The Movie Time Meme (More Sunday Stealing :-))

Heehee, Sunday Stealing is the best thing to do whilst drinking coffee on a Sunday morning ... you get to answer random questions, readers get an insight into you they wouldn't otherwise, and ... well, it's fun :-)  The Movie Time Meme is this week's offering ... good times :-)

1. What is your all-time favorite movie costume?

In Wolfgang Petersen's The Neverending Story, there is a giant bat with wings that look like black trash bags.  My siblings and I had so much fun laughing at that (like, we'd reference it on trash day ... "Time to take the bat wings out") that it has to be my favorite movie costume.

2. What classic film would you nominate for a remake?

The Legend of Billie Jean.  That movie had potential ;-) (And, yes, it WAS a classic!)

3. Name your favorite femme fatale.

Kate Winslet, because she has the coolest name and managed to become a serious and successful actress despite being closer to a typical weight than most.

4. Name the best movie title.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.  Only because the title is the best thing about it ... absolutely the worst  movie I've ever seen ...

5. Describe the worst performance by a child actor that you’ve ever seen.

The Olsen twins on Full House.  I can remember really being bothered by them.

6. Who gets your vote for most tragic movie monster?

Severus Snape ... the monster that was, ultimately, the true hero of the Harry Potter series.

7. What is the one Western that you would recommend to anybody?

Gotta go with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (it's all about Eastwood, except for the unfortunate Honkeytonk Man)

8. Who is your ideal movie-viewing partner?

Anyone that doesn't talk during movies.  When I'm watching a movie, I want to focus on watching the movie ... a very good way to piss me off royally is to talk during a movie.

9. Has a film ever made you want to change your life? If so, what was the film?

Dead Poets Society definitely changed my approach to teaching and my bottom line attitude regarding my profession.  Plus, it always makes me cry.

10. Think of one performer that you truly love. Now think of

one scene/movie/performance of theirs that is too uncomfortable for you to

watch.

The scene where Tom Hanks is screaming, "WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" during Castaway makes my toes curl.

11. On the flip side, think of one really good scene/performance/movie

from a performer that you truly loathe.

Lindsay Lohan was pretty amazing in Mean Girls ... it's kind of sad, because it makes you realize how truly talented she is (or was).  

12. What is your favorite romantic comedy?

Dirty Dancing ... nobody puts Baby in a corner.

13. What is your favorite drama?

Beaches.  You would think I'd no longer cry by now, but I do.

14. Worst film you've seen?

Hmm, at the moment (one cup of coffee into the day), I'm feeling like it's the aforementioned Santa Claus Conquers the Martians or Honkeytonk Man.  

15. How do you feel about the majority of romantic films being labeled "chick flicks"?

Eh, I guess I'd be offended if I thought about it overmuch, but let's be real ... how many guys get together to watch Sleepless in Seattle?

16. Favorite on-screen couple?

Han Solo and Princess Leia, natch :-)

17. Favorite off-screen couple?

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner (because since Ben is clearly never going to be mine, at least he's got a girl that loves her kids, has a good sense of humor, and is occasionally photographed by paparazzi sans makeup and wearing glasses and sweatpants)

18. Best kiss in a movie?

Gotta go with From Here to Eternity in this one.

19. Favorite scene?

In The Godfather, when Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone is filling in his son Michael (Al Pacino) on the ultimate facts of life.  "It was Barzini all along."

20. Who are 2 film characters you wished had gotten together, but never did?

I am clearly overthinking this one ... are we talking the same movie?  Random characters slapped together from different films?  I haven't had enough coffee to answer this one, obviously.

21. Two actors you think would have great chemistry, but have never done a film together?

No idea ... creativity is flowing faster than the coffee this morning ...

22. Favorite song in a film (doesn't have to be from a musical)?

"The Wind Beneath my Wings" because it always makes me BAWL in the context of Beaches (even though the song annoys me otherwise since I've heard it a zillion times).

23. Best score from a film?

Pretty much anything John Williams scored.  The master of the major fifth ;-)  I especially like Star Wars and E.T.

24. Best film quote?

"Fra-gee-lay.  That must be Italian."

25. A film you'd recommend that is a "Must See" for us to watch?

The Legend of Billie Jean ... I'm telling you, it was ahead of its time.

Sunday Stealing: The Fifteen Movie Questions Meme

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand ... it's time for Sunday Stealing again :-) This week's fare is about movies ... should be fun!

1. Movie you love with a passion.
I think it has to be The Godfather. That movie has everything in it--action, drama, romance, suspense, mystery ("It was Barzini all along ..."). That is, in my humble opinion, a gold standard movie.

2. Movie you vow to never watch.
Twilight, or any of its asinine sequels. Reading the books was quite enough ;-)

3. Movie that literally left you speechless.
Wayne's World. It was so bad that I literally walked out of the movie theater ... and rendered me speechless, which is kind of hard to do. I have a really juvenile sense of humor, and it seemed like a give that I'd like it, but it was stupid that I just couldn't handle it.

4. Movie you always recommend.
Okay, I always recommend this movie because it epitomizes pure '80s cheesiness but isn't necessarily what I refer to as "The '80s Canon" (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and so on). It falls into the "so bad it's good" category with its Velveeta goodness ... yup, for anyone that's known me for awhile (especially in my childhood), let's get your hands up for The Legend of Billie Jean. Fair is fair!

5. Actor/actress you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie.
It should go without saying that it's Johnny Depp. And any other certain bloggers that think that they own the Depp patent ... I'll fight you for him ;-)

6. Actor/actress you don’t get the appeal for.
Tom Cruise (and I was saying that before he was bouncing on couches and partaking in odd religious circumstances).

7. Actor/actress, living or dead, you’d love to meet.
Sean Penn. Definitely a bit out there, but a fascinating guy.

8. Sexiest actor/actress you’ve seen. (Picture required!)
I'm backing off the Depp thing here (I hate being predictable), so here's a pic of Rob Lowe from The Outsiders. I would so hit that!

9. Dream cast.
Gosh, I don't know ... there are so many variables involved ...


10. Favorite actor pairing.
DeNiro and Pacino.  Obvs.

11. Favorite movie setting.
I'm going with Harry Potter here.  The books created the magical mysteries of Hogwarts, but the movies brought it to life.  Those shifting staircases, the castle, the Quidditch field ... very cool :-)

12. Favorite decade for movies.
There was no decade quite like the '80s :-)

13. Chick flick or action movie?
It depends.  Some action movies (Gone in 60 Seconds jumps to mind) are just so stupid that you walk out feeling like you wasted two hours of your life.  Same with chick flicks.  There are a lot of good ones in both categories, though, so I sort of judge on a case-by-case basis.


14. Hero, villain or anti-hero?
I tend to be a little complex ... I always loved Severus Snape even before he was ... well, you know, the hero.  And I adored Marlon Brando (and Robert DeNiro, too, now that I think about it) as Vito Corleone, even when he was causing death and pain and dismembered horses and such.  I don't like my heroes to be too heroic, if that makes any sense ...

15. Black and white or color?
There is nothing quite like the moment that Dorothy steps out of her Kansas house from her black and white midwest world into the glorious colors of Oz.  

Sunday Stealing: The "You Can't Be Missed" Meme (Part 2)

I love Sunday Stealing ... lots of fun, lots of opportunity to find out interesting stuff about others, and ... uh, did I mention fun ;-)?

The "You Can't Be Missed" Meme (Part 2)

16. What was the last thing you did that was totally selfish, yet you feel no guilt?
You know, I can't think of anything selfish I've done in recent memory for which I feel no guilt. That's not to say that I'm unselfish ... I'm just also carrying around quite a guilty conscience, I guess ;-) Actually, I kicked Belle off of the good TV so I could watch last week's NCIS episode on XFinity this afternoon. Now that I think about it, I don't even feel that badly about it ... Hmm, maybe not as guilty a conscience as I thought.

17. Tell us about a film fave of yours that we probably have not seen.
The Legend of Billie Jean. I LOVED that movie when I was a kid ... I kept track of how many times I'd seen it (ended up being over 200), could recite the whole thing, it was just oddball obsession. It's not even that good a film ...

18. When was the last time you kissed someone that you shouldn't have on the lips?
Hmmm...January or February, whenever I went to Burlington.

19. When was the last time you cooked something for someone not in your family?
The Sunshine Committee at my work (yes, of course I'm a member of the Sunshine Committee :-)) had a "pre-vacay buffet" the Friday before April vacation. My mom made a breakfast casserole for it, and I helped a little ... I cracked the eggs, did the stirring, put on the bacon, and I think she did everything else.

20. When was the last time you danced like a crazy person?
Friday night. I think. I don't remember much about Friday night. I do know I did karaoke (badly) because one of my friends took a video of the event on my Droid. Anyway, karaoke usually goes hand in hand with dancing like a crazy person in my world.

21. When was the last time you just wanted to be invisible?
Saturday morning. I couldn't stop throwing up and I had to go to a meeting and every time I ate or drank anything (including coffee) I had to go running for the bathroom. It was pretty horrible.

22. When was the last time you got a gift you absolutely hated?
I don't get a lot of gifts, actually, in large part because my family opines that I'm hard to buy gifts for. Anyway, I would never hate a gift that someone went out of their way to get for me ... that would just be in bad taste. Dislike, maybe ... okay, my mother got me a leather journal the last time she went to Italy. I'm not a leather journal person. I'm not a journal person period. I'm not a longhand person. And I feel tremendous guilt every time I see that journal that I'm never going to use yet cannot throw away or give away because I know my mom's heart was in the right place ... gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.


23. When was the last time you got into a physical fight? (If NEVER, let us know about a time that you got close to a fight.)
Does "physical fight" means either getting beaten up on by your ex-husband or getting in between two brawling teenagers? If not, I haven't been in a physical fight since high school.

24. When was the last time you had to sleep with a light on?
Well, since Belle sleeps in my room most of the time and she needs the light on to sleep, it's pretty much a constant thing.

25. When was the last time you were under some serious stress?
April vacation. I'm going to choose not to elaborate.

26. When was the last time you watched your favorite movie?
I don't really have a favorite movie, so to speak, just a large body of films that I adore. I don't watch movies anywhere near as much as I used to ... I need to work on that : )

27. What song did you most recently download?
"Alejandro" by Lady Gaga. Please don't judge.

28. What would you say is your favorite hobby?
Writing.

29. What is your favorite thing to do when you hang out with friends?
Laugh, talk, go to interesting places and do interesting things.

30. What would you rather do: shower or bathe with that celebrity that you are crushing on?
Shower, of course ;-)