Random Movie Trivia - Silence of the Lambs

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Silence of the Lambs

• Jodie Foster claims that during the first meeting between Lecter and Starling, Anthony Hopkins's mocking of her southern accent was improvised on the spot. Foster's horrified reaction was genuine; she felt personally attacked. She later thanked Hopkins for generating such an honest reaction.
• In preparation for his role, Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons and studied convicted murderers and was present during some court hearings concerning serial killings.
• One of the inspirations that Anthony Hopkins borrowed from for his interpretation of Hannibal Lecter was a friend of his in London who never blinked which unnerved anyone around him.
• At 24 minutes and 52 seconds, Anthony Hopkins's performance in this movie is the second shortest to ever win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, with David Niven in Separate Tables (1958) beating him by one minute.
• Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry auditioned for the role of Clarice, and Andie MacDowell was also considered. Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Melanie Griffith turned the role down because of the disturbing subject matter.
• Buffalo Bill is the combination of three real-life serial killers: Ed Gein, who skinned his victims, Ted Bundy, who used the cast on his hand as bait to convince women to get into his van, and Gary Heidnick, who kept women he kidnapped in a pit in his basement.
• After Jodie Foster first read the Thomas Harris novel, she tried to buy the rights herself, only to find Gene Hackman had beaten her to it.
• As of 2014, the only horror film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Only two others have been nominated: The Exorcist and Jaws.
• When Jonathan Demme filmed the scene where Lecter and Starling first meet, Anthony Hopkins said he should look directly at the camera as it panned into his line of sight. He felt Lecter should be portrayed as "knowing everything."
• John Hurt, Christopher Lloyd, Dustin Hoffman, Patrick Stewart, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Duvall, Jack Nicholson, and Robert De Niro were all considered for the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Jeremy Irons and Sean Connery turned down the role.
• The pattern on the moth's back in the movie posters is not the natural pattern of the Death's-Head Hawk Moth. It is, in fact, Salvador Dalí's "In Voluptas Mors", a picture of seven naked women made to look like a human skull.

"Yup, that is actually seven naked ladies shaped like a skull."

Today's Celebrity Birthdays - Feb. 5th

I decided to start up a new post where I list the "celebrities" that were born on this day and then either praise them or mock them.  It will be fun, so let's do this:

• Tim Meadows (54) - The Ladies' Man has a birthday today and when he is leading off this list, you know there were slim pickings.  The good news is that Tim is awesome.
• Cristiano Ronaldo (30) - He plays soccer and is really really good, that's all you need to know.
• Micheal Sheen (46) - You know him from Masters of Sex, or the head werewolf from the first and third Underworld movies.  Did you also know he used to be married to Kate Beckinsale?
• Bobby Brown (46) - I find it amazing that he is the same age as Michael Sheen, but looks at least 30 years older.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh (52) - For some reason I know her name, but I couldn't name a single thing she has been in.  When I looked it up, she apparently was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  So there.
• Hank Aaron (81) - Baseball's true Home Run King is still kicking it at 81.  Being a Braves' fan, this guy is a god to me.
• Sara Foster (34) - Who?  Not important.  She's an actress/model and is hot.  End.

Random Movie Trivia - The Dark Knight Part 2

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Dark Knight Part 2

• Christian Bale admitted he did not pack on as much muscle weight for this film as he did for Batman Begins, in part due to keeping with the new Bat-suit design, which is leaner and more flexible.
• The only Batman movie where Batman does not use a batarang and first Batman film with no live-action or CGI bats.
• Bruce Wayne's penthouse was actually shot on the ground floor of an office building in downtown Chicago. During the daytime the same exact space was re-dressed and used for Harvey Dent's press conference scenes.
• The comic book film with the most Academy Award nominations (8).
• Matt Damon was offered the part of Harvey Dent, but had to turn it down because of a schedule conflict with Invictus, another Warner Bros. film. Ryan Phillippe, Hugh Jackman, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, and Josh Lucas were also considered for the part of Harvey Dent.
• While filming both the bank and police department scenes at the post office, an unrelated fire broke out in a top floor mechanical room and many onlookers believed that the smoke and fire was related to the filming.
• Sam Rockwell, Hugo Weaving, and Heath Ledger were the finalists for the role of joker, Ledger got the part.
• Christian Bale stated in an interview that during the interrogation scene, Heath Ledger wanted him to beat him as hard as he could to get the real feeling of what was required from the scene.
• During the hospital blow up scene Heath Ledger had to improvise after there was an unexpected delay in the explosion, there was only one chance to film the shot which was saved through Ledgers' quick thinking.
• When Harvey holds the Joker at gunpoint in the hospital scene, you can see that the Joker is actually holding the revolver's hammer with his finger, thus preventing the shot in case Harvey's coin lands on "bad" side.

Top/Bottom 5 - Matthew McConaughey

Here is where I pick a random actor or actress's Top 5 and Bottom 5 Movie Roles (I assume the post title gave that away).  This won't necessarily be the chosen actor or actress's best roles, but a combination of their best and my favorite.  In other words, if there is a tie, I'll go with my favorite.  Also, I won't actually be ranking them, they will be in a random order.  Lastly, this isn't these actor's or actress's best movies, but their best characters.  Let's get started:

Matthew McConaughey

Top 5

Wooderson, Dazed and Confused - I don't care that Matt (we're cool like that) has gone on to win an Oscar, this is and always will be his best movie character.  Alright, alright, alright?
Jack Brigance, A Time to Kill - I think I liked this role so much because of his previous role.  He was actually convincing as a lawyer, which is tough to do when all anyone knew him for was Wooderson at that point in his career.
Rick Peck, Tropic Thunder - Owen Wilson was supposed to play this part but dropped out and Ben Stiller somehow convinced Matt to do it.  And you know what?  He nailed it.
Mark Hanna, The Wolf of Wall Street - A very small part, but he easily overshadowed Leo when on the screen and that says something.
Denton Van Zan, Reign of Fire - Everything about this movie was crap even if it did star Christian Bale, but Matt's role was great.  A crazy person who hunts dragons in a tank while wielding a giant ax.  Awesome in my book.

Bottom 5

Palmer Joss, Contact - If I ever wrote a book, my main character would be named Palmer, which pisses me off now that I know a character named Palmer was in this long, boring piece of garbage.
Steve Edison, The Wedding Planner - Anything Jennifer Lopez is in automatically makes the Bottom 5.  Every.  Single.  Time.
Steven Bedalia, Tiptoes - Have you every heard of this movie?  Look it up.  It's about a family of little people and Matt plays the only person in the family who is not little.  It's fucking crazy terrible.  Gary Oldman, a non-little person, plays a little person.  What?!?
Dirk Pitt, Sahara - I'm going to admit to having read every Dirk Pitt novel and Matt couldn't be any further from that character.  Whoever cast this movie had obviously never picked up any of the books.
Conner Mead, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - There were plenty of crappy rom-coms I could have picked here, but I picked this one because the name Conner Mead sounds so stupid.

Where Are They Now? Part 3

Basically, this will be a new post where I take a popular TV show that is no longer on the air and see how said show's cast is doing these days.  Enjoy:

The Cast of Full House

• Bob Saget (Danny Tanner) - First off, have you ever seen this guy perform stand-up comedy?  He might be the filthiest comic ever, and he somehow landed the role of straight-lace dad on a sitcom.  How?  As for what he's up to now?  Other than a cameo on Entourage and doing the voice-overs on How I Met Your Mother, he really hasn't done anything of note in the past 20 years.
• John Stamos (Uncle Jesse) - Come on, it's John Stamos, he's handsome, he can do whatever he wants (and that includes the ladies).
• Dave Coulier (Uncle Joey) - I can honestly say that outside of Bob Saget's Comedy Central Roast, I haven't seen Dave Coulier since Full House went off the air.  I guess he's still alive because his IMDB page says he's done a lot of stuff I've never heard of, most of which is voice work.
• Candace Cameron (D.J. Tanner) - A lot of TV movies, and that's about it.
• Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner) - After the show, she did very little acting for a decade and a half.  When she did go back to acting, she didn't do anything you or I have ever seen and it looks like it's going to stay that way.
• Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (Michelle Tanner) - Getting filthy rich somehow.
• Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) - Absolutely nothing.  She apparently did a "short" with Dave Coulier a few years ago and is set to be in the Full House "Revival" this year.  Yup, Full House is coming back.

Even More Celebrity Heights

Awhile back I wrote a couple of posts about some celebrities and their surprising heights (click here, here, or here).  Well, I found some more interesting ones, let's see what I got:

• Judy Garland (4'11) - Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz may be famous for that iconic role, but I doubt she would have been able to ride any roller-coasters in her day.  Then again, those things were death traps back then and anybody could probably ride them.
• Nicole Richie (5'0) - I'm still not sure why she is "famous".  At least, it's not because she made a sex tape.
• Dolly Parton (5'0) - Do you think Dolly is taller from head-to-toe or from back-to-nipple?
• Kristen Bell (5'1) - I always assumed Veronica Mars was short, but not this short.  She's married to Dax Shepard, that guy who used to punk people for Ashton Kutcher, who is 6'3.  Think about that.  Now, get your mind out of the gutter, pervert.
• Christina Ricci (5'1) - Apparently, Wednesday Addams forgot to keep growing.
• Ellen Page (5'1) - They don't call her "The Little Canadian" for nothing.
• Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (5'1 and 5'2) - Does it piss you off that these two are worth $300 million?  Also, if they are identical twins, how is one taller than the other?

"Twins?  Or aliens?  Tough call."

Random Movie Trivia - The Dark Knight Part 1

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

The Dark Knight Part 1

• Takes place roughly nine months after Batman Begins ended.
• In preparation for his role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every tic, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh (for the voice, Ledger's goal was to create a tone that didn't echo the work Jack Nicholson did in his 1989 performance as the Joker). Ledger's interpretation of The Joker's appearance was primarily based on the chaotic, disheveled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange.
• During the scene where the Joker crashes Bruce Wayne's party for Harvey, when he first appears in the elevator Alfred was meant to have some lines, however this was the first time Michael Caine had seen Heath Ledger with the Joker make up on, you can even see the shocked expression on his face as the Joker walks past him.
• In the early minutes of each film in the trilogy the main villain (Ra's Al Guhl, Joker, Bane) disguises himself as one of his own henchmen and there is a conversation about said villain in each scene.
• The first comic book movie to ever win an Oscar for achievement in acting (Heath Ledger).
• While the movie was filming a chase scene on Lake Street, the Chicago Police Department received several calls from concerned citizens stating that the police were involved in a vehicle pursuit with a dark vehicle of unknown make or model.
• Made more money than Batman Begins's entire domestic run in only 6 days of release.
• Whilst filming in Chicago, Wanted was the neighboring production, and Morgan Freeman worked concurrently on both films.
• Paul Bettany, Lachy Hulme, Adrien Brody, Steve Carell, and Robin Williams all publicly expressed interest in playing the Joker, little knowing that Christopher Nolan always had Heath Ledger in mind.
• The first Batman movie that does not feature Bruce Wayne's mansion, although it is mentioned.
• Even though Christopher Nolan offered her the part, Katie Holmes decided not to reprise her role as Rachel Dawes. Instead, she opted to co-star with Diane Keaton andQueen Latifah in Mad Money (2008) that same year. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Isla Fisher, Emily Blunt, and Rachel McAdams were all considered for the role before Maggie Gyllenhaal stepped in.

Great Directors, Weird Movies

Here is a fun list of movies directed by famous directors that make no sense based on the rest of their work.  Trust me, it will be fun:

Francis Ford Coppola

Known For:  The Godfather movies, Apocalypse Now

Weird Movie:  Jack

-Nick Cage's uncle has made some of the greatest movies ever.  But he also made Jack, that movie where Robin Williams ages four times faster than a normal person.  It wasn't good and might have the most depressing ending when you think about it.  Robin is still friends with his childhood buddies, but he is definitely going to die before they even graduate college.  Sad, isn't it?

David Fincher

Known For:  Fight Club, Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Weird Movie:  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

-David has made some really solid movies, but Benjamin Button is such a weird movie compared to his other work.  I'm going to admit I've never seen it, but it looked nothing like Fight Club other than starring Brad Pitt.

Sam Raimi

Known For:  Spider-Man movies, Evil Dead, Army of Darkness

Weird Movie:  For the Love of the Game

-This guy started out doing purposely bad horror movies, but everyone loved them.  Later, he made the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies.  But in between, he made a romantic baseball movie starring Kevin Costner.  Now, I will admit that I really like For the Love of the Game, but it is the complete opposite of what this guy is known for.

Peter Jackson

Known For:  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit movies

Weird Movie:  The Lovely Bones

-Have you ever seen The Lovely Bones?  I haven't, but I do know there are exactly zero hobbits, wizards, elves, dwarfs, or orcs.  None.  Sure, maybe Jackson was trying to branch out, but it is still a really random movie for him to direct.

Tim Burton

Known For:  Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Anything Johnny Depp has been in recently

Weird Movie:  Pee Wee's Big Adventure

-Seriously, go watch Pee Wee's Big Adventure again and you will totally notice the little things that seem to be Tim Burton's trademarks.  This isn't so much a weird movie on Burton's resume as it is shocking when you realize he made it.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays - Jan. 19th

I decided to start up a new post where I list the "celebrities" that were born on this day and then either praise them or mock them.  It will be fun, so let's do this:

• Katey Segal (61) - Who?  She was Peg Bundy, the voice of Leela on Futurama, and currently stars in Sons of Anarchy.  That's who.
• Logan Lerman (23) - This is the guy who played Percy Jackson is those crappy Harry Potter rip-off movies.  However, I will admit I enjoyed them because of Alexandra Daddario.  Look her up, super hot.
• Jodie Sweetin (33) - Remember Stephanie Tanner?  Yup, she's 33 today.  And guess what?  Apparently, there is a Full House "revival" in the works.  About time.
• Dolly Parton (69) - How do you think she feels that whenever anyone thinks of her, the first thing that comes to mind are her boobs?
• Paula Deen (68) - Everyone's favorite racist is still going strong and still trying to kill her viewers, one artery-clogging dish at a time.
• Drea de Matteo (43) - She played Christopher's girlfriend on The Sopranos and is currently on Sons of Anarchy with Katey Segal.  I've never seen that show, but I heard it's pretty good.
• Edgar Allen Poe (Deceased) - The original goth would have had a birthday today if he hadn't have passed away.  Oh, and was able to live to 205 years old.  It's possible, right?

"Stephanie Tanner sure has grown up.  Look at those.....uh.....eyes."

Top/Bottom 5 Movie Roles - Al Pacino

Here is where I pick a random actor or actress's Top 5 and Bottom 5 Movie Roles (I assume the post title gave that away).  This won't necessarily be the chosen actor or actress's best roles, but a combination of their best and my favorite.  In other words, if there is a tie, I'll go with my favorite.  Also, I won't actually be ranking them, they will be in a random order.  Lastly, this isn't these actor's or actress's best movies, but their best characters.  Let's get started:

Al Pacino

Top 5

Michael Corleone, The Godfather 1 and 2 - This is a list of the best Al Pacino characters, of course Michael Corleone is on it.
Tony Montana, Scarface - This movie is right up there with Dazed and Confused for best movie drinking games.  Every time he says "Fuck" or does cocaine, you drink.  Usually, you don't make it past the first hour before passing out.
Lt. Vincent Hanna, Heat - Great movie, great role.  Although, I honestly don't know if I've ever watched this movie from beginning to end, I still love it.
Tony D'Amato, Any Given Sunday - I still think this is an underrated movie and Pacino nailed his part.  Just watch the locker room speech before the big game and tell me you aren't pumped enough to kick someone's ass in any sport.  I dare you.
Big Boy Caprice, Dick Tracy - I included this role because unless you knew it was Al under all that makeup, you never would have guessed it was him.  On top of the fact that he was really good in this role.

Bottom 5

John Milton, The Devil's Advocate - Everything about this movie was dumb....except getting to see Charlize Theron naked.  That was pretty awesome.
Starkman, Gigli - This is considered one of the worst movies ever made (I blame Jennifer Lopez, but I blame her for a lot of things wrong with this world), so just by association, Pacino's role sucked too.
Jack Graham, 88 Minutes - Watch this movie and then tell me what it was about.  I dare you, because it's impossible
Himself, Jack and Jill - Never saw it, never will, but even if this was Pacino's best acting job ever, it would still end up on the wrong end of this list.
Michael Corleone, The Godfather 3 - Can we all pretend this movie never happened?

Random Movie Trivia - Independence Day

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Independence Day

• The President's speech was filmed on 6 August 1995 in front of an old airplane hangar. The hangar once housed the Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima exactly 50 years earlier on 6 August 1945.
• Roland Emmerich admitted that during the movie's premiere at the White House, he gave his seat next to President Bill Clinton to Bill Pullman, fearing Clinton's reaction to the on-screen destruction of the White House.
• The film was banned in Lebanon under pressure from Hezbollah, because it included scenes where Israeli and Iraqi soldiers joined forces.
• Jeff Goldblum uses one of his lines from Jurassic Park in this film: "Must go faster, must go faster!"
• Shot in 72 days, an unusually short period of time for such a big blockbuster.
• The character of President Whitmore was originally intended to be a Richard Nixon-like figure. The role was originally written for Kevin Spacey, co-writer Dean Devlin's friend from high school. An executive at Fox refused to cast Spacey, insisting he didn't have the potential to be a big star. The part was re-written and Bill Pullman was then cast in the role.
• Producer Dean Devlin said that well over half of the dialogue in the scenes Jeff Goldblum shared with Judd Hirsch and Will Smith was improvised.
• Director Roland Emmerich was notified one day that Robert Loggia was very upset and refusing to leave his trailer. Days earlier, producer Dean Devlin accidentally suggested to Loggia that he watch Airplane! (1980) for inspiration when he actually intended to suggest Airport (1970). Not familiar with either film, Loggia rented Airplane! and after watching it thought that he had unknowingly been participating in the production of a "spoof" movie.
• Matthew Perry was originally offered the role of Captain Jimmy "Raven" Wilder but pulled out at the last minute.
• Originally Russell Casse (Randy Quaid) flew his crop duster in the final battle, because the military had rejected him as a pilot. He appeared with a missile attached to the crop duster, then flew the crop duster into the alien ship. But when it was screened to test audiences, they felt it was too comedic, so they re-filmed the scene.

Where Are They Now? Part 2

Basically, this will be a new post where I take a popular TV show that is no longer on the air and see how said show's cast is doing these days.  Enjoy:

The Cast of The O.C.

• Ben McKenzie (Ryan Atwood) - Ben has probably done the best out of anyone else in this cast.  He did four years on some show called Southland that I never saw, but did see plenty of commercials for.  Now, he is playing Jim Gordon on the Batman origin TV show Gotham.
• Mischa Barton (Marissa Cooper) - Mischa pretty much dropped off the map after her character was killed on The O.C.  (oh yeah, spoiler alert).  However, she has nine movies set to come out in the next year, but it looks like a bunch of B-movie garbage.  For example, she's starring in something called Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard with Billy Zane.  That should pretty much wrap up her career as of right now.
• Adam Brody (Seth Cohen) - Adam played my favorite character on the show (and yes, I actually did watch this thing for some reason), but sadly, he really hasn't done much since it went off the air.  I don't know why he hasn't gotten any bigger roles, he seems stuck playing bit parts right now on a lot of stuff I've never heard of.  Such a waste.
• Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts) - After the show ended, she starred in a couple of crappy movies like Jumper.  More recently, she is in her fourth season of something called Hart of Dixie, so I assume she is doing just fine.
• Peter Gallagher (Sandy Cohen) - The patriarch of the Cohen family has been getting steady work ever since the show ended and is currently doing a show called Covert Affairs that my mom watches.  So, he has that going for him.
• Kelly Rowan (Kristen Cohen) - Sandy's wife and Seth's mom really hasn't done much until recently when she landed a role on another show I know my mom watches called Perception.  Coincidence?  Probably not.
• Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper) - Marissa's mom has been busy since The O.C. left us, but she has done absolutely nothing I have, nor will ever see.  I consider that a good thing because I hated her character on the show and refuse to watch anything she is in now.

"I don't care what people thought, Rachel Bilson is way hotter than Mischa Barton and I salute her for that."

Today's Celebrity Birthdays - Jan 5th

I decided to start up a new post where I list the "celebrities" that were born on this day and then either praise them or mock them.  It will be fun, so let's do this:

• Bradley Cooper (40) - Every time I see this guy, I always remember him from Wedding Crashers.  Such a dick in that movie, but it turns out that first impressions are not true.  Pretty cool dude.
• Marilyn Manson (46) - My favorite thing about this guy is that people think he is the nerdy kid from The Wonder Years.  Nope, but I can see why people think that though.
• January Jones (37) - She plays Don Drapper's wife on Mad Men and played Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class.  She's easy on the eyes, but not a particularly good actress.
• Diane Keaton (69) - Remember when she was in classics like The Godfather and Annie Hall?  Yup, over the past decade she has made us forget all about those years with movies like Something's Gotta Give and The Family Stone.  What happened?
• Robert Duvall (84) - Another Godfather alum but this one is still giving us good work.  He recently starred opposite Iron Man in The Judge.  Didn't see it, but heard good things.
• Vinnie Jones (50) - Love this guy.  He hasn't done much worth a shit recently, but did you know his first three movies were Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and Snatch?  That's pretty damn solid.
• Kristin Cavallari (28) - I'm never seen The Hills, but if I did, she would have been my favorite.  Why?  Easy question, she was the hottest.
• Oscar Isaac (35) - I can honestly say that I have never seen anything he has been in that I know of, but I still know who he is for some reason.  The good news is that he will be in the Star Wars movie, so that streak will end soon.
• George Reeves (Deceased) - The original Superman suffered a similar fate as Christopher Reeves, except George died via a bullet.  Does this mean Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill are doomed, too?

Truly Random Brainfart Thoughts - Part 24

Here comes the next edition of Truly Random Brainfart Thoughts (click here to see the others).  Basically,  these are a bunch of random thoughts that came to mind that I couldn't really expand on and thought I should just make them into list form for your enjoyment.  Here goes:

• Do you think dentists floss everyday like they tell us to do?
• Fun Fact - Krusty the Clown and Homer Simpson look so similar because the writers were originally going to have Homer play Krusty as a side job.
• Did you know that Sloan from Ferris Bueller's Day Off gets naked in Timecop?  You're welcome.
• I'm proud to say that I've never eaten a McRib.
• Doctor Who sounds more like a cool band name than the title character of a nerdy TV show.
• Why is it so satisfying to replace your windshield wipers?
• If Hitler had sported a handlebar mustache, would that mean it would be okay to sport a Hitler 'stache and not cool to wear a handlebar 'stache?
• Considering that no one speaks Latin anymore, is it strange that one day modern languages like English and French may no longer exist?
• Do you think Indians from Asia get confused when they hear that a baseball team in America is called the Cleveland Indians?
• In today's modern world, how quick do you think people would figure out the secret identities of comic book superheros?  I'm guessing an hour tops.

"Yup, you get to see her boobs in Timecop."

Top/Bottom 5 Movie Roles - Kurt Russell

Here is where I pick a random actor or actress's Top 5 and Bottom 5 Movie Roles (I assume the post title gave that away).  This won't necessarily be the chosen actor or actress's best roles, but a combination of their best and my favorite.  In other words, if there is a tie, I'll go with my favorite.  Also, I won't actually be ranking them, they will be in a random order.  Lastly, this isn't these actor's or actress's best movies, but their best characters.  Let's get started:

Kurt Russell

Top 8

Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China - I love, love, love this movie.  Is it stupid?  Yup.  Does it make any sense?  Nope.  And yet, I still love, love, love it.
Snake Plissken, Escape From New York - Go watch this movie again because the "futuristic" technology is hilariously crappy.  Other than that, Kurt made an incredible Snake.
R.J. MacReady, The Thing - I'm going to admit that I've never actually seen this movie, but it's a cult classic and therefore, it had to make the list.
Lt. Gabriel Cash, Tango & Cash - Stupid movie?  Absolutely.  But damn it, I watch it every time it's on for some reason.
Captain Ron, Captain Ron - Another dumb movie that I still thought was entertaining.  Maybe Kurt Russell is just that good.
Wyatt Earp, Tombstone - Sure, Val Kilmer stole this film, but Kurt Russell was still solid as one of America's greatest Western heroes.
Col. Jack O'Neil, Stargate - Recently, I saw Kurt play in a Pro-Am Golf Tournament and he is looking pretty old.  What does that have to do with Stargate?  Nothing.  Suck it.
Michael Zane, 3000 Miles to Graceland - This movie was pretty bad, Elvis impersonators robbing a casino sounds like a good idea on paper, but somehow they screwed it up.  But I still thought that Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner were pretty good in it.

Bottom 5

Shockingly, other than his second stint as Snake Plissken in Escape From LA, he really hasn't had any movies roles that I didn't like.  Seriously, he has had a damn solid career and I couldn't find enough characters to make a full Bottom 5 list, so I didn't.

Sequels, Prequels, and More - Part 17

Another look at Hollywood's hilarious concept of upcoming movies, meaning that they have run out of ideas and they can only come up with another round of prequels, sequels, and remakes and nothing original.  In this case, we will be looking at all of the video games that are in production to become movies:

• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - Loved the first one and can't wait until the sequel.  Enough said.
• Gambit - Everybody's favorite Cajun X-Man is getting his own movie and will be played by Channing Tatum.  At first I was skeptical, but then I remembered that I like Channing Tatum and I'll go see it.  Maybe.
• Toy Story 4 - How do you top Toy Story 3?  I honestly don't think you can, it made grown men cry.  So this definitely smells like a cash-grab to me.
• Joe Dirt 2 - Why in the hell would they make a sequel to this movie?  Oh yeah, David Spade needs work and this is his only choice right now.  That doesn't mean they should make it though.
• The Six Billion Dollar Man - Yup, they are retooling the Six Million Dollar Man into a movie and it will be starring Mark Wahlberg.  Why?  I counter that question with "Why not?".
• Frozen 2 - I'm going to admit that when I saw the first Frozen, I got that song stuck in my head for a solid week.
• Transformers 5 - Ugh.  I didn't see the 4th one and I don't plan on seeing it until it comes on TNT.  Same goes for the 5th one.
• How to Train Your Dragon 3 - Guess what, I saw both of the first two and I'm totally on-board for a third.  However, I will see this one without my nephews around, they don't know how to shut up for more than a minute during a movie.
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas Remake - The good news is that they are going animated this time instead of another live-action version.  The bad news is that they are remaking this for no reason.

"He's got the chin for it, but does he have the accent?"

Ranking Marvel Movie Characters

Today I will be ranking movie characters based on comic books made by Marvel.  That should about sum up what this post is all about.  Enjoy:

• 10) Ultron, James Spader, The Avengers: Age of Ultron - For these first two, I'm kind of cheating because they haven't come out yet, but you have to admit that James Spader as the voice of a Marvel's villain is genius.
• 9) Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange - I honestly don't think they could have picked a better actor to play this part and that is why he is already on this list before the movie has even started filming.
• 8) Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, Spider-Man 2 - While I think the new guy made a better Spider-Man, Tobey will always make the better Peter Parker and that's what truly counts when you think about it.
• 7) Blade, Wesley Snipes, Blade - Sure, Wesley Snipes has dropped off the face of the earth, but when the first Blade came out, he nailed it.
• 6) Thor, Chris Hemsworth, Thor - I just saw that Chris will be in the Vacation sequel.  Weird.
• 5) Captain America, Chris Evans, Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Chris Evans just oozes American wholesomeness.  Liked the first Captain America, but loved the second one and that's why he made this list.
• 4) Hulk, Mark Ruffalo, The Avengers - It took three tries to cast one of the best Marvel characters, but they finally got it right in The Avengers.  I'm looking forward to the sequel and what mayhem the Hulk will get into.
• 3) Drax the Destroyer, Dave Bautista, Guardians of the Galaxy - I know, I was surprised when I picked this guy, too.  Chris Pratt was great in the movie, but Dave Bautista's Drax stole the show in my opinion.
• 2) Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, X-Men 1 and 2 - Come on, you knew he would be here and he would have challenged for the top spot if it weren't for that terrible Origin movie.
• 1b) Loki, Tom Hiddleston, Thor, Thor 2, and The Avengers - I couldn't decide between these last two, so I picked them both.  Plus Loki pretty much stole the show in both The Avengers and Thor 2 which is pretty good considering he wasn't the star in either.
• 1a) Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr, All of His Movies - What is there to say about this character?  When it was first announced, I was skeptical, but after seeing it, Robert Downey Jr. was incredible and has been every since.

"Stop.....in the name of love, before I break your heart!"

Random Movie Trivia - Braveheart

Here is the next edition in our weekly Random Movie Trivia post.  Enjoy:

Braveheart

• The film is often cited as the least accurate historical epic of all time.
• "Braveheart" was actually the nickname of Robert the Bruce, not William Wallace.
• Mel Gibson did not want to play William Wallace, as he felt he was too old for the part. However, he could only get financing for the film if he agreed with Paramount studios to play the lead role. Mel Gibson originally wanted Jason Patric to play William Wallace.
• There is an in-joke in the film that William Wallace's private time with Isabella led to the conception of Edward III. This could not have been the case, since Edward III was born almost ten years after Wallace died.
• Director/producer Mel Gibson was investigated by an animal welfare organization, who were convinced that the fake horses used were real. Only when one of his assistants provided some videotaped footage of the location shooting were they convinced otherwise.
• Several of the major battle scenes had to be re-shot, as extras were seen wearing sunglasses and wristwatches.
• Many Scots were offended by the film's portrayal of Robert the Bruce, who is considered a National Hero of Scotland (along with Wallace).
• Real life Wallaces are extras in the movie. Mel Gibson also stayed with them during the course of the film to learn history.
• Sean Connery turned down the role of King Edward I because he was filming Just Cause.
• Blue body paint (Woad) for battles had stopped being used around the end of the Roman era - roughly 800 years before the events of the film.
• Nearly all of the movie was filmed in Ireland, apart from a few scenes of the Scottish Highlands.

Where Are They Now?

Basically, this will be a new post where I take a popular TV show that is no longer on the air and see how said show's cast is doing these days.  Enjoy:

The Cast of Lost

• Matthew Fox (Jack) - You would have thought this guy would have done something else by now, but other than playing the villain in a non-Tyler Perry, Tyler Perry movie, I can't recall seeing him once since Lost ended.  Weird.
• Evangeline Lilly (Kate) - Of any of the former cast, I would say Evangeline is the only one with a promising career.  She's currently playing a kick-ass elf in the Hobbit franchise and she also snagged a part in the upcoming Ant-Man movie.
• Josh Holloway (Sawyer) - I liked this guy immediately on Lost and to honest, I'm somewhat shocked he hasn't gotten any work outside of a cameo in the 4th Mission: Impossible movie and a short lived CBS show.  And it doesn't get any better because he has nothing in the works.  Also, how did Channing Tatum beat Sawyer out for the role of Gambit in the next X-Men movie?  He is literally the perfect guy to play that part.
• Jorge Garcia (Hugo) - Judging by his IMDB page, Hugo is having the most successful post-Lost career of anyone in the cast.  Just click on his name, he is killing it.
• Terry O'Quinn (Locke) - Locke is having no problems finding work right now.  He's currently doing some show called Gang Related which is his second show since Lost ended.  But let's not forget that before Lost, he played Luke Wilson's boss in Old School.
• Naveen Andrews (Sayid) - A Middle Eastern guy playing Jafar on Once Upon in Wonderland, seems a little racist, but you do what you gotta do to make a paycheck.
• Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) - As soon as Lost was over, he immediately got a part on the Hawaii Five-O remake, so he's good to go for awhile.
• Yunjin Kim (Sun) - She's currently on some show called Mistresses with Alyssa Milano that I've never heard of.  Good for her.
• Emilie de Raven (Claire) - I'm a sucker for a chick with an accent, so I was glad to see that she is playing Belle (from Beauty and the Beast?) on Once Upon a Time, which is different from Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.  How?  No idea.
• Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) - Our favorite hobbit Merry is having no problems finding work, which includes hosting his own show, Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan.
• Harold Perrineau (Michael) - I was wrong when I said Hugo is having the most success after Lost left the air.  Walt's dad is killing it!  He's not in anything I've heard of, but he seems to be in everything.
• Micheal Emerson (Benjamin Linus) - Everyone's favorite villain is doing just fine with the show Person of Interest alongside Jesus.  Also, did you know he's married to hot redhead, Arlene, from True Blood?
• Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) - I only included this guy because he was my favorite character on the show.  How's his career going?  Just fine even though I have never seen a single thing he has done.

You'll notice I left a couple of names off of the list like Boone, his sister Shannon, and Walt.  That's mostly because I found Shannon super annoying, Boone dies super early, and Walt kind of disappeared after the first season and wasn't seen again.

Today's Celebrity Birthdays - Dec 8th

I decided to start up a new post where I list the "celebrities" that were born on this day and then either praise them or mock them.  It will be fun, so let's do this:

• Kim Basinger (61) - Do you realize that the first Michael Keaton Batman came out 25 years ago?  And now you feel as old as Kim Basinger.  You're welcome.
• Dominic Monaghan (38) - Our favorite hobbit Merry from The Lord of the Rings/Charlie from Lost has a birthday today.  Good for him.
• Ian Somerhalder (36) - Another Lost alum.  He played Boone, you know, that guy who died really early on in the series and had that really annoying sister.  Also, it kind of pissed me off as I went to look him up and when I typed "Ian" into IMDB, his name came up first before Ian McKellen.  Somehow that seems wrong to me.
• AnnaSophia Robb (21) - Basically if you need a cute blond chick for something and can't afford Dakota Fanning, she is your go-to gal.  Trust me, you know who she is.
• Teri Hatcher (50) - I can't believe she is turning 50 today.  Where has the time gone?
• Nicki Minaj (32) - I only included her because I wanted to say that I don't know why she is famous.  Seriously, what does she do for a living?  I have no idea and it bugs me that I know who she is.
• Jim Morrison (Deceased) - Other than being the lead singer for The Doors, the only other thing I know about this guy is that he is buried in Paris for some reason.  Knowledge is Power!
• David Carradine (Deceased) - Bill from Kill Bill would have had a birthday today if it wasn't for, you know, that whole choking to death while getting off thing.  That was really awkward to type.

"I told you know who she is, and no, that isn't Dakota Fanning.  Also, don't worry, she may look 14, but she is old enough to drink legally as of today."