Greatest action movies: Honorable Mentions

Scarface (1983)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Rambo (2008)
True Lies (1994)
Commando (1985)
Face Off (1997)
The Fugitive (1993)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Sudden Impact (1983)
Rambo: First Blood Part Two (1985)
Taken (2008)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Kill Bill (2003/2004)

Top 10 Action Movies of All Time

I cut out period pieces (Gladiator, 300), Spy movies, and Sci Fi. They all have their own separate categories.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Die Hard (1988)
3. Dirty Harry (1971)
4. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
5. First Blood (1982)
6. Bullit (1968)
7. Heat (1996)
8. The French Connection (1971)
9 The Road Warrior (1981)
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

History Shorts: The Battle of Stirling (1297)

William Wallace and Andrew Moray defeated a large English force at Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. The English outnumbered the Scots at least 4-to-1. However, Wallace managed to funnel the English soldiers onto a bridge and cut them to pieces. The victory led to Wallace's punitive expeditions into England itself. Wallace would eventually be captured and executed by the English. Robert Bruce led the Scots to independence in 1314. The battle was immortalized in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. However, his version did not come close to accuracy as the film's budget limited his ability to convey the battle.

Braveheart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2XXXIf97sg



However, it did include one of film's greatest speeches:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEOOZDbMrgE

Greatest Movie Heroes: Honorable Mentions

This is the first of three posts with my list of greatest movie heroes. These are the honorable mentions!

Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart)

The Omega Man (Charlton Heston)

Han Solo (Harrison Ford)

James T Kirk (William Shatner, Chris Pine)

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster)

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)

William Wallace (Mel Gibson)

History Shorts: The Crucifixion (c 29 B.C.)

Christ’s crucifixion is a key moment in world history. The Romans used crucifixion to punish treason. Since Christ played the messiah role during Passover, and many believed the messiah would be a military figure like Spartacus, the Romans believed Christ planned a revolt. The key moment was Jesus’ attack on the moneychangers, which demonstrated his potential for violence.

After the execution, Christ’s followers claimed he rose from the dead. The belief in the resurrection is the key concept in Christianity. Whether the Apostles meant Christ physically rose from the dead or that his ideas lived on through them is debatable. Either way, it served as a resistance toward the Romans. To the early Jesus movement, the resurrection, whether physical or otherwise, meant Christ defeated the Romans.

There have been many on screen depictions of the crucifixion. The following is a bit over-the-top, but is probably the most famous.

From The Passion of the Christ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LILfRem4Q4I

Douce Bag of the Year-2010

Usually around Thanksgiving, media types unveil their turkeys of the year. I am doing the same thing...just using a more descriptive term.

Last year's winners: The Balloon Boy's family and the White House Party Crashers.

This year's nominees (in no particular order):

Nancy Pelosi: The House speaker destroyed her party with extreme policies and does not understand why people rejected her. Rather than gracefully resign, she has returned to continue her crusade against America.

LeBron James: The decision, the betrayal, the retarded Nike ad, his Miami fashion show-like debut, the feud with his former boss, and Miami's slow start make LeBron one of the favorites this year.

Julian Assange: This narcissist may get someone killed. Of course, he's already been accused with rape. I always believed he more resembled a pedophile.

Tony Heyward: America's friend from BP. The only thing worse than Heyward's behavior during the oil spill was Obama's!

Westboro Baptist Church: These guys are beyond douche bags.

California Voters: Barbara Boxer is the worst member of the U.S. Senate. Jerry Brown is vacuous. Californians elected both of them. Who's the bigger fool, the fool or the fool who follows it?

Miami Heat Fans: Despite having a super-team, Heat fans can not be bothered to attend games.

The Barefoot Bandit: What a turd.

Mel Gibson: 'nuf said.

Paul Krugman: This douche advocates massive government spending to stimulate the economy. In 5,000 years of human history, this has NEVER worked to create sustained growth. All it does is deplete treasuries, increase taxes, and create a very angry citizenry. He knows that. 

and the winner: LeBron James

Best Movies of the 1990s

These are not in any order...

Unforgiven

Heat

Goodfellas

Pulp Fiction

Reservoir Dogs

Schindler’s List

Forrest Gump

Silence of the Lambs

Saving Private Ryan

Braveheart

Top 10 Movie Scenes of All Time

1. Statue of Liberty- Planet of the Apes (1968): The film is about the world turned upside down. It fits 1968 very well. The last scene is mind blowing. Dr. Zeus was correct. Taylor would not like what he found. The movie is especially disconcerting because movie goers were used to Charlton Heston coming out on top. Here, he’s trapped with no way out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31QUOUxqz2M

2. D-Day Invasion- Saving Private Ryan (1998): I was shell shocked after this half hour. Actual Normandy survivors authenticated its accuracy.

3. La Marseillaise- Casablanca (1942): This was filmed during World War II and after the fall of Paris. The emotions are genuine making this an extremely powerful scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KL76edqCKc

4. Stuff that dreams are made of- Maltese Falcon (1941): The best scene in the best film of the Noir genre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp7130Bjec4

5. Russian Roulette- The Deer Hunter (1978): Another Vietnam movie. If you want to know the American psyche right after Vietnam, watch this film. This particular scene is the most intense in movie history courtesy Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqakCa-MysE

6. I love the smell of napalm in the morning-Apocalypse Now (1979): This scene served as an analogy for American involvement in Vietnam. Cowboys in helicopters mindlessly blowing stuff up while concentrating on surfing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHjWDCX1Bdw

7. Chariots- Ben Hur (1959): First Century Nascar!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbQvpJsTvxU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKnFLPV2yDY&feature=fvw

8. Stirling Speech- Braveheart (1995): The battle scene was completely wrong due to budgetary constraints, but Mel gives the greatest movie speech of all time. It has since been parodied and copied to the hilt. The best knock off starred Bob Newhart as Braveheart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70csu2Z51sM

9. Horses Head- Godfather(1972): Frank Sinatra gets to star in From Here to Eternity...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkwYuT0hA_8

10. My name is Gladiator- Gladiator (2000): The wronged general travels to Rome as a slave and faces down the emperor in public. Great tension between Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvAbGbFYAuk

Top 10 Most Conservative Movies

and now the top 10 most conservative movies...

The Alamo (1960)

Conservatives seem to have annihilation fantasies. Both versions deal with freedom vs. tyranny. The rights of individuals vs. the government. The original was produced by John Wayne. ‘nuf said.

Patton (1970)

Watch the flag scene. It was a shot at the anti-war movement. This was Richard Nixon’s favorite film. Watching this movie makes one wish Patton could visit the Dixie Chicks.

Dirty Harry (1971)

San Francisco is fully of lawless long hairs. Clint Eastwood shoots them. End of problem. Law and Order vs. Lawlessness. Rule of Law vs. If it feels good do it. GI Generation vs. Baby Boomers. While liberals see all conservatives as Gordon Gecko from Wall Street, Conservatives see liberals as either Scorpio from Dirty Harry or the soldier that George C. Scott bitch slaps in Patton.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The villain is an EPA bureaucrat. This is the counterpoint to Wall Street!

Red Dawn (1984)

The counterpoint to Reds. Commies are not our friends! Instead of beer hall rallies, it’s pistols on the American plains. The film is a two hour infomercial for the 2nd Amendment.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Gump contrasts the two versions of the baby boom generation. This film shows the negative side of the 60s and liberalism. Liberals die of AIDS and at the same time, hard work and perseverance can make anyone a shrimp millionaire!

Braveheart (1995)

Freedom is not free. Sometimes, you have to fight. Governments and kings can be the oppressor.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

Tolkien was a conservative and this is loosely based on World War II. Classic good vs. evil. Listen to any of the monologues. They are straight out of the Churchill-Reagan files. This really fit the post 911 world and struck a chord with audiences.

Cinderella Man (2005)

Russell Crowe is embarrassed to be on government assistance. He works hard to get out of poverty and help his family. He even pays the government back.

300 (2006)

This might be the most conservative movie ever made. Leonidas (George W Bush) sees the coming Persian (Islamic Terrorist) threat and moves to stop it. He has to deal with traitors at home (liberals) and within his own midst (bureaucrats and the media). Leonidas and the 300 go down like the GOP in 2006 and 2008. The movie ends with a highnote as the Greeks unite to defeat Xerxes (Osama Bin Laden).

Greatest Movie Battles

Now for something different...here are my top 10 movie battles...

1. Omaha Beach (Saving Private Ryan): Actual Omaha Beach Vets claimed it was too real.

2. Battle of Stirling (Braveheart): Completely inaccurate; but Mel gives a great speech.

3. Pearl Harbor (Tora Tora Tora): The defining moment in perhaps the defining World War II film.

4. Little Round Top (Gettysburg): Out of Ammo? Affix bayonets and charge! The Rebs won't know what hit them!

5. The Death Star (Star Wars): No one had ever seen anything like this before. Now, the ending might be considered cliche.

6. Germania (Gladiator): Does a great job showing the Roman Tortoise and Roman Discipline; Shows how they could conquer.

7. Ft. Wagner (Glory): As the dead are buried, they are all shoeless...symbolic of the whole film.

8. Helicopter Raid (Apocalypse Now): Flight of the Valkyries, Robert Duval, Napalm, Surfing; an allegory for the entire Vietnam War.

9. Helms Deep (LOR: The Two Towers): The greatest land battle in fantasy/sci fi movie history

10. Battle of the News Crews (Ron Burgundy): Brick killed a man with a trident!