My Top Ten Favorite Films

Every ten years Sight & Sound Magazine releases their list of the Greatest Films Of All Time.  My older brother did his own top ten greatest films, which can be viewed here: http://mattbailey97.blogspot.com/2012/05/ten-greatest-films-of-all-time.html

I personally do not feel that I have seen enough of the 'great films' to be able to make such a list.  Perhaps in 2022, when they do that list again my film portfolio will be better equipped to make that call.  For now, I will leave you with what I consider, not necessarily the "best" movies, but instead, my favorite movies over my 31 years of viewing.  


MY TOP TEN FAVORITE FILMS:

Braveheart
Pulp Fiction
The Shawshank Redemption
Walk The Line
Blow
Fight Club
The Godfather
Indiana Jones - Last Crusade
Forrest Gump
Rocky

HONORABLE MENTION:
Dazed and Confused
Bad Boys
Almost Famous
Cool Hand Luke
Christmas Vacation
The Departed
Die Hard
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Boondock Saints
Seven
Star Wars - Empire Strikes Back
Silence of the Lambs

Top 20 Best Song Intros

This is not judgment of the songs themselves, but merely the intros to each song. This is my list of the most greatest song intros.
I decided to leave commentary off of these picks since some I could ramble about for pages and pages, and others I could hardly write 3 words about.

Honorable Mention
Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
Time - Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

20) Jump - Van Halen


19) La Grange – ZZ Top


18) Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones


17) Crazy On You - Heart


16) Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry


15) Eye of the Tiger – Survivor


14) When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin


13) Where The Streets Have No Name - U2


12) Fooling yourself - Styx


11) Black Betty - Ram Jam


10) Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix


9) Baba O' Reily - The Who


8) Shipping Up To Boston - Dropkick Murphys


7) Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam


6) Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne


5) Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd


4) Thunderstruck - AC/DC


3) All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix


2) Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O'Mine


1) Money For Nothing - Dire Straits

Super Bowl XLVI - A Review

Super Bowl XLVI came and went once again, and it is time for me to give my review. First the game. It was good. Not the best Super Bowl, but likely in the top ten. It was a close match up and went down to the last play of the game, so there was excitement there. I was not disappointed.

Next, the half time show. Super Bowl half time shows are hard to do. Everyone is always overly critical of them and they almost always let down a big percentage of viewers. My take on Madanna? Eh, she was fine. I thought the show started off slow, but picked up pace as it went along. Moments before LMFAO appeared with the Material Girl, my wife and I were talking and agreed that these half time shows are always better when they mix several different artists into the performance - especially new & old performers. While Madanna was by herself, it was just so-so. Once others got into the game, it improved. Not that I am much of a LMFAO or Cee Lo Green fan, and I can't stand MIA or Nicki Manaj, but somehow their presence still made the show a little better. Best half time show ever? No. I doubt it even falls into the top 10. But it was decent. Madonna at 53 years old was still surprisingly lively. Not the best, but not the worst I've seen.

Now to the commercials. While there were a few really good commercials, overall I was let down this year. Here is my list of what was HOT, what was NOT, and what was just sorta LUKE WARM.

HOT
Hyundai, Rocky Theme - Not really the most creative, but sometimes simpler is better. A fine spot for any Rocky fan to enjoy.
VW, Fat puppy - A very solid spot. The only downside was the end with the whole Star Wars thing. If I were judging that part separately, it would have been much lower on the list, as that was a pretty lame ending. Maybe if they had used the little kid dressed up like Vadar like last year they could've made it cute, but that part let me down. Even still, the first 50 seconds of that spot were solid, so it stays in the "HOT" position.
Doritos, Missing cat - This one was solid. I really enjoyed the creative humor with it. I felt like this commercial was the way Super Bowl spots used to be. Oh, and come to find out, a Joe-Nobody made that spot for a contest Doritos put on. Even more impressive! It was, by far, one of the best of the night.
Acura, Seinfeld - This one to me was awesome, but then again, I am a die hard Seinfeld fan. I think it was good for any Seinfeld fans, but for those who might not enjoy that show & sense of humor (I think they're called 'aliens') they might not have "gotten" it. But who cares about those people? This is what I like best!
Honda, Bueller - If you were born anytime before 1985, there is no way possible you could not find this spot to be awesome. Those youngsters born AB (after Bueller) should 1) have still seen the movie at least 6 times by now, and 2) still have loved that commercial. If you didn't, you are probably a terrorist.


LUKE WARM
M&M's, Gettin' Naked - Eh, it was so-so. I think I let out a single, "Ha" towards the end. Just enough to keep it on this list.
Coke, Polar Bears, The Catch - Eh, out off all the bad Coke commercials this year, this one was probably the best, but still not great.
Audi, So long vampires - Pretty funny in the end. I started off rolling my eyes at the idea, but once the vamps started getting killed off, it got better. Still, the vampire thing is so over played, I can't give it better than a 'Luke Warm' rating.
Bridgestone, football passing - It was cute, pretty creative and sorta funny. But just not good enough to be one of those great commercials everyone talks about the next day around the water cooler.
Tax Act.com, Kid has to pee - Pretty good for what it was. The kid has to pee, and long story short, pees in the pool. Don't really remember what that had to do with taxes, but whatever. I'm sure it had some sort of 'be prepared' message behind it, or 'don't piss your pants, it's tax season'. Yeah, that second one was probably it.
Sketchers, Mr quigly - This one was sorta cute and somewhat funny. Maybe if it had been really cute and hilarious I would have ranked it better.
Fiat, Seduction - It was just so-so. I know sex sells and all, but we have all seen attractive women (that lady was nothing special BTW). Super Bowl ads need more than sex. They need smart writing, creativity, shock value, something more than what this commercial delievered.
Chevy, Sonic Stunts - I dunno, kinda cool I guess, especially since they were all real stunts, but still. Something just didn't do it for me.
Chevy, Comaro Freak Out - To me, a person freaking out like that just isn't funny. If anything it's kind of annoying. The idea was there though, had they just taken it a slightly different direction.
Oikos Yogurt, John Stamos - gets gets his ass kicked. That and that alone made that spot pretty excellent.
Chevy, Apocalypse - It was decent & a bit creative. Combining mass destruction with "Looks Like We Made It" was a nice move. Plus, they called out Ford. Ha! Oh, and the guy eating Twinkies was the cherry on top.
Budweiser, Here We Go - A pretty decent commercial! Finally! Bud got back to normal with their funny light hearted 'Here We Go' ad after a fist full of let downs. Did anyone else notice too that Budweiser didn't put up nearly the number of ads this Super Bowl as they have in the past? Guess the car companies took all the air time.


NOT
Pepsi, Elton John's Kingdom - Lame. Enough said.
Hyundai, Cheeta - Not funny, not creative, just bad.
Bud Light, Platinum spots - Lame as shit - all of them. Yes, you are introducing a new beer. Do it with your normal Budweiser humor. You guys are usually so good! What happened?
Go Daddy, Sexy Commercials - Stupid as usual. Go Daddy has never been good and never will be if they don't change the formula.
Budweiser, Prohibition - Good build up with big let down. Disappointment.
Coke, The Yell - Polar bear gets out of the cave, yells (cause he is frustrated with his team) and goes back into the cave. Oh, and then he drinks a Coke. If I pitched that idea to a client they would probably take their business elsewhere. Lame.
Coke, Straw - This is the one where the two polar bears are watching the game, seemingly cheering on opposite sides (indicated by their red & blue scarves) and one polar bear gives the other a coke and then puts a straw in it. I dunno, I just didn't get it. Thought it was pretty stupid all around.
Cars.com, Double head - A little disturbing and not funny at all. Someone should get fired over that spot.
Doritos, baby sling shot - Eh, sorta cute, but not funny. Nice try though.
Etrade, speed dating - Not funny, not good. Again, enough said.
Careerbuilder, Monkeys - The monkeys were not funny several years ago when they started using them, still not funny today. Find a new gimmick.

Best Names In Cinema

20)Cole Trickle - Days of Thunder
19)Walker & Texas Ranger - Talladega Nights
18)Jeffrey Lebowski (The Dude) - The Big Lebowski
17)Prince Humperdink - Princess Bride
16)Royal Tenenbaum - The Royal Tenenbaums
15)Gaylord Focker - Meet The Parents
14)Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones Series
13)Wes Mantooth - Anchorman
12)Shane Falco - The Replacements
11)Han Solo - Star Wars
10)Rocky Balboa - Rocky Series
9)Long Duck Dong - Sixteen Candles
8)Pussy Galore - James Bond
7)Merkin Muffley - Dr. Strangelove
6)Ferris Bueller – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
5)Inigo Montoya - The Princess Bride
4)Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump
3)Lloyd Dobbler - Say Anything
2)Keyer Soze - The Usual Suspects
1)Hannibal Lecter - Silence of the Lambs, et al

Top Ten Football States

Top Ten Football States (for 'winningness')
Scored based on National Championships won in High School, College & Professional Football


10 - New York & Massachusetts (30pts)

9 - Indiana & Michigan (31pts)

8 - Alabama (32pts)

7 - Connecticut (36pts)

6 - Ohio (39pts)

5 - Florida (41pts)

4 - Texas (46pts)

3 - New Jersey (53pts)

2 - Pennsylvania (68pts)

1 - California (73pts)



How some of the other states scored:
Georgia - 22
Illinois - 22
Maryland - 17
Oklahoma - 16
Louisiana - 13
Wisconsin - 12
Minnesota - 12
Nebraska - 10
Tennessee - 10
Colorado - 8
Arkansas - 6
Mississippi - 5
Kansas - 4
Virginia - 3
Washington - 3
Missouri - 3
Oregon - 3
Kentucky - 2
New Hampshire - 2
Utah - 2
South Carolina - 2
Iowa - 2
Arizona - 1

Top Ten Fake Characters On Seinfeld

10 - Paloma & Wanda Pepper - Both aliases used by Elaine, Paloma is the name she used when she posed as Uncle Leo's nurse in order to get a diagnosis for herself (she is a difficult patient). Wanda Pepper was an alias she used in order to retrieve a jacket for Kramer.

9 - Dylan Murphy - Jerry's made up name when he and George take Donald O'Brien's limo. They think they are going to watch the Knicks play, but soon realize they are actually on their way to a rally where O'Brien, the head of the regional chapter of a Neo-Nazi organization, is supposed to give his first public speech. Oops.

8 - Eduardo Corrochio - When George and Elaine go to dinner with a married couple, Elaine tells everyone this elaborate story that she once dated a romantic Spanish matador, whose name she makes up on the spot. What a great name!

7 - Kel Varnsen - The alias used by Jerry in order to help George with Vandelay Inc. He uses the alias again when he joins Kramer (posing as a wealthy industrialist) to watch the Mets game in an apartment that is up for sale.

6 - Whitey Fisk - George's imaginary summer friend. George was always jealous of Jerry and his summer camp friend, Fragile Frankie Merman. Whitey Fisk was supposed to be his "summer Jerry", but it was all a farce.

5 - Martin van / Peter von Nostrand - One of Kramer's favorite alter egos, sometimes he is Dr. Martin van Nostrand, once in order to get Elaine's medical chart. He also posed as Martin to audition for the role of Kramer in Jerry & George's pilot, Jerry. Kramer also presented himself as Peter von Nostrand in an attempt to retrieve a jacket from a man's apartment.

4 - Snoopy & Prickly Pete - The names of George's two imaginary horses he keeps at his fictional Hampton's estate. "All right, we're taking it up a notch!"

3 - H.E. Pennypacker - Kramer posed as a "wealthy industrialist" a couple of times - most memorably in Putumyo clothing store to help Elaine get revenge and again when Kramer needs to use the bathroom and sees an apartment for sale.

2 - Susie - Elaine's alter ego, Susie is believed to be real by at least two of her co-workers. When Elaine tries to kill her off, a funeral is arranged for her and Peterman claims to have had an affair with Suze (she hates when people call her that).

1 - Art Vandelay - George's alter ego is in so many episodes it is hard to count or keep track. Sometimes George works for Vandelay, sometimes George IS Vandelay, and in the Finale, the judge is actually named, Arthur Vandelay.

Best / Worst Television Fathers

THE BEST

10 - Tim Taylor, Home Improvement
The Tool Man might not have always had all the answers. His 'inventions' might not have always worked the way he planned, but Tim Taylor was a damn decent father. He shared the burden of raising 3 boys with his wife and made it through some difficult times seeking out the Confucius-like advice from his neighbor. Juggling 3 boys that close in age would be hard on any parents. The fact that Tim did it without screwing them up too terribly much is amazing. Plus, he was a pretty funny SOB.

9 - Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
I know what you're thinking..."But Homer is a drunken buffoon! He should be on the worst list." Trust me, I considered it. But then I thought about it and while yes, Simpson is not the ideal father figure (he chokes Bart, is lazy, stupid) he does love his kids and his heart is almost always in the right place. How many fathers would pretend to be a robot and get the living crap beat out of them in one of those robot battles, just to make their son happy? Homer would, and that's why he's my #9.


8 - Howard Cunningham, Happy Days
Also known as "Mr. C", Howard was the type of family man that many would consider the 'fathering total package.' He was loving, generous and friendly but he was also set on the children (his or not) following the rules. Mr. C had a pair of well adjusted children of his own, but he also played a father role towards Potsie, Fonzie & Ralph - a few of his son's friends. The Fonz even lived in Mr. C's garage for a while. Thanks Mr. C.


7 - Carl Winslow, Family Matters
A hard working police officer and fine role model, Carl went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to fatherhood. Not only did he raise 3 fairly normal children, but he also moved his mother into their house, moved his sister-in-law and her son into their house (Carl was a father figure to his nephew, Richie) and even adopted an orphan named 3J. How many bedrooms where in that house? On top of that you have the crazy friends and neighbors Carl must put up with on a daily basis. Carl maintains his father figure role with the legendary Steve Urkel as well. That alone should earn him a spot on the list.

6 - Danny Tanner, Full House
Full House set the stage for unconventional families. A widower living with his brother-in-law & best friend who all help raise his 3 children. After Uncle Jesse marries Becky, they add twin boys to the family tree. Dan is a dad to the children and adults alike in this show. He is always the voice of reason, the stable, loving dad that any kid could wish for. Oh, and he's neat. Like obsessive compulsive neat. He likes things clean. Which is good for kids I assume. The cherry on top, Danny Tanner is a huge dork, which for some reason in this show, makes him really cool.

5 - Tony Micelli, Who's The Boss?
Another single father (and another widower), Tony is the cool, loving dad all us guys hope to be (except for the single part). Loved by the ladies, adored by his kid and his bosses son, Jonathan (good name btw), Tony always has a smile on his face and is always willing to help a total stranger. He cooked, he cleaned, but he was also a man's man - a former baseball pro and still very macho guy. When Samantha would say, "My dad can beat up your dad", she was right. And that's all us men really want anyway...to beat up other dads (or at least appear to be able to).

4 - Mike Brady, The Brady Bunch
This poor bastard was bad off enough when it was him and his 3 boys. Then the sorry sap went and married 60's hottie, Carol, & doubled his offspring. He should have run the other direction the minute she said she had three kids. Oh well. Mike Brady makes the list for being able to put up with 6 freakin' kids and all their crazy shenanigans. He was a solid father figure and a good role model, although maybe not the brightest. BTW....what the hell were they paying architects back then? 6 kids, stay-at-home wife, maid, and a huge house!? Hmmm....maybe Mr. Brady was working for George Jung in his spare time.

3 - Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
Another widower, Sheriff Taylor raised a little boy named Opie in the town of Mayberry. Andy was a awesome role model, spending quality time with his son (fishing!) and teaching him to always do the right thing. Not much else to say about him. He's freakin' Andy Taylor!


2 - Philip Banks, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
He could have almost been my #1. Philip Banks was rich, which made him a great provider. But that is not even a fraction of what made him a great father. He was tough. Like really really tough. He did not take it easy on his kids, or his nephew, like many wealthy parents would....no, he stood up for them, punished them, whooped their ass if need be...all for their own good. He is the type of dad you won't always like, but you will always respect. He is the type of dad that will mold you into a really decent adult, and you will always look up to.

1 - Cliff Hucktable, The Cosby Show
The top TV dad was easy for me. I grew up watching The Huxtables, and always admired Cliff and his parenting ways. The Cosby Show broke through racial barriers with this impressive family. Cliff and Claire had high paying, respectable jobs (a doctor and a lawyer). Cliff brought humor, honesty, and 'tellin' it like it is' parenting to a whole new level. Although the Huxtables should have had the financial means (as much or more than anyone else on this list) to give their kids the easy life, or even to make raising all five of their kids easier (like the Brady's did with Alice), Cliff & Claire took the entire burden of parenting on themselves and taught their kids all about life, love, failure, success, and even how to pull off an awesome 'Cosby' sweater.

THE WORST

10 - Archie Bunker, All In The Family
He was a toss up to me, because in many ways Archie loved his kids. However, he was also the worst role model those kids could have asked for. Dad was racist, sexist, and downright crude at times. He called his son-in-law "meathead" and was generally bad tempered, however over the years he did grow slightly more accepting of different cultures & religions. Because his heart was often in the right place, even though he was still kinda rotten overall, he is no higher than #10 on the worst list.


9 - Frank & Ray Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond

Like father like son. These two are just plain bad dads. Frank spends the majority of his on camera time belittling his two sons - throwing insult after insult at them. Ray is a bumbling father figure (nothing much to be proud of) and hardly ever spends any quality time with his kids. I am pretty sure all three of his children were 'woopsies' and he regrets not practicing safer sex. Everybody loves Raymond....except his kids.

8 - Frank Costanza, Seinfeld
There were not many times you did not hear him yelling, whether it be at his son, his wife, or a total stranger. Frank even invented a Christmas time holiday in which you tell your family members the ways they have disappointed you over the past year (the airing of grievances), and these festivities do not end until someone can pin the head of the household to the floor (the feats of strength). In true Seinfeld fashion, Frank is more concerned about baseball than his own child. In "The Caddy", after Steinbrenner tells the Costanzas of their son's apparent death, Frank seems indifferent and instead demands to know why he would trade Yankee ball player Jay Buhner away. Gee, thanks dad.

7 - Al Bundy, Married With Children
Al Bundy was sort of a more modern version of Archie Bunker, but much worse. He is the epitome of an underachiever, as he works as a women's shoes salesman, earning minimum wage. He insults his wife on a daily basis and was not beneath lying, cheating, or stealing to make a buck or get his way. He lost his job multiple times, drank to excess, and the highlight of his day seemed to be sitting on the couch with his hand down his pants. No one in the neighborhood seemed to really like him and in one episode when it was thought that he had died, the neighbors sang with joy, only to be disappointed when they discovered it was not true.

6 - Don Draper, Mad Men
Don is a man's man. He leads the life that many would almost idolize. That doesn't mean he is a good person, and definitely not a great dad. When he isn't out having affairs, drinking to excess, or lying to everyone who knows him, he is a less than attentive father who sits his kids in front of the TV to keep them busy, hires a babysitter to help out the majority of the time so he doesn't have to work as hard at being a 'dad' and even leaves them completely (with the babysitter) to go sleep around with his lady friends. And this is on the days of the week the kids come to stay with him via the divorce! Nice quality time with dad....or not.

5 - George Oscar Bluth, Sr, Arrested Development
George was once the CEO of the Bluth Company, however he was imprisoned after an investigation found he had been conducting some "creative accounting" practices. Unfortunately for him, that was only the tip of the iceberg. In prison he tries to continue to control the company and undermines his son, Michael, and his authority. Mix in a business partnership with Saddam Hussein, faking his own death and escaping to Mexico, and inventing the faulty "Cornballer" (which was banned in several countries) and you have a recipe for daddy disaster.

4 - Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
This one just seems obvious to me. Yeah, he loves his kids (in his own way), but if he really loved them and cared about their well-being, he would not repeatedly put them in harms way...ya know, being in the mob and all. He is actually more attentive and caring than many of the dads on this list. He goes their his kids school events and tries to give them a good life, hopefully one not like the life of crime he chose. However, Tony also tortures and kills people. He puts his kids in harms way more than once, he lies to them constantly and does not represent the adult even he would want them to grow up to be, thus the reason he is #4 on my list.

3 - Dexter Morgan, Dexter
Yes, the serial killer we all can't help but love is my #3. Dexter is a sociopath who adheres to a 'code' of killing (he only kills bad people / other murders). Really, it is the perfect vigilante justice, but unfortunately for him, not the type of world we live in. Eventually Dexter breeds and ends up with a son named Harrison. While we all love Dexter and while he is not a bad father in many ways, you can't ignore the fact that, while all bad people, he is murdering a plethora of men and women in a society where innocent until proven guilty is still something we like to regurgitate.

2 - Peter Griffin, Family Guy
If my #1 was not such a bad guy, Peter Griffin would have been. He is just awful. He verbally & physically abuses his daughter constantly. He treats his son only slightly better, but still parents like a total jackass. He is the worst role model you could ever be unlucky enough to have. Griffin is a retarded, alcoholic, menace to Quahog.


1 - Anthony Cooper, Lost
Who? Think about it. I'm talking about John Locke's biological father. In case you forgot what made him so bad, let's recap. He conned Sawyer's parents out of all their money, which caused Sawyer's dad to kill both his wife and himself. Later down the road, he tricked Locke into giving him a kidney, only to vanish once he was better, and the cherry on top - Cooper reappeared in Locke's life when he needed money, and dear ole' dad pushed his son out of an eight-story window, paralyzing him. If that doesn't earn ya worst TV father, I don't know what does.