Tag / Chicago Tribune

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You Ought To Be In (24) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the two actors that have starred in exactly 24 movies that I have seen, down one from 3 years ago.

Ben Affleck

The first Ben Affleck starring role that I saw was in 1997, when I saw both Going All The Way and Chasing Amy.  In 1999, he kicked off a six-year run where I saw eleven of his films, including three films in both 2000 and 2003.  There were five years total where I had seen multiple Affleck outings, most recently in 2011.  2019’s Jay And Silent Bob Reboot, which I saw in 2020, remains his most recent work that I’ve seen.

Robert Downey Jr.

My first experience with Robert Downey Jr. was likely 1987’s The Pick-Up Artist.  Things were a little slow after that, as I racked up only seven films through the mid-2000s, likely in part due to Downey’s notorious partying.  Things picked up in starting in 2007, thanks to his taking on two classic roles in literature adaptations, Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes.  Those franchises have contributed ten films to his total.  His greatest output in one year was 2008, when I saw four of his films.  My most recent experience with Downey’s work came in 2019, when I saw his final entry in the MCU, Avengers: End Game.

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Book 42 (of 52) – Burn It Down

Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood – Maureen Ryan

Maureen Ryan, longtime television critic for the Chicago Tribune and currently a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, has, unfortunately, become one of the leading journalists in the realm of bad behavior in Hollywood and the road of abuse that women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ face when attempting to exist while working in the entertainment industry.  In Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, she tells the tales of the survivors who experienced harassment on show like Lost, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, and Sleepy Hollow.  It is a harrowing read of behavior that would not be tolerated anywhere else in corporate America, but thrives in this one corner.

One can only hope that things will get better, especially when we come out of the current labor strikes that have shut down most productions in Hollywood.  Time will tell.

 

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You Ought To Be In (23) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the single actor that has starred in exactly 23 movies that I have seen, a level uncharted three years ago.

George Clooney

George Clooney was bouncing around Hollywood for a while before becoming a superstar on a little show called ER, whose pilot movie was his first entry on this list.  That launched him to great film success.  Two films is my high-water mark for Clooney, one which I have reached five different times, most recently in 2012.  My most recent Clooney experience came in 2022, thanks to Ticket to Paradise.

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You Ought To Be In (21) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the three actors that have starred in exactly 21 movies that I have seen, up two from 3 years ago.

Samuel L. Jackson

29 years ago, I first made the acquaintance of Samuel L. Jackson in two polar opposite films, Pulp Fiction and National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1.  After 1994, I also saw multiple Jackson films in 2000, 2006, 2019, and 2020.  There was a six-year break between Lakeview Terrace, which I saw in 2010, and Kingsman: The Secret Service, which I saw in 2016.  He racked up five films between 2019 and 2021, the last of which was Death To 2020.

Scarlett Johansson

I, and most of the world, was first introduced to Scarlett Johansson in 2001 when I saw the comic-book adaptation Ghost World.  Starting in 2004, there was a six-year run where I saw eleven of the fourteen films that make up this total, including five in 2006 alone.  Another three films came in 2014.  After another three-year streak from 2017-2019, my most recent experience with her came in 2021 thanks to Black Widow.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts burst on to the scene in 1990’s Pretty Woman, which was one of two films of hers I saw in 1991.  I’ve seen multiple films from her in 1991, 1994, 2000, and 2017, with her big year for me being 2000, when I saw four different films in which she starred.  After a five-year absence, she returned to my screen in 2022 thanks to Ticket to Paradise.

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You Ought To Be In (20) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the three actors that have starred in exactly 20 movies that I have seen, down one from 3 years ago.

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton burst on to my movie going radar with 1983’s Mr. Mom.  He had two different years, 1995 and 2000, where I saw three of his films.  After a nine-year absence from my screen, he returned in 2015 to increase his total once again.  The last time I saw him in a starring role was back in 2020, where he starred as McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc in 2017’s The Founder.

Eddie Murphy

It’s hard to believe now, but at one time, Eddie Murphy was the biggest star in the land.  My first experience with him was likely Beverly Hills Cop.  Seven of his films were seen before I started my database, so I can’t be entirely sure of when I first saw them.  Of the seven years since that I have seen an Eddie Murphy film, five of them have been multiples.  After a 15-year absence, Eddie Murphy returned to my screen in 2019, when I finally took in 2003’s Haunted Mansion.

Sylvester Stallone

My first exposure to Sylvester Stallone was through the Rocky franchise, whose eight films make up 40% of this total.  Add in the Rambo franchise and is exactly 50%.  My biggest Stallone years were 1991 and 2007, when I took in a grand total of two films each.  His longest streak was four years, which ended with my most recent experience with his films in 2021, seeing the 1992 comedy(?) Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

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You Ought To Be In (19) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the six actors that have starred in exactly 19 movies that I have seen, even from 3 years ago.

Jennifer Aniston

The former Friends star first burst through onto my movie screen in 1997, with a double feature of She’s The One and Leprechaun.  In years since, she was a pretty steady contributor until 2014, with multiple films in 1997, 1998, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013, with a high-water mark in 1998, when I saw her in three starring roles.  Her most recent entry came in 2014, when I saw 2013’s We’re the Millers.

John Cusack

Local boy done good John Cusack entered my movie-watching consciousness in 1988 when he portrayed disgraced White Sox third baseman Buck Weaver in Eight Men Out.  After a nine-year dry spell, Cusack came back with a vengeance with three films in 1997 which started a run of eight films in four years.  Aside from 1997, he notched multiple films in 2000, 2004, and 2010.  His most recent film that I’ve seen remains 2012’s The Factory, which I watched in 2015.

Matt Damon

In 1994, Matt Damon made his first appearance on my personal movie screen with his role in 1992’s School Ties.  He disappeared for a while until reappearing in 1999 with three different films.  From that point on, he has been a pretty regular entrant in my watched films, including a four-year run from 2005-2008.  The last film of his I’ve seen was in 2019, when I saw 2017’s Downsizing.

Robert DeNiro

My first experience with Robert DeNiro was back in 1988, when I saw Angel Heart.  He then went quiet to me for eight years, coming back in 1996 with Sleepers.  2000 was my high-water mark with his work when I saw three of his films, while he showed up twice in 2004, 2011, and 2016.  My most recent experience with him was in 2020, when I saw 2008’s Righteous Kill.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves slinked on to my movie screens in 1988 in a small film called Permanent Record.  The following year, he became huge thanks to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.  2020 stands out as my best Reeves year, when I managed to see three of his films.  His most recent appearance came in 2022, when I watched the 2020 sequel Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington first appeared in my life in a starring role as Tom Hanks’ homophobic attorney in Philadelphia.  There have been four years, starting in 2000, where I have seen two of his films.  2002 started a five-year run where I saw secen of his films.  After a six-year absence, he returned to my screen in 2020 thanks to Ricochet, released in 1991.

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You Ought To Be In (18) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the three actors that have starred in exactly 18 movies that I have seen, down one from 3 years ago.

Kirsten Dunst

The first Kirsten Dunst starring vehicle that I saw was Small Soldiers, which I saw in 1999.  That started a four-year run where I saw nine of her films, including four in 2000 alone.  After a one-year break, I returned to her films in 2004 with both Mona Lisa Smile and Spider-Man 2.  Besides 2000, there are five other years where I’ve seen multiple Dunst films, most recently in 2007.  Things have slowed down considerably for Dunst in my world, with her last appearance coming in 2015, when I saw her in the surprisingly good Bachelorette.

Meg Ryan

My introduction to Meg Ryan was most likely in 1990, when I saw the previous year’s hit When Harry Met Sally.  She put together a nice six-year run starting in 1994 which accounted for ten movies.  Things have been quiet of late and the most recent film of hers I’ve seen remains 2009’s Serious Moonlight back in 2010.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

My initial introduction to the future governor of California was most likely 1987’s The Running Man.  2008 was my biggest collection of his films, with three, and was one of four years where I saw multiples.  The most such year was 2020, where I saw both The Last Stand and Terminator: Dark Fate.

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You Ought To Be In (16) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the five actors that have starred in exactly 16 movies that I have seen, an increase of three from 3 years ago.

Drew Barrymore

One of the most prolific actors on my radar in the 1990s and 2000s, she has disappeared since, with the most recent of her films that I’ve seen, Music And Lyrics, coming in 2008.

Cameron Diaz

I first encountered Cameron Diaz back in 1996, when I saw her in a little indie film called The Last Supper.  She managed to get two films on my list in four different years, most recently in 2010.  She has mostly retired from acting, which explains why 2010’s Knight and Day, which I saw in 2019, remains the last film of hers I’ve seen.

Brad Pitt

In 1994, I saw a little film called Kalifornia, which introduced me to Brad Pitt.  While he would become a mega-star over the next few years, I was a bit of a late comer to his films.  Other than watching A River Runs Through It in 1997 during the Sports in Literature class I took during my last semester of college, it was 2000 before I saw another Pitt film.  Making up for lost time, I plowed through three films in 2000.  He had a four-year streak between in 2010 and 2013, then entered a dry spell that ended in 2020, when he reappeared with two films.  His most recent appearance was in 2022, thanks to that year’s Bullet Train.

Natalie Portman

The first starring roles of Natalie Portman’s that I saw were in 2001, when I watched a double feature of Where The Heart Is and Anywhere But Here.  Her appearances in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the Thor franchise have accounted for over 31% of her overall total.  2011 was a big Portman year for me, as I saw a whopping four of her films.  My last experience with her work came in 2022, when she returned to the MCU with Thor: Love and Thunder.

Will Smith

Will Smith’s transition from rapper to TV star to movie star began with 1995’s Bad Boys.  The following two year, he cemented himself as a huge star with the double feature of Independence Day and Men In Black.  The Bad Boys and Men In Black franchises have made up over 37% of his total movies that I’ve seen.  My most recent exposure to his work came in 2020, when I saw both 2019’s Gemini Man and 2020’s Bad Boys For Life.

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You Ought To Be In (15) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the twelve actors that have starred in exactly 15 movies that I have seen, an increase of three from 3 years ago.

Amy Adams

Amy Adams made her first appearance on my screen in 2001, when I watched the repurposed television pilot that became Cruel Intentions 2.  She returned in 2008, starting a run of eight films in four years.  After a five-year absence, she returned in 2022 with the previous year’s The Woman In The Window.

Jamie Lee Curtis

My first experience with the former teenage scream queen was likely one of the first two Halloween films, the franchise that is responsible for nearly 47% of the films on this list.  After a seven-year lull, she returned with the latest reboot/continuation of the Halloween franchise, culminating in 2022’s Halloween Ends.

Will Ferrell

The SNL alum first streaked on to the list of film actors I’ve seen in 2003 with Old School.  Since then, his appearances have been pretty consistent, with 2012-2013 being the longest streak of him not appearing on my screen.  The most recent film of his I’ve seen was 2013’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which I finally saw last year.

Anne Hathaway

Like most of America, I first saw Anne Hathaway on the silver screen back in 2003 in The Princess Diaries.  In the intervening years, she had been a steadfast presence on my movie (or television) screen, including three films in 2005 and four in 2009.  Things have slowed a bit this decade, with her latest appearance being 2019’s The Hustle, which I saw in 2020.

Angelina Jolie

Her last appearance on my screen is still in 2012, when I saw her in Changeling.

Steve Martin

The last starring role of his that I saw remains 2005’s Shopgirl, which I saw in 2009.

Julia Stiles Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (14) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the nine actors that have starred in exactly 14 movies that I have seen, down one from 3 years ago.

Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman first appeared on my radar with 1987’s Teen Wolf Too.  After another film in 1992, he took the rest of the century off and didn’t reappear on my screen until 2010, when he started a streak of five films in three years, followed by another streak of seven films in five years, culminating in 2018 Game Night, the last time I saw one of his films.

Morgan Freeman

The first film I saw starring Morgan Freeman was the Kevin Costner vehicle Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  Starting in 2000, he put together a six-year streak that covered eight films.  My biggest Freeman years were 2000, 2005, and 2008, when I saw him in two films each.  After a five-year layoff, he returned in 2020, starring in 2019’s Angel Has Fallen.

Jennifer Lawrence

The delightful Jennifer Lawrence first appeared on my screen in 2011, thanks to 2010’s Winter’s Bone.  Since then, I have seen her in at least one movie every year, tripling up in 2013, for an active streak of twelve straight years.  My most recent film of hers was 2022’s Causeway.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds first appeared on my movie radar in 2006, when I saw him in both The Amityville Horror and Just Friends, which started a streak of five films in four years.  He had double shots in 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2019.  2021’s Free Guy, which I saw last year, was the last I saw of him.

Paul Rudd

1998’s The Object Of My Affection was my first exposure (in a starring role) to Paul Rudd.  He then put together a run of five films in four years from 2008-2011 and, after taking a year off, had another four in the following three years.  I last saw him earlier this year, starring in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

Winona Ryder

The last films of hers that I saw is still 2002’s Mr. Deeds, which I finally got around to watching in 2011.

Adam Sandler

2011’s Just Go With It, which I saw in 2013, is still my most current exposure to Sandler’s work.

Christian Slater

The last film of Slater’s that I saw was Alone In The Dark, all the way back in 2006.

John Travolta

The last starring role of Travolta’s that I saw was the 2009 remake of The Taking Of Pelham 123, which I saw in 2010.