butch cassidy and the sundance kid

the year: 1969

the genre: western


the cast: Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy); Robert Redford (Sundance Kid); Katherine Ross (Etta Place)


the plot: Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, and Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia".


don't miss: the friendly banter between Butch and Sundance.


listen for: "Is that what you call giving cover?" "Is that what you call running? If I knew you were going to stroll..."


did you know: this movie was filmed on the sound stage next to Hello, Dolly! Director George Roy Hill believed that the studio would allow him to film the New York scenes on "Dolly's" sets, since the two films' daily shooting schedules were totally different. After production started, though, the studio informed him that it wanted to keep the sets for "Dolly" a secret and refused him permission. To work around this, Hill had Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Katharine Ross simply pose on the sets as photos were taken of them. He then inserted images of the three stars into a series of 300 actual period photos and spliced the two different sets (real and posed) together to form the New York montage.


extra bonus points: if you know why Sundance doesn't want to jump off the cliff.



disclaimer for Erika: the ending is bittersweet.

my life in ruins

the year: 2009

the genre: comedy


the cast: Nia Vardalos (Georgia); Richard Dreyfuss (Irv); Alexis Georgoulis (Poupi Kakas)


the plot: Georgia is an American academic who's lost her teaching job in Athens and taken a job as a tour guide - which she hates (and it and it shows). Her latest group of tourists is much like the others - bored with history and more interested in shopping - and includes a frat boy, a sullen teen, a feuding couple, divorcées on the prowl, a silent driver and lots of other fun characters. AND the bus doesn't have air conditioning. But thanks to an unlikely friendship, some daisies, an ice-cream cone, the history of syrup, and the Oracle at Delphi, Georgia may have a shot at finding her kefi during this four-day tour.


don't miss: the stereotypical tourists. And how Nico gets payback.


listen for: "Sweet marble cake! She speaks American."


extra bonus points: if you know who plays the creepy hotel clerk.



disclaimer: there's one make out scene to skip. You'll know it when you get there.

abc's: d - e

Darling Lili


Daddy Long Legs


Emporer's New Groove


Easter Parade


El Dorado

What are your favorite "D and E" movies?

quotes: texas our texas

Name the movie:

1. At home we had a pet skunk. Mama used to call it Justin Matisse. Do you think that's just a coincidence? All day long she would to scream, "You stink Justin Matisse!" Then one day she just picked up a club and killed it.

2. Taco? Nacho? Burrito?
No, I'm looking for el hot dog-o.

3. Hey, sheriff, you forgot your pants.

4. Well. We'll see what the man's sellin'. THEN we'll shoot him.

5. Step down off your high horse, Mister. Ya don't get lard less'n you boil a hog!

6. You need to talk to me?

7. Jim Morris, I'm a Texas woman, which means I don't need the help of a man to keep things running.

guess who.

When Bela Lugosi died virtually penniless, he quietly paid for the funeral.

He and several of his friends were banned from Marilyn Monroe's funeral by Joe DiMaggio.

He owned an extensive collection of electric toy trains. He had coveted electric trains as a boy and set up a track that wove through the path of his career. The train started at a replica of the Hoboken train station.

He served as a mentor to performer Harry Connick Jr., whom he referred to as "The Kid".

A provision in his will was that if anyone contested it, they would be automatically disinherited.

He was originally signed on to play Billy Bigelow in Carousel, but he walked off the set on the first day of filming after he found out that they were going to shoot each scene twice, using two different lens sizes, and was quoted as saying "I was paid to make one movie, not two".

quotes: aloha!

Match the movie/tv show to the quote:

Lilo & Stitch
From Here to Eternity
The Brady Bunch: Hawaii Bound
Ride th Wild Surf
Hawaii Five-O
Pearl Harbor

1. These are not only decorative but they also keep my neck warm.

2. You're a funny boy. One minute you're shooting harpoons at someone and the next, you're very nice.

3. Prew, it's true we love each other now, we need each other, but back in the States it might be different.

4. This is Ward Three, and as you can see, no patients. Welcome to Hawaii.

5. Blue punch buggy... no punch-back!

6. How can they land such a big plane on such a little island?!

7. Book him, Danno. Murder one.

the fighting prince of donegal

the year: 1966

the genre: adventure


the cast: Peter McEnery (Hugh O'Donnell); Susan Hampshire (Kathleen McSweeney); Tom Adams (Henry O'Neill); Gordon Jackson (Captain Leeds)


the plot: Hugh O'Donnell inherits the title of The O'Donnell, the prince of Donegal, and tries to unite Ireland to make war on England. But then Hugh is kidnapped and imprisoned by the Viceroy of Ireland and held ransom for the Clans' good behavior. Hugh must escape prison and the Viceroy's villainous henchman, Captain Leeds, before he can fight.


don't miss: some good ole Disney adventure. I remember watching this as a kid and loving the dashing Peter McEnery. (sigh) Watch the trailer here.


extra bonus points: if you can name another Disney movie that stars Peter McEnery - and another that stars Susan Hampshire.


listen for: "You spent a lot of time chasing everything in skirts. Now you'll know how it feels."


did you know: The song "O'Donnell Aboo," which is sung at the film's conclusion was not written until the 1840s and refers to events in the Nine Year's War, which took place from 1593 to 1602. The film begins in 1587, prior to the conflict.


also listen for: "The Queen does not bluff. She's a politician, yes, but she's a realist. She'd hang her grandmother if she was a threat to the crown."

abc's: c

Call Me Madam


Chocolat


Christmas in Connecticut


Charade


The Court Jester


What are your favorite "C" movies?

homage: independence day

Ok. I'm going to confess.

Independence Day is one of my favorite movies. And a rarity because I still enjoy watching it even after substantial mocking (by me and others) while viewing.

I watch it every 4th of July.
I know, I know - there are more patriotic/less fluffy movies I could watch to celebrate the birth of our nation, but I try to limit most heavy movie watching to my annual Memorial Day Tear Fest.

So join me if you will in a slightly lengthy, tongue-in-cheek look at my favorite disaster movie. So far.
(I've heard that Day After Tomorrow is pretty mockable.)


This guy obviously flunked his cadet training on "Decision Making in Crisis Situations: Or Why You Should Never Park Your Patrol Car in the Middle of the Road".


Anyone else remember cordless phones the size of Cadillacs? Me either.


Of all the disaster victims, this guy would have to be my favorite. I think he was listed in the credits as "Guy Who Sits and Watches a Firetruck Sail Across the Sky and Crash Through His Windshield".


To save money, the studio used some of this same footage in Pearl Harbor.


Memo to me: Add learning to drive a diesel truck to your life skillset toolbox. Just in case.


Boy, it sure was handy that they had a giant see-through wall map in the bunker of Area 51, just in case the President should happen to drop by and need a visual tracking board for worldwide destruction!


"Didn't anyone tell you? ... Mountains always look better in neon green."


This is the part where I silently cursed my friends for dragging me to see this movie in the theater on opening night. I NEVER go to the movies on opening night - and ESPECIALLY not some tricked out alien movie!! Darn them!...


...okay, wait. Nevermind. I'm okay now.


I'm not sure what it says about me that that this is my favorite part in the movie. "Is that glass bulletproof?" "NO SIR."


Able to kick alien butt without breaking a sweat and still looking GOOD? Check.


"David, why must you ALWAYS wear flannel?"


I've never said this aloud, but I thought it was somehow fitting that Houston was the testground for nuclear annihilation.


It's probably good that she died off early - every time she came on screen all I could think about was Dances With Wolves.


I bet he wears this fake wedding ring to ward off amorous coworkers.


And here is the token black man (see Undercover Brother for reference) - which he's really not, considering that Will Smith plays the main character. But don't mention this to Dan - he can't take a joke.


I still marvel at how the aliens missed Morse Code in their Earthlings 101 coursework.


"We will not go quietly into the night! We will now go down without a fight! We do not like green eggs and ham! We do not like them Sam I Am!"


"Oops."


"Stay on target...stay on target!" "I copy, Red Leader." Oh, wait. Wrong movie.


I have no logical explanation for why an alien air traffic control tower makes me giggle. But it does.


Protects children, screaming women, and small animals? Check.


Polling the audience: Better than the explosion of the Death Star or better than the explosion of the Death Star?