Well, this has been quite a year. As we celebrate the holidays, spend some time with family, like our good friend Sally Forth, and watch some bad 70s television taking advantage of the cultural phenomenon that is Star Wars.
Tag / Star Wars
You Ought To Be In (25) 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, 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.
You Ought To Be In (12) 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, 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 10 actors that have starred in 12 movies that I have seen, an increase of 1 at this level from 3 years ago.
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. Like Father, which I saw earlier this year, is my most recent exposure to her.
Michael Douglas
I have not seen a Michael Douglas starring project since 2015’s Ant-Man.
Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart first showed up on the list of film actors I’ve seen way back in 1999 with Your Friends & Neighbors. Since then, his appearances have been a little haphazard, with nothing more than 3 2-year streaks over the past 18 years. The most recent film of his I’ve seen was 2014’s atrocious I, Frankenstein, which I unfortunately saw earlier this year.
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.
Woody Harrelson
In 1992, I headed to the theaters to see White Men Can’t Jump, where I first encountered Woody Harrelson in film. 7 of Harrelson’s films came between 1992 and 2000, after which there was a long lull. Harrelson came back in to my world in 2008, then added 2 more in 2010. After a 9 year layoff, Harrelson returned earlier this year with 2019’s Zombieland: Double Tap.
Mila Kunis Continue reading →
And Also With You
Today is the first Star Wars Day (May the Fourth… May the Force… get it?) since the conclusion of the Skywalker saga in last year’s Episode IX – The Rise Of Skywalker. Given that Illinois, at least, is still in lock down due to the corona virus, it may be a good time for me to go back to Disney+ and pick The Mandalorian back up. After work, of course.
2019: The Year In Movies Part 2
158 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:
| 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 →
2019 Games Of Interest
April 6 – White Sox Hoodie
April 27 – Jose Abreu Silver Slugger Bobblehead
May 4 – R2D2 Bobblehead & Star Wars Night
May 5 – Los White Sox Soccer Jersey
May 5 – Cubs Hooded Pullover
May 17 – Fireworks
May 18 – Carlos Rodon Bobblehead
June 1 – Chicago-themed White Sox Jersey
June 13 – Free T-shirt Thursday
June 15 – White Sox Hawaiian Shirt and Fireworks
July 15 – Kris Bryant Bobblehead
July 27 – White Sox Spider-Man Bobblehead and Fireworks
August 11 – Harold Baines Day and HOF Plaque
September 15 – Pedro Strop Bobblehead
September 28 – Halfway to St Patrick’s Day
September 29 – Fan Appreciation Day
2018 Games Of Interest
Due to some ill-conceived (in my opinion) changes to my ticket plan by the White Sox, there are a smaller number of games this year.
Fireworks Night
April 20
August 17 (Elvis Night)
September 7
Other Fun Stuff
April 7 – White Sox Winter Hat
May 5 – Los White Sox Soccer Jersey
May 19 – Star Wars Night and Hawk Solo Bobblehead
June 2 – 1983 Replica Road Jersey
June 6 – Wrigley Field Scoreboard Clock
June 16 – Hawaiian Floppy Hat
June 18 – Jason Heyward Bobblehead
July 23 – Javy Baez Bobblehead
August 11 – Jim Thome Bobblehead
2017: The Year In Movies Part 2
139 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 17 of them were in more than 1 film. Those 17 thespians are:
| Name | Films |
|---|---|
| Tom Hanks | 4 |
| Anna Kendrick | 4 |
| Imogen Poots | 3 |
| Elizabeth Banks | 2 |
| Abigail Breslin | 2 |
| Matt Damon | 2 |
| Zac Efron | 2 |
| Domhnall Gleeson | 2 |
| Tom Hiddleston | 2 |
| Melissa McCarthy | 2 |
| Ellen Page | 2 |
| Chris Pratt | 2 |
| Ryan Reynolds | 2 |
| Julia Roberts | 2 |
| Saoirse Ronan | 2 |
| Anya Taylor-Joy | 2 |
| Allison Williams | 2 |
Now let’s take a look at the remaining movies that I saw in 2017, following up on last Thursday’s post.
The Edge Of Seventeen (2016)
A teenager feels her world going crazy when her best friend starts dating her brother.
Logan (2017)
The latest, and best, Wolverine solo film.
The Princess Bride (1987)
A modern day fairy tale that everyone in my generation saw years ago.
American Made (2017)
Tom Cruise plays the CIA and drug cartels against one another to line his pockets with cash.
The Babysitter (2017)
A young kid fights back when he finds out his babysitter is part of a satanic cult.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The Kingsman return and team up with their American counterparts.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor and Loki team up to save Asgard from their sister.
The Big Sick (2017)
Continue reading →
You Ought To Be In (22) 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 continue with the 4 actors that have starred in 22 movies that I have seen, a total not seen 3 years ago.
Ben Affleck
A 3 spot rise for Affleck, thanks in part to his casting as Batman in the DC cinematic universe. His most recent film that I’ve seen is The Accountant, which I watched earlier this year.
Sandra Bullock
A 4 spot rise for Bullock, who takes the reign as the highest placing actress. Two films in both 2014 and 2016 have put her in the lead, with Our Brand Is Crisis and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close being the last things I have seen her in.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. rises 2 spots, thanks to his work in the Marvel cinematic universe. 2016’s Captain America: Civil War would have been the last thing I have seen him in, at least as of July 1.
Harrison Ford
The return of Star Wars has pushed Ford up 1 spot, with his final appearance as Han Solo coming in 2015’s The Force Awakens.
Post Mortem – Girls
Given everything that has been written on the Internet about Girls, I don’t know that I have much to offer. It is a show that I watched for 6 seasons, despite the fact that I hated every character on the show. Which, I think, was kind of the point. These were self absorbed millennials who thought the world owed them something and, over the course of those 6 seasons, found out that not only weren’t they owed anything, but that their lives weren’t all that interesting or special. By the end, they had all mostly gone their separate ways, leaving behind the friendships of their early twenties as they found, or failed to find, their way in the world.
Out of the remains of the show came Adam Driver, who found additional fame in the Star Wars universe, and Allison Williams, who broke out earlier this year in Get Out. Will the rest of the cast find their way outside of the confines of the show? Time will tell.