The absolute highlight of my weekend was the Jungle Cruise Skipper Reunion on Saturday night. It was great to reconnect with people I hadn't seen in forever - some of them in at least 13 years. It was a small group but a fun group. It allowed us to catch up on what we had been up to, where we still wanted to go, and all the fun stuff in between. The night was kicked off the right way when Josh Troesh sat down with us, looked at Chad, and asked the one question about Chad's infamous spiel: "What were you thinking?" From there, all we could do is look back and laugh.
For those who don't know, let's skip down memory lane together. (BTW, this is based on my recollection, so others will have different versions of this story.) The summer of 1997 was my first at Disneyland. I split my time between the Jungle Cruise and guest control for "Light Magic." Being so low on the seniority list, I worked closing shifts. This is where I first met the one and only CHAD GORDON. He had been a CT (seasonal) for many years because he was going through law school at the time. He had been there before the Jungle Cruise had been rethemed to the 1930's style in order to marry it with Indiana Jones. He had been there since before the "approved jokes" had been put into place. I was trained with the approved jokes, so I didn't know anything else. He had taken the scenes in the ride and had made his own jokes for them. They were not nasty or inappropriate, but they were topical, ironic, and downright hilarious. I mean, calling the elephant bathing pool the "Republican National Convention?" That's damn funny! (A little birdie named Wikipedia tells me the Republican Party was formed in 1854 and first used the elephant symbol in 1874, but hey, apparently that doesn't work in the 1930s.) Chad was not the only one to use such unique jokes; in fact, many skippers had a set of jokes that were their own. With the exception of Grad Nite jokes, they were off the script but were not inappropriate.
However, there was a man named Bruce Kimbrell to consider. Bruce was the head of the Narrations department, which was the group of attractions that had spiels, such as Jungle Cruise and Storybook. Bruce had a very "my way or the highway" method of running things. He was not so fond of deviations from the script or any form of SOP. He wanted to rule the Jungle Cruise with an iron fist and had certain skippers in place that could keep him informed of the things that were going on when he wasn't there. Unfortunately, Chad is not a skipper who is up for being anyone's puppet. Chad knew he had nothing to lose because he was a skipper for the fun of it and was not afraid of management at all. Most of us who were still teenagers didn't have the same mindset, so it was easier for Bruce to instill some fear in us.
Bruce and Chad were oil and water. There was nothing Bruce could do to control Chad, and that drove him nuts. He had other managers telling Chad that guests were complaining, but everyone knew that was BS. Chad was one of the most complimented skippers on the crew. People waited for his boat. It wasn't that Chad was defiant for the purpose of being a pain in the ass; he just knew the difference between being coached and being bullied by someone on a power trip, and he knew it was all about the latter.
The biggest card Bruce had to play was Chad's status. As a CT, Chad had no seniority and no union protection. As an at-will employee with no union support, Chad really had no leg to stand on. Bruce finally played that card and fired Chad. Chad did not go down lightly and went to the media. Before I came to work that day I knew Chad was fired. This was before we had cell phones, text messages, and Facebook, so word had to travel quickly for me to know before my shift. This was one of the most shocking bits of news I had ever heard because it made me realize that Bruce was not a manager, he was a bully. He wanted to chop the head off the dragon, and he did it. I knew I would never be able to trust him if he was willing to let go of his best skipper because it bruised his own ego.
Unfortunately, it didn't end there. We all met at TGI Friday's over the next few nights, as we usually did after closing. The first night a letter started to circulate from an anonymous source named "Trader Sam" (the nickname for the figure at the end of the ride before approaching the dock) that spelled out everything that was going wrong at the Jungle Cruise. It chronicled Bruce's antics, including sending another manager to hide out in the jungle and spy on skippers giving their spiels. (Too bad that idiot wore a bright pink shirt while he was hiding.) Bruce found out about "Trader Sam" and started harrassing the CT skippers about his identity. Unfortunately, no one was talking. Even if people knew for a fact what was going on, the damage had been done because we could not trust Bruce. Eventually, someone did squeal, and shock of shocks, became a trainer and lead shortly after that. As the next few days bore on and we continued to hang at Friday's, we watched the massacre continue. Anyone who was a CT and was friends with Chad (AKA ALL CT's) were also fired. I remember calling my friend Sarah to confirm something, and she told me she was fired that day too. Her then-boyfriend walked away after that. I think the next day or the day after, I ran into scheduling and asked them to put me on Light Magic Guest Control for the rest of the summer. I was afraid to stay there. Even though I was CR (regular yearly) and subject to union protection, I was only 19 at the time, and if he had fired me I would have taken it. In fact, a couple of months later, someone told Bruce I had shared the story of the summer, and he looked me dead in the eyes and said, "If you were a CT, I would have fired you too." I stayed at Disneyland until 2005 and ran into Bruce periodically, and he never really could look me in the eyes after that. I don't know where Bruce is today (and really don't care), but I don't think he ever got over the threat to his ego that Chad was. He actually thought it was all of us against him, and it wasn't until he made it that way.
Looking back on the different memories of that summer, and from sharing stories, I see that that experience has bonded us for life. When we got together, it was like nothing had changed. Chad still stays in touch with some of them and has now reconnected with more. We can look back on it now and laugh, but that summer helped to shape my understanding of the very bright line that can exist between management and front line employees. And you know what? Fire us, write us up, do whatever you want to us. We are family forever now, and I am so greatful for it.
The reunion not only made me realize that we will be friends forever, but it also made me realize much of how I view myself is in my head. I knew I was an immature brat when I was working there, but I felt like everyone else thought the same thing too. Some did, I'm sure, but others didn't really remember me for that. Debi, one of my favorite people from that time, said, "Amy, I remember your smile." That helped me to relax. If I was young and immature, then we were all young and immature. I always feel like people remember each other from the last time we saw them, but in reality, we remember people the way we want to. If Debi remembers me for my smile, then chances are, others remember me the same way too. Thank you, Debi! You seriously made my day with that one comment.
The reunion was a blast. We all realized we need to do it more often, maybe once a year if possible. Time will only stand in our way if we allow it to. Too many people weren't there that should have been. High schools and fraternities/sororities have reunions; we can too.
Reflecting on my vacation, part 2
I went to Disneyland twice this weekend - Friday and Sunday. Saturday night was dedicated to spending time with old friends, which will be covered in another post. That night was too much fun and didn't lead to me getting to sleep until very late - again, see that post when it comes.
Sunday morning we had made breakfast reservations at 8am for Carnation Cafe. It was to be my three cousins, my friend, and my cousin's boyfriend. By the morning of, it we lost the boyfriend and the friend, so it ended up being the four cousins. I made it to the gate by 7:45 am, as I said I would. I had all the tickets, so with the exception of the one cousin who had a pass, the other cousins had to pick up their tickets from me. Leading up to the reservation time of 8, I got texts saying they're on their way, the structure was crowded, the trams were slow, etc. They showed up to the gate at 8:25 am - 40 minutes later than we had agreed on. What's more is that not one of them apologized for being late. I had already made my way to the Cafe to let them know the rest of my party was running late and we ended up making our (not at all tasty) breakfast. I made the decision to not let the tardiness bother me and still tried to make the rest of the day enjoyable.
Here's where it ended up bothering me upon reflection. I had way too much to drink the night before and was mildly hung over with only 3 hours of sleep, but I was there on time. In fact, I was a little early. What was their excuse? They know to allow time for trams, and the parking lot, and anything that can delay them. If I had told them they were being signed in at 7:30, they would have been on time because I have always made it clear that they better be on time or they don't get in. Why, then, do I not get the same consideration? Why did they think it was okay to be late, and then to not apologize for it? What that makes clear is that their time is valuable and mine is not. It is perfectly acceptable for anyone, especially family, to wait on them. The reason I think this is because they did not apologize once. Had they apologized, I may think differently.
I know they will read this, so understand this: from now on, my time is valuable. I can have a blast in the park by myself. I do not need to wait for you. This is not just at Disneyland, this is everywhere. If I can be on time feeling as shitty as I do, so can you. I will not wait anymore. I am sick and tired of waiting on people who do not consider anyone else's time valuable. I hope you remember this. And the next time you are late, I hope you apologize and don't do it again. Not just to me, but to anyone else you keep waiting.
Sunday morning we had made breakfast reservations at 8am for Carnation Cafe. It was to be my three cousins, my friend, and my cousin's boyfriend. By the morning of, it we lost the boyfriend and the friend, so it ended up being the four cousins. I made it to the gate by 7:45 am, as I said I would. I had all the tickets, so with the exception of the one cousin who had a pass, the other cousins had to pick up their tickets from me. Leading up to the reservation time of 8, I got texts saying they're on their way, the structure was crowded, the trams were slow, etc. They showed up to the gate at 8:25 am - 40 minutes later than we had agreed on. What's more is that not one of them apologized for being late. I had already made my way to the Cafe to let them know the rest of my party was running late and we ended up making our (not at all tasty) breakfast. I made the decision to not let the tardiness bother me and still tried to make the rest of the day enjoyable.
Here's where it ended up bothering me upon reflection. I had way too much to drink the night before and was mildly hung over with only 3 hours of sleep, but I was there on time. In fact, I was a little early. What was their excuse? They know to allow time for trams, and the parking lot, and anything that can delay them. If I had told them they were being signed in at 7:30, they would have been on time because I have always made it clear that they better be on time or they don't get in. Why, then, do I not get the same consideration? Why did they think it was okay to be late, and then to not apologize for it? What that makes clear is that their time is valuable and mine is not. It is perfectly acceptable for anyone, especially family, to wait on them. The reason I think this is because they did not apologize once. Had they apologized, I may think differently.
I know they will read this, so understand this: from now on, my time is valuable. I can have a blast in the park by myself. I do not need to wait for you. This is not just at Disneyland, this is everywhere. If I can be on time feeling as shitty as I do, so can you. I will not wait anymore. I am sick and tired of waiting on people who do not consider anyone else's time valuable. I hope you remember this. And the next time you are late, I hope you apologize and don't do it again. Not just to me, but to anyone else you keep waiting.
Reflecting on my vacation, part 1
This weekend I went to Disneyland with a friend and her children, ages 13, 10, and 7. For the two older ones, they had been enough times to have experienced the big rides and to remember what they liked. Also, they were old enough to know about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the other mythical creatures who completed our childhood. The 7-year old hasn't made it that far yet. This was the first trip to Disneyland since he was 2 and I was able to sign them in. Essentially, this was his first trip. Understandably, he was trepedatious about certain rides. I suggested starting him on Big Thunder Mountain instead of Space Mountain because at least he could see what was coming; his mother disagreed. Instead, she insisted on taking him on Indiana Jones, Tower of Terror, and all of the other big rides that are not as easy to introduce to smaller children. He did not ride California Screamin', but he did love Soarin' Over California, as we all did. I am not suggesting that I know more about her child than she does, but I have seen enough children over the years to know that forcing them to go on a ride they're not ready for even once can be enough to sour them for the rest of the day. Parents think their kids are ready for a ride because they see other children younger or smaller who can handle it just fine; or, they think they should be able to handle it because the video games they play are mature enough for this ride to not matter. I know the importance of baby steps when it comes to something that can genuinely freak a child out, and in a place like Disneyland, when the park is as slammed as it was, do you really want to add one extra level of stress to a day that is already going to be tough to make it through?
Sadly, this was not the part of the day that bothered me when it came to mom and her 7-year-old. It bothered me much more that she was telling him how everything worked before he had a chance to see it. She was telling him not to worry about the snowman on Matterhorn because it was just a pair of lights. She told him he wouldn't like the Haunted Mansion because he wouldn't like the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," even though he hadn't seen it and doesn't know what to compare the mansion overlay to. She told him about the people inside the character costumes, and how "Tinkerbell flies" from the Matterhorn and crashes into someone in back, and everything that could ruin the experience for him. While I can see how a child of that age is able to clue in to what is really going on around him, is it really necessary for his mother to be the one to spoil it all for him? Why is it she cannot support the magic that Disneyland has worked hard to create so that he can be as fulfilled by the experience as possible? There are tactics parents can use to make their children understand how things work without giving it away. For example, when we were leaving, the 7-year-old asked how the Wicked Queen in "Fantasmic!" changed into the Evil Witch. We told him it was magic, just like Harry Potter. He said Harry Potter wasn't magic, it was special effects. I laughed at that because to me, that's about as much as a 7-year-old should believe at that point. Unfortunately, I'm sure after I left that mom told him about the ol' switcheroo that takes place when the smoke is at its thickest.
Why was it necessary to be so blatant about how these things happen? Why was it necessary for mom to destroy any hopes of magic and not give her the son to be fully immersed in the experience? Is it because she has lost the ability to relate to the innocense and nostalgia of childhood? Is it because she herself has become jaded and feels that she is lying to her children by giving them an illusion to believe is truth? If she had daughters instead of sons (something she said she's grateful to not have), would she prevent them from coming to the parks in their princess dresses because she thinks it's stupid to believe in such a thing? Sadly, I think so.
It really wasn't fun in the overall experience to be in the park with her and her children, and that's a sad thing to say about someone I have been friends with for so long. The park had about 60,000 people, if not more, and she insisted on seeing every major ride and Fantasmic! in one day. She was genuinely annoyed by the people and the wait times. She was genuinely annoyed with me when I took the single rider option on Indiana Jones and waited 20 minutes, while they waited the full hour and a half. She didn't give me the opportunity to tell them that if I had seen them in line on my way up, I would have joined them instead of taking the single ride. All of these elements are what can cause someone with a Type-A personality to explode, as she did. I found the best parts of the day were when I took her older children onto Screamin', and when I met up with other friends to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, one of the most fun rides I had been on in years. She made the experience more about her than her children or even me. When it came time for dinner, she was annoyed that she had to schlep her children all over the park because they were such picky eaters that they couldn't all agree on one location, and it would have cost her $60 to feed them. Of course, if she had bought a full-size cheese pizza for $22, that would have been easier. (BTW, parents, if your children are picky eaters to the point where you have to prepare different meals for each of them and it's not because of allergies, that's your fault. You allowed it to happen. They eat what's being served or they don't eat. When they learn that the pickiness disappears.)
At the end of the day, I broke away from them because it was the only way I would not go off on her for being so damned high-stress. I didn't need people around me who would act like that all day. I didn't need people who would bitch about what they couldn't control rather than go with the flow and work with the things they could control. Disneyland is stressful enough. I love her - she's my oldest friend and we'll always be friends, but I am not likely to spend the day at Disneyland with her again any time soon.
Sadly, this was not the part of the day that bothered me when it came to mom and her 7-year-old. It bothered me much more that she was telling him how everything worked before he had a chance to see it. She was telling him not to worry about the snowman on Matterhorn because it was just a pair of lights. She told him he wouldn't like the Haunted Mansion because he wouldn't like the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas," even though he hadn't seen it and doesn't know what to compare the mansion overlay to. She told him about the people inside the character costumes, and how "Tinkerbell flies" from the Matterhorn and crashes into someone in back, and everything that could ruin the experience for him. While I can see how a child of that age is able to clue in to what is really going on around him, is it really necessary for his mother to be the one to spoil it all for him? Why is it she cannot support the magic that Disneyland has worked hard to create so that he can be as fulfilled by the experience as possible? There are tactics parents can use to make their children understand how things work without giving it away. For example, when we were leaving, the 7-year-old asked how the Wicked Queen in "Fantasmic!" changed into the Evil Witch. We told him it was magic, just like Harry Potter. He said Harry Potter wasn't magic, it was special effects. I laughed at that because to me, that's about as much as a 7-year-old should believe at that point. Unfortunately, I'm sure after I left that mom told him about the ol' switcheroo that takes place when the smoke is at its thickest.
Why was it necessary to be so blatant about how these things happen? Why was it necessary for mom to destroy any hopes of magic and not give her the son to be fully immersed in the experience? Is it because she has lost the ability to relate to the innocense and nostalgia of childhood? Is it because she herself has become jaded and feels that she is lying to her children by giving them an illusion to believe is truth? If she had daughters instead of sons (something she said she's grateful to not have), would she prevent them from coming to the parks in their princess dresses because she thinks it's stupid to believe in such a thing? Sadly, I think so.
It really wasn't fun in the overall experience to be in the park with her and her children, and that's a sad thing to say about someone I have been friends with for so long. The park had about 60,000 people, if not more, and she insisted on seeing every major ride and Fantasmic! in one day. She was genuinely annoyed by the people and the wait times. She was genuinely annoyed with me when I took the single rider option on Indiana Jones and waited 20 minutes, while they waited the full hour and a half. She didn't give me the opportunity to tell them that if I had seen them in line on my way up, I would have joined them instead of taking the single ride. All of these elements are what can cause someone with a Type-A personality to explode, as she did. I found the best parts of the day were when I took her older children onto Screamin', and when I met up with other friends to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, one of the most fun rides I had been on in years. She made the experience more about her than her children or even me. When it came time for dinner, she was annoyed that she had to schlep her children all over the park because they were such picky eaters that they couldn't all agree on one location, and it would have cost her $60 to feed them. Of course, if she had bought a full-size cheese pizza for $22, that would have been easier. (BTW, parents, if your children are picky eaters to the point where you have to prepare different meals for each of them and it's not because of allergies, that's your fault. You allowed it to happen. They eat what's being served or they don't eat. When they learn that the pickiness disappears.)
At the end of the day, I broke away from them because it was the only way I would not go off on her for being so damned high-stress. I didn't need people around me who would act like that all day. I didn't need people who would bitch about what they couldn't control rather than go with the flow and work with the things they could control. Disneyland is stressful enough. I love her - she's my oldest friend and we'll always be friends, but I am not likely to spend the day at Disneyland with her again any time soon.
I've got personality!
There are so many different personality tests on the web. They vary in validity, accuracy, and as I noticed, cost. Some tests are meant to market their product to a large group and happen to have a free version online to sample. Others are meant exclusively for fun. I remember a site years ago, which does not seem to be up anymore, that had personality tests aimed at determining when you would die, how strong your mafia connections were, or how promiscuous you were. The questions were so absurd that they could only be for entertainment (apparently my penmanship was too nice to qualify me for strong mafia ties), but they still said something about your personality at the end. On this site, the end result may have been how much you missed the point by, as the “IQ test” was only based on how many times you answered the same questions over and over again before you finally quit. For the purpose of this activity, I settled on two tests that came up on Google under a search for “personality tests.” They were both modified versions of the original and were entertaining.
The first test I chose to take is a modified version of the Meyers-Briggs Personality Test, which was listed as the Jung Typology test (http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes3.asp). I remember taking this test for the first time back in 1995, and at that time, I was rated an ENFP, which was extroverted/intuitive/feeling/perceiving. I felt at the time that this assessment was correct, and still feel as though I am today. However, in taking this shorter version today (68 questions), my results changed from extroverted to introverted. Therefore, I am now INFP. I figured I would reach this result, as many of the questions dealing with wanting to find quiet time and finding solace in my personal space were answered affirmatively. In the 15 years since I first took the Meyers-Briggs, I have become more withdrawn and quiet, valuing my personal space and down time. I don’t consider this to be a bad thing; rather, I find it to be a sign of maturity. When I first took the test, I was fresh out of high school, in my first semester in a community college, and was still bouncing off the walls. I was working at Disneyland, where the social scene is just as big a part of the job as the job assignment itself. I often socialized with my coworkers after work, and some of them are still my best friends today. I am no longer in such a social job, so I don’t have as many opportunities to go out and enjoy time with my co-workers. Even if I did, I think the scene would be different because we are all older. We do not have the same goals that we did when we were in our twenties. We now have families and responsibilities. Considering all of this, it makes sense that my rating of extroversion changed to introversion. However, when it comes time to go out and have a good time, I am still very much the extrovert.
The second test I took was the Kiersey Temperament Sorter, found at http://www.kiersey.com. This site bills their test as the “world’s leading assessment for individuals, teams, and organizations.” This is the kind of test, in its complete form, would be given to companies for employee evaluations. I again took a modified version of the test and got some results for free, but would have received more complete results if I purchased them, which I chose not to do. According to the Kiersey test, my personality type is the Idealist, meaning I am passionately committed to personal growth and development. I enjoy working with others, helping them find and fulfill their potential. I dream of a world of harmony, and have a gift for helping people solve their problems through friendly means, avoiding conflict whenever possible. I am an incurable romantic, but I see things more as they are than as I want them to be. I am an ethical person and hold myself to a strict standard of integrity. I seek and take comfort in warm, sensitive relationships and find “soul mates” rather than just acquaintances. In the workplace (this is a test for employees, after all), I am comfortable taking on a leadership role and seek opportunities to turn “what is” into “what can be.”
I find this personality assessment to be much more in line with my personality, but I also feel it does not cover as much of my personality. Instead, it focuses on the emotional part of me rather than the intellectual. (I might know more if I paid for a set of results.) I do constantly look for the good in others and try to turn “what is” into “what might be.” I am a very selfless person, looking for ways to make others happy without expecting something in return other than gratitude. I usually don’t enjoy celebrating myself, and have found discomfort in others celebrating me. I also agree with the work assessment, especially in my most recent job. I was left to fend for myself without much management oversight for most of my time there, and I relished in the opportunities to improve on the place and to make my team happy. Unfortunately, lack of oversight meant lack of appreciation for just how much I did there, and I was let go after a year and a half. This is one of those times where taking some notice in me would have been appreciated, though I don’t dwell on it.
One thing I did find particularly funny is that this personality assessment happens to perfectly describe a character I am writing in my current novel. My main character is a hopeless romantic who is practical and realistic to a fault. She wants to take a leap of faith but does not want to take it at the expense of those around her. I think this personality assessment will help me to continue to develop her as well.
Between these two tests, I thought the Kiersey test made me feel like it “got me” more than the Meyers-Briggs test did. Because this test is meant for employees, I would feel good about a test like this going to a prospective employer or boss. I think this test speaks to my desires to grow a successful team, to make things happen, and to make sure the team is as harmonious as can be. I am a leader, and being a leader does not mean forgetting about the people you choose to lead. I think that is a very important quality I have worked hard to understand. The Meyers-Briggs seems to be formulated to understand different dimensions of your personality, and for that, I appreciate its accuracy. However, I think it can backfire if is taken out of context. The opposite of Perceiving in that test is Judging, and a judgmental quality can be looked at as something to avoid. If I am considered introverted, will I not fit in to a hectic workplace where things are constantly moving and people need to keep up with the vivid personalities?
Ultimately, I don’t believe any personality test will ever truly “get” me, but I think the various tests will do well to understand certain parts of me. According to Funder, One Big Theory (OBT) is likely to be wrong because it attempts to include everything and therefore does not work to understand one single aspect well enough. The same can be said for personality tests. The Kiersey test was aimed at determining what kind of employee I would be. The Meyers-Briggs is aimed at looking at personality as a whole. The Meyers-Briggs may be one of the closest to truly knowing as much of one person as possible in a test.
Cinema Rediscovered: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
This is a series I have wanted to do for a while. I have seen several movies more than a dozen times, and when it gets to that level, I can usually let them play in the background like music. But every now and then, I'll sit back and actually watch the movie and take in things I never really thought about or noticed before. I hope to cover some of my favorites or most watched here, and maybe my observations will mirror yours.
And thus, I start the series with the movie that made parents wise up to the tricks my generation tried to pull to skip school, or why the shower head makes an ideal practice mic: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Ferris's establishing scene has him pulling some odd sick trick on his parents, and like the idiots they are, they buy it. My mother would have told me to suck it up and go to school anyway. She said something similar when I broke my tailbone when I was 14. In this same establishing scene, we meet Jeannie, his eternally menstrual older sister. It's not so much that Jeannie is jealous of Ferris as much as she's just the average teenager, blaming her parents for everything wrong in th world. Looking back, Jeannie needed her own spinoff series. Maybe Daria could have been her best friend...
Once everyone goes to school and work (notice both Ben Stein and Kristy Swanson in early roles), Ferris decides to recruit his BFF, Cameron, for his day of truancy. He already knows Cameron will be home because he knows Cameron's neuroses makes him sick. And unlike his own parents, who are just easily fooled, Cameron's parents probably just don't give a shit. Incidentally, as a direct result of Cameron's establishing scene, I actually did think coal made diamonds for many years. Forgive me.
When we meet the principal, Mr. Rooney, we see a man who takes his job and his battle with one individual student way too seriously. Remind you of another John Hughes high school principal? It's the battle between Ferris and Mr. Rooney that would be the surface plot, the cat and mouse game that drives the plot of the story. Unlike Principal Vernon in the Breakfast Club, Mr. Rooney isn't as concerned with impressing his students as he is winning his battle with the most popular boy in school. He claims he wants to set the example to all the kids who look up to Ferris, but even if the other kids didn't care, he'd still fight Ferris. What is he trying to prove, other than his significance in the school heirarchy? He isn't trying to convince anyone other than Ferris that he can win their individual battle. It's a theme that John Hughes carries through many of his stories. The adults are often threatened by the emergence of the Gen-Xers, who, as Vernon puts it, will be taking care of them in the very near future, and that thought is scary.
Before Ferris and Cameron can successfully pick up Sloan, possibly the hottest high school girlfriend EVER, we see why Ferris is so damn cool. How many of us tried to find or make software with bodily functions to fool parents? How many of us thought we could break into the school's computer from our homes? How many of us have tried to call the school with a fake voice to get our friends out of class? (No, I didn't do that last one. How dare.)
When the three of them finally make their break from the school, hilarity truly ensues. They take their classic Ferrari to downtown Chicago and park it in a public garage. If us future drivers learned anything from this scene, it's to never trust a guy who practically ejaculates at the sight of your car to watch over it, even if your car is a faded brown 1986 Dodge Colt hatchback. Ahem... Their first stop, a fancy lunch at Chez Qui. Ferris manages to convince the snooty host that he's Abe Frohman, the Sausage King of Chicago. Wouldn't you think Ferris could have thought a little more quickly on his feet and claimed to be his son? That's probably what I would have done, considering the host and/or manager would have sat Mr. Frohman several times and would have known who he was. I also would have thought the host would have enforced the jacket and tie rule at the restaurant, which every other customer seems to abide by. Then again, I bet the little mix-up resulted in complimentary lunch for the three of them, since I bet that lunch cost them at least $40 per plate, and none of them had that kind of money on them.
One thing I took from this scene was Ferris's declaration that if he was going to get in trouble, it would not be by a guy like that host. I carry that sentiment with me to this day. At times when I have felt like I was about to lose it and have my day be ruined, I thought about whether I was willing to lose an entire day to that particular person. When I realize I am not about to let a particular person ruin all of it for me, I carry on. Thanks, Ferris!
Next, on to the ball park for the Cubs game. Wouldn't it just happen to be that most of us go to games faithfully every season and never catch a fly ball, despite being in both fly and foul zones, yet this punk catches one on the day he ditches class? Incidentally, Saved by the Bell would rip this scene off years later when Zack pretends to be Jewish to skip school (Belding was an idiot), catches a foul at the Dodgers game, and gets blackmailed by Jessie's new brother to get a date with Lisa. Don't ask how I know this.
There are also really nice moments which can be like a picture postcard for Chicago. They visit the museum, the Sears tower, the stock exchange, and Michigan Avenue. I've never been to Chicago, and when this movie came out I was living in Hawaii, so I thought this was the coolest thing ever. Of course, I didn't know the difference between New York City and Chicago as far as big cities went, so I am equally obsessed with visiting both cities to this day.
During this time, Mr. Rooney decides the safety and well-being of every other student in the school is less important than breaking and entering into Ferris's house. Unfortunately, Jeannie is home, not caring less what she's missing in school. She meets an intruder (not realizing it's Rooney), delivers a swift kick to the nose, then calls the police. She knows he's still in the house and warns him she has herpes. Unfortunately shit continues to rain on Jeannie, and she gets arrested for filing a false police report.
Then we get to the scene which, for me, turns the movie from entertaining to silly, and that's the parade. I thought it would be fun and exciting to join in a parade, but not in my own concert scene as though it were planned for me. Even when I had this movie on VHS, I would fast forward through this scene. Even today, I don't care for "Twist and Shout," especially since it reminds me of this lame scene.
When Ferris and the gang pick up the car, life as Cameron knows it is over. He has is nervous breakdown for a few minutes, but seeing Sloan's boobies gets him out of that rut. But it's when the miles are not coming off the car that Cameron finally decides that his life isn't working for him anymore, and in his symbolic rebirth, he destroys the car, the one thing his father loves more than his own son. It's catastrophic and frightening when the car goes over the edge, but it's the understanding that nothing can be done about it, the day is finished, that really brings everything home. Cameron just had the best day of his life, and crashing that beautiful car, which should have been devastating, is poetic for him.
As all great days must come to an end, Ferris and the gang have to head home in time to get back to bed before the parents find him. Jeannie gets picked up from her mother at the police station and literally run into Ferris trying to make it home. The race is on, and Jeannie further pisses off her mother by speeding through the neighborhood to get home. And when she does, she finds Rooney's wallet on the kitchen floor. This is when she realizes Rooney was the man who broke into her house. All of a sudden, she has something far more exciting to look forward to than busting her brother, and that's screwing the principal over. Seriously, what could Rooney do to her for the rest of her high school career that she couldn't pull the breaking-and-entering card on? To top it off, she feeds the wallet and Rooney himself to their Rotweiler. Ahh, sweet justice. Of course, she realizes she could never have that satisfaction if Ferris hadn't ditched school in the first place, and she forgives him.
This movie is about living in the moment, and the theme applies to everyone. Though Ferris is the main character, this movie is really Cameron's story as told from Ferris's point of view. Ferris as a person is not that interesting of a character. Where is his conflict? He has his parents wrapped around his finger, every kid in school likes him, he has a very hot girlfriend, and he really doesn't care what Rooney thinks. Even Sloan, who we never really get to know in depth, is just an accessory character.
The real story lies in Cameron. I heard it summed up perfectly once: Cameron is going through his mid-life crisis prematurely. He is the oldest teenager on the planet (sorry, Dick Clark). He's destroyed by the thought of rubbing his parents the wrong way even once. He is miserable, and would probably have gone through the rest of his life miserable. Ferris is his alter-ego. Ferris is the person who does everything Cameron has ever wanted to do but has been shut down by his parents before getting the chance to. In the art museum, Cameron sees himself in the Georges Seurat painting, and he sees himself as a kid in the exact same way - nothing but paint and pixels, not a real kid. Destroying the car was the last step to shaking Cameron out of his misery. He probably would have gone to college, never making any new friends or girlfriends, and lived a short, miserable life. If Cameron were among the students in detention in "The Breakfast Club," what do you think he would have done to get there? Would it have been more severe than bringing a gun to school (albeit a flare gun)? Would a romp in the hay with the weirdo have cured him? It's an interesting thought...
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" will always be one of the best high school movies ever, and one of the best movies of my generation. But it's watching the movie as an adult that makes me appreciate it even more. If Cameron did exist, I hope he got everything he wanted in the end.
Would you do it again?
"Success is not the key to happiness,
happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing,
you will be successful."
- Buddha
One of the worst things about growing up and growing old is the knowledge that some of the best days of your life are behind you and cannot be repeated. Even if you could go back to a certain time, you are not the same person, and chances are, that environment is not the same, either. It would not be the same experience. I think about the times that I miss the most, but I think about them from the perspective of the person I am today, not the person I was back then. I also tend to picture those days as they were then, not as they are now.
Let me be more clear. I think a lot about my time working at Disneyland. I did it twice - '96-'00, then '01-'05. The first run was in Attractions, the second in Entertainment. Both times I left rather disenchanted with my experience. Both times I wished I had done a million things differently. However, I never regretted either experience. They were the experiences - good, bad, and ugly - that made me into the person I am today. I know that when I look back, and when my friends recall the days, they remember me being miserable there. And I was. In Attractions, I was immature, a know-it-all, and had a bad habit of sticking my foot in my mouth at all the wrong times. In Entertainment, I followed the wrong examples, and before I could see what was going on, I was on one side of the fence, and my leaders and co-workers were on the other. I did the jobs themselves very well, but once people had made their minds up about me, it didn't matter how good I was at the job itself. It's like Survivor - so much of the game is social, and the actual technical part of the game is not as important.
Those experiences taught me so much about what it's like to work for a big corporation, what it means to be a part of a team, whose examples should be followed and whose should merely be observed, and most importantly, how to be the best possible member of a team without trying to swim upstream too much. I think, especially in Entertainment, that I was so desperate to shine that I forgot the importance of being a supporting player. Imagine "Ferris Bueller" without Cameron. If you take a closer look, Cameron is the most interesting character in the whole story, and perhaps the movie is Cameron's story, told from Ferris's point of view. Cameron as a supporting player absolutely shines, and he is not trying to be the star.
Naturally, all of this is hindsight. If I had been the person then that I am now, I bet I would have done a lot of things better the first time around. However, as I said above, that would be to assume the world that I was a part of then is the exact same world now. We all know this is not the case. I left the park five years ago. So much has changed. It's foolish to think that I am a different person now, but everything else is the same.
I can see now that one of the turning points was when working in the park became about the money and not about the joy of being there. Now I know about the difference between working for joy and working for love. Once it became about the money, I became more obsessed with things like seniority, training, shifts, locations, and all of the things that were completely out of my control. Oddly enough, when it became about the money, I would ER every day, and my paychecks would be virtually nil.
Here's the thing that gets to me. While I know I was an unhappy person, and I know there were so many things about the jobs that I hated, I still feel joy when I think back on my experiences. I really love knowing I was once a Cast Member. I loved those little things that only CM's get to experience, like being in the park when it's empty or dead silent, or running up and down the mountain, through the jungle, through the temple, and through those areas that you have to be special to see. I felt excited knowing how rides worked or where the random exit doors were. I thought it was exciting seeing men and women transforming into characters, or even more so, seeing characters carrying their own heads around. It doesn't seem like much, but knowing the majority of the world doesn't get to see these things, it excites me to know I got to be part of the elite few who did.
How many events did I get to see that I never would have been a part of otherwise? I was there for the last night of the Main Street Electrical Parade, and I didn't have to park it on the curb all day. I was there when the Angels won the World Series and celebrated with a day of park events. I saw the premiere of the first "Pirates of the Carribbean" movie. I saw all of the special events people doing all kinds of things that I had never thought of. I saw what it takes to make it all so incredible. I am so blessed to have been able to experience it, even as an observer.
The most difficult question is whether I would do it again. For the longest time, I said that my time at Disneyland was among the happiest of my life, but I don't think I could work there again. Now, I want to re-evaluate that statement and say that yes, I would do it all over again. I would go back and be the person I wanted to be the first time around. I would take my 32-year-old, educated self, and re-live the feeling I had when it wasn't about the money. And that's the catch right there - it can't be about the money. It couldn't be my main source of income again. I would have to be a CR at most, working only weekends and summer nights. I would have to have my primary source of income elsewhere. I would want to remember the excitement of arriving, picking up my costume, and going out to have fun. Now I am better at not letting the little things get to me, and at keeping my head up and my smile on. Those were things I missed the first time around, and I would love to rewrite my own history.
If you could do it again, would you? Would you go back to the last thing that made you happy and do it all over again, before things like life got in the way?
Whatever happened to great TV theme songs?
I found a CD at the library last weekend that was the 100 greatest TV theme songs. They weren't ranked or anything, but it was favorite TV themes from the 50s until the 90s. This collection was released around 2005, but the most recent theme song was from 2001 for "Six Feet Under." The 90s tunes included "Friends," "Frasier," "Seinfeld," the original "90210" and Melrose Place," and "Sex and the City." After that, it drops off into favorites from the 80s that rolled into the 90s before they went off the air, like "Growing Pains." But there was nothing after 2001.
That got me to thinking, whatever happened to great TV theme songs? I think about some of my favorite shows or most memorable shows of the last decade, and they either had theme songs that were previously popular (CSI uses The Who, Freaks and Geeks used Joan Jett), or they skipped the theme song altogether in order to squeeze three more minutes of story time into the program. There are so many programs that I associated with their theme songs, that I would remember the show the opening title segment of the show in order to remember its name. We all remember the slide-boxes of "The Brady Bunch" or the jukebox and the Fonz in "Happy Days." It later evolved into the actors turning to the camera after a mini-montage of their scenes. But I will remember the silouette of "Charlie's Angels" or the life preserver of "Love Boat" before I will ever remember the cast standing together. But I can't think of that without thinking of the theme song.
I also started to think about the various websites that have lists of gone-too-soon TV shows, and how they would have fared if they had great theme songs. While Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" was a good choice for "Freaks and Geeks," would it have fared better with a different, catchier song? After all, that song had already been around for 20 years before it was used as the show's theme, so "Freaks and Geeks" would not be the first thing we thought of when we heard that song. What about "Firefly," or "Pushing Daisies?" This isn't to suggest that these shows would have had guaranteed success with a great original theme song - "Beverly Hills, 90210" almost didn't get picked up beyond the second season, but they changed their theme song from a kitschy, "Dynasty" club mix to an edgier, 90s-style tune, and it helped. But if Kristin Chenoweth, whom I love, had recorded a theme song for "Pushing Daisies," the show might have reached a broader audience. The shows that don't even make it to 5 episodes - did they have theme songs? Did they have stock music? Did they even try anything ironic, like "Married, With Children" did by using Sinatra's "Love and Marriage?" Sometimes the previously released song works well - I love the use of Jace Everett's "Bad Things" as the theme song for "True Blood."
I wonder if we will ever have great TV theme songs again. I wonder what the first thing we think of will be when we think of what it takes to rule the world ("Diff'rent Strokes). I wonder if my favorite four bars of music will always be followed by two snaps ("The Addams Family"). Will any song give ample background as to how our characters ended up where they are today ("Gilligan's Island"), without having to drag a series on with endless montages that inevitably lead the show to an early retirement? I actually won a trivia contest once by naming all of the Jetsons because I remembered the song. I can't name all of the characters on "Lost," but I can absolutely tell you what happens when you take the good, you take the bad, you take them all and there you have....you know.
That got me to thinking, whatever happened to great TV theme songs? I think about some of my favorite shows or most memorable shows of the last decade, and they either had theme songs that were previously popular (CSI uses The Who, Freaks and Geeks used Joan Jett), or they skipped the theme song altogether in order to squeeze three more minutes of story time into the program. There are so many programs that I associated with their theme songs, that I would remember the show the opening title segment of the show in order to remember its name. We all remember the slide-boxes of "The Brady Bunch" or the jukebox and the Fonz in "Happy Days." It later evolved into the actors turning to the camera after a mini-montage of their scenes. But I will remember the silouette of "Charlie's Angels" or the life preserver of "Love Boat" before I will ever remember the cast standing together. But I can't think of that without thinking of the theme song.
I also started to think about the various websites that have lists of gone-too-soon TV shows, and how they would have fared if they had great theme songs. While Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" was a good choice for "Freaks and Geeks," would it have fared better with a different, catchier song? After all, that song had already been around for 20 years before it was used as the show's theme, so "Freaks and Geeks" would not be the first thing we thought of when we heard that song. What about "Firefly," or "Pushing Daisies?" This isn't to suggest that these shows would have had guaranteed success with a great original theme song - "Beverly Hills, 90210" almost didn't get picked up beyond the second season, but they changed their theme song from a kitschy, "Dynasty" club mix to an edgier, 90s-style tune, and it helped. But if Kristin Chenoweth, whom I love, had recorded a theme song for "Pushing Daisies," the show might have reached a broader audience. The shows that don't even make it to 5 episodes - did they have theme songs? Did they have stock music? Did they even try anything ironic, like "Married, With Children" did by using Sinatra's "Love and Marriage?" Sometimes the previously released song works well - I love the use of Jace Everett's "Bad Things" as the theme song for "True Blood."
I wonder if we will ever have great TV theme songs again. I wonder what the first thing we think of will be when we think of what it takes to rule the world ("Diff'rent Strokes). I wonder if my favorite four bars of music will always be followed by two snaps ("The Addams Family"). Will any song give ample background as to how our characters ended up where they are today ("Gilligan's Island"), without having to drag a series on with endless montages that inevitably lead the show to an early retirement? I actually won a trivia contest once by naming all of the Jetsons because I remembered the song. I can't name all of the characters on "Lost," but I can absolutely tell you what happens when you take the good, you take the bad, you take them all and there you have....you know.
Sorry...
I have been too busy lately with school to check out my much anticipated movie marathon. I might be moving across town, so there's more of a delay. I swear, I will have something soon so that both of you will have something to read! Love ya!
2010 Rediscovery: Movie Marathons
While talking to a friend of mine the other day, we both decided on some things we wanted to do in the new year. We both decided we wanted to set a goal of 10% savings right off the top no matter what, continuing our progress of gym and weight loss, and one classic book a month. I decided as well to go through one movie marathon a month. I wanted to either force myself to watch films I had never seen before, or rediscover movies I had not seen in a while and hopefully see them in a new light. So I decided on 12 different themes. I don't know exactly which month which theme will occur, but these movies are going to be interesting, different, and hopefully well worth my time. And, of course, I will do a monthly recap here as I finish each marathon.
Directed By Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Scoop, Vicky Christina Barcelona) This one actually will be my first marathon out of coincidence. A couple of nights ago, I noticed both Annie Hall and Manhattan were on TV so I recorded them on my DVR. I chose Scoop because it was up next on my Netflix queue, and I own Vicky Christina Barcelona, and figured Woody's most recent outing would be a good way to wrap up the marathon. Plus, I like the idea of comparing Woody's muses - Diane Keaton and Scarlett Johansson. The only film I have not seen here is Scoop, but it has been a long time since I have seen the others listed here.
The Oscars Present: Gene Hackman (French Connection, Unforgiven, Bonnie and Clyde) Gene Hackman is an actor everyone knows, but is past his days as one of the most in-demand actors around. So I decided that in the months surrounding the Oscars, I would tip my hat to one of the finest actors of his generation. I think these three movies show him in great supporting roles, which makes sense because he was nominated for all of these films. The only one of these films I have not seen yet is French Connection, but I will enjoy revisiting Bonnie and Clyde and Unforgiven.
Pillow Talk Movies (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers, If a Man Answers) I don't know if anyone else calls these Pillow Talk movies. These are the Rock Hudson/Doris Day, or Sandra Dee/Bobby Darin romantic comedies of the sixties. This is the era of romantic comedies that fell between the screwball comedies (Bringing Up Baby, It Happened One Night) and the more independent woman-themed romantic comedies that we see today. I think I own all of these movies except for Pillow Talk - I bought them at Costco when they were $12 a pair - but I have only watched Lover Come Back. This will be an all-new marathon for me.
Katharine Hepburn: She Rules (Woman of the Year, The Lion in Winter, Adam’s Rib, the African Queen) It's only fair to feature a marathon with the greatest actress of all time (next to Meryl, that is). I tried to select some of her most well-known movies, while not necessarily her best movies. Believe it or not, I have never seen any of these. Geez, what kind of a movie lover am I? Wait, that's the point of these marathons!
Paul Newman: Dead or Alive, I’d Do Him (The Long Hot Summer, Hud, Harper, Road to Perdition) I fell in love with him the first time I saw "The Hustler." I loved how cool and suave he is, even when he was tortured and miserable, like in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." We all know what a wonderful man he was in real life, so let's take the time to enjoy some of his cinematic greats.
Fred and Ginger (Top Hat, The Gay Divorcee, Follow the Fleet, Swing Time) I wanted to do movie musicals, but that would have meant mostly Gene Kelly films, and I have seen so many of those that it would not have been the rediscovery I was hoping for. There are so many I could have chosen from, but I thought it would only be fitting to feature the king and queen of the movie musical: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I've seen Top Hat and Swing Time before, so The Gay Divorcee and Follow the Fleet will be the new ones for me.
Bond: James Bond – 1 film from each Bond Actor (Connery: Dr. No; Lazenby: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Moore: Octopussy; Dalton: The Living Daylights; Brosnan: GoldenEye; Craig: Casino Royale) I have never been much of a Bond fan, so this will almost be completely new for me. In order to do a proper Bond-a-thon, I thought it would be most fitting to compare all of the Bonds to each other. I didn't necessarily go with the ones that were arguably the best; I chose the ones I thought would be the most interesting. I may be wrong on some of them, like Octopussy, but I don't know. The only obvious choices here were Dr. No because it was the first, Secret Service because it was Lazenby's only Bond outing, and Casino Royale because I didn't like Solace that much. I am looking forward to covering this one, probably over the summer when school is not going because it's the longest.
The Boys of Summer: The Best Baseball Films Ever Made (Bull Durham, The Natural, Field of Dreams, Pride of the Yankees, A League of Their Own, Eight Men Out) This is the only movie marathon where I have already seen every one of these films. As baseball is the ultimate summer sport, I decided to revisit each of these baseball movies and decide, once and for all, which is my favorite of all time. And I would not be surprised if the ladies take this one. This is another long marathon, but since the topic is worthy and I am already familiar with these movies, I will definitely enjoy this one.
The Art of War (Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, All Quiet on the Western Front) This will probably be the most difficult marathon for me to get through because I am not big into war movies. I wanted to make sure I only included classics in this marathon because I wanted to appreciate war movies from the time the biggest world wars were going on. If I wanted to add in one more from a modern era, I would have included The Hurt Locker, a movie from last year that I heard excellent things about. Maybe for 2011's marathon schedule.
Would I Want This Man As My President? (The American President, Mars Attacks!, Independence Day, Dave) I almost did a marathon of presidential biopics, but the thought of sitting through JFK or Frost/Nixon again didn't thrill me. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. The president had to be a major character in the movie, and he had to be fictitious. He had to act in a presidential manner, too - not escaping from a hijacked plane or being guarded by the secret service (Air Force One and In the Line of Fire are two of my all-time faves, by the way). I have never seen Mars Attacks! or Dave. Forgive me.
Directed By Stephen Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, ET) Not wanting Woody Allen to be the only director on this list, I chose Spielberg because picking from the elite would mean an enjoyable marathon, no matter what. If it wasn't him, it would have been Ron Howard, but I've seen almost all of his films. The only film here I have not seen is Close Encounters - I think I tried once and kept falling asleep. These are four different themes and styles, and I chose them to compare.
Russell Crowe: Do I Like Him Now? (LA Confidential, Gladiator, Master and Commander, The Insider) I've never really understood Russell Crowe. To me, he's a big, oafy dude who keeps landing not totally oafy roles. However, he's gotten praise for all of these roles, so I decided to watch all of them and decide, once and for all, if I like him as an actor. It has been a long time since I have seen all of these movies, so this will be a fresh comparison for me. However, I love LA Confidential. I will have fun watching that one again.
Oh-kay, that's what my year in movie marathons is shaping up to be. They may change, I don't know. I have a busy school schedule still and hopefully a better job or second job in the near future. With that in mind, I will do my best to fulfill my cinematic goals in 2010. If you play along too, let me know. It will be great to compare notes.
Directed By Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Scoop, Vicky Christina Barcelona) This one actually will be my first marathon out of coincidence. A couple of nights ago, I noticed both Annie Hall and Manhattan were on TV so I recorded them on my DVR. I chose Scoop because it was up next on my Netflix queue, and I own Vicky Christina Barcelona, and figured Woody's most recent outing would be a good way to wrap up the marathon. Plus, I like the idea of comparing Woody's muses - Diane Keaton and Scarlett Johansson. The only film I have not seen here is Scoop, but it has been a long time since I have seen the others listed here.The Oscars Present: Gene Hackman (French Connection, Unforgiven, Bonnie and Clyde) Gene Hackman is an actor everyone knows, but is past his days as one of the most in-demand actors around. So I decided that in the months surrounding the Oscars, I would tip my hat to one of the finest actors of his generation. I think these three movies show him in great supporting roles, which makes sense because he was nominated for all of these films. The only one of these films I have not seen yet is French Connection, but I will enjoy revisiting Bonnie and Clyde and Unforgiven.Pillow Talk Movies (Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers, If a Man Answers) I don't know if anyone else calls these Pillow Talk movies. These are the Rock Hudson/Doris Day, or Sandra Dee/Bobby Darin romantic comedies of the sixties. This is the era of romantic comedies that fell between the screwball comedies (Bringing Up Baby, It Happened One Night) and the more independent woman-themed romantic comedies that we see today. I think I own all of these movies except for Pillow Talk - I bought them at Costco when they were $12 a pair - but I have only watched Lover Come Back. This will be an all-new marathon for me.Katharine Hepburn: She Rules (Woman of the Year, The Lion in Winter, Adam’s Rib, the African Queen) It's only fair to feature a marathon with the greatest actress of all time (next to Meryl, that is). I tried to select some of her most well-known movies, while not necessarily her best movies. Believe it or not, I have never seen any of these. Geez, what kind of a movie lover am I? Wait, that's the point of these marathons!Paul Newman: Dead or Alive, I’d Do Him (The Long Hot Summer, Hud, Harper, Road to Perdition) I fell in love with him the first time I saw "The Hustler." I loved how cool and suave he is, even when he was tortured and miserable, like in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." We all know what a wonderful man he was in real life, so let's take the time to enjoy some of his cinematic greats.Fred and Ginger (Top Hat, The Gay Divorcee, Follow the Fleet, Swing Time) I wanted to do movie musicals, but that would have meant mostly Gene Kelly films, and I have seen so many of those that it would not have been the rediscovery I was hoping for. There are so many I could have chosen from, but I thought it would only be fitting to feature the king and queen of the movie musical: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I've seen Top Hat and Swing Time before, so The Gay Divorcee and Follow the Fleet will be the new ones for me.
Bond: James Bond – 1 film from each Bond Actor (Connery: Dr. No; Lazenby: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Moore: Octopussy; Dalton: The Living Daylights; Brosnan: GoldenEye; Craig: Casino Royale) I have never been much of a Bond fan, so this will almost be completely new for me. In order to do a proper Bond-a-thon, I thought it would be most fitting to compare all of the Bonds to each other. I didn't necessarily go with the ones that were arguably the best; I chose the ones I thought would be the most interesting. I may be wrong on some of them, like Octopussy, but I don't know. The only obvious choices here were Dr. No because it was the first, Secret Service because it was Lazenby's only Bond outing, and Casino Royale because I didn't like Solace that much. I am looking forward to covering this one, probably over the summer when school is not going because it's the longest.
The Boys of Summer: The Best Baseball Films Ever Made (Bull Durham, The Natural, Field of Dreams, Pride of the Yankees, A League of Their Own, Eight Men Out) This is the only movie marathon where I have already seen every one of these films. As baseball is the ultimate summer sport, I decided to revisit each of these baseball movies and decide, once and for all, which is my favorite of all time. And I would not be surprised if the ladies take this one. This is another long marathon, but since the topic is worthy and I am already familiar with these movies, I will definitely enjoy this one.
The Art of War (Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, All Quiet on the Western Front) This will probably be the most difficult marathon for me to get through because I am not big into war movies. I wanted to make sure I only included classics in this marathon because I wanted to appreciate war movies from the time the biggest world wars were going on. If I wanted to add in one more from a modern era, I would have included The Hurt Locker, a movie from last year that I heard excellent things about. Maybe for 2011's marathon schedule.
Would I Want This Man As My President? (The American President, Mars Attacks!, Independence Day, Dave) I almost did a marathon of presidential biopics, but the thought of sitting through JFK or Frost/Nixon again didn't thrill me. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. The president had to be a major character in the movie, and he had to be fictitious. He had to act in a presidential manner, too - not escaping from a hijacked plane or being guarded by the secret service (Air Force One and In the Line of Fire are two of my all-time faves, by the way). I have never seen Mars Attacks! or Dave. Forgive me.Directed By Stephen Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, ET) Not wanting Woody Allen to be the only director on this list, I chose Spielberg because picking from the elite would mean an enjoyable marathon, no matter what. If it wasn't him, it would have been Ron Howard, but I've seen almost all of his films. The only film here I have not seen is Close Encounters - I think I tried once and kept falling asleep. These are four different themes and styles, and I chose them to compare.Russell Crowe: Do I Like Him Now? (LA Confidential, Gladiator, Master and Commander, The Insider) I've never really understood Russell Crowe. To me, he's a big, oafy dude who keeps landing not totally oafy roles. However, he's gotten praise for all of these roles, so I decided to watch all of them and decide, once and for all, if I like him as an actor. It has been a long time since I have seen all of these movies, so this will be a fresh comparison for me. However, I love LA Confidential. I will have fun watching that one again.Oh-kay, that's what my year in movie marathons is shaping up to be. They may change, I don't know. I have a busy school schedule still and hopefully a better job or second job in the near future. With that in mind, I will do my best to fulfill my cinematic goals in 2010. If you play along too, let me know. It will be great to compare notes.