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Top 10 Snatch (The Movie) Moments

GANGSTERS, DAGS, GYPSIES, PIGS, BOXERS AND A REALLY BIG DIAMOND…

Snatch is an absolute classic that I lived without for years because I only owned it on VHS. It’s expensive to upgrade all the movies you adore but finally, I got myself a copy of Snatch on Blu Ray and it’s still amazing.

So much so that I decided to countdown my favorite 10 Snatch movie moments.

10. Periwinkle Blue

Have you ever watched scenes featuring Brad Pitt’s Mickey with the subtitles on? It’s a completely different experience when you aren’t trying to decipher his words on your own. For example, I had no idea he said

“Save your breath for cooling your porridge.”

9. The Opening Credits

One of my favorite opening sequences ever. What a fantastic way to introduce so many fantastic characters.

8. You Take Sugar?

Brick Top. You can’t have a top 10 Snatch list without multiple Brick Top appearances. Alan Ford is so good in this role.

“No thank you Turkish… I’m sweet enough.”

7. All Bets Are Off!

“I’d be doing even better if you’d stop using my name.”

6. Mickey vs Gorgeous George

I love everything about this scene.

5. Two types of balls

Bullet Tooth Tony and his Desert Eagle .50 vs 3 horrible criminals carrying fake guns. Nice.

4. No f*cking wheels?

Mickey is back to claim the number 4 spot on this list.

“Why the f*ck would I want a caravan that’s got no f*cking wheels?”

Arguably the funniest line in a movie that’s overflowing with brilliant dialogue.

3. It was 2 minutes 5 minutes ago?

This is why I love this movie. You could completely eliminate Charlie and the movie would be just fine…

But that’s just it. It would be mediocre without moments and details like:

“Five minutes Turkish.”

2. Funny Angle

Ah. Tyrone. You silly fat bastard. But don’t question him because he’s done a rally driving course… Ain’t you Tyrone?

“Course I have.”

1. As Greedy as a Pig

“Do you know what nemesis means?”

Brick Top claims the number 1 spot with a speech that’s as hilarious as it is intimidating. Who knew you had to be weary of a man who keeps a pig farm.

What’s your favorite Snatch (The Movie) moment?

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I Can’t Remember The First Movie I Ever Saw…

April 24th, 2012 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Movie Nerd | Movies - (0 Comments)

I’M SURE THERE IS A MOVIE OUT THERE THAT STARTED IT ALL…
I THINK.

Movie moments can inspire and motivate. They can change the way you look at the world. They can show you worlds you’ve never seen. They stick with you. Birth of a Movie Nerd is about the genesis of my movie obsession. But that’s not necessarily limited to the movies that inspired me.

Watching movies is only the beginning of a film nerd’s journey. A film fan’s life is full of wonderful moments that reach far beyond the beautiful darkness in a movie theater. We all have specific memories of these moments. We are all addicted to fueling our imaginations. We live for good stories and memorable characters. We immerse ourselves in the movies we love and we long for the film’s we can’t wait to experience.

But it all has to start somewhere right?

When I began brainstorming how to start this series, I focused on a moment that many film fans fondly remember.

A FILM NERD’S FIRST MOVIE

Unfortunately, I have absolutely no memory of my first movie experience. It makes me sad. I feel like I’ve robbed myself of something. Everyone looks forward to looking back on the memories they cherish. I feel like, if I remembered, the first movie I experienced would be extremely special to me.

Still, if I can’t remember a specific film, I can at least narrow it down based on the childhood I had can’t I?

I Can't Remember The First Movie I Ever Saw... | Birth of A Movie Nerd

My parents weren’t really that strict with movies when I was growing up. But I was still sheltered from horror films as a youngster. My guess is my first movie was a cartoon or a goofy comedy. Something my parents would have put on while I laid on a blanket trying to avoid an afternoon nap. We all know kids lose that battle 9 times out of 10 so does that mean I slept through my first movie?

I think I may be over thinking this a bit…

I was born in 1983. Realistically, I wouldn’t remember much until the age of 5 so that’s a good place to start.

1985

According to Box Office Mojo, the top grossing movie in 1985 was Back to the Future. (Nice!) I kind of doubt that was the first movie I ever saw but I wouldn’t be disappointed if it was. I didn’t see The Goonies until a few years ago which is tragic but eliminates another classic. There were a few that jumped out at me but non that really felt right.

What if I didn’t see my first movie in theaters? It could have very well been on television. So my next stop is 1984 since it took a long time for movies to appear on television and video in those days.

Ghostbusters, Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Terminator,The Natural, The Neverending Story… The list goes on and on although I seriously doubt Terminator was my first film at the age of 5.

XTRA | Woman In Black tickets

I Can't Remember The First Movie I Ever Saw... | Birth of A Movie Nerd

I tend to think it would have been a Disney animated film.

Disney released 25 animated films by the time I turned 5 years old but not all of them found their way into our families collection. So I narrowed those 25 down to 10 that I cherished the most.

10. The Fox & The Hound
9. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
8. Fantasia
7. Pinocchio
6. Robin Hood
5. Bambi
4. Alice In Wonderland
3. Sleeping Beauty
2. The Jungle Book
1. Peter Pan

XTRA | All Time Best Disney Movie Song

When I finished ranking the top 10 Disney movies released before 1985, a memory popped into my head. I was young and my family was searching for something to watch on a summer night. My parents made popcorn and we curled up with Peter Pan.

I remember gathering an excessive amount of pillows and blankets on the floor in front of the television. I was transported to Neverland. So I’ve decided to make Disney’s Peter Pan my honorary ‘first movie’. There are probably other options out there (Perhaps The Muppet Movie?) but Peter Pan feels right.

At the end of the day, just going down memory lane considering the possibilities has been fun.

XTRA | Confessions of a Wannabe Animator

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE YOU EVER SAW?
DO YOU REMEMBER THE EXPERIENCE?

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The Athletic Nerd Gets Animated

April 19th, 2012 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Design | Featured Posts | Technology | Web - (0 Comments)

CHECK OUT THE NEW LOGO IN MOTION!

Last week, I introduced The Athletic Nerd’s brand new logo. It’s a small change but an important step when it comes to branding my movie blog.

Towards the end of the week, I found myself with a free morning so I decided to dust off my copy of After Effects and animate it. I was instantly reminded how intricate but fun the software can be.

It took me a while to remember all the shortcuts I once knew but before long, I was building my animation.

It’s not the most complicated thing in the world but I’m a fan. I thinking about creating animations for all of the images I use to brand each post. There really isn’t an end game to this work but I definitely had fun putting this little animation together.

It was also an opportunity to launch The Athletic Nerd’s new YouTube channel. There is literally no content there yet but there is a plan in place to utilize it in the future.

XTRA | Confessions of a Wannabe Animator

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Inside The Edit: Dexter Opening Credits

April 16th, 2012 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Editing | Featured Posts | Inside The Edit | Television - (0 Comments)

GOOD MORNING… DEXTER MORGAN

I missed the first season of Dexter. I didn’t watch a single episode but slowly, everyone around me started talking about Miami Metro’s loveable serial killer. A trusted friend of mine swore it was a show I had to check out. So I waited for the Season One box set.

I had no idea what to expect but it’s safe to say I was hooked the second I saw him smack that mosquito. What a great way to introduce such a complex character. Someone who appears unlikely to hurt a fly (or at least an innocent fly) smashes it with a devilish grin on his face.

Inside The Edit: Dexter Opening Credits | Editing Blog

This is Dexter.

The whole concept behind the opening titles is nothing short of brilliant. Every single image is a beautiful balance suggesting this character is both likeable and… Complicated?

Art of the Title posted an insightful interview with one of the minds behind the Dexter’s opening sequence. Eric Anderson is a former creative director at Digital Kitchen and provided an inside look at the creation of the 2007 Emmy winner for most outstanding main title design.

“They kept using the word “mundane” over and over. They liked “Six Feet Under” and “Nip/Tuck” for how mundanely both titles dealt with what could have been a visually hyperbolized depiction of each show’s subject matter. This made me think how fascinated I am with crime scene photography, as a kid I loved looking through my grandfather’s “True Detective” magazine collection. Crime scene photographs contextualize mundane things giving those mundane things overwhelming and sinister importance. Along with this process of photographic evidence gathering comes an edgy anti-aesthetic, factually lit, mundanely framed, rawness. This proved to be a very important point for this piece.” (Art of the Title)

Read the amazing full interview here.

Art of the Title | Why do we love Dexter Morgan in the morning?

JUMP CUTS

Beyond the design of the opening titles, it’s the fantastic editing that fascinates me. Throughout the years, I’ve learned that using jump cuts is a difficult skill to master. It all boils down to instincts and feel. It’s about pacing and style. It’s a beautiful way to edit when it works. But when it doesn’t, it can be confusing and disorienting to the audience.

The opening sequence in Dexter is full of creative jump cuts but they aren’t over used and non of them are disorienting. When you’re selecting the frames to omit in a shot, it’s crucial that the action remains smooth.

That’s what I love about Dexter’s opening. The jump cuts are skillfully created but used sparingly. Subtle amounts of frames are removed to give speed up slow motion actions while communicating the overall message of the piece. Dexter is anything but ordinary and neither is this morning routine.

DING!

Cutting to music is a ton of fun when you have a song with catchy beats to edit to. But be honest, you weren’t expecting the Dexter theme were you? I certainly wasn’t. But it works because everything came into place. The music compliments Dexter’s morning routine so well while keeping in line with the design and style of the opening. Every beat is used to perfection through skillful editing and wonderfully staged moments.

Brilliant cuts… (pun intended?)

Dexter is a phenomenal show for many reasons but for me, it’s special because it inspires me in so many ways. Screenwriting, style, originality, suspense, twists, performance and of course the editing.

The awesome opening makes it very clear that you’re about to experience something unique. It’s evident every time an episode begins that something special is in store. Bring on the new season!

XTRA | Dexter & Screenwriting

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Screenwriting: An Invisible Major Character Must Disappear

April 12th, 2012 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

SOMETIMES CHARACTERS YOU ENVISIONED JUST DON’T FIT…
YOUR VISION.

I’m currently working on a screenplay that has 4 main characters and I love it so far. But that wasn’t always the case. In the beginning, there was 5…

When I set out to outline the story, I incorporated a character that I felt needed to exist. But he was a problem from the moment I typed his name. You see, the other 4 characters have great stories and relationships with one another. The fifth character was an outsider simply because I couldn’t find ways to fit him into their lives. He never had anything interesting to do but I was stuck because he was eventually going to matter…

Still, that didn’t change the fact that he was dead weight. He would appear to be part of the group but his dialogue wasn’t needed. He really only talked because he was in the room and I felt like he had to.

When I finished the first act, I found the number of characters I introduced to be a tad confusing.

XTRA | Introducing Too Many Characters Too Quickly

I set out to make my character introductions more memorable while eliminating as many distractions as possible. I quickly came to the realization that my beloved 5th character wasn’t needed. I started coming up with creative ways to avoid writing him into the story and the story got a lot better. It felt right. As I began eliminating all traces of the character from my screenplay, things became more clear and focused.

The truth is, if a character feels forced or has nothing interesting to do, it’s probably time for the axe to fall. I knew deep down the character wasn’t going to work. That’s the advantage of a first draft. I gave him a shot and he didn’t fit but at least I know definitively now. It can be pretty hard to let go sometimes but you have to ask yourself an important question:

Does this make my screenplay better?

Moving forward, I’m happier with my simpler and more focused story.

And the journey continues.

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Top 10 Snatch (The Movie) Moments

GANGSTERS, DAGS, GYPSIES, PIGS, BOXERS AND A REALLY BIG DIAMOND…

10. Periwinkle Blue

9. The Opening Credits

8. You Take Sugar?

7. All Bets Are Off!

6. Mickey vs Gorgeous George

5. Two types of balls

4. No f*cking wheels?

3. It was 2 minutes 5 minutes ago?

2. Funny Angle

1. As Greedy as a Pig

I Can’t Remember The First Movie I Ever Saw…