The A2Z Movie W/O...Hollywood needs more movies that start with Q!
Jun 03 '05
The Bottom Line I feel the need...the need for speed!
Yeah yeah yeah, I know everyone is doing Three_Ster's Food W/O right now, but I started this last week, and by golly, I'm gonna finish it! For this w/o, we are supposed to list the first movie that comes to mind, alphabetically from A-Z, and include a brief description. I can do that!
A - Ace Ventura: Jim Carrey stars as Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. Ace is hired by the Miami Dolphins to find out what happened to their mascot Snowflake. I believe this is one of first movies Jim Carrey starred in, and it has him at his lovable, face contortion-ing, goofy self. Somewhat juvenile humor (come on, he "talks" out of his arse, but still funny)!
B - Big: A great movie about a 12 year-old boy (Josh) who's tired of being a kid, and makes a wish one day that he could be big. When Josh wakes up the next morning, he's still 12, but he looks like an adult. Tom Hanks played the adult Josh, and did a great job. After living as an adult for awhile, Josh realizes that maybe being an adult is not so great after all, and wishes to be young again. Funny and touching without being a big bawl-fest.
C - Clerks: A "day in the life" movie about a guy who works as a clerk (duh) at a convenience store. Written and directed by Kevin Smith, this is one of the worst movies I've ever (partially) seen...I didn't even watch the whole thing. About 30 minutes into it, I got fed up with all the f-bombs and turned it off. Typically language doesn't bother me much, but this movie didn't appeal to me at all. I *think* this is the movie that first introduced viewers to Jay and Silent Bob.
D - Death To Smoochy: Stars Robin Williams as Randolph Smiley, a fired kids show host, and Ed Norton as Sheldon Mopes, his replacement (a purple rhino named Smoochy). Randolph gets pretty ticked off when Smoochy starts getting great ratings, and decides that if Smoochy wasn't around, he could get his job back. Dark humor, and I don't remember it being as funny as we expected.
E - Erin Brokovich: A true story about the real Erin Brokovich, played by Julia Roberts. Erin worked as a legal assistant (and dressed like a hooker). One file leads Erin to begin investigating the Pacific Gas & Electric Company - a company that was illegally dumping toxic chemicals which resulted in poisoning quite a few residents in the area. This was a departure from Julia Roberts' typical romantic comedies, and it won her an Oscar.
F - Fight Club: Edward Norton plays a 30-ish man who's bored with his job and frequents support groups for illnesses & issues that he doesn't even have. One day on a plane, he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a soap salesman. Tyler introduces Edward's character to the world of underground boxing - a brutal, no-holds-barred "fight club". Tyler's an interesting guy all right, but is he who Edward thinks he is?
G - Grease: Oh come on, you all know this one! "You're the one that I want. Ooh ooh ooh, honey!" John Travolta stars as Danny Zuko, and Olivia "Let's Get Physical" Newton-John is Sandy Olsson, a couple of love-struck soon-to-be high school seniors who have a rendezvous over the summer only to be parted (they think) at the end of Sandy's vacation. Great music, funny, one of my favorite movies!
H - Happy Gilmore: I think I'm the only female I know who actually likes Adam Sandler. I consider Happy Gilmore to be "typical" Adam Sandler, except this character acts somewhat normal. Happy is a failed hockey player who needs money quick in order to help his grandmother save her house; after he finds out he can hit a golf ball pretty well, he decides to give golfing a shot. Best part of the movie: Happy fighting Bob Barker ("the price is wrong, bitch!").
I - Indian Summer: One of those movies I never would have known about if a high school friend hadn't mentioned it. Not so much a coming-of-age tale (there are some flashbacks) as it as learning how to deal with what life throws at you, Indian Summer is about a group of childhood friends who met at Camp Tamakwa one summer. The friends, now in their 30's, get together at the camp one last time after finding out that the owner, Uncle Lou, is closing it down. They spend the week reminiscing about the silly things they did to each other then, and in some cases learning some surprising things. If you get the chance to see this, don't miss it! Stars Bill Paxton, Diane Lane, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Pollack, Julie Warner, Kimberly Williams, Alan Arkin...
J - Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back: Another silly movie from Kevin Smith. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) are the basis for the comic book "Bluntman and Chronic". Jay & Silent Bob find out that the comic book is being made into a movie (starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon). When Jay & Silent Bob discover that they won't be receiving any profit off the movie, they decide to head to Hollywood to ruin the production. I haven't seen the movie from start to finish, but it's somewhat enjoyable. There are quite a few references to other movies Kevin has done, and Ben Affleck pokes some fun at himself (in reference to Good Will Hunting: "Yeah, I wasn't a big fan either... but Affleck was the bomb in 'Phantoms.'") If you're a fan of Kevin Smith's, you'll probably love it.
K - Kill Bill Vol 1: I haven't seen Kill Bill, it was just the first "K" movie that came to mind! I know it's about a female assassin (Uma Thurman) whose fiancee is murdered (on their wedding day?), and she vows revenge on the guy who did it - that being Bill. Apparently she's not a very good assassin, because there was a Volume 2 to this story. ;)
L - Lion King: A great animated movie from Disney about a lion cub (Simba) born to King Mufasa. Mufasa's brother, Scar, is not happy about Simba's birth because that makes him second in line for the throne. Believing his father's death is his fault, Simba leaves the Pridelands, and later meets two new friends: Timon & Pumbaa. Good characters, great music, funny, although it might be a little violent for young kids. Voiced by: Whoopie Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Cheech Marin, Moira Kelly, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas... I was in New York, at Radio City Music Hall, while they were getting ready for the world premiere. Wish I could have gone to it!
M - My Girl: Ahh, the movie my Mom will never forgive me for because I accidentally gave away the big plot secret. Starred Anna Chlumsky (Vada), Macaulay Culkin (Thomas), Dan Aykroyd (Harry), and Jaime Lee Curtis (Shelly). My Girl is a coming-of-age story about Vada, an 11 year-old girl who is obsessed with death, and her best friend, Thomas J., who is allergic to practically everything. Vada's life seems serene enough, until her Dad hires Shelly to work in the funeral parlor, and falls in love with her. [Spoiler alert. Do NOT read the next sentence if you’re the last person on Earth who hasn’t seen this movie, and still wants to.] In between trying to break up her dad and Shelly, getting her first period, and falling in love with her English teacher, Vada learns that life doesn’t always go the want you want it to when Thomas J. dies from an unfortunate accident. [End Spoiler Alert]. Very touching, great performances from all actors involved.
N - Nightmare Before Christmas, The: N was actually the hardest movie for me to think of! I started thinking of actors (mainly Johnny Depp), which led me to directors (Tim Burton), then to this! The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animation about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. Jack is tired of doing the same thing each year for Halloween, then one day he comes across Christmas Town. He gets excited about the residents of Halloween Town celebrating Christmas instead, but they don't get things quite right. While most adults would probably find something to like about this movie (it's like a musical, comedy, and horror rolled into one), the characters might look a little scary for younger kids. My favorite line comes from the Mayor: "Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!" Definitely one we need to buy on DVD!
O - Office Space: Anyone who's ever been a cubicle-dweller for a large corporation will relate to this movie! Ron Livingston stars as Peter Gibbons, who decides he's sick of his job and starts slacking off, hoping to get fired. Well, Peter's plan backfires, and his new attitude actually gets him promoted to management. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Joanna (Jennifer Aniston) has her own boss-related issues, because she does not have enough "flair" on her uniform (she works at a TGI Friday's type restaurant). After you're done watching this, go show someone your "O-Face". ;)
P - Pest, The: One of the Dumbest. Movies. EVER. A friend of my husband’s said it was hilarious. We should have asked what he was smoking when he watched this, but it’s just….ugh! John Leguizamo stars as Pest Vargas (aka “The Pest”), a Miami hit man on the run from the Scottish mob and a German headhunter. In order to keep avoiding them, he has to keep changing disguises. Sounds stupid, no? It’s about two hours of my life, wasted…we could’ve spent that time practicing our O-faces. Crap.
Q – Quest, Galaxy: Alright fine, this is a stretch. How many Q movies are there anyway?! Galaxy Quest is basically a spoof on Star Trek. “Galaxy Quest” was a popular sci-fi TV show that was canceled. Since the cancellation 18 years before, the actors from the show have spent their time, in costume, at fan conventions and store openings. After this length of time, the actors are miserable and would prefer to not see each other anymore. What they don’t know is that there’s an alien race known as Thermians who took Galaxy Quest as a factual show, and based their whole existence on it. Because of this, the Thermians now need the actors from Galaxy Quest to help them defeat General Sarris and save their planet. A very funny movie, even if you don’t like sci-fi! Starred Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Enrico Colantoni.
R – Rat Race: Rat Race seems to be one of those movies that you either love or hate. I love it! John Cleese is Las Vegas casino owner Donald Sinclair, who has a group of high rollers bored of the typical betting offered in Las Vegas. Sinclair creates a race consisting of six teams, and the jackpot is $2 million stuffed in a locker that’s hundreds of miles away. The teams are chosen by keys placed randomly around slot machines in the casino; win a key (which unlocks the locker holding the $2 million) and you’re in the race. Sinclair then allows his customers to bet on which team they think will find the money first. While racing each other, the contestants find themselves stealing Hitler’s car, retrieving a human heart – designated for transplant –from a dog, and hijacking a bus full of Lucille Ball impersonators (all of whom are men). Also starred Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Najimy, Cuba Gooding Jr., Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Lanei Chapman, and Vince Vieluf as the contestants.
S – Simon Birch: Another great, bittersweet movie that a lot of people probably haven’t seen. Ian Michael Smith is Simon Birch, an 11 year-old boy with stunted growth and the belief that God has plans for him to be a hero. When Simon was born, he wasn’t expected to live, so his parents didn’t get attached to him. Unfortunately, 11 years later, they still don’t care much; however, Rebecca Wenteworth, the mother of Simon’s best friend Joe (Joseph Mazzello), keeps an eye out for him. While Simon is trying to find his destiny, Joe is searching for his father (a secret Joe’s mother has never told anyone). The movie is funny and tragic, without forcing emotions on you (like Pay It Forward). Featured Ashley Judd as Rebecca Wenteworth, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, and Dana Ivey.
T – Top Gun: My favorite movie ever! And not just because it has a lot of good-looking guys playing volleyball, shirtless. But that helps. ;) Tom Cruise stars as Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a fighter pilot who flies with his best friend Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (a very young pre-ER Anthony Edwards). After helping their wingman to safety when he freaks out fighting a pair of MiGs, Maverick and Goose are bumped up to first choice to attend the prestigious Top Gun Naval Flying School – the best of the best! Maverick and Goose together are very funny (especially the “she’s lost that lovin’ feelin’” bar scene – “I hate it when she does that!”), and Meg Ryan gives a funny (and emotional) performance. Also enjoyed Tom Skerritt (Cmdr. Mike “Viper” Metcalf), and Val Kilmer (Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazanski). And did I mention the volleyball scene?
U – Untouchables, The: Another movie I haven’t seen, just the first one that came to mind. I had to look on imdb.com to make sure I knew exactly what this one was about. It stars Robert DeNiro as Al Capone, a crime boss in 1920’s Chicago. Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) is the Federal Agent sent to take him down. This is one of those “must-see” movies, like The Graduate (which I also haven’t seen), isn’t it?
V – Van Wilder, National Lampoon’s: Another entry in the long line of National Lampoon movies, unfortunately not nearly as funny as Christmas Vacation. Ryan Reynolds stars as Van Wilder, a guy who’s been in college for seven years. Van’s been at college seven years because he’s more interested in throwing parties than he is studying. Tara Reid acts as school journalist/love interest Gwen Pearson. I believe this is the movie that had a rather gross sex scene involving a dog, and, well, do you really want to know more?
W – Waterboy, The” Yep, another Adam Sandler movie! This one has Adam Sandler playing Bobby Boucher Jr: a Louisiana dwelling, wrestling watching, mama’s boy who takes everything his mama says as God’s truth. Bobby is a 31 year-old water boy for a college football team, until Coach Klein (Henry Winkler) discovers Bobby’s hidden ability for tackling. Bobby’s mother, Helen (Kathy Bates) is very overprotective, and he has to hide the fact that he’s not only playing football, but also enrolled in college. Fairuza Balk is Bobby’s love interest, Vicki Vallencourt (“And I like Vicki, and she likes me back! And she showed me her boobies and I like them too!”) I was surprised to see Kathy Bates in this; I guess I wouldn’t have expected her to go from Titanic to this!
X – X-Files, The: Does it make me a nerd if the first movie I thought of was X-Files instead of X-Men? While the movie had most of the regular actors from the tv show, it had a story line independent of the show. Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are sent to Dallas, TX to determine what destroyed the Federal Building. One thing leads to another, with Mulder and Scully ending up at a secret facility in Antarctica. Even though it was the big screen, fans hoping for a little Mulder-Scully romance were left hanging (no pun intended).
Y – Young Guns: I can’t believe out of the entries I’ve read, no one thought of this movie. I don’t remember all the details of the movie, but I know that Emilio Estevez (William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid), Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, and Casey Siemaszko were hired by a rancher, who was killed by a rival rancher. The group ended up appointed as Deputies and given arrest warrants for the murderers of their boss/mentor. Instead of arresting anyone though, Billy the Kid simply shot them down. It’s been so long since I’ve seen this, I don’t remember what happens to all the characters at the end…there was a Young Guns II, so they couldn’t have all died!
Z – Zoolander: Finally, the end of the list! Ben Stiller stars as Derek Zoolander, a “really, really, ridiculously good looking” male model who can’t turn left, and his patented look “Blue Steel” isn’t saving him from being knocked off the top rung by newcomer Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson). After Derek is beaten at the VH1 Fashion Awards by Hansel, he’s given the opportunity for a comeback by fashion czar Mugatu (Will Ferrell) in his new “Derelicte” line. What Derek doesn’t know is that Mugatu wants to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia due to his enforcing cheap labor laws, and Mugatu knows that Derek is dumb enough to be easily brainwashed into this. All in all, a very funny parody of the fashion industry and how ridiculous it can be. Funny performances from Stiller, Owen, Christine Taylor (Matilda Jeffries), and Ferrell. One of my favorite lines (Derek’s reaction to “The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good”): “What is this? A center for ants? How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?”
Well there you have it, 26 movies from A to Z. I hope you enjoyed reading the list! Thanks to Romasuave for hosting. Click on this cute little link to read the other entries, or to enter it yourself!
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