With 2012 bringing the apocalypse, I thought I’d put together a list of survival gear I find vital to living post 2012. I will remind you this list is only helpful if you actually manage to survive the initial destruction. If the end comes at the hands of a giant rouge planet or meteor smashing into Earth, this list is utterly useless. Also bear in mind you need to be smart enough to use these items. You have one year to gather and learn, good luck!
Remote Underground Survival Habitat: Your R.U.S.H. is vital to living through the 2012 Armageddon. It is a safe, warm place to kick up your heels and laugh as all the nonbelievers suffer terrible, indescribable deaths.
Water: A few months supply should get you through the onset of the end times. A good filtration system will stretch it out even longer; just don’t expect me to drink your disgusting urine water.
Food: Spam, freeze dried meats and fruits, Tang, jerky, canned goods, artificial sweeteners, powdered milk, imitation eggs, facon (fake bacon), McDonald’s French Fries; all these things will keep forever, just don’t forget the cyanide capsules for when you’ve had enough.
Clothes: The chances that the apocalypse results in a tropical, united utopian nudist colony are very very slim. Bring layers.
Weapons: I'm not hot on guns. Guns require ammo. Ammo runs out and you're left with a bludgeoning weapon at best. Take a note from The Walking Dead and get a cross bow! Or get creative and make your own tool for hunting/self defense. My head is spinning with ideas born from my office cubical; the deadly pencil cross bow! If the initial projectile doesn't get them, the lead poisoning will! Knives and swords are also good, but they make hunting particularly difficult; not impossible, just difficult. You ever try to run down a deer carrying an official movie replica of Aragorn's sword, Narsil? Didn't think so...
Companions: As much fun as Apple's Siri is, when shit goes down, she can't carry her weight. Get some people together and choose a rally point for when things go south. Store some of your crap there. Bring cookies.
Intelligence: Lets face it, the end of the world is really just a giant survival of the fittest event and some of you aren't going to make the cut.
Musical Instruments: Keeping sprits high is always important. However, the guy that brings his recorder from sixth grade should be shot on site.
Duct Tape: Seriously stock-pile this stuff! Have you even seen Mythbusters? They made a boat and a plane out of Duct Tape. Come on people!
Solar Powered Crap: If it’s solar powered it’s gold, unless of course the sun is blocked by devastating nuclear winter or volcanic ash or terrible storms or you’re forced to live underground in some sort of cave or you can only go outside at night. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, don’t let collecting them take up too much of your time.
Rope: Rope, in the hands of the properly trained person, is almost as useful as Duck Tape. But, if you’ve gathered three miles worth of rope for the end times, and don’t even know how to tie a square knot, then all you really have is three miles of rope to hang yourself with. Wait; check that, you won’t know how to tie a noose either.
A Calculator: Because I didn’t pay nearly enough attention in math class. Did you?
An Aluminum Trash Can: Put this in the basement with a radio and batteries and any other electronic devices you’d like to keep around inside of it. In the event of huge solar flair or massive EMP attack, the can will protect these items from destruction. Good luck finding a decent radio station to listen to.
A Bug Out Bag: Contains Off Bug Spray, citronella candles, matches, bug nets. Keep in mind nuclear fallout could mutate the bugs to unreasonable sizes. If you believe this actuality is likely, also include DVD copy of Starship Troopers for training in large bug extermination.
DVD Player: How else do you plan on watching Starship Troopers?
Metallica’s Black Album: At some point you will have to make your final stand against the forces of evil in the brutal post-2012 world, wouldn’t you like to do so with a proper soundtrack?
Scuba Gear: Particularly if you live east of the Appalachian Mountains or west of the Rocky Mountains and it's a glacial melt situation.
A Doctor: You probably don’t have time to go to med school, so convince a Doctor to come live in your R.U.S.H. until at least February 1, 2013. Bend the definition of the word “convince” if necessary.
Pie Making Materials: Who wants to live in a world without pie?
A Clock: Seriously, the clock we keep in our living room died a few weeks ago. I am so disoriented. When should I eat or sleep? This sun dial isn't compatible with my energy saving light bulbs for some reason.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Wife: Well it's been a long time since we've done a post strictly dedicated to a movie review. Although we saw this movie in 2011, it will serve as our first review of 2012! So what do I have to say about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Well, it was pretty freaking good. The acting was top notch, and while it was longer than your standard film, the pacing was quite well.
I received The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo book for Christmas, but unfortunately due to the lack of a Christmas break that us adults in the real world have to contend with, I only had the chance to read the prologue and the first chapter. So, other than some random introductions and knowledge of basic plot points, I entered the theatre not really knowing what to expect. I ended up really enjoying the movie and found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the majority of it. I thoroughly enjoyed coming up with my own plot theories to try and solve the mystery just as the main characters did. More importantly, I must say I completely called all of the shocks with my three separate theories, because you see, I am pretty awesome at figuring out movie and book twists! Of course, I thought only one of my theories would be correct, but all three of them ended up working out! I would discuss the plot in detail more thoroughly, but I don't want to spoil the movie for those of you who have yet to see it.
As I mentioned, the acting was excellent in this movie. Aside from providing some great eye candy, Daniel Craig was excellent. However, the real credit goes to Rooney Mara, who played Lisbeth. I think her performance is Oscar-worthy! I also have to note that she is the granddaughter of Art Rooney Sr., the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers! So here's a shout out to all of Steeler Nation! Here we go Steelers, here we go!
Overall I really enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. There are some VERY graphic scenes that are quite violent and disturbing, so if this is something that makes or breaks a movie for you, then I suggest you skip seeing this film. However, if you can get past the graphic nature and focus on the story at hand, then I highly recommend this movie! I still plan to finish the book as movies always tend to leave out details. I certainly plan to read the other two books in the series as well!
Hobo Dan: I so enjoy going to see movies I know nothing about. This rarely happens these day, partly because I research upcoming films for this blog and partly because there isn't really that much "new" stuff coming from Hollywood these days. I am well aware this is based off a book and was already made into film in Sweden. But I don't speak Swedish and haven't read the book, so this is new to me. The feel of the film from plot to story is very different which may throw people off. It being European probably has something to do with this. That said, I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I would have surely put it in my top five films of 2011 if we had seen it in time!
The Wife mentioned the superb acting in the film. I won't be surprised if it earns several Oscar nods. The cinematography is also excellent. Many shots in the film add greatly to the suspense and tension and reminded me at time of The Shining when the kid is riding his tricycle around the creepy hotel. Win. I'm sad that the movie is doing poorly at the box office. It doesn't surprise me, just saddens. People these days aren't looking for the thoughtful, dark experience this film provides. The ending in particular probably leaves a sour taste in a lot of peoples mouths. I loved it. It was right up my ally. So, do what you can for society and see this movie. It is very important that films like this continue to be made. It's this or more Harold and Kumar movies...
Also, I apologize for the Wife and her sports team. Go Browns.
I received The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo book for Christmas, but unfortunately due to the lack of a Christmas break that us adults in the real world have to contend with, I only had the chance to read the prologue and the first chapter. So, other than some random introductions and knowledge of basic plot points, I entered the theatre not really knowing what to expect. I ended up really enjoying the movie and found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the majority of it. I thoroughly enjoyed coming up with my own plot theories to try and solve the mystery just as the main characters did. More importantly, I must say I completely called all of the shocks with my three separate theories, because you see, I am pretty awesome at figuring out movie and book twists! Of course, I thought only one of my theories would be correct, but all three of them ended up working out! I would discuss the plot in detail more thoroughly, but I don't want to spoil the movie for those of you who have yet to see it.
As I mentioned, the acting was excellent in this movie. Aside from providing some great eye candy, Daniel Craig was excellent. However, the real credit goes to Rooney Mara, who played Lisbeth. I think her performance is Oscar-worthy! I also have to note that she is the granddaughter of Art Rooney Sr., the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers! So here's a shout out to all of Steeler Nation! Here we go Steelers, here we go!
Overall I really enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. There are some VERY graphic scenes that are quite violent and disturbing, so if this is something that makes or breaks a movie for you, then I suggest you skip seeing this film. However, if you can get past the graphic nature and focus on the story at hand, then I highly recommend this movie! I still plan to finish the book as movies always tend to leave out details. I certainly plan to read the other two books in the series as well!
Hobo Dan: I so enjoy going to see movies I know nothing about. This rarely happens these day, partly because I research upcoming films for this blog and partly because there isn't really that much "new" stuff coming from Hollywood these days. I am well aware this is based off a book and was already made into film in Sweden. But I don't speak Swedish and haven't read the book, so this is new to me. The feel of the film from plot to story is very different which may throw people off. It being European probably has something to do with this. That said, I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I would have surely put it in my top five films of 2011 if we had seen it in time!
The Wife mentioned the superb acting in the film. I won't be surprised if it earns several Oscar nods. The cinematography is also excellent. Many shots in the film add greatly to the suspense and tension and reminded me at time of The Shining when the kid is riding his tricycle around the creepy hotel. Win. I'm sad that the movie is doing poorly at the box office. It doesn't surprise me, just saddens. People these days aren't looking for the thoughtful, dark experience this film provides. The ending in particular probably leaves a sour taste in a lot of peoples mouths. I loved it. It was right up my ally. So, do what you can for society and see this movie. It is very important that films like this continue to be made. It's this or more Harold and Kumar movies...
Also, I apologize for the Wife and her sports team. Go Browns.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
2011: Dump Year in Review
Hobo Dan: So where the hell have we been? It’s been a busy fall, let me tell you. We organized a 5K run, attended some sort of gathering every weekend starting in mid-October, both have been sick (the Wife twice!), field dressed a cat, had another car problem (on the first day at my new job!), got a PS3, learned that my suit jacket (which I’ve had for two years) has real pockets and that they just sew them shut for packaging, avoided mowing the lawn one last time, fought with the Wife about jack-o-lanterns, fought with the Wife about everything else, apologized to the Wife about being wrong in all the fights, threw caution to the wind, had caution blown back in my face, ate a lot of holiday food and (if you can believe it) completely forgot/was too lazy to even think about blogging over the last few weeks. Our sincerest apologies.
The Wife: Again, sorry for the lack of posts as of late. Like many of you the holidays are an extremely busy time for us. Pesky sinus infections don't help with blogging either! First off, we've failed to review two awesome movies that we've seen this month. Sadly, our collective favorite movie of 2011 will not receive it's own separate review due to time constraints. But, we will discuss it briefly! I know, I know, you are BURSTING with anticipation!
The new Muppet movie, The Muppets, is without a doubt the BEST movie of the year! We saw this when I was feeling under the weather, but at the same time had cabin fever and desperately needed out of the house! Well, this film proved to be excellent medicine! It perked both of our spirits right up. Growing up always loving the Muppets, made the nostalgia of the movie particularly great. It even brought a few tears to my eyes when they sang the infamous "Rainbow Connection." So if you haven't yet done so, plan to see The Muppets! It delivers laughs and is just plain fun — something we all need every now and then! We also saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and it too, did not disappoint. It was much like the first film, clever, witty and action packed. If you can't make it to the theatre to catch this flick, give it a view when it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD in a few months.
Hobo Dan: I was not kidding when I proclaimed on the Facebook that The Muppets is my favorite movie of 2011. There is nothing to dislike about this film. If you don’t like it, you have no soul. After a year of being beaten to a pulp by the economy and society and idiocy and reboots and sequels and everything else, The Muppets truly energized me and made me feel good, young and happy; even if for only a short time.
The Wife: We suppose we should discuss our Christmas celebrations too. As usual our holiday was great, despite the aforementioned pesky sinus infection. We both got a lot of great gifts, had fantastic food, including quite possibly the BEST turkey ever that WE cooked for Christmas Day dinner, and of course, enjoyed new and old traditions with family and friends. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, we hope your holidays were a blast!
So now for the burning question...how was our 2011? Well it's been quite an interesting year filled with new events and exciting change. For a year that started rather rough, it has ended quite well for both of us. The beginning of 2011 was filled with too much snow (funny now that we are complaining about the lack of snow where we live...grass is always greener right?). The winter months also brought the start of our Best Picture Project. Yes, we know it's been quite awhile since we last did a BPP review, but don't fret, more will be coming your way in 2012! In March we had quite a bit of fun on St. Patrick's Day! Gimme Da Gold! Then spring time brought about Easter and of course, my (the wife) birthday celebrations! Yes, celebrations, plural. Didn't you hear? My birthday is basically a month long holiday. FACT. Thanks to Charlie Sheen's insanity of the year, the slogan of this year's birthday bash was "Winning" as the tiger blood runs deep within my veins! On the day of my party, we also ran a 5K together and I took home a first place win! With my win, I got a $50 gift card to Dicks...so can we say...wait for it...wait for it...WINNING!
The spring also brought a personal accomplishment for me as I finally scratched "run a half marathon" off my bucket list. I successfully completed the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a challenge, but a great experience. It provided me with a sense of accomplishment in regards to my running that I had not had since college. To read all about my experience, check out my half marathon post! While the spring did bring many positive moments, it also began the start of some very challenging months, which continued into the summer. The stressful time and late nights of work often put a strain on our sanity. To help ease the stress, we relaxed by seeing multiple movies over the summer. We also met one of my goals of 2011, a goal that I never really thought would come true! Yes, we visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Click here for a full recap of our magical experience. It was fitting that we got to visit the Wizarding World this year, as it was basically the summer of Harry Potter! While the books are my favorite, the Harry Potter film series will always hold a special place in my heart! Luckily I now own all of the films on Blu-ray, but it isn't the same knowing I won't get to anticipate a new movie anymore...that is until the emo reboot in twenty years. We also visited Walt Disney World, my favorite place on earth! Here you can find all of our mini summer vacation blogs. We can't forget that we also celebrated SHARK WEEK over the summer as well...you know otherwise known as the greatest week in television.
The end of summer and beginning of fall started to bring many good things to the DUMP family. I accepted a new job, which I love, and the husband accepted a promotion about a month later! Now that we are adjusting to our new positions, we hopefully will get back into a regular blogging rhythm for 2012!
So that brings us here. Despite the challenges, I think 2011 proved to be quite a great year. We hope to make 2012 even better! As we mentioned previously, we saw several movies this year...some good and some bad. Below we will each rank our top five movies of 2011. If you would like to further discuss our choices or tell us yours, please comment!
The Wife:
1. The Muppets
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Captain America
4. The Hangover Part II
5. X-Men: First Class
Hobo Dan:
1. The Muppets
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Thor
4. Captain America
5. Sherlock Holmes
We wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe new year! Be sure to look for our first Movie Monday post of 2012, set to publish Jan. 2. We will be sharing our thoughts on the recently released The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Hobo Dan: And finally, because I know you all have been waiting patiently, the most viewed Dump the blog post of 2011 was... Statesticles with a huge 466 hits!
The Wife: Again, sorry for the lack of posts as of late. Like many of you the holidays are an extremely busy time for us. Pesky sinus infections don't help with blogging either! First off, we've failed to review two awesome movies that we've seen this month. Sadly, our collective favorite movie of 2011 will not receive it's own separate review due to time constraints. But, we will discuss it briefly! I know, I know, you are BURSTING with anticipation!
The new Muppet movie, The Muppets, is without a doubt the BEST movie of the year! We saw this when I was feeling under the weather, but at the same time had cabin fever and desperately needed out of the house! Well, this film proved to be excellent medicine! It perked both of our spirits right up. Growing up always loving the Muppets, made the nostalgia of the movie particularly great. It even brought a few tears to my eyes when they sang the infamous "Rainbow Connection." So if you haven't yet done so, plan to see The Muppets! It delivers laughs and is just plain fun — something we all need every now and then! We also saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and it too, did not disappoint. It was much like the first film, clever, witty and action packed. If you can't make it to the theatre to catch this flick, give it a view when it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD in a few months.
Hobo Dan: I was not kidding when I proclaimed on the Facebook that The Muppets is my favorite movie of 2011. There is nothing to dislike about this film. If you don’t like it, you have no soul. After a year of being beaten to a pulp by the economy and society and idiocy and reboots and sequels and everything else, The Muppets truly energized me and made me feel good, young and happy; even if for only a short time.
The Wife: We suppose we should discuss our Christmas celebrations too. As usual our holiday was great, despite the aforementioned pesky sinus infection. We both got a lot of great gifts, had fantastic food, including quite possibly the BEST turkey ever that WE cooked for Christmas Day dinner, and of course, enjoyed new and old traditions with family and friends. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, we hope your holidays were a blast!
So now for the burning question...how was our 2011? Well it's been quite an interesting year filled with new events and exciting change. For a year that started rather rough, it has ended quite well for both of us. The beginning of 2011 was filled with too much snow (funny now that we are complaining about the lack of snow where we live...grass is always greener right?). The winter months also brought the start of our Best Picture Project. Yes, we know it's been quite awhile since we last did a BPP review, but don't fret, more will be coming your way in 2012! In March we had quite a bit of fun on St. Patrick's Day! Gimme Da Gold! Then spring time brought about Easter and of course, my (the wife) birthday celebrations! Yes, celebrations, plural. Didn't you hear? My birthday is basically a month long holiday. FACT. Thanks to Charlie Sheen's insanity of the year, the slogan of this year's birthday bash was "Winning" as the tiger blood runs deep within my veins! On the day of my party, we also ran a 5K together and I took home a first place win! With my win, I got a $50 gift card to Dicks...so can we say...wait for it...wait for it...WINNING!
The spring also brought a personal accomplishment for me as I finally scratched "run a half marathon" off my bucket list. I successfully completed the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a challenge, but a great experience. It provided me with a sense of accomplishment in regards to my running that I had not had since college. To read all about my experience, check out my half marathon post! While the spring did bring many positive moments, it also began the start of some very challenging months, which continued into the summer. The stressful time and late nights of work often put a strain on our sanity. To help ease the stress, we relaxed by seeing multiple movies over the summer. We also met one of my goals of 2011, a goal that I never really thought would come true! Yes, we visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Click here for a full recap of our magical experience. It was fitting that we got to visit the Wizarding World this year, as it was basically the summer of Harry Potter! While the books are my favorite, the Harry Potter film series will always hold a special place in my heart! Luckily I now own all of the films on Blu-ray, but it isn't the same knowing I won't get to anticipate a new movie anymore...that is until the emo reboot in twenty years. We also visited Walt Disney World, my favorite place on earth! Here you can find all of our mini summer vacation blogs. We can't forget that we also celebrated SHARK WEEK over the summer as well...you know otherwise known as the greatest week in television.
The end of summer and beginning of fall started to bring many good things to the DUMP family. I accepted a new job, which I love, and the husband accepted a promotion about a month later! Now that we are adjusting to our new positions, we hopefully will get back into a regular blogging rhythm for 2012!
So that brings us here. Despite the challenges, I think 2011 proved to be quite a great year. We hope to make 2012 even better! As we mentioned previously, we saw several movies this year...some good and some bad. Below we will each rank our top five movies of 2011. If you would like to further discuss our choices or tell us yours, please comment!
The Wife:
1. The Muppets
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Captain America
4. The Hangover Part II
5. X-Men: First Class
Hobo Dan:
1. The Muppets
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
3. Thor
4. Captain America
5. Sherlock Holmes
We wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe new year! Be sure to look for our first Movie Monday post of 2012, set to publish Jan. 2. We will be sharing our thoughts on the recently released The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Hobo Dan: And finally, because I know you all have been waiting patiently, the most viewed Dump the blog post of 2011 was... Statesticles with a huge 466 hits!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Top Ten Christmas Movies
The Wife: Well here we are once again...It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry for our lack of Monday posts and movie reviews, it has been quite a busy fall for us! To make up for that we have an early holiday gift for you, our Top Ten Christmas Movies! These are the films we like to watch over and over and over and OVER again every holiday season!
Please note that all of these movies are so close, and with the exception of numbers one through three, it was very hard to rank them! So let's get started, shall we?
10. Die Hard — YES THIS DOES SO COUNT! Die Hard is a movie set at Christmas that brings the awesomeness of Bruce Willis and Carl Winslow...as a COP, of course! This film also has a young Snape in it. Basically Bruce Willis saves Christmas just like Rocky defeated communism. Win!
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon) — You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch! This flick doesn't need an explanation. I have watched this every Christmas since I was a tot!
8. The Santa Clause 2 — Not as good as the original, but still cute and funny. It just "feels" like Christmas in this movie and Tim Allen once again shines as Santa. This film paints a perfect picture of how I always dreamed the North Pole would look like as kid.
7. Jingle All the Way — I seriously LOVE this movie. I don't get the hate it tends to receive. I think Sinbad is hilarious in it and I love how it realistically portrays the crazy greed that the holiday season brings. Not to mention this movie is so unintentionally funny, and that makes it even more awesome! You would think that they would have given Arnold's kid in the movie a name that he could pronounce. Instead they named the kid Jamie, which sounds like "Chamie" in Arnold speak. "Chamie, get ya muddah on da phone please!" I would say that the little boy who plays Jamie is the only annoying aspect of this movie. George Lucas, did you not bother to watch this movie before casting this kid as a young Anakin Skywalker?
6. The Santa Clause — I wish I could put this movie higher on the list because I love it so much, but alas, I can't have a tie. As I mentioned earlier, Tim Allen is awesome in The Santa Clause movies. I credit this film for making me spell "Santa Claus" wrong for SEVERAL years. It also taught me that hot cocoa tastes best when "shaken, not stirred." The Santa Clause is simply wonderful. It's kid friendly, but has jokes that adults can enjoy too. As a child I was fiercely defensive when it came to the question of Santa's existence, so much so that I would argue with kids at school about it. I WANTED to believe and wasn't ready to let the magic of Christmas go. That's why I love this movie; it shows you that you can "believe" in Santa at any age. "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing."
5. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York — I absolutely LOVE this movie! When I was younger I preferred this over the original, however, due to nostalgia and my "older" taste, the first Home Alone is now my favorite. However, this movie is almost just as good. I credit Home Alone 2 for beginning my obsession with New York City. I still have yet to experience NYC at Christmas time, but it is on my list of things to do. Sure, people gripe that it's a carbon copy of the original movie mixed with more harmful traps, but I say why ruin a good thing? Home Alone 2 delivers just as many laughs and of course, gives you that warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling.
4. Elf — How can you not LOVE this movie? I could watch Elf year round! I love Will Ferrell and I love Christmas, so this is the perfect combination! Along with my sister-in-law, I can pretty much quote this movie word for word. Elf is a hilarious, fun Christmas movie. In fact, it has become our traditional movie of choice when we celebrate Christmas with the husband's dad and stepmom. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
3. Home Alone — Another favorite and probably one of my most constantly watched movies during the Christmas season. I LOVE Home Alone! This movie never gets old and I still laugh now just as much as I did when I first watched this at age five. I come from a rather large extended family, so it always reminds me of that. It also feels "Christmasy," so that's another reason why it's so good. When I watch Home Alone I find it necessary to have "a lovely cheese pizza just for me." I also always question if Kevin ever ate that awesome looking macaroni and cheese after his defeat of the wet bandits. Watching in 2011, I love noticing how dated this movie is and I love knowing that it couldn't be duplicated in the technology-savvy world we live in now. Home Alone simply makes me happy and it's not Christmas until I've watched this over and over, yes, and OVER again!
2. A Christmas Story — Many of you might be shocked that this isn't number one, but believe me it comes in at a very CLOSE SECOND to the number one Christmas movie. Again, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! A Christmas Story is just one of those classics that never gets old. It has so many great scenes and it's not Christmas until I watch this. While I own this movie, I still make sure I tune my television to 24 Hours of A Christmas Story starting on Christmas Eve evening. The dad is probably my favorite character. "Fra-gi-layyyy, must be Italian!" So many other great quotes come from this film as well. I love little brother Randy, especially when he is dressed in his snowsuit and "can't put his arms down!" Ralphie and his quest to get his perfect Christmas present, a Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air riffle, is classic! It reminds us of when we were little and desperately wanted our perfect Christmas present. The Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant is, of course, one of the best scenes. So politically incorrect, but hey, that makes it all the more funny. "Ra Ra Ra Ra!" I want a leg lamp...it's a major award!
1. Christmas Vacation — If you know me or my family at all this shouldn't come as a surprise! Christmas Vacation is my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time! It's hilarious and every year it just gets better and better! I always feel like I notice something new and funny with each viewing. Much like the jelly of the month club, my family quotes this movie all year because it is the gift that keeps on giving the whole year! Our quote fest really heats up on Thanksgiving! Clark Griswold's quest to have the perfect fun-old-fashioned-family-Christmas and all the obstacles it takes to achieve this equals awesome comedy. Cousin Eddie is at his best in this movie as well! To keep the blog clean, I won't do Eddie's famous quote from Christmas Vacation, but I am sure all you Christmas Vacation fans know it by heart! Clark's angry rants are another great aspect of this film. I should also mention that I love Rusty's facial expressions throughout this entire movie (by the way Big Bang Theory fans, Rusty is a young Leonard!). Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis are great too as are all the grandparents! Christmas Vacation gives me that holiday feel with laughter and, like many other movies on this list, it wouldn't be the holiday season without watching it several times. "And WHY is the carpet all wet, Todd?!" "I DON'T KNOW, MARGO!"
Before this post is wrapped like a perfect Christmas present, here are some honorable mentions: The Polar Express, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Muppet Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday in Handcuffs (yes, I know this is an ABC Family Original...but it's really cute), The Preacher's Wife and Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.
There are several other Christmas movies that I love, but it could take forever to mention them! Let us know your favorite Christmas movies! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Please note that all of these movies are so close, and with the exception of numbers one through three, it was very hard to rank them! So let's get started, shall we?
10. Die Hard — YES THIS DOES SO COUNT! Die Hard is a movie set at Christmas that brings the awesomeness of Bruce Willis and Carl Winslow...as a COP, of course! This film also has a young Snape in it. Basically Bruce Willis saves Christmas just like Rocky defeated communism. Win!
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon) — You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch! This flick doesn't need an explanation. I have watched this every Christmas since I was a tot!
8. The Santa Clause 2 — Not as good as the original, but still cute and funny. It just "feels" like Christmas in this movie and Tim Allen once again shines as Santa. This film paints a perfect picture of how I always dreamed the North Pole would look like as kid.
7. Jingle All the Way — I seriously LOVE this movie. I don't get the hate it tends to receive. I think Sinbad is hilarious in it and I love how it realistically portrays the crazy greed that the holiday season brings. Not to mention this movie is so unintentionally funny, and that makes it even more awesome! You would think that they would have given Arnold's kid in the movie a name that he could pronounce. Instead they named the kid Jamie, which sounds like "Chamie" in Arnold speak. "Chamie, get ya muddah on da phone please!" I would say that the little boy who plays Jamie is the only annoying aspect of this movie. George Lucas, did you not bother to watch this movie before casting this kid as a young Anakin Skywalker?
6. The Santa Clause — I wish I could put this movie higher on the list because I love it so much, but alas, I can't have a tie. As I mentioned earlier, Tim Allen is awesome in The Santa Clause movies. I credit this film for making me spell "Santa Claus" wrong for SEVERAL years. It also taught me that hot cocoa tastes best when "shaken, not stirred." The Santa Clause is simply wonderful. It's kid friendly, but has jokes that adults can enjoy too. As a child I was fiercely defensive when it came to the question of Santa's existence, so much so that I would argue with kids at school about it. I WANTED to believe and wasn't ready to let the magic of Christmas go. That's why I love this movie; it shows you that you can "believe" in Santa at any age. "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing."
5. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York — I absolutely LOVE this movie! When I was younger I preferred this over the original, however, due to nostalgia and my "older" taste, the first Home Alone is now my favorite. However, this movie is almost just as good. I credit Home Alone 2 for beginning my obsession with New York City. I still have yet to experience NYC at Christmas time, but it is on my list of things to do. Sure, people gripe that it's a carbon copy of the original movie mixed with more harmful traps, but I say why ruin a good thing? Home Alone 2 delivers just as many laughs and of course, gives you that warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling.
4. Elf — How can you not LOVE this movie? I could watch Elf year round! I love Will Ferrell and I love Christmas, so this is the perfect combination! Along with my sister-in-law, I can pretty much quote this movie word for word. Elf is a hilarious, fun Christmas movie. In fact, it has become our traditional movie of choice when we celebrate Christmas with the husband's dad and stepmom. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
3. Home Alone — Another favorite and probably one of my most constantly watched movies during the Christmas season. I LOVE Home Alone! This movie never gets old and I still laugh now just as much as I did when I first watched this at age five. I come from a rather large extended family, so it always reminds me of that. It also feels "Christmasy," so that's another reason why it's so good. When I watch Home Alone I find it necessary to have "a lovely cheese pizza just for me." I also always question if Kevin ever ate that awesome looking macaroni and cheese after his defeat of the wet bandits. Watching in 2011, I love noticing how dated this movie is and I love knowing that it couldn't be duplicated in the technology-savvy world we live in now. Home Alone simply makes me happy and it's not Christmas until I've watched this over and over, yes, and OVER again!
2. A Christmas Story — Many of you might be shocked that this isn't number one, but believe me it comes in at a very CLOSE SECOND to the number one Christmas movie. Again, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! A Christmas Story is just one of those classics that never gets old. It has so many great scenes and it's not Christmas until I watch this. While I own this movie, I still make sure I tune my television to 24 Hours of A Christmas Story starting on Christmas Eve evening. The dad is probably my favorite character. "Fra-gi-layyyy, must be Italian!" So many other great quotes come from this film as well. I love little brother Randy, especially when he is dressed in his snowsuit and "can't put his arms down!" Ralphie and his quest to get his perfect Christmas present, a Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air riffle, is classic! It reminds us of when we were little and desperately wanted our perfect Christmas present. The Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant is, of course, one of the best scenes. So politically incorrect, but hey, that makes it all the more funny. "Ra Ra Ra Ra!" I want a leg lamp...it's a major award!
1. Christmas Vacation — If you know me or my family at all this shouldn't come as a surprise! Christmas Vacation is my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time! It's hilarious and every year it just gets better and better! I always feel like I notice something new and funny with each viewing. Much like the jelly of the month club, my family quotes this movie all year because it is the gift that keeps on giving the whole year! Our quote fest really heats up on Thanksgiving! Clark Griswold's quest to have the perfect fun-old-fashioned-family-Christmas and all the obstacles it takes to achieve this equals awesome comedy. Cousin Eddie is at his best in this movie as well! To keep the blog clean, I won't do Eddie's famous quote from Christmas Vacation, but I am sure all you Christmas Vacation fans know it by heart! Clark's angry rants are another great aspect of this film. I should also mention that I love Rusty's facial expressions throughout this entire movie (by the way Big Bang Theory fans, Rusty is a young Leonard!). Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis are great too as are all the grandparents! Christmas Vacation gives me that holiday feel with laughter and, like many other movies on this list, it wouldn't be the holiday season without watching it several times. "And WHY is the carpet all wet, Todd?!" "I DON'T KNOW, MARGO!"
Before this post is wrapped like a perfect Christmas present, here are some honorable mentions: The Polar Express, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Muppet Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday in Handcuffs (yes, I know this is an ABC Family Original...but it's really cute), The Preacher's Wife and Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.
There are several other Christmas movies that I love, but it could take forever to mention them! Let us know your favorite Christmas movies! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Top Ten Halloween Movies
The Wife: Happy Halloween everyone! Since today is Monday I am sure that many of you celebrated Halloween over the weekend. I hope it was a great "spooktacular" time. <-Yay for holiday cheesiness! We had a pretty good Halloween. Thursday was Trick or Treat where we live, so that was the day my work had a Halloween costume contest. I got to dress up as a zombie with some of my co-workers as we were "The Working Dead," a play off of The Walking Dead TV series. It was pretty much epic. I didn't think I had it in me to dress scary, but my zombiness was quite frightening! We also attended a Halloween party over the weekend and I dressed as a "Hocus Pocus" witch, while the husband went as Oscar the Grouch. Yes, Oscar the Grouch.
Now that you've all had your fill of candy corn and other Halloween candy treats, it is time for us to countdown our Top Ten Halloween movies. Now, this list is going to be bizarre to some of you Halloween hard core folks. Halloween the movie is not on here as I have never seen the ORIGINAL Halloween all the way through...just bits and pieces. Our movies are ones that we truly find scary or simply convey a Halloween feel. Let's get started, shall we?
10. Underworld series — These movies really aren't scary, but they are awesome! The werewolves and vampires aspect can allow it to be included in our top Halloween films. The storyline and action are awesome. We must note that we can't wait for the next installment of the Underworld franchise, which is coming out this winter!
9. The Amityville Horror — This one has been re-made several times. The latest version, which stars Ryan Reynolds, is pretty awesome. I was on the edge of my seat the first time I viewed this movie and was truly freaked out. It was just so creepy! I've read that the movie is based on true events too, which make it all the more scary.
8. Halloweentown — Ok, here is the first "kids" movie on the list. Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that first aired in 1998. Wow, that seems so long ago now! I love the general feel of this movie and it is really cute. I still enjoy watching it to this day. I think the plot is pretty good and well, like I said, it's just cute. Several sequels to Halloweentown have since aired, but the original is the best. Halloweentown also gets the edge over The Amityville Horror because I usually only get to watch Halloweentown during the Halloween season.
7. Psycho — This movie is amazing! If this wasn't just a top ten Halloween movie list, Psycho would be ranked much higher. I need to note that I am talking about the original Psycho film before I continue. Psycho is beyond creepy and very scary! Just writing about this makes me hear the famous music score in my head, which always gives me chills! "I'm Norma Bates!"
6. Silence of the Lambs — Like with Psycho, if this was more than a top ten Halloween movie list, Silence of the Lambs would be ranked much higher! It is probably one of the best films I've ever seen! It is crazy creepy and it is scary in the way that I believe something like this could actually happen. While I find Hannibal Lecter creepy, Buffalo Bill is one of the scariest movie villains of all time! For the sake of keeping this blog clean, I will not even write his famous quote, which haunts my dreams! I am sure you all know what scene I am referring too! Silence of the Lambs, the only Best Picture winner on the list, is just an amazing movie. "Hello, Clarice!"
5. Scream series — I am a huge fan of the Scream series! I love these movies and I can't really explain why! I think most people either hate or love Scream. I find the movies to be hilarious and they are super fun to watch in marathon format this time of year. The latest in the franchise is great and even though the husband doesn't care for the series, he took me to see it when it came out on my birthday in April! If you've never seen any of the Scream films, you should really give them a shot!
4. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown — Does this even need an explanation? Seriously the Peanuts gang is just awesome as is this movie. This movie truly makes Halloween. I love it just as much now as I did when I was a tot!
3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show — LOVE THIS! One of my favorite musicals by far. It has a creepy vibe but is super fun. I love the soundtrack and keep the songs on my iPod year-round! Tim Curry is just amazing in his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter! He is so good that every time I see him now in Home Alone 2 all I can picture is him singing "Sweet Transvestite." Scienceeee fictionnnn, doubllleeee feature! Yes, that was me just singing as I typed. Winning! This movie is especially great if you watch it at midnight like tradition calls for. My goal is to see a performance live at midnight, and of course, attend the event in costume. I think I could rock the Magenta look!
2. Trick 'R Treat — This is a relatively new movie to the Halloween classics. The atmosphere of this film and the creativity of how four separate Halloween stories connect is really good. Sure, this movie is cheesy, but it is still a favorite tradition of ours. I think all Halloween fans will like or at least be mildly entertained by Trick 'R Treat. The way the town that the movie is set in celebrates Halloween is awesome. I always wished that my area would celebrate Halloween like that. Trick 'R Treat also teaches us to be respectful and follow the rules of Halloween...or else!
And finally...the number one Halloween movie...
1. Hocus Pocus — My favorite Halloween movie of all time! It's not Halloween unless I watch Hocus Pocus! Sure it can be classed as a "kids" movie, but honestly it never gets old! Like I discussed in the paragraph above about Trick 'R Treat, the atmosphere of Hocus Pocus makes the movie! The film is set in Salem, Massachusetts, where the famous witch trials took place. The halloween spirit and celebration in this movie is amazing. I always wished my neighborhood would go all out for Halloween like the town in this movie does. I also love the crisp fall feel of the film. The acting is great too. Bette Midler knocks it out of the park as the head witch, Winifred. Sarah Jessica Parker never looked better. Thora Birch, who is only a child in this movie, was a good actress even back then! I always loved Binks the cat and wanted my own talking cat as a kid. I remember having a crush on the kid who plays Max when I was little too. I also remember asking my mother "what's a virgin?" when I was younger and would watch this. Oh the innocence of youth! My favorite scene in the movie is when the Sanderson sisters sing "I Put a Spell on You."
So before we wrap this post up we give you the following clip... yes, thank you, Max, for that MARVELOUS introduction!
Please share with us your favorite Halloween movies! We'd love to read all about them. Happy Halloween! Remember to start thinking of your favorite Christmas movies as we will be posting our top ten in December!
Now that you've all had your fill of candy corn and other Halloween candy treats, it is time for us to countdown our Top Ten Halloween movies. Now, this list is going to be bizarre to some of you Halloween hard core folks. Halloween the movie is not on here as I have never seen the ORIGINAL Halloween all the way through...just bits and pieces. Our movies are ones that we truly find scary or simply convey a Halloween feel. Let's get started, shall we?
And finally...the number one Halloween movie...
So before we wrap this post up we give you the following clip... yes, thank you, Max, for that MARVELOUS introduction!
Please share with us your favorite Halloween movies! We'd love to read all about them. Happy Halloween! Remember to start thinking of your favorite Christmas movies as we will be posting our top ten in December!
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