Out of curiosity, I decided to keep track of the books I read last year (by month). It was a nice push to get back into reading more often. I was a bit disappointed not to reach at least 50 books. That used to be an average year’s reading for me.
I’ve decided to continue the experiment and see how 2016 compares.
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I enjoy watching the latest movies as much as anyone, but there are times when I just need to watch what I think of as a sure thing. A sure thing is the movie equivalent of comfort food — that is, a movie guaranteed to either match my current mood or provide just the right emotional payoff that I crave.
It should be no surprise that these are movies I’ve watched many times over. Some I’ve watched so often that I can quote long stretches of dialogue by heart. They aren’t necessarily movies that are critically acclaimed — in fact, I’m sure there are some on my list that other people might think are downright stinkers — but that doesn’t matter. What matters is what they convey to me.
They aren’t interchangeable; one isn’t as good as another in all instances. For example, when I’m feeling hemmed in by life and need to daydream about the possibility of a complete change, I might watch American Dreamer or Under the Tuscan Sun or Last Holiday. When I’m sick, I tend to watch really old movies — especially Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movies or The Thin Man. If I’m in desperate need of a good laugh, Big Trouble in Little China, North to Alaska, and The Hallelujah Trail never let me down. And when I want my heartstrings tugged, I might turn to Apollo 13, Gettysburg or Secretariat.
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There’s a movie meme circling the interwebz (yes, another one) and I thought I’d give it my take. I tend not to watch sad or gross movies, so I removed those questions rather than leave them blank. I’ve also added some new questions that more closely fit my movie watching habits. And I removed the silly restriction that only one movie can be chosen per question, because…Really? I can only have one favorite? Sorry, no can do.
This one was a no-brainer for me. Casablanca has been my favorite film since I first saw a butchered version of it on TV as a kid many (many) moons ago, and the uncut version is even better.
Another no-brainer for me. I usually watch romantic comedies, not heavy drama-type romances, and The Quiet Man is my all-time favorite. In fact, it’s second on my list of Top 10 Favorite Movies, right below Casablanca.