Hello friends! As a teacher, 2020 has been an unpredictable and crazy time like for many. With someone with an autoimmune disease, I also have to take safety measures, but still need to take care of my mental health. Balancing things have been challenging. So, I thought: we need to make this challenge fun.
My best friend is a huge movie buff and was shocked by how many supposed ‘classic’ or ‘staple’ films I haven’t seen. He chose a list of 400 movies his favorites that I had not seen. From this challenge, I learned of his interests, which was awesome, and also made my brain melt. LOL!
So, here is my ranking of the 10 movies I had to watch at the request of my work bestie, TDK. 😀 At the bottom, I also listed other films and shows/animes I have watched since I mid-March. It will be a rating and sentence describing how I felt about it.
WARNING: Most of these movies are RATED R FOR SURE!
*************************
Top Ten Summer Challenge Movies with AN EXTRA FILM:
In order from least to highest.
#11. The Big Lebowski– I have heard nothing, but amazing things about this film. And I just couldn’t. It gave me such a headache, like my brain was melting in my socks. I tried and I see the appeal, but it has that random pacing that doesn’t appeal to everyone. And the cursing was too much. I thought Jeff Bridges did a fun job in the role, but it was a pointless plot.
#10. Batman Begins- Okay, I will be upfront…I have never been a Batman fan. Cast your stones at me; I have a shield prepared. *braces self* Moving on…I have never seen a Batman film and I attempted this one, but I was BORED out of my mind. I felt like I was vegetating. Christian Bale is okay and every time he snuck behind someone and did that lower voice, I did chuckle. The Scarecrow mask haunted me. The only saving grace was Alfred.
#9. Sunshine- It took me FOREVER to find this film for one. I thought my bestie lied, but I finally rented it on Amazon Prime. I get the concept, but this wasn’t for me. One, I’m not a sci-fi fan, but I tried, especially for our beloved Chris Evans (his final scene was sad, but coolly done though). I tried guys, I really tried. Two, I was bored out of my mind the first half and the second it became random slasher, which I can’t handle horror (I’m a wuss, HA!). One of the last scenes got me unexpectedly and I almost got sick. BLAH! This movie reminded me of “The Core,” but without the humor, which I think is what made that one work for me. Sunshine left me in the dark.
#8. The Dark Knight- Heath Ledger. Need I say anything else? I respect his soul so much. At least there were some shots with sunlight unlike the first movie, lol! The Joker’s schemes messed with me and left me scared, which is the point. And I see the arching plot with the cliff hanger ending. Again, still Batman, but this one was a little more enjoyable.
#7. Django Unchained- This is my second Mr. Quentin Tarantino film. Yes, it was bloody, but it made sense to me. The story was decent too. It wasn’t really my usual cup of tea, but I didn’t mind it. Samuel L. Jackson was radical! And it was neat to see Leo in another movie. I liked this one better than “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood…” Gross-o to that one.
#6. The Wolf of Wall Street- More Leo. I think my best friend might have a man crush…;) Anyway, this movie had a unique concept and I liked how it was shot, but it was WAAAAYYY too long! It followed the same cycle: guy tries to be successful, makes money, gets drugs and girls, almost dies from stupid choices, somehow gets out of said situation, repeat…for THREE HOURS! Now, Leo’s performance was incredible as this character and the lifestyle was interesting to watch. But, I would have liked it better if it was an hour shorter and the point still would have been there.
#5. Good Will Hunting– It’s cool that Matt Damon wrote the first script of this for a college assignment! Matt Damon is cool! And Robin Williams! Ooh! What a treasure! I have admittedly always wanted to see this one and I am glad I did. They dealt with how demons from your childhood affect you in a well-written and acted manner.
#4-#2- John Wicks trilogy- I am normally not an action film lover, but there is something about Keanu Reeves in this role, something raw and gentlemanly that makes you cheer for him. The cinematography in these films is amazing. The soundtrack balling. The pacing was unlike I have ever seen, very fluid. I did enjoy them more than I was expecting, the moves incredible. Here’s a quick breakdown:
#4. John Wick 3: The fight scenes were not as great in this one, although they were different. And it was longer than it needed to be. Derrick and I both agreed to that. The second to final fight with the shorter assistants was WAY too drawn out and pulled me out of the action. The ending was so not cool and left it way too open. The two trained attack dogs with the girl were epic though!
#3. John Wick 1: The first and second are about the same for me, but the only reason this one is a tad lower is because of the dog. SPOILER: the dog, the last gift from his DEAD wife, is killed by jerkwads and it just messed with me! Yes, it’s the point of all the movies, but it still broke my heart. I think this one had the best soundtrack.
#2. John Wicks 2: Good action, nice pacing, good plot, dove more into this well-formed, but the mysterious world in smooth, gorgeous transitions. All the reasons from above. And the doggie is safe in this one! Plus, the hotel counterman is SUCH a gentleman! I want to be his friend.
#1. The Green Book: I like movies based on real events. This movie was a wonderful spectacle and I deeply enjoyed it. It was filmed well, the funny moments fitting and the heartache too there.
Movies I Watched Personally During Distance Learning/Summer:
Groundhog Day: 6 out of 10
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: 9 out of 10
The Patriot: 5 out of 10
Emma: 7 out of 10
A Whisker Away: 5 out of 10
The Unicorn Store: 6 out of 10
Tall Girl: 6 out of 10
Sierra Bourgeois is a Loser: 5 out of 10
Dear John: 6 out of 10
The Lucky One: 8 out of 10
Okko’s Inn: 9 out of 10
Valentine’s Day: 7 out of 10
All the Bright Places: 5 out of 10
Newsies: The Musical: 9 out of 10
Hamilton: 4 out of 10
Mr. Right: 4 out of 10
Corpse Bride: 6 out of 10
Flavors of Youth: 5 out of 10
Like the Wind, Like the Clouds: 8 out of 10
The Perfect Date: 7 out of 10
Nights in Rodanthe: 7 out of 10
Ninokuni: 8 out of 10
Like Father: 8 out of 10
Someone Great: 4 out of 10
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: 5 out of 10
The Half of It: 7 out of 10
Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: 5 out of 10
Set it Up: 6 out of 10
Book Smart: 6 out of 10
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: 7 out of 10
Always be my Maybe: 5 out of 10 (Keanu as himself was the best part)
The Wrong Missy: 2 out of 10
Forever my Girl: 5 out of 10
Footloose (2012): 8 out of 10
Plus One: 3 out of 10
Stargirl: 8 out of 10
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: 6 out of 10
Lady Hawk: 7 out of 10
The Fundamentals of Caring: 9 out of 10 (Paul Rudd is golden in this!)
