We (Michaela and I) gave our presentation in class tonight. I think it went well, the discussion seemed to go well at the very least! And we finally got to fit in a conversation about the movies we have been watching. So far I've really liked about half the movies we've seen, but on the other hand I haven't hated the other half...it's more a feeling of "meh." Speaking of "meh," I saw the BEST thing ever on
shirtwoot the other day! I seriously may have to buy that shirt. I am a BIG fan of shirtwooting. Sometimes the visual gags are easy to spot, but sometimes it's important to read the description. They really have a way with words...and sarcasm on that website.
Now that we've talked over the movies for class, let's think back to Valentine's Day...we were talking about favorite romantic movies, which I have plenty, but I couldn't think of any great love scenes to share with the class. For me it's usually the bigger picture I guess. Not that the scenes we saw were not part of movies with a good "bigger picture," if that makes sense. Still, I thought I'd share some of my favorite love stories as well as the
American Film Institute's (AFI) list of the 100 best romantic films! First a moment to comment on the list provided by AFI:
Casablanca is ranked #1, I find this amusing because when they are ranking the greatest film ever
Casablanca always comes in 2nd to
Citizen Cane. I HATE
Citizen Cane and feel it's a big waste of time, and they usually put
Casablanca in the #2 spot (vindication at last). This list was created in 2002, which sadly means we don't know where
The Notebook would fit in...that being the current #1 love story according to every girl and most boys that I have ever met. Several of my favorite love stories appear on the list, which isn't surprising because I feel like I have very classic taste!
Now Voyager (#23 on AFI's list) is one of my all time favorite love stories, even though they don't end up together! I know it's tragic, but I fall for it every time. I'm always surprised when this movie pops up because I had never heard of it until it was mentioned in a book. I highly recommend it if you like old movies. And seriously, I think everyone should watch the
Quiet Man (#76) at least once! It's a John Wayne movie, but don't let that stop you. I really must thank my dad for introducing me to the movie. Of course for years I only ever saw the end, an excellent
fight scene. Watch it, I know you'll like it! There is something for everyone.
A funny movie that I like is
Sabrina, the new version. The original version is #54 on the AFI list. Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of Audrey Hepburn, but I saw the new version first. Speaking of Audrey, they put
Breakfast at Tiffany's at #61! There's a mistake if I ever saw one. But back to the Sabrinas compare:
I like the original, but not as much as the new! One reason the new is better is how much more Paris is a part of the film. In the original it's an exotic location where the main character goes to cooking school. It's not part of the story, it's just a name. In the new version it is a wonderful escape for a hopelessly naive young girl in the exciting world of fashion. Paris enables the character to grow and experience new people and places. Paris is like another character in the film! It's a really beautiful movie. I love Paris, so of course this makes my list of favorites.
To name a few more of my favorites from the AFI list: #4
Roman Holiday, #27
The Sound of Music, #50
Shakespeare in Love, #93
Dirty Dancing, #81
The Goodbye Girl, #46
To Catch a Thief, and
of course # 34
Beauty and the Beast (the Disney movie).
I feel like I've spent a lot of this time talking about how much I love old movies, but I love movie today too! One of the best romantic movies I've ever seen is
Pride and Prejudice! The whole movie is elegant and beautiful. The scenery is amazing! Have you ever looked at the trees in that movie?! They are wonderful. The music and the costumes were detailed and delicate. I thought everything looked accurate on top of the story being perfect. I loved the whole movie. It really is visually stunning.
I picked the video with the best picture so please excuse the foreign language subtitles!
I myself am a fan of the Green Day Rock Band game since I don't own a Wii. A friend of mine bought the Wii and we have really enjoy playing the Sports Games as well. Only in a video game could I be a tennis Pro! I never think of myself as a gamer. I don't play an excessive amount of games online or through a console. I enjoy playing several games, but have never "won" or "finsihed" a leveled game. Games have long been a learning tool in school, and like everything else they are becoming better and better as technology evolves. I really like that gaming has become interactive as well as visually engaging! 
