Random Factoid #340

3 07 2010

Back from Wilderness. Thanks for continuing to visit and comment even without me to moderate! It made me feel good to get that flood of commenting e-mails as soon as I hit service again.

I learned a lot from my trip, and I’ll have more on that at a later date. But one quick thing I learned relating to movies: I really need to brush up on quotables from the low-brow comedies of the 2000s. As my group rattled off quote after quote from “The Benchwarmers” and “Mr. Deeds,” I was left kind of helpless. I was not a fan of those movies and decided not to waste my time memorizing lines from them. My “Knocked Up” and “Role Models” knowledge was practically useless.

And just for kicks, here’s a photo I took from my plane ride to Denver with my new iPhone. See if you can guess the inspiration!


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Random Factoid #339

2 07 2010

Even from a young age, my mom knew how to use my obsession with movies to get me to do what she wanted.

She noticed that in most of the movies I watched, the villains had disgustingly long nails. We both noticed how nasty Ruber’s were in the 1998 animated film “Quest for Camelot,” and from that day forth, she has called long nails “Ruber Nails.”

12 years later, when I slack on nail hygiene, she’s still there saying, “Gross! You have Ruber Nails. You need to go trim them!”

Although after seeing “Doubt” and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s nasty nails, they could easily have been renamed “Philip Seymour Hoffman Nails.” But “Ruber Nails” had been in place for too long, and it’s also a lot easier to say.


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Random Factoid #338

1 07 2010

I’m not much of the investing type.  I stay interested in the stock market, but I’ve never really given any serious thought to buying any stock.  At my age, I’m more interested in keeping my money in the bank and taking it out when I need some extra moviegoing money.

But thankfully, someone thought about investing for me.  Probably about a decade ago, some family members got me a $10 share of Disney stock.  They picked a stock that obviously had more sentimental value than monetary value.  The certificate sits nicely in a drawer in my room.  I think I saw it a few days ago doing some cleaning.

But sure enough, once a year, I get a tiny check from Disney.  It’s little more than pocket change, but I happily deposit it.  The check is always good for a smile, if nothing else.


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Random Factoid #337

30 06 2010

I love a good surprise.

Some of my favorite movies are ones with twist endings.  It’s always such a thrilling feeling to be headed one direction for an entire movie and then have filmmakers pull the rug out from under you.  We celebrate plot twists, and they have made two directors with huge movies coming out in July – M. Night Shyamalan and Christopher Nolan.

But as I watched “Memento,” which I knew had a plot twist, I felt strange.  I was expecting the unexpected, which obviously makes the twist much more … expected and less effective.

Ditto for “The Sixth Sense,” which did actually get me though, and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” whose plot twist I managed to call because I knew it was coming.

So is it really fair for us as bloggers to say that a movie has a twist?  Do we rob the thrill from the next moviegoer, who would be caught much more off-guard had they not been alerted?

Should I have even mentioned “Memento” and the movies that I did?


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Random Factoid #336

29 06 2010

Ok, just ignore the graphic to the side.  It’s just meant to look good … it doesn’t have what I want to talk about in it.  I couldn’t find any picture with what I needed, so I picked the one with Samuel L. Jackson.  He’s usually good enough to make up for flaws.

Anways, ever wonder what people do that you see in the credits?  Whenever the director decides to put the key figures in the opening credits, we get to see a whole bunch of assorted production figures first in the ending credits.

When that happens, the first person we see is almost always the “unit production manager.”  So the other day, I started wondering to myself, “What on earth does a unit production manager do?”

Well, for those of you wondering like me, here’s what they do (according to IMDb):

An executive who is responsible to a senior producer for the administration of a particular movie. Unit Production Managers only work on one film at a time. Only DGA members can be called Unit Production Managers.

If you didn’t know, now you know.  So the next time you go to the movies, brag to the people you came with that you know what a unit production manager does.


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Random Factoid #335

28 06 2010

I was flipping through the channels two weeks ago, and something interesting caught my eye.

“In the Bedroom,” a very heavy and dark drama that was nominated for Best Picture in 2001, was the primetime movie on the CW.  Yes, the same channel that gives the world such serious fare as “Gossip Girl” and “90210.”  It seemed a strange movie for them to show because it something that totally does not connect with their usual target audience.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather them be showing a Best Picture nominee than some horrific romantic comedy from the early 2000s.  It was just … odd.

So it got me to thinking, what is the ideal TV movie?  What’s the movie that I would stop and watch no matter what I’m doing?

I’m so tempted to give it to either “Baby Mama” or “The Dark Knight,” the two movies that are seemingly always on HBO/Cinemax.  They always provide me entertainment, and I end up watching both of them quite a bit.  But I think it’s a little too early to crown them king.

I’d have to say that I will always stop and watch “You’ve Got Mail,” no matter what I am doing.  It’s sweet, charming, and full of laughs.  It has a heart of gold, and I think it may still make my mom cry (don’t quote me on that, though).  I’ve seen it about a million times, and it has yet to get old.

I can probably recite the whole movie to you if you asked politely.  About once a week, I will say “thank yours” instead of “thank you.”  Every time I hear the word caviar, I say to myself, “That caviar is a GARNISH!”  If I hear of someone named Rose, I think, “Rose – that is a great name.”  (These are jokes you would only get if you have seen the movie.)

So what’s that movie that can always make you drop everything and watch?


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Random Factoid #334

27 06 2010

As you might know from January when I spent three weeks in Argentina, I am a student of the Spanish language.  My goal is to ultimately become bilingual because it is a useful skill to have when you live in Texas.

I also love foreign cinema, and a lot of what I watch happens to be in the Spanish language (mainly because there are so many cinematically vibrant countries that are mostly Spanish speaking).  Pedro Almodovar, Guillermo del Toro, and many more.

The farther I get in my study of Spanish, the less I need the subtitles.  For the most part, the characters speak fairly simply.  I usually only need them for vocabulary that I am unfamiliar with.  In fact, sometimes I can listen to the characters speak and find a more literal translation than the subtitles.

I also use watching these movies as an exercise in learning more Spanish.  I try to take away vocabulary from each of the movies and incorporate the words into my speaking.  For instance, I only know that carcel means “jail” because of “Talk to Her.”


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Random Factoid #333

26 06 2010

Back during the Winter Olympics (Random Factoid #209), I talked about my good ear for picking up familiar sounds even when they aren’t where I normally recognize them.

A little while ago, I was watching “Shrek 2” just for comparison’s sake with “Shrek Forever After.”  Finally, the climactic end came about and the clock rang.

Suddenly, I realized that the clock ring sounded very familiar.  It’s the exact same noise that I wake up to every morning.  It’s the “Bell Tower” ring from the iPhone.


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Random Factoid #332

25 06 2010

I kinda sorta caved into Netflix.  Only kinda.  Back in Random Factoid #260, I said that I hadn’t used Netflix because I don’t have any sort of consistency in my moviewatching rhythm.

My dad recently got an iPad for his birthday, and he managed to get a free trial of Netflix through the iPad app.  He told me about the offer, so I started fidgeting around and discovered a whole heaping lot of movies available to stream straight to the iPad.  So I watched “Memento” for the first time, and I loved it.  Not just the movie, but the fact that I was streaming it!

Then I started scrolling through the other movies available to stream – and it had me at “The Pianist.”  I haven’t had time to watch it, but I certainly hope the free trial doesn’t expire any time soon!  I’m dying to watch that and “Letters from Iwo Jima,” one of the two Best Picture nominees from the last decade I still haven’t seen.

And then, while still experimenting with the technology, I wound up ordering the discs of “Road to Perdition” and “Hustle and Flow.”  Now, they are sitting on my desk.  What my dad wants to do with them is up to him – the trial expires in a few days.  Soon enough, they’ll start charging.


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Random Factoid #331

24 06 2010

After 17 months, my wait is over.  Back in February 2009, I cracked my four-month-old iPhone.  I’ve been living with my flawed screen ever since, waiting for a model worthy of my money to be released.  A few weeks ago, that phone was announced.

I waited two hours in line today outside the Apple Store in the Houston Galleria this morning to get my hands on the iPhone 4.

What’s the first thing I did – that is, after I slapped the only available case on it?  Added 4 movies to it – “Knocked Up,” “The Hangover,” “Superbad,” and “Inglourious Basterds.”   Finally, I will be able to watch movies on my phone again!

In case you were curious, here’s what my old phone looked like.  I can almost guarantee you’ll be as shocked at the Geniuses at the Apple Store.

Like my crack?


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Random Factoid #330

23 06 2010

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

In a surge of patriotic pride for the U S of A, today’s factoid celebrates the unlikely American victory in extra time in this morning’s World Cup game!  WE ARE ADVANCING TO THE NEXT ROUND!

I’m not a huge soccer fan, but I certainly am a fan of my country!  I love these big sporting events like the Olympics – they provide real, human drama and competition that really brings you to the edge of your seat.  As much as I love movies, I have to recognize that nothing brings the world together better than a big sporting event.  Even “Avatar,” which made nearly $3 billion worldwide didn’t foster a bond between nations.

Of course, Hollywood tries to bring that same jolt of energy that fierce competition brings to the silver screen.  In my lifetime, the big surge began with the success of “Remember the Titans.”  Ever since then, the genre has been pretty hit or miss.  If you happen to catch a sports movie with a big crowd, there’s always a chance that the theater will get really into the action and cheer.

I can only recall that happening once in my moviegoing career.  It was February 6, 2004 – the opening night of Disney’s “Miracle,” a movie celebrating the United States’ unlikely victory in hockey over the USSR in the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics amidst tensions between the two nations.  The United States went on to win the gold medal, but no game provided more drama or excitement than the semi-final against Russia.

The entire movie builds up to the big game, and it absolutely delivers.  My entire theater was so into the movie, cheering at the U.S.’ shining moments and jeering when the Russians did something right.  The crowd erupted into applause at the Americans’ goals, and by the end of the movie, everyone was chanting, “USA!  USA!  USA!  USA!”  It’s pretty rare to get that kind of enthusiasm while at a movie, and it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.

So who knows, maybe in a few decades we will be watching a movie about the unlikely success of the United States at the 2010 World Cup.  We’ve got to keep cheering, and they’ve got to keep playing at the top of their game.

LET’S GO AMERICA!


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Random Factoid #329

22 06 2010

Today, I went to the San Diego Zoo.  I saw all sorts of pandas, koalas, and polar bears.  But what I really couldn’t get off my mind was “Anchorman.”

Anyone who has seen Will Ferrell’s comedic gem knows that the climactic moments take place at the San Diego Zoo.  Ron Burgundy has relapsed into drunkenness until the love of his life, Veronica Corningstone is in danger at the zoo.  She is doing a report and winds up in the bear cages.

So naturally, when we passed the bear cages, I couldn’t help but wonder if Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell had filmed in them.  I’m sure they probably used some sound stage for the trained bears, but I can imagine, can’t I?

On a closing note, stay classy, San Diego.


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Random Factoid #328

21 06 2010

I’m currently on vacation in San Diego at the La Costa Resort, and this morning I took a Chopra Yoga class.

What significance does this have in terms of cinema? Basically, none.

Except to tell you that I only knew who Deepak Chopra, the Chopra of “Chopra Yoga,” was because of Mike Meyers’ comedic bomb of 2008 “The Love Guru.” So I guess that makes one good thing that movie gave us.

Let’s just say all the chanting and vague spirituality of the class didn’t really allow me to relax all that much.  I’ll put it at that and leave it at that.


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Random Factoid #327

20 06 2010

Well, it’s another one of those memes.  I do this much less begrudgingly than the first time I tried one (for those who don’t remember, I was greeted with a chorus of “diva” and disapproving comments).

First of all, I’m certainly honored to be doing this meme after being cited by not just one but two blogs.  And these are two FANTASTIC blogs.  If you haven’t checked these sites out, you need to do that now.  In fact, I’ll even include screenshots of their sites that will take you straight to these amazing blogs.

Kaiderman’s The List is a ridiculously funny and entertaining site, always offering up some sort of fresh and imaginative lists that spark my own creativity.  This is usually the first site I visit when I’m struggling for factoid material.

Ryan/Univarn’s A Life in Equinox is a site that I have just recently discovered thanks to the LAMMYs.  His site is a deserving Best Blog nominee, brimming with insightfulness and packed with lots of recurring features.  And if you don’t mind, I think I may have to model my upcoming “About Me” page after yours.

This is the nifty little patch I’m supposed to display in the post.  Some graphic designer did a pretty nice job here.

Univarn got to define versatile already, so I guess I’ll do my own variation.  I went and looked up all the times I have used the word versatile on “Marshall and the Movies.”  It appears I have used it only three times, and they all have one thing in common: Matt Damon.

In my review of “Invictus,” I wrote, “2009 has reminded us that Damon is one of the most versatile working actors, constantly working to improve his craft.”

In a preview of “Green Zone,” I wrote, “‘Green Zone’ reunites the versatile Matt Damon … with Paul Greengrass.”

In my review of “The Informant,” a movie starring Matt Damon, I wrote, “Soderbergh, ever the versatile filmmaker, takes a fairly conventional tale of corporate crime and satirizes the genre.”

So, Kaiderman and Univarn, if you are suggesting that I share some sort of mythical tie of versatility with Matt Damon, I sure hope you are right!

Much like I did for the last meme, I’m going to give the 7 facts about myself by linking to past random factoids.  Really, each random factoid is a fact about myself.  But this one is going to be slightly different that the last meme (which was Random Factoid #265, for all those wondering) in that I will be giving a slight description along with each link.

Oh, and I have two themes working.  The first is to show that I could possibly be a fraction as awesome as Matt Damon, and the second is a bit of a “Friends” motif in the presentation.

The One Where Marshall Whips Out An Amazing Memory (originally published as Random Factoid #35)

The One Where Marshall Impersonates Julia Child (originally published as Random Factoid #97)

The One Where Marshall Recognizes An Amazing Tune (originally published as Random Factoid #207)

The One Where Marshall Schools The Experts (originally published as Random Factoid #224)

The One Where Marshall Defeats 3D Headaches (originally published as Random Factoid #237)

The One Where Marshall Does Crossword Puzzles In Pen (originally published as Random Factoid #280)

The One Where Marshall Wins A Prize (originally published as Random Factoid #323)


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Random Factoid #326

19 06 2010

I don’t watch much late night TV, not even the talk shows.

How does this tie in with the movies, which I tie everything into?  Well, I watch Letterman, Leno, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel whenever there is a big comedic movie coming out with a whole lot of stars doing the promotional parade.  The campaign has to take them to late night, so I buy in and watch them talk.  It’s pretty entertaining stuff.

The last time I made a concerted effort to watch a lot of guests was at the release of “Funny People” last summer when Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and more were doing the rounds.  This summer, I’ll be watching around the release of “Grown Ups” with its five stars that will most likely be lighting up the late night circuit.  It kicked off last night with David Spade on Leno, and I’m sure it will be in full force next week.

But let me share the three top moments of the “Funny People” cast’s appearances from last summer.

3. Seth Rogen gets rejected by Megan Fox

2. Jonah Hill and his fake Twitter account

1. Leslie Mann likes to Google herself


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