Repeat Plays

Another great list from the Onion AV Club. Naturally, it begs the question, what movies are on my list?

In no particular order:

1) Star Wars. I probably watched this 50 times between 1977 and 1984. I’ve seen it once all the way through since then.

2) Chevy’s Classics. I’ll bundle the classic work of Chevy Chase together, since watching one often meant watching another immediately after. Includes Caddyshack, Vacation, Fletch, Fletch Lives, Spies Like Us, and Three Amigos.*

3) Christmas Vacation. Separate from Chevy’s other work because I still watch it.

4) A Christmas Story. I’ll guess I’ve watched it at least twice a year for the past 20 years.

5) Swingers. The only movie not from my pre-college days that makes the list. I watched it over-and-over for the humor, how it spoke to what I – and my generation – was going through, and of course to try to absorb some of Vince Vaughn’s coolness. And we used to pop a Digiorno’s in the oven, crack open another beer, and pop this in at 2:30 after the bars closed on weekend nights when we were all still single.

* Did Chevy have the biggest drop-off in Hollywood history? We think of his work between 1980 and 1989 as brilliant, and everything since as being putrid. Check his filmography, though. There were a number of shitty movies sprinkled in with the classics. It does confirm, however, that he hasn’t done anything remotely interesting since Christmas Vacation.

That’s A Big Twinky

Ghostbusters 3?

Columbia calls up new ‘Ghostbusters’ – Entertainment News, Front Page, Media – Variety

Fives: Five Best Movie Theater Experiences

(This was supposed to be posted Friday. I made the list mentally Thursday, then when I sat down to put it together, had a total brain cramp on one entry in the list. Naturally I remembered it over the weekend, so here’s my delayed list.)

Public Service Announcement

I’m somewhat reluctant to post this, given the news today that NBC is pulling out of the iTunes Music Store.  Not that I’m so much of a fanboy that I reject anyone who rejects Apple.  Rather, rumor has it NBC will force people who want to buy an episode of The Office from their new online video service to pay extra so NBC can tag on The 40 Year-Old Virgin, or some other Steve Carrell movie that Universal owns the rights to.  Nothing like holding the consumer hostage. 
Anyway, Office fans do need to check this out.  

How Long Can They Update These Things?

I bought the pretty snazzy 10 year anniversary edition of Reservoir Dogs, well, five years ago. So every five years are the going to manage to create new bonus features so the can update the packaging and make those of us who bought the last special edition feel dumb?

Reservoir Dogs 15th Anniversary Edition (US – DVD R1) in News > Releases at DVDActive:

10 Minutes

Part of the profile I just wrote for class focused on a local activist and how she came to her anti-war views. When she was in college, she went to the former Balkan states that had been ripped apart during the various wars that went on as Yugoslavia disintigrated in the 1990s. She described some video she saw that really affected her, so I went to work on YouTube to see if I could find any of it. Along the way, I found this, which is an amazingly powerful little piece of film. It’s worth 9:15 of your time to check it out.

Road Trip?

This seems like something I HAVE to check out at some point. I’ve been thinking of what movies I’ve seen the most times, and I’m almost positive this is #1.

NewsNet5.com – News – ‘Christmas Story’ House Will Open To Tourists Nov. 25:

Wish List

Saturday, as I was waiting for the Mrs. to get ready so we could make a trip to the mall, I sat down and spent 20 thoroughly enjoyable minutes watching the classic 80s flick “Wargames.” Matthew Broderick. Ally Sheedy. A talking computer. Global Thermonuclear War. You know how it goes.

Anyway, it gave me a thought. There should be a channel that plays nothing but 80s movies. “Wargames,” “Caddyshack,” “Fast Times,” “Better Off Dead,” “Real Genius,” “Fletch,” “Sixteen Candles,” etc. Sure, I have a ton of these on tape or DVD, but when you decide to watch one of these movies, you’re making a commitment to watch the entire thing. I want to know on channel X, anytime I need to waste 15-20-25 minutes, Lane Meyer, Lazlo Hollyfeld, or Farmer Ted will be there to comfort me. If I’m watching a game, what better way to spend the 2:30 commercial breaks than teaching my daughter lines from “Pretty In Pink” or “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”? Forget the occasional flick that shows up on WGN, TNT, TBS, or Spike. I want an all 80s movies, all-the-time source. Surely there’s some internet billionaire out there who grew up watching the same stupid movies I did that can make this happen.

Below the jump, a classic line for your listening pleasure.

Pour Some Beer, or Eggnog, On the Curb

This year’s Christmas Story marathon will be a little more poignant.

CNN.com – McGavin, ‘A Christmas Story’ father, dies at 83 – Feb 26, 2006: