Happy 20 Buffy!

20 years ago today Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my favorite show of all time, premiered.

Brokeback Mountain Turns 10

http://sortaryan.tumblr.com/post/134897880387/rideitslut-brokeback-mountain-2005-dir-ang

Brokeback Mountain turns 10 years today. I think I've seen the film just three times. Twice when it came out and another time when I bought the DVD years later. I actually saw it a couple months before its release since my college got a hold of it somehow so I first saw it in a grand room with a bunch of college students. Oh and I cried... and cried.... and cried. Probably why I've only seen it three times, because in a lot of ways it still feels so raw and that's kudos to everyone involved especially Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, and composer Gustavo Santaolalla. And of course the incomparable cast of Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway.

Happy September 22nd!

Apparently today is a big pop culture day. It's the 20th anniversary of Friends, the 10th anniversaries of Lost and Veronica Mars, and it's the birthdays of Rose Tyler, Draco Malfoy, and Sarah Manning (and Alison Hendrix, Cosima Niehaus, Helena)... well the actors who play them. So...

HAPPY 20TH FRIENDS!

I would never say that this is the greatest sitcom of all time, but due to its cultural reach, especially to my generation, it's definitely one of the most popular show even two decades remove from its debut. I'm pretty sure an episode of Friends is airing right now somewhere. I still watch re-runs on Nick at Nite whenever I can and recently aced a supposedly super difficult trivia quiz on it. Its series finale is one of my absolute favorites. Though I have yet to visit Central Perk so that's on my to-do list. Now go sing Smelly Cat or tweak your nubbin to celebrate the day.

HAPPY 10TH LOST!

Even though I've seen every episode of Lost and have love/obsessed over this show (and its cast) all the way to the end, it's pretty funny that I actually didn't start watching the show until the third episode had already aired. Couldn't commit to the 2-hour pilot (incidentally one of my favorite pilots ever) and yet once I did see it, I was all in for the 121 episode journey of madness and brilliance. Too bad there really hasn't been a true replacement for it on network TV.

HAPPY 10TH VERONICA MARS!

I mistweeted earlier today saying I saw the pilot of Veronica Mars when it aired, but I just realize that I had disowned UPN (whoa old school!) after Buffy ended so I didn't get to see the show until a friend burned DVDs of the first season to me a year or so later. Of course, I didn't get to finish watching the first season until THIS YEAR with my roommate pushing me to do just that and watch the entire series so we could see the movie which came out in March.

BIRTHDAYS! BIRTHDAYS! BIRTHDAYS

Billie Piper, who turns 32 today, was the first companion of the rebooted Doctor Who and thus was a lot of people's entry to the now 50-year old sci-fi institution (she was part of the celebration last year). I had no previous history with her and didn't even know she was a pop singer, but she was fantastic both with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. All New Who companions are still compared to her. Currently she's starring in Penny Dreadful which I haven't seen, but I thought she was excellent in Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Turning 29 today, Tatiana Maslany's star continues to rise as the lead of Orphan Black winning two Critics Choice Awards and being nominated for a Golden Globe for playing half a dozen or so characters on the small BBC America show. That show is her breakout role as she mostly appeared on Canadian productions prior to that. She memorably appeared in a couple of episodes of Parks and Recreation last year. Hope she gets more opportunities!

Finally, Tom Felton aka Draco Malfoy of the Harry Potter films is 27 today and he seems to have been typecast in these villainy type roles the past few years such as his roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and this year's Belle. He stars in TNT's Murder in the First and has a few films lined up where he hopefully plays not the bad guy.

Not Fade Away

 "Personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon."

Can you believe it's been ten years since the spinoff of the greatest show ever ended its five-year run? I wished it had been longer. The rumored plans for the sixth season sounded great and I really wanted to see what Amy Acker would've done with Illyria with a full season. Oh well.

On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink

The fact that I didn't wear pink today, of all days, will probably haunt me for years... maybe even decades. Unfortunately, the 10-year anniversary of the one and only Mean Girls fell on a week where I'm out of town (though not as far as Africa) so this all-too brief post is all you'll get from me. But really, what else is there left to say? I do think it's one of those films that has gotten better with age. It's super quotable (Boo, you whore!), smartly written, and just really fun. I actually can't believe that Tina Fey didn't get an Oscar nomination for the screenplay.

The greatest people you'll ever meet

Anyways four years ago, I blogged about my favorite shot from the film. The shot is above and you can read my post here. You can also check out what other people picked here and thereby relive some of the best moments from the film. Maybe in 11 years when the show turns 21 and the next time its anniversary will fall on a Wednesday, I'll be ready.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Turns 10

Joel: I can't see anything that I don't like about you.
Clementine: But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I'll get bored with you and feel trapped because that's what happens with me.
Joel: Okay.
Clementine: Okay.

Happy 10th Anniversary to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my favorite movies of all time! I vaguely remember it was the tail end of my Spring Break when the movie came out and I definitely remember wanting to see it on opening weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn't playing anywhere near me so I opted in seeing Dawn of the Dead with my brother. Good times. In any case, I did eventually see it and I've loved it ever since.

I've actually only seen the movie three times, with my third time happening this week in preparation for writing yesterday's post and before that forever ago. But now that I have, I need to revisit it again sooner rather than later.

Cast of Wonderfalls: 10 Years Later

Not many people watched Wonderfalls when it premiered exactly 10 years ago today, but I remembered absolutely loving it from the get-go. It had everything I liked from a TV show... a great main character (sarcastic and jaded Brown graduate Jaye who works as tourist shop cashier in Niagara Falls), a wonderfully out-there concept (she talks to inanimate objects who forces her to help other people), and of course a couple of hot guys. So 10 years later, let's see what the main cast has been up to...

Caroline Dhavernas - She of course played the jaded main character Jaye Tyler who is hilariously tormented by inanimate talking objects. I would've expected her to break out more, but she only appeared in a few small movies in bit roles since the show ended until she made her TV comeback a few years ago in ABC's short-lived Off the Map. More recently, she's had better luck reuniting with Wonderfalls creator Bryan Fuller in the absolutely engrossing Hannibal as Dr. Alana Bloom. The show is currently in its second season on NBC.

Katie Finneran - She played Jaye's ambitious lesbian lawyer big sister. Since the show ended, her big claim to fame was on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for Promises, Promises and originating the role of Miss Hannigan in the Broadway revival of Annie. She also co-starred in the concert production of Stephen Sondheim's Company. TV was less welcoming to her as two of her shows, I Hate My Teenage Daughter and this season's The Michael J. Fox Show were canceled only after their first seasons.

Tyron Leitso - He played one of the aforementioned "hot guys" in the show aka Eric the cute bartender who becomes Jaye's main love interest. He has unfortunately not done much of note since his awesome 1-2 breakthrough punch in the early Aughts with Wonderfalls and Dinotopia. He was in a TV show called Being Erica and more recently has done a couple of Uwe Boll films. Can Bryan Fuller get him a part in Hannibal or something please?

Lee Pace - He played the easygoing and chill brother who gets involved with his sister's best friend. Pace has done absolutely nothing since the show ended. And by that I mean he's become the most well-known cast member from this show by far. He has appeared in numerous films such as Tarsem's The Fall, Tom Ford's A Single Man, and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln as well as the delightfully charming Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and the most recent Hobbit films. He'll next play a villain in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. He's also busy with TV starring in the upcoming AMC series Halt and Catch Fire, which would be a TV comeback for him after the Emmy-winning Pushing Daisies where he played Ned the Piemaker. He also made his Broadway debut in 2011 in the wonderful play The Normal Heart.

William Sadler - He played Jaye's supportive physician father. This consummate character actor had a long list of credits before he did the show and has continued working after the show ended as well. In the past couple of years alone he's made appearances in a chock full of TV shows like Hawaii Five-0, Homeland, The Blacklist, Elementary, and Damages as well as films such as Iron Man 3, Machete Kills, Man on a Ledge, and Being Flynn.

Diana Scarwid - She played the critical and overbearing matriarch of the Tyler family. She's appeared in a few TV shows since the show ended most memorably in Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daisies as Mother Superior, but she was in a few other genre shows like Heroes, Lost, Prison Break, and many others. Her most recent film credit is Another Happy Day co-starring with Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller, Demi Moore, and Thomas Haden Church.

Tracie Thoms - She played Jaye's best friend Mahandra who works as a cocktail waitress. Other than Pace, she really broke out the most after the show probably due to the fact that she hadn't done much before she was cast. After the show, she was cast in the film version of Rent as Maureen Johnson then reprised the role on Broadway. She has appeared in a handful of films such as The Devil Wears Prada, Death Proof, Safe House, Looper, and in the upcoming Annie. In TV, she's had a few guest roles most recently in Person of Interest and The Good Wife.

So while I wish more of these actors have gone on to bigger fame, I'm thankful they're all still working at least. Now go watch the music video for the full version of the show's opening theme song, after the cut...

Cruel Intentions Turns 15

With all the films I've seen, it's pretty much impossible for me to have a number one film of all time. But if you had asked me what it was back in 1999 then I would've said Cruel Intentions without any hesitation. If you didn't already know, the film is a modern re-telling of Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe playing a couple of rich Manhattanites who also happen to be step-siblings. They play a twisted game of manipulation and seduction on everyone including each other.

Well the movie turns 15 today so to celebrate my one-time number one film of all time, here are 10 random things I remember loving about it (and I have the worst memory so this is going to not be as comprehensive as I would have liked):

1. Sarah Michelle Gellar as a brunette. I mean I had always known her as Buffy Summers. Suddenly with dark hair she was a completely different, but equally awesome, character. Her Kathryn Merteuil remains one of my favorite movie villains.

2. Joshua Jackson as an adorable gay blond boy. Same as above except Pacey Witter went blond and had sex with guys. I could've watched a whole movie with him. Also, I would never think of "HOOVER" the same way ever again.

3. Ryan Phillippe's butt. The whole film was quite formative, but this scene in particular made me realize I preferred certain kinds of people over others. Ryan is still hot, but Sebastian was my ideal movie boyfriend. I know I have issues.

4. Reese Witherspoon's demon face. Though they're no longer together, I like to imagine that she makes this same face whenever she sees Ryan.

5. That kick-ass cross pendant. I want one. I probably wouldn't put coke in mine. Maybe chocolate.


6. "Colorblind" by the Counting Crows. Yeah, that music always, always reminds me of that airport scene. Also... sex. Hot, hot sex.

7. Christine Baranski as Bunny Caldwell. Okay, I actually don't remember her much, which is a crime into itself, but I bet she was fantastic. And all the other random people in the film. Eric Mabius as a hot closeted jock! Swoosie Kurtz as Sebastian's therapist! Sean Patrick Thomas as the sexy violin teacher!

8. Kathryn on top of Sebastian. And sexually teasing him as if his life depended on it. Then she takes it all away. "Down boy."

9. That kiss. You know the one. It was hot and uncomfortable and sexy and terrible and hilarious and disgusting all at the same time.

10. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve . Great final song to end the film. Plus if you were a certain age at the time, that song was everything. Plus Reese looked pretty bad ass.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

The first episode of Doctor Who aired on BBC November 23rd 1963, or 50 years ago today. It starred William Hartnell as the first of several actors to play the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels through space in time, currently being played by Matt Smith. The show is a national institution and a cultural phenomenon in its native Britain. It's the longest running science fiction television show in the world with 33 total seasons and nearly 800 episodes aired. The show ran from 1963-1989 with a TV film airing in 1996. The current incarnation of the show, which debut in 2005 and informally dubbed as "New Who," brought the Doctor and his adventures to a whole new generation.

For myself, I have only seen New Who with the Doctor being played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. John Hurt will be playing a "version" of the Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special titled "The Day of the Doctor" which will air live worldwide in a couple of hour while Peter Capaldi will take over the role next season making him 12 or 13 depending on what transpires in today's episode.

Is it a perfect show? Hardly. But its longevity and cultural reach really is something to be admired. The stars is its limits. Below is "The Night of the Doctor," the prequel mini episode to the Anniversary Special starring the Doctor, though not the one anyone expected:

Cast of Firefly: Where Are They Now 10 Years Later?

Joss Whedon may have helmed the biggest movie of the year, but it was only ten years ago when Whedon premiered his little-seen and now much-beloved cult favorite TV series Firefly on FOX. I admit that I didn't take to the series at first though FOX's jumbled scheduling didn't help matters. I eventually watched and became obsessed with the entire series just before the big-screen sequel Serenity premiered in theaters.

I blame my initial hesitancy in the space western genre of which I'm not a huge fan. Plus I had been trained to love Whedon at that time when he was only dealing with vampires and witches. Little did I know that space cowboys and superheroes were his forte as well. Like most of Whedon's work, it's the ensemble working as a non-traditional and dysfunctional but loving family that's at the heart of Firefly. It's this cast and what they are doing now what I want to talk about now...

Nathan Fillion - Played the charming and handsome Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Fillion's show Castle will have its 5th season premiere at the end of this month on ABC. He is also in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing hopefully to come out this year and will also be playing Hermes in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters next year.

Gina Torres - Played the beautiful and strong second-in-command Zoe Washburne. Last year Torres appropriately voiced Wonder Woman for a video game. She's currently starring in USA Network's Suits which is in the middle of its second season and will most likely be picked up for a third.

Alan Tudyk - Played the hilarious Hoban "Wash" Washburne who piloted the ship. Tudyk had memorable guest starring roles in Dollhouse and V in recent years and will re-team with A Knight's Tale director for the Jackie Robinson film 42. He is currently on ABC's Suburgatory which will have its second season premiere next month.

Morena Baccarin - Played the dignified and gorgeous Inara Serra, Companion. Though V was cancelled, where Baccarin starred as the scene-stealing Anna, she quickly found another show in Showtime's Homeland which was recently nominated for a nine Emmy Awards. Homeland's second season will premiere later this month.

Adam Baldwin - Played the brutish and tough hired-gun Jayne Cobb. Baldwin's show Chuck ended its 5-season run earlier this year. He has recently has done bit parts in shows like Leverage and Law & Order: SVU and has pissed off some people with his twitter account.

Jewel Staite - Played the free-spirited and talented engineer Kaywinnet Lee "Kaylee" Frye. Last year, Staite blew many fandoms' minds by guest starring in Supernatural as Amy Pond. She is currently starring in the CW's The L.A. Complex, which is in its second season.

Sean Maher - Played the protective and smart Dr. Simon Tam. Maher will also appear in Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing and was recently in ABC Family's Make It or Break It. He was in NBC's now-canceled Playboy Club last year playing a closeted gay man which prompted Maher to publicly come out himself to the delight and support of his fans.

Summer Glau - Played the highly intuitive and graceful River Tam. Glau has made many appearances in other TV shows like Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, Dollhouse, and Alphas. She also briefly starred in the now-cancelled The Cape and The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Up next for her is the film Knights of Badassdom.

Ron Glass - Played the enigmatic and grounded Derrial Book, Sheperd. Glass isn't doing much, but he does have a movie coming out called Strange Frame: Love & Sax which also boasts a few other geek friendly names such as Claudia Black, Alan Tudyk, Tim Curry, Juliet Landau, and George Takei.

Of course no discussion of Firefly and its cast would be complete without mentioning two of the more popular recurring characters, Badger played by Mark Sheppard and Saffron played by Christina Hendricks. Name a sci-fi/fantasy/genre show from the past few years and Sheppard has probably been on it... seriously. Meanwhile, Hendricks wrapped up her fifth season on Mad Men earlier this year and has also starred with Ryan Gosling in Drive and with Neil Patrick Harris in Company last year.

Dirty Dancing for 25 Years

It was 25 years ago that audiences first saw Patrick Swayze lift Jennifer Grey up in that now iconic dancing scene at the end of Dirty Dancing. It's a moment that I've probably seen a hundred times in my multiple viewings of the film or just re-watching the clip on Youtube over and over and over again. It's one of the best movie scenes I've seen, a perfect climax and capper to one of my favorite movies of all time. Yes, all time. It of course helps that the Academy-winning song "(I've Had the) Time of My Life" was used as the backdrop of this wonderful scene.

It's undeniably hot from the get go with both Johnny and Baby giving each other a lingering look before he runs his hands over her body...

After that steamy prelude the song ramps up and so do they by showing off their mad dance and partnering skills, both of which they've been working on for most of the film. There are turns, lifts, and side by side sequences and I'm sure a bunch of other dancing elements I'm not equipped to accurately describe. It's a joyous sequence as the audience hears Johnny's co-workers cheer in the background. Baby's mom, played by Kelly Bishop, is also impressed gleefully noting that her daughter must have gotten this from her.

More hot dancing follows, but there are also moments when the two of them just get lost in each other's embrace giving this expertly choreographed dance a more natural feel. I'm talking about two shots in particular, the first where they both just look at each other as the music continues to play and the second where he grabs her towards him and all she can't help but laugh...

Johnny then jumps out into the audience leading up to one of my favorite moments of the scene when he leads his fellow dirty dancers through the aisle in a coordinated dance.

Then that magic moment comes. He looks up on to the stage at Baby and slightly nods. She nods too and makes her way down the stage. The song starts to swell. She runs to him. He lifts her up. Movie magic...

The scene and film then ends with everyone dancing albeit some dirtier than others. Watch the entire scene below and I dare you not to smile or dance along:

Centennial: Julia Child

Today marks the centennial of the great late Julia Child and PBS in their wisdom released a remixed autotuned video showing off some of her greatest moments. It's actually PBS' third such video having done ones for Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross previously. Here's the Julia Child video in all of its glory:


Now I didn't much watch Julia Child growing up, at least not as much as I watched Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross, but neither of them had Meryl Streep play them on screen so points for her. I actually loved Streep's performance that year and would have rather she won her third Oscar playing Child than Margaret Thatcher. Ah well, bon appetit!

Remembering the Titanic

Today is the 100th Anniversary of the RMS Titanic sinking in the North Atlantic taking the lives of around 1500 people. There are many tributes, commemorations, and exhibits around the world to mark this somber anniversary. The billion-dollar grossing (closing in on $2 billion) film that came out 15 years ago giving the tragedy more attention also recently came out in theaters again this month.

I saw this new 3D version of the film last week with some friends and the majesty of the ship and of the film itself have not diminished with time. I do have to say that while the 3D conversion didn't really add anything of worth, seeing the film again on the big screens and remembering the very first time I laid my eyes of Kate Winslet were all worth it. Who could ever forget her breathtaking entrance (one of the best in all of cinema) with her face appearing beneath that massive hat? Tears started flowing for me right then and there.


Bringing it back to the real-life tragedy of the RMS Titanic, I think James Cameron and company adequately portrayed those harrowing moments after the ship hit the iceberg--from the mad dash to get to the lifeboats to the gut-wrenching music played by the ship's band. Despite seeing the film more than a few times already, my face still got plenty wet during those scenes and then some. So while the film may have spawned hater culture at large, its impact has been indelible as has the events it sought to feature.

April 14, 1912

Seize the Day! Newsies Turns 20!

Today is the 20th Anniversary of Newsies which as it turns out was also my very first Christian Bale movie. It may have also been one of my very first musicals. Of course a musical starring a bunch of boys set in New York City would be my first musical. How typical. In any case, the film revolves around the newsboys strike of 1899 that actually took place. There's a lot of caps, vests, newspapers, and really exaggerated New York accents. But you should watch it just to see Bale sing and dance like, for example, in the film's most popular number "Seize the Day" which you can see below...



Now perhaps because they wanted to take advantage of the 20th Anniversary or just coincidence, there's a new Broadway musical version based on the film starring Jeremy Jordan. I have yet to see it, but I'm going to do my best to check it out before it goes away later this summer. See the trailer for the Broadway show after the jump...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Turns 15

Can you believe it's been 15 years since Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles, and Cordelia Chase first graced our small screens? Well, believe it. On March 10th 1997, Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its first two episodes "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest" about a young high school girl facing her destiny as the Chosen One to slay vampires in the small California town of Sunnydale. And the rest, aka being my favorite TV show of all time, is history.

"The Earth is doomed."

Who's the Fairest of Them All?

Above are Ginnifer Goodwin, Lily Collins, and Kristen Stewart and shockingly enough they are all playing the same character this year. Can you guess who? If the title of this post didn't already give away the answer, maybe the pictures after the jump will give you a bigger hint as to the character all of these ladies are playing.

One ring to rule them all...

Ten years ago today, America got its first glimpse of Middle Earth as Peter Jackson visualized from J.R.R Tolkien's epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The first film, Fellowship of the Rings, was a box office and critical hit making $47 million in its opening weekend for a total of $313 million overall and winning 4 out of its 13 Academy Award nominations. Even with the bar set high with the first film, the series kept bettering itself. Each subsequent film made more than the one before it with the final film, Return of the King, cracking $1 billion worldwide becoming, at the time, the only film to do so since Titanic. The final film also tied Titanic and Ben Hur for most Oscars won with 11 trophies.

What Peter Jackson achieved, along with the superbly talented cast and crew he assembled, was nothing short of amazing. Saying he brought Tolkien's world--The Shire, Mordor, Rivendell, and Helm's Deep--to life would be an understatement. As grand as the visuals and story were, the cast and characters were my favorite parts. Seeing the hobbits shuffling alongside Gandalf or Legolas riding a giant elephant or Eowyn killing the Nazgul or Smeagol channeling his inner Gollum... pure cinematic wonderfulness. It also made household names of Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom*, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, and many more.

*As an aside, kudos to this film series for introducing me and the world for the first time to brown-haired brown-eyed Orlando Bloom who of course played the blonde-haired blue-eyed Legolas. The level of fanboyism I devoted to him rivaled that of my first fandom love Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

And it's not over! Jackson is currently hard at work in New Zealand reunited with a lot of the same people he worked with for the prequel entitled The Hobbit, which will be divided into two films. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a lightning in a bottle, so who's to say these next two films will live up to that? No one can really, but boy am I excited to revisit Middle Earth again.

Watch the very first teaser trailer for the series after the jump...

Harry Potter's 10th Year Anniversary

Ten years ago today the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, premiered in the United States, United Kingdom, and a few other countries. It grossed $32 million on its opening day on its way to a $90.3 million opening weekend tally. The first film was the highest-grossing film of the series until the final film of the series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 overtook it. Adjusted for inflation, however, the first film is still on top. Eight films and ten years later, the film series has amassed a grand total of $7.7 billion worldwide.

It's really no wonder then that Warner Brothers seems to be gearing up for one hell of an awards campaign push for the final film as one last hurrah (or thanks) for a series that has given them so much. It's not like they have to try hard considering the film is also one of the best reviewed film of the year clocking in at 96% and 87% at Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic respectively. For comparison, the first film a decade ago received 80% and 64%.

Quality-wise the series has been a mixed bag to be sure, but it's still no doubt a great feat in movie-making just with the logistics alone of adapting seven books and keeping the same actors and doing all of this in a span of just a decade. Marvelous. And you know what, I'm going to be quite fine if this final film ended up garnering a Best Picture nomination. I mean haven't some people (actors, directors, writers, etc.), even beloved ones, ended up winning an Oscar less for their work and more for their body of work/career honors type thing? Of course I actually don't think an Oscar win is deserved necessarily, but a nomination? Definitely.

But why am I talking about the final film and its Oscar chances during the 10-year anniversary of the first film? Well, because I'm sure Warner Brothers and company are hoping that there's already a nostalgia effect/due factor happening. We won't really know until people start announcing nominations and giving out awards, but if I was a betting man I wouldn't completely underestimate this film series' chances despite the relative lack of love it received in the past.

See the trailer for the first film as well as one of the first awards campaign video Warner Brothers has released for the final film after the cut.

The English Patient Turns 15 & My Cinematic Bucket List

Quick cinematic confession, I haven't seen The English Patient. I've been meaning to, but you know how it is. We all have those films we probably should've seen already, but just haven't. I have several. Even with Netflix at my disposal, it's still tough catching up on that black and white classic everyone constantly brings up in casual conversation or that cult hit from the 80s or early 90s that everyone my age group LOVES or those Oscar-nominated/winning films that every movie addict should've seen by now. In fact I just saw Almost Famous, Annie Hall, and Spirited Away for the first time just in the past couple weeks! And I didn't get to see The Princess Bride, Fight Club, and Clueless until college. See what I mean?

But back to The English Patient, winner of 9 Academy Awards, nominated for 12, and making what would amount to close to $140 million in today's currency, it celebrates its 15th Anniversary today and I really meant to (there it is again) to see it last week and cross it off my cinematic bucket list, but I just plumb forgot. Apparently you'll be able to Watch Instantly "soon" so maybe then I can finally see it.

And so this post isn't just me aimlessly talking to myself, I present to you a quick top ten list of films (not including The English Patient) I probably should've seen by now, but just haven't, or in other words My Cinematic Bucket List (in alphabetical order):

• All About Eve
• The Blair Witch Project
  
• The Godfather
• Gone with the Wind
• The Iron Giant
  
• Labyrinth
• Saving Private Ryan
• Singin' in the Rain
• The Sixth Sense
• Thelma and Louise

All right, not really sure if these are the "top" films I need to see before I die, but those are the ones that I could remember off the top of my head. I'm sure if I think about it more, I'll just feel depressed about all the films I will never get to see.

What are some films in your own cinematic bucket list?