30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 09 & 10

Day 09 - a movie that you can dance to (?)

Clearly I didn't think this part through when I amended the 30 Day Song Challenge to my movie challenge, because it's quite obvious that nobody dances to movies. Unless you're 'special'. So let me edit this to: Favourite Dance Movie.

This will be tough, because I normally can't stand dance movies. I tried watching Step Up 3D 3 times and gave up after the first 3 minutes. I love the fantasy that surrounds dance movies, where it feels like we're all in an alternate universe where every problem can be solved if we just dance it out long enough. I love it, but I can't buy it for more than a few minutes at a time. Naturally, this makes my pool of options really small, but let me see what I can dig up.

I was very tempted to put in "Black Swan (2010)" but I realise it's not exactly a 'dance' movie per se. Then there are the classics, I mean, even Mary Poppins had dancing in it (I loved that movie). But, after painstakingly refreshing my memory with all the dance movies I've seen through the years, I've narrowed it down to three candidates.

One movie had a cheesy premise but a young Tyra Banks and Piper Perabo. And a decent story. And, well, this. The other was an interesting story where Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez play love interests united by dance but not quite.

But the winner, unfortunately, is clearly this: Step Up (2006)

What can I say, at least there was a semblance of story and acting in this one. Let's move swiftly along, after the break.

Runners up:

Coyote Ugly (2000)

Shall We Dance? (2004)

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Day 10 - a movie that makes you fall asleep.

This was a toss-up between two movies that were so boring I literally have no idea what they were about. Meet the candidates:

Syriana (2005)

I know, it looks awesome doesn't it? But try watching it.

Contestant no.2 - Sideways (2004)

What the heck is this movie about? The only part of this I remember is Sandra Oh going going berserk on Thomas Haden Church when he finds out he's about to get married.

Honestly, I can't be bothered deciding. Both of these were snoozefests for me.

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 07 & 08

Wow I am ridiculously behind my own challenge. I feel so, ill-disciplined.

So, moving on: Day 07 - a movie that reminds you of a certain event.

Oh boy. It was my first semester of college, and somehow or the other, I had befriended a pretty and intelligent girl who was two years senior to me. It was completely platonic, but despite constantly reminding everyone about it, my friends and even some seniors never failed to poke fun at it and make scandalous insinuations every time I got a call from her. Granted, we talked into the wee hours of the morning almost every night, but - no, it was completely platonic.

Well, during the first few times we spoke, the topic came around to the usual "hey we should hang out more often". So, naturally, I suggested we go watch a movie sometime, to which she promptly agreed. The next evening, I checked the listings to see which movies were playing. I didn't know any of them, so I just randomly picked one and picked up the phone to call her (H).

Me: Hey you, watcha doing today?

H: Hi! Nothing really, what about you?

Me: So, wanna go for a movie today, around 7pm?

H: Sure! Which one.

Me: Err, well they're showing this movie called "Wild Things". You seen it?

H: ...

Me: Hello?

H: Well, yeah. You haven't?

Me: No. Why, is it not good? We can go for something else...

H: Oh no, it's good. It's a bit.. Well..

Me: [confused silence]

H: So what time are you picking me up?

Now, note to the readers: this was memorable mainly because it was the first time I took a girl to a movie. Of course, it wasn't a date though because - no it wasn't a date!

Either way, the movie starts, Denise Richards does her thing, and things are going rather swimmingly, until - BAM! - one of the most famous movie sex scenes  in the last 20 years.

Needless to say, it was at this moment I understood H's reluctance to see the movie. It was at this moment too that I understood why there were so few women in the theatre. I looked at her, mortified, but she had already shut her eyes.

We laughed about it afterwards, but wow was I embarrassed as we stepped out of the hall. While it was memorable, it wasn't remembered for the usual reasons when taking a girl to a movie, especially the first time. Not that it was a date or anything, because - oh never mind.

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Day 08 - a movie that you know all the lines to (at least the famous ones)

Is there any movie with more memorable dialogue that Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece that taught us about Big Mac's in France, educated us on the significance of giving a woman a foot massage, taught us how to hide a watch on your person if you're ever taken as a prisoner of war by Viet Cong, and showed us what to do in the unlikely event that you kill someone in the back seat of your car (by accident) on the highway.

The winner by a mile is - Pulp Fiction (1994)

I mean, just look how huge the quotes page on IMDb is for this movie!

Runners up:

The Godfather (1972)

30 Day Movie Challenge: Days 06

It looks like I've fallen horrificly behind in my self-imposed 30 Day challenge, so let me see if I can do some quick catching up while I can.

Day 06 - a movie that reminds you of somewhere

Easy. Whenever I think of hear about this movie I'm transported back to the time and place immediately. It was 2007, and I was in college in Manipal India, dragging myself through the days, praying for and praying against the arrival of exams, when suddenly some of my friends came up with the idea of making a short road trip to the big multiplex in the city proper for the Indian premiere of Spider Man 3. You probably remember the enormous hype the first two movies garnered, so the third movie was a must-see. Plans were made, tickets were booked well in advance for the first evening show, and about 25 of us made the 90 minute ride on bikes to Mangalore.

However, somone had forgotten to inform us that in order to collect your reserved tickets, you need to arrive 45 minutes before the show starts. We arrived 20 minutes early, and found out our tickets were gone.

Naturally, we were all rather bummed out, so we decided to drown our sorrows in tandoori chicken and kebabs from across the street. By the time we were done, it was time for the next show, and by some miracle, we managed to find enough seats for all of us, even though we'd have to end up driving home well past midnight.

Finally in our seats, the movie started.

Half an hour later, my warning bells were ringing.

An hour later, people started murmuring.

Two hours in, people were laughing when Peter Parker burst into tears on screen.

And then, thankfully it was over. We had just driven all the way for what must be the biggest movie letdown at the time (we have since been blessed with Transformers 2). What an absolute rubbish movie, and yet, that movie always makes me smile as I remember the moonlit bike ride back, the looks on the faces of the kebab joint when all 25 of us started ordering food, and the good time we had despite our friendly neighbourhood Spidey getting stuck in his own web.

Good times!

(You have to watch this, it's just priceless!)

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 05

I feel rather strange doing this silly challenge right now when the interwebs are a-buzzing with the Royal Wedding that is going on at this very moment. So, in spirit of this momentous occassion, let me take two lines to say 'Congrats!'. I give them about 7 years before the fairy dust wears off and Kate Middleton realises she's married Gollum's taller brother.

Onwards! Day 05 - a movie that reminds you of someone

This is rather easy. When I was in college, I was one of the few people who used to watch a lot of movies, at least among my circle of friends from med school. Unfortunately, I hadn't learned at the time the subtle art of movie recommendations. See, sometimes people have very different tastes when it comes to movies, and no matter how much you try to convince them that The Godfather is a work of art, they'll always come back with "but I don't understand why he has to talk so funny...!"

Anyway, one day a girl from my church asked me to recommend a good movie. Now, my friends had just finished watching this and they told me it was a great movie. I myself hadn't watched it, and I didn't even know what it was about, but my friends generally have great taste, so I suggested it to her. She said thanks, and headed out to rent it.

A few days later, I met her and asked her how the movie was. Big mistake. Apparently, the movie was very graphic in nature, and was about someone who was abused as a child. Not the kind of movie you recommend to someone of her disposition. I had unintentionally traumatised her, and caused her many nights of insomnia.

I never recommended a movie to her again, and she never let me forget it! In fact, to this day, I still haven't seen it.

The winner is - Cold Creek Manor (2003)

Runners up:

Signs (2002) [Haha wow, I wonder if you'll read this and remember]

Pulp Fictioin (1994)

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 4

So on to Day 04 of this miserable challenge. Yes, 'miserable', because I just realised that I have 26 days left to go!

Day 04: a movie that makes you sad.

I think movies have to try really hard these days to 'make me sad', simply because so many lack the depth of movies I used to watch years ago. While many of Hollywood's 'drama' offerings these days obsess on trying to get you to connect with the characters, I find that I'm generally apathetic, and even sometimes bored, by the proceedings. Personally, when it comes to serious movies, simplicity is key.

However, there are some strong candidates for this movie, and most of them are from at least 8-10 years ago. Can anyone say that they didn't feel a punch in the gut at the graveyard scene in "Saving Private Ryan"? Or what about the utter hopelessness that Brad Pitt's "Se7en" potrayed? Russel Crowe's heroic death in "Gladiator"? Hillary Swank's journey for relevance in "Million Dollary Baby"? Liam Neeson's amazing performance as Oskar Schindler, sobbing and saying "I could have got one more, one more!" in "Schindler's List"? And then there was "Green Mile" - need I say more?

But, in the end there can be only one, so without further ado, the winner is : Requiem For A Dream (2000)

Is there any doubt that this was the most rivetting movie of it's time? I still remember the hushed silence that fell over our room when my college friends and I first watched this in someones room. What starts off as a fun, trippy movie about a few individuals that like to get high, turns into the most darkest, gripping movie I can remember seeing. I cannot remember who I felt pity for more in this epic story, and even now, just the thought of it fills me with an uneasy feeling.

But it's not just the story; it's the ambience, which reaches a climax with a brilliant ending, accompanied by the tune of Clint Mansell's ever famous "Requiem" (the actual name apparently is "Lux Aeterna"), a tune that could make someone watching cartoons and eating candy to burst into tears.

This, is how movies should be made.

Runners up:
Buried (2010)
Million Dollay Baby (2004)

30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 2 & 3

Not even one day into my own self-imposed challenge and I find myself slacking. It's been a busy weekend, and I haven't felt much like writing. But no excuses; onwards to day 2 and 3.

Day 02: Least Favourite Movie.

Now this is also open to a few interpretations: do I post the movie I dislike the most, or one of my favourites that I'm not too crazy about? I'm sticking with the former, and after careful consideration, the winner is: Batman & Robin (1997)

Wow. Where do I even begin. You probably know that I'm a huge Batman fan (hence the profile avatar), so perhaps this is a bit of a surprise. But then, how many of you have actually seen this movie? This was the big dagger that almost completely sank the franchise, before Nolan resurrected it with "Batman Begins". Headed by Joel Schumacher, who also directed the much better "Batman Forever" in 1995, this was supposed to be a more comic book take on the caped crusader. Little did we know, he was talking about colouring books, not graphic novels.

So, what did they do, after making three succesful Batman movies? They roped in George Clooney for Batman / Bruce Wayne, got Chris O'Donnel to reprise his role as Robin, and wrote in not one, but two villains into the script, along with a third addition to the cast - Batgirl.

On paper, this sounds fantastic. George Clooney? Even guys like George Clooney. Plus Arnold as Mr.Freeze? Who else could play an almost robotic super-character with so much skill and prior experience?

And then you add these four ladies into your movie:

 Seriously. How could you screw this up?

Well, apparently you can.

What followed was a bizarre story involving Poison Ivy as a mental Uma Thurman, a disengaged George Clooney who seemed to have confused Bruce Wayne's character and George Clooney's real life, as well as an utterly useless Batgirl in Alicia Silverstone.

And then there were the costumes:

 Are you kidding me?


I could go on and on about how Batman and Robin escape a plan by 'surfing' to the ground, or how Batman tries to woo Poison Ivy with his Bat-credit-card ("never leave the batcave without it"), but I think this trailer will make my point.

Runners up:
The Notebook
Every single one of those spoof movies ("Disaster Movie", "Epic Movie", "Scary Movie 1-infinity")



Day 03: A movie that makes you happy.

Pretty easy pick for me. Since I first saw this movie, I've been raving about how this is what I consider the best romantic comedy in the last few years. Forget the non-existent chemistry between almost all leading men and women in the genre these days (in "Twilight", Kirsten Stewart looks as interested in Robert Pattinson as Lady Gaga does in regular clothing), this is how it's done. I've always had a crush on Rachel McAdams, but she was her best in this movie. Great chemistry with Owen Wilson, and the comic timing of Vaughn, Wilson and Christopher Walken makes this a simply must see. Love watching this movie, always brings a smile to my face.

Yes, I'm talking about: Wedding Crashers (2005)

Runners up:
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl (2003)


 

The 30 Day MOVIE Challenge

Yes, I have succumbed to this accursed '30 day challenge' nonsense that has been going around Facebook and some blogs. However, since everyone seems to be doing the song challenge, I'm going to take a cue from 'who else but me' and modify it into my own '30 day movie challenge'.

The rules are simple, and here they are, based on the original 30 day song challenge rules:

day 01 - your favorite movie
day 02 - your least favorite movie
day 03 - a movie that makes you happy
day 04 - a movie that makes you sad
day 05 - a movie that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a movie that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a movie that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a movie that you know all the lines to (at least the famous ones)
day 09 - a movie that you can dance to
day 10 - a movie that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a movie with your favourite actor/actress
day 12 - a movie with an actor/actress you hate
day 13 - a movie that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a movie that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a movie that you relate to
day 16 - a movie that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a movie that you see often on TV
day 18 - a movie that you wish they showed on TV
day 19 - a movie from your favorite director
day 20 - a movie that you watch when you’re angry
day 21 - a movie that you watch when you’re happy
day 22 - a movie that you watch when you’re sad
day 23 - a movie that makes you think of weddings and/or getting married
day 24 - a movie that makes you think of funerals and/or your death
day 25 - a movie that makes you laugh
day 26 - a movie that with your favourite soundtrack
day 27 - a movie that made you wish you could act
day 28 - a movie that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a movie from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite movie at this time last year

SO, let's start with day 01: favourite movie.

Now, unlike everyone else who dodged this question while doing the song challenge, I'm not going to dance around and say "oh I have so many favourites" and change it to "favourite song/movie right now" (by the way, favourite song, all time, Foo Fighters - Best Of You, hands down, no doubt, next question please!). Favourite movie is favourite movie, all time, regardless.

And that has to be: Remember The Titans (2000)

Now this isn't the greatest movie of all time, and it isn't the movie I think is the best I've seen. However, there is something about this movie that makes me watch it over, and over, and over again. The story grips me all the time, right from the opening scene when Denzel leads the sombre looking football team in the graveyard, as the title "Remember The Titans" gently fades into the screen. Denzel has made better movies, there have been more gripping sports stories (Coach Carter), but when Coach Yoast (Will Patton) tells his team in the deciding minutes of the championship game "You make sure, they remember, forever, the night they played the Titans", I get goosebumps everytime.

There are other great moments in the movie, and all around I thought it was made really well. An easy movie on the brain, but it still brings so much.


Runners-up:
Batman Begins (2005)
Gladiator (2000)