Tag / Nicolas Cage

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You Ought To Be In (29) 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 only actor that has starred in exactly 29 movies that I have seen, a plateau not reached 3 years ago.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage can also point to special circumstances behind his high film total: real estate issues and IRS trouble.  After being accused of owing the government over $6.5 million in unpaid taxes and losing millions in bad real estate deals, Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against his business manager and started taking any and every role offered to him.  Seven of his films that I have seen have come since, including four in 2010 alone.  My first exposure to a starring Cage role was likely 1987’s Raising Arizona.  There have been eight years since where I have seen multiple Cage films.  My most recent exposure came in 2022, when I saw 2017’s Mom and Dad.

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2021: The Year In Television

Now that I am home full time, I have plenty of time to catch up on the streaming shows I may have missed in years past or that were newly released. Since we cover the network and cable shows that I watch elsewhere, let’s take a look at the 34 seasons of the 24 shows I streamed on 8 different platforms this year.

13 Reasons Why Seasons 1-2 (Netflix)
When a high school girl commits suicide, she sends a series of confessional tapes to the people she deems responsible.

The Blacklist Season 8 (Netflix)
Having missed an episode or two along the way, I had to wait for the season to hit Netflix to combine with what was on my DVR to come up to date as the story of Elizabeth Keen wraps up.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 4 (Netflix)
The final installment of the darker interpretation of Archie Comics character somehow found a way to crossover with the 90s ABC version before ending its run.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (Peacock)
A very unfaithful adaptation of the novel which I probably should not have watched right after reading the book.

Devs (Hulu)
A woman keeps digging into the death of her boyfriend, running afoul of his employer, who is up to some sketchy stuff.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+)
Burdened by the legacy of Captain America, both the Falcon and the Winter Soldier try to find their way in a post-blip world.  When the government’s replacement Cap goes bad, the Falcon finally decides he is ready to take on the legacy Steve Rogers left for him.

The Flash Season 7 (Netflix)
I used a combination of Netflix and my DVR to catch up on the goings on from last season.

Hawkeye (Disney+)
Hawkeye takes on a new apprentice when the re-emergence of his old Ronin costume causes an uprising in New York’s underworld.

The History of Swear Words (Netflix)
Nicholas Cage hosts this look at some of our culture’s favorite words, including their etymology and most popular uses.

Loki Season 1 (Disney+)
Loki teams up with many different versions of himself to find out who is behind the TVA.

Love Life Season 1 (HBO Max)
An anthology series that follows one person’s romantic history per season.  The first season focused on Anna Kendrick’s Darby Carter as she learns to love herself and let herself be loved.

Mad About You Season 8 (Amazon Prime)
The 12-episode revival, released in 2019 on something called Spectrum Originals, finds the Buchmans rediscovering themselves after their daughter leaves for college.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation Season 1 (Netflix)
I wasn’t originally planning on watching Kevin Smith’s revival of the old He-Man cartoons, but when fandom acted all butthurt by them, I needed to see what the fuss was all about. Continue reading →

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2020: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22272 different people starred in the 154 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 28 of them starred in more than 1 film. Those 28 thespians are:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Actor Name Films
Charles Bronson 4
Harrison Ford 4
Katie Holmes 3
Keanu Reeves 3
Bruce Willis 3
Renee Zellwegger 3
Chadwick Boseman 2
Alison Brie 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Adam Driver 2
Jesse Eisenberg 2
Karen Gillan 2
Carla Gugino 2
Tom Hanks 2
Anna Hutchison 2
Samuel L. Jackson 2
Gillian Jacobs 2
Felicity Jones 2
Ewan McGregor 2
Kumail Nanjiani 2
Al Pacino 2
Brad Pitt 2
Issa Rae 2
Arnold Schwarzenegger 2
Will Smith 2
Kristen Stewart 2
Charlize Theron 2
Jessie T. Usher 2

Now let’s take a look at the next batch of movies that I saw in 2020, following up on last Wednesday’s post.

The Prodigy (2019)
The soul of a serial killer takes over a young boy’s body, much to his mother’s chagrin.

Alex & The List (2017)
A dog trainer is given a list of things to change about himself by his fiancé before she’ll marry him.

Hide (2011)
A Boston detective investigates the mummified remains of six women.

Pretty Little Stalker (2018)
A writer takes in a troubled girl and sees her family disintegrate.

Road To Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks and Paul Newman star in this adaptation of the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner.

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The kids head back into the game, this time dragging along Dannys DeVito and Glover.

Are You In The House Alone? (1978)
A supposed horror movie that turned out to be a made-for-tv movie.

My Soul To Take (2010)
A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk the seven children born on the day he was allegedly put to rest.

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)
The second installment in the series starring Renee Zellwegger.

Good People (2014)
A couple finds themselves in a pickle after discovering, and keeping, cash in their dead tenants apartment. Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (28) 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, 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 actor that has starred in 28 movies that I have seen.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage can also point to special circumstances behind his high film total: real estate issues and IRS trouble.  After being accused of owing the government over $6.5 million in unpaid taxes and losing millions in bad real estate deals, Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against his business manager and started taking any and every role offered to him.  7 of his films that I have seen have come since, including 4 in 2010 alone.  My first exposure to a starring Cage role was likely 1987’s Raising Arizona.  There have been 8 years since where I have seen multiple Cage films.  After a 3 year absence from my screen, Cage returned earlier this year with Vengeance: A Love Story.

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2017: The Year In Movies

Movie_Reel_22

2017 saw a slight downturn in movie watching for me, down 5 from the year before.  I managed to watch 83 movies last year, my sixth consecutive year under 100.  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.

Bang Bang Baby (2015)
A strange musical that I only watched due to an appearance by the lovely and talented Jane Levy.

Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Two ne’er do wells try to get responsible dates for their sister’s wedding.

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011)
A group of friends decide to bid farewell to their summer hangout by holding an orgy.

Bad Moms (2016)
A trio of moms that don’t have their shit together band together to take on the PTA.

Haunter (2013)
A horror flick starring Abigail Breslin that I have no recollection of.

Pay The Ghost (2015)
The latest direct-to-video smash from Nicolas Cage.

Cabin Fever (2016)
A remake of the 2002 “smash” hit.

Into The Forest (2016)
A power outage forces two sisters to learn how to survive alone in the wilderness.

Self/less (2015)
Ryan Reynolds stars as a man who starts to remember his past despite having a old man’s consciousness implanted into his body.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
A sorority moves in next door to Seth Rogen in this sequel. Continue reading →

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You Ought To Be In (27) 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 have our penultimate look at the actor that has starred in 27 movies that I have seen, a mark not seen when we did this 3 years ago.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage can also point to special circumstances behind his high film total: real estate issues and IRS trouble.  After being accused of owing the government over $6.5 million in unpaid taxes and losing millions in bad real estate deals, Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against his business manager and started taking any and every role offered to him.  6 of his films that I have seen have come since, including 4 in 2010 alone.  My first exposure to a starring Cage role was likely 1987’s Raising Arizona.  There have been 8 years since where I have seen multiple Cage films.  After a 5 year absence from my screen, Cage returned earlier this year with Pay The Ghost.

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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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You Ought To Be In (26) 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 have our penultimate look at the 2 actors that have starred in 26 movies that I have seen.

Raymond Burr

Raymond Burr is a bit of an anomaly as every single one of his appearances have been TV movies where he has played the same character.  In 1985, NBC brought back Perry Mason, Raymond Burr’s starring vehicle from the 50s and 60s, for a TV movie.   The ratings were high enough to justify a recurring series of films, 26 in fact, over the next several years, ending in 1994 following Burr’s death the previous year.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage can also point to special circumstances behind his high film total: real estate issues and IRS trouble.  After being accused of owing the government over $6.5 million in unpaid taxes and losing millions in bad real estate deals, Cage filed a $20 million lawsuit against his business manager and started taking any and every role offered to him.  6 of his films that I have seen have come since, including 4 in 2010 alone.  My first exposure to a starring Cage role was likely 1987’s Raising Arizona.  There have been 8 years since where I have seen multiple Cage films.  I haven’t seen any Cage vehicles since 2012, when I saw the sparkling duo of Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance and Drive Angry.

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The Year In Movies – Part 2

109 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), and only 9 of them were in more than 1.  Those nine are:

Films Per Actor Per Year

Name Films
Jonah Hill 3
Nicolas Cage 2
George Clooney 2
Daniel Craig 2
Harrison Ford 2
Ryan Gosling 2
Chris Hemsworth 2
Sara Paxton 2
Amanda Seyfried 2

Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2012, following up on Wednesday’s post.

Ghosts of Goldfield (2007)
A horrible, horrible film that I barely paid attention to.

Chronicle (2012)
A found footage film of a kid who has been bullied all of his life and acquires super powers.

Gone (2012)
When a former kidnapping victim wakes up to find her sister missing, she assumes the man from whom she escaped is the one responsible.

The Sitter (2011)
Jonah Hill is a poor-man’s Elizabeth Shue in this basic rip-off of Adventures In Babysitting.

The Darkest Hour (2011)
A quartet of Americans are stranded in Russia when aliens attack the world.

Continue reading →