Tag / Mark Wahlberg

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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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Book 48 (of 52) – The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

When Susie Salmon was 14, she was murdered by a neighbor.  As she adjusts to the afterlife, her family tries to find a way forward while her killer tries to cover his tracks.  Nearly ten years later, her family finally gets to the point where they are ready to come to terms with what happened, allowing Susie to move on.

Originally published in 2002, I first came across The Lovely Bones in 2010 when the movie adaptation, starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Saoirse Ronan, was released.  Alice Sebold’s novel is able to expand the story, showing the effects on the Salmon family and Susie’s friends over time without worrying about the ages of the actors.

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2018: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_2298 different people starred in the 55 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 10 of them were in more than 1 film. Those 10 thespians are:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Name Films
Elizabeth Banks 3
Tom Cruise 3
Emily Blunt 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Olivia Cooke 2
Lucy Hale 2
Dwayne Johnson 2
Anna Kendrick 2
Rachel McAdams 2
Mark Wahlberg 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2018, following up on last Thursday’s post.

Miss Sloane (2016)
A lobbyist trades her career for the passage of a gun control bill.

Annihilation (2018)
I literally have no idea what this was about.  Plus, I think I fell asleep for the ending.

Man On A Ledge (2012)
A former cop escapes from prison and commits multiple felonies to prove that he didn’t commit the crime that he is accused of.

Unforgettable (2017)
Katherine Heigl plays a scorned woman who has a hard time letting go.

Wishmaster 3: Beyond The Gates Of Hell (2001)
A demon comes to life and threatens a college.

by admin

2018: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

The loss of my annual long December vacation saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, with my lowest total since 1988.  I managed to watch 55 movies last year, my seventh consecutive year under 100 and my lowest total since 1993.  Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

The French Connection (1971)
Hailed as one of the best films of the 70s, I can’t say it plays well here in the 21st century.

Cobra (1986)
Somehow I missed this Stallone “classic” back in the day.

Table 19 (2017)
The misfit table at a wedding bands together to settle scored, both old and new.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
The classic board game moves to the video age in this sequel.

Patriots Day (2017)
Mark Wahlberg plays the hero of the Boston Marathon bombing.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
It certainly took me a while to see the latest installment in this franchise.

Life (2017)
A team of scientists find proof that life once existed on Mars, potentially dooming life on Earth in the process.

Snatched (2017)
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn go on vacation together and hijinks ensue.

People Like Us (2012)
When his father dies, Chris Pine learns that he had another family that needs some help.

The Layover (2017)
Two friends compete over a man when a hurricane turns their flight in to a road trip. 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 →

by admin

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 May 30th.

Today, we look at the 8 actors that have starred in 12 movies that I have seen.

Jamie Lee Curtis

My first experience with the former teenage scream queen was likely in the first Halloween, the franchise that is responsible for 1/3 of the films on this list.  The frequency of my watching her films has slowed down significantly in the 21st century, though my last experience with her was just 3 years ago when I saw You Again.

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 6 year streak that covered 8 films.  My biggest Freeman years were 2000, 2005, and, my most recent experience with him, in 2008, when I saw both Wanted and Evan Almighty.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman first entered my movie consciousness when I saw the original Christopher Reeve Superman.  My biggest Hackman years were 2000 and 2003, when I saw 2 of his films.  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 first experience with Corey Haim was likely 1986’s Lucas.  I had seen 6 of his films by the time I graduated high school.  The quality of his movies, along with this life, spiraled downward after that.  My biggest Haim year was 2000, when I saw 3 of his films, none of which likely ever saw the inside of a movie theater.  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.

Gwyneth Paltrow Continue reading →

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30 Day Music Challenge Day 29 – A Song From Your Childhood


Most people know this song from Boogie Nights, where Mark Wahlberg sang it as part of his recording session.  Not many probably realize that it was originally from the animated TransFormers movie.  And what was a bigger part of my childhood than the TransFormers.  Whether it was the figures, the comic books, or the cartoon, I was all over it.  I had the movie on VHS and finally tracked down the soundtrack in college after finding someone else who had it.

by jim

2011 Review – Movies Part 1

Like last year, I’m going to take a look back at the movies I saw during the previous year.  When not working, watching too much TV, going to baseball games, or reading, I managed to watch 131 new movies last year.

Natalie Portman starred in 4 films I saw for the yearly lead, with Leonardo DiCaprio coming in second with 3.

For fun, here’s a quick review of the first 50 films I saw last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them.  They are listed in the order I saw them.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
2 vacationing American girls fall in love with the same Spanish painter.

 
Night At the Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian (2009)
I never saw the first one, but Amy Adams was enough of a draw to give this one a chance.

 

Splice (2010)
An entertaining look at what happens when scientists worry more about what they can do instead of what they should do.
 
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The children of two lesbians go searching for their father.  My first exposure to Mia Wasikowska, who I think has a chance to be really good.

 

Bandslam (2009)
A kid obsessed with music lies about his father in order to fit in. 

 

All Good Things (2010)
Ryan Gosling kills Kirsten Dunst, and then dresses up in womens clothing. 

 

Frozen (2010)
A very engaging tale of three friends stuck on a ski lift for a week.

 

Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Tom Hanks goes looking for Leonardo DiCaprio. 

 

Inception (2010)
Leonardo DiCaprio (him again?) looks for secrets in other people’s dreams while avoiding his own.

Continue reading →