Whether you agree with me because you are wise, or don’t because you are mean, the views in this blog post are solely mine, and not shared by Blockbuster Inc. So there.
It’s Banned Books Week, a time dedicated to drawing attention to the hundreds of books that have been banned or challenged in schools and libraries throughout the country. As a writer and voracious reader, it’s a subject near and dear to my heart.
In looking at the list of banned and challenged books while preparing this post, I was astounded at some of the choices. Some of them, like The Sun Also Rises, Slaughterhouse-Five, Catch-22, and The Great Gatsby, are among my favorite novels. And while they don’t always live up to the original material, some of the movies based on these books are pretty great in their own right.
So add a few of these movies to your Queue, then check out the books from your local library. It’ll be like partying with the First Amendment. Find out more on Banned Books Week.
A Clockwork Orange
A Farewell to Arms
A Separate Peace
All the King’s Men
American Psycho
Animal Farm
Beloved
Bridge to Terabithia
Call of the Wild
Catch-22
Flowers for Algernon
For Whom the Bell Tolls
From Here to Eternity
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Gone with the Wind
Gulliver’s Travels
Harry Potter
Huckleberry Finn
In Cold Blood
Lolita
Lord of the Flies
Maurice
Naked Lunch
Of Mice and Men
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ordinary People
Slaughterhouse-Five
Sons and Lovers
The Chocolate War
The Color Purple
The Grapes of Wrath
The Great Gatsby
The Kite Runner
The Outsiders
The Sun Also Rises
The Witches
Their Eyes Were Watching God
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom Sawyer
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Women in Love
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Classic Tales Retold
It all went down a few weeks ago. My boss casually dropped this bomb in a meeting: “We want to talk about Ghosts of Girlfriends Past on the blog.” I got a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach, and began frantically searching for a way out of the conference room, wondering if it was possible to scale down the side of our building from the 26th floor, Bear-Grylls-style. I think I have the skills, but I lacked the proper footwear at the time.
It’s not that it looks like a horrible movie or anything, it’s just that an in-depth review of a romantic comedy “chick flick” starring Matthew McConaughey is not exactly up my alley. I’m too snarky, too jaded, maybe a smidgen too misanthropic. Luckily, she could see the fight or flight decision-making being made, so she quickly finished, “as part of a post on classic stories retold.”
Ohhhhh, okay. That I can handle. I mean, Ghost of Girlfriends Past is a retelling of A Christmas Carol, the classic Dickens story that we all know was best adapted by The Muppets. I was, after all, an English major. And I enjoy clever updates on classics as much as the next red-blooded American, my favorite being O Brother Where Art Thou.
So our crack team of movie experts got on the case, and put together this list of Hollywood retellings (I’ve added the original work in parentheses):
Bartleby (Bartleby the Scrivener)
Clueless (Emma)
Cruel Intentions (Les Liaisons Dangereuses)
Forbidden Planet (The Tempest)
Freeway (Little Red Riding Hood)
Kiss Me Kate (The Taming of the Shrew)
My Fair Lady (Pygmalion)
My Own Private Idaho (Henry IV)
O Brother Where Art Thou (The Odyssey)
Rent (La Bohème)
Roxanne (Cyrano de Bergerac)
Scrooged (A Christmas Carol)
She’s All That (Pygmalion)
A Simple Twist of Fate (Silas Marner)
Strange Brew (Hamlet)
Ten Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew)
Twist (Oliver Twist)
West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet)
It’s not that it looks like a horrible movie or anything, it’s just that an in-depth review of a romantic comedy “chick flick” starring Matthew McConaughey is not exactly up my alley. I’m too snarky, too jaded, maybe a smidgen too misanthropic. Luckily, she could see the fight or flight decision-making being made, so she quickly finished, “as part of a post on classic stories retold.”
Ohhhhh, okay. That I can handle. I mean, Ghost of Girlfriends Past is a retelling of A Christmas Carol, the classic Dickens story that we all know was best adapted by The Muppets. I was, after all, an English major. And I enjoy clever updates on classics as much as the next red-blooded American, my favorite being O Brother Where Art Thou.
So our crack team of movie experts got on the case, and put together this list of Hollywood retellings (I’ve added the original work in parentheses):
Bartleby (Bartleby the Scrivener)
Clueless (Emma)
Cruel Intentions (Les Liaisons Dangereuses)
Forbidden Planet (The Tempest)
Freeway (Little Red Riding Hood)
Kiss Me Kate (The Taming of the Shrew)
My Fair Lady (Pygmalion)
My Own Private Idaho (Henry IV)
O Brother Where Art Thou (The Odyssey)
Rent (La Bohème)
Roxanne (Cyrano de Bergerac)
Scrooged (A Christmas Carol)
She’s All That (Pygmalion)
A Simple Twist of Fate (Silas Marner)
Strange Brew (Hamlet)
Ten Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew)
Twist (Oliver Twist)
West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Favorite Movie Pirates
Avast, landlubbers! Tomorrow be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so I wanted to share with ye some of my favorite villainous scofflaws of the seas. I’ve captained ships from the Spanish Main to the Orient, and I assure ye these are some of the blackest hearts to ever sail:
The Black Pirate (Douglas Fairbanks), The Black Pirate
This bilge water swillin’ blackguard stole my move! Tis I who first knifed a sail on the way down from a mast.
Captain Blood (Errol Flynn), Captain Blood
He was loath to take on the pirate’s life at first, but Blood took to it like a scurvy dog born.
Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), The Sea Hawk
Tis a horrible name for a pirate. Truth be told, he was really a privateer: an important distinction to the likes of us, savvy?
Jack Sparrow, (Johnny Depp), Pirates of the Caribbean
This scoundrel is full to burstin’ with pirate moxie. I’d share a cup of grog with him any day.
Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power), The Black Swan
He’s a bilge rat of the worst kind for giving up the life for a lady (spoiler!), but he was a fine example of a buccaneer in his day.
Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton), Captain Kidd
Any man who kills that many rivals be a true pirate, but I say he should do less talkin’ and more stabbin’.
Long John Silver (Robert Newton), Treasure Island
A pegleg, a parrot, and a pining for buried treasure. I like this man’s style.
Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster), The Crimson Pirate
A pirate AND a rebel? It almost brings a tear to yer eye.
One-Eyed Willie, The Goonies
Tis a bit embarassin’ to be shut up in a cave instead of sailing the seas, but ye gotta admire the man’s skill with a booby trap.
In conclusion, arrrrrrr!!
The Black Pirate (Douglas Fairbanks), The Black Pirate
This bilge water swillin’ blackguard stole my move! Tis I who first knifed a sail on the way down from a mast.
Captain Blood (Errol Flynn), Captain Blood
He was loath to take on the pirate’s life at first, but Blood took to it like a scurvy dog born.
Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn), The Sea Hawk
Tis a horrible name for a pirate. Truth be told, he was really a privateer: an important distinction to the likes of us, savvy?
Jack Sparrow, (Johnny Depp), Pirates of the Caribbean
This scoundrel is full to burstin’ with pirate moxie. I’d share a cup of grog with him any day.
Jamie Waring (Tyrone Power), The Black Swan
He’s a bilge rat of the worst kind for giving up the life for a lady (spoiler!), but he was a fine example of a buccaneer in his day.
Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton), Captain Kidd
Any man who kills that many rivals be a true pirate, but I say he should do less talkin’ and more stabbin’.
Long John Silver (Robert Newton), Treasure Island
A pegleg, a parrot, and a pining for buried treasure. I like this man’s style.
Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster), The Crimson Pirate
A pirate AND a rebel? It almost brings a tear to yer eye.
One-Eyed Willie, The Goonies
Tis a bit embarassin’ to be shut up in a cave instead of sailing the seas, but ye gotta admire the man’s skill with a booby trap.
In conclusion, arrrrrrr!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Patrick Swayze’s Greatest Hits
Like many, I was saddened to hear about the death of Patrick Swayze earlier this week. While I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, he starred in some of my favorite movies, not to mention one of the best SNL sketches ever.
Swayze was a bit of a dichotomy. He was a tough guy who was classically trained in dance. He was a heroic badass to men and a sex symbol to women. By taking on a number of very different and sometimes challenging roles, he showed a range that many actors lack.
It’s strange that someone I’ve never met is a part of my life, but I guess it makes sense — not only was he in a bunch of movies that I really like, but he was in a few that I’ve seen hundreds of times. They are:
Red Dawn
Red Dawn is not just an awesome movie; it’s a primer for fighting against a commie invasion. Many of the same lessons can be helpful for surviving the inevitable zombie uprising. WOLVERINES!
Road House
I knew a few bouncers in college, and every one of them wished they were half as cool as Dalton.
Point Break
I just got back from a trip to Malibu, and seeing all the gnarly (that’s a surfer term) surfing out there inspired me to add Point Break to my Queue. It didn’t inspire me to go surfing, however, because 1) I’m pretty sure I’d be horrible at it and 2) there are sharks out there.
Here are the other movies I consider Patrick Swayze’s greatest hits (in chronological order):
The Outsiders
Uncommon Valor
North and South
Youngblood
Dirty Dancing
Next of Kin
Ghost
City of Joy
Donnie Darko (I think this is his finest acting job)
And here’s his complete filmography.
It was sad that his career had really started to take off again not long before he died. Hopefully the spotlight on his death will lead to increased funding for cancer research. For information on what you can do to help those with cancer or assist in finding a cure, please visit the American Cancer Society.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Favorite College Movies
I didn’t really enjoy high school, but man, I loved college. The freedom, the ability to take classes that actually interested me, the parties, living with my best friends — I was seriously tempted to stay more than four years, but nobody was willing to pay for it. Which I think is pretty selfish.
Now that fall is in the air (that means it’s been less than 100 degrees here for the last few days), students are back in school, and college football has started back up, it seems like the perfect time to share my favorite college movies.
Animal House
This is the one that started it all, and even though it looks fairly dated now, it still holds up as one of the funniest and best of the bunch.
Back to School
Of course any movie with Rodney Dangerfield has tons of quotable lines, but the one I always come back to is this: “Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes.”
Dead Man on Campus
Okay, this movie is not going to be on a lot of lists, but it came out while I was in college, so I have a soft spot for it in my heart.
Good Will Hunting
Hey, a movie that isn’t all about toga parties and keg transportation logistics made the list. How da ya like them apples?
Kicking and Screaming
I couldn’t really decide on an order for this list, so I, you know, didn’t bother ordering it. But if I had, Kicking and Screaming would have been number one with a bullet. And no, it’s not the Will Ferrell movie. It’s a Noah Baumbach film that’s not so much about college life as it is about becoming institutionalized by college life.
This movie sums up exactly how I felt about being forced to enter the real world. If you haven’t seen it, and many people haven’t, I highly recommend it.
National Lampoon’s Van Wilder
See, Van Wilder knew that staying in college as long as possible was the right way to go.
Old School
Of course, if you can’t do that, the next best thing is to go back when you’re in your 30s.
PCU
PCU didn’t get a lot of love when it was released (except from me, because I think it’s hilarious). But then Comedy Central decided to start airing it no less than once a week there for a while. And I watched at least part of it every time I saw that it was on. Bonus: you get to see Jeremy Piven and John Favreau before they made it big.
Real Genius
This is a classic, and I will brook no argument on that. Val Kilmer at his finest (okay, maybe he was better in Tombstone).
Revenge of the Nerds
Since I’m a nerd, I enjoy the premise of this movie. And the characters Booger and Ogre.
Road Trip
I still find Tom Green funny. There, I said it.
The Sure Thing
Wow, that’s two movies in a row that are also in my Road Trip Movies post.
Wonderboys
This is about college, but also about writing, so I especially like it. It’s a great book, too.
Now that fall is in the air (that means it’s been less than 100 degrees here for the last few days), students are back in school, and college football has started back up, it seems like the perfect time to share my favorite college movies.
Animal House
This is the one that started it all, and even though it looks fairly dated now, it still holds up as one of the funniest and best of the bunch.
Back to School
Of course any movie with Rodney Dangerfield has tons of quotable lines, but the one I always come back to is this: “Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes.”
Dead Man on Campus
Okay, this movie is not going to be on a lot of lists, but it came out while I was in college, so I have a soft spot for it in my heart.
Good Will Hunting
Hey, a movie that isn’t all about toga parties and keg transportation logistics made the list. How da ya like them apples?
Kicking and Screaming
I couldn’t really decide on an order for this list, so I, you know, didn’t bother ordering it. But if I had, Kicking and Screaming would have been number one with a bullet. And no, it’s not the Will Ferrell movie. It’s a Noah Baumbach film that’s not so much about college life as it is about becoming institutionalized by college life.
This movie sums up exactly how I felt about being forced to enter the real world. If you haven’t seen it, and many people haven’t, I highly recommend it.
National Lampoon’s Van Wilder
See, Van Wilder knew that staying in college as long as possible was the right way to go.
Old School
Of course, if you can’t do that, the next best thing is to go back when you’re in your 30s.
PCU
PCU didn’t get a lot of love when it was released (except from me, because I think it’s hilarious). But then Comedy Central decided to start airing it no less than once a week there for a while. And I watched at least part of it every time I saw that it was on. Bonus: you get to see Jeremy Piven and John Favreau before they made it big.
Real Genius
This is a classic, and I will brook no argument on that. Val Kilmer at his finest (okay, maybe he was better in Tombstone).
Revenge of the Nerds
Since I’m a nerd, I enjoy the premise of this movie. And the characters Booger and Ogre.
Road Trip
I still find Tom Green funny. There, I said it.
The Sure Thing
Wow, that’s two movies in a row that are also in my Road Trip Movies post.
Wonderboys
This is about college, but also about writing, so I especially like it. It’s a great book, too.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
On Marvel and Disney
The news about Disney buying Marvel rocked the internets last week. Reactions ran the gamut from elation to gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. Since I don’t know from comics, I asked Heather Bryan, a member of our Online Content Team, to give us her thoughts on it.
There are many things to be excited about with last week’s announcement of the Disney-Marvel merger (not least of which is the idea of Pixar getting their hands on Marvel’s extensive cast of heroes and villains). Artists and fans have been creating character mashups and movie mashups.
If you think about it, there are a lot of similarities between the two companies. Take a look at these Marvel properties and their Disney counterparts.
Ghost Rider vs. Ichabod & Mr. Toad
Ghost Rider owes his whole shtick to Ichabod’s tormentor, The Headless Horseman (granted Johnny Blaze rides a steel horse). Even animated Disney can go to the dark side once in a while.
The Punisher vs. Pirates of the Caribbean
Guerilla tactics? Check. Questionable ethics? Check. Anti-heroes we love to love? Absolutely!
Spider-Man vs. Aladdin
“With great power comes…” you know the rest.
The Hulk vs. Beauty and the Beast
Or, as we like to call them, “Monsters with anger issues and the women who love them.”
Fantastic 4 vs. The Incredibles
Slightly dysfunctional superhero families, and Edna Mode would approve of the Storms’ choice of capeless costumes.
X-Men vs. Sky High
Xavier Institute and Sky High, where the super-human learn to be super heroes.
There are many things to be excited about with last week’s announcement of the Disney-Marvel merger (not least of which is the idea of Pixar getting their hands on Marvel’s extensive cast of heroes and villains). Artists and fans have been creating character mashups and movie mashups.
If you think about it, there are a lot of similarities between the two companies. Take a look at these Marvel properties and their Disney counterparts.
Ghost Rider vs. Ichabod & Mr. Toad
Ghost Rider owes his whole shtick to Ichabod’s tormentor, The Headless Horseman (granted Johnny Blaze rides a steel horse). Even animated Disney can go to the dark side once in a while.
The Punisher vs. Pirates of the Caribbean
Guerilla tactics? Check. Questionable ethics? Check. Anti-heroes we love to love? Absolutely!
Spider-Man vs. Aladdin
“With great power comes…” you know the rest.
The Hulk vs. Beauty and the Beast
Or, as we like to call them, “Monsters with anger issues and the women who love them.”
Fantastic 4 vs. The Incredibles
Slightly dysfunctional superhero families, and Edna Mode would approve of the Storms’ choice of capeless costumes.
X-Men vs. Sky High
Xavier Institute and Sky High, where the super-human learn to be super heroes.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Top Ten Football Movies
Why yes, Hank Williams, Jr., I am ready for some football. In fact, I’m more than ready — I’m in desperate need of some football. I’ve been reduced to watching replays of inconsequential college games from last year, and have even been watching preseason NFL.
The good news is that the long drought ends this week. Division 1 (or whatever we’re calling it now) NCAA football starts Thursday, and regular season NFL games start next week. While I’m waiting, I put together a list of my Top 10 Football Movies of All Time.
Note: you will not see Jerry Maguire on this list, not because I don’t like it, but because it’s not a football movie. It’s a romantic comedy that involves football. A little bit. Also, you will not see Rudy on this list. I can’t like a movie about Notre Dame. I just can’t. Although I am pro-hobbit. Anyway, I wanted to forewarn you people, so I don’t catch guff for it.
1) Brian’s Song
Is it getting a little dusty in here? No? Maybe it’s just me.
While this is my favorite football movie of all time, it is arguable as number one. But the recent top 10 list by Spike TV didn’t have it in there at all. Have you no heart, Spike TV?
2) Friday Night Lights
This is a pretty realistic view of high school football in Texas, with good acting and great football scenes. Bonus points because the show is also excellent.
3) We Are Marshall
I thought this was a really good look at one of the worst tragedies of American collegiate sports.
4) North Dallas Forty
I like this movie because all the characters are based on real players from the 70s-era Cowboys. And it’s really easy to figure out who is who. Apparently, those dudes really liked to party.
5) The Longest Yard
And Burt Reynolds makes another list! Now, everyone should note that I mean the original, not the remake. And if I link to the remake up above, as I did with The Bad News Bears in my baseball list, it’s just an accident.
6) Remember The Titans
It’s interesting that all the top movies in my list are based on true stories. Okay, maybe The Longest Yard isn’t based on a true story. But it should be. That’s all I’m saying.
7) Everybody’s All-American
I wish my nickname was the Grey Ghost.
8) Invincible
This is the fantasy of every man who grew up watching football. I am still keeping my eligibility, just in case The University of Texas Longhorns need a slowish receiver who’s approaching 30 to fill out the roster at some point.
9) Any Given Sunday
Sometimes this movie gets a little too Oliver Stone-y (which makes sense), but it does have some extremely awesome football scenes.
10) The Program
This is seen by many as an overblown caricature of college football. To that I say: watch the “starting defense, place at the table” car window smashing scene brought to us by the immortal Lattimer. It’s reason enough to include The Program on this list.
Honorable Mention: All The Right Moves
The good news is that the long drought ends this week. Division 1 (or whatever we’re calling it now) NCAA football starts Thursday, and regular season NFL games start next week. While I’m waiting, I put together a list of my Top 10 Football Movies of All Time.
Note: you will not see Jerry Maguire on this list, not because I don’t like it, but because it’s not a football movie. It’s a romantic comedy that involves football. A little bit. Also, you will not see Rudy on this list. I can’t like a movie about Notre Dame. I just can’t. Although I am pro-hobbit. Anyway, I wanted to forewarn you people, so I don’t catch guff for it.
1) Brian’s Song
Is it getting a little dusty in here? No? Maybe it’s just me.
While this is my favorite football movie of all time, it is arguable as number one. But the recent top 10 list by Spike TV didn’t have it in there at all. Have you no heart, Spike TV?
2) Friday Night Lights
This is a pretty realistic view of high school football in Texas, with good acting and great football scenes. Bonus points because the show is also excellent.
3) We Are Marshall
I thought this was a really good look at one of the worst tragedies of American collegiate sports.
4) North Dallas Forty
I like this movie because all the characters are based on real players from the 70s-era Cowboys. And it’s really easy to figure out who is who. Apparently, those dudes really liked to party.
5) The Longest Yard
And Burt Reynolds makes another list! Now, everyone should note that I mean the original, not the remake. And if I link to the remake up above, as I did with The Bad News Bears in my baseball list, it’s just an accident.
6) Remember The Titans
It’s interesting that all the top movies in my list are based on true stories. Okay, maybe The Longest Yard isn’t based on a true story. But it should be. That’s all I’m saying.
7) Everybody’s All-American
I wish my nickname was the Grey Ghost.
8) Invincible
This is the fantasy of every man who grew up watching football. I am still keeping my eligibility, just in case The University of Texas Longhorns need a slowish receiver who’s approaching 30 to fill out the roster at some point.
9) Any Given Sunday
Sometimes this movie gets a little too Oliver Stone-y (which makes sense), but it does have some extremely awesome football scenes.
10) The Program
This is seen by many as an overblown caricature of college football. To that I say: watch the “starting defense, place at the table” car window smashing scene brought to us by the immortal Lattimer. It’s reason enough to include The Program on this list.
Honorable Mention: All The Right Moves
