Movie Meme

Fellow blogger Gary has tagged me to complete a movie meme. I enjoyed completing the book meme that I received from Micah a couple of months ago, so why not.

Total number of films I own on DVD and video:
While I enjoy films immensely, I’m not much for collecting them. But, I do happen to own a few great films that I have received as gifts.

• The Fellowship of the Ring – of all the films ever made, this has to go down in the top 10 list. I can honestly say that this is one I enjoy owning.
• The Matrix – another movie worth owning. I just watched this again last week, and I don’t plan to get tired of it anytime soon.
• The Simpsons – The Complete Second Season – its not a movie, but I can’t leave it out. If you know anything about me, you know that Homer is my favorite character, bar none. Bart is second.

I’ll give a little extra here and say that there are a few movies that I would like to own.

• The Nightmare Before Christmas – I like Tim Burton’s work, but this one is just classic. It has become a tradition to have friends over to watch this each fall between Halloween and Christmas. The animation is perfect, and the story line is clever and entertaining.
• Apollo 13 – I’m studying to be a rocket scientist, so this is pretty much required. Plus, it ties Kevin Bacon to Tom Hanks, which I have found to be a crucial connection when you’re playing that Kevin Bacon game at parties.
• The Incredibles – I love animated movies. Pixar produces some of the best. This is my favorite of all the Pixar movies. With all that going for it, how could I leave it out?

Last film I bought:
I’ve never actually purchased a movie for myself. I did get The Nightmare Before Christmas and Seabiscuit for my Dad for Christmas last year.

Last film I watched:
My gift to myself this summer was a subscription to Netflix, so I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately. Last Saturday night I watched Ray. Its not hard to see why Jamie Foxx won awards for his performance in this one. Neither is it difficult to see why Ray Charles was such a captivating public figure. I really enjoyed it.

Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order):
I only get five?

• The Color of Paradise – this import is so striking. I’ve only seen it once, about five years ago, but it left a definite impression on me. I have been looking for it in video stores for the past year in an effort to watch it again, but it wasn’t a large release (that I know of), so not many stores have it.
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – yeah, I know, blockbuster city. I don’t care. The story, the visuals, the characters, the cast, what it all represents; this trilogy is perfect. I’ve already seen each of the movies too many times to count, and I’m not done yet. J.R.R. Tolkien & Peter Jackson make a powerful team.
• Hands on a Hardbody – there really is no description for this, but you will die laughing. I saw it at least five times while it was still in the theaters! My mind’s gonna be focused on dat truck.
• Gladiator – Maximus is awesome. The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. I think I’ve seen this at least 10 times.
• Life is Beautiful – this is such a moving film. Its not often that I cry in movies, but when little Giosué sees the tank… are you kidding me?

Here’s an extra question for free.
If you could be any character portrayed in a movie, who would it be?:
Oh that’s easy. Frodo. He’s humble enough that no one would pick him, has enough character to resist the power of the ring, and brave enough to complete the task. He saved the world from the forces of darkness.

I’ll tag Micah, FreedomDefender and Mike.