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Monday, June 1, 2009

Susan's Monday Movie Meme

Movies, movies, movies! I love movies! So, like Sandy, I decided to play along with The Bumbles this week.

The theme for this week is "Show us your collection". No problem! I tend not to buy very many, but the ones I do are ones I really, really like. Well, mostly.

Most viewed: That's easy, 'Lonesome Dove'. Even though it's umpteen hours long and is technically a mini-series, we have watched it more times than I can remember. It is THE best western ever made, in my totally unbiased opinion. What's not to love about Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall at their cowboy finest? The book is one of my favorites, too.

Never viewed: 'King Kong'. Really? Did we need another version with Naomi Watts as the heroine? I'm sure it's a fine version, but I think I prefer the classic with Fay Wray. Oh, wait a minute, it has Clive Owen in it. Excuse me, I'll be back in....3 hours and 7 minutes.

Afraid to admit you own: 'Annie'. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the one with Aileen Quinn and Albert Finney. The one we have was made for TV with Ashley Johnson and Joan Collins. Yes, THAT Joan Collins. It is worse than awful.

Guilty pleasure: 'Dirty Dancing'. I will watch the entire thing just so I can hear Patrick Swayze say, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"

Most shared: Like Sandy, I don't share much, but my copy of 'Brokeback Mountain' has made the rounds in the family.

Why did we buy this?: 'Once Upon a Time in the West' is a Henry Fonda/Claudia Cardinale fake spaghetti western snoozefest. Our son, Jaye, bought it for his dad for Father's Day or Christmas. I think we made it through about fifteen minutes before turning it off.

Most treasured: 'Dad' with Ted Danson as the son who doesn't have time for his aging father(Jack Lemmon), but comes to treasure his time with his father when he's forced to take care of him after an illness. When we watched this the first time back in the 80's, our son Josh cried so hard he had tears actually squirting from his eyes. He bought it for his own Dad after he became an adult.

Wildcard: Boy, this one is tough. I can feature any movie that I want for any reason. There are so many, but I guess it would have to be 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. I'm sure that it will make many lists, but it IS my very favorite movie of all time. Is any father more understanding and brave and noble than Atticus Finch? And besides, every time we watch it, I get to hear David say at the end when Boo Radley is revealed behind the door by Scout, "I forgot that Robert Duvall plays Boo Radley!" Really, honey? After all these years?

25 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

You make me laugh! We own King Kong, and we all saw it in the theaters, but only my kids have watched the DVD! Enough already with the dinosaurs and disgusting bugs! I too love Dirty Dancing. The "Guilty Pleasure" category could have been filled by about a dozen movies for me. When Harry Met Sally, Dirty Dancing, Baby Boom, etc. You know, To Kill a Mockingbird is my mom's favorite book and movie. I've not seen either. But I just started the audio today, so will be posting that review soon!

Susan said...

Sandy, oops! Sorry about ruining the ending for you! I guess I should have given a spoiler alert.

Oh yess! Yesss, yesssss, yesss!
I'll have what she's having. You know what I'm talkin' about!

Sandy Nawrot said...

OH YES I do. That is like the line of the decade. Not to worry about spoilers on TKAM...I am enough of a pop culture junkie to know the general plot of the story, even though I've never touched the book or the movie!

The Bumbles said...

Well thanks for playing along! I will drop anything I am doing if I come across Dirty Dancing on TV. We don't own it and it's probably good that we don't or I would never get anything done. Patrick Swayze is so incredibly drool-worthy in that movie. I don't find him that attractive in any of his other films for some reason though. The play version has been here in Boston for a few months - it may have ended by now. Lots of girls nights out to see it - though I couldn't figure out why - for me if Patrick isn't performing it what's the point?

And as Sandy will tell you TKAM is my favorite book ever - and along with 12 Angry Men is probably one of my favorite classic films too. I am glad to know she is finally getting around to it!

I wish I had known about your blog last summer when a friend gave my husband a chicken for a birthday present. You would have been very helpful I am sure. Reminds me that I will need to do a post about that story some day - it would be a funny one.

JackeeG4glamorous said...

I love this meme!
I've been such a bad blogger, but I will participate.
My daughter watched Dirty Dancing Every Day one summer and I can hardly watch it again.
I'm a sucker for oldies, like The Way We Were....ahhhhh.

I nominated you for something, go take a look on my blog.

Susan said...

Hi Molly! You're welcome! It was a lot of fun and I hope I have time to participate every week.

I'm not a huge fan of Patrick Swayze either, but I do loves my 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Ghost'.

If you ever need any chicken advice, I'm your woman!

TKAM is one of my most favorite books also!

Susan said...

Hey Jackie! I think my daughter also watched DD every day one summer, too! And, of course, I was right there alongside her for a few of the viewings. I didn't get quite as burned out as you.

Thanks for the nomination! I'm going right now to see what I got!

Carleen said...

I can't believe that forgot about Lonesome Dove! That, and Cat Ballou, is the only western that I have watched from start to finish, bought the DVD, and watched multiple times thereafter.

I hope you play along again. :)

Susan said...

Hi Carleen! Thanks for visiting! Lonesome Dove is awesome, isn't it? I love Cat Ballou, too! There's just something about Lee Marvin reeling around drunkenly on his horse that melts my heart. He was one of my favorite HeMan actors.

You have a great blog, and I'll be over to visit. According to your profile, it sounds as if we like some of the same things. I thought I was the only Mac Davis fan left in the world!

Ruth said...

I'll bet it was tough for you to narrow some of these down, you're such an old movie fan.

Now you have me meditating on Gregory Peck. . . ohhhh. Are there any finer eyebrows, voice, cheekbones and height? Like my mom used to say, he's a tall drink of water. Mmmmm.

Susan said...

Ruth, I remember once when Loretta Lynn was on a talk show and the other guest happened to be Gregory Peck. Well, "Gragory" was Loretta's heart throb and she just about floated over the moon being able to meet him. He was such a gentleman with her. Of course, I would expect nothing less from him. He had extreme class.

GailO said...

I would never be able to do a movie theme meme because I seem to like too many and my memory isn't good enough to remember them all! But reading about them is fun because it jogs the old memory...In a big coincidence I happened to watch "Once upon a Time in the West" with my sister and nephew last week...her Netflix pic that she couldn't remember choosing...and we all liked it believe it or not! Very 60's and we were surprised to see Henry Fonda in the bad guy role!

The only movies I own are old Disney VHS movies that no one wants anymore...I just Netflix...

California Girl said...

I love anything to do with movies. It would take me hours to answer the categories you posted. I will say my favorites include: The Natural, GWTW, The Sting, A River Runs Through It...do you see a pattern here?

Susan said...

Oliag, well, it was easy to pinpoint the movies since they had to be in your collection and we don't have all that many in our collection, sooo.....

Maybe we'll have to revisit 'Once Upon a TITW'. We didn't make it very far, so maybe it gets better farther in? I had a hard time seeing Fonda as a bad guy.

Susan said...

Cali Girl, I'm guessing you're kind of a huge Redford fan! I love him, too, even if he's just directing. I didn't see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in there. That's MY favorite Redford movie!

Ruth said...

Susie, I stopped by to tell you - since you follow huffing - that I am changing it up a bit. It's now "puffing" - trying to be a bit more positive in outlook.

Cindy said...

That's strange, I could have sworn I left a comment here days ago, but it's not here now. Maybe I wrote it on one of those many days recently when our modem decided to stop working. Either that or I'm losing my mind. Ahh movies... we own so many we had to get a new bookshelf to put them all in and it's still not enough to hold them all. Love many of the old classics, but I've yet to see To Kill a Mockingbird.

Susan said...

Ruthie, thanks for telling me. I let it go off the blogroll, 'cause you had stopped posting, but I will put it back on post-haste!

Positive thoughts are much better anyway!

Susan said...

Cindy, I thought you did, too! Maybe we're both losing our minds! That's entirely possible for me!

Oh, you must watch TKAM! It is the most wonderful movie. The book is just as wonderful.

Ruth said...

Ooooh, this looks fun. I think I'm going to have to try this too!

To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite of mine, also. Not many movies stay as true to the book as that one, and I love the book too. I think I may have to watch it this weekend.

Susan said...

Ruth, you can never see TKAM too many times. It always seems fresh to me. And you're right, the book and the movie are pretty much interchangable.

CottageGirl said...

I agree with Cindy. I left a comment here last night here and on Ruth's. But alas my words, the best I've ever written ;-), are gone ...

In a nutshell ... I love old movies, or great new ones, too!

One I just watched over the weekend, actually a mini series, was John Adams. I cried at the end, I cried an hour later, and I cried the next day! If you haven't seen it, Paul Giamatti IS John Adams.

Anonymous said...

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Candice
http://candice-ransom.livejournal.com

Susan said...

Cottage Girl, isn't that always the way? You write something profound or moving or witty and it disappears into cyberspace!

I just borrowed movies from the library and didn't think of 'John Adams'. I'll look for it next time I go in there. I know it won a bunch of awards and accolades. And I love Laura Linney's work.

Susan said...

Candice, thank you for the award! I'm happy that you enjoyed visiting my blog. I took a quick look at yours and it looks like my kind of place! I'll be back again.