Let me start by saying that I don't watch very many movies. The only movie I've seen in the theater in the past 5 years was "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". I know a lot of people hated that movie, but I kind of liked it. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to see how many "critically acclaimed" movies I have seen.
In 1998, the American Film Institute released a list of the top 100 movies of all time. Turns out that I've seen 17 of them. (Number 1 was "Citizen Kane", which I have on VHS but haven't gotten around to watching yet. Maybe someday...) Here are mini reviews of those I have seen:
1. The Wizard of Oz (#6 on AFI's list). A very familiar movie to many people. When I was young, this movie was shown on TV once per year. It was an exciting event. Now, with VCRs and DVDs, we can watch it whenever we want. I feel that this is unfortunate. Younger generations are losing the sense of anticipation that comes with a culture of instant gratification.
2. It's A Wonderful Life (AFI 11). Quite thought-provoking. How have I impacted the lives of those around me?
3. Star Wars (AFI 15). First of all, I refuse to call this movie "Episode IV: A New Hope" It was the first movie of this series to be made, so calling it the 4th is ridiculous. Secondly, I was around in 1977 and NOBODY called it A New Hope. It's just Star Wars. Don't make it so complicated! Regarding the movie itself, I never got into it. Which is funny, since I was 8 when it came out and have always been something of a nerd. I don't know exactly why I never became a huge fan of Star Wars (or Star Trek, for that matter).
4. Psycho (AFI 18). Frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe people were easier to scare in the old days.
5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (AFI 22). I saw a midnight screening of this when I was in college. Halfway through, the projector broke, so they needed some time to fix it. Add in the fact that this is a long movie, and it was practically morning by the time it was over. Needless to say, I don't remember much about it.
6. E.T. (AFI 25). This movie was pretty good. Interestingly, that is about all I would say if I was evaluating Reese's Pieces. (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, however, are awesome.)
7. Jaws (AFI 48). Anyone dumb enough to go out on that boat deserves whatever they get. Why not just stay on land and leave the shark alone?
8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (AFI 49). You know what annoys me? The way Disney puts movies "back in the vault" and only sells the DVDs for a limited time. All of them should be available for purchase all the time! Walt Disney must be turning over in his freezer :-)
9. The Sound of Music (AFI 55). I like a lot of the songs from this movie.
10. Raiders of the Lost Ark (AFI 60). Finally, a good movie! This is the only movie I've ever seen twice in the theater.
11. Tootsie (AFI 62). I was relatively young when I saw this, so I probably missed a lot of the humor. As far as drag movies go, "The Birdcage" reigns supreme.
12. The Silence of the Lambs (AFI 65). My dislike of Jodie Foster biases me against this movie. I didn't like the accent she used in this role.
13. Forrest Gump (AFI 71). My second favorite on this list (after Raiders).
14. Rocky (AFI 78). I liked it better when he fought Mr. T.
15. Platoon (AFI 83). I don't generally like war movies. I did like Saving Private Ryan (which was released too late to be on AFI's list).
16. Fargo (AFI 84). The only thing I really remember about this movie was that they all talked funny.
17. Unforgiven (AFI 98). This movie didn't really do much for me. Perhaps this says more about me than about the film.
So there you go. I look forward to comments berating me for being an uncultured Neanderthal.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tiger's Situation
Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in history. I have tried to learn and play golf several times in my life, so I know how difficult the sport is. I admire Woods's skill, but have never been a fan of his. Last week, he was involved in a one car accident near his home in the middle of the night. Woods has said very little about this incident, which has fueled a lot of wild speculation in the media. There are a few issues that I find interesting:
1. Celebrities' privacy.
Tiger Woods is one of the most famous people in the world. Yet, we know relatively little about him. On sports radio, I have heard many comments that Woods "owes" the public an explanation of Friday morning's events. I strongly disagree with this. The only ones to whom he has such an obligation are his family and law-enforcement personnel. I assume that Tiger and his wife have had any necessary discussions. As to the police, it appears that he eventually did the minimum that was required of him. Woods doesn't owe the rest of us a thing, even if public admiration is a major reason that he has earned so much endorsement money.
2. Where was he going?
The accident occurred at about 2:30 AM on the day after Thanksgiving. Based on the amount of damage to his vehicle, this wasn't a simple bump into a fire hydrant while pulling out of his driveway. He was clearly in a hurry. Some have joked that he was in a hurry to get in line for early morning Black Friday sales. Assuming that Tiger wasn't going to wait with strangers to save 10 dollars on a television, he must have had other motives. There has been speculation that his wife, Elin, was assaulting him and he was trying to leave.
3. Domestic violence
Some tabloids have been reporting that Woods was involved in an affair. If this is true, Elin may have been reacting in a violent manner to this news. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if this is the case, but it seems like it could fit with the details of the situation that have been made public. If this is what happened, it is no laughing matter. There is no circumstance which justifies a physical attack, regardless of the gender of the parties involved. Perhaps a case like this could help shed light on a tragic crime that is sadly underreported.
4. Image
Tiger Woods seems to be very image-conscious. Therefore, it is surprising that half a week has gone by without a concerted effort on his part to control the spin of this story. So far, he has only put a short blurb on his website describing the event as embarrassing and requesting that his family's privacy be respected. His advisers surely realize that this will not end the speculation. Sooner or later, the hard questions will come.
5. Celebrity privilege
It is no secret that wealth and fame bring special treatment. By hitting a fire hydrant, Woods damaged public property and would need to speak to authorities. Even after being released from the hospital, Woods refused to speak to police for a couple of days. Here's a test for all of us regular people - go out and damage public property, then refuse to talk to police when they come to question you. Let me know how that works out. (Woods did comply with the authorities a few days later, and did what was required under state law. This involved receiving a ticket for careless driving, and presumably he will pay for any property damage).
In our age of 24-hour news, it is unlikely that we have heard the end of this story. If nothing else, there will be a lot of questions at the next golf tournament at which Woods appears. Stay tuned...
1. Celebrities' privacy.
Tiger Woods is one of the most famous people in the world. Yet, we know relatively little about him. On sports radio, I have heard many comments that Woods "owes" the public an explanation of Friday morning's events. I strongly disagree with this. The only ones to whom he has such an obligation are his family and law-enforcement personnel. I assume that Tiger and his wife have had any necessary discussions. As to the police, it appears that he eventually did the minimum that was required of him. Woods doesn't owe the rest of us a thing, even if public admiration is a major reason that he has earned so much endorsement money.
2. Where was he going?
The accident occurred at about 2:30 AM on the day after Thanksgiving. Based on the amount of damage to his vehicle, this wasn't a simple bump into a fire hydrant while pulling out of his driveway. He was clearly in a hurry. Some have joked that he was in a hurry to get in line for early morning Black Friday sales. Assuming that Tiger wasn't going to wait with strangers to save 10 dollars on a television, he must have had other motives. There has been speculation that his wife, Elin, was assaulting him and he was trying to leave.
3. Domestic violence
Some tabloids have been reporting that Woods was involved in an affair. If this is true, Elin may have been reacting in a violent manner to this news. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if this is the case, but it seems like it could fit with the details of the situation that have been made public. If this is what happened, it is no laughing matter. There is no circumstance which justifies a physical attack, regardless of the gender of the parties involved. Perhaps a case like this could help shed light on a tragic crime that is sadly underreported.
4. Image
Tiger Woods seems to be very image-conscious. Therefore, it is surprising that half a week has gone by without a concerted effort on his part to control the spin of this story. So far, he has only put a short blurb on his website describing the event as embarrassing and requesting that his family's privacy be respected. His advisers surely realize that this will not end the speculation. Sooner or later, the hard questions will come.
5. Celebrity privilege
It is no secret that wealth and fame bring special treatment. By hitting a fire hydrant, Woods damaged public property and would need to speak to authorities. Even after being released from the hospital, Woods refused to speak to police for a couple of days. Here's a test for all of us regular people - go out and damage public property, then refuse to talk to police when they come to question you. Let me know how that works out. (Woods did comply with the authorities a few days later, and did what was required under state law. This involved receiving a ticket for careless driving, and presumably he will pay for any property damage).
In our age of 24-hour news, it is unlikely that we have heard the end of this story. If nothing else, there will be a lot of questions at the next golf tournament at which Woods appears. Stay tuned...
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