Tag / Chicago Tribune

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You Ought To Be In (14) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22

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.  So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of May 30th.

Today, we look at the 7 actors that have starred in 14 movies that I have seen, an increase of 1 over the past 3 years.

Keanu Reeves

After a 7 year hiatus, Keanu Reeves returned to my screen last year in 2016’s John Wick.

Winona Ryder

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

Adam Sandler Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (13) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22

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.  So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1st.

Today, we continue with the 8 actors that have starred in 13 movies that I have seen, 3 more than what there were 3 years ago.

Amy Adams

A 3 spot jump for Adams, thanks to films in 2014, 2016, and earlier this year with 2016’s Arrival.

Morgan Freeman

2014’s Lucy, which I saw in 2015, enabled Freeman to move up one slot.

Anne Hathaway

A 2 spot jump for Hathaway, who added films in 2015 and 2016, where The Intern was her most recent starring role.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt had a 4 year streak come to an end in 2013, when I saw World War Z.

Natalie Portman

My last experience with Portman’s work remains 2013’s Thor: The Dark World.

Julia Stiles Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (12) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22Many 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.  So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1st.

Today, we look at the 9 actors that have starred in 12 movies that I have seen, an increase of 1 from 3 years ago.

Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman probably 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 5 films in 3 years, followed by another streak of 5 films in 3 years, culminating last year in both The Gift and The Longest Week.

Jamie Lee Curtis

My last experience with the former teenage scream queen remains 2011, when I saw 2010’s You Again.

Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas moves up one spot, thanks to the addition of 2015’s Ant-Man.

Will Ferrell

The SNL vet moves up two spots, with films in 2015 and 2017, when I saw Get Hard.

Gene Hackman

Hackman has mostly retired at this point, so the odds are that the last film I saw of his, Runaway Jury in 2012, will continue to be his last.

Corey Haim

My final Haim film was 1993’s Just One Of The Girls, which I saw in 2004.  Haim passed away in 2010, so he is not likely to be moving up this list anytime soon.

Tommy Lee Jones

The most recent entry in the Jason Bourne series enables Tommy Lee Jones to move up one spot.

Gwyneth Paltrow Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (11) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22Many 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.  So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1st.

Today, we continue with the 10 actors that have starred in 11 movies that I have seen, down 1 from the number at this level 3 years ago.

Jim Carrey

There has been no change for Carrey since I last encountered him back in 2009, when I saw the previous year’s Yes Man.

Woody Harrelson

No starring roles for Woody Harrelson on my screen since 2011, when I watched 2009’s Defendor.

Katherine Heigl

The one-time romantic comedy sweetheart has seen her movie career falter, which is part of why I haven’t seen her in anything since 2011.

Helen Hunt Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (10) 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. So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at all of the actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1st.

Today, we start with the 22 actors that have starred in 10 movies that I have seen, a big increase from the 14 at this level 3 years ago.

Jessica Alba

There has been no change for Jessica Alba since I saw her in 2010’s Valentine’s Day in 2011.

Dan Aykroyd

No change in Aykroyd’s total, with 2002 being the last year I saw one of his starring roles.

Kate Beckinsale

Our first new entry, the comely British actress first came to my attention in 1998, when I saw her in both Cold Comfort Farm and Last Days of Disco.  Her heyday was 2006-2008, when I saw her in 4 films over the 3 year span.  2010 had been my last experience with her work, until I was coerced into seeing Underworld: Blood Wars earlier this year.

Kristen Bell

The Veronica Mars star made her first “big screen” appearance in my life with the television remake of Reefer Madness in 2005.  She’s been a pretty steady presence since, with a 2 year gap in 2015 and 2016 being her largest.  The Boss, which I saw earlier this year, is my most recent exposure to her.

Chevy Chase Continue reading →

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2016: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22142 different people starred in the movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide which populated the early days of my database), and a whopping 18 of them were in more than 1 film.  Those 18 thespians are:

Name Films
Rupert Grint 7
Daniel Radcliffe 7
Anna Kendrick 4
Jason Bateman 2
Sandra Bullock 2
Brooke Butler 2
Benedict Cumberbatch 2
Robert DeNiro 2
Carla Gugino 2
Tom Hanks 2
Tom Hardy 2
Michael B. Jordan 2
Melissa McCarthy 2
Chloë Grace Moretz 2
Sam Rockwell 2
Miles Teller 2
Christoph Waltz 2
Olivia Wilde 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2016, following up on Tuesday’s post.

The Sand (2015)
Things go awry at a beach when the sand starts eating people.

Creed (2015)
The Rocky series returns with the focus now on the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed.

The Boy (2016)
A young woman is hired to watch over a doll, but all is not as it seems.

London Has Fallen (2016)
A terrorist attack at a state funeral in London leaves one Secret Service agent to protect the president on the run.

Cas & Dylan (2013)
A dying doctor takes a new acquaintance on a cross country road trip.

Spy (2015)
Melissa McCarthy goes in to the field as a CIA agent to avenge the death of her crush.

Joy (2015)
A woman invents a new mop and bets on herself to beat the longest of odds.

The Intern (2015)
Continue reading →

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Most Watched Actors – The Early 2010s

Movie_Reel_22Many 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. So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at the most prolific actors that have starred in the movies that I have seen in the first half of this decade.

2011

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Natalie Portman 4

2011 was a big year for Natalie Portman films, as I took in nearly a quarter of her starring roles that I’ve seen overall thanks to The Other Woman, Black Swan, Thor, and No Strings Attached.

2012

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Jonah Hill 3

Jonah Hill scored the top spot with starring roles in Moneyball, The Sitter, and 21 Jump Street.

2013

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
James Franco 3
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3
Jennifer Lawrence 3

A 3 way tie for 2013 thanks to the stunning work of James Franco, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jennifer Lawrence.  Franco hit with roles in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Spring Breakers, and This Is The End.  Gordon-Levitt made a splash with Looper, Premium Rush, and 50/50.  Lawrence more than doubled her starring roles to date in Silver Linings Playbook, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and House at the End of the Street.

2014

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Emily Blunt 3
Scarlett Johansson 3
Liam Neeson 3
Shailene Woodley 3

For the first time in a decade, we have more than a 3-way tie for the top spot.  Emily Blunt leads things off with her roles in Edge of Tomorrow, Your Sister’s Sister, and The Five-Year Engagement.  Scarlett Johansson makes the list thanks to Don Jon, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Under The Skin.  Liam Neeson utilized his particular set of skills in Unknown, Non-Stop, and Taken 2.  Shailene Woodley finishes things off Divergent, The Spectacular Now, and The Fault in our Stars.

2015

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Jason Bateman 2
Ashley Bell 2
Tom Cruise 2
Karen Gillan 2
Kevin Hart 2
Leslie Mann 2
Paul Rudd 2
Sharon Stone 2
Aaron Taylor-Johnson 2
Shailene Woodley 2

A 10-way tie for the top spot as nobody managed to star in more than 2 films that I saw last year.

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Most Watched Actors – The Late 2000s

Movie_Reel_22Many 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. So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at the most prolific actors that have starred in the movies that I have seen in the second half of the first decade of the new millennium, the 2000s.

2006

Films Per Actor Per Year
Last Name Films
Scarlett Johansson 5

Scarlett Johansson ties Tori Spelling and Maria Ford for the record of most films seen in a single year by starring in An American Rhapsody, Match Point, The Island, A Good Woman, and Scoop.

2007

Films Per Actor Per Year
Last Name Films
Bruce Willis 3

Bruce Willis returns to the top of the heap for the first time since 1985 with his starring turns in Alpha Dog, Live Free Or Die Hard, and 16 Blocks.

2008

Films Per Actor Per Year
Last Name Films
Robert Downey Jr. 4

Robert Downey Jr. returned to leading man status in a big way in 2008, culminating in his roles in Gothika, Tropic Thunder, Charlie Bartlett, and, of course, Iron Man.

2009

Films Per Actor Per Year
Last Name Films
Zooey Deschanel 4
Anne Hathaway 4

The ladies took over in 2009, with Zooey Deschanel and Anne Hathaway tying for the top spot with 4 films apiece.  Deschanel appeared in Yes Man, (500) Days Of Summer, The Happening, and The Go-Getter.  Hathaway made her mark with Rachel Getting Married, Bride Wars, Becoming Jane, and Passengers.

2010

Films Per Actor Per Year
Last Name Films
Amy Adams 4
Nicolas Cage 4
Mila Kunis 4

A 3 way tie for first place, with 4 films apiece for Amy Adams, Nicolas Cage, and Mila Kunis.  Adams got things going with her roles in Julie & Julia, Leap Year, Sunshine Cleaning, and Standing Still.  Cage attempted to pay back the IRS with his roles in Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call – New Orleans, National Treasure, Knowing, and National Treasure: Book Of Secrets.  Kunis had a good year with Moving McAllister, Extract, After Sex, and Boot Camp.

 

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Most Watched Actors – The Late 1990s

Movie_Reel_22Many 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. So, given those guidelines, it is time to look at the most prolific actors that have starred in the movies that I have seen in the last half of the decade of the 1990s, corresponding with the end of college and the transition into adulthood and real life.

1996

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Gil Bellows 3
Alyssa Milano 3
Bill Pullman 3
Liv Tyler 3

A four way tie that covers a lot of bad movies, most of which I don’t even remember.  Gil Bellows starts things off with Miami Rhapsody, Love And A .45, and Black Day Blue Night.  Alyssa Milano made her case by doffing her top in Poison Ivy II: Lily, Deadly Sins, and the cult classic Embrace of the Vampire.  Bill Pullman shows up thanks to legitimate big screen blockbusters in Independence Day, Sibling Rivalry, and While You Were Sleeping.  Rounding things out is Liv Tyler, who appeared in That Thing You Do!, Stealing Beauty, and Heavy.

1997

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Patricia Arquette 3
John Cusack 3

The number of leaders is cut in half, as Patricia Arquette appeared in the classics Daddy, Lost Highway, and Flirting With Disaster.  John Cusack plied his wares in City Hall, the tremendous Grosse Pointe Blank, and The Grifters.

1998

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Jennifer Aniston 3

The Friends star makes her move to the big screen with starring roles in The Object Of My Affection, Picture Perfect, and Dream For An Insomniac.

1999

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Janeane Garofalo 4
Gwyneth Paltrow 4

A strange pairing, with comic Janeane Garofalo starring in Sweethearts, Mystery Men, Larger Than Life, and The Matchmaker.  Meanwhile, the glamorous Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in A Perfect Murder, Shakespeare In Love, Great Expectations, and Hush.

2000

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Maria Ford 5
Tori Spelling 5

As we wrap things up, your first question is probably who the hell is Maria Ford?  If you were perusing the late night offerings on Cinemax back at the turn of the century, you might be very familiar with her body of work.  Tori Spelling, however, was a constant presence on Lifetime, appearing in Death Of A Cheeleader, Coed Call Girl, Deadly Pursuits, Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?, and Perpetrators Of The Crime.