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10 Flicks Movie Lists

Like many film fans out there, I have a pretty large collection of DVD’s.  I’m extremely proud of the diversity of my collection as there are films from virtually every genre you can think of.  Most people organize their movies alphabetically or by director.  Some organize them by genre or actor.  Some probably alphabetize those sections as well.

I’m different.  My movies are organized in a rough order of which ones I like the most.  The system works like this:

You stand in front of my shelves and decide the type of movie you feel like watching.  Something may jump out at you right away.  Surrounding each movie are dozens of similar films thus giving you more options.  Get it?  Lets move on.

Guess what’s on the bottom shelf?

The “Why the hell do I own this” shelf.

For this post, I consulted the least visited section of my collection and came up with 10 movies I have the misfortune of owning.

Why do I own them?  Here are a few reasons:

  • Buy 2 get 1 free.  At least it was free!
  • Bulk purchases off eBay. Back in the day, I’d bid on collections of 10 or 20.  There were always a few duds in there. (Surprises too though)
  • I had a hunch and was let down.
  • Someone gave me a glowing review and I shouldn’t have listened.
  • I buy bad movies on purpose.  How else can you learn to write better movies without identifying why you DISLIKE certain films.

Regardless of how I acquired these films, they are still treasured additions to my collection.  Just for the wrong reasons.

Honorable Mention: The Simple Life Season 1…  It was 3 bucks! Leave me alone…

Dragon Wars

I absolutely love monster movies.  I basically bought this hoping it would be a companion film to The Host. (Which was awesome.)  I just hope Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus is better.  I’ll probably own that someday too.

Reign Of Fire

Great cast, great concept.  Really, really bad movie.  I really wanted to love it too!

Shadow Fury

Still not sure why I have it.  I don’t even remember buying it.  Maybe I stole it.  That’d be sweet.

Note: I don’t steal things.

Cradle 2 The Grave

I should’ve known that an action movie with DMX would suck but I thought I could put it beside Romeo Must Die which also features DMX and Jet Li.  I loved Romeo Must Die.  Cradle 2 The Grave…  Woops.

The Nines

I’m a big fan of Ryan Reynolds but this movie confused the crap out of me.  I got it eventually but whew, I forced it.

P2

I have an entire selection of awesome B-Thrillers.  P2 is no where near that section.

Anacondas

This is the only movie on this list with a chance of escape.  I turned it off after about 25 minutes and never looked back.  Someday, I will revisit and hopefully it won’t be terrible.  Nah it probably still will.

NOTE: A J-Lo clone? Really?

Dragonball: Evolution

I don’t even want to talk about it.  One of the worst movies of 2009. Click here for my thoughts.

Revolver

Who cares who the oppenent is!  That conversation was terrible.  Guy Ritchie…  I still think you kick ass but this movie was awful.

Darkness

The worst movie I’ve ever seen in my life.  I bought it willingly as a constant reminder to work really, really hard on my scripts.

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10 Flicks Movie Lists

My business partner Eric Gamache is a film encyclopedia.  You may not hear from him on our network of websites as often as me but he definitely loves movies.  He prefers to spend his time behind the scenes.  It’s understandable.  Regardless, he’s a massive film nerd and breathes movies on a daily basis.  Recently, Eric informed me that he posted his top 10 films of 2009 on his Facebook page.  I LOST it on him. 

Why didn’t you send me the list?  I could have posted it on the site!  Traffic Eric!  TRAFFIC!

Actually, it didn’t really go down like that… Mostly.  I freaked out because I believe having his top 10 on this site is an important addition to this blog.  So for the first time in The Athletic Nerd’s history, we will now here from Producer/Director Eric Gamache. (And by that, I mean I basically copied the list from his Wall.)

Here they are:

  • 10. Star Trek
  • 9. The Hurt Locker
  • 8. Up In The Air
  • 7. The Road
  • 6. Moon
  • 5. Inglourious Basterds
  • 4. Paranormal Activity
  • 3. Up
  • 2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • 1. Avatar

If I have it my way, this won’t be the last we hear of Eric. 

You hear that dude? I won’t stop asking!

Also, in case you are interested in comparing:

My Top 5 of 2009

My Bottom 3 of 2009

PS: I almost want to jam a terrible movie in his list… Perhaps I’ll squeeze Dragonball in there at number 2? Nah…

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10 Flicks Movie Lists

A little while ago, a reader asked me which movies I make sure to watch every year. (Great idea for a post by the way sir)  I put some thought into it and came up with a very diverse list of movies.

I have to admit there are some films that HAVE to be on this list but are relatively new releases.  I wanted to focus on movies I’ve been watching once a year for more than… A year.

I also cheated and went beyond the required 10.  Crafty, investigative readers will notice that there are actually 15 movies on this list.  I don’t feel bad.

I decided to base the list on movies that make me feel like writing.  Films I turn to when I’m stuck or on rare occasions when my heart isn’t 100% into the story I’m working on.  These are the movies I’ll watch in order to ignite the creative fire. (I’ll have more on this topic on a later post… And by later I mean really, really soon.)

So here they are:

10 Movies I watch once a year

Honorable Mention: Goodfellas, Forest Gump, Signs, Proof, Unbreakable, Saving Private Ryan

The Sixth Sense

M. Night Shyamalan may have made a few duds but there is no denying how amazing his first 3 movies were.  The ending of The Sixth Sense was ruined for me yet I still thought the movie was spectacular. His overall style of writing and approach to filmmaking is a constant source of inspiration.

I also recommend reading The Man Who Heard Voices by Michael Bamberger.

Gladiator/The Last Samurai

THE double feature.  Once a year, I set aside an afternoon and watch these two films back to back.  I highly recommend it.  I also recommend chips.  It’s an all around fantastic afternoon.

Check out my Rainy Sundays post on Gladiator here.

A Few Good Men

One of my favorite screenplays of all time.  I love this movie but I’m inspired by the writing.  I’m not even going to bother quoting the famous lines from the epic final scene.  You have already thought about it and probably said it out loud.  Don’t believe me?  Maybe you can’t handle the truth. (Yes… I went there)

The Matrix Trilogy

The number one reason why I’m obsessed with films.  These movies were the catalyst for what became a daily routine of hunting for any and all movie news.  To this day, I don’t understand why people hated Reloaded and Revolutions.  I agree they weren’t as good as the original but you can’t you admit they were at least mildly entertaining?  They entertain me on a yearly basis.

Good Will Hunting

The only reason why A Few Good Men isn’t my all time favorite screenplay is because Good Will Hunting exists.  What an incredible movie this is.  I definitely watch this flick several times a year.

Garden State

Out of all the movies on this list, my writing style resembles this movie the most.  (Dramas and comedies at least.  Not horror.)  It’s such an amazing original story.  Great movie.

A Beautiful Mind

I love listening to John Nash talk about his work.  Makes me want to talk about my work and I LOVE to do that.

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

Once or twice a year, I watch the extended editions of these movies.  Then I watch every single minute of special features.  That adds up to 25-30 hours of filmmaking magic and one dedicated movie fan.

The Shawshank Redemption

I’m fascinated by the world Steven King and Frank Darabont created.  You could also include The Green Mile on this list but I liked Shawshank better. (Don’t get me started on The Mist though.  I did not care for The Mist… It insisted upon itself. Note: You get 2 points if you can name that reference.)

Signs

My all time favorite movie… Of all time. I’ve seen this movie more times than any other in the history of the world.  M. Night Shyamalan’s classic continues to inspire me.  I easily watch this movie 6-8 times a year.  Sometimes more.  I loved Signs.  Signs was a phenominal movie.

Dear Crafty, Investigative People: You’ve probably also noticed that Signs is also an Honorable Mention.  I felt it was necessary to name this movie twice.  That is all.

PS: Greg, the reader who suggested this post also has a blog.  Check it out here.

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The Athletic Nerd

This week happens to be the 3 month anniversary of this website. (The 15th to be exact)  While The Athletic Nerd is still in it’s infancy, I thought I’d talk a little bit about what’s in store for 2010.  It’s been an incredibly fun journey so far sharing my thoughts on movies, television and technology but I’ve got bigger and nerdier plans for the future.

The Athletic Nerd Brand

A while back I wrote a 2 part post called Self Branding.   The branding continues with the new logo I’m unveiling here today.  I think it’s important for a site to establish it’s identity from the beginning so you’ll be seeing those blue and red letters around the site more and more.  It’s a fairly simple logo but it will certainly evolve along with the blog.  (Actually, I guarantee it.  I love revisions and redesigns.) 

If there is anything I’ve learned about blogging during these last few months, it’s the importance of setting yourself apart from similar blogs.  I’ll be dedicating a lot of time and research to continue refining the type of content I create and the audience I want to reach.

In terms of overall design, I think the site has finally found a good look and I’ll be sticking with it until a completely customized site can be designed. For now I want to focus on content and gaining more readers.

Film, TV and Technology from a personal and professional perspective.

This is the style I strive to achieve in my writing.  You’ll never see a post that just regurgitates the news of the day.  Instead, you’ll get a personal look into how the subject inspires creativity.  Over the past 3 months, I’ve introduced a variety of different features that strenghten that idea.

Rainy Sundays – Probably the most popular feature on the site right now.  Once a week, I dig into the past and pull out a movie you could easily watch on those lazy days when you just want to sit back and enjoy a classic.   Throughout 2010, I’m planning to keep adding films to the Rainy Sunday list regularily with a couple added twists here and there.  Click here for more…

What!? – Surprising news. Trailer debuts.  Shocking announcements.  It’s the closest thing you’ll find to a news article on this site but it’s reserved only for those special moments I just have to write about.  Click here for more…

Really!? – A look at the little details about the industry that annoy.  The beauty of the subjects on this site is they can both excite and frustrate.  Films can flop.  Equipment breaks.  Hear about my personal encounters here.  Click here for more…

10 Flicks – A relatively new feature that’s still evolving.  At first, I wanted to have a countdown feature on this site.  As time went on, I decided to take a different approach.  So they are no longer countdowns and instead, will be carefully selected picks that fit the hot topic of the day.  Click here for more…

Spotlight - Many blogs have reviews of popular sites, movies, blogs and technology but many do not detail how it affects their lives professionally and creatively.  Why not give a personal account in addition to the normal review structure.  Here is where I’ll be sharing what inspires me in my career.  Click here for more…

iPhone FX – This is a rare feature that won’t show up often but it’s a fun side project of mine.  Currently, I do not own a video camera and I have a deep obsession with motion graphics.  When I got my iPhone, I saw an opportunity to add some effects to the videos I take.  Once in a while when I have some time to mess around, I’ll be posting some shots with some added style and effects.  Click here for more…

All of these features will remain and a few more will be added in the coming months.  (I’m actually pretty excited about the newest features.)

17 West Productions Returns

17 West Productions

First and foremost, I’m a professional editor at a major sports network in Canada.  Beyond that, I also co-own a production company with my business partner Eric Gamache.  Since The Athletic Nerd launched, there hasn’t been much to report in terms of new projects but that will be changing in a matter of weeks.

I’ll be directing a new short film beginning in January and I’ll be updating daily on the production.  Every aspect of the film will be detailed with behind the scenes videos and stills. 

In addition to that, we have 2 more productions ready to get underway.  One is currently casting and I’m preparing to write the other in January.  Expect regular updates on those projects as well.

You’ll also be seeing better integration with 17west.ca.  The site will be getting a series of updates once these productions begin and I’ll be using The Athletic Nerd as a compliment to the stories on that site.  Head over to 17W for the news and check out this site for rest!

A Screenwriter At Work

A few weeks ago, I started posting more and more about screenwriting.  I don’t claim to be an expert but I will be posting personal accounts while I’m grinding out the pages.  It’s my number 1 passion on this planet.  I love screenwriting.

The Expansion Team

In 2010, you can expect to see contributions from other bloggers and people in the industry.  I’ll be adding posts from a variety of working professionals as well as dedicated fans of film.  Both sides of the industry in one place.

The Goal

The Athletic NerdObviously, the goal is to gain a steady stream of traffic to the site.  The Athletic Nerd is still young but there is a lot of content here already.  2010 will be about generating more and better content for the readers I have and the readers I have yet to encounter. 

This site has given me an excuse to write everyday.  I may not have time to work on my latest script or a new revision but there is always twenty minutes here and there to write about what I love and why I love it.  All the best in 2010.  Visit often.  Tell your friends.

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10 Flicks Movie Lists

The Hangover was one the funniest movies I saw in 2009 by far.  Finally, I get to own the DVD and put it on the shelf next to my other favorite comedies.  It’s a very special section of my DVD collection.  A section with a select group of movies that people watch before heading out for a night on the town.  The Pre-Drinking Movies.

Pre-Drinking, or Pre-Game for some, is a skill you learn in college when you have little to no cash and a need to go out.  You learn early on that it’s a financially responsible decision to start drinking early at home and save on drinks at the bar.  It’s just smart thinking.

What do you do while you and your friends are gearing up for a massive evening?  You watch comedies.

To celebrate The Hangover’s release on DVD I thought I would make a list of comedies that have become traditions on epic Saturday nights.

Honorable Mention: Role Models, Forgeting Sarah Marshall, Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Talladega Nights and 10 others I’m probably forgetting.

Old School

I’m still hoping they’ll make the long rumored sequel someday…

“Blue you’re my boy!”

Road Trip

I’ve seen this movie hundreds of times and I still laugh every time I see it.

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Here is the movie that inspired many of the new ‘R’ Rated comedies out there.  Apatow changed the game forever and I’m extremely happy about that.

Superbad

This flick came out of no where and instantly became one of my favorites.

Van Wilder

I have a confession to make…  I was finished making this list and then I remembered Van Wilder.  It has to be on this list.  It’s one of the classic Pre-Drinking movies for so many reasons.

vanwilder

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

This movie could have been a complete disaster.  Thankfully, it wasn’t.  It’s hilarious.

Anchorman

I love Will Farrell.  He’s kind of a big deal. Out of all of his movies, this is by far my favorite.

Waiting

Here is a movie that not many have heard of but it continually makes me laugh.  An extremely underated comedy.

Knocked Up

Apatow followed up 40 Year Old Virgin with an extremely funny movie.  The man’s a comedic genius as far as I’m concerned.

The Hangover

Kind of redundant to make a list inspired by this movie and then include it in the list.  It just didn’t feel right without it.

pre drinking comedies

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