Top Five Movie Franchises to Marathon

A few weeks ago my wife decided it was time for spring cleaning, so needless to say my Saturday was spent cleaning and bagging up trash that had accumulated around the house over the past few weeks.  As many of you know spring cleaning doesn’t just take a couple hours so unexpectedly my entire Saturday was shot.  The following day it rained all day so there was no chance that we could do anything outside.  Resigned to a day trapped inside I decided to spend the day working on my book and watching movies.  It got me thinking about movie marathons and the best series/trilogies for binge watching.  So without further ado here are my top five movie marathon franchises.

1. Star Wars – The scifi epics that redefined a genre and created a worldwide cultural phenomenon.  It is such a worldwide phenomenon that hundreds of thousands of people around the world have claimed Jedi or Jedi Knight as their religion on census questionnaires.  Now I know there are a lot of people out there who are divided when it comes to the Star Wars series, Purists say that the only real Star Wars is the original trilogy and that the prequel trilogy was nothing but an ill-conceived parody.  Other fans, typically younger ones, are either fine with including the prequel trilogy to their marathon or prefer it to the original trilogy.  I personally side with the Purists but as any good writer I must try to be as unbiased as possible.  That being said I have decided to post running times for both Purists and for the other camp, Separatists we shall call them in homage to their precious prequels.  The originally trilogy has a total running time of 376 minutes (6.26 hours) which still leaves you a sizable chunk of the day to do something outside or if you are trapped indoors you can even watch another great series of movies (some suggestions listed below).  Adding the prequel trilogy to the mix brings the running time up to a stout 791 minutes (13.18 hours).  With the release of the seventh Star Wars film titled The Force Awakens it is the perfect time to prepare for the epicness that is sure to ensue from a Disney financed Star Wars film.

Suggested Snack: Fish Tacos

Suggested Beverage: Classic Margarita on the rocks

2. Lord of the Rings – Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the fantasy epic from which an entire genre was born is a truly epic undertaking and easily deserving of the number two slot.  Anyone undertaking a marathon of this magnitude better carve out a sizable block of time in their schedule.  The Theatrical cut of the series runs in at an impressive 558 minutes or 9.3 hours, while the Extended Edition (which I recommend) hits a massive 681 minutes, which translates to 11.35 hours.  Factoring in snack breaks and bathroom breaks this series is easily an all-day affair.  It is best to prepare in advance as there is no magical lembas bread to sustain you once you’ve started.  There are some slow parts in the series but there is plenty of action to keep you going for the duration. (With the release of the third Hobbit film you could also watch those as part of this series but it would add an additional 542 minutes (9.03 hours) for the extended editions.)

Suggested Snack: Blackened Prime Rib Strips

Suggested Beverage: Eye Patch IPA

3. The Evil Dead – This one’s for all of you horror fans out there.  Sam Raimi’s classic horror comedy series centering Ash and his encounters with the eponymous Evil Dead makes for a great movie marathon for even the most casual marathoner.  With a combined run time of only 257 minutes (4.28 hours) you could easily watch all three and still have plenty of day left to do something outside or watch more movies.  Anyone wishing to prolong their Evil Dead exposure can include the remake/reboot for an additional 92 minutes.  I like to do this marathon as part of my “31 Days of Horror” in October.  While some of the effects are a bit dated and the movies can seem a bit campy it is these traits that make this movie a permanent horror classic.

Suggested Snack: Pulled Pork Sliders

Suggested Beverage: Strawberry Milkshake (with or without alcohol)

4. Alien/s – A classic for horror and scifi fans alike.  Let’s establish right now that there are some low points in this franchise.  With that said I want to point out that I am not including either one of the abysmal Alien Versus Predator Movies.  When I was a small child there wasn’t anything that scared me more than the Xenomorph, yet I still couldn’t stop watching these movies.  Alien is a great horror movie while Aliens is the quintessential Space Marine action film, Alien 3 returns to the series horror roots while Alien Resurrection is more akin to Aliens.  The Quadrilogy weighs in at an impressive 508 minutes (8.46 hours) which is pretty stout but also leaves you enough time to do other things with your day.  As with Lord of the Rings there are some slow spots but there is enough action and suspense to keep you interested for the entire series.

Suggested Snack: Buffalo Wings

Suggested Beverage: Lemonade (add lemon pucker vodka for an extra kick)

5. Harry Potter – Fantasy fun that is entertaining and safe for the whole family.  There are admittedly some sad parts in the latter portion of the series and there may be some scenes that some children might find scary but for the most part this is a very family friendly series of films.  A marathon of this magnitude is a true endurance trial, this is like the soccer of movie marathons.  Weighing in at an impressive 1179 minutes (19.65 hours!) watching all of these movies would take your entire day, better get comfortable and have plenty of snacks and beverages to get you through the day.  It is important to remember to get up and stretch every once in a while and to take plenty of bathroom breaks.

Suggested Snacks: Popcorn and Theatre Candy snack mix.

Suggested Beverage: Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer (excellent with a little Sailor Jerry)

Honorable Mentions: Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Predator, Terminator, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Top Five Movies for a Sunday Afternoon

I work at a software company that makes tax software.  As you can imagine sometimes work can get a bit boring because, let’s face it, for most people taxes are not the most interesting subject (except for maybe accountants).  This morning, while discussing the new Cinderella movie and Maleficent, we got on the subject of movies that we could watch over and over again.  One of my colleagues brought up the subject of what our top five Sunday afternoon movies are.  I rattled off a quick five that seemed pretty accurate at the time then I really got to thinking about and while some of them would stay on the list I now realize others would be pushed out by other more beloved films.  So without further ado here is my top five Sunday Afternoon Movies.

1.      Blade Runner – The Scifi Noir that instilled in me a love for science fiction and film noir at a very young age.  Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard a police officer known as a Blade Runner specializing in the tracking and destruction of human androids called Replicants.  Brought out of retirement when four Nexus 6 androids, a new generation said to be “More Human than Human”, go rogue and come to earth illegally.  The story has a lot of different themes but most importantly it questions what it means to be human and asks if it is possible for a machine to be more human than the humans that created it.  The dark tone and melancholy soundtrack make this the perfect movie for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

2.      Conan the Barbarian – Nothing like some good old fashioned epic fantasy and Conan delivers it in droves.  We are treated to an exploration of the origins of the eponymous Barbarian and his early life and training.  Conan and his companions draw the ire of the evil sorcerer and cult leader Thulsa Doom (played perfectly by James Earl Jones) when they steal from one of his many temples and are tasked by an old and grizzled king (Max Von Sydow) to steal back the Princess and rescue her from Thulsa Doom’s dark spell.  Featuring epic sword fights and an even more epic soundtrack this is the perfect popcorn movie, perfect for a lazy Sunday.

3.      The Dark Crystal – At long last one that is a bit more suitable for the entire family.  Jim Hensons magical fantasy about a young Gelfling destined to heal the eponymous Dark Crystal and bring balance back to the planet Thra.  Slightly darker than Jim Henson’s previous work and featuring a some creepy creatures I still consider this one safe for most young children.  The movie is filled with fantastic creatures and locations.  The movie itself invokes many different emotions, while at times it is happy there are times when it is very sad and sometimes even terrifying.  This one will always be an epic fantasy adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

4.      Labyrinth – Another family oriented movie.  Also by Jim Henson this movie tells the story of Sarah, a teenage girl on the verge of adulthood with a penchant for fantasy.  Left to babysit her infant stepbrother Toby she angrily and unknowingly summons the goblin king to come and take him away she finds herself drawn into a fantasy world were nothing is what it seems.  Racing against the clock in a world where even time can’t be trusted Sara must navigate through the titular Labyrinth to rescue her brother before he is turned into a goblin forever.  Along the way she enlists the help of a handful of strange characters including a dwarf, a yeti and a dog goblin named Sir Didymus.  With a great soundtrack provided by the great David Bowie, who also stars as the Goblin King, this movie is a fun fantasy romp that everyone will enjoy.

5.      The Last Starfighter – This movie has been one of my favorites since I was a kid.  It tells the story of a young man named Alex who wants nothing more than to leave the trailer park where he lives and see the rest of the world.  Due to financial hardships and familial obligations he feels trapped.  His only outlet is an arcade game called Starfighter.  One night Alex, in the zone, beats the game and is heralded a hero by the residents of the trailer park.  Soon Alex is visited by a strange man named Centauri, Centauri promises him a life of adventure and Alex reticently gets in to his car.  Soon Alex is shown that the world he thought was only a videogame is real and that he has been selected to join the ranks of the legendary Starfighter League.  Feeling overwhelmed he asks Centauri to take him home.  He is attacked by an alien assassin at home and Centauri helps him to realize that if he doesn’t do something to stop the evil Kodan Armada earth will soon be drawn into the conflict.  Upon returning to the Star League he discovers that the rest of the Starfighters have been destroyed.  It is up to Alex and his navigator Grig to pilot the last ship and defeat the encroaching enemy.  This is a great scifi film and though a bit dated is an adventure that will always remain a classic.

The Way Way Back

I recently had the pleasure of viewing what in my opinion is one of the finest films of 2013.  The Way Way Back tells the story of a lonely teen named Duncan (Liam James) who is forced to accompany his mother Pam (Toni Collete), her boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and his daughter Steph (Zoe Levin) on a trip to Trent's beach house.  It is established early on that Duncan and Trent have an antagonistic relationship and Trent constantly belittles and insults Duncan throughout the film.  Steve Carell does a fantastic job breaking the mold with this role and it was very hard to even picture him as the bumbling but kindhearted characters that he has become famous for playing.  On his first day at the beach house Duncan meets Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), the daughter of Trent's overbearing neighbor Betty (Allison Janney), their first interaction is a little awkward and mildly uncomfortable.  Duncan soon finds a discarded pink bike with tassels on the handlebars that he uses to escape from his mother, who takes to drinking frequently and smoking pot with Trent and his friends Kip (Rob Corddry) and Joan (Amanda Peet), and the abusive Trent and Steph.  On his bike ride he runs into the staff of a local water park, Water Wizz, at a local pizza place where he has an entertaining interaction about Pac-Man with the parks manager Owen(Sam Rockwell).  The next day Owen takes Duncan around the park and introduces him to the other staff members then offers him a job doing odd jobs around the park.  As the summer goes on Duncan becomes more confident because of his interactions with Owen and the other members of the Water Wizz staff and also grows closer to Susanna who he takes on a tour of the park when she follows him on her bike.  Conflicts soon arise because of Trent and Duncan is forced to leave early but it is implied that things will begin looking up for Duncan and his relationship with his mother begins to heal symbolized by her climbing through Trent's station wagon to sit with Duncan in the way way back of the title.  Overall the movie was done really well.  Casting was great and the overall feeling of the movie was very positive.  There were a few scenes where the awkwardness made me slightly uncomfortable but all in all it was a great flick with some amazing performances.  It was snubbed at the Oscars which was a criminal oversight in my opinion but it has cemented itself as one of my must have movies.  If you are looking for a good artistic film that is also incredibly entertaining do yourself a favor, go out and rent The Way Way Back.

I'm Back!!!!

Hey everyone, I am back, after a very long hiatus I have returned.  I am hoping to have at least one post a week from now on, with my back log of watched movies it shouldn't be difficult to come up with material.

I'm back!

Hello readers!  After a long absence I am back to working on my blog.  Instead of boring you with crummy details about my dry boring life as a cubicle jockey I will get right into it.  Over the weekend I had the pleasure to enjoy a double feature of World War Z and Man of Steel at our local drive in, nothing like a two for one!  The double feature kicked off with the newest take on the Zombie Genre, World War Z.  WWZ stars Brad Pitt as former UN Investigator Gerry Lane who must come out of retirement to ensure his families safety after the world is ravaged by a virus that turns people into mindless, violent Zombies (for lack of a better word).  The film is loosely based off of the award winning book World War Z by Max Brooks, though some fans of the book have criticized the film for being a poor adaptation of the interesting angle that Brooks takes in his book I for one that it was a refreshing burst of life into a genre that has over the years begun to go stale.  The virus responsible for the outbreak is much more believable and requires a lot less suspension of disbelief than other zombie fare and stirred my memories of the cult classic 28 Days Later.  It has plenty of action to keep you interested and was paced nicely with very little lead up to the meat of the story.  I would definitely recommend to see it in the theatre but wouldn't kick myself if I missed it.

Where Man of Steel is concerned I have to admit that I went in with some low expectations, I mean a Superman origin story?  How many times do we have to see the same thing?  I was pleasantly surprised by the movie that Zack Snyder has managed to pull together from source material that most average people on the street could give a decent account for.  The movie focuses more on the years between Clark's late teens and when he goes to work for the Daily Planet and we get to see him discover who he is and where he came from and we get small glimpses into his childhood through a series of flashbacks that are surprisingly well placed throughout the movie.  Henry Cavill does a great job portraying the titular Man of Steel and the new costume that drew so much fire when it was revealed works well with the style of the film especially when contrasted with the costumes of Zod and the other Kryptonians.  Michael Shannon is phenomenal as General Zod and perfectly mirrors the despotic nature of so many historical dictatorships.  The pacing was a little slow for the time of night that the movie started (11:30 PM) but overall it was an enjoyable film and I look forward to seeing where they go with this new take on the familiar Superman.

RIP Roger Ebert

The world has lost a true legend of the film industry.  Today, April 4th 2013, Roger Ebert has passed away at the age of 70, he will be missed.

Review # 2 Butter

Last night I had the pleasure of watching a movie that was a venture further into the obscure than the typical Hollywood fare.  The movie was called Butter.  While it boasted many big names such as, Jennifer Garner, Alicia Silverstone, Hugh Jackman and Rob Cordry it wasn't anything that I had seen widely advertised.  As I am never the one to shy away from an unpopular film I decided to take the chance.  The movie is set in Iowa and centers on the somewhat tongue in cheek art of butter sculpting.  The main protagonist is a ten year old orphan girl named Destiny (played by Yara Shahidi) who has bounced numerous foster homes and has just been placed with the Emmets (played by Cordry and Silverstone) a nice couple that encourage her to find something that she is good at.  After having previously visiting the state fair and adeptly finishing the carving on the holy grail cup of the winning butter sculpture and drawing an amazingly life like tree in school she decides to enter in the butter carving tournament.  The antagonist, Laura Pickler (played by Garner) is the wife of the reigning butter carving champion Bob Pickler who has been asked to stop entering as he has won every year for the passed 15 years.  This upsets Laura and after a humorous scene involving Bob, a stripper named Brooke (played by Olivia Wilde), and Laura t-boning the family minivan she decides to enter the contest herself.  Due to her competitive nature Laura will stop at nothing to come out on top, including accusing Destiny of cheating after her sculpture wins the district competition.  The movie tries hard to make you feel sorry for Laura throughout the movie and there are a few scenes where I almost did but overall I didn't sympathize with her at all and felt that her character was a horrible person.  Destiny is a wonderful protagonist and I supported her throughout the movie.  While the film was not an emotional roller coaster it was very heart warming and I am proud to classify it as a hidden gem.