
    
36. Toy Story 2 (1999)
    
37. Bruce Almighty (2003)
    
38. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    
39. Twister (1996)
    
40. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
    
41. Ghostbusters (1984)
    
42. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
    
43. Cast Away (2000)
    
44. The Exorcist (1973)
    
45. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
    
46. Signs (2002)
    
47. Rush Hour 2 (2001)
    
48. Mrs. Doubtfire* (1993)
    
49. Ghost* (1990)
    
50. Aladdin (1992)
    
51. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
    
52. Mission: Impossible II* (2000)
    
53. X2: X-Men United (2003)
    
54. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
    
55. Back to the Future (1985)
    
56. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me* (1999)
    
57. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
    
58. The Mummy Returns (2001)
    
59. Armageddon (1998)
    
60. Gone with the Wind (1939)
    
61. Pearl Harbor (2001)
    
62. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
    
63. Toy Story (1995)
    
64. Men in Black II (2002)
    
65. Grease (1978)
    
66. Gladiator (2000)
    
67. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
    
68. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
    
69. Dances With Wolves (1990)
    
70. Batman Forever (1995)
    
71. The Fugitive (1993)
    
72. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
    
73. What Women Want (2000)
    
74. The Perfect Storm (2000)
    
75. Liar Liar (1997)
    
76. Jurassic Park III (2001)
    
77. Mission: Impossible (1996)
    
78. Planet of the Apes (2001)
    
79. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom* (1984)
    
80. Hitch (2005)
    
81. Pretty Woman* (1990)
    
82. Tootsie (1982)
    
83. Top Gun (1986)
    
84. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
    
85. Ice Age (2002)
    
86. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
    
87. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
    
88. Apollo 13 (1995)
    
89. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
    
90. Elf (2003)
    
91. National Treasure (2004)
    
92. Air Force One (1997)
    
93. Rain Man (1988)
    
94. Madagascar (2005)
    
95. The Matrix (1999)
    
96. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
    
97. Tarzan (1999)
    
98. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
    
99. Chicago (2002)
    
100. Three Men and a Baby* (1987)

So what’s the big lesson? One, I see a lot of movies — 90 out of 100 on this list. Furthermore, I’m easily pleased — 65 out of those 90; add in the ones I liked when I originally saw them and we’re up to 76. And we’re talking about mainstream movies here, prime Hollywood product, so any illusions about my being primarily an indie fan are out the window.

I think I’ll look at it this way: This just goes to show that discriminating taste and mainstream sensibilities are not mutually exclusive.

Now pass me another Budweiser.

Meme Time Once Again...

Okay, haven’t done one of these in a while, but Penda suggested it, and I thought it might be good for a laugh (or a cry, depending on the answers). Take the following questions, copy and paste them into the comments section, and give me your answers. In return, I’ll happily do the same for you. Ready? Okay.

1. Who are you?
2. Have we ever met?
3. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.
4. Describe me in one word.
5. What reminds you of me?
6. If you could give me anything, what would it be?
7. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn’t?
8. Are you going to put this on your weblog and see what I say about you?
9. What do you love like a fat kid loves cake?
10. What makes you come back here?

Let’s see if anyone actually takes the time to answer... (And no, it’s not mandatory. Just fun.)

Nothing Like a “Best Of” List to Show You What You’ve Been Missing

A movie meme, coming by way of In Apprehension.... To keep it moving along, cut and paste from here (or copy the raw code if you want the links to remain intact) and add boldface to the titles you’ve seen (and if you like, write a comment with your total). The listing itself comes from the Internet Movie Database’s listing of the Top 250 Films (as voted by users). By no means a definitive “top films” list, but its nature allows it to include even newly released pictures (unlike, say, the American Film Institute’s better known — and not quite so skewed to the Ain’t it Cool crowd — 100 Years, 100 Films list).

Incidentally, the ranking has changed slightly since Joseph Finn’s original entry yesterday; I’ve updated the order to its current status. And for the sake of clarity, I’ve listed just the English (American release) titles. Just being thorough, you know.

1. The Godfather (1972)
   
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
   
3. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
   
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
   
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
   
6. Casablanca (1942)
   
7. Schindler’s List (1993)
   
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
   
9. Seven Samurai (1954)
   
10. Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
    
11. Citizen Kane (1941)
    
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
    
13. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    
14. Rear Window (1954)
    
15. Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    
17. Memento (2000)
    
18. The Usual Suspects (1995)
    
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)
    
20. North by Northwest (1959)
    
21. 12 Angry Men (1957)
    
22. Amélie (2001)
    
23. Psycho (1960)
    
24. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
    
25. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
    
26. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    
27. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
    
28. Goodfellas (1990)
    
29. American Beauty (1999)
    
30. Vertigo (1958)
    
31. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
    
32. The Matrix (1999)
    
33. Apocalypse Now (1979)
    
34. The Pianist (2002)
    
35. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
    
36. Some Like It Hot (1959)
    
37. Taxi Driver (1976)
    
38. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
    
39. The Third Man (1949)
    
40. Paths of Glory (1957)
    
41. Fight Club (1999)
    
42. Spirited Away (2001)
    
43. Das Boot (1981)
    
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
    
45. L.A. Confidential (1997)
    
46. Chinatown (1974)
    
47. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
    
48. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
    
49. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
    
50. M (1931)
    
51. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
    
52. All About Eve (1950)
    
53. Se7en (1995)
    
54. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
    
55. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
    
56. Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)
    
57. Raging Bull (1980)
    
58. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    
59. Rashômon (1950)
    
60. The Sting (1973)
    
61. Alien (1979)
    
62. American History X (1998)
    
63. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
    
64. Léon (The Professional) (1994)
    
65. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
    
66. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
    
67. Touch of Evil (1958)
    
68. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    
69. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
    
70. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)
    
71. The Great Escape (1963)
    
72. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
    
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
    
74. Amadeus (1984)
    
75. Annie Hall (1977)
    
76. Ran (1985)
    
77. Jaws (1975)
    
78. Modern Times (1936)
    
79. On the Waterfront (1954)
    
80. Braveheart (1995)
    
81. High Noon (1952)
    
82. The Apartment (1960)
    
83. Fargo (1996)
    
84. The Sixth Sense (1999)
    
85. Aliens (1986)
    
86. The Shining (1980)
    
87. Strangers on a Train (1951)
    
88. Blade Runner (1982)
    
89. Metropolis (1927)
    
90. Duck Soup (1933)
    
91. Donnie Darko (2001)
    
92. Finding Nemo (2003)
    
93. The General (1927)
    
94. The Princess Bride (1987)
    
95. Toy Story 2 (1999)
    
96. City Lights (1931)
    
97. The Great Dictator (1940)
    
98. Run Lola Run (1998)
    
99. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
    
100. Notorious (1946)

So of those 100, I’ve seen 65. I’ve actually seen a few more, but so long ago that I don’t really remember them — I wouldn’t think it right to count them. I’d get credit for one more in Joseph’s original list, in that I’ve seen Full Metal Jacket (1987) (number 98 on the old list); I have not seen The Seventh Seal (1957), though (100 on the old list). Adding the remaining 150 pictures on the IMDB’s list (which I won’t write out here), I score far less respectably, having seen only an additional 67 (a mere 45 percent).

But after going through the exercise, I don’t really worry at not having seen more of them. Some I’ve not been interested in seeing (yet), and others I can just add to the list of movies to see in the future.

Not that I really had any shortage of those.

So what’s your count?