Whelp, good choice on The Thing....it was on my short list, but I was getting all mixed up with horror vs sci fi. So, instead of picking the one I grabbed in the 30s draft, I'll go pure sci-fi.
Is it a simple sci-fi B pic or a scathing indictment of McCarthyism? Or something to do with Commies?
All I know is that the feelings of paranoia, dread and fear it conveys are a welcome relief to my daily grind. And just like with my daily grind, it seems that people are regularly being replaced by alien duplicates.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)



Citizen Kane (1941) (it's the film within the film)
Casablanca (1942) (henreid sings!)
Annie Hall (1977) (walken talks!)
The Gold Rush (1925) (chaplin eats!)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) (starchild nekkid!)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) (larry on tv!)
La Donna Che Visse Due Volte (aka Vertigo) (1958) (stewart falls in exactly six words)
Days of Heaven (1978) (texas panhandle panhandles!)
Groundhog Day (1993) (training montage montages!)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (sci-fi on earth in the here and now, but then)



nunnehi - "You're next!"

Great pick, hikeeba, but, yeah, I'm pretty sure it was meant as an indictment of McCarthyism.

For my 10th round pick, in the category A film in which Christopher Walken is not top-billed, I choose:



I had another movie in mind, but when I went to copy in the poster, I noticed that he was top billed on the poster, which makes it not fit the category. This is a really goofy movie, and not a very good one. In the humor category, we had the Kangaroo do a commentary. It was...interesting. The movie did have some entertaining moments, and Walken is, well, Walken. So, there you go. My draft is done.





My draft (all movies I had something to do with):

Round 1-The Shawshank Redemption (shoes)
Round 2-A Nightmare On Elm Street (TV show)
Round 3-The Searchers (Texas)
Round 4-The Apartment (film within a film)
Round 5-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (training montage)
Round 6-Infamous (singer)
Round 7-Hollywoodland (nudity)
Round 8-Village of the Damned (sci-fi)
Round 9-Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (6 words or more movie title)
Round 10-Kangaroo Jack (Walken)

kudz, wrap it up!

VLC, GOM, UM, KM players.

It's on my short list. Actually I was on the road being a warrior and thought the draft would be over by now and sent my last pick (and backup) by PM to Dom. I am now in the process of revising those picks, so Dom don't post them (I'll send him a PM also).

An a&c movie might as good as a Three Stooges one.

My last two picks are not commonly thought of us "great movies", or listed on top 10 lists put out by AFI. They are, however, personal favorites I think deserve to be cited, and revisited.

As stated, my ninth round pick was the "Texas" movie was (and is)



I figure any canon, no matter how obtuse the criteria, need balance and representation. Until this pick, I had no westerns. What kind of movie list has no westerns? What sort of commie, pinko b*lls**t is that?

Granted, there are no Injuns or shootouts. It is a western in tone and setting, if not action. There are horses and cowboy hats and boots. You can smell the dust in the streets, as you stroll into the saloon/hotel, or blacksmith's shop.

The film concerns a city gentleman, played by Henry Fonda,escaping the east (and, apparently, some demons), by packing up his wife (Joanne Woodward) and son and heading to San Antonio, to buy land, and start a new life. He stops in Laredo, to get wagon wheel repaired, and gets involved in a high stakes poker game, a game the locals gather for once a year.



That is all the plot I will reveal. The mystery and life of the movie in in the twists and turns that are to follow, and must be seen to be truly enjoyed.



The movie also has Jason Robards, playing the town tycoon with a comedic edge that gets it's spark in the character's self-absorption and material focus. The whole cast, including Burgess Meredith, Charles Bickford (his last film, actually), Kevin McCarthy, and Paul Ford, plays ensemble sharp. Even though the characters verge on cartoon, they bring life to them and never go over the top.



And, though we here in the sheltered cocoon that is the Lounge sometimes forget, this is a gosh-darn poker forum, after all...most of us got here only after lighting on the forum in an effort to shore up our game. So a slipping in poker movie, especially this one, the very best, has a certain poetry to it. The poker scenes here border on cliche, but nuance and feel push them over. There is a scene, when Fonda sits down to play for the first time, apparently in a while. He clumsily shuffles the cards, but gets it together, and we see the joy flow into him as he slowly smiles, looks around, and mumbles "feels good"; it is a feeling every one of us has probably felt in our degenerate heart when sitting down after a period of of poker abstinence.

So I now have:
Full Metal Jacket (training)
True Romance (Walken)
Do The Right thing (shoes)
Clerks (TV series)
Schindler's List (nude)
Frankenstein (science fiction)
Jaws (singing actors)
A Big Hand For A Little Lady (tejas)

For my final pick, "movie with six or more words in the title", I choose



This documentary of the Funk Brothers, the Motown records house band that played on, as the credits say, more number one hits than anyone, is notable for two reasons. First, the way the narrative holds up to present a clear and riveting story of these amazing musicians. Focusing on James Jamerson, the mercurial genius who changed the sound of modern music (no, that is not excessive hyperbole), but touching on most of the others contributed to the ensemble, it is touching, triumphant, often sad, and astounding. If you are not a musician, it gives you a little insight into the process and mindset. If you are, it makes you proud to be one.



Second, the musical performances. The remaining Funk Brothers are reunited, and guest vocalists come and sit in to perform some of Motown's biggest hits. Aside from the sheer revelation of the concept itself (the magic, indeed, was in the hands and hearts and groove of the musicians, more so than the composers or even the singers who became famous), the performances are (and there is no other word for it) joyous. The band propels. Could Joan Osborne have performed as soulful of a performance of "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted" with a lesser unit behind her? No way. Gerald Levert may have been a fine soul singer, and he was, but he never equaled his performances here. Hell, they even make that slack-jawed hack Ben Harper sound vaguely funky.



The narrative's rather dark tone, even in it's more humorous moments, is in perfect dramatic contrast to the performances. Like all good documentaries, this film succeeds cinematically, and strikes perfect balance. Also, unlike some documetarians who don't let things like "facts" get in the way of a story, the filmmakers here may use anecdotal sources, but they play it true to life.



In an earlier write-up, I mentioned how much I prefer the shared experience of a theater to cloistered viewing of a DVD. This movie reminds me why. I went to see the movie, by myself, one late Thursday night. It was the film's last night there, and the last showing; literally the last time I would get a chance to see it on a big screen. I sat down in a sparse theater. There were two couples a few rows up from me (older than me, at the time...late forties, probably), and a younger couple in front of them. I sat on the end of the row, and enjoyed the movie. Towards the end of the film, however, the older couples couldn't stand it, and literally started dancing in the aisles. It was pretty amazing to see. Then the younger couple started dancing. I haven't seen that in a theater since those old concert movies we used to go see at midnight. I was sitting there, grinning and barely able to stay seated myself. Then one of the ladies saw me sitting there, and saw not someone enjoying the movie, but a wallflower sitting by himself. She danced over, and grabbed my arms, making me get up and join in. Which wasn't hard, after all...I had been dancing in my seat the whole movie. Still, if there was ever any testament to the power of the music that was the subject of the film, it was seven people, some complete strangers, laughing and dancing away while Chaka Khan sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in front of the Funk Brothers. Pretty amazing moment.



So now I have a full roster:
Full Metal Jacket (training)
True Romance (Walken)
Goodfellas (movie within a movie)
Do The Right thing (shoes)
Clerks (TV series)
Schindler's List (nude)
Frankenstein (science fiction)
Jaws (singing actors)
A Big Hand For A Little Lady (tejas)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (six word title)

Round 9

• A film in which shoes play an important part

The Devil Wears Prada



A movie about shoes, clothes, shoes, coffee, and shoes. In fact, the protagonist's transformation from schlub to fashionista happens when she lets Stanley Tucci help her pick out a real pair of shoes.







Round 10

• A film with a "training" montage - sports or otherwise

I thought about making a joke selection for the last pick, but I'll instead take a film that's one long training montage after another.

Batman Begins

I understad "inspired" may mean to influence or to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on. With those quotes and this definition in mind, it can be said that one film has inspired at least one television series, namely Total Recall 2070, which only lasted one season.

Other series creators have stated that this film has influenced their work:

• Red Dwarf: Back to Earth series creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor
• Battlestar Galactica creators Ronald D. Moore and David Eick

Its inspiration is grand and has expanded levels. The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex tv series was inspired by the Ghost in the Shell film series which were influenced by this film.



Dom, you seen it?

Very creative pick, and I'm guessing Dom's bias will compel him to jump for joy long before he thinks to object.

Kudzu killed it with that last writeup.

What??? I don't get it...seems to be a dubious connection.

I'm going to have trouble picking a winner here.

Round 10 Pick- A film in which we see a clip from another film in it - real or fictional





8 ½ (1963) Directed by Federico Fellini; Stars Marcello Mastroianni: Guido Anselmi, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Luisa Anselmi, and Sandra Milo

A film about a guy making a film; in the end they all dance and you don’t quite know which film you are watching.





Picks:

The Wizard of Oz (1939)- Shoes
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – Long film title
Giant (1956) - Film in Texas
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – Science Fiction
The Deer Hunter (1978) –Christopher Walken
Spartacus (1960) - A film with a training montage
The Thin Man (1934) – TV Series
A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Nude(s)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)-“Singer “
8½ (1963) Film within a film

My Christopher Walken pick:

The Addiction.

Someone please pm Mschu for me...

PM sent.

Nudie...


Last Temptation of Christ



And I'm out

True story. Since I cannot vote for myself, my vote is heavily leaning towards ||.||.||. I could watch every one of those picks again and again. Zeno is a close second for great, classic picks.

Still a couple of cats left in this race. It may be too close to call. Where's Nate Silver?

I'm just as confused as Dom about his last pick, but his photos and gifs are great, so right now, he gets an honorable mention. I'm looking at Zeno and Hikeeba for the quality of the films selected and the quality of the write ups.

Nobody has gotten the top nude scene yet.

I'm not at a computer, just my phone...assume I wrote a great bit on Abel Ferarra's The Adiction.

Well, then, I shall delay no longer. Write up for:

Days of Heaven (1978) dir: Terrence Malick MALICK

It's 1916 and Richard Gere kills his boss at a Chicago steel mill. The boss is played by Stuart Margolin, who played Angel in The Rockford Files. So, the director has already garnered my sympathies. (Remember, according to Angel Martin, you don't buy Angel Martin with a couple of drumsticks and some redeye gravy (although we all know the gravy would be enough to make the purchase)).
Where were we? Oh yeah, fleeing. Off Gere goes to the Texas Panhandle (which is interesting because a lot of people leave out the Panhandle when describing Texas....) There his girlfriend marries the farmer so they can inherit his money...but, what am I doing here, talking of plot in a Malick film?
If you like atmosphere that comes from 25 minutes of shooting a day, this film is for you. If you like peanut shells falling from the sky, then this is for you:



Enjoy dialogue being removed and sound being intentionally messed with? Then this film is for you! But it sure is purdy! And, uhm...Lyrical? Haunting? Halcyon? Ephemeral?




My biggest complaint? Not enough dinosaurs! C'mon Terrence!!

(note: screenshot not from chosen movie)

Well, I'm hopin' things will work out for me. I'm a good friend of me.

I'm guessing you mean you at last year's office party. (And it was a scene.)

It's not every day (okay, it's not any day) I see a reference to Angel on 2+2, so I applaud you for mentioning one of the greatest (in a bad way) characters in TV history. The Rockford Files is one of my 5 favorite TV shows of all time.

Funny that I don't remember this. But I do remember a few Christmas parties when booze was allowed, and that made for some interesting evenings.

Someone must stress to the actors that they need to stand real still or else when the film is run in reverse, it's going to look mighty silly. I love these sorts of pre-CGI devices.

Good draft

I am interpreting "inspired" to mean "influence". Blade Runner, imo, influenced the TV series Total Recall 2070.

Although Total Recall 2070 does not share specific characters or very specific plots with Blade Runner, there are enough similarities to claim there exists an influence.

A quote of an online review of the show:

Here are some screenshot comparisons:

Rainy night setting with neon advertising in the background.




Trench coat wearing detective with big gun.




Prominent advertising.




This is the guy the androids/replicants are after in search for more memory/life.




There's this guy as well.




Blade Runner is pretty much a blueprint for the look of the show, imo, but done on a tv budget scale.

If my interpretation is not within the limits of the draft, or if I've failed to prove influence, then I'll draft another selection.