Nostra at My Filmviews created yet another inspiring way to use our thinking caps and share our love for the movies to the general public. Many of my favorite bloggers have partaken in this experiment, some with entertaining and candid results. I hope my post will be as enlightening to others as it was for me.

Which classic movie don’t you like/can’t enjoy and why?
I can’t get into Apocalypse Now at all. I think Psycho is way overrated. And Casablanca, Citizen Kane and Gone with the Wind bored me to tears. What the hell is wrong with me?

Actually, in all fairness, let me retract Citizen Kane. I actually admired the film. Kane is a technological achievement, and Welles deserves recognition for what he has contributed to the film industry. But I just couldn’t enjoy it. Coppola and Hitchcock, directors I greatly admire, have made far better films, in my ever-so-humble opinion.

Which ten classic movies haven’t you seen yet?
Embarrasing. But rest assured. They are all in the Netflix queue and will be seen some day. Soon. Before I die.

The Godfather
Ben-Hur
Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Love the Bomb
The Grapes of Wrath
Paths of Glory
Strangers on a Train
Scarface
Double Indemnity
On the Waterfront
To Kill a Mockingbird

Have you sneaked into another movie at the cinema?
I used to do it many times in high school, but never since then. As long as I paid for one film and got a snack, it was not wrong to stick around for another film. This practice does not weigh heavily on my conscience. One day, however, my buddy Pete and I saw four different films back to back in the theater, paying only for one. Ok, I feel a little guilty about that, but I’ll never forget that day. The euphoria of spending an entire hot summer day in an air-conditioned movie theater was everlasting. Phenomenon, Kingpin, Jane Austen’s Mafia, and The Frighteners. Sure, some of these titles don’t quite hold up today, but we enjoyed every single one of them at the time.

Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?
I’ve noticed many people picked Will Ferrell, and I hate sounding like a broken record but I have to agree. Ferrell just isn’t that funny. I also steer away from folks like Vince Vaughn, Kate Hudson, Paul Dano, Jason Schwartzman, Keira Knightley and Zach Galifianakis. They just rub me the wrong way almost every time I see them.

From which big director have you never seen any movie and why?
I’m guilty of not seeing a single film from Fellini, Kurasawa and Bergman. I plan to have this rectified soon, but I just need the motivation. I’m so stuck on catching up with newer releases that I often push aside stuff I really should be paying attention to. How do I get out of this rut?

Which movie do you love that is generally hated?
Oh, goodness. So many. Anaconda. Disorganized Crime. Dutch. The Village. Stuck on You. Sabrina (the Harrison Ford version). All bombs and all keepers in my book. But the one film I really love that always comes back to haunt me and so many people hate: Last Action Hero. I found it so much fun and I can’t believe so many other fans of movies dissed this one. Everything about it just works for me. “No sequel for you!”

Have you ever been “one of those annoying people” at the cinema?
Never! I sit down, shut up and enjoy the film. And so should you! I get pissed when people continue to talk during the previews. Unacceptable!

Did you ever watch a movie, which you knew in advance would be bad, just because a specific actor/actress was in it? Which one and why?
I was (and still am, goddamnit) a big Harrison Ford fan. I see everything he does. So when I saw Random Hearts in the theaters back in 1999, I was hoping it wasn’t as bad as the critics said it was. I rallied for him, I knew there was another hit in it for him. Boy, was I wrong. Random Hearts was a horrible, horrible film and his career was going downhill and fast. There was nothing I could have done to stop it. 

I still cling onto the hope that the Harrison Ford I once knew and loved in the 70′s through the 90′s will be back.

I’m still waiting.

Did you ever not watch movies because of subtitles?
Because of my hearing impairment, I have the captions on all of the time. Subtitles are nothing but a variation of captions. So, the short answer: no.

Are there any movies in your collection that you’ve had for more than five years and never watched?
I don’t buy films I don’t like or haven’t seen. But I am guilty of purchasing films that I love and never watching them. That’s why I stopped buying movies. My collection of over 250 movies hasn’t really grown much in the past several years. Y tu Mama Tambien is still sealed, dammit. And I love that film!

What are the worst movies in your collection and why do you own them?
My stagnant movie collection is filled with nothing but goodies! But that’s all subjective, isn’t it?

Do you have any confessions about your movie watching setup at home?
I used to have 5.1 surround sound until my DVD player (which acted as a receiver) went kaput. I got a good deal on a new one, which does not have surround sound capabilities and rendered me unable to hook it up again. When money is no longer an issue, I’ll get it set up right again. Meanwhile, my 50″ flat screen plasma is over 6 years old and works like a charm. Google TV/Blu-Ray player and Apple TV are new additions to the set up, and I’m loving them. Roku is in the bedroom, attached to my 32″ flat screen LCD.

Any other confessions you want to make?
I still love Harrison Ford. I’m sorry. He’s like family, and you never, ever leave your family. He can do all of the Random Hearts and Firewalls and Cowboys & Aliens he wants to, and I’m still going to love him.

I really, really, really want Dumb and Dumber 2 to get off the ground. ONLY if Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are attached, of course. It goes against my conflicted feelings of remakes and sequels, but I don’t care. This needs to happen.

Oh, and I’d totally sleep with George Clooney.

And Charlize Theron.

Simultaneously.

Did I just go too far?

I can’t believe Nostra began this series way back in March. This relay has taken all sorts of crazy and unpredictable turns! I’ve seen some of my favorite on-screen performers come and go from this ever-evolving list. I’m the 20th recipient of this relay and I don’t think my choice of actor will rock the boat too much.

To sum up the point of all this, in Nostra’s words:

So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the best actors. At the end I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. The blogger will have to remove one actor (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. The idea is to make this a long race, so that each blogger gets a chance to remove and add an actor. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors.

The Previous Entries:

• My Film Views
• The Focused Filmographer
• Front Room Cinema
• I Love That Film
• FlixChatter
• All Eyes On Screen
• Time Well Spent
• The Warning Sign
• moviesandsongs365
• And So It Begins…
• cinematic corner.
• Andy Buckle’s Film Emporium
• Duke and the Movies
• Southern Vision
• Defiant Success
• Cinematic Paradox
• Encore Entertainment
• Okinawa Assault
• Amiresque

The Actors

Bogart

Brando

Day-Lewis

De Niro

Fiennes

Newman

Nicholson

Burton

Sellers

Can I start off by saying that I love this list as it stands right now? I was bummed to see some other actors go, but seeing the likes of Nicholson, Newman, Fiennes, Brando, etc., just makes me proud to be a film geek among film geeks. That said, removing one of the actors on the previous list was an easy choice for me. I didn’t hesitate. I have nothing negative to say about the guy; it’s just that my personal viewing experience doesn’t warrant his inclusion on my own top ten list of actors.

Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin is a legend. An icon. One of the most influential giants of the movie industry. I’ve only seen one of his films – Modern Times - and that was in film school over 15 years ago. Silent films are simply not on my radar, but I do recognize the importance – and sheer brilliance – of the format. Chaplin was a pioneer in front of the camera and behind. His inclusion on this list is justified.

However, I needed to make room for another giant. Literally and figuratively.

Bridges 

Jeff Bridges, standing tall at 6’1″, has been an acting powerhouse since 1971 and is still going strong.  In fact, I had it narrowed down to two actors. Bridges and Dustin Hoffman. I love Hoffman and have been waiting for his inclusion on here since its inception. But what made me pick Bridges over Hoffman? Consistency. Jeff Bridges has been consistently good throughout his entire 40-year-plus career. Looking at his body of work made it very clear to me that he belongs on this list. 

His versatility was apparent right from the get go. The Last Picture Show (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Stay Hungry (1976), and Tron (1982) showed us that Bridges was not going to be pigeonholed inside of a particular genre.  The 80′s, in fact, were really good to him. He released Starman (1984), Against All Odds (1984) and Jagged Edge (1985) within one year from each other, certifying him as a box office star. He sizzled on screen with Jane Fonda (The Morning After [1986]), Kim Basinger (Nadine [1987]), and Farrah Fawcett (See You in the Morning [1989]). He went from a matinee idol to an esteemed actor with some spectacular, high-caliber performances in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), The Fisher King (1991), American Heart (1992) and Fearless (1993). He was no longer a movie star. He was now an actor.

In the years that followed, Bridges mixed it up. The Big Lebowski (1998), The Contender (2000) and The Door in the Floor (2004) are my personal favorite performances from Jeff Bridges. The amount of range and depth he has shown in his body of work never fails to amaze me, and those three roles showed me how good he can be when he is firing on all cylinders. Bridges, of course, has made a few mediocre films, but he always remains an interesting figure on screen. Blown Away (1994), White Squall (1996), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), and Arlington Road (1999) are not great films, but Bridges has made them highly watchable. I can think of moments in each of those films that worked because of Bridges and that wonderfully expressive face of his.

The last decade had its share of ups and downs. He led the charge with the well-received Seabiscuit (2003) and created a memorable villain as Obadiah Stane in Iron Man (2008). I admired his performances some very small films, like The Amateurs (2005), Stick It (2006) and The Open Road (2009). The return to his Kevin Flynn/Clu characters in Tron: Legacy (2010) was remarkably good. The film was flawed, but go back and soak in his dual, layered performances. He was more dazzling than the special effects. Then there’s the one-two punch that finally led him to his long-deserved Oscar. He’s phenomenal in Crazy Heart (2009), a movie I didn’t love. But his performance was typical, masterful Bridges. And wasn’t he just about perfect in True Grit (2010)?

Jeff Bridges is irreplacable. I hope he stays on this list for a long, long time. I know if this were my personal Top Ten, he’d never come off!

But since it’s not my personal list, I gotta pass it along. The buck now stops with Diana at Aziza’s Picks. Go crazy, Diana!

Last week, a fine young writer from Tijuana decided to pass along the 7X7 Link Award to seven bloggers who he deemed to be interesting and wonderful. He inexplicably chose me as one of them. I’m flattered, humbled, and honored. Fernando is a terrific writer and I think his blog is one of the best out there; do yourselves a favor and become lifelong followers. I think you’ll agree with me in knowing that this young fella has pretty awesome taste in movies.

So I thank you, Fernando, for selecting me as one of the recipients and it would be my pleasure to pass along the torch to folks whose blogs are well-deserving in accolades and, more importantly, are worthy of your attention.

But first, we have some business to take care of.

Rule #1: Reveal something about me that no one else knows

Well, everyone I’m close to knows about my childhood idol. But you guys? My fellow film bloggers and the world at large? Ya’all probably didn’t know that I had a major, major (platonic!) adoration for all things Harrison Ford when I was growing up in the 80′s and 90′s. I had posters of him on my wall. I devoted my papers on him in middle school and high school (I even did an essay on Indy in college!). I saw all of his films on opening night. I saved magazine articles on anything pertaining to him. I absolutely, truly loved this man, as much as a straight fella can possibly love another dude.

I still dig the guy, I do. I just wish he would make better movies. And lose the earring.

Rule #2: Link to one of my posts that I personally think best fits the following categories

-Most Beautiful
I don’t consider any of my posts “beautiful” but if I were to harbor a guess, I’d say my thoughts on City of Angels and Joe Vs The Volcano are rather sweet because in both pieces I discuss love, life and the beauty of an awakening soul.

And both movies happen to star Meg Ryan. Go figure.

-Most Helpful
If any of my hidden treasures or spotlights help my readers see something they normally would not have seen, then I consider that helpful.

-Most Popular
In terms of hits, the most popular post on Flickers is by far the 5 Best piece on Gary Oldman. That post apparently comes up on Google’s search engine whenever you type in Oldman or his movies because since I wrote it one year ago, it got over 18,000 hits! But as far as comments are concerned, the most amount a single post has received is a mere 15 (for the recent essay My Movie Year: 1994). It may be a low number for many of you, but that’s ok. I like to keep things low key around here.

-Most Controversial
Flickers is not one for controversy. But I did think I would stir up a little chatter about my post on the 5 best Stephen King movie adaptations because of my high opinion on such poorly received films like Needful Things or the TV version of The Shining. But alas, not a single comment or objection to be found.

-Most Surprisingly Successful
I’m always surprised when any of my posts are recognized by my fellow peers. Surprised and delighted, of course! Specifically, the posts with the most correspondence are my Quick Takes. I’m always satisfied when there’s correspondence on my blog.

-Most Underrated
I wish my Mission: Impossible and Buffy the Vampire Slayer gush-fests had some kind of feedback. I loved the original Mission: Impossible, a crackling mid-90s blockbuster that deserved far more attention than it ever got. Ditto for Buffy, one of the greatest TV shows of all time, which was saddled with low ratings and dismissed as that dorky “vampire” show with the bimbo name. Come on, now! I know there are die hard fans out there like me! I thought my pieces outlined the awesomeness of these great, overlooked pieces of entertainment. Right? Hello? Bueller?

-Most Prideful
The Gene Wilder piece, hands down. I loved this one. I had such a blast writing it; it’s such a personal one for me. Those who don’t know me too well will find some surprising revelations. Give it a gander, will ya?

Rule #3: Pass this award on to seven other bloggers

In other words, these are seven bloggers I can’t live without. To the best of my knowledge, these fine folks have not received this award. If I’m wrong, well, then they are doubly blessed! Here they are, arranged alphabetically.

Amiresque
Amir’s blog was actually among the first I have come across as a new film blogger. It struck a chord with me because he was doing what I had wanted to do – write about movies. He doesn’t write about every film he sees but chooses very specific topics and expands on them with intelligence and wit. I’ve been a loyal follower ever since. My only wish is that he would write more! Recommended reading: Take a look at his extensive series of highlights of the best of 2011.

Franz Patrick’s Film Archive
I “met” Franz on twitter before I had even seen his blog. I didn’t have to read his posts to realize that he is a droll, funny, and pretty damn smart young man. (He’s a medical scientist, for crying out loud!) He writes great, brief reviews on his crisp and appealing blog. His tastes are wide-ranging, as you can see from his eclectic mix of reviews to the quotations on his blog’s sidebar. In one swift move, he’ll recite lines from The Dreamers to Blood Simple to Mean Girls! Recommended reading: his take on Another Year just nails what Mike Leigh was going for. It’s a review I couldn’t have written better myself.

The Kid in the Front Row
Who is this guy? Shrouded in mystery and yet incredibly revealing, this “kid” opens himself up with phenomenal posts on (among other things) writing, film criticism, and the magic of Hollywood. On his exhaustive blog, he does reviews, interviews, short stories, and just random bursts of creative writing. He clearly has a deep passion for film and the written word. What amazes me more is that he spits out these posts at an alarming frequency. Does he ever sleep?! Recommended reading: all of it, if you have time! But more recently, I really dug his TKITFR Acting Class where he lists 10 crucial things an up-and-coming actor must do to prepare for a career in Hollywood.

Red Dirt Lattes
Not quite an entertainment blog, but there is a Hollywood connection! It’s written by Sabrina Lloyd, who played Natalie on Aaron Sorkin’s much-loved, much-missed series, Sports Night. When the show ended, she packed her bags, uprooted her toddler and left Hollywood with her husband to explore the world. This blog is not just your typical travelogue. It’s a gorgeous, poetic look of a world most of us are very unfamiliar with. Lloyd is a gifted photographer and a beautiful lyricist. Recommended reading: her recent trip to Italy is quite the eye-opener.

A Swede Talks Movies
Emil loves film. Well, don’t we all? But what makes him stand out from the pack is that his love for the medium is new and fresh. Until fairly recently, his interests were geared towards comics, wrestling, books etc. He just never cared about movies. But suddenly, as if someone lit a fuse within him, he found a passion. This blog is an enlightening read from a dude who is discovering new films every single day. Also, I find it amazing that he and I share remarkably similar tastes, despite having radically different backgrounds and living half a world apart. Recommended reading: his post about actors you cannot stand is a very entertaining read.

Television Lady
When I first viewed Anna’s profile picture, I knew she was someone special. No, it wasn’t a picture of herself. It was a striking photo of Elizabeth Mitchell from the dearly departed show, Lost. Oh, Juliet. How I’ve missed you so. Her love for Lost and other great television is well-documented on her terrific blog. She also digs Airplane, Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption. Now that’s good taste all around! Bonus tidbit: she writes for the Examiner! Recommended reading: if you want to dig back through her archive, you’ll find some choice pieces on the awesomeness that is Lost.

What is Ann Watching?
I only recently “met” Ann and was pleasantly surprised by her taste in films and television. Like Anna and myself, she is an equal opportunity lover of great films and addictive television. Her tasteful blog features thoughts ranging from TV’s The Killing and Justified to the recent release of Chronicle to classic films like Night and the City. She’s fairly new to the blogging world like myself but I’ve got the feeling she’s just getting started. Recommended reading: her hilarious piece on scary movies for mothers and daughters is a must read.

This post was written as part of Fandango Groover’s blogathon, My Movie Year, which celebrates our favorite year in movies.

1994 was a very big year for me. Personally speaking, it was the year I met a girl who would later become my wife and mother of my children. I was 15 and high school graduation was two years away. It was a time of discovery. Of myself, my life, my loves, my passions. I already knew I had a fondness for movies, but after the slate of films that came out in 1994, my escalating attachment to the medium was unstoppable.

Among the highlights:

It was the year I fell in love with Paul Newman.

It was the year Sandra Bullock, Kate Winslet and Natalie Portman took the world by storm.

It was the year Quentin Tarantino left his indelible mark and took the entire motion picture industry by surprise.

It was the year that Tom Hanks became our generation’s Cary Grant.

It was a year that saw Jim Carrey, Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Morgan Freeman at the top of their game.

Independent filmmaking was thriving in Hollywood and they were a considerable force to be reckoned with. They started competing with the big blockbusters and garnered esteemed reputation. Roman Polanski and John Sayles made two very small, very well-regarded films and continued their steady rise as well-respected movie makers. I continue to admire their efforts today.

Jeff Daniels and Meg Ryan played against type and earned their best reviews to date. He, a serious and subtle performer, showed us that he has the chops to pull off obscene physical comedy. She, a box office heavyweight with a flair for fluffy rom-coms, showed considerable talent in soapy melodrama. They took risks this year and earned a newfound respect from me. I’ve been fans of their work ever since.

It was the year we said goodbye to Jessica Tandy with her last role.

It was the year we said hello, again, to John Travolta.

It was a year where we never looked at a box of chocolates, a bus coasting on the freeway, laxatives and a boat on the beach the same way again.

It was a year that was impossible to forget. In my Best of the Year post of 1994, I had no less than 15 films that I gave my highest rating. 15 movies that I’m happy to call my favorites.

For the purpose of this blogathon, here are five of those films that truly define how remarkable this year is. These films transcended their respectful genres and became timeless classics.

Forrest Gump

In my year-end round up, I wrote, “On paper, the film sounds impossible to pull off, but everything works perfectly. The flashback structure, the blending of reality and fiction, the litany of memorable one-liners, the seamless and ground-breaking effects, the gorgeous set design …all of these elements collaborate together so well, one has to assume it’s a miracle that this film even worked.” One of my favorite films of all-time, Forrest Gump is what I like to call a Top 5 contender. I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about it.

Pulp Fiction
I wrote, “It is one of the most influential films of all time, an exercise of pure kinetic filmmaking, infused with crackling dialogue, a fractured, mind-blowing narrative structure, and career-defining performances by long-established actors.” Pulp Fiction got me excited about filmmaking. Movies became more than just a place to escape to. Movies became art, a craft I eventually learned to study and appreciate.

The Shawshank Redemption
I wrote, “There is a reason why this film remains at the top of IMDb’s Best 250 films of all time. It’s a universally embraced drama about hope and freedom.” In an age of cynicism and despair, The Shawshank Redemption is a ray of sunshine. One of the few films where my tears are actually tears of joy.

Speed
I wrote, “Wild, fast, and incredible to look at, Speed is the ultimate summer flick, the very best in the entire decade.” Action films don’t get better than this. Visceral, thrilling, violent, funny. Amid all of the chaos, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock emerged from the wreckage to became bona-fide movie stars.

Dumb & Dumber
I wrote, “In the funniest film of the year, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels made the most unlikely comic duo and succeeded with flying colors. There’s nothing quite better than a twisted comedy that still holds up after several years and repeated viewings.” Of course, comedy is subjective, but for my money, there are very few films funnier than this one. My appreciation for Jeff Daniels grew exponentially while my love for Jim Carrey swelled even more.