BLOCKBUSTER Blog

Movies Based on Books

2009-11-19T14:49:00.006-06:00

This has been a pretty well-kept secret, but New Moon, the second movie based on the Twilight series of books, comes out in theaters this Friday. And that got me thinking about other movies based on books. Here are some I enjoy:

Apocalypse Now
A weird book and an exceedingly weird film. But both were good.

Choke
Not the best movie, but I loved the book so much that I was still entertained.

First Blood
That’s right — there are Rambo books. So cross that off your List of Awesome Things that Need to Happen.

Fight Club
Second Chuck Palahniuk movie on this list, and this was an excellent adaptation. But no matter how many times I talk or write about him, I always have to look up the spelling of his name.

Full Metal Jacket
I’ve never read the book, but I imagine it would be a rough read, much as some parts of the movie are a rough watch.

The Godfather
The movie is so great that it’s hard to read the book without seeing all the scenes from the film.

Goodfellas
Second only to The Godfather in mobster movie awesomeness.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I haven’t even read the Harry Potter series, but the movies have been well done.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
It was hard to imagine how the book would be turned into a movie, especially with the weight of over 25 years of fan expectations hanging over the production. While there were things left out, on the whole I thought it was a good adaptation, although the casting of Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox had a lot to do with it.

The Last of the Mohicans
I liked the movie better than the book. There, I said it. I think it’s the stirring soundtrack.

Lord of the Rings
I love this book, and I can’t imagine a better adaptation than Peter Jackson’s epic.

No Country for Old Men
The Cohen brothers did an absolutely amazing job of adapting the book into a movie.

Once Upon a Time in America
This often gets overlooked when talking about the best mob/gangster movies, but it’s one of the best.

The Princess Bride
Excellent book, excellent movie. So many quotable lines, it’s ridiculous.

Scrooged
I’m going to make some of my English teachers weep by admitting this: I can’t stand reading Charles Dickens. And yet, one of his books led to one of my favorite holiday movies. Between that and the fact he has an awesome coif/beard combo in the pic on his Wikipedia page almost makes me want to try Great Expectations again. Almost.

Stand By Me
Technically this was based on a short story, but that short story was published in a — wait for it — book. So I’ll allow it.

The Hunt for Red October
I’ve never read a Tom Clancy book, just because it’s not really my bag. And yet I love this movie. When it’s on cable (usually 10-20 times a day), I always tune in, at least for a few minutes.

The Natural
The best sports movie ever made, in my opinion.

The Shawshank Redemption
This was loosely based on a Stephen King novella. Why is it that his novels generally aren’t that great as films, but his shorter works have led to two fantastic movies?

To Kill a Mockingbird
I don’t think the movie lives up to the book, but then again that’s pretty hard to do, considering how good the book is.

Trainspotting
Irvine Welsh is one of my favorite authors. I think his novel Glue would make an even better movie than Trainspotting, if possible.

There are obviously many more fantastic movies based on books that I’m overlooking here due to time constraints, etc. In fact, I’ve just thought of three to add, but I’m staying strong! Okay, they’re High Fidelity, American Psycho, and Lawrence of Arabia. But that’s it! And Into the Wild. Ahhh!

Check out our Great Reads, Great Movies list for some more movies from books.

Historical Movies vs. Historical Fact

2009-11-17T16:32:00.004-06:00

Hollywood loves to make historical movies, but often misrepresents things, sometimes willfully so. Like, for instance, why do so many Romans speak with a British accent? It’s a mystery as old as time. Or all those Roman movies from the 50s.

I’ve rounded up five movies based on true stories or periods of history and pointed out some of their flaws. I don’t dislike these movies — in fact, I enjoyed most of them. I just like to drop history knowledge whenever possible. For each movie, I’ve provided documentaries that will help you get the straight historical dope.

Braveheart
This is one of my favorite movies, but it’s completely off on many points, including Wallace’s background, the completely fabricated romance with Princess Isabelle (Wallace was dead before she moved to England to marry the Prince of Wales), wonky timelines, the Battle of Stirling Bridge not being fought on a bridge, the anachronistic kilts and belted plaids, Edward I dying just before Wallace (he died a few years later), and more.

But the most egregious error is the vilification of Robert the Bruce. He was a patriot and eventual King of Scotland who won independence from the British through a long campaign of guerilla warfare. He never betrayed Wallace, and may not have been at Falkirk at all, let alone on the British side.

The real deal: Check out the biographies The Heroes of Scotland: William Wallace - The True Story and The Heroes of Scotland: The Bruce of Bannockburn.

Gladiator
Do you like movies about gladiators? Some of the mistakes in this movie include really bad Latin, errors in the armor and tactics of gladiatorial combat, and the timeline of Commodus’ rule. When Marcus Aurelius died (probably from plague), there was no fight for succession. In fact, Commodus was a consul and had been co-ruling with him a few years before his death. Maximus is not a real person — he’s a mix of accounts from provincial Roman military commanders.

It is worth noting that Commodus’ older sister Lucilla did plot to kill him early in his reign. And while Commodus really was a bit of a psycho who fought in the arena, he reigned for 13 years before he was assassinated.

The real deal: We don’t have a documentary on Commodus, but here’s a little something about gladiators: History's Mysteries: The True Story of Gladiators.

The Patriot
Another big production Mel Gibson movie with historical inaccuracies. I’m sensing a trend. Errors in The Patriot include: exploding cannon balls, the over-the-top evilness of the British soldiers, battle timelines and tactics, and some of the undertones that Americans were slowly turning against slavery at the time of the Revolutionary War (Britain abolished slavery decades before America).

Oh, and Mel Gibson’s character, Ben Martin, was not a real dude. He’s a pastiche of different people from the time. In the original script he was Francis Marion, also known as The Swamp Fox, who actually did exist and fought against the British as a militia general. Marion has been accused of committing some fairly heinous acts, so after rewrites, we get Ben Martin.

The real deal: The American Revolution was televised (on PBS): Liberty!: The American Revolution.

300
This was based on a graphic novel, so some of the extreme flights of fancy can be excused. But since that graphic novel was based on real events, it’s still fair game. Aside from the totally weird stuff like giants, trolls, and magic, this movie gets a lot of things wrong (purposefully) about the cultures of the Spartans and the Persians they fight in the movie.

Spartans are portrayed as the tough but fair icons of freedom defending their homes against the evil Persian Empire, which is based on slavery and generally being jerky to everyone. The truth is Spartan society was built on the backs of slaves, and their extremely hardcore warriors dealt more with slave rebellions than anything else.

I also felt the Persians were made out to be kind of lame. While the Persian army really was held off for days by a small band of Spartans at Thermopylae, the Persians were a crack army that had conquered vast amounts of land. As far as we know, though, the Spartans actually did have tremendous abs. People did a lot of crunches back in the day.

The real deal: For more information on the battle, check out Last Stand of the 300: The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae. For more on Spartan culture, we have The Spartans.

Apocalypto
Why do you hate history, Mel Gibson?!? Problems include attributing some Aztec architecture and rituals to the Mayans, the capture of Mayan citizens for sacrifice (most sacrifices were prisoners of war), Jaguar Paw’s hunting village in the middle of the jungle (Mayans at this time were a agricultural society: the village would have been in a fully cleared area, not the middle of the jungle, and there would have been fields for crops), and Mayans performing mass sacrifices (another attribute of the Aztecs).

The real deal: Learn about the Mayans here: Mystery of the Maya or the Mayans with bonus Aztec knowledge here: Lost Treasures of the Ancient World 1: Mayans and Aztecs.

For more historical movies, check out our History 101 list.

Games for the Holiday Season

2009-11-12T08:40:00.003-06:00

The holidays are coming up, which means I have video games on the brain. While some people are saying the releases for this holiday season don’t compare to the loaded slate from last year, there are a ton of games I’m looking forward to, some of them sequels to my favorite next-gen games. So can it, Debbie Downers.

Here are the titles I’m looking forward to this season. Many of these are already out, but unlike some bloggers, I don’t get sweet free games to play, so I’m a little behind on my gaming.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Playstation 3)
Available Now
I don’t own a PS3, so I only got to play the first Uncharted a little. The awesome critics’ scores on this, though, along with Blu-ray capability, means I’ll inevitably be buying a PS3 soon.

Brütal Legend (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Available Now
I really like the idea of playing as a roadie transported to some crazy, heavy-metal-inspired fantasyland. Even better, the roadie is voiced by Jack Black. Not to mention all the other great voice acting done by Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Lemmy Kilmister Rob Halford, Tim Curry, David Cross, Steve Agee and Brian Posehn.

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Available Now
This is basically just a big expansion for Halo 3, but it apparently has tons of playing time, plus gives you access to the normal Halo 3 multiplayer. Although if you’re a big enough Halo fan to want this, you probably already own Halo 3. Anyway, more Halo is fine by me.

Dragon Age: Origins (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Available Now
I love RPGs, and Bioware makes some great ones. The fact that this game has been called the spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate means the only reason I haven’t picked it up yet is that I’m afraid I’ll wind up jobless, friendless, and on the streets due to all the time I would spend playing it. I would have to carry around my Xbox 360 and a bunch of jerky in a polka-dot handkerchief on the end of a stick (Fun Hobo Fact: that’s called a stick and bindle). It might be a risk I’m willing to take, however.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Available Now
The first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was a fantastic game. It was the first in the series to stray from the WWII setting, and although I’m always down for fighting digital Nazis, it was a welcome change. It also marked the return of Infinity Ward as the developer.

The fact that Infinity Ward is back developing the sequel bodes well, and I hear Modern Warfare 2 is even better than its predecessor. We had midnight release parties all over the country for it, because we love video games and we love to party. You can check out the pics on our Facebook page.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
11/15/09
This makes me want to swing my arms from side to side, take one step and then again. And that means I would of course be doing the Mario. You’re welcome for that blast from the past. I’m excited not only because this is an old-school, side-scrolling Mario game with better graphics, but also because it has simultaneous multiplayer gameplay (for the first time in a Mario game since the original Mario Bros.).

Assassin's Creed II (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Releases 11/17/09
I enjoyed the first game, what with all the sneaking and assassinating, but it certainly had a few problems. I found it got very repetitive; every mission seemed to be the same after a while. Also, a lot of the action felt like it was automatic — you didn’t have to really do much to jump across rooftops or fight eight dudes at once.

The early reviews from the sequel have been great, though, and claim that those issues have been fixed. Can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
Releases 11/17/09
Oh, man, I love killing zombies in video games. Or re-killing them. Or whatever it is you do when you shoot one in the head. These aren’t zombies by the traditional definition, but potato, potato, I say. That saying doesn’t translate well in print.

The Saboteur (Playstation 3, Xbox 360)
Releases 12/8/09
I don’t know a ton about this game, but the demo playthrough I’ve seen looks pretty cool. You get to run around an open-world Paris and foil the Nazis, which seems like a good time.

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
Releases 1/26/2010
Okay, this comes out well past the holidays, but I run this blog, and I’ve let that very small amount of power go to my head. So I’m including it. I think Mass Effect was one of the best games of the last few years. I played it through twice, once with Commander Mookie Shepard, and once with Commander Evil Mookie Shepard. I think it’s very cool that your decisions from the first game will be reflected in the sequel, including whether key characters are alive or dead. I like my sci-fi realistic like that.

Dysfunctional TV Families

2009-11-06T11:05:00.005-06:00

We recently put out a poll on Dysfunctional Family Thanksgivings. Which you should really vote in. Even if you’ve already voted. Voting more than once is the American way (note: voting more than once in a real election is actually illegal, so don’t do that).

Anyway, while there are a lot of delightfully dysfunctional families from movies, there are even more from television. Here are some of my favorites.

The Bunkers from All in the Family
This was a groundbreaking show that really opened up the sitcom genre. Quite a strange mix of characters in this family. Fun Fact That I Didn’t Know Until I Started Researching This Post: All in the Family was based on a British show called Till Death Us Do Part. You’ve just been served with knowledge.

The Simpsons
Maybe it’s because it’s animated, but the alcoholism and negligent parenting seem so much more whimsical on here than in real life.

The Bundys from Married with Children
Al Bundy is a great thinker and patriot. After all, he is the founder of NO MA’AM.

The Connors from Roseanne
Roseanne continued the All in the Family tradition, tackling real social issues with humor and candidness. And they had killer Halloween episodes.

The Griffins from Family Guy
A talking dog who drinks like a fish, a baby plotting the murder of his mother, constant abuse heaped on the daughter by the rest of the family. Yep, I’d say that’s dysfunctional.

The Fawlty family from Fawlty Towers
Wacky Brits! Misanthropy! Farce!

The Bluths from Arrested Development
This is my favorite of all TV families. If you’ve ever seen the show, there’s no need to explain why. If you haven’t, shame on you. SHAME!!

The Tanner family from Full House
Not really dysfunctional, but everyone was just a little too sweet and nice. I’m not buying it.

Magnum, P.I.
Okay, there’s not even a family in Magnum, P.I., but man it’s a good show!

New Moon Celebrations

2009-11-02T16:31:00.003-06:00

Select Blockbuster stores around the country are holding events on Friday, November 13 (ooohhhh, spooooookyyyy) to celebrate the release of New Moon in theaters. We’ll be giving away hundreds of tickets to an advance screening of New Moon at these soirees. That’s right — you can show up your friends by seeing the movie before it even releases!

We’ll also have other prizes to win, exclusive merchandise to buy, and a screening of Twilight. Below are some of the stores holding events. Call your store for exact start time and other valuable information.

Bonus: I'll be tweeting from the Austin event, so make sure you're following us on Twitter.

Atlanta
3944 Peachtree Road NE, Suite B
Atlanta, GA 30319

Austin
2118 Slaughter Lane
Austin, TX 78748

Boston
184 Border St.
East Boston, MA 02128

Chicago
2025 Lincoln Highway
St. Charles, IL 60174

Cleveland
650 East Aurora Rd.
Macedonia, OH 44056

Dallas
5960 W. Parker Road
Plano, TX 75093

Denver
9871 Parker Rd.
Parker, CO 80134

Houston
588 Sawdust Road
Spring, TX 77380

Los Angeles
900 N. Pacific Ave.
Glendale, CA 91203

Minneapolis
1649 W. 78th St.
Eden Prairie, MN 55436

New York
701 W. Montauk Hwy
West Babylon, NY 11704

Philadelphia
1586 N. Kings Highway
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

Phoenix
3141 S McClintock
Tempe, AZ 85282

Portland
14350 SW Barrows Rd, #B
Tigard, OR 97223

Salt Lake City
4095 South Redwood Road
West Valley City, UT 84123

St. Louis
11600 Olive Blvd.
Creve Coeur, MO 63141

San Francisco
1375 Blossom Hill Rd
San Jose, CA 95118

Seattle
1514 Broadway Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122

Tampa
2045A Gulf To Bay Blvd.
Clearwater, FL 33765

Washington, D.C.
11325 Seven Locks Road
Potomac, MD 20854

Play Trivia on Twitter to win a Modern Warfare 2 PS3 Bundle!

2009-10-30T13:45:00.002-05:00

We’re pretty excited about the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I mean, it’s only the sequel to the BESTSELLING FIRST-PERSON ACTION GAME OF ALL TIME.

How excited are we? So excited that we’ve gone crazy, and are giving away a bunch of sweet stuff for the entire week leading up to the game’s release on November 10! The grand prize is a Playstation 3 bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Hardened Collectors Edition. Other prizes include PS3 peripherals, a copy of the PS3 version of the game, and BLOCKBUSTER GiftCards.

Get in on the action by following us on Twitter. We’ll tweet a military history trivia question each business day at 2pm Central from November 2–10. The first person to correctly answer the question will win a fabulous prize!

If you’re a fan of things that are official, you’ll probably enjoy reading the Official Contest Rules below.

OFFICIAL RULES BLOCKBUSTER® Modern Warfare®2 Contest (the “Contest”)
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANGES OF WINNING. Contest begins on November 2, 2009 and ends on November 10, 2009. Contest is sponsored by Blockbuster Inc., 1201 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75270 (the “Sponsor”)

HOW TO ENTER: Each weekday during the Contest, Sponsor will post a military history question at approximately 2 p.m. CST on its Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/blockbuster. The first person to respond back with the correct answer will win the prize for that day. Odds of winning depend on whether you are the first person to respond with the correct answer, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Limit 1 entry per person per day and limit 1 prize per person during the Contest period. Entry requires signing up for a Twitter account through twitter.com. There is currently no charge for a Twitter account. Sponsor has no control over the data practices and data collection of Twitter. This Contest is not endorsed, sponsored by or affiliated with Twitter, Inc.

ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to all legal US residents, 18 and older as of the start of the Contest. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these Official Rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Employees (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) or agents of the Sponsor, its affiliates, franchisees or their advertising and promotional agencies and the Contest judges, are not eligible. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify entrants who fail to follow these Official Rules or who make any misrepresentations relative to the Contest or the redemption of any prize. If a winner is disqualified or determined to be ineligible or if a prize is unclaimed or undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected using the same judging process/criteria describer herein. Alternate winners are subject to all requirements set forth in these Official Rules.

PRIZES: The daily prize for each of the first six days of the Contest period will consist of either a $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard® (value of $50) or a select PlayStation3 peripheral (approximate retail value of $54.99). The daily prize on November 10, 2009 is a PlayStation®3 Modern Warfare®2 bundle which includes one PlayStation®3 120GB System and a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare®2 game, Hardened Collectors Edition (approximate retail value of $359.98). Note: BLOCKBUSTER GiftCards are subject to the terms and conditions printed on the GiftCard and/or its packaging. Prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not transferrable, assignable or redeemable for cash. No prize may be substituted except by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right at any time to substitute a prize or any portion thereof for a prize of equal or greater value. All federal, state and local taxes imposed on the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. Prizes will be shipped to winners.

CONSENT BY WINNERS: Your entry to the Contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entry and your name, city and state, to be published as a winner of the Contest on blockbuster.com and other websites, as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion without any fee or other form of compensation. All winning answers submitted become the property of the Sponsor and no correspondence will be entered into. Sponsor has the right and permission to use, publish, broadcast, reproduce and distribute all winning entries in any manner or media throughout the world in perpetuity, for any purposes whatsoever, including but not limited to, advertising and promotion.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Sponsor is not responsible for any: (i) computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, technical, electronic or hardware/software malfunctions, connections, failures, availability, traffic congestion, unauthorized human intervention or technical, electronic or mechanical computer error of non-transmitted automatic entries; (ii) incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; or (iii) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from your participation in the Contest. If the Contest is incapable of running as originally planned due to computer virus, bug, tampering, technical failure or other cause beyond the control of Sponsor, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate the Contest. Sponsor is entitled to interpret these Official Rules as needed and its decisions are final and binding.

By participating in this Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its employees, officers, affiliates, agents and franchisees from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of action or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this Contest, including without limitation, infringement of intellectual property rights, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by Sponsor, the warranties you make under these Official Rules and any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded. IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST AND/OR USE OF ANY PRIZE. All disputes between you and Sponsor relating to this Contest shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration under the American Arbitration Association’s rules for consumer-related disputes. Neither you nor Sponsor will participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration for any claims relating to this Contest. If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable in a particular case, then the entire agreement to arbitrate disputes relating this Contest shall be null and void in that case. Sponsor reserves the right to change this dispute resolution provision, but any such changes will not affect claims that have already been filed. This contest is offered in the United States only and shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and, where consistent, Texas law.

WINNERS LIST: A winners list will be posted online at blog.blockbuster.com

Halloween Costume Contest Results

2009-10-29T16:17:00.014-05:00

I was extremely impressed by the awesomeness of the costumes submitted by you, America. Turns out you people are pretty crafty. Alas, we could only pick four winners. Here they are:

First Place, and winner of a TiVo DVR for his outstanding Zoltar costume is Flickr user jonathan_gleich

Second Place, and winner of a $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for his impressively detailed Swedish Chef costume is Flickr user waynekaa

Third Place, and winner of a $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for Shrek and Fiona is Flickr user ourosao

Runner-Up, and winner of a $25 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for Where the Wild Things Are is Flickr user four20jm

Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures! Don't forget to check out the whole album. Stay tuned for more contests and other chances to win desirable goods and services.

Family-Friendly Halloween Movies

2009-10-27T14:25:00.001-05:00

We’ve been talking a lot about scary movies and games for Halloween, but I haven’t really talked about stuff you can watch with the whole family. Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly movies for this time of year. I’ve divided them up into things appropriate for younger children, and those you should probably save until they’re a little older.

Appropriate For All
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
I think this is as good as it gets when looking for things to watch with your kids around Halloween. I grew up watching this every year, and still try to catch it whenever I can. In fact, it’s on this very night, at 8pm Eastern Time on ABC.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
I hesitated to put this on my list, only because I didn’t want to get that “What’s This?” song in my head. Since just thinking about the song lodged it in my head, I guess it doesn’t matter.

Ernest Scared Stupid
Yeah, that’s right, I’m a fan of Ernest P Worrell. And while other Ernest aficionados will tell you this is not the best of Jim Varney’s oeuvre, it’s still good watching. Know what I mean?

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
This scared me as a kid, but not so much that I didn’t watch it all the time.

Monsters, Inc.
Fun fact: we used to have a giant (I wanted to say “life-sized”, but that doesn’t make much sense when discussing a cartoon character) statue of Sully in our lobby. It was awesome. Then, one day, it disappeared, to the dismay of all. Especially to the dismay of me, because I wanted to steal him and make him the centerpiece of my cubicle.

Appropriate for Older Kids
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
If you have a child of a certain age, you probably own this movie already. And the other movies. And the costumes. And the toys. And the cookbooks. But it still bears mentioning, because it really is great to watch with the family.

The Monster Squad
I alluded to this in my Top 10 Movie Monsters post. It’s a fun movie, and if your child happens to pick up some valuable lessons to help defend your home against the inevitable zombie uprising, then so much the better.

Ghostbusters
This is not just a good movie to watch with the family — it also happens to be one of my favorite movies, period. I’m extremely excited that Ghostbusters 3 is in the works.

The Witches
This movie has Anjelica Huston as a villain, creatures by Jim Henson, and is based on a Roald Dahl novel. What more could you ask for?

Beetlejuice
I loved this movie when I was younger, and it still holds up now that I’m an adult. It’s a perfect mixture of humor for (older) kids and adults.

Update on Digital Content

2009-10-22T12:17:00.002-05:00

I posted a while back about all the new stuff we’re doing with digital content, and I wanted to update you good people now that some of it has launched.

We’ve been working on so many cool, techy things lately — movie rentals on TiVo DVRs, rentals and purchases on Samsung electronics, sharks with lasers on their heads, and transporter technology so I can beam from place to place like Captain James T Kirk. Since the status of the last two is classified, I’ll stick with TiVo and Samsung.

BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on TiVo
Last week, we rolled out BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on TiVo DVRs. That means you can now rent and watch movies and TV shows from your Series2, Series3, TiVo HD, and TiVo HD XL boxes. Prices range from $2.99 for older movies to $3.99 for new releases.

How do we do it? Well, it involves the internet, as well as some other technical stuff. I believe beams of light are in the mix, somehow. It’s all very complicated.

All content is in standard definition for now, but we’re working on getting HD going. If you already have a TiVo box, you just need to do a software update to get the service.

Here’s more info.

BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on Samsung
BLOCKBUSTER On Demand was also released on Samsung devices last week. It’s available on newer models of Samsung plasma, LCD and LED TVs, as well as select Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems. You can rent or buy movies right from your Samsung device — rentals range from $2.99–$3.99, and purchases start at $7.99.

One really excellent feature is that you can start watching on one Samsung device and continue on another. So if you begin watching a movie on your Samsung Blu-ray player in the living room and only get halfway through, you can finish watching it on the Samsung TV in your bedroom (that’s just an example; I in no way know what kind of TV you have in your bedroom). It’s crazy, mindboggling wizardry, as far as I’m concerned.

More information.

We’ve got even more sweet stuff coming in the near future, including movie downloads on select mobile phones and a much-clamored-for iPhone app that will let you manage your online Queue. Stay tuned for details!

Scary Video Games

2009-10-20T15:03:00.004-05:00

We’ve been talking a lot about scary movies this month for Halloween, but I wanted to shift gears a little and talk about scary video games.

While I don’t really get scared by movies (unless they have creepy kids in them), games can sometimes do a number on me. It’s not the “I’m going to have trouble sleeping tonight” kind of scary so much as it’s the “things keep jumping out at me and freaking me out” kind.

Which makes sense, because you’re much more emotionally invested in the outcome of a video game than a movie. You want your character to survive and progress in the game, so threats to his or her safety are much more frightening that watching an actor run away from some masked, undead goon. Add in the fact that some game developers are really good at creating creepy atmospheres (particularly in games like System Shock 2, Dead Space, Bioshock, and Silent Hill), and it’s no surprise that a 2 a.m. gaming session by yourself in the dark can get a little eerie.

Here are some of the scariest games I’ve played. Some of them are old PC or console games, and some are more recent console offerings. Since we don't have data on PC or older console games, I’ve linked you to IGN for more info on those. Keep in mind many of these games are for mature audiences only (mature by age, not mindset, which means I still get to play them).

The 7th Guest
Alone in the Dark
Bioshock
Clive Barker's Undying
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Dead Rising
Dead Space
Doom 3
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R. 2
Fatal Frame
Fatal Frame 2
Left 4 Dead
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 5
Silent Hill
Silent Hill 2
System Shock 2

If I Made a Hardy Boys Movie

2009-10-16T15:00:00.003-05:00

Where the Wild Things Are comes out in theaters today! To celebrate, I’ve picked another favorite book (actually a series) from my childhood that I’d like to see turned into a movie, and made casting choices like a bigshot Hollywood producer.

Lord of the Rings, my favorite book growing up, has already been handled nearly as well as it could be, so I chose The Hardy Boys series. I’d like to see it turned into a comedy/mystery with the kids from the books now in their late 20s/early 30s.

Why The Hardy Boys? Well, I loved reading the books when I was young. I read all 58 of the original series by the third grade. And I still have all 58 hardbacks on my bookshelf, along with The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. And while there have been a few different Hardy Boys TV shows, there’s never been a movie.

If I were making the movie, here’s who I would cast in the major roles:

Frank Hardy: Jake Gyllenhaal
I think he’d play the straight man to his brother well, and he’s believable as the smarter brother who tends to have the whole case worked out before anyone else. Also, he’s Donnie Darko.

Joe Hardy: Seann William Scott
Perfect as the blonde, more athletic, more impetuous younger brother, and he’s got the comedy chops (particularly in Role Models, which was surprisingly hilarious).

Fenton Hardy: Tom Selleck
That’s right — Magnum, P.I. Who better to play the boys’ father, an ex-cop turned private investigator?

Laura Hardy: Kristin Chenoweth
The boys’ mother is always described as pretty and petite. Check and double check. Plus, Kristin Chenoweth is adorable. She’s not really old enough for this role, but that’s what movie magic is for.

Aunt Gertrude: Sally Field
I think Gidget can handle the cantankerous-yet-loving spinster bit.

Chet Morton: Jonah Hill
He’s portly, great for comic relief, and can handle the “good-natured ribbing” the brothers are always throwing his way.

Iona Morton: Rachel McAdams
I envision the girlfriends of the boys having much bigger roles in the movie than in the books. Why Rachel McAdams for Joe’s girlfriend? Because I love her.

Callie Shaw: Scarlett Johansson
Frank’s girlfriend would be played by Scarlett Johansson because I said so.

Main Villain: Gary Oldman
He’s a fantastic actor and plays a mean villain. I’d also throw in Alan Rickman, since he’s also a great villain.

Other actors who would be cast in this movie: Steve Buscemi, Billy Dee Williams, Kristen Bell, Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman, Danny McBride, Pam Grier, Micheal Cera, Natalie Portman, Dulé Hill, Charlyne Yi

Note: I found out just as I was finishing this post that there is a Hardy Boys update, The Hardy Men, currently being written as a Ben Stiller/Tom Cruise vehicle about the Hardy boys as washed-up, middle-aged men. I’m interested to see if this gets made and what it’s like.

Fashionable Movies

2009-10-15T13:02:00.003-05:00

The popularity of shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway made us think about doing a post on fashionable movies. But the way I dress made me and everyone else think that I was the last person who should be doing a post on fashionable movies. So I asked Heather (who you might remember from such posts as this one) for her assistance again.

Movies and fashion have been wedded since long before the Academy Awards first started handing out statues for costume design in 1948. We look to actors and actresses — and sometimes even the movies themselves — to inspire style and set trends. The following are some of my favorite movies for fashion.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Funny Face
In Funny Face, the fashion industry is the backdrop for the love story between Audrey Hepburn’s bookish beauty and Fred Astaire’s fashion photographer. Holly Golightly, Hepburn’s character from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, is the flip side of Funny Face’s Jo. Flighty and street smart, Holly had effortless style. Both films’ costumes were designed by Edith Head with Givenchy pieces. What to watch for: The original LBD (little black dress), oversize accessories, beatnik aesthetic (the original hipsters), exquisite couture dresses.

Marie Antoinette
The frothy fashions by Milena Canonero looked every bit as delicate as the confections made by Ladurée for the film. What to watch for: Two words — the shoes. To be more specific, Rococo-inspired Manolo Blahniks.

Down With Love
If Marie Antoinette is handcrafted Parisian macaroons and petit fours, Down With Love is a big bag of colorful saltwater taffy. Daniel Orlandi has perfectly captured a fantasy version of 1960s New York, more Mod than Mad Men. What to watch for: Candy-colored shift and mini dresses, mid-century modern accessories and furniture.

The Aviator
Costume designer Sandy Powell won an Oscar for what was basically a love note to early Hollywood glamour written on art deco stationary. The actresses portraying their predecessors Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner and Katherine Hepburn looked like they stepped out of an Erte illustration. What to watch for: Hepburn’s sophisticated pantsuits, Harlow’s slip dress, and Howard Hughes’ Fair Isle sweater vest.

Moulin Rouge
Another Oscar winner, this time in 2001 for Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie, Moulin Rouge is a jeweled diorama of 19th Century Montmatre. As its centerpieces are Satine’s corsets and stage costumes. What to watch for: Layers upon layers of ruffled petticoats, French lace lingerie, and detailed corsets.

For more on movie couture, check out our Fashion Week List.

Creepy Little Kids

2009-10-13T14:09:00.004-05:00

Obviously, all our scary movies are very popular this month. Flicks featuring ghosts, ghouls, slashers and assorted monsters are flying off the shelves. But those aren’t the movies that scare me. I’m not going to be kept up at night worrying about being haunted by spirits or attacked by a mask-wearing psycho.

No, the only two things that really scare me in movies are clowns (also in real life, because clowns are just plain terrifying) and creepy little kids. Since there are a lot more movies with creepy children, let’s talk about those.

I love children, so there’s no reason kids should scare me in movies. But you put a little girl in an old timey dress and have her talk in a distant voice in a horror movie, and you’ve freaked me out. It doesn’t make much sense, but there it is.

Here are some of the creepy little kid movies I’m talking about:

The Ring
Offending Creepy Kid: Samara Morgan

The Others
Offending Creepy Kid: Anne

Poltergeist
Offending Creepy Kid: Carol Anne Freeling

The Shining
Offending Creepy Kid: Ghost twins (twins are also kind of creepy in general, even the non-ghost kind)

The Sixth Sense
Offending Creepy Kid: Cole Sear

The Exorcist
Offending Creepy Kid: Regan MacNeil

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Offending Creepy Kid: Girls singing the Freddy song

The Grudge
Offending Creepy Kid: That evil boy spirit thing

The Omen
Offending Creepy Kid: Damien

Children of the Corn
Offending Creepy Kid: All of them

Village of the Damned
Offending Creepy Kid: Demon children

The Good Son
Offending Creepy Kid: Henry Evans

Full House
Offending Creepy Kid: The Olsen twins

So what scares you? Tell us by taking our Halloween Poll.

Top Ten Movie Monsters

2009-10-06T14:29:00.005-05:00

Since it’s October, and Zombieland just released in theaters (haven’t seen it yet, but really want to), I decided to go through my top ten movie monsters. I’ve also included some favorite movies for each monster. I’m counting down this time, because that always adds to the suspense.

10) Gill-Man
This guy doesn’t really scare me all that much, but I’m including him because of his appearance in The Monster Squad, which is a fantastic movie.

Favorite examples: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the
Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us

9) Giant Ape
If people would quit bringing enormous, powerful apes back from the darkest jungles, giant ape shenanigans would pretty much dry up altogether. Think about that the next time you want to bring back a massive gorilla on your next trip abroad.

Favorite examples: King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Konga, The Son of Kong

8) Oversized, Often Radioactive Things
The fear of atomic doom in the 40s and 50s led to some great giant-things-running-amok movies, including the Japanese kaiju films.

Favorite examples: Godzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Mothra, Them!, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

7) Various Sea Beasts
The ocean is already pretty scary on account of its vastness and tempestuousness. Then there are the sometimes-vicious sea beasts we know about, like sharks and giant squids. And dolphins. I know everyone loves them because they are cute and friendly, but they are too cunning — I smell a trap. Then, of course, there are all the creatures we don’t know about yet, like Abyss aliens. That’s why I pass on swimming in the ocean.

Favorite examples: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Abyss (bonus: they’re also aliens), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Jaws, Behemoth, The Sea Monster (also an Oversized, Radioactive Thing), It Came from Beneath the Sea

6) Aliens
I’m thinking more about alien invasion movies on this one, rather than movies set in space. But I’m including Alien and Aliens because they are awesome movies and the aliens are fierce (although I tend to be more of a Predator man, myself).

Favorite examples: Alien, Aliens, Predator, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Kronos, Signs, V, Fire in the Sky, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The War of the Worlds, Starship Troopers, Independence Day

5) Frankenstein-type Monster
Sure, they’re reanimated corpses that possess preternatural strength, but I find them to be the least cool of the “major” movie monsters. I think I could take one.

Favorite examples: Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Frankenstein Unbound, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

4) Mummy
For centuries, philosophers and other great thinkers have pondered and debated this question: why are mummies not as cool as zombies? They’re similar, after all. I’m no Kant, but I think it’s because there’s no danger of mummification spreading like there is with zombification. It’s usually just the one mummy you’ve got to deal with.

Favorite examples: The Mummy (1932), The Mummy (1999), The Mummy (1959), Bubba Ho-Tep, The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy Returns, Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy

3) Werewolf
I didn’t realize how many great werewolf movies there were until I started working on this post. I mean, Teen Wolf alone puts werewolves in the top 5.

Favorite examples: An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf, Silver Bullet, The Howling, Ginger Snaps, Wolf, The Wolf Man, The Curse of the Werewolf, Dog Soldiers

2) Vampire
Like many people, I’m getting a little tired of the current vampire craze sweeping the nation. Especially in light of the fact that those things in Twilight are totally not vampires. But vampires are undeniably cool — they live forever, they can sometimes fly, they have superhuman strength and speed, they’re popular with the ladies, and they often have sweet accents.

Favorite examples: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Salem’s Lot, From Dusk Till Dawn, Blade, The Lost Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Underworld, Fright Night, Dracula, Nosferatu

1) Zombie
Zombies, to me, are the ultimate movie monster. Some of it has to do with how awesomely, gratuitously gory zombie movies can be. But I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that while the idea of fighting against a world-ravaging plague of flesh-eating zombies can be a little scary, it’s pretty cool at the same time.

I’m not saying that I wouldn’t be a little sad about the destruction of life as we know it; I’m just saying that when the inevitable zombie apocalypse comes, you could do worse than having me on your team. If video games are any indication (and we all know they are), I’m a zombie-killing machine.

Favorite examples: Night of the Living Dead, The Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Zombie, Re-Animator, Planet Terror, Lifeforce (also features space vampires!), Dead Snow, Dead Alive, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, I Was a Zombie for the FBI

Enter Our Halloween Costume Contest, Win Fabulous Prizes!

2009-10-01T09:21:00.007-05:00

We want to see you dressed up as your favorite character from a movie, television show, or video game, or as your favorite actor or actress. In fact, we may even give you a prize if you have an especially awesome costume. To get in on all the fun/prize-winning, just join our Halloween Costume Contest group on Flickr and submit a picture of you in costume.

We’ll pick our four favorite submissions and dole out some sweet prizes. You could win:
Grand Prize: TiVo Series2 DT DVR
Second Place Prize: $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard
Third Place Prize: $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard
Runner-Up Prize: $25 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard

Pictures must be submitted by October 28 to be eligible to win. We’ll announce the contest winners right here on the blog on Friday, October 30. Winners will also be notified via Flickr Mail.

If you’re a detail-oriented type, you may enjoy reading the OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES below.

Official Contest Rules:
OFFICIAL RULES BLOCKBUSTER COSTUME PHOTO CONTEST (the “Contest”) NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest runs from 10/1/2009, 10:01A.M. CT through 10/28/2009, 11:59 p.m. CT (“Entry Period”). All entries received after the Entry Period will not be considered. This Contest is sponsored by Blockbuster Inc. (“Sponsor”).

Entering: To enter, submit a photo of you dressed up as a movie, television show or video game character or actor/actress to the BLOCKBUSTER Costume Contest Site on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/blockbustercostumecontest/ (the “Site”). Submission on the Site requires registration at flickr.com, which is free with a free Yahoo account. Sponsor is not responsible for your use of the Flickr site and/or your ability to register on flickr.com and/or yahoo.com. Duplicate entries of the same submission will not be considered.

By entering, you warrant that your materials are original and your own work, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that you have obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph. You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Further, you warrant your materials (i) are not sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory, (ii) do not promote drugs, alcohol, or firearms, (iii) do not contain trademarks, logos or copyrighted materials owned by others, and (iv) do not depict the likeness of anyone or any personal property without their permission. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true or finds an entry to be inappropriate, in its sole discretion. Sponsor is under no obligation to post any entry. Decisions of Sponsor are final and binding.

Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs they enter except for the following and as set forth otherwise herein: Your entry to the Contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs and your name, city, and state, without any fee or other form of compensation, to be published as a winner of the Contest on blockbuster.com and other websites, as determined in Blockbuster’s sole discretion, and Blockbuster may make and retain copies of each winner’s photograph for archival purposes.

Consent by Winners: Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, all winning entries submitted to the Sponsor become the property of the Sponsor, and no correspondence will be entered into. Sponsor has the right and permission to use, publish, broadcast, reproduce, and distribute all winning photographs in any manner or media throughout the world in perpetuity, for any purposes whatsoever, including but not limited to, advertising and promotion.

Judging: Entries will be judged by Sponsor’s employees (“Contest Judges”) on the basis of costume creativity. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.

Final Decision: On October 29, 2009 at approximately 10:00 AM Central Time, the Contest Judges will judge all eligible photos received during the Entry Period. Decisions of the Contest Judges are final and binding.

Eligibility: The contest is open to all legal US residents, 18 and older as of the start of the Contest. Void in Puerto Rico where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Persons who are employees (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) or agents of the Sponsor, its franchisees or their advertising and promotional agencies and the Contest Judges, are not eligible. The promotion is offered in the United States only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to Texas law.

Prizes: There will be one (1) Grand Prize consisting of one (1) TiVo Series2 DT DVR (approximate retail value of $149.99), one (1) Second Place Prize of consisting of a $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard® (each a "GiftCard" and collectively, the “GiftCards”), one (1) Third Place Prize consisting of a $50 GiftCard, and one (1) Runner Up Prize consisting of a $25 GiftCard. GiftCards may be applied to the cost of any eligible merchandise sold or rented at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores and online at blockbuster.com and cannot be used to purchase GiftCards or any third party gift card. Membership rules and certain restrictions apply for renting at BLOCKBUSTER. For complete terms and conditions, or to locate the store nearest you, visit blockbuster.com.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not transferable, assignable, or redeemable for cash. No prize may be substituted, except by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right at any time to substitute a prize or any portion thereof for a prize of equal or greater value.

Winners will be announced via blog.blockbuster.com on October 30, 2009, and winners will be emailed through their Flickr accounts. Prizes will be shipped to winners. If a winner is disqualified or determined to be ineligible, or if a prize is unclaimed or undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected using the same judging process/criteria described above. Alternate winners are subject to all requirements set forth in these Official Rules.

Entries must be made on the Site by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. The Sponsor reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant’s identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.

Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is NOT responsible for: printing or typographical errors in any related materials; stolen or fraudulent entries or mail; or transactions that are processed or lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. Each winner is solely responsible for payment of all federal, state, and local taxes on prize. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify Contest if fraud or technical failure compromises the integrity of the Contest as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Sponsor not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or fraud, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission whether caused by Sponsor, entrant, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the process of submissions which may limit a participants ability to participate in this Contest. Sponsor is entitled to interpret these Official Rules as needed and its decisions are final and binding.
By participating in this Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its employees, officers, affiliates, agents and franchisees from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of action, or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this Contest, including without limitation, infringement of intellectual property rights, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by Sponsor, the warranties you make under these Official Rules, and any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded. IN NO EVENT WILL THE SPONSOR BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST AND/OR USE OF THE SITE.

Winners List: A Winners Name list will be posted online at blog.blockbuster.com.

Sponsor: Blockbuster Inc., 1201 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75270.

Movies Based on Banned Books

2009-09-30T08:28:00.003-05:00

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

Classic Tales Retold

2009-09-23T14:42:00.003-05:00

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)

Favorite Movie Pirates

2009-09-18T14:50:00.002-05:00

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!!

Patrick Swayze’s Greatest Hits

2009-09-16T14:09:00.004-05:00

Image courtesy of Busted Tees.

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.

Favorite College Movies

2009-09-11T06:15:00.001-05:00

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.

On Marvel and Disney

2009-09-09T14:19:00.002-05:00

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.

Top Ten Football Movies

2009-09-02T10:19:00.004-05:00

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

War Movies

2009-08-27T14:43:00.002-05:00

I haven’t gotten around to catching Inglourious Basterds (remember: one of the big buzz movies of Cannes this year) yet, but it’s definitely on my must-see list.

All the press around the movie’s release got me thinking about some of my favorite war movies. Inglourious Basterds looks to be kind of a campy take (that’s not a knock; I’m a big fan of campiness) on War World II, but I think realistic war movies are very important. While I don’t imagine any film can capture the horror and intensity of real combat, some (like Saving Private Ryan) supposedly come pretty close.

So I submit to you a list of my favorite “realistic” war movies (in no particular order; just however they popped into my head):

Saving Private Ryan
Tora! Tora! Tora!
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Full Metal Jacket
Platoon
All Quiet on the Western Front
Patton
Apocalypse Now
The Dirty Dozen
From Here to Eternity
Black Hawk Down
Band of Brothers
Flags of Our Fathers
Memphis Belle
Das Boot
Generation Kill
The Hurt Locker
Sands of Iwo Jima
Catch-22
MASH

Shows I’m Looking Forward to this Fall

2009-08-25T15:28:00.001-05:00

The new TV season is upon us, and I’m getting pretty excited for the return of some of my favorite shows. While reruns, TV on DVD, and summer season shows like Burn Notice gave me a decent amount to watch the last few months, it’s just not the same as fall TV. Yes, I realize I have no life.

I thought I’d let you know a few of the shows I’m most looking forward to returning, as well as a few cancelled shows I’ll miss.

Looking forward to:
30 Rock
I watched some of the older episodes on DVD to get me through the summer, but I need some fresh Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy.

Castle
I missed this during the regular season, but I’ve been catching up via reruns. Very implausible, but definitely entertaining.

Dexter
No big cliffhanger to follow up on this season, but the promos lead me to believe it’s going to be a good one.

How I Met Your Mother
There are still a lot of people who have yet to give this show a try. Do it for NPH, my friends. He would watch your show.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: this is the funniest show in all the land.

Mad Men
This has already started. Okay, I’m still not caught up on the last two seasons, but I’m working on it. And as soon as I am, I’ll have all the new episodes waiting for me on my DVR. The geniuses who invented TV show seasons on DVD and the DVR should win Nobel prizes.

Psych
This has already started as well, and so far it’s shaping up to be a great season.

The Office
OMG! What will happen with Jim and Pam?!? OMG! I love Jim and Pam! OMG!!!! (This has been brought to you by my girlfriend.)

Top Chef
We’re already one episode in, and this might be the best group of chefs they’ve had yet.

Gone but not forgotten (I can’t talk about these — the pain is too fresh):
Life
Pushing Daisies
The Unusuals

Renting vs. Buying

2009-08-20T09:50:00.002-05:00

We sometimes have discussions around the office about people who rent movies versus people who buy movies (I know: we sound like major party animals over here).

Before I started working here, I had always assumed that most people rent the majority of the movies they see, and buy the ones they want to watch over and over. That’s how I roll, and I hold myself up as the standard for movie consumption normalcy. A sampling of my DVD shelf: The Godfather, Almost Famous, Casablanca, Super Troopers, Better Off Dead, Band of Brothers.

But it turns out there are people who rarely rent movies. A former coworker would actually go to the store every Tuesday and buy a couple of new releases. If there wasn’t a new release he wanted, he would buy an older title. He just had to feed the monkey. So he owned thousands of movies. And most likely a house the size of the Taj Mahal.

So there’s people like me who balance renting and buying but lean towards renting, then people who almost exclusively buy movies. And I’m assuming there are some people who only rent and some who mainly buy but rent occasionally. It’s all very confusing. And I guess there are those who don’t like movies (aka weirdos), and neither rent nor buy them.

So my question for you is: what kind of movie consumer are you? Let me know via Twitter.