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Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

Saturday, September 26, 2015

FAVORITE MALE MOVIE / TV CHARACTERS (Or, YOUR TOP 25 FAVORITE MOVIES?)

Here's a nice cover of a Nils Lofgren song to get us started:
'TAKE YOU TO THE MOVIES'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFvnKKBMEj4

My blog buddyette BIRGIT recently posted a series naming her Top 10 Favorite Male And Female Movie And TV Characters: 
http://createdbybb.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-top-10-favourite-filmtv-characters.html

I promised her I'd get around to doing the same... eventually.

Well, below is my list of favorite Male characters. My list of favorite Female characters (which will be slightly shorter, because women are usually shorter than men) will come later. 

As I told Birgit, who doesn't care for Meryl Streep: "Hokey-Smoke! Lots to think about, and it's real tough when Movies AND TV shows are combined. Not to worry about Meryl Streep though. She won't be gettin' nuttin' from me - I find her on the boring side."

My list is NOT in any particular order at all. It was just randomly thrown up here, like it's some kind of an Ed Wood production.
 
BILL FOSTER (Michael Douglas)
'Falling Down' - 1993

A mild-mannered defense worker loses his job and loses his patience with the way society has fallen and how the city has become overrun by criminals and other assholes. On a sweltering day in a traffic jam, he loses his cool, abandons his car and starts walking through the city. The city won't forget that walk anytime soon. Before he goes out on that long pier (which isn't really in Venice Beach, by the way), he will be "rolling back prices to 1965", and he will "give you something to fix". Ha!

Did you ever wonder where my self-created nickname D-FensDogG came from? Well, now you know.



ROOSTER COGBURN (John Wayne)
'True Grit' - 1969

It's "The Duke" as a hard-riding, hard-drinking marshal with "grit". The freeze-frame ending is as American as apple pie and mother. 100 points if you know the name of Rooster Cogburn's cat. (Only 50 points for me, as I could only remember his rank.) 



GEORGE BERGER (Treat Williams)
'Hair' - 1979
.

Very rarely does an actor just light up the screen with "presence"... Treat Williams in 'HAIR' is amongst them.

When I first saw this movie in the theatre, I labeled Williams a can’t-miss soon-to-be-superstar. Though his work in 'Prince Of The City' was highly acclaimed, somehow Williams whiffed. I thought Kenneth Branagh’s performance in 'Dead Again' was going to propel him to megastar status, too. (Remind me of these misjudgments the next time I tell you that I’m never wrong.) It’s the ultra-cool confidence and dynamic presence Williams exudes that carries this movie and keeps it moving. He is the follicle of 'HAIR'. (I’m sorry! I really can’t help myself.)

Although Forman ultimately comes down on the side of the Hippie Movement, he takes jabs at, and also embraces, different aspects of the two social armies engaged in a cultural war that took place at home concurrent with an American “police action” on another continent. And Berger, despite his narcissism and hedonism (the real foundation of the counterculture) which often antagonizes the “authorities” and widens the Generation Gap, is also the peacemaker who can empathize with others and effect a reconciliation. He’s a complex, interesting character and worthy of deep analysis.


R. P. McMURPHY (Jack Nicholson)
'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' - 1975

Although I could write an entire thesis on the R.P. McMurphy character, I thought about choosing 'Cuckoo's Nest's' nutjob Charlie Cheswick, just because he makes me laugh so much.

This is one of my Top 5 favorite movies ever made, and perhaps the one I quote from most frequently. 

My move to Reno, Nevada, had me a bit nervous while driving a 20' U-Haul trailer towing my truck behind it. When I stopped for gas in Kingman, I let my Brother, Nappy, know that I was OK. It was the most humorous text I've ever sent, but if you don't know the 'Cuckoo's Nest' movie really well, you probably won't catch the reference in it. (Brother Nappy caught it.)

03/12/2015
@ Kingman, Airheadzona. Don't forget Winona. [I'm] OK so far but [I'm] still humming POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN. Ha!-Ha! ~STMcC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI_4HtIJYDM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSbyH2dv68



MONTE WALSH (Lee Marvin)
'Monte Walsh' - 1970

'MONTE WALSH' is haunting and lyrical; a slow, dark, and melancholy poem on celluloid. It's Henry David Thoreau in a Stetson and down on his luck.

This is a very special movie that addresses the loneliness of those who feel distanced from their surroundings; caught up in forces that strip them of relevance in their times. This is NOT an action-packed, rip-roaring, shoot-em-up, and it will disappoint anyone who comes looking for exaggerated Hollywood gun duels. 'MONTE WALSH' is a character study that takes a hard, and realistic look at Western men and women who cling to each other for support during the halcyon "hour" of soft, golden light and elongated shadows.

I am Henry David Thoreau in a Stetson and down on my luck. Monte Walsh is me.

ARCHIE BUNKER (Carroll O'Connor)
'All In The Family' - 1971-1979

"Archie Bunker For President!"


The greatest character in television history, played flawlessly by a real-life political liberal. Now THAT'S "acting"! 

"Meatheads" to the left of him, "Dingbats" to the right - there he was, stuck in the middle with them. 

Archie: "What about John Wayne?! ... Before you say anything, let me warn you. When you're talkin' about the Duke, you ain't just talkin' about an actor. You're talkin' about the spirit that made America great. ... The Duke's special was all about America, and I mean the real America." ...
Meathead: "It was all about John Wayne."
Archie: "Well, John Wayne is what's good with America!" 


FLOYD LAWSON (Howard McNear)
'The Andy Griffith Show' - 1960-1968



'ODE TO A BARBER'

Somewhere in the heart of Dixie, yonder in the South
There's a small place called Mount Airy
But as living mythology embraced in my mind
It goes by the name Mayberry

Her favorite citizens enter into my house
Slipping in by way of TV
And in just thirty short minutes they lighten my life
And they teach my heart how to see

There's the round Mayor Pike and the round drunken Otis
Sheriff Taylor and Barney Fife
Who at five feet seven, a hundred, thirty-eight pounds
Is built like a thin-bladed knife

Of course there's Goober, Gomer and the sweet Thelma Lou
and the ever-cooking Aunt Bee
There's Helen and Howard and don't forget Opie and
With the first whistled notes, there's me!

Only a few doors down Main Street from Andy's courthouse
You'll come to a famous "clip joint"
This small shop is the business of barber Floyd Lawson
And this brings me now to the point

Floyd is a fair barber and a right nervous fellow
In his shop the men come to sit
They get hair cuts, play checkers, and tell their Fish Tales
Or just "loaf" as Opie calls it

In this tape's Episode One, Floyd's dream is realized
A shop with "two chairs - no waiting"
But unbeknownst to him the new man is a bookie
Just barber-impersonating

When Barney goes undercover as an old lady
He breaks up the gambling ring
And Floyd Lawson with his dream handcuffed and arrested
Goes back to one-chair barbering

In Episode Two, while writing to a rich widow
Floyd is really stretching the truth
Claiming to be a man of business enterprises
and also a little more youth

But being a "prince of a fellow", Andy steps in
And he helps Floyd to save the day
But only to find that with his very next letter
Floyd has once again gone astray

In searching old files Deputy Fife discovers
The case of a punch in the nose
And reopening old wounds between Floyd and Foley
Soon the town is coming to blows

The Sheriff is able to repair the strained friendship
And a Mayberry riot avoid
And in the final scene we see One-bullet Barney
Fork over a nickel to Floyd

Here's my favorite sit-com and it always has been
Ain't an episode I don't know
I'd say two of the three episodes presented here
Represent the best of the show

I would place 'The Deceiver' and a 'Punch In The Nose'
Right firmly in my own Top Ten
I own Hair-Raising Adventures on videotape
And watch it again and again!

This collection is worth every Star that I gave it
It's better than gold or a dog
I'd rather have it than seventeen supermodels
or a lifetime supply of grog

Don't you call me a liar and dispute what I say
Or although I'm just Stephen T.
I'll pick up a rock and heave it right through your window
Just as though I were Ernest T.

 
NICK CHARLES (William Powell)
'The Thin Man' series - 1934-1947

Nick and Nora Charles (with their dog Asta) were private detectives. Nick always got his man drink. And someday I'm going to get all 6 movies in the series on DVD. The movies are as entertaining as a drunk on an escalator, and "In Glorious Black & White".

Nick may have loved his liquor as much as he loved his wife, but don't make the mistake of thinking he was ever too intoxicated to deduce the identity of the criminal. No one could out-drink or out-think Nick Charles! Like Columbo - who should have made my list (and George Bailey should have, too) - there was a razor-sharp mind behind that unimpressive exterior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1tnbPBCtnI 


Learn more about Nick, Nora and their dog, Asta, by clicking HERE.

TERRY "The Toad" FIELDS (Charles Martin Smith)
'American Graffiti' - 1973

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Tlob3U_1o 


When I was a kid, of course I liked Milner the best, because he was cool, tough, and had "the fastest wheels in the valley". But when I got older and tough-guy personas didn't impress me as much, I switched my loyalty to Terry the Toad, because that character really makes me laugh.

I got to meet Charles Martin Smith in 1980 on the set of the Disney movie 'Herbie Goes Bananas'. He was really nice and patiently answered all my questions about the movie... 'More American Graffiti'.

DAVID ADDISON (Bruce Willis)
'Moonlighting' - 1985-1989

This show turned Bruce Willis into a major star. He played wise-cracking private detective David Addison. One of the all-time greatest and most entertaining TV characters. I wanna be a "David Addison" too, when I grow up stop acting my age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QTVtAsVrEg


CAL TRASK (James Dean)
'East Of Eden' - 1955

Young, intense, emotionally tortured and feeling unloved, Cal Trask was played by the most naturally gifted and imaginative actor of all time, James Dean. When I was a teenager, I expressed a desire to act, and that's when my Ma told me about James Dean. The first time I saw him on the silver screen in 'East Of Eden' my desire to become a professional actor shifted into overdrive. This is the first performance that ever blew me away. It's still #1 on my list.

In MY opinion, the following is NOT the "best scene" in the movie, but it's definitely a damned good one! (And most of you gals'll go wild)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Vy5g6weX8


PIKE BISHOP (William Holden)
'The Wild Bunch' - 1969

"If they move, kill 'em!"
He liked whores and robbing railroads, but not in that order. He left his partner-in-crime when the Law moved in. Saying that he shared "very few sentiments with" his "government", he stole guns from the U.S. Army and gave them to Mexican bandits led by Germans preparing for World War I.

So, why is he on this list? See the greatest Western movie ever made and find out!

When money, women, and tequila couldn't ease Pike Bishop's conscience, he armed himself to the teeth and went back to save his half-dead "Angel". ("Pike Bishop" was my first online pseudonym. I 'spose THAT says sumpin'.)

DOC HOLLIDAY (Val Kilmer)
'Tombstone' - 1993

In my opinion, only 2 other young actors have ever exploded on the silver screen with as much stunning charisma as Val Kilmer did in 'Tombstone'. That would be James Dean first (Cal Trask), and Treat Williams (George Berger). Not surprisingly, all 3 of these young performers made my list. 

Everybody's seen 'Tombstone', so I don't need to say much about this one. Y'all know the lines by heart: "I'll be your huckleberry", "Nonsense. I've not yet begun to defile myself", "But then again... you may be the anti-Christ", "Maybe poker's just not your game, Ike. I know... let's have a spelling contest", "You're no daisy! You're no daisy at all!" The dialogue was memorable, the delivery was perfect. I still use those lines frequently.

Surprised to find so many cowboys on this list? 
You shouldn't be, because...

'MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTkZS6prZps


~ Stephen T. McCarthy

And now, a special message to YOU from my friend Kevin (and me)...

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 25 FAVORITE MOVIES EVER MADE?

I was hoping that YOU would participate in a fun survey a friend and I have done a couple of times in the past (1994 and 2004) with people all over the USA. The survey is NOT going to be published or distributed to the general public, but if you want a final copy we can send you one when it is finished in late 2015 or early 2016. 

My friend Stephen T. McCarthy and I are asking folks to come up with their Top 25 Favorite Films of all time. Not what you believe to be the 25 greatest, but what films are your all time favorites? 

It is really fun to participate in, read the final results and see what films were popular in the final tally. I would also encourage you to get as many friends and family to join in as possible. The more, the merrier!!

There are a few simple rules and requests if you decide to participate (and I hope you do because I included you hoping you would take part)

What you need to include:

YOUR NAME
STATE
FILM TITLE & YEAR

When listing the film, make sure to include the year of the film, so if the movie you have chosen is a remake we will list the RIGHT version. A great place to verify film years is the Internet Movie Database: 

Also, the year included will help us determine WHICH movie in a series the person means, when they get lazy and write "Alien" instead of "Aliens", or get lazy and don't add a number, like, I, II, III, IV.
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Top 25 lists should be in TWO PARTS: The Top Ten, and The Next Fifteen. You don't need to order them as #1, #2, #3, etc. You can alphabetize them if you want (that's helpful), or you can just list them in any random order, so long as we can tell the Top Ten from The Next Fifteen (because 'Top 10' movies will receive 3 points, while 'The Next Fifteen' movies - in your Top 25 list - will receive 2 points).

And, according to our old rules, a person can list singly a movie from a series, or they can take the ENTIRE SERIES and list it in one spot. But they CAN'T pick and choose installments and then try to lump them all into one slot. Examples:
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These are OK:
1: "Back To The Future"
or
1: "Back To The Future" Trilogy

But THIS is NOT acceptable:
1: "Back To The Future" and "Back To The Future" III
In a case like that, we would count BOTH of those movies ("Back To The Future" and "Back To The Future" III) as separate entries, and whatever is last on your list is going to get dropped off. 

I really hope YOU will participate in this fun survey. Take your time thinking about it. No rush, but I would say a good due date to have this completed would be October 31, 2015. Again, feel free to pass this along to anyone else you know who enjoys watching movies. We have had people participate from east to west, even outside the USA, in the past. Husbands, wives, sons and daughters can ALL participate. We look forward to your response!

Sincerely,
ZooKeeperKevin, and...
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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46 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. FAE ~
      50 points for you, too.
      Right rank, wrong name.

      Where's your list of 25 Favorite Movies?
      Yeah, I know Kevin said there's "no rush", but I'm far more impatient than Kevin is. So... where the hell is yer list?

      Kidding. You have time... a little. But please start thinkin' 'bout it and jotting down titles as they come to you, because as soon as I'm sober, I want all those lists right here on my desk!

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  2. You've got some good ones listed. I would have Nicholson in Cuckoo's Nest and Dean in East of Eden on my list as well. I've watched those movies more times than I can count. Both are great actors that I enjoyed watching just for the pleasure of seeing them work.

    As you know I'm a fan of American Westerns and like just about anything Wayne was in. Rooster Cogburn may well have been his best in that genre, but a close second would be Chisum. Donovan's Reef is just about my favourite non Western I just watched that again a few weeks ago.

    I'll have to give this some time and think about it. This is just informal, but off the top of my head, here's a few.

    Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, released in 1962.

    Michael Caine as Peachy Carnehan in The Man Who Would Be King, released in 1975. It was adapted from the book by Rudyard Kipling.

    Sean Connery as James Bond in From Russia With Love, released in 1963.

    Anthony Hopkins as Lt. Col John Frost in A Bridge Too Far, released in 1977.

    The film Dreams by Akira Kurosawa released in 1990.

    Gene Kelly as Jerry Mulligan in An American in Paris, released in 1951.

    It will be interesting to see how this turns out. I've no idea what other peoples taste in films is, but I imagine it is quite varied.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ANNE O' ~
      Oops! I hope I haven't confused the issue for folks by posting a list of my favorite male characters and then asking others to submit their own list of 25 Favorite Movies.

      This list here is just favorite characters, but some of the movies they were in won't necessarily make my list of top 25 Favorite Movies. (Example: 'Hair' won't make THAT list, although George Berger makes my Favorite Male Characters list.)

      If I had a dime for every time I've seen 'Eden' and 'Cuckoo's Nest'... By the way, the two main Characters made THIS list, but those two films will also make my 25 Movies list.

      My second favorite John Wayne character is J.B. Books in 'The Shootist'. Favorite non-Western John Wayne movie is 'The Quiet Man', filmed in YOUR home country!

      FUN FACT: John Ford said that NO ONE directed the movie 'Donovan's Reef'. Ford said he was on the set just to try to keep Wayne and Lee Marvin sober enough to say their lines. Ha!-Ha!

      I've seen ALL the movies you mentioned above, and I gave some serious thought to putting Peachy and Daniel on my Favorite Male Characters list. I love and own 'THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING'. One of the best adventure movies ever made!

      My favorite Gene Kelly role (most people would mention 'Singin' In The Rain' here, I suppose) is as Pinky in 'What A Way To Go'. What a fun movie THAT one is!

      Thanks for your comment, and I look forward to receiving your Top 25 Favorite Movies list. I'm still thinkin' mine over. It's tough to narrow them down.

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  3. ~D-FensDogG -
    Currently my screens are tied up, researching Vodka.

    Quite a list for you, here. "Ode to a Barber" is great - one of my favorite TV shows too. I don't know why but Nils Lofgren's song is romantic. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a pixie pigtail icon.

    I've copied the rules. Got seven films and counting! I'm glad it's simply a list and not as evolved as your post here. I'll return (smile).

    dp

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dp ~
      Vodka! Ha!

      Glad you liked 'ODE TO A BARBER'. Thanks! I thought I came up with a few good, unusual rhymes in that one.

      Yeah, that NILS LOFGREN song IS romantic! He recorded it with his band Grin and then he recorded part of it as an intro to the song 'Back It Up' on his excellent self-titled solo album and the great live album 'Night After Night'. To be honest though, I think this guy's cover is better than Nils' original. The guy has a better, deeper voice than Nils did.

      Looking forward to your 25 Favorite Movies list. And you're right, it just needs to be list of titles with NO COMMENTARY NECESSARY.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  4. OOoooh-Love your list! Love that you picked Rooster Cogburn and his cat is General Sherman! John Wayne is Rooster and, although I like Jeff Bridges, I felt he sucked in the remake. Did you create that poem? That is great!! I love it:) One Flew Over...is such a great film. When I first saw it, I think I was too young and was so P'O'd at the ending but it makes sense now even if it still bothers me that the Fletcher character "wins". I am surprised by Hair (I haven't seen it) and Moonlighting which I loved watching. I forgot who drippy the opening music was (to me drippy that is). I felt it was such a great show. You bet I will participate in the top 25 and my head is always thinking up tons of films. Do I list is on my blog or here? One on my list I just got (Criterion Collection-La Belle et La Bette). I am excited to get my list going

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BUDDYETTE BIRGIT ~
      I'm pleased you liked my Male Characters list. I think I've got a good mix of older characters (Nick Charles, Cal Trask) and newer ones (Bill Foster, Doc Holliday).

      Nope! Not "General Sherman". FAE guessed that, too. The "General" part is right... we ALL remembered THAT. I knew it wasn't "Sherman", and I knew it wasn't it "Hooker" (he gets mentioned in 'Monte Walsh' though)... I knew who it WASN'T, but for the life of me I couldn't remember who it WAS!

      I've stumbled upon a great trivia question, huh? Even we big "Duke" fans can't get it right.

      Yeah, I wrote that poem about Floyd, quite a number of years ago. Glad you liked it. Thanks!

      I didn't even bother to see the remake of 'TRUE GRIT' - it's sacrilegious to remake certain movies, and I won't support it. Didn't see the remakes of 'BORN YESTERDAY' or 'THE LONGEST YARD', either.

      Hmmm... I don't really think of Nurse Ratched "winning" at the end of 'Cuckoo's Nest'. In a way, McMurphy FREED ALL OF THOSE CHARACTERS, but especially The Chief. I think that's one of the most brilliant movie endings ever conceived.

      Ha! You don't like the 'Moonlighting' theme song? That's one of my 3 all-time favorites, along with 'WKRP IN CINCINNATI' and 'MASH'. (The theme music for 'TAXI' is also great.)

      I'm sure your TOP 25 MOVIES list will contain some gems. I know of one movie, FOR SURE, that you and I will BOTH have on our lists. George Bailey isn't on my Male Characters list, but his movie will damn sure make my Favorite Films list.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. POSTSCRIPT:
      Birgit, you can post your 25 FAVORITE MOVIES list here or on your own blog, or anywhere you choose. Please just make sure I see it so I can copy and save it in my files where I will be doing the collective point tally.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    3. Oh bummer! I thought I was right about his cat. I thought it could be Lee but that didn't sound right. I think of Ford Sterling but he was a Keystone Cop. Oh no-don't see the remakes of those films either-pale comparisons by far. Born yesterday is just really bad but The Longest yard is a film people will laugh at and don't realize how much it pales in comparison to the original which I love! What saddens me is how many people think the remake of True Grit is even better than the original and I just want to swat them upside the head! I hate when male stars make a gravelly voice because they feel that's what it calls for. Bridges voice reminded me of Lee Majors playing a some drunk side kick to this actor in some TV show I actually watched (was some crime drama). That was bad and so was the film. The only saving grace was Haylee Stanford(??) who was quite good in the Kim Darby role. I do need to see Cuckoo again as it has been a while. I LOVE WKRP! I watch MASH every day still-brilliant comedy and the music is excellent. Yes that film will be on my list for sure:)

      Delete
    4. BIRGIT ~
      I didn't get the cat's name either. (I knew I would know it when I heard it, though.) However, the Chinaman's name was Yen-Yee... or something like that. (Ken-Yee, Long-Yee, Yee-Haw... Well, what's the difference? :-)

      I've heard that the remake of 'The Longest Yard' is almost exactly the same as the original. I guess the movie company just saw an opportunity to make some money by using currently popular "actors". Screw 'em! They'll never get a dime from me.

      I know a lot of people didn't like Kim Darby in that role. Thought she was too annoying.
      HELLO-OOOOO?! Look at the character's purpose in the story! She was SUPPOSED to be kind of annoying. She was determined as hell!

      I thought Kim Darby was just right in that role.
      And considering he was a singer, not an actor, I thought Glen Campbell was pretty decent, too.

      What was that line Kim Darby said to him? Something like "...cultivates his hair like a cauliflower"? Ha!-Ha! I laugh out loud just thinking about it.

      WKRP was a really fun show. That episode when they dropped the turkeys from the helicopter as a publicity stunt. And the softball game, with Les Nesman the unlikely hero... those were classics. I got just one word to say.... "BOOGER!"

      Ever seen me on MASH? It can be done... pretty often, actually... but no blinking allowed.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  5. General Sterling Price-I cheated and asked Rachel. I knew she would know it ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hokey-Smoke! If she got that without looking it up, that's pretty damned impressive.

      I knew the "General" part for sure, and I thought the first initial was a C or an S (but knew it wasn't "Sherman"), and that's as close as I could get.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. She knew it immediately! ;-) Bigger JW fan than me. Go figure. Course, her memory is probably a whole lot sharper than mine. Ha!

      Delete
    3. Of course, she hasn't lived long enough to drink as much tequila as we have, either.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  6. Al Bondigas here. Good list there Stephen. I would have gotten Barney in there though. Heck, I could have put at least 5 characters from T.A.G.S. on my list. I really enjoyed the times we watched 'The Thin Man' together. I can't remember, did we do any drinking while watching them together? Do you have any recollection of that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HA!

      No, I definitely don't have any recollection of that.
      [;o)]

      My list was supposed to include ONLY 10, and it is already 3 over the limit. No way I could get any more TAGS characters in, or Columbo, or George Bailey. Wish I could have though.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  7. You've got a good list here. Let me think on this. My mind keeps thinking of more I should add to my list.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
  8. LEE, thanks. This will be the third time I've put together a 25 FAVORITE MOVIES list, and "it's so simple, I'm surprised I hadn't done thought of it before yet."

    Our favorite movies aren't necessarily the ones we have sentimental attachments to. Nor are they necessarily the ones that make us laugh the most or think the hardest. They aren't necessarily the ones that we think will impress others.

    Our favorite movies are the ones we watch most often.

    With that in mind, this next list I put together will be easier than the ones I've constructed in the past.

    ~ D-FensDogG

    ReplyDelete
  9. This IS a great list. A one of my own top ten favs appears here, and I am fond of every one on your list except for Nicholson in One Flew Over. As you know, I am not a fan of that movie. I know, I know... heresy.

    I agree with your comment to Lee above. There are certain movies that I simply stop and watch when I stumble across them on TV, no matter how many times I've seen them (can you say 25+ times for Blazing Saddles?). Most of my favorites do happen to also make me laugh the most or offer sentimental attachments, though.

    You've got my list. Feel free to publicly blast it, if that is what you doing with them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SHEBOYGANBOY 6 ~
      Ha! No, I'm not critiquing lists, or commenting on them publicly in any way. I'm just collecting them and adding points to find out which movies rate the highest amongst viewers overall.

      The whole thing can be trickier than one might think. And of course, the more movies a person has seen, the tougher it gets.

      'Blazing Saddles' is great. It won't make my list, but I love it. I've not seen it 25+ times. Maybe... 7. There are a few movies, however, that I've seen 25+ times, and THOSE will make my list. (Absolutely 'Cuckoo's Nest' is one of them. I'm cuckoo for 'Cuckoo's Nest'.)

      Thanks for your participation.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  10. Falling Down was one of the most awesome movies ever produced; Mike Douglass was a perfect despot. Some day I will have to read the book Cuckoo's Nest; but Jack Nicholson's character in that move made me really love him. I also loved him in AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Well, loved him in just about everything :) Who else would remember David Addison but YOU? Makes me wonder if Bruce was wearing a wig in his younger days. And Doc Holiday may have been the best role Val Kilmer portrayed, but I'd watch his sexy physique in almost anything. Yep, he made a good Bat Man, and I'm not usually one for angst. I'd have to ask my husband about the cat's name in Rooster; he's a huge John Wayne fan. I like him, but most of his movies depict him abusing women (I know, acceptable for their time) and the older I get, the less I like John Wayne. But I don't like what the tabloids have to say about his personal life either.

    Women are shorter than men? Well, lets not get into SHORT PEOPLE GOT NO BODY; ahem, I'm short, and a woman, lol.

    I would not have minded being Nora for Nick :) I think I was born in the wrong era; I'd like to have been a "nuclear" wife and allowed all the wine (substitute for martini's) a hard day of mothering deserved.

    Love Meryl Streep, especially in DEATH BECOMES HER. She has had some fabulous roles though, and age has made her an absolutely marvelous character. I think the same of Cher. Goldie Hawn can button up her shirt, comb her hair, and ride off into obscurity. Don't forget to mention Sandra Bullock in your female list.

    My male/female lists of favorites would go on forever :)

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    1. OH DONNA ~
      Hey, did I tell you via text that I've been to Oroville? (If you had twice as many Blacks as Whites there, I'd be calling it Oreoville. Oh well, opportunity lost.)

      I have an old Road Atlas in which I've highlighted in green every road I've ever traveled on in the U.S. And one green line goes straight up to Oroville and that's where it stops.

      I can't remember when I was there, or why. But it appears I drove back South again the same way I'd come, because the green line doesn't branch off to anywhere else from Oroville. (Maybe I did go North, West, or East from there, but I'd passed out and the driver didn't tell me how we got to where we ended up after passing through Oroville.)

      Michael Douglas wasn't a despot in 'FALLING DOWN'. He was the hero of the movie! (Are you sure we're yakking about the same movie?!)

      Oh, Val Kilmer was talented, but I DEFINITELY think Doc Holliday was the best role he ever played. That's certainly the one he'll be most remembered for.

      Oh Donna,
      Do you wear platform shoes
      On your nasty little feet?
      Do you have a little car
      That goes beep-beep-beep!?
      :o)

      I never saw 'Death Becomes Her'. My two favorite Meryl Streep movies are 'DEFENDING YOUR LIFE' (which I would love to fit on my 25 Favorite Movies list, but I don't think I'll have the room) and 'THE DEER HUNTER'.

      Don't hate me but... I don't like Sandra Bullock - not one tiny little bit ("beep-beep-beep!")

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. If you were in Oroville, the "green line" continues all the way to the Dam, a bit beyond too, I think. They probably lost you in Berry Creek; lot of red neck growers with guns up there. Scary place to be led down the Green Mile.

      There are a lot of other dark cultures in this area that could be counted in the Oreoville :)

      Yes, we are yakking the same Falling Down movie; I do agree he was a hero to the masses, laying waste to the absurd 10:02 breakfast cease and desist. I may have to agree that Val's best role was Doc Holiday; but I just can't abide a person who does not like Sandra Bullock.

      Me and my Yellow Submarine will have to abandon you immediately - at least until tomorrow!!

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    3. OH DONNA ~
      I've gotten lost in lots of places. Usually though in the bottom of a bottle.

      "I'll give you something to fix"... maybe the greatest line of dialogue in a movie EVER. Of course the little Black kid had to show him how to operate the bazooka. Thank God kids watch TV or Bill might not have been able to give them "something to fix". Ha! (Hokey-Smoke! I love that movie. Waiting for the phone booth? Blam!-Blam!-Blam!-Blam! "I think it's out of order." And, "FIVE!!!"... "Now you're going to die in that silly little hat. How does it feel?")

      I'm glad I'm not being banished from the kingdom for more than about 8.5 hours.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  11. I'm scheduling my list for Monday October 5th. How could I not resist this? I've listed films before, but I don't know that I exactly listed my favorites in this way.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. LEE ~
      I trust it's understood that THIS list I've posted here is a separate entity from what my 25 FAVORITE MOVIES list will be. (I'm worried I've confused the issue, by tacking my request for 25 Favorite Movies lists onto the end of my Favorite Male Characters list.)

      Of course, if what you mean is that you'll be mentioning your favorite characters who appear IN your 25 Favorite Movies, have at it. Nuttin' wrong with that.

      Also be aware that Made-For-TV movies (for example, 'Brian's Song' and 'Lonesome Dove') qualify for inclusion. They don't have to be strictly theatre movies.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. Yes, I understand what you did in this post. Since I'm not so good at remembering actors I won't be doing anything like you've done. I think you were pretty clear about what you were looking for and that's what you'll be getting from me.

      Arlee Bird
      A to Z Challenge Co-host
      Tossing It Out

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    3. OK, good. Thanks!
      By the way, there's always the International Movie DataBase (IMDB) website for when one's memory fails. I use it often for movie release years and some minor actor / character names.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    4. IMDB is a great site that I use frequently. In fact, if a film has sufficiently piqued my interest I'll go to the site to read up on all the details about the film. I like that usually the entries include filming locations.

      Lee

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    5. Any site where I have a credit HAS to be good. Ha! (Right!)
      ~ D-FensDogG

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  12. Stephen, kin you send me my last version? I will see if I know any better now.
    JW,
    Poohregard

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  13. Stephen, talk about a coincidence with your feature of Howard McNear (Floyd Lawson) in this post with mine on #Mayberry_Days! BTW, there was a feller there who played Floyd's part quite well and bore a striking resemblance to the actor. Oh yeah, I loved the poem! You brought it together quite well. :D

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  14. Stephen, I'm having trouble with my site still. But, I wanted you to know that I included a back link to this post for my readers to check out Ode To A Barber. Thanks for sharing it with me, my friend!

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    1. CATHY ~
      Thanks a lot! And glad you liked 'Ode To A Barber'.

      I had actually completely forgotten all about that poem. I went to the Amazon site to get a copy of that VHS tape photo. I remembered that I had posted a review for it years ago, but I had no recollection of what I'd written. I simply wanted a copy of that VHS tape for my blog.

      But when I got there, I found that poem and started reading it. And before I got to the end of it, I KNEW that's the text I would use in this blog bit.

      I mean, how could I write anything today about the FLOYD character that would be better'n that poem? That already said everything I wanted to say. And the best part is... I didn't have to try to think of something new to write in 2015. I could just "Copy & Paste" and all my work for the 'Floyd The Barber' entry on this list was already... DONE! (Yeah, I'm lazy that way.)

      Glad you liked it though. I like it my-damn-self, even if I didn't remember it at all until I re-discovered it about a week or so ago.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  15. Stephen, I was all set to listen to your BOTB choices, when I spied your brilliant poem about Floyd the Barber! I must ask, was Barney Fife 5 ft 7 before or after he put his head in a stretching noose? I also liked your other movie and TV characters from George Berger to Archie Bunker. I also had a crush on David Addison. You are always full of surprises, and I'm sorry I haven't been visiting as often as I should. Now I can't stop whistling the Andy Griffith theme song. One more thing, if they ever do a remake, what do you think of Steve Buscemi playing Barney, and Kyle Chandler playing Andy?

    Julie

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    1. GEM JULIE ~

      >>... I must ask, was Barney Fife 5 ft 7 before or after he put his head in a stretching noose?

      HA!-HA!-HA!
      That REALLY made me laugh!
      And I was thinkin': "Damn! Julie really does know this show!"

      Well, a deputy's gotta do what a deputy's gotta do... to pass the new deputy requirement laws.

      >>... I also had a crush on David Addison.

      Yeah, me too. That chick, Maddie Hayes, wasn't too bad, but I liked David Addison better.
      [;o)}

      >>... Steve Buscemi playing Barney, and Kyle Chandler playing Andy

      I didn't know either of those guys. I'd heard Buscemi's name before, but not Chandler's. So I looked 'em up...

      Buscemi as Barney? WOW! That's perfect. That's so perfect it's almost... creepy. ...And I mean creepy to the point that Barney Fife would probably be jealous and quit his job (for the 86,086th time).

      Chandler I'm not quite as sold on. Maybe we can come up with a mo' better lookalike. I don't know who though. If we wait a few more years, maybe I will be able to do it.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. Stephen, I'll wait for you, but hopefully not for too long. Remember the role calls for you to wear a sheriff's uniform, not a white summer suit made famous by Matlock!

      Julie

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    3. Ha! You definitely know yer Andy Griffith.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  16. I don't know if you saw it, but I put up my list. Maybe a few of my choices will align with what others name so it might make a difference in your final tallies.

    Find my list at:

    25 Favorite Films

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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  17. I'm still working on my list, but I do plan to participate.

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    1. That's good. Thanks, JEFFREY.

      I'm planning to post my list on Oct. 26th in conjunction with Bish Denham's 'Listing Blogfest'. But I don't need yours that early, if you're not done yet.

      If you can have it to me by mid-November that would be fine.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  18. Hi,

    A really fun idea, I'll be interested to see the results when they are tabulated. I wandered over from Birgit's blog.

    Here's my top 10 favorites:

    All the President’s Men (1976)
    Auntie Mame (1958)
    From Here to Eternity (1953)
    The Heiress (1949)
    Howards End (1992)
    How the West Was Won (1962)
    The Mating Season (1951)
    The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
    Sense and Sensibility (1995)
    Woman’s World (1954)

    I'm from Pennsylvania.

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  19. Here's my next 15:

    All About Eve (1950)
    The Big Heat (1953)
    Die Hard (1988)
    Inherit the Wind (1960)
    A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
    The Lion in Winter (1968)
    A Night to Remember (1958)
    October Sky (1999)
    The President’s Lady (1953)
    The Prize (1963)
    Running on Empty (1988)
    Saboteur (1942)
    A Star is Born (1954)
    Watch on the Rhine (1943)
    White Christmas (1954)

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    Replies
    1. JOEL ~
      Thanks for participating, Brother. I've got your list recorded in my file now.

      You've got the President's Men AND the President's Lady. ...I gotta tell ya, the President's Dog is feeling kinda left out. Ha!

      Man, you've got quite a few movies listed that I've never even seen, and I've seen a LOT of movies. That's a nice mix of years.

      I'll be posting my own Top Ten list on this blog tomorrow.

      You're from PA, eh? A little known movie I really dig with a story that takes place in PA is 'BIRDY', with Nicolas Cage and Mathew Modine. Sadly, it won't make my Top 25 list. I almost wanna cry when I think of how much I love certain movies that will have to be excluded from my list.

      Thanks again for your help, Joel!

      ~ Stephen

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