11.1 ~ #19

"Clue" (1985)

From Netflix: "Director Jonathan Lynn's board game-inspired campfest finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy -- who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, the guests and Boddy's chatty butler (Tim Curry) must suss out the culprit before the body count rises. Lesley Ann Warren also stars in this hilarious whodunit (filmed with three different endings)."

This movie is SO a classic!

I've loved this movie FOREVER and I used to play it OUT on VHS, when I recorded it off of HBO as a youngin' LOL

Fantastic cast, fun story, laugh out loud jokes that STILL make me laugh after hearing them at least 50 times in my life...just all out awesome! it might be that it's one of those movies that's so bad, it's good, but I'm biased. I grew up loving this film!

The movie as I remember it always had three endings, the first being "what ifs" and the last one being the "actual" ending...but I found after watching the DVD that apparently when it was originally released, you'd see a different ending (of the three) depending on which theater you went to. I appreciate how that's kinda cool...the board game always had a different ending, so why not the movie? But at the same time, imagine going to see the flick, then discussing it with a friend that saw it at a different theater, and being entirely confused when you guys can't agree on the whodunit? Fail.

Still, great movie, awesome cult classic, a real taste of my childhood...and it bothers me immensely that they're remaking it for next year. Boo. So much for cult status, every douchebag on earth will think themselves a "fan" just cuz it's the cool thing to do.

I hate when things I love are raped by the masses. LOL

If you haven't seen this, GO WATCH IT! You won't regret it!

4.2 ~ #5

"American Beauty" (1999)

From Netflix: "Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is struggling to endure marriage to uber-realtor Carolyn (Annette Bening), an unfulfilling career and a sullen teenage daughter (Thora Birch). Deep into a midlife crisis, Lester becomes infatuated with a friend (Mena Suvari) of his daughter. Soon, he's quit his job and is working at a fast-food joint in this dazzling blend of social satire and domestic tragedy from director Sam Mendes that scooped up five Oscars."

Another 2 hour wonder. Not that I minded AT ALL.

I've seen this movie a couple times before this week (I lie. More than a couple. I developed a mild obsession with it in high school). I totally see why it's on this list. So much so in fact, that fifteen minutes in, I started it over because my mother had never seen it and I felt she HAD to. Then at about 20 minutes in, I started it over AGAIN because my sister had never seen it, and I felt she HAD to.

The director of this movie had never worked on film before, only in stage productions, and now with my training in photography, I can really appreciate that in the cinematography. The lighting in this movie is PHENOMENAL! The score is amazing as well, which for some reason I never really appreciated before either. Kevin Spacey is mind-blowing as the main character of the film, and Annette Bening is my all time favorite actress ever, so it goes without saying that I loved her in this as well. Everything about the film seems so organic, like we really are catching a glimpse at these people's lives and not watching a movie...And I always cry at the end of this film, no matter how many times I watch it. Not a sad cry, but a so-much-emotion-built-up-inside-you-you-have-to-get-it-out cry. It's a movie that really stirs the soul and makes you truly grateful for every seemingly insignificant thing you've ever encountered or experienced.

This truly is a film that everyone on earth should watch at least once. I credit this movie with teaching me early on that one should always be kinder than maybe one deems necessary at first glance, because EVERYONE is broken, EVERYONE is battling demons, and you never really know what people are dealing with or why they do what they do, sometimes even in situations where you feel you know everything about a person, you might be surprised. I think another great message to take away from this movie is that people need to learn to slow down and just LIVE. Don't be so consumed with making a living that you forget to make a life...and of course, the most important moral of all...

"there's nothing worse in life than being ordinary."