Thursday, April 15, 2010

Movies!

Continuing the A-Z Challenge from Arlee at Tossing it Out

Today is M - and one of my favorite subjects, MOVIES!

I am a die hard movie buff. I visit the theater several times a month, buy the latest & greatest on DVD, and I watch movies on NetFlix all the time.

Today I'd like to share with you where I get my movie information and updates, and what genre movies are my favorite.

For the scoop on the latest movies, I have three sources:

IMDB - Every fact, date, and box office total - it's the most complete movie database on the web.
Rotten Tomatoes - RT gathers all the top reviews and provides news & updates.
JoBlo Movie Network Movie and DVD releases, reviews, insider news - JoBlo has it all!

Now for my favorite movies...

Science Fiction

The Abyss
Aliens
Avatar
The Empire Strikes Back
The Fifth Element
Jurassic Park
The Matrix
Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie
Serenity
Star Trek First Contact

Horror

Blade II
The Crow
Evil Dead II
Jaws
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Ring
Sleepy Hollow
The Thing
Underworld I & II
Zombieland

Fantasy
Conan the Barbarian
Hellboy I & II
Legend
Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Princess Bride



What are some of your favorites, particularly in the areas listed above?
And do you visit Dez's site? Remember, the Hollywood Spy loves you!

29 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I watch movies on TV, You won't believe me when I tell you the last time I went to the cinema was 42 years ago. I love live theatre but something put me off of the cinema.
I enjoyed your blog very much, you have done your homework.

Take care.
Yvonne.

DEZMOND said...

Now that exactly the way it should be - HOLLYWOOD SPY standing above IMDB and rotten vegetables :PPPP

Yes, I do visit Dezz's site often because I know that that lethally seductive, creative and witty hunk loves us all :PPP

Alex, you don't like historical movies and epics?

I'm not sure which SF movie would be my favourite, but I love space operas (FLASH GORDON, DUNE), and the mix of sf and epic. I love when sf movies are highly stylized, like in EQUILIBRIUM or MATRIX.

LORD OF THE RINGS (especially TWO TOWERS) would be my favourite fantasy.

Summer Frey said...

I would ditto all of your movies, except the ones I haven't seen (Conan the Barbarian, Legend [don't hurt me!], Avatar [pleeease don't hurt me] and Nightmare on Elm Street [too scary for me].

I'd add myself an animated category, though, and there I'd have at least Spirited Away, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Grave of the Fireflies.

And I'd add the new Star Trek movie to the list. As a life-long Trekker, I thought it was awesome.

Talli Roland said...

I like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB.

I'm not much a sci-fi movie person but I do enjoy the odd fantasy flick!

Southpaw said...

I just watched Zombieland. It was great. Your list is pretty good, but I’d have to add: Shawn of the Dead and of course, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes – I mean it’s a classic. ;)

Survivormama said...

Alex I too enjoy the movies, Jurrasic Park is an awesome pick, as well as Star Trek First Contact, I also like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...I have never heard of Hollywood Spy, IMDB, JoBlo, or Rotten Tomatoes, til today...I may have to check them out, Great post Alex..God Bless!

Brenda said...

One of my favorite fantasies from my childhood that you didn't list is Willow. I recently watched that one with my kids and fell in love all over again.

Raquel Byrnes said...

The Princess Bride? Inconceivable!

I loved that movie. Great lists and links for movie know-how. Thanks for the post.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yvonne, that's a long time!

Dez, I just went with genre movies - I do like a good action flick or drama now and then. The Usual Suspects is one of my favorites of all time.

Summer, I should've included anime, as most of it falls under fantasy.

Southpaw, Zombieland is awesome!

Shannon, visit The Hollywood Spy first - Dez is one of my blogger buddies.

Raquel, you got it!

Adele said...

Whew, I might never have forgiven you if The Princess Bride hadn't been in there. Love some of those others too.

Creative Chronicler said...

I love movies too! Seems we have similar taste, I own most of the ones you listed.

Unknown said...

Jaws wasn't a favorite, but it was one of the most memorable. My dad took my sister and I to see it. I was about 11, I guess. That night, my sister and I couldn't sleep and I vividly recall us giggling half the night as we teased it other.

I've seen The Abyss, but I like the book better. That book made me feel like I was at the bottom of the ocean.

beautifulcurare said...

This is a great list of movies! You know, I never hear anyone mention Legend but that is a definite fave of mine. Saw it when I was a kid and loved it! As for horror movies, almost every Nightmare on Elm Street movie would be on my list, along with Hellraiser, and even though it never scared me, Fright Night. Your list of Sci-Fi movies have four of my faves (Aliens, The Fifth Element, Jurassic Park, and The Matrix). For Fantasy, my faves, off the top of my head, would be Jumanji and Edward Scissorhands.

Again, great list of movies and great topic!

Helen Ginger said...

I've seen all the SciFi's except Serenity. Liked them all except The Abyss. Actually, I loved The Abyss...until they brought in the aliens.

Arlee Bird said...

I used to go to the movie theater at least once or twice a week, then when I got my big screen and surround sound I just started staying home and watching movies.

Favorite genres are time travel and apocalyptic and post nuclear.
George Romero zombie series, esp the original Night and Dawn movies.
Terminator series. Matrix series was good. I enjoy special fx films but I also like the old 50's and 60's scifi's. Not too big on fantasy films, but the Lord of the Rings 1 & 2 were good--never watched 3, but now I need to watch 1 & 2 first before I do so I can remember them.
I have the Elm Street box set and like those Freddy films pretty well.
And David Lynch and Fellini films but I don't know how you classify them other than really strange and freaky.

Lee
Blogging From A to Z April Challenge

Hart Johnson said...

We have a couple matches on the favorite lists (at least 2 per genre, actually). I don't see movies very often, as I've opted to have children instead of a life, but those links are a great way to make the options count!

One additional piece of movie advice: NEVER take the suggestion of an 11 year old boy who is not the fruit of your loins.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Love Lord of the Rings! And Star Trek IV will always be my favorite - had so much humor to it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hagelrat, I wouldn't forget Princess Bride!

CC, good for you!

Mary, I was able to sleep after seeing Jaws, but didn't want to go near the toilet, let alone the bath tub.

Beautiful, glad we could jive on so many. Fright Night's not scary, but it was a fun vampire movie.

Helen, I thought the aliens were cool...

Arlee, how on earth did you miss LOTR III???? That's the best one!!! I will send you my extended edition boxed set right now.

Watery Tart, that almost sounds sad!
And I will remember that advice.

Diane, it did have some funny lines - "Double dumb-ass on you!"

Jemi Fraser said...

I love LotR, Serenity, about half of the Star Trek series.

I also love Wizard of Oz & Sound of Music.

Still have nightmares from watching/reading The Shining in high school so I don't do horror :)

Arlee Bird said...

I have the entire LOTR extended set. I just watched the first 2 and then I don't know what happened except that now that it's been so long my wife and I decided we have to start over. There just so darn long and our movie watching time has become so limited. Maybe after the school year is over and my wife is not working we'll be able to watch them all in a row.

Ella said...

I love movies and did a post for them as well! Well done on the homework details~ Great post!

Anonymous said...

I'd forgotten about Willow... I may to see if I can go rent that somewhere! From your list, I love the Matrix (except the last movie of the trilogy), LotR, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I am not at all a fan of horror movies... I am cringing every time a Nightmare on Elm Street commercial comes on the TV. I tend to like those "teacher inspires students" movies such as Dead Poets Society and Mona Lisa Smile... and more than my fair share of sappy romantic comedies. :)
@Watery Tart -- "I don't see movies because I opted to have children instead of a life" Ha! :) So true... but the good news is that my husband and I can rent plenty of movies we haven't seen now! We do try to catch a few at the movies because for some the experience is just not the same on TV -- Sherlock Holmes was the last in that department.

Jamie Gibbs said...

Excellent choice of movies! I like to consider myself a movie buff, although my movie watching has decreased a lot recently, which is sad.
another good course for movie info is Screen Rant (http://screenrant.com/) for gossip and tidbits of information.
There's not that great a thing made about things like Netflix over in the UK, we're still behind in that regard. I think most Brits are content to wait to buy a movie on DVD these days, which is sad since it takes away the cinematic experience.

Glynis Peters said...

Anything with Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan is my treat.
The Abyss is a great film.

Blah said...

Before we had kids my hubby and I went to movies all the time. We used to spend whole days at the theatre watching two or three in a row.

Weirdly enough, a lot of my faves are your list too. Great minds think alike, I guess.

:)

Lola Sharp said...

While we share some favorites in common ( I can quote Zombieland and Fifth Element...and the first Matrix)...I'm wondering how it is possible that my all- time favorite sci-fi movie is not on your list:

Blade Runner.

All these decades later and it still holds up, still is visually stunning.
Perhaps it was an oversight?

Have a wonderful weekend!
Lola

Lola Sharp said...

Oh, and of course I love LOTR!

I have other movies that are favorites, but they are not of the genres on your list. (I like all genres of films, literature and music)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jemi, the Shining was creepy.

Arlee, I still plan to take a Saturday and watch them all back to back.

Melody, you're right - there's so many ways to see movies now.

Good stuff, Jayne.

And Lola, Blade Runner was excellent, just not a personal favorite of mine.

Hannah said...

I have too many favorites. But I mostly love those three genres with thrillers added. I'll have to make a list one of these days.

You do have one of my ultimate faves on there, The Thing!! Love love love, The Thing!!

@Lola, Blade Runner?! Blech! :P I say that with all the love in the world.