You Ought To Be In Pictures Wrap Up

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, and thanks to a corona virus inspired uptick to my movie watching this year, it is time to look at the 100 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

Two weeks ago, we wrapped up our latest look at the films I’ve seen over my lifetime.  There were 15 new actors who hit the 10 film plateau since the last time we did this 3 years ago, with Elizabeth Banks and James McAvoy making the biggest leaps, both from 5 films to 10.  An even 40 actors did not see any change in their totals, with Raymond Burr heading up the top of those actors.

Tom Cruise led all actors by picking up 6 additional firms over the past 3 years, thanks in part to his Jack Reacher and Mission: Impossible franchises.  4 actors, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, and the previously mentioned Elizabeth Banks and James McAvoy, increased their totals by 5 films.

Largest Increase

  • Tom Cruise – 6
  • Tom Hanks – 5
  • Samuel L. Jackson – 5
  • Elizabeth Banks – 5
  • James McAvoy – 5

Largest Percentage Increase

  • Elizabeth Banks – 200%
  • James McAvoy – 200%
  • Elliot Page – 167%
  • Anna Kendrick – 157%
  • Jennifer Lawrence – 150%

You Ought To Be In (25) 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, and thanks to a corona virus inspired uptick to my movie watching this year, it is time to look at the 100 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

Today, we continue with the 2 actors that have starred in 25 movies that I have seen, the a slight uptick over 3 years ago.

Tom Cruise

Top Gun was likely my first introduction to Tom Cruise’s starring roles.  2000 was the biggest year for his films, as I saw 4 of them, the only time I had seen more than one in a year until the second half of the last decade.  Since then, I saw multiples in 2015 (2), 2018 (3), and 2019 (2).  I took a 5 year break from his films after seeing War Of The Worlds in 2007, but have made up for lost time.  The last film of his that I’ve seen was Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2019.

Harrison Ford

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Harrison Ford entered the national consciousness as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy. Those 3 films, along with the two entries in the Indiana Jones series, form the basis of Ford’s place on this list. I have seen two of his films in four different years, 1996, 2000, 2012, and 2020, which were the last of his films that I’ve seen, thanks to Frantic and the Jackie Robinson biopic 42.

2019: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22158 different people starred in the 89 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 9 of them were in more than 1 film. Those 9 thespians are:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Actor Name Films
Liam Neeson 3
Sandra Bullock 2
Tom Cruise 2
Samuel L. Jackson 2
James McAvoy 2
Melissa McCarthy 2
Ryan Reynolds 2
Kiernan Shipka 2
Bruce Willis 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2019, following up on last Friday’s post.

The Silence (2019)
A very similar tale to A Quiet Place, but apparently based on a book which pre-dates last year’s hit movie.

Eighth Grade (2018)
A coming of age story for a young girl trying to navigate the last year of middle school and the social pressures therein.

The Captive (2014)
A father suspected of killing his young daughter continue to look for her years later, and eventually finds her.

A Simple Favor (2018)
A woman befriends another mother at her child’s school and finds herself drawn into mystery and intrigue.

Can You Keep A Secret? (2019)
A woman starts dating her boss after accidentally telling him all of her secrets on a flight.

Broken Star (2018)
A woman under house arrest has an interesting neighbor.

The Curerd (2018)
When a cure is found for a zombie outbreak, not everyone is willing to forgive and forget.

All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
A high school girl becomes popular after “maturing”, but her new friends start dropping like flies.

Horns (2014)
Based on the book by Joe Hill, a man grows horns and gains powers when his girlfriend is murdered and everyone assumes he did it.

Free Solo (2018)
A documentary about a crazy man who likes to climb mountains by himself without ropes. Continue reading →

You Ought To Be In (19) 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 dive into the 4 actors that have starred in 19 movies that I have seen.

Jennifer Aniston

Tied for the highest total for all actresses last time around, Aniston has jumped up one slot but fallen into 3rd place among her gender.  We’re The Millers, which I saw in 2014, is her only new addition.

Tom Cruise

A 3 picture jump for Tom Cruise puts him near the elite of my personal list of movie stars.  The first and most recent installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise were the last films of his I’ve seen back in 2015

John Cusack

A little known film I saw in 2015 called The Factory gives Cusack his only new entry.

Eddie Murphy

No change for Murphy, as it continues to be more than a decade since I’ve seen one of his starring perfromances, as I suffered through both Showtime and Adventures Of Pluto Nash in 2004.

2015: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22128 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 10 of them were in more than 1.  Those 10 thespians are:

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

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2015, following up on Tuesday’s post.

Not Another Happy Ending (2014)
Karen Gillan’s first project post-Doctor Who.

Nice Guys Finish Last (2011)
A short where Danielle Harris tries to date a normal guy but misses the excitement of the bad boys.

Idiocracy (2006)
An army slacker and a prostitute wake up in a future populated by stupid people.

Three Fugitives (1989)
Martin Short and Nick Nolte avoid the police.

Interstellar (2014)
In a near future where the Earth can no longer sustain human life, a group of astronauts look for a new home for the human race.

Aloha (2015)
A military consultant falls in love and turns on his boss in this mess of a film.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Michael Keaton’s comeback performance that earned him a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination.

Get Hard (2015)
Continue reading →

You Ought To Be In (16) 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 4 actors that have starred in 16 movies that I have seen.

Drew Barrymore

Like most of America, Drew Barrymore first entered my consciousness as the precocious little girl from E.T., but it was another decade before she had a starring role that I saw, 1992’s Poison Ivy.  In the year’s since, she has had two separate runs of 4 years, first from 1998-2001 and again from 2003-2006.  3 years saw me seeing two of her films, most recently in 2004.  The most recent of her films that I’ve seen was Music And Lyrics, which I saw in 2008.

Tom Cruise

Top Gun was likely my first introduction to Tom Cruise’s starring roles.  2000 was a big year for his films, as I saw 4 of them, the only time I’ve seen more than one.  I took a 5 year break from his films after seeing War Of The Worlds in 2007.  The last film of his that I’ve seen was Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2012.

Kirsten Dunst

The first Kirsten Dunst starring vehicle that I saw was Small Soldiers, which I saw in 1999.  That started a 4 year run where I saw 9 of her films, including 4 in 2000 alone.  After a one year break, I returned to her films in 2004 with both Mona Lisa Smile and the first Spider-Man.  Besides 2000, there are 5 other years where I’ve seen multiple Dunst films, most recently in 2007.  In fact, the only years that I’ve seen only one of her films were 1999, the first time I saw one, and 2011, which was the last time I saw her in All Good Things.

Michael Keaton Continue reading →

The Year In Movies – Part 1

For many reasons, 2012 was an off year in movie watching for me, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.  I managed to watch only 62 movies last year, my first year under 100 since 2005 and after having averaged just over 131 movies over the past 5 years.  Many things contributed to this, chiefly my attempts to do more exercise and read more books and the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching.

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

Hatchet II (2010)
I remember thinking this was better than the first Hatchet film, but that isn’t exactly saying anything.

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Nowhere near as funny as the original, but still a worthwhile effort.

Changeling (2008)
Angelina Jolie’s search for her missing child.

Drive Angry (2011)
Nicolas Cage has some bills to pay, and schlock like this is how he plans on paying them.

Moneyball (2011)
One of the most controversial books in the world of baseball hits the silver screen, chronicling the new approach taken by the cash-strapped Oakland A’s to field a successful team.

’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (2011)
A short about a screw-up who sells his brother’s Alonzo Mourning rookie card.

Tanner Hall (2009)
A pre-Dragon Tattoo Rooney Mara stars in this school girl drama.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
A disappointing sci-fi romp through the old west.

The Rock-afire Explosion (2008)
A documentary looking at the house band of the former Showbiz Pizza.

The Hunger Games (2012)
My first trip to the movie theater this year was for this adaptation of one of the best books I had read the year before.

In Time (2011)
Justin Timberlake continues to impress as an actor.

The Avengers (2012)
Continue reading →