Welcome to a special edition of the EYG Top 10.  Normally, I base these lists off the Top 10 Show podcast (or perhaps the Top 10 Re-List) from John Rocha and Matt Knost.  However, this list has not been created on either of those podcasts.  I have been doing a James Bond re-watch for the last several weeks and I just finished it yesterday.  I thought that this would be a neat list to do.

There is no debate that the Bond title song is an important piece of music for the film. The best songs are able to set the tone and give us an idea of the film.  That does not mean that a great song will translate into a great film.  In fact, one of the best Bond title songs is attached to one of the worst movies.  Yet, a song can absolutely start it off on a good foot.

I am not including No Time to Kill by Billie Eilish on my list, since the official 25th Bond film got pushed back to November.  I have heard Eilish’s song on YouTube and I have to say I found it fairly haunting.  This list is for released movies… sorry.

Of course, the only thing that may be more subjective than movies is music.  These are my own personal favorites.  If you are yelling at me about Madonna or Writing on the Wall not being here, well… it is my list of songs I like.  Feel free to make your own.

#10.  Tina Turner, GoldenEye (GoldenEye).  This song was in a battle for the tenth spot with about three others (who I will mention in the Honorable mentions).  I was disappointed by the film GoldenEye, but the style of Tina Turner really fit the film and set a nice tone.

#9.  A-Ha, The Living Daylights (The Living Daylights).  I had not known this song and was extremely pleased with it during the re-watch.  A-Ha brought that late 80’s feel to Bond, setting the film up for a new run for a new age.  This was the first film since the departure of Roger Moore and A-Ha provided a new energy for Timothy Dalton’s uncommon 007.

#8.  Carly Simon, Nobody Does it Better (The Spy Who Loved Me).  A song that has gone past its life as a Bond song.  In fact, I had forgotten that it was a Bond theme.  Another song that helps create the mood of the movie that it was going to be in front of.  The power ballad displayed the sexiness required for the film.

#7.  Chris Cornell, You Know My Name (Casino Royale).  Another one that caught me by surprise.  Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave provided a rocking smash at the beginning of the awesome Casino Royale.  It kicked off the Daniel Craig generation of Bond film beautifully.

#6.  Louis Armstrong, We Have All the Time in the World (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).  This is the only song on my list that ended up as a end credits song and, while it may not actually count, I do not think there is a better song to match the film.  The sadness of the end of this movie just transitions perfectly into this.  And Louis Armstrong is the perfect voice for this.

#5.  Sheena Easton, For Your Eyes Only (For Your Eyes Only).  I have always been a fan of Sheena Easton and this was one of my personal favorites.  The haunting melody and the wonderful voice of the Scottish lass is masterful.  Sheena was also the only singer to also appear in the opening credits of the movie itself.

#4.  Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger (Goldfinger).  This was one of the best Bond songs and does the best job of telling you the story of the film.  Goldfinger is an iconic song and Shirley Bassey has such a distinct voice.

#3.  Adele, Skyfall (Skyfall).  I love Adele’s song.  Everything about this works so well and her vocals are just astonishing.  It provided a powerful feel and perfectly set the tone for one of the best Bond movies of all time.  This is also the only Bond song to have won an Academy Award after several others had been nomnated.

#2.  Duran Duran, A View to a Kill (A View to a Kill).  What an amazing, rocking song, perfectly suited as a Bond song.  The opening of the song absolutely puts you into the idea that you are going to see James Bond.  Too bad the movie had to play after.  The movie is one of the worst films in the franchise, but this title song is easily the best part of the film.

#1.  Paul McCartney and Wings, Lie and Let Die, (Live and Let Die).  I debated the number one spot as every one of the top four on this list could have made it, but, in the end, it is Paul freaking McCartney.  It is one of the most recognizable songs in the Bond franchise and it is a huge hit in the world of music.  The song does an amazing job of telling you this is James Bond.  The middle instrumental part is all spy film.  And did I mention that it is Paul freaking McCartney?

Honorable mentions:  Nancy Sinatra’s You Only Live Twice, Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds are Forever and Rita Coolidge’s All Time High from Octopussy were all considered for that number ten spot.  I also enjoy the Thunderball song from Tom Jones.

Some of the best Top 10 shows were the ones where John and Matt crap all over the films.  While that negativity is not something I would want on a regular basis, every once in awhile it is therapeutic. So when I saw the title of this week’s Top 10 Show, Top 10 Worst Movies we saw in the Theater,  I was intrigued.

Now, I have not truly been watching movies in the theater on a regular basis for a long time.  I started going regularly around 2011 or so.  Prior to that, I would go to the theater randomly.  Particularly for the big events.  I also just did a Top 100 Worst of the Decade last December and I was afraid there may be too much overlap.  However, looking at that list, it appeared that several of that top 10 were films I saw on video or on streaming.  Movie 43, for example, I watched at home.

I made another rule for myself.  I tried to eliminate those movies that I left the theater thinking that I liked, but, deep down, I knew I did not.  I wanted the visceral experience from the theater to be the reaction, not one that became worse upon reflection or re-watch.  Because of that, a film like Amazing Spider-Man 2 would not make my list.

So… let the garbage commence…

#10.  Clash of the Titans (2010).  I had loved the original version of this movie, with all of its poor special effects and cheesy scenes so I was excited to see this.  What a letdown.  I remember sitting in the Voy Theater downtown and just wishing that this would be over.

#9.  Blade 2.  Some people loved this, but I hated it.  I went with some of my friends on a Saturday night after we spent all day playing video games, in particular those one-on-one fight games and, to me, Blade 2 was nothing more than a video game.  I swear there were scenes that came directly from the video game we had played.  After the top notch Blade, Blade 2 was an utter disappointment.

#8.  50 Shades of Gray.  This was nothing more than Twilight fan fiction that somehow got a huge following.  Seriously, it was not even that sexy.  The acting was poor.  The story was repetitive.  The dialogue was laughable.  The nudity wasn’t even worth it.

#7.  Catwoman.  I remember sitting in the theater and thinking to myself that the only thing good about this movie was seeing Halle Berry in the cat suit.  Reflecting back, that was not even enough for me to watch this thing again.  This took the character of Catwoman and rubbed her nose it in.  We have seen great versions of Catwoman before, but this is not one of them.

#6.  Grown Ups 2.  I have never been a huge fan of Adam Sandler, but there went a stretch where he made a whole bunch of movies that I hated.  He personified everything that I hated in comedy movies:  dick jokes, pee jokes, drug humor, vomit jokes.  I hate these bodily function jokes and his movies always seemed to be movies with a anger or a hatred behind them.  Grown Ups 2 was as bad as they get.

#5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  Sitting in the theater, I could hardly believe what I was watching.  Afterwards, I walked out with my friends and we all just looked at each other.  A franchise that was so good prior to this turned out arguably one of the worst films of Harrison Ford’s career.  Refrigerators.  Monkeys in the trees.  Bad accents.  Aliens.  Holy cow.  We need Indy to pull out his gun and shoot this one.

#4.  Cats.  This one came out too late in 2019 to make my list of the worst of the decade, but it absolutely would have been there.  I wish that I could have watched this travesty like the lady did in the theater a few seats away from me.  She had tears in her eyes and she was constantly brushing them away.  I had tears too, but for a whole different reason.  Utter mind-blowing garbage.  This is where nightmares come from.

#3. Transformers: The Last Knight.  I was so ready for this movie to be over that when I went to the bathroom in the middle of it, I looked at my phone, sure that it was nearly done only to find that there would be another hour or so to go. I knew in the opening few moments with Merlin that this was going to be a film that would cost me time in my life that I never would get back.  This Merlin felt as if he would fit better in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail film than one with the Transformers.  Terrible.

#2.  Batman & Robin.  This was my most hate film for a long time, but a couple others have passed it by.  It absolutely ruined the Batman franchise for years.  Bat-nipples.  What else do I have to say.  Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze was the best part of the film because he was just totally campy.  It was wrong for Mr. Freeze, but Arnold clearly thought he was sparring with Adam West.  George Clooney knows, to this day, that the film was a train wreck.

#1.  Holmes & Watson.  One of the worst movies I have ever seen.  I fought the desire to walk out because I have always tried to stay to the end, in case a film’s third act would make the film better.  This one did not.  It was absolutely unfunny.  It was a terrible story.  I cannot believe that the people making this could possibly think that this was anything but horrendous.  I am not a fan of Will Farrell, but I rarely find his movies downright repulsive.  This one takes the cake.  It could have tainted the iconic Sherlock Holmes character with its stench for years to come (hopefully RDJ can bring back some respect for him).  Holmes & Watson is a total mess.

Honorable mention:  I did not compile too much of a list.  I would include Nic Cage crazy film called Left Behind.  The other two Fifty Shades films would be in consideration. 2020 has been pretty bad too with The Turning, Dolittle, The Grudge, and Fantasy Island.

Good evening all.  I am back with the next list as seen on the Top 10 Show with John Rocha and Matt Knost.  I do so enjoy these shows. This week’s list was one that, at first glance, I thought I may not be able to fill out.  However, I found plenty of possible films to make out my own top 10.

The topic this week was Top 10 Movies Adapted from Plays.  A couple of them sprung to mind immediately, but I did have to do some serious research on this topic.  During the research, I discovered a bunch that were base on plays that I had not known were based on plays.

There was a limitation placed on this week’s list however that did cause me some issues.  They decided that they would not include any plays that were musicals on this list.  Suddenly, a bunch of my choices were out.  I would be moving through the research and find one and then I realized that they were musicals.  Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd…. they just kept coming.

Then, it made it worse.  I had Birdcage down on my prep list and it would easily fall into the top 5 of my list.  Then, John brought it up on his list and Matt said he had researched it and the original play it was based on was a musical.  So they eliminated it.  Ugh!!!

Still, I found the list of ten.  So here we go.

#10.  Much Ado About Nothing (2012).  This one is not the same one that John included on his list.  This is a version with Joss Whedon directing.  It includes Nathan Fillon, Clark Gregg, Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof and several other of Whedon’s normal crew of actors.  Filmed in black and white, this Shakespeare adaptation was funny and had that Joss Whedon flair to it.

#9.  Fences.  I did not love this movie, but the two lead performances elevated this to a level that the film would not have reached without them.  Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are utterly brilliant and deserving of their Oscar nominations.  In fact, Viola Davis walked away with the Best Supporting Actress Award for this film.

#8.  Roxanne.  Steve Martin had a lot of great movies, but this one was one of the very best in his oeuvre.  The adaptation of the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story, Roxanne brought it to a new generation.    This film was a beautifully romantic film with some excellent comedy.  A great Steve Martin film.

#7.  Dial M for Murder.  The first Alfred Hitchcock movie on this list.  Grace Kelly is having an affair with her tennis instructor.  This gives her husband, played by Ray Milland, the excuse he needs to try to murder her so he could get his hands on her inheritance.  When his plan falls apart, he gets involved trying to keep the police from catching him.  Great film with the master of suspense.  Hitchcock will be along soon again.

#6.  Rope.  In fact, here is Hitchcock’s second film on this list.  Rope is one of those films that I watched originally because of the Top 10 Show.  Jimmy Stewart appears in this film, which takes place in one single setting, an apartment in New York.  It is dealing with a murder that happens just before this dinner party that brings a level of suspense and psychological thrills.

#5.  Amadeus.  This was John and Matt’s number one film, but I do not like it as much as they do.  However, that does not mean that I did not love this film.  It is remarkably funny and the music is wonderful.  The basic story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (although it was highly fictionalized) was presented awesomely through the eyes of Antonio Salieri .

#4.  Dracula.  This is one that I think may be a bit of a cheat, but, on research, I found out that this movie from 1931 was based on a play from 1924 which was adapted from the Bram Stoker novel.  So I am counting it!  This is a classic horror movie featuring the spellbinding performance from Bela Legosi as the Count.  There has never been a better Dracula movie since this one.

#3.  Frost/Nixon.  This one is an underappreciated film that is lesser known, but it was just a tremendous true story that I did not know about before this film.  Frank Langella’s Nixon is amazing and the interaction with Michael Sheen’s David Frost is the basis of the film.  The dialogue is just amazing in this quiet Ron Howard movie.  It really shows how important this interview was.

#2.  12 Angry Men.  Another classic.  The Henry Fonda film that takes place strictly inside the jury room.  The film, which has been inspirational to many projects since, is such an exceptionally written film.  The dialogue of the movie has to carry the plot forward and create the tension and it does it so well.

#1.  A Few Good Men.  The Tom Cruise/Jack Nicholson classic is one of my favorite movies.  The courtroom scene where those two actors faced off with one another is cinematic excellence.  The iconic scene with “You Can’t Handle the Truth!” is thrilling.  I love these kind of intelligent and thought provoking stories and A Few Good Men is right there.  Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances and feels as if he belongs opposite Jack.  Demi Moore is great here too as the somewhat naive JoAnne Galloway.  Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Pollack are great as well.  This is another one of the brilliant films directed by Rob Reiner.  I love this one.

Honorable Mention:  There were not a ton of extras here, but I considered Casablanca as one.  Moonlight from Barry Jenkins was another I thought about.  The musicals of course were in my head.  There were several that I had not seen before such as Glengarry Glen Ross.

The Re-List returned today with a very interesting topic:  Top 10 Movies featuring a Witch/Warlock.  I liked this idea which was submitted by patreon Billy Guilliams.  The lists were compiled by Keith Fitzgerald and J Scotty St. Clair.  I am very jealous!

They did an excellent job too.  Spoiler alert, they gave full list of Top 10’s to Matt and John without having any duplicates, which I think is a Re-List first, if I am not wrong.  They also made suggestions that I had not considered until they mentioned them.  As soon as they listed a couple of their choices, that film went immediately on my own list.  There was some semantics for why I had left some off originally and when Matt and John let them go on the show, I was happy to include them.  The “sorcerer” vs. “Warlock/witch” argument being one major one.

I have a bunch of honorable mentions and, during research, I found a bunch that I had not seen.  Some, like The Witch, was not a film I loved.  I know it was pretty popular when it came out, but I did not find the appeal of it.

So.. The Re-List top 10…

#10.  The Kid Who Would Be King.  Mentioned on the show as a film to give some love was awesome. This film did not receive enough credit as being a very solid show when it was released.  It was a clever re-imagining of the King Arthur story and it brought us a fun version of Merlin.  This was a great adventure involving young people and really deserved a better fate.  It included another good performance from Patrick Stewart.

#9.  The Blair Witch Project.  This appeared just last week on the Top 10 Show list for One Hit Wonder Directors and now it returns for a new list.  This thing was frightening, especially because, at the time, we thought it might have been real.  It is shot like a documentary and created such a buzz.  It brought us an entire genre of films as well with the “found footage” genre.

#8.  Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  This was one that I initially had eliminated from my research until it showed up on one of the guy’s lists.  Though I love this movie, the fact that the witch/warlock is not a vital piece of the film kind of dropped it down some for me.  Still, I just love this movie and find it completely quotable.  The scene on the bridge is just epic as all get out.

#7.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  I limited myself to one Harry Potter film on my list and I chose Azkaban as that film.  I found it to be the most interesting of all of the them and I loved the performance of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.  The film played with your head throughout and kept you wondering what was actually happening.  It was really the start of the movement to a darker world in the Harry Potter series.  I could see the argument for several other Potter films, this is the one that I go back to when the topic comes up.

#6.  Hocus Pocus.  One of my favorite films from my younger days.  I can remember it was the last film I saw at our local drive-in theater (not a fan of drive-ins).  There is a great cast, including the young lead Omri Katz, who I loved on the short lived TV show Eerie, Indiana.  The witches were amazing, including Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.  I still use the line “Amok, amok, amok.”

#5.  Dr. Strange.  This was another one that I never considered because he was a “sorcerer” and not a warlock.  As I mentioned earlier, semantics.  Still, I supposed I could see the argument and so, when Matt and John okayed it, it immediately went on my list.  I really loved the conclusion to this film because it was something that I had never seen before in a MCU film.  The whole “Dormammu, I have come to bargain” bit was pure genius.

#4.  Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.  I decided on only one of the LoR trilogy on my list as well and my favorite of those three movies were definitely the Two Towers.  I can remember the first time seeing this movie, I was completely engaged by the storytelling.  Every time they switched to a different story, they would stay long enough for me to wonder what was happening to another of the group, and then it would switch and I would be excited.  This featured Gollum, who I loved, and Treebeard, who I loved.  And the Battle of Helm’s Deep was just totally thrilling and perfectly executed.  Easily my favorite of the Middle Earth movies.

#3.  The Wizard of Oz.  One of the greatest movies of all-time.  I can remember loving watching this every year when it came on and then, when I went to college, my roommate telling me that his mother never let him watch it because of the scary winged monkeys.  I was flabbergasted that someone had not seen The Wizard of Oz.  Looking back, there are definitely scenes that are very scary and I can understand monitoring it for children’s consumption.  The Wicked Witch of the West was just a frightening villain and her desire to kill that little dog too was just a lot.  Her death scene was just as horrifying.  Such classic work.

#2.  Avengers: Infinity War.  This was another one that I had not considered until it was mentioned on the Re-List.  I chose this one over Endgame because Dr. Strange and Scarlet Witch have more to do in this film instead of just being in the huge fight at the end.  Mind you, they were both exceptional in the Endgame conclusion (especially Wanda who just kicks Thanos’s butt), but they drove story in Infinity War.  Wanda’s desperately pain-filled rush to destroy the mind stone and thus destroy Vision was heart-breaking, as was the fact that it was all for naught.  Dr. Strange told us that there was one chance in 14,000,605 to defeat Thanos.  While i love Endgame more, this one is right on its heels.

#1. The Princess Bride.  Have fun storming the castle!  Any time I have a chance to put The Princess Bride on my list, I am going to do it.  It is my favorite movie (actually tied now with Endgame) of all time.  Miracle Max, played by Billy Crystal, brings the film to this list. Again, you could make an argument that he is not a warlock (the film called him a miracle man) but he does make a magic pill that has a chocolate coating to make it go down easier.  Again, as soon as Matt and John allowed this to make the list, I knew what my number one was going to be.  I am going to do a special watch when The Princess Bride debuts on Disney + on May 1st.  Until then, as you wish!

Honorable mention:  There’s a ton of these.  Of course, you have to remember Harry Potter movies such as The Death Hallows Part 1 and 2, The Order of the Phoenix, and The Half-Blood Prince.  They tend to run together however.  There is also the Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the  King.  Then the Jack Nicholson film The Witches of Eastwick nearly sneaked on in the number 10 spot.  Fantasia was considered to with Sorcerer Mickey.  I always enjoyed as a child the Escape to Witch Mountain series of films.  I saw some online consideration during research for The Conjuring, although I did not remember there being a witch in that.  It may have made the list if I could.  Rosemary’s Baby was listed online as well, but that was more Satan worshiping and demons than witches/warlocks.  The Dark Crystal was never one of my favorites, even though I am a huge fan of Jim Henson.  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice with Nic Cage was fine.  Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was good too.

It is Tuesday, so it was time for the Top 10 podcast with John Rocha and Matt Knost.  The topics these days are different than normal, since the theaters are closed and they do not have new films opening because of the COVID-19 virus.  This week’s topic came from a viewer suggestion for Top 10 One-Hit Wonder Movie Directors.

This topic requires a ton of definitions involved.  For example, what is a “hit.”  Is it a great movie?  Is it a successful movie?  Does making money despite being a garbage film.  An example on the show was Michael Bay.  The Rock might be a great film, but are the Transformers movies hits?

What about directors who only had one basic film and then never did anything else?  How about films that were highly acclaimed critically but may not have knocked the box office on its butt?  How about a film that has a bunch of sequels but may not have had a great financial run?

In the end, I think I am using all of those as a possibility.  There will be no Michael Bay because he had a bunch of financial hits.

Number one was tough this week again, because no film really jumped out at me.  I had to struggle to choose the one that tops this list.

#10.  Brian Helgeland, 42.  I enjoyed the film by Brian Helgeland that tells the story of Jackie Robinson and his first year in Major League Baseball.  Being a Dodger fan, I enjoyed this movie very much and our future Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman as Jackie.

#9.  Neill Blomkamp, District 9.  District 9 has made its appearance on several lists recently.  It is truly a great sci-fi film.  Honestly, Neil Blomkamp has just not reached this level since.  Elysium and Chappie were such flops.  Hopefully, this is a director that will not continue on a list like this one in the future.

#8.  Renny Harlin, Die Hard 2.  Die Hard 2 is a film that does not get the appreciation because it followed the absolutely classic Die Hard.  Yes, there are some beats similar, however, I found this to be one of my favorite Die Hard films.  Bruce Willis brought John McClane back to the big screen in a fantastic manner.  Cliffhanger could be an argument for Renny, but there is not much more on his IMDB page.

#7.  Josh Trank, Chronicle.  Chronicle was a fabulous found footage film detailing the origin story of a group of high school students who gained super powers.  This film really sent Trank into the stratosphere of film.  It led to the FOX Fantastic Four film.  Unfortunately, that became a massive flop, but, as many believe, because of studio influence.  Chronicle also gave us Michael B. Jordan in one of his earliest roles.

#6.  Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko.  Donnie Darko is a classic film, and a hugely underrated one.  Richard Kelly created a great science fiction film with a giant rabbit named Frank.  Donnie Darko was a trippy mind-mess of a film that had some amazing twists.  All the while, the film was shot beautifully.  Jake Gyllenhaal appeared as the title character which helped him become one of the best actors currently working in Hollywood today.

#5.  Kinka Usher, Mystery Men. I loved the Mystery Men.  It is a comic based film that does not receive the type of recognition that it deserves.  There is a amazing cast including Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria, Paul Reubens, Janeane Garofalo, Greg Kinnear and Geoffrey Rush.  The Mystery Men is a comedy and it delivers the laughs along with some of the top characters you will find.  The whole story is weaved together well and Kinka Usher deserves a lot of credit.

#4.  Michel Gondrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  One of the best performances in the career of Jim Carrey and Michel Gondrey deserves a lot of credit for that.  Eternal Sunshine may not be a huge monetary hit, but it is a film that has persevered and became more of a hit over the years.  It is one of those films that always finds its way onto “best of” lists and I know of some people who would place this at the very top.  It is one of the most creative stories on this list and the performances are top line.

#3.  Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, The Blair Witch Project.  I agree with the analysis made today by Matt Knost.  He placed this film high on his top 10 list and stated that it was this high because of the legacy of the film.  Without Blair Witch, we do not get the entire genre of found footage that graced the screen afterwards.  It also gave horror a shot in the arm.  The movie was extremely creepy and I enjoyed it enough.  The gimmick of whether or not this was a true story helped the buzz around the film.  No one was really 100% sure right away.  While there are films on this list that I prefer over Blair Witch, you cannot debate the importance of the work.

#2.  James McTeigue, V for Vendetta.  Based on a DC Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore, this movie was a thrill ride of action and characterization.  Moore was not a fan of the film, but I think that is his own issues and he is allowed to feel that way.  I love the film myself.  The creation of V is just a cinematic wonder and his relationship with Natalie Portman’s character was epic.  The way she gets broken down and brought around is a challenge.  V for Vendetta was a great film.

#1.  James Franco, The Disaster Artist.  This was probably my favorite film on the list and that made it number one on this list.  I did struggle to choose the number one choice.  Franco is the only director on this list that who also stars in the film he is directing.  His performance as real life Tommy Wiseau is amazing.  Being able to go from such a character that Wiseau was and then to head to the director’s chair is an impressive feat.

Honorable Mention:  Some other choices I considered were Ruben Fleischer for Zombieland.  I considered Scott Derrickson for Dr. Strange, but the term “hit” knocked him out since Sinister made a ton of money on its low budget.  Billy Bob Thornton‘s Sling Blade nearly made #10.  Brad Silberling‘s work on Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events was impressive too.

This week’s topic was a weird one for me.  As it popped up on YouTube to watch, the topic said Top 10 Movies of 2009 and I thought, “That’s weirdly generic.”

John and Matt then told about the idea of doing a top ten list for a certain year and they said they used a random generator, so it turned out that the generic comment was right on point.

So 2009… and as I was looking through the list of movies, I was struck with a couple of ideas.  One, mainly, was that I had trouble deciding on a number one.  Nothing jumped out at me as an obvious answer.  To me, there were around three or so that I could consider but none of them truly distanced themselves from each other.  Usually when I do these lists, the number one is obvious and the rest of the list may fall as it may.  Many times I have more issues with the middle of the list because there are times when the film at four or five feel like it is too high, but there are other films to fit there.

It is also interesting that there is no MCU film.  Iron Man started in 2008 and then the next films of the franchise came in 2010.  This was the last time that the MCU has not had at least one film in the calendar year since 2008 (although 2020 is pushing that chance).

I had not started writing movie reviews for EYG yet as of 2009, but I had seen several of these on DVD.  I remember writing a couple of movie reviews on these films from their DVD releases.  It was really 2011 that I made my big move to watch more films in the theater.

Either way, here is the Top 10 Movies of 2009.

#10.  Monsters vs. Aliens.  This film just made the list last week on the Re-List for Top 10 Dreamworks Animated Movies.  I really enjoyed the film with some of the great new characters that are based on old time monster movies.  There were some great voice acting going on here from Reese Witherspoon to Seth Rogen to Stephen Colbert to Hugh Laurie.    It was extremely fun.

#9.  The Hangover.  This is one of two films on this list that has been damaged by how terrible the sequels were.  The second and third Hangovers were just terrible, but the first one was so good.  I remember just laughing my head off at this movie.  It should have stuck at the first film only.

#8.  Moon.  This is one of those movies that I only watched because I heard it on the Top 10 Show.  Matt Knost raved about it so much that I felt that I needed to see it.  He was right.  It was really a strong, sci-fi film with a great performance from Sam Rockwell.  It has a great twist and it is amazing that this film sneaked by me at the time.  It was just under a decade after it was released before I actually saw it.

#7.  Taken.  Here is the second film on this list that was damaged by the sequels that followed it.  Taken 2 & 3 literally makes me think less of the original movie, which may not be fair, but it is how I feel.  I remember watching Taken without any expectations and finding it to be such a gem.  Liam Neeson was so believable in a role that you never would have believed he would have been good at.  The quote on the phone is so iconic and perfectly delivered that it will always be remembered as one of the greatest lines of all time.

#6.  Inglorious Basterds.  Quentin Tarantino has made some great films and I loved this World War II farce.  I say farce because of the controversial ending with Tarantino killing Hitler in a manner that challenged the history buffs in the audience.   Then, I do not remember laughing out loud quite as much as when Brad Pitt says “Bon Journo” after he claimed to be able to speak EYE-talian.  That is so subtly brilliant.

#5.  District 9.  I have not watched this one much, but I can remember being amazed at how great this film turned out.  Noah Blomkamp’s direction was fantastic.  The story has levels unlike few science fiction movies.  It not only features action and sci-fi beats, but also deals with racism, political thrills, and intelligence.  District 9 is creative and epic.

#4.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  A solid Harry Potter movie with a couple of major story developments at the end.  There is more featuring the ever brilliant Alan Rickman as Severus Snape than previous installments.  You can see the development of the young actors here into the strong performers that they would become.

#3.  Star Trek.  The 2009 reboot from J.J. Abrams of the classic science fiction series turned out better than it should have ever done.  The casting, which was probably the single most important part of this reboot, was truly nailed.  These new actors were amazing and embraced their characters without doing imitations of the originals.  This set up the franchise perfectly to continue adventures moving forward without being stuck to the previously told stories.

#2.  Sherlock Holmes.  Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes was a great surprise.  I did not know that I was going to love these movies.  The chemistry between Downey Jr as Sherlock and Jude Law as Watson is one of the true reasons to watch this movie.  Guy Ritchie, which seems as if it would be an odd choice for the director’s chair here, knocks this out of the park.  All of the little Guy Ritchie film traits really fit in well with this film.

#1.  Zombieland.  As I said, I had a heard time choosing which of these films would be number one.  I finally decided that it would be Zombieland.  I remember the experience of watching this movie in our small local theater and just leaving the theater desperately looking for someone to talk to about it.  I wound up at my friend’s house and wanted to talk about it, but he had not seen it yet, so I could only rave about it.  Everything about Zombieland was just fantastic to me, from the great performances of the four main leads to the unbelievable cameo from Bill Murray to the rules appearing on the screen.  Everything worked for me.  It also makes me want to have a Twinkie.

Honorable Mentions:  I really wanted to include the George Clooney movie Man Who Stared at Goats at #10, but, sadly, I had to bump it. I enjoyed Coraline, but I haven’t seen it in awhile.  I have to rewatch it soon.  Up has a beginning ten minutes that totally destroyed the viewers.  The Blind Side was good, but somewhat overrated.  The Fantastic Mr. Fox was a great animated movie that was just outside the top 10.

It is time for another Re-List (Re-List… re re re Re-List.  BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ)

This week’s Re-List features the topic of Top 10 DreamWorks Animation Movies.  This was an interesting list this week, chosen by Andrew Nally, with lists by Brandon Munroe, & Thomas Drufke.  John and Matt are on video since the COVID-19 virus is out there and they are streaming from their own homes.

I liked this topic and when I did a little research, there are some great animated films that are in this studio’s oeuvre.

There are a couple of major franchises that I either have not watched or did not like.  Prince of Egypt is one that I have not seen as of this moment.  I know Matt and John had comments about that on this week’s episode.

I also chose to only include one film from a franchise/trilogy.  I will pick my favorite of the series, though there would be others from that franchise that could be in the top ten.

#10.  Penguins of Madagascar.  This is the fact.  I have never seen any of the full Madagascar movies and I have not been a fan of them.  However, I did enjoy this little spin-off from a few years ago.  It was cute and clever and I liked the different penguin characters.  Putting them in a spy style movie was a fun way to go.

#9.  Turbo.  A very fast snail.  A snail that had dreams of winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race, which is a real challenge, since he is only a snail.  Ryan Reynolds voices Turbo, the snail with the big time dreams.  The story may be for kids, but it won’t cause parents to wish they were somewhere else.

#8.  Puss in Boots.  This may be a cheat from my one-in-the-franchise rule I set down at the beginning, but I consider this a spin-off from the Shrek series into its own franchise.  Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, was the breakout character in Shrek 2 and his own animated film was fun and funny.

#7.  Abominable.  This was just released and it was a sweet movie.  It may not have been the greatest film I have ever seen, but it was solid.  The film tried to bring the magic of Disney to this movie as they tried to return a lost yeti to its home in the Himalayas.  Though it may come up just a tad short, it is still a good time and has beautiful animation.

#6.  Mr. Peabody & Sherman.  This one hit all the right notes for me when I first saw it.  I grew up with Mr. Peabody and the Way-Back Machine.  I loved those animated shorts as a child so the nostalgia brought this one home for me.  In retrospect, I may have over judged this at the initial viewing, but I still had a good time with it.

#5.  Megamind.  This one surprised me.  I really enjoyed this film, that featured the tale of the villainous Megamind and what happened when he finally is able to defeat his ultimate enemy, Metro Man.  It tells the story about what a villain does when there is no hero to do battle with him.  Will Farrell does a solid job as the voice of Megamind.

#4.  Monsters vs. Aliens.  I loved this movie.  It is such a silly film, but I find it absolutely hilarious.  When Susan become a giant, she is taken to be with the other monsters used by the government.  This film has that old style 1950’s monster movie feel to it and includes an absolutely off the chart appearance by Stephen Colbert as the President of the United States.  The monsters are charming and clever, they have a great chemistry among them and they are designed in honor of the old monster characters on which they are based.

#3. Shrek.  This is the original film.  I found this film just about as wonderful as you can imagine.  Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy are amazing together as Shrek and Donkey, Cameron Diaz does not make Princess Fiona just a damsel in distress and John Lithgow does an unbelievable job as Lord Farquad, one of the most clever villains to come around.  The film weaves such an intelligent script in with the fantastic animation.

#2.  Kung Fu Panda.  This is a tough one to choose, since all three of these films are really well done, but I chose the first one again.  The story of a panda fighting against all odds to become the Dragon Warrior.  And the battle with the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung is the best of the series.  Po shows that, though hard work and effort, you can accomplish anything.  The voice cast of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogan, and Ian McShane is wonderful.

#1.  How to Train Your Dragon 2.  One of the best animated trilogies of all time.  I chose number two because it is the one that beings the most emotion to me.  The death of Hiccup’s father, killed by a mind controlled Toothless, is one of the most powerful and painful moments in any animated movie.  You also get the return of the long-believed deceased mother of Hiccup (voiced by Cate Blanchett).  It is a beautiful story with animation that cannot help but amaze you.

Honorable Mentions:  A few to mention.  Home was an average film, but it has a great voice performance from Jim Parsons.  Antz was the first one of the studios’ animation division.  Chicken Run is one that stuck out to me.  Of course all of the other films in the Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon franchises.

Still waiting for a Re-List.

I see this week’s episode is Top 10 Sandra Bullock films.  I had to stretch to do this list, but I was able to get to ten. There are a couple of well known Sandra Bullock films that I have never actually seen.

One of these days, I will be involved in a Re-List.

#10.  While You Were Sleeping.  I have not seen this one in quite awhile, but as a number 10 on this list, it works.  This was one of the most charming of her performances.

#9.  Oceans Eight.  This was another one of the films on this list that was fine.  I did not love it as much as many people did.  This worked well with the female cast.  It was a success at the box office and worked well.

#8.  The Blind Side.  Sandra won an Oscar for this role, which was a bit of a stretch, but she does very well in the film.  She does a great job as the football mom and brings a powerful mom-bear type of character that goes out of her way to help her children.

#7.  Our Brand is Crisis. This is a fun movie about a political strategist who came out of retirement to help the political campaign of a Bolivian presidential candidate.  She has to battle against her longtime nemesis, Billy Bob Thornton.  Some of the dirty tricks both of these people do show how nasty they can be.

#6.  Bird Box.  The Netflix movie that features the monsters that attack you when you look at it.  It came out around the same time as A Quiet Place and built on the same kind of idea.  The tension that this film built was real and the suspense is powerful. The scenes in the boat are very impressive.

#5.  Demolition Man.  A futuristic cop movie featuring Sly Stallone vs. the crazed Wesley Snipes.  Sandra Bullock was there with her goody-two-shoes future cop who follows all the rules and helps guide Stallone through the odd future that he found himself in.  This showed how charismatic Sandra Bullock could be.

#4.  A Time to Kill.  I really like this movie, but it really is more of a Samuel L. Jackson movie than it is a Sandra Bullock movie, which kept it out of the top 3.  Her character is a supporting role to Matthew McConaughey.  However, the scene in which she is attacked by Kiefer Sutherland is very powerful.

#3.  The Heat.  This is a great buddy cop comedy with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as the lead characters.  Bullock showed some tremendous comedic skills, especially on screen with McCarthy.  Playing the more straight-laced cop, Bullock is able to go more ridiculous and play against type.  The Heat was really fun.

#2.  Gravity.  Sandra Bullock probably should have won the Oscar for this role.    The power of being lost in space and dealing with the dangers that go along with that and the struggles to try and return to earth are astounding.  The film looks absolutely brilliant, one of the greatest technological achievements in movie making of the past decade.

#1. Speed.  This was one of my favorite action movies of the 1990’s and I loved Sandra with Keanu Reeves.  Sandra Bullock does not take a back seat to Keanu in this movie, despite the fact that he was the main character.  Sandra drove that bus and kept it above 50 mph.  The reason this movie worked as well as it did was the chemistry between Keanu and Sandra and without them both, as we see in the sequel, this may have been too campy.

Honorable Mention:  I don’t really have one, but I never saw The Net or Miss Congeniality which would be noticeable absences from my list.  The only other one I considered was Minions, which I did not like very much.

This week’s Top 10 list is an original topic that has a TON of possible choices.  The topic is the Top 10 TV Actors Turned Movie Stars.  I sat down and started making my list and I just ripped off nearly 20 actors.  I had to reorder #3-10 a couple of times.

I was a huge TV guy before I started watching as many films as I did, even though it has flipped since.  Some of my choices may not be as big of stars today, but they were huge in their time.

In order to be considered a TV actor, the actor needed to be a regular on a show.  Guest starring appearances will not be considered.  And it does say Movie STARS.

#10.  Michael J. Fox.  Michael does not do much any more because of his health situation, but it cannot be denied that he was one of the biggest stars of all time thanks to his Back to the Future trilogy.  Coming from Family Ties, Fox exploded into the past with Doc Brown.  Fox had other fun movies but none ever struck the same cord as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, considered by some to be a perfect movie.

#9.  Chris Hemsworth.  This might be a bit of a cheat, but I wanted to include Hemsworth.  He appeared on the Australian soap opera Home & Away before coming to the states and becoming our God of Thunder, Thor in the MCU.  Hemsworth actually started in Cabin in the Woods, but delays caused that film to come out after Thor.  Hemsworth has shown his overall skills as Thor, both comedic and serious.  He has not yet found that second major film franchise, but what else do you need?

#8.  John Travolta.  Starting off on Welcome Back Kotter as Vinnie Barbarino, John Travolta has been in some of the best movies of the last thirty years.  Pulp Fiction, Michael, Phenomenon, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, The General’s Daughter, Primary Colors, Get Shorty, and Look Who’s Talking.  Unfortunately for John, he has been in some of the worst of the decade too.  Still, he is charming and always engaging and deserved of a spot on this list.

#7.  Eddie Murphy.  One of the only actors on this list from SNL, Eddie Murphy was one of the biggest stars ever for a stretch of time.  48 Hours, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America were just a few of his early string of massive hits.  Murphy went away for awhile, but he returned this past year with a vengeance in Dolemite is my Name.

#6.  Ryan Reynolds.  Appearing on Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Reynolds became a huge star in the movies.  His ultimate claim to fame in this space was his work as Wade Wilson, Deadpool.  Deadpool does not get made without Ryan Reynolds’ dedication and perseverance.  Reynolds was the perfect actor to bring the Merc with a Mouth to the big screen and I truly hope they find a way to bring both Deadpool and Reynolds into the MCU.

#5.  Denzel Washington.  I never watched St. Elsewhere, but I have huge respect for Denzel from the movies.  He is one of the best actors of our generation and never fails to be at his very best.  Even if the movie is subpar, Denzel is giving it his all and is always the best part of the film.  Remember the Titans, Inside Man, Crimson Tide, Philadelphia, Malcolm X, Unstoppable, Flight, Fences, The Bone Collector would be just some of his classics.

#4.  Will Smith.  Will Smith, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, has maybe not had as many huge hits as some of the others on this list, but he is one of the most likable actors around.  And it is not as if he has not had his share of awesome films such as Independence Day, Enemy of the State, Aladdin, Men in Black, Bad Boys for Life, Ali, Concussion, Hancock, I Am Legend, The Pursuit of Happyness, Seven Pounds, and Spies in Disguise.  Again, sure he has had his stinkers, but Will Smith is such a star that you still love him despite After Earth or Gemini Man.

#3.  Tom Hanks.  I loved Bosom Buddies.  I was excited to see Tom Hanks make the move to the big screen.  He had several low level films to start, but Big made Hanks a superstar.  Now, there are few actors in Hollywood today more respected than Hanks.  He is another actor who you know will bring his best no matter what the film is.  Two-time Academy Award winner, Hanks has played real life Captain Phillips, Fred Rogers, Walt Disney and Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.  From Forrest Gump to Woody to Jim Lovell, Hanks has created iconic characters in all kinds of different films.  Hanks was the number one actor on the Top Ten list, but I do have two that are more conencted to me than he is.

#2. Bruce Willis.  Bruce Willis was on one of my all-time favorite TV show, Moonlighting.  I was obsessed with Moonlighting, desperate to see it each week when it would come out.  Then, he starred in one of my all-time favorite movies, Die Hard.  Those two projects alone would secure him a spot on this list for me.  However, Willis has had a ton of other great movies too including The Sixth Sense, Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Unbreakable, Glass, Bandits, The Fifth Element, 12 Monkeys, and Looper.  Sure, Bruce has a reputation for phoning in a performance if he is not interested and he may be difficult to work with, but he will always be David Addison and John McClane for me and that is enough.

#1. Robin Williams.  “I am Mork from Ork, nanoo, nanoo.”  Mork from Ork appeared first on Happy Days and then was spun off into his own show, Mork and Mindy.  I absolutely loved Robin Williams.  Mork and Mindy was one of my favorite shows and would still be in my top 10 TV shows list.  The energy of Robin Williams exploded off the screen.  It was clear that the small screen would not be able to handle him.  Robin Williams may have had his share of clunkers as well, but he was such a beloved figure and he was so hectically funny that you always came back for more.  From Good Morning Vietnam to Mrs. Doubtfire, from his villainous turn in One Hour Photo and Insomnia, from his dramatic work in Good Will Hunting, and his iconic voice-over work as the Genie in Aladdin, Robin Williams was an unbelievable performer and actor with an unexpected range of talent.  His death hit me harder than any celebrity death I can recall.

Honorable Mentions:  There are a bunch.  Johnny Depp made the original version of my list at ten, but he got bumped in the final copy.  Morgan Freeman has been in so many classic films.  Leonardo DiCaprio is an amazing actor, but I am not a huge fan.  Melissa McCarthy was under consideration.  Bill Murray was another one that made the original list only to be bumped in the end.  Clint Eastwood had a great career in movies, both as an actor and a director. George Clooney was huge on ER and only went bigger after leaving.  John Goodman on Roseanne was one of the best characters on TV but he never became a leading star.  He was always excellent though.  Jim Carrey is another one whom I like but do not love.

The Re-List has arrived.  I have been wishing to be a part of the Re-List for a long time now.  Unfortunately, there has been some talk about replacing this show and that makes me sad.  Still waiting….

This week’s Top 10 Re-List is nicely timed with the release of the CGI-messed film The Call of the Wild with Harrison Ford.  I did not love that movie, but there are plenty of movies featuring dogs to make this list.

#10.  Lady & the Tramp.  This is the new live-action remake of the animated classic.  This is one of the two films appearing as originals on Disney + that made this list.  I did enjoy this version more than I thought I would and the talking dogs were not a deal breaker as it sometimes is in these live-action films.

#9.  The Isle of Dogs.  Wes Anderson’s animated film about the removal of dogs from Japan after an outbreak of a sickness believed to be spread by the dogs.  Another one that was not my most favorite film, but that I enjoyed enough.  The animation is good and the voice acting is above the line.

#8.  The Shaggy Dog (1959).  The original classic from Disney, The Shaggy Dog has been remade multiple times but has never reached the same level as it did with this Fred MacMurray vehicle.  Silly comedy that was done extremely well.

#7.  Mr. Peabody and Sherman.  This was a film that when I saw it the first time, I loved it, but it slowly became lesser upon reflection.  I still have some great nostalgic feels for Mr. Peabody as I can remember watching his animated shorts on Bullwinkle and Tennessee Tuxedo shows.   Maybe I should revisit this one and see how much I like it the second time.

#6.  John Wick.  I would not have thought about this one without listening to the Re-List on the Top 10 this week, but it absolutely works in the topic. The entire film gets going because of the death of John Wick’s dog.  So much so that it has become an iconic joke.  This film is down the list a bit because the dog is not involved in the movie more than as the inspiration for John Wick’s return to the life.  This movie was one of the great surprises and this moment with the dog is absolutely crushing and 100% relatable.

#5. The Sandlot.  Another one that I may not have thought about without the Re-List episode, but The Beast is a major driving force with this movie about baseball.  The presence of The Beast struck fear into the boys’ hearts and the attempt to reclaim the Babe Ruth signed baseball leads to a ton of great character moments for the boys.  The Sandlot is a lot of fun and the film would not have been near as wonderful without the mythical Beast.

#4.  Togo.  Here is the second of the originals from Disney + to make the list and this is the example that the new The Call of the Wild should have followed.  Sure there is some CGI in Togo, but it is used only when the dogs are needed to do something dangerous or something that they cannot do.  Otherwise, the dogs here are alive and real and help create a connection between the audience and the characters.  Willem Dafoe is great here and Togo is shown as a massive hero.  I loved this movie.

#3.  Old Yeller.  A film from my childhood that I only somewhat remember.  Of course, the part of the film that I remember is the ending that absolutely rips you apart as a viewer.  Powerful and poignant, Old Yeller showed the love between a boy and his dog and the hazards that go with them.  That end scene is utterly devastating and heartbreaking.

#2.  Best in Show.  The awesome mockumentary from Christopher Guest featuring a group of people at a dog show.  The topic is ripe for satire and the ensemble cast put together the film in a way that you are constantly amazed by because they do not have scripts.  Just background information on their characters and a healthy knowledge of improvisation.

#1.  Frankenweenie.  The brilliant animated film featuring a boy and his zombie dog.  Well, maybe more like a Frankenstein’s monster dog instead.  The film, directed by Tim Burton, is a beautiful piece of art that speaks to the connection between a boy and his dog and the lengths that he may go to to maintain that relationship under any circumstances.  The film has a ton of fascinatingly original characters and some of the best art design of an animated film in a long time.

Honorable mention:  Some of the other films I considered included Scooby Doo.  Admittedly, there has never been a really great version of the detective mutt, but this was as close as it has come so far.  I love the character of Scooby Doo and I hope this year’s new animated Scoob! will find its place at the top of this list.  101 Dalmations, the animated version, is a Disney classic that fell just a little short for this list. It has one of the great Disney villains ever in Cruella de Vil.  The Peanuts Movie has Snoopy starring and was a really strong adaptation of the comic strip.  Another animated film featurign a dog is John Travolta’s Bolt.

Welcome back to the EYG Top 10 list.  This week’s show, in honor of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, is the Top 10 Jim Carrey Movies.

I have never been a giant fan of Jim Carrey and there are some definite “big” ones that I do not like.  I am not a fan of any of the Ace Ventura films.  I have never seen the Truman Show.

#10.  Batman Forever.  This is right on the borderline of films.  The role of the Riddler was okay for Jim Carrey, but the Tommy Lee Jones Two Face was terrible.  This was a film that started to head Batman back toward the camp and away from the darkness.  Still, this was not the worst of the Batman films.

#9.  Bruce Almighty.  This one is fine, but another one that is not my most favorite films ever.  Jim Carrey and his interactions with “God” Morgan Freeman is fun and creative.  This one displays Carrey’s skills well and has a good message.

#8.  A Christmas Carol.  The animated version features Carrey as Ebeneezer Scrooge as well as several of the other characters of the classic story of Charles Dickens.  This was one of the first films using the motion capture use.  Some of the characters had a really weird look to them, but the CGI was interesting.  I liked this version.  It was dark and creepy.

#7.  Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond.  This is a documentary on Netflix and it tells the behind the scenes story of the filming of Man on the Moon and how Jim Carrey basically became Andy Kaufman.  There are some unbelievable footage shot featuring Jim as Andy.  We saw Andy’s parents reaction to Jim playing their son.  It was surreal.

#6.  Dumb & Dumber.  I am not a huge fan of this movie, but I recognized that it is one of Jim Carrey’s classic films.  I don’t hate Dumb and Dumber, but there are some things that I just am not entertained from it.  The connection between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels is the strength of the film for me.

#5.  Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.  The movie adaptation of the book series featuring the Baudelaire orphans being chased by Count Olaf, who was hoping to take their money.  Jim Carrey does a brilliant job as the evil actor.

#4.  Liar Liar.  Jim Carrey is a lawyer whose son has made a magic wish that does not allow Carrey to lie.  Hilarity ensues.  There is actually a lot of heart in this movie and the court scenes in the film are extremely funny.

#3.  The Mask.  Stanley Ipkiss finds the mask of Loki and becomes a trickster super hero.  Jim Carrey is off the wall in the movie.  The Cuban Pete song is one of the best moments in the film.  The Mask includes the first appearance of Cameron Diaz.  And the dog was a scene stealer.

#2.  Man on the Moon.  Jim Carrey plays Andy Kaufman in a biopic about his life.  We see Andy becoming the celebrity and how he acted as if he was simply playing a prank on everyone.  The world in pro wrestling with Jerry Lawler is fascinating.  The whole Andy gets sick story is ironic and painful.  Jim Carrey totally embraces the role and kind of disappears.  Love Man on the Moon.

#1.  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  This film is one of the greatest and most original films of all time.  The love story with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet was amazing.  The visual imagery of the movie was beautiful and the story of the erasing of of memories allowed some real character development.  Jim Carrey provides some of the best work of his career.  I just recently saw this movie and I am so glad that I did.

Fun show this week.  The Top 10 Show featured the Top 10 Female Superheroes in Movies and Matt and John were on fire.

I wanted to put some of the Agents of Shield or Jessica Jones on the list because I love them, but, unfortunately, they were not in movies.

SO… it’s the characters that appear in the movies.  There are several really bad ones though too. Sadly, some great comic characters were bombed massively in movies.

I will be doing this just like Matt and John did.  I have the character listed and the film where they are at their best.

#10.  X-23, Logan. She was basically called Laura during the film and you have to listen closely to hear the name X-23.  Played by Dafne Keen wonderfully, Laura was a complex character with a little girl who you didn’t know could talk for much of the movie.  Dafne brought a ton of heart into this amazing film.

#9.  Shuri, Black Panther.  Shuri was one of the biggest, most pleasant surprises from Black Panther.  Shuri, sister of T’Challa, was sweet and clever and turned out to be one of the most intelligent characters in the MCU.  Shuri is played by Letitia Wright and could have a great future in the MCU.

#8.  Gamora, Avengers: Infinity War.  The scene with Gamora and Thanos on Vormir was seriously amazing.  There was a surprising amount of emotion in the scene as Gamora first found the irony in the situation only to realize how her father truly felt about her.  There was also a great scene when she thinks that she has killed Thanos  in Knowhere and Gamora started to break down.

#7.  Nebula, Avengers: Endgame.  Karen Gillan was amazing in Avengers: Endgame.  Nebula was one of the strongest performers in the film and her character arc was tremendous.  Her scenes with Tony Stark at the beginning was tender and funny.  She played two versions of Nebula, her 2014 self as well as the present version.

#6.  Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel.  I like this movie more than a lot of people.  I have always enjoyed Brie Larson and I think she did an exceptional job as Carol Danvers.  I believe that she will only get better and better as the movies continue to build.

#5.  The Wasp, Ant Man and the Wasp.  Evangeline Lilly is one of my favorite actresses and I am happy to see her as Hope Van Dyne.  Her relationship with Scott Lang is epic and she is simply bad ass.  Some of the scenes in Ant Man and the Wasp were really fun and she dominated the action.

#4.  Valkyrie, Thor: Ragnarok.  Tessa Thompson was a great find and one of the standout of the great Thor: Ragnarok.  Valkyrie had great chemistry with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and the Hulk.  The scenes with Tessa fighting Hela are beautiful.

#3.  Wanda Maximoff, Avengers: Infinity War.  She has never actually been called Scarlett Witch yet in the MCU, but she has become a personal favorite consistently each and every time she shows up.  I am anxious to see the WandaVision show upcoming.  I considered making the movie choice Endgame instead because Wanda was so epic in her fight with Thanos.  However, she had a great arc in Infinity War and her pain as she struggled to save and eventually kill Vision was palpable.

#2.  Black Widow, Avengers: Endgame.  Scarlett Johansson has been great as Natasha Romanoff every time she appears on screen (except maybe Iron Man 2), but her self-sacrifice in Endgame was heartbreaking.  This film really brought the character through so many troubles and it was a perfect arc.  I am very excited to see her solo movie.

#1.  Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.  I thought about not putting her at number one because I am such a Marvel fan, but I had to admit that Wonder Woman was a fantastic film.  While I was not a fan of the third act, the No Man’s Land scene was one of the greatest in comic book movies.  Although I doubted the casting, Gal Gadot made a believer of me with her performance of the Amazon.  Not only beautiful, but completely kick ass and thoroughly entertaining.  I hope Wonder Woman 1984 continues the momentum for her.

Honorable Mentions:  A few more to mention.  Hitgirl from Kick Ass is the best part of those movies.  Mantis from Guardians Vol 2 was funny and she has a great connection with Drax.  Okoye from Wakanda was another surprise from Black Panther.  I really considered Agent Peggy Carter because she is king of a spy like Nick Fury.  I mentioned Agents of Shield earlier with Agent Melinda May and Jenna Simmons and Quake because they are awesome.  So was Jessica Jones.  I hope these women find their way into the MCU movies.

Re-List… re re re re-list!

It has been awhile since I have done one of these, but with this week’s Re-List, Movies About Movies, sounded fun.  I am still hoping to get the call to participate in the actual Re-List one of these days, but until that happens, this will be my work.

I had a lot of films on the list here.  I was surprised that there were a couple that made my list that did not make either of the two list read on the show.  One in particular, my number two, that I was shocked was not there.  I’m sure Matt would agree with me.

#10.  Tropic Thunder.  This film was higher on the Re-List list than on mine.  I liked this one, but may not have loved it.  Robert Downey Jr. was amazing here and the introduction of the “fake” trailers was wonderful.  Tom Cruise’s cameo in the film was another major stand out.  It is not a movie that I have gone back to much.

#9.  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.  This is one that I have only seen once, but I loved it when I saw it.  It was such a heartfelt movie and done brilliantly by the young actors involved.  Olivia Cooke, Thomas Mann and RJ Cyler were amazing in the roles.  There are emotional moments in the film and the movies they made were very funny.

#8.  Get Shorty.  John Travolta is a mobster who has found his way to Hollywood in an attempt to make a script made.  There are a lot of inside jokes here, including great roles from Danny DeVito, Gene Hackman and Rene Russo.

#7.  Shadow of the Vampire.  The fictional story of the filming of the silent movie, Nosferatu.  Willem Dafoe gives a stunning performance as the title “vampire” who turns out to be more real than anyone knew.  John Malkovich played the director who knew the truth but continued on in order to get the most realistic film possible.  It is a horror film and a good one.

#6.  Boogie Nights.  This is one that makes the list although it may not be one that I watch as much as some of the others here.  There are great performances in the movie from Mark Wahlberg to Burt Reynolds.  I don’t love this one as much as some, but there is no denying that this fits in this category as well as many other films.

#5.  Dolemite is my Name.  Eddie Murphy is back big time with this awesome Netflix film based on the life of classic blaxploitation director Rudy Ray Moore.  Dolemite is My Name is hilarious and there are great performances from not only Eddie, but also Wesley Snipes and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

#4.  Saving Mr. Banks.  The story of how the Walt Disney company made the Mary Poppins movie and how they got the rights away from author P.L. Travers.  Tom Hanks is great as always.  Emma Thompson is exceptional as Travers.  The songs fit nicely where they used them.  The backstory was better the second time I saw it.

#3.  The Disaster Artist.  I loved this movie.  It was the telling of how The Room was made.  The Room, one of the worst movies ever made, but that became a cult classic, was the passion project of one of the most enigmatic figures in movies, Tommy Wiseau.  James Franco is excellent in his portrayal of Wiseau.  The Disaster Artist was extremely funny, but it was funny because it took the relationship between Wiseau and his friend and co-star Greg Sestero seriously and not as a joke.

#2.  Ed Wood.  This is the main one that I was shocked did not make any of the Re-List lists on the show.  The biopic on the life of filmmaker Ed Wood, who made some of the worst movies of all time including Plan 9 from Outer Space.  This movie is great top to bottom, including a great performance from Johnny Depp as Ed Wood and a transcendent performance from Martin Landau as Bela Legosi.  There is also a hilarious cameo from Bill Murray that really makes this movie even better.

#1.  Singin’ In the Rain.  I just watched this for the first time last year and I was transfixed by it.  It was so remarkable and filled with movie magic that I loved every second of it.  Gene Kelly is amazing.  Donald O’ Connor is amazing.  Debbie Reynolds was amazing.  The musical numbers were engaging and entertaining.  Not just the music, but also the dance routines.  I loved the story of the film making.

Honorable Mentions:  There were a bunch of films for this section.  Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood I did not love as much as most, but I admit the scene with Leonardo DiCaprio and the little girl was astonishing and, most likely, the best scene in the movie.  7 Psychopaths was a lot of fun and is underrated.  I thought about including Hollywoodland, but I am not sure it was about anything more than the making of the TV show Superman with George Reeves.  The making of Psycho was the backdrop for the biopic Hitchcock.  I lied Argo more than some, and the parts with John Goodman and Alan Arkin are some of the best in the film.  The silent, black and white The Artist is one that most everyone has forgotten about but I had enjoyed it a lot.  This year, we have added Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which is more emotional than I expected.

It is Tuesday and that means the Top 10 Show is here to entertain.  It was interesting because you could see here the beginning of John Rocha’s illness that played such a huge dramatic role in the Schmoedown Spectacular this past weekend.  Feel better Outlaw!  We love you!

Anyway, John and Matt were talking this week of Top 10 Comedy Ensemble Movies in honor of the upcoming Jumanji: The Next Level this weekend.  The last Jumanji film was such a pleasant surprise that I hope this next one can live up to it. I have heard some initial positive word of mouth so here’s hopin’.

Comedy ensembles can be a challenge.  Especially when I do not like Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler.  Spoiler…neither of those two wind up on this list.

So…let’s move along…

#10.  Moonrise Kingdom.  The Wes Anderson film that included a bunch of his normal crew of actors (Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray) telling a coming of age story and a sweet tale of young love.  Honestly, though it comes across sweet, it seemed as if Anderson got away with quite a bit having these young kids in their underwear kissing.  I would be lying if I didn’t say that I felt a little awkward at first.

#9.  Fargo.  A dark comedy from the Coen Brothers.  An amazing performance from a great ensemble cast, including Frances McDormand as the pregnant police officer Marge Gunderson, William H. Macy as car salesman Jerry Lundegaard,  Jerry sets up a complicated plan to kidnap his wife to extort money from her wealthy father.  And then, all manner of problems ensue.  Ah, jeez.  Fargo was a film that I was not fond of the first time I watched it but on a reviewing, I found myself much more engaged with the dark humor.

#8.  Dogma.  My favorite Kevin Smith film is Dogma.  I have a figurine of Buddy Christ.  Such a wonderful story that sure rubbed many people the wrong way.  But I love the story of Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck), two angels who had been expelled from Heaven but who had found a loophole to return that could prove God fallible and thus bring down the world as we know it.  Pushing the envelope in a very funny way, Kevin Smith had a tremendous cast here including the ever brilliant Alan Rickman.

#7.  A Mighty Wind.  Christopher Guest films are always funny because of the talented cast that he assembles.  They have to be talented because most of the dialogue in the film is ablibbed.  A Mighty Wind is a love letter to folk music by looking at the strangest group of characters you will ever see.  And the music is always great as well.  Who could guess that these comedians were such talented musicians.

#6.  The Big Lebrowski.  Again, I have just recently watched this and I usually am not a fan of stoner comedies, but I found that I loved The Big Lebrowski.  Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Elliott, and others made this a great ensemble cast.

#5.  Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  What is your name?  What is your quest?  What is your favorite color?  Sounds easy right?  You would think.  But do you know the capital of Assyria?  And what if your confused about whether your favorite color is Blue or yellow?  Who knew these would be important questions when looking for the Holy Grail?  And Monty Python’s best movie is always hilarious.

#4,  Young Frankenstein.  A perfect satire on the old Universal Monsters and monster movies.  Gene Wilder is a great descendant of Victor Frankenstein and his comic timing is amazing.  This Mel Brooks film is shot in a beautiful black and white and each amazing actor in this ensemble brings something unique and funny.

#3. Ghostbusters.  One of my all time favorites movies.  Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson became an icon quartet and their epic battle with Gozer in the form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man simply blew my mind.  Ghostbusters is endlessly quotable and the dialogue is some of the smartest and funniest you will find.  They have never quite found the recipe for the Ghostbusters since this first movie, but it is a classic.  Make sure you do not cross those streams.

#2.  This is Spinal Tap.  The mockumentary from director Rob Reiner looks at an aging heavy metal band named Spinal Tap who are past heir prime but holding on with everything they have.  Like A Mighty Wind, the music here is meant to be a joke, but it is actually great.  I have all of the Spinal Tap albums.  Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer make a great team and the story in this mockumentary is surprisingly emotional.  Turn it up to 11 and watch this movie.

#1.  The Princess Bride.  The greatest comedy of all time.  Another Rob Reiner film, The Princess Bride has a cast filled with amazing actors such as Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Fred Savage, Peter Falk.  Scene after scene from this movie are better than the last.  One of the most quotable movies of all time, all it takes is someone to say the word “inconceivable” and everyone knows to what you refer.  The Princess Bride, a masterpiece of comedy and film making.  No other movie like it.

Honorable Mentions:  I thought about Airplane, a film I loved as a youth, but honestly, I have not seen it in decades and I am not sure it would hold up.  The first Hangover movie was funny, but it was tainted forever by the second and third one.  The classic comedy Clue has a great cast (Michael McKean too, who is in two other films on the list).  Since this was in honor of the new Jumanji movie, perhaps the last Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a option though it feels less of a comedy than an action/adventure.

It is a new Top 10 list this week and it is an interesting twist. The Top 10 Famous Actors with Actor Parent(s).  There were way more than I thought as I scrolled through the long list of possibilities at IMDB.

Oh, I am also going to list the parents’ names and choose one film that I would consider my favorite of the oeuvre of that actor.

#10.  Bill Skarsgård,  (Stellan).  It.  Pennywise himself kicks off the list at number 10.  His father is Stellan Skarsgård, who appeared int he MCU.  Bill Skarsgård had huge shoes to fill when he took over for EYG Hall of Famer Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and he hit it out of the park.  Even though It Chapter II was not quite the awesome film that I hoped it would be, Bill was not the issue.  I am excited to see what else Bill has up his sleeve.

#9.  Jamie Lee Curtis (Tony Curtis/Janet Leigh).  Halloween.  The original John Carpenter horror classic, Halloween saw the debut of the wonderful Jamie Lee Curtis. She has had a great career after this, and I almost considered Trading Places as the film that I liked best from her.  Her return in the new version of Halloween was probably the best part of that film.

#8.  Emma Thompson (Eric Thompson/Phyllida Law). Saving Mr. Banks.  Emma Thompson as another actor whom I had some difficulty picking a favorite film because, no matter how the film may be, she is always great.  I wound up picking Saving Mr. Banks, a Disney movie where she played the original creator of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers.

#7.  Sean Connery (Jason Connery).  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  He was James Bond.  He was Indiana Jones’ father.  He was Alan Quartermaine (okay, that one was not so great).  Sean Connery was always tremendous.  I picked his role as Dr. Henry Jones Sr. because I love that movie so much.  I considered The rock too, but Last Crusade just is one of my all time favorites.

#6.  Josh Brolin (James Brolin) Avengers: Infinity War.  Thanos himself.  Josh Brolin has made me a fan of him with his performance as the Mad Titan.  And of course, Avengers: Infinity war was Thanos’s movie.  He was legitimately the protagonist of that movie… and he won!  Who would have ever guessed that they would allow that to end one of the largest in scale films the MCU had ever produced?  Brolin was amazing in the film and should have been considered for more awards than he was.

#5.  Jeff Bridges (Lloyd).  The Big Lebowski.  Jeff Bridges is one of the great actors of our time.  He has been in so many unbelievable movies and he is always fantastic in all of them.  I picked what was probably his most iconic role and one that I just saw for the first time this past year.  The Big Lebowski was great and Jeff Bridges was a special performer.

#4.  Kurt Russell.  (Bing Russell).  The Thing.  Here was another actor that caused me to go to IMDB to look for exactly which of his long list of films would be my favorite.  And while my favorite of his may be Guardians Vol 2, I chose The Thing because of how iconic it is.  Another John Carpenter film that is just as brilliant now as it was back in 1982.

#3.  Carrie Fisher.  (Debbie Reynolds/Eddie Fisher) Star Wars.  Our Princess.  Leia herself is in at number three.  Carrie Fisher had a tough life but we all loved her so much because of this movie and this movie trilogy.  Leia developed over each one, whether it be her relationship with the scalawag, Han Solo or her learning of a long lost twin brother in Luke, Princess Leia never faltered.  Another EYG Hall of Famer, Carrie Fisher’s loss will definitely be felt in The Rise of Skywalker.

#2.  Michael Douglas.  (Kirk Douglas).  War of the Roses.  Michael Douglas is always great.  I considered Ant Man in this role for his perfect portrayal of Hank Pym, but he is more of a secondary character there and in The War of the Roses, he plays a perfect jerk that both loves and hates his wife, Kathleen Turner.  This film showed both Douglas’s skill at drama, but also dark comedy.  His timing was perfect.

#1.  Robert Downey Jr. (Robert Downey Sr.).  Avengers: Endgame.  Thank you RDJ.  Without you, the MCU may never have been successful.  And then, you decided to tear our hearts out in Endgame with your final scene.  Few characters can be said to be cast to perfection, but Tony Stark is someone who I cannot imagine anyone else ever playing.  Always remember, Robert that we love you 3000.

Honorable mentions:  There were a bunch of them.  I almost put Kiefer Sutherland on the list from Stand By Me.  I found out that the one and only Dr. Strange Benedict Cumberbatch fit into this category.  Domhnall Gleeson is an actor who may see more of in the future.  Matthew Broderick was perfect as Ferris Bueller (and Matt put him on his own list because of Ferris).  Ben Stiller‘s Mister Furious had me considering him too.  I was not sure if his father Jerry was a movie star or more of a TV star.  I loved Laura Dern too, but I was not sure which film I would have chosen for her.  Another star of the future is John David Washington, son of Denzel and star of the great BlackKKlansman.