THREE NEW ADDITIONS - 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, GOAL II, AND THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

1)     3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) R

Synopsis: 

Joe Turner, a CIA analyst who spends his days reading books, magazines, anything, spends his days looking for possible links between what he reads and relevant international situations, CIA activities, etc.  When he comes across a book that was not commercially successful, but has been translated into an unusual combination of languages, he sends his findings up the chain of command for further consideration.  A few days later, it's Joe's turn to go pick up lunch for himself and everyone else, but when he returns he discovers that everyone in the entire unit is dead - murdered.  He calls it in, but gets spooked because he doesn't know who to trust, and he goes on the run.  Scared and alone, he kidnaps a woman at random because he needs a place to lay low while he tries to figure out what is going on.  

Thoughts: 

RT rates this movie 89% fresh, and they are right.  Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway headline this story of murder, spies and intrigue.  This movie was released in 1975 and was given an R-rating.  The primary reason for this is that it includes three f-bombs, more than the one f-bomb allowed for a PG-13 rating.  There is also some graphic violence involving people getting shot and a vicious fight scene.  IMDB rates this movie moderate for violence and gore, profanity and for frightening scenes.  Everything else is mild. 

2) GOAL II: LIVING THE DREAM (2007) PG-13

Synopsis:

Young Santiago Munez, having found success in Goal I with the British Premier League's Newcastle United, he gains global attention and is poised to play on the world's most prestigious team when he and his teammate are acquired by Real Madrid.  Of course, this move comes with a whole new set of opportunities and challenges, and he tested in many ways, both on and off of the pitch. 

Thoughts:

RT rates this movie 39% fresh...i.e., rotten.  RT isn't wrong, but if you enjoy football (soccer) then this is a movie for you.  Others appearing in the movie include Hans Becker and Rutger Hauer, among others in cameos.  I wish that there was more action on the pitch and less off of it, but that's the movie business, I guess.  

3) THE WAR OF THE WORLDS  (1953) G

Synopsis:

A meteorite hits near a small California town, and with people looking on, a strange flying machine rises from the rubble, bringing with it terrible destructive power that apparently neither the military nor the scientific community can stop.  Before long, these ships are being discovered all over the globe, and this could be the end of humanity and domination of Earth by the Martians.  

Thoughts:

H.G. Well's classic 1898 tale of terror and destruction is told in this 1953 sci-fi classic that RT rates as 89% fresh - and it is.  However, everyone who has read the original book knows that the Martian's massive vehicles of destruction don't fly, they walk on three legs.  For whatever reason, the Martians fly around in this version.  Even so, the rest of the story, other than being set mainly in 1950s California instead of in Victorian England. 

I remember seeing this movie on TV when I was very young, and parts of it terrified me.  I think that one of the things that terrified me the most was that the Martians were never really shown on screen, which left it up to my imagination to decide what they might look like.  Oh, and this movie was filmed in TECHNICOLOR, when many other sci-fi movies of the day were still black and white.

I'm happy to add this title to my movie library.

THREE NEW ADDITIONS: 1) INHERIT THE WIND, 2) THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES AND 3) 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR

1) INHERIT THE WIND (1960) - Rotten Tomatoes 93% Fresh

Synopsis:

A Clarence Darrow-like attorney defends a young public school teacher in Tennessee when he is arrested for teaching the Theory of Evolution.  The prosecuting attorney is a strict evangelical, and though the two lawyers are friends, they go toe-to-toe in this legal thriller.

Thoughts:

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized dramatization of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.  The outcome of that trial opened the door to increased academic freedom, including the latitude to teach the theory of evolution in American public schools.  In the Scopes Monkey Trial (1925), the person arrested for teaching the theory of evolution in violation of a local statute, willingly did so, in order to bring the case to trial.  Inherit the Wind is a fictionalization of that trial.  

2) THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN AND THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1965) - Rotten tomatoes 78% Fresh

Synopsis:

A wealthy British newspaper owner offers and incredible 10,000 pound prize to the first pilot to fly from London to Paris in his paper's 1910 air race.  This enormous purse attracts pilots from all over the world.  And, during this comedic adventure, there are heroes and charlatans, as well as many adventures and misadventures along the way.  

Thoughts:

I have distinct childhood memories linked to this film.  Oh, and on a side note, the planes that fly in this movie are actually faithful  reproductions of the kinds of planes that were around in 1910, and pilots actually flew them during shooting of this picture!

3) 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) - Rotten Tomatoes 88% Fresh

Synopsis:

Joe Turner is a CIA employee who analyzes print media for the US Government.  When he thinks he may have found an interesting link between a book and several countries, he sends his theory up the chain to Washington.  Then, one day when he returns to the office he discovers that everyone has been murdered.  Following protocol, he calls in the hit, but instead of going in, he is spooked and runs.  Completely at random, he kidnaps a woman and has her take him to her place where he is able to hide.  The big question is whether he can stay alive long enough to figure out who's trying to kill him, and why.

Thoughts:

Robert Redford was a major box office star in 1975 when this movie was released, having starred in other movies including All the President's Men, The Sting, The Way We Were, and Jeremiah Johnson during this same era.  In my opinion, this movie gained less recognition than many of his other films, perhaps because of its R-rating.  Why is it R?  Probably two things pushed it out of being PG-13: 1) There is more than one f-bomb in it; and 2) The level of violence (relatively tame by today's standards) included some shocking gunplay.

IT'S HALLOWEEN. WHAT IF YOU LIKE THE HOLIDAY, BUT YOU DON'T LIKE HORROR MOVIES? WHAT CAN YOU WATCH?

I'm not a fan of the horror movie genre and I watch very few R-rated movies, but Halloween still rolls around every year.  I still kind of like to get into the mood, so, what can I do?  Here is a list of movies that work for me for the Halloween season, listed alphabetically:

• Arsenic and Old Lace
• The Dark Crystal
• Doctor Strange
• Evolution
• The Forgotten
• Ghostbusters
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• Gravity Falls (TV show)
• Eureka (TV show)
• The Hunger Games I-IV
• Jaws
• King Kong
• Little Shop of Horrors
• The Mummy
• Night at the Museum
• The Lord of the Rings
• Mars Attacks!
• Maze Runner
• Monsters, Inc.
• Monsters University
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
• The Princess and the Frog
• War of the Worlds (1953)
• War of the Worlds (Cruise)

It's a start anyway :-D.

GIFT HORSE (1952) - Newest addition to the collection...I'm super excited

GIFT HORSE (1952)

Synopsis:

It's 1940 and the UK and it's empire stands alone against the German war machine, and if they don't do something, and soon, they will lose The Battle of the Atlantic.  If they lose The Battle of the Atlantic, they will lose the war.  At this critical time, Churchill and Roosevelt work out a deal where the USA will trade 50 WWI-era destroyers to the British in exchange for some Caribbean Bases.  In the movie, one of these ships is recommissioned as the fictional HMS Ballantrae, and the Royal Navy pulls once-disgraced Lieutenant-Commander Fraser out of civilian life to be her captain.  Fraser has to get his ship into shape and his inexperienced trained so they they can go to sea.  The entire storyline is based very loosely on an actual ship.

Thoughts:

I have been a fan of this movie for a long time!  I think I first saw Gift Horse  when cable channels like TBS, WGN, etc., first aired, and I recorded this movie onto a VHS tape.  The quality of that tape was decent, but when copied it onto a DVD the copy was terrible, and since I no longer had a VCR, I got rid of the original tape. I naively thought that I'd just wait and pick up a DVD someplace when it became available.  That was probably 20 years ago, and it wasn't until this week that I was able to get this on movie as a DVD from a seller on Ebay.  

Imagine my excitement when I popped it into my DVD player, and then imagine my disappointment when it wouldn't play.  Why not?  The disc I was sent is formatted for Region 2 (Europe, Africa, etc.), but NOT for North America (Region 1).  When I double-checked the listing on Ebay, I was correct that there was no indication there about it being Region 2, but as I read on into what can only be described as the fine print about the seller's site, I discovered that all the movies sold at that site are for Region 2 only!  

I sent them a note letting them know how sad I was that this happened, and that I would just keep it because I didn't want to spend the postage to return it.  Imagine my surprise when I got a message the following morning letting me know that they'd issued a full refund!!  I thought about passing it along to a local thrift shop, but then I wondered if I could find an all-region DVD player that wasn't too expensive.  I found one at Amazon for about $35, and with the refund completed, that dropped the net price of the player enough that I bought it to play, basically, just this movie!  Haha, yes, I like this movie that much.  

The interesting thing about this movie is that it's not really that good as movies, go, but it's a great sister movie to other titles coming out of England at the time, such as The Cruel Sea and We Dive at Dawn.  

Now that I have an all-region DVD player, I can look more widely for movies than I could before.  Sadly my new player can play only DVDs.  

Still, I'm smiling!

WHY I LIKE PHYSICAL MEDIA

Without laboring the point, at least too much 😁, there are multiple reasons that I like physical media (e.g., DVDs, BluRays, etc.).  Many of you are probably thinking, "Why are you STILL buying movies on disc!?"  Well, here are some reasons why - based in part on a list I saw at Movienerds4 on FB, but this doesn't make it any less true.

1) I miss the days when I could go to a video store and browse the shelves, hold movies in my hand, read the backs, etc., and then choose whatever struck my fancy at the time.  Since I have my own collection, I can do this anytime I want. 

2) There are no monthly subscription fees to access my collection.

3) There aren't any annoying commercials when I watch my movies.

4) If/when the internet goes down, I can still watch something that I enjoy.

5) My movies will always be there, they don't come and go like they do on a subscription streaming platform. 

6) Most movies include special features that aren't available when you stream.  BTW, one of my favorite sets of special features is the one that comes with A Knight's Tale.  

7) Buying discs and maintaining my own library allows me to support the film industry and, at the same time, keep at least some discs from ending up in a landfill.

8) I love movies! 

I'm not saying that everyone should feel the same way that I do about physical media, but these are some of the reasons why I'm a fan.  

Happy Watching!!

Inexpensive DIY shelving for physical media - movies, music, games, paperback books, etc.

Plans and directions for building simple DIY shelves for physical media:

I built these shelves in Spring 2025 using mainly reclaimed lumber.  The basic design is not original to me, but I was so impressed by this design that I decided to build some myself.  I think that the first place I saw the basic idea and demonstration of how to build shelves like these was at a Youtube channel called Cereal at Midnight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k7Tt8zJBkc) so I'll give them a shout-out.

These shelves are AWESOME!  Why didn't I build these sooner!?

Shelves like these can hold DVDs, BluRays, CDs, video game cases or even paperback books.  I designed my shelving unit to have a shelf to shelf vertical spacing of 8.5" to accommodate standard DVD cases as well as BluRays, CDs, video games, etc.

The way these shelves work is that the bottom of disc cases rest on the top of the cross-pieces, and the spine of the cases rest against the wall (you'll see...read on).

The plans for my shelves/space are 54" tall and 76.5" wide, and provide ~36 linear feet or ~11 meters of shelf space, including the top being used as a shelf.  When I wrote this, my shelves held mixture of 862 BluRay cases, standard and slim DVD cases and boxed sets of various widths.  I use standard bookends for discs on the top shelf.

The beauty of these shelves is that you can make yours to easily fit into any available space.  Mine, for example, are in a closet. 

Though I didn't have to deal with these for my project, make sure that any plans you draw up allow access to light switches and power outlets.

Here's how to build the shelves:

STEP 1: PLANNING  

Here are the plans I drew up for my shelves, custom-fit for the space I had available (that drafting class I had in HS came through for me :-D).  

Note: Distances between the upright posts can be any width you prefer, but be advised that once they get wider than about 3', the cross pieces will start to sag under the weight of the discs they support.  I opted for vertical posts with spacing of about 2'.  The 2' shelf widths also lined up with the shelf supports that were already in place in the closet where I built my shelves.

STEP 2: MATERIALS AND PREPARATION 

These are the materials I used to make my shelves - all the wood and the L-brackets were reclaimed from an old wooden bed frame.

MATERIALS LIST:

Wood

4 - 53" 2x4s

4 - 52" 1x2s

4 - 24.5" 1x2s

2 - 76.5" 1x4s

Hardware

8 L-brackets (two for each 2x4 upright - any size L-bracket will work, their job is to attach the 2x4s to the wall, not bear weight)

Drywall anchor sleeves and screws (for attaching the L-brackets to the wall)

1 1/2" Wood screws (for attaching 1x2 cross pieces to the 2x4 uprights)

3/8" Tapered wood plugs to cover countersunk screw heads

One 8.5" long board that I used to measure shelf heights 

Tools

Jig saw

Power drill 

Drill bits

Screwdriver bits

Level

Hammer

Clamp (you won't need this if you have someone helping you)

 

STEP 3: ASSEMBLY

1) Cut wood to length 

2) Cut a notch in one end of each 2x4 to accommodate the wall's baseboard (see the photo below)

3) Attach the L-brackets to the 2x4s (two per board)

4) Use drywall sleeves and screws to attach each 2x4 to the wall - be sure to use a level to make sure they are perfectly vertical.

Note: I ran into a problem during this step.  I thought my drywall was attached to a standard framed wall, but it was attached to the inner cement wall of my house's foundation, and my drill struck cement only about 1" in.  So, I used some side cutters to clip off the tips of the drywall sleeves to that length (see photo below).  After drilling pilot holes for them, I tapped the drywall sleeves into place, and inserted 1" screws through the L-brackets' holes, and it worked great!

5) You can see the vertical 2x4 posts attached to the wall in the photo below.  As you work, be sure to measure twice, level twice, mark once and drill once so you don't end up causing unnecessary damage to your wall.

6) Attach one end of one of the 76.5" 1"x4" boards to the base of the vertical 2x4 post at one end of the shelves, and then, after checking with a level, attach the other end.  Once that's done, insert a screw through the baseboard into the other upright 2x4 posts.  The baseboard keeps the discs off of the floor, and keeps them from picking up dirt or carpet fuzz.

7) Attach the horizontal 1x2 cross pieces as shown in the photos below.  I strongly recommend drilling pilot holes for each wood screw. If you don't do this, the 1x2s have a tendency to split.  If you are working solo (like I did) you can support one end of a 1x2 with a clamp, and keep the vertical spacing between shelves consistent by using a vertical spacer/template (mine was 8.5" tall).  After you tack one end of a 1x2 in place, go to the other end, use the vertical spacer and a level to make sure it's at the right height and then drill a pilot hole and tack it into place.  Repeat this procedure for each 1x2 cross-piece. 

8) Attach the other 76.5" 1"x4" board to the top of the shelf unit, drilling pilot holes down into the top of each vertical 2x4 post. 

At this point, if you don't mind seeing exposed screw heads, tighten all screws and you're done.  But, if you prefer a more finished look, then do the following to add wood plugs to cover the screw heads. 

9) Remove each screw connecting 1x2 cross pieces, one at a time, and use a 3/8" drill bit to counter-sink each drilled hole to a depth of no more than 1/2".  Then reinsert the screw and seat is securely.  Next, gently tap a 3/8" tapered wood plug into the countersunk space (see the photo below).  These plugs can be glued into place as well, but I didn't see a reason to do this.  Repeat for each exposed screw.  

COST:

I already had the lumber and most of the hardware, so I only needed to buy wall anchors and wood plugs, so my total cost was about $10.00.

If you need to buy everything, including lumber and hardware then, based on prices at Home Depot in Oct 2026, and for the least expensive pine board and furring strips, shelves this size would cost ABOUT $60 for the cheapest pine boards.

YOU'RE DONE!

THE FINISHED SHELVES

My plans, including using the top as an additional shelf, yield ~36 feet or 10.97 meters of shelf space.  This is enough space for about 785 regular sized DVD cases, 915 BluRay cases or 1570 slim DVD cases.

You can, of course, paint or stain your shelves, but since mine live in a closet where the doors are normally closed, I opted to leave the wood in my shelves unfinished.

I use Libib.com to curate my movie collection - it's free and it's awesome!

I thoroughly enjoy having a physical media movie collection.  It grew from a few movies that I recorded off of broadcast television onto VHS tapes back in the 1980s, then updating my collection to DVDs, BluRays, etc., since then. Interestingly, I don't consider myself to be a movie collector.  Instead, I think of myself as a movie watcher who has a library of titles who enjoys watching, and watching movies again. 

I'll tell you why I prefer physical media in a future posting, but in this one I'll tell you about how I curate and keep track of my movie library.  

How I house my movie library:

There are currently about 900 titles in my collection.  This number is constantly in flux, because I routinely add new titles and cull out titles that I no longer watch.  My library includes about 100 children's movies about 800 for grown-ups. I house these two groups of movies in separate locations.  

I keep the children's movies in the TV stand (see below).  This arrangement puts the younger crew's movies in easy reach, and makes it so they can easily see their options all at once.

I keep the rest of my library in a set of DIY shelves.  Once this shelving unit was assembled and filled, this was the first time in many years that my movie collection was together in one location instead of being housed in multiple locations.  I love it!!  This way I can there and stare at my entire collection - like a teenager standing in front of an open refrigerator, looking for their next snack 😁!

Note: I will post step-by-step instructions and a materials list about how to build these DIY shelves in a future posting.  

How I keep track of the contents of my movie library:

I know that some people have physical media collections that are MUCH larger than mine, but for me this isn't a competition.  Anyway, I shelve ALL of my discs alphabetically, regardless of format.  This makes it easy to find a title, as well as making it easy to re-shelve discs after watching them.

As for keeping track of what's in my collection, I used to rely on WORD documents to curate my collection, but in 2019 I switched to an online digital library management database called Libib (https://www.libib.com).  Libib offers a free-access version that includes all the features that I need.  It's also intuitive to use, and I like that!

Here are some of the particularly useful features of Libib:

1. It has a built-in feature that lets me easily add titles.
2. Even the free version allows me to have multiple libraries (movies, games, books, music, etc.) if I want them.
3. I can edit a movie title and description, as well as many other things within each entry.  I can also write my own reviews.
4. I can add my own tags that the database then uses to filter titles during a search. I use the list of movie genres found on Rottentomatoes.com.  Note: Tags need to be added manually.
5. It lets me add a rating for each movie.  This could be a personal rating system or something else.  I chose to use Rottentomatoes.com freshness scores, adjusted to Libib's 5-star rating scale.
6. Libib lets me view movies as a list, by movie cover art, or a summary that includes cover art and the movie summary. 
7. The entire library can be viewed alphabetically, by rating, in the order they were added to the database, as well as by movie release date or creator (assuming this info is included in the movie description).
8. It also lets me keep track of the number of times I watched a movie, and the date/s that a movie was watched. 

Another real benefit to me of using Libib is that if I'm out and about and I see a movie someplace, I can open Libib on my phone and do a quick search to see if I already have it.

 

BTW, the image below is a screen capture that shows what a Libib entry looks like after I've added a rating and search tags:

So, there you have it.  

    

MY 20 FAVORITE KIDS & FAMILY MOVIES (Listed alphabetically)

MY 20 FAVORITE KIDS & FAMILY MOVIES (Listed alphabetically)

The kids & family genre includes movies that amuse children and keep them safe, and can appeal to viewers of all ages.

As with any list, this one is in constant flux, but this is where I am as of this writing.

• A BUG'S LIFE (1998) - When the ants' payment to the grasshoppers is lost, one lone ant volunteers to leave the colony and go in search of help.
• CHICKEN RUN (2000) - A chicken is bound and determined to help her sister chickens escape from the farm before they become chicken pot pies.
• COCO (2017) - A young boy dreams of playing the guitar and singing, but his family forbids it.  
• ELLA ENCHANTED (2004) - A fairy gives baby Ella the gift of obedience, so she must do whatever she is told to do.  Then things go terribly wrong when her secret is out. 
• FINDING NEMO (2003) - A timid clownfish leaves the safety of the reef and goes on a quest to find his only child when he is captured by a SCUBA diver.
• HERCULES (1997) - Baby Hercules is kidnapped and turned mortal, so he can no longer live on Mt Olympus.  When he learns who he really is, he dreams of becoming a hero so he can go home. 
• ICE AGE (2002) - A baby is found by the unlikely duo of a mammoth and a sloth who decide to return the baby to its people.
• INSIDE OUT (2015) - The inner workings of a young girl's brain at work is revealed.
• KID, THE (2000) - The 8-year old self version of himself shows up at his house, a high-powered executive does everything he can think of to get him back to his own time.
• LEGO MOVIE, THE (2014) - Emmett learns that he may be THE SPECIAL, the only one who can  save his town and his world.
• MULAN (1998) - A young woman pretends to be a man to take her father's place in the army, and she's helped by a tiny dragon that is one of her family's guardians. 
• PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS (2012) - The Pirate Captain longs to win the coveted Pirate of the Year award, so he and is rag-tag crew set sail in search of booty only to cross paths with Charles Darwin!
• SECONDHAND LIONS (2003) - A timid teenage boy is left with his two great uncles who, rumor has it, are incredibly rich.  
• SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE (2026) - A British shepherd dies unexpectedly, and his sheep realize that it's up to them to figure out what happened.
• SURF'S UP (2007) - A spunky young penguin is invited to participate in a big surfing contest where he makes friends and solves a mystery.
• TOY STORY 1-3 (1995, 1999, 2010) - Andy loves his toys, but he has no idea than when no one else is in the room, they come alive!
• UP (2009) - A widower sets out to keep a promise he made to his wife, to go to South America. 
• WALL-E (2008) - During hundreds of years alone, Wall-E has developed a personalty of his own, and when he sees a survey robot named Eva, he is smitten!
• WALLACE AND GROMIT - 3 ADVENTURES (1990) - Inventor Wallace and his brilliant dog Gromit have adventures going to the moon, crossing paths with a thieving penguin, and running afoul of a sinister robot dog and its beautiful owner.  
• WRECK-IT RALPH (2012) - The bad guy from a classic video game finally gets fed up and jumps games to try to win a medal as a hero.

MY 25 FAVORITE BIOGRAPHICAL MOVIES

MY 25 FAVORITE BIOGRAPHICAL MOVIES

The biographical or biopic genre dramatizes a real life person or group of people.

As with all favorite lists, this one lists my favorites as of this posting.

1. MONEYBALL (2011) - Billy Beane is the General Manager of the Oakland A's MBL team.  Immediately following a successful season, his star players are lured away by other teams that have larger budgets.  Billy soon realizes that he will have to do something significantly different in order to compete in the future.  And if this works, it could change the entire game of professional baseball.
2. HIDDEN FIGURES (2016) - Three brilliant African American women work at NASA in Virginia in the 1960s, and they end up playing crucial roles in the development of America's space program.
3. THE KING'S SPEECH (2010) - The Duke of York, second in line for the throne of England, stutters horribly.  And when the King dies and his older brother appears to be shirking his royal duties, he tries yet again to find a cure for his stuttering by meeting with an Australian speech therapist.  
4. PINBALL: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME (2022) - A young man who loves and is VERY good at playing pinball moves from Wisconsin to NYC where he is shocked to find that pinball is illegal in the city, and in many other cities across the county.  While is writing a book about the game, he is convinced to testify before the BYC City Council in a bid to have the ban removed.
5. 42: THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY (2013) - Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers decides to sign Jackie Robinson in 1947, breaking the race barrier in Major League Baseball.
6. Tolkien (2019) - Biopic of JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, dramatizing his life and depicting places and experiences of his that helped to frame that accomplishment.
7. CREATION (2009) - A biopic of Charles Darwin, years after his return from the voyage of The Beagle, strives to balance family life, his health, and his friends and associates who pressure him to finish writing his book, On the Origin of Species.
8. ENEMY AT THE GATES (2001) - A young Soviet soldier, Vassily Zeitzev, arrives at the Battle of Stalingrad where he is promoted to sniper division, and is used as a tool for positive propaganda, only to gain the attention of the German army, who sends their best snipe to Stalingrad to kill him.
9. CHASING MAVERICKS (2012) - Biopic of Jay Moriarity, a young surfer from Santa Cruz, CA, whose goal is to ride the massive waves at Mavericks.  But he knows that he needs help and finally convinces a local surf legend/guru to train him to ride it and survive it.
10. THE IMITATION GAME (2014) - During the first few years of WWII, the German U-Boats are winning the Battle of the Atlantic.  Great Britain recruits mathematician Alan Turing who leads a team working to break the Germans' unbreakable Enigma code.
11. EDDIE THE EAGLE (2015) - A non-athletic British boy dreams of being in the Olympic games, but all avenues to that appear to be closed until he discovers ski jumping. 
12. OCTOBER SKY (1999) - In the 1950s, Homer Hickam is a teenager living in a small W Virginia mining town where young men can either hope to earn a football scholarship and get out of town or graduate from HS and then work in the coal mines.  Homer, however, dreams of rockets and space.  And he and a small group of outcasts called the Rocket Boys build and fly their own rockets and enter their work in the local science fair.
13. ERIN BROCKOVICH (2000) - A single mother gets a job as a file clerk for an attorney and she discovers documents that leads to a legal decision where a major corporation is held liable for environmental contamination and the medical problems it causes.
14. CINDERELLA MAN (2005) - James J. Braddock was a heavyweight boxer in the 1930s, but during the Great Depression, he breaks right wrist hand and has to step out of the ring, finding work where he can, day-to-day, until some time later a boxer has to back out of a fight and a promoter needs someone. This fight leads to a second phase of his boxing career, and a heavy-weight title match.
15. SEABISCUIT (2003) - A successful business man faces depression when he experiences the death of his son and his wife leaves him.  He then decides to buy a racehorse named Seabiscuit that initially shows little promise, but during the Great Depression of the 1930s, he becomes an inspiration to many.
16. A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) - Biopic of John Forbes Nash, Jr., a brilliant mathematician who's mathematical and economic insights could change their fields.  However, Nash experiences schizophrenia.
17. AMAZING GRACE (2006) William Wilberforce leads the fight to make slavery illegal in the 1800s British Empire.
18. ONE AGAINST THE WIND (1991) - An American who married into a French title, The Countess Mary Lindell, takes in a British Officer on the run from the Germans, nurses him back to health and creates her own underground pipeline for helping allied air crews to escape to freedom.
19. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981) - The story of the 1912 British Olympic track team.
20. ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007) - Queen Elizabeth must protect her country from enemies at home and abroad, and prepare it against attack and invasion from the Spanish Armada.
21. THE BLIND SIDE (2009) - Dramatization of the humble origins of Michael Oher, and the role of an affluent family helping him reach the NFL.
22. THE FABLEMANS (2022) - Quasi-autobiographical telling of the experiences of a young Steven Spielberg and his family.
23. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) - How a British officer helps the bedouins of the Middle East bond together, fight against the Ottomans and fight for their own freedom during WWI.
24. BRIAN'S SONG (1971) - The story and friendship of two rookie NFL players, Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers.
25.  SAVING MR. BANKS (2013) - The story of the making of the Disney classic, Mary Poppins.

MY 20 FAVORITE ROMCOM MOVIES

MY 20 FAVORITE ROMCOM MOVIES

The romcom genre is defined by storylines where there is a humorous/lighthearted tone as the main characters pursue romance, and there is a happy ending.

As with any favorites list, this one is subject to change, but this is where things rate with me right now.

1. DAN IN REAL LIFE (2007) - A grieving widower's life centers on his three daughters and the advice column he writes for the local newspaper, until he crosses paths with a woman and they both feel an immediate connection, but when she appears at the family's annual reunion, he discovers that she is his brother's new girlfriend.
2. BLAST FROM THE PAST (1999) - A man who was born in a bomb shelter after his parents thought that there was a nuclear war emerges for the first time when he's 30 with instructions to buy supplies and find a nice girl to bring back down with him.
3. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993) - A widower and his son move from Chicago to Seattle where they start a new life, but things take a strange turn when his son calls into a radio talk show where the main theme is hope and love.
4. YOU'VE GOT MAIL (1998) - The owner of a children's bookstore in NYC doesn't know if her business can survive the opening of a new discount bookstore just around the corner.  Then, possible hope arrives in the form of an anonymous friend online who gives here encouragement and advice.
5. RETURN TO ME (2000) - A man loses his wife in an automobile accident, and her heart is used to save the life of another woman.  Later, the man and the woman who has his wife's heart met and start to fall in love.
6. ELIZABETHTOWN (2005) - A young man whose promising career has just tanked has to go to his father's small hometown to take care of the funeral arrangements.  While there, he meets a wide assortment of his father's family and friends, and a highly unusual flight attendant.
7. JUST LIKE HEAVEN (2005) - A young, ambitious doctor has an automobile accident and is in a coma.  In the meantime, the only person who can see her is the man who is now renting her apartment until the family decides what to do.
8. JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (1990) - A hypochondriac with a terrible job and a diagnosis of a terminal condition accepts an offer from a rich tycoon to travel to the south seas and jump into a volcano in a tiny island in exchange for a wealthy lifestyle until that happens.  Everything seems to be going to plan until he meets the tycoon's two daughters. Meg Ryan plays three roles! 
9. NEW IN TOWN (2009) - A high powered Miami executive travels to Minnesota to first implement changes to a factory there, and then to close it down. In the meantime, she and the local head of the union start to get to know each other.
10. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (1995) - A lonely NYC subway token taker dreams of love with the dream man who comes through her station every day.  Then, one day, he's mugged and falls onto the tracks.  She jumps down there and saves him, but he's in a coma.  She's mistaken for his fiance and things get complicated.
11.  FREE GUY (2021) - A non-player character in a popular video game dreams of love, but has reconciled himself to the fact that it will never happen, until he spots a first-person player and feels like he must talk to her.
12. 50 FIRST DATES (2004) - The swinging vet at a Hawaiian marine animal park vows that he will never fall for a local girl, but one day he crosses paths with a woman that he finds enchanting, only to learn that she has short-term memory loss, so he has to try to make her fall in love with him every day.
13. RAISING HELEN (2004) - A free-spirited career woman is named guardian of her sister's children when her sister and her husband die tragically.  She doesn't know the first thing about rearing children, but with the help of her other sister and a handsome pastor, she starts to figure things out.
14. GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) - A self-centered weatherman finds himself trapped in a time loop and he relives the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over and over again.  Along the way, he learns to look outward and to develop himself, and to start to plan and dream of a life with his producer.
15. THE PROPOSAL (2009) - The executive assistant to a powerful book editor finds himself in a tough spot when his Canadian editor learns that her visa is expired and she will have to leave the USA, unless she marries a citizen, so she makes a proposal to him.  Things go sideways when he takes her home, to Alaska, to meet his family.
16. SWEET HOME ALABAMA (2002) - A local girl who made it big in NYC comes home to finalize the divorce from her first husband so she can marry her new love, the NYC mayor's son.  Once back home, however, she stirs things up until her husband will sign.
17. HOUSESITTER (1992) - A very unusual and free-spirited woman ends up living in a house that an architect built for another woman, but who rejected him.  When the local townsfolk and his family are led to believe that they are engaged, things get extremely interesting.
18. FLY ME TO THE MOON (2024) - The work-obsessed launch director at Cape Canaveral is thrown off of his game when a beautiful woman and her assistant are hired to sell upcoming mission to the moon to the American people.
19. ROXANNE (1987) - The chief of a small mountain town's volunteer fire department dreams of love, but he believes that his oversized nose makes this a hopeless hope, and then the beautiful Roxanne comes to town for the summer.
20. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002) - An orthodox Greek woman dreams of a life outside of her parents' restaurant.  Then she gets permission to take night classes, and goes to work in her aunt's travel agency where she meets a handsome non-Greek man.  Sparks fly.

A LIST OF MY GUILTY PLEASURE MOVIES - TERRIBLE MOVIES THAT I WATCH AGAIN AND AGAIN!

 Haha!!  No, not THAT kind of guilty pleasure 🫣 😆!

This list includes movies that I enjoy that, at least according to the Rotten Tomatoes movie review site freshness ratings are quite rotten.  

• Movies at RT that earn a composite score below 60% from their certified reviewers are rated as ROTTEN = rotten.
• Movies at RT rated 60-74% are rated as FRESH = good.
• Movies at RT rated 75% or higher are CERTIFIED FRESH = really good!

So, for the purposes of this post, I define my guilty pleasure movies as those that are rated 50% or lower on RT and that I've watched multiple times.  Here they are, along with their RT ratings, in order, from more rotten to less rotten:

1. Down Periscope 11% - comedy, military
2. Timeline 13% - adventure, sci-fi, thriller
3. Rustler's Rhapsody 15% - comedy, western
4. Elizabethtown 27% - romcom
5. New in Town 28% - romcom
6. The Monuments Men 30% - drama, military, true story
7. Passengers 30% - adventure, drama, romance, sci-fi
8. Chasing Mavericks 32% - adventure, biography, drama, sports
9. Johnny English 33% - comedy, crime
10. Xanadu 33% - fantasy, musical/music
11. Undercover Blues 37% - comedy, crime
12. Sahara 37% - action, adventure 
13. Young Einstein 38% - comedy
14. Gunless 40% - comedy, western
15. The Big Year 41% - comedy, true story
16. Goal! 43% - drama, sports
17. Yes Man 44% - comedy
18. The A-Team 48% - action, adventure, military, mystery
19. The Kid (Bruce Willis) 49% - comedy, fantasy, romance

Are these really terrible?  You'll have to watch them and decide for yourself.  And, if they are terrible, are they still worth watching?  Best wishes!