After trying to draw cool things, I realized I lack all the necessary abilities of creating visual art. Refer to diagram below to see a bird that I tried to draw. I 
added the colour in “post-production” but that is an exact tracing of a bird I originally drew. That proves that I have no drawing abilities.
Shortly after the bird was erased, I took to my next chalk board excursion: try to write down my top 25 films. That may seem like an easy task, but trust me. If you were given a chance to prioritize and select your top 25 movies, it’s way more difficult than you could imagine.
There are many ways you could look at the term “top 25”. Is it the top 25 movies you have ever seen? Is it the top 25 movies you would want to watch if you were stranded on a desert island? I took the later of the two.
After having my list up on the board, I got mixed reviews on my choices. Ok, that’s a lie. A majority of people trash talked my list. I will admit. There might appear to be some questionable material on the list. I would like to take a moment to justify my answers though. Feel free to judge me, but please respect the bravery it takes to post such a list.
1 - The Untouchables – I first saw it in a grade 10 history class when we were studying the prohibition. When you think back to your favourite movies, I am sure the last place you would think to pull from would be the line-up from your grade 10 history syllabus. I do remember prior to the movie, my teacher mentioning it took some persuading for the principal to allow her to show it. I am glad we did. This movie has cinematography comparable to Scarface (Brian DePalma directed both movies) and although I have never lived in the 1930’s I would say the creators of this film did a knock up job recreating the scenery and situations of the time. I could watch this movie raw and always find something new to gawk at. With popular actors (of their time) like Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Nero, the movie is carried with veterans of the art of film. The balance between action and dramatic scenes allows the movie to flow from plot to plot without a hitch which takes the viewer on a booze-fueled look at how Al Capone stuck it to the man and imported Canadian Whiskey into the States. This movie is violent but is careful not to exploit the scenes enough to make it a large part of the movie. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIF_WdPUBFo)
2 - Little Miss Sunshine – This movie is a rollercoaster of emotions. Little Miss Sunshine has a strange way of making you laugh and then bite your lip as a tidal wave of drama washes away the happy. I think that’s what makes the movie so great. It touches upon a lot of serious issues such as drug addiction, family values and the dysfunctional side of them, along with the perils of being accepted into society for trying to be who you really are. Steve Carell takes on a unique role in this film playing a character with serious emotional problems. His dry delivery of lines is still hilarious though as he interacts with the rest of the cast which allows them to shine in their respective roles. Hop aboard their Volkswagon bus as this family crosses America to enter their chubby daughter into a beauty contest. Seriously, that’s what it’s about.(Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWyH_twcMl0)
3 – Memento – Buckle up. This movie is unlike anything I have ever seen. The plot alone is nuts…the way the story is told is “nuts-er”. Just see it. You won’t be disappointed. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vS0E9bBSL0)
4 - Big Fish – I am a man so I don’t cry. If there is one movie that has brought me close to tears though, it is Big Fish. Thanks a lot Tim Burton. I don’t usually like movies with a fantasy aspect to them. I feel wrong for saying this movie is fantasy but there is no way this movie is based on a true story. And if it is, I want to go there. The movie follows a guy who is trying to dissect the childish stories his father used to tell him. The son is always frustrated by his father’s imagination and brushes all the stories away as to not feel like a child. The further he looks into these fabricated stories from his father however, the more he realizes there might be some truth behind them. Will it be to late for the son to make amends with his father who lies on his death bed? (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d-kjzBmz6I)
5 – Gladiator – TESTOSTERONE! (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol67qo3WhJk)
6 – Fubar – I like documentaries and I am Canadian. So of course Fubar is on my list. I first saw this movie in high school on VHS. My buddy picked it up at a Sunrise Records on a whim. It ended up being one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I know I said that, and I really hope this doesn’t get your hopes up. I think the key to this movie is to go into it not expecting much….or anything at all. This movie taught me how to party and I still use some of the techniques from the two main characters today. The movie follows Dean and Terry; two guys from Alberta known as “Headbangers”. They are two lanky and dirty guys with mullets and are severely Canadian. Farrel Mitchner, an amateur filmmaker follows their every move as they deal with issues that are normal for any Headbanger in Alberta along with trying to get treatment for Dean who has been diagnosed with testicular cancer. They manage to get themselves into some pretty interesting situations across the province and they meet some very fun people along the way. This is one of the best quotable movies ever. Giv'er! (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIpD1kXDpWI)
7 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – This movie is directed by French’s Michel Gondry and his style is evident in every nook and cranny of this film (French as in the country French, not French’s Mustard). Jim Carrey stars in a serious role in this film which is oddly refreshing. I guess it is most effective because you see someone that is usually acting happy looking upset for once. It really conveys the sense of heartbreak his character goes through in this film. The movie is visually awesome and you wouldn’t necessarily realize how tedious some of the shots in the film are until you watch the bonus features on the DVD. What you would think was computer graphics were actually just camera angles and techniques to make some stunning scenes. Jim Carrey’s character recently broke up with his girlfriend and is so affected by the break up that he wants to erase her from his mind…If only there was a way to do that. Well, this movie delivers on that front. His body might want to get rid of his girl, but does his subconscious want to? (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnSgSe2GzDc)
8 - To Kill A Mockingbird – Now here is a movie that will make you want to change the world. If you haven’t read the book by Harper Lee, do that first, then watch this movie. The book allows you to paint the portrait of what you think the characters and the scenery should look like. Then when you watch the movie, you realize how everything was described so well in the book because everything looks exactly the way you wanted it to look. In a nut shell, the movie follows Atticus Finch, A lawyer from the southern States that is asked to represent a black man in a rape trial that he clearly wasn’t involved in. It is a simple look at life in the southern States long ago and respectfully shows the racial tension in a small community. To Kill a Mockingbird makes you feel as if you’re walking through this small town and hanging out with everyone from Atticus’ kids, to rocking on a rocking chair with an old cranky lady on her porch. This is the second movie that almost made me cry…but I didn’t because I am a man. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd7NFo9P-fg)
9 - Man on the Moon – If you’re reading this, Andy Kaufman: I loved your movie. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LER9pt-hFLM)
10 - Grizzly Man – Any movie that documents a man that lives with bears must be amazing…especially when it is narrated by the man, the movie legend, Werner Herzog. This guy is something else. Every documentary Herzog does manages to show a side of the people he follows in a way you would never expect to see. You get a glimpse into the life of Timothy Treadwell and his friends. The film researches the life of Treadwell and tries to answer the question of why he would want to put his life in danger to live with Grizzly Bears. The movie is a synergy of footage shot by Treadwell when he lived with the bears/wildlife and the interviews Herzog does with the friends and family of Treadwell. The two realms of the film (interviews and actual footage) blend together so well that you would think it was all made at the same time. Herzog’s narration is distracting at first as his accent is so undecipherable, but soon falls into the rhythm of the film and becomes the voice of the movie. Herzog becomes so emotionally attached to his subject that he respectfully tells Treadwell’s story with a slew of interviews and research. You really have to see this film to believe it. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWycuaWJFCM)
11 - Matchstick Men – I want to say this movie will keep you guessing right up until the credits roll but it doesn’t. You’ll assume the plot is going to follow one way right until the last 15 minutes of the movie. Then, all of a sudden, you’re taken for a loop that will make you smile by how clever it was to trick you. Nicholas Cage plays an obsessive compulsive fraudster who befriends….or berelatives his estranged daughter. The only thing he knows how to do is be a fraudster, and his daughter isn’t going to change his way…but she certainly does help him become better at is profession. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5usEKgLM1GY)
12 - Life is Beautiful – Here’s another movie I saw in a history class. This class dated back to grade 8 though. Maybe this movie seemed to griping at first just because it wasn’t like all the other history movies I was watching at that time in class about Confederation. This movie takes a look at the Holocaust by focusing on one family in particular. This family manages to stick out of the conformity of the concentration camps to capture the camaraderie of a family that was torn apart by Nazis but would do anything to get back together. With their mother/wife gone, a father does his best to keep his son’s spirits up by shadowing him from the real problems they are both facing. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ZoO7oiN0s)
13 – Incident at Loch Ness – Is it real or is it fake? You have to decide. This movie was made by the always eclectic Werner Herzog and is no doubt a chapter from his brain. Herzog shoots this documentary in Scotland…the home of Nessie, the alleged Loch Ness Monster. Herzog, along with a group of explorers and professionals set off to once and for all settle the legend of the Loch Ness. Their findings are profound to say the least. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=756qS4keqig)
14 - Wall-E – How on earth, or whatever planet this movie takes place on, does a little inanimate robot connect to an audience so well!? The simplicity of this movie blows my mind. There are two robots that share just enough human qualities to be considered “alive” that seem to come alive and share a dialogue between each other even though they only mutter and mumble their thoughts. With those very few human qualities on these robots, we identify them as humans with emotions regardless of how far off they are from having a real heart. The movie manages to show the environmental problems that could inhibit our planet in the years to come but is careful not to blend that message with the true message of the film: friendship between robots. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu2AyDHq8UM_)
15 - Forrest Gump – What a story! Every time I see this movie, I feel as if I am traveling through time and following a Vietnam War Vet names Forrest try to find his way in the…hang on. Why even bother describing this movie? If you haven’t seen this film stop reading this and go watch it now, you Dingus. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obaW5wZw3rE)
16 – The Truman Show – For at least a few years after watching this movie, I spent a lot of time looking for hidden cameras around my house. I also assumed everyone around me was an actor. Now that I think about it, I was pretty pompous to think someone would base a television show around my life. This movie is another Jim Carrey movie that shows a Jim Carrey unlike the chipped tooth Ace Ventura that many know him for. He plays a subdued and more serious role but still allows his slapstick body to come through. Watch the movie and see this man try to solve the mystery of his life that everyone on the planet has been watching. Everything about his world that he thought was real, wasn’t. His job, his friends, his family, all come crashing down around him as he tries to escape the movie set that he once called home. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0rHH6LQdpI)
17 - The Graduate – Maybe I am just a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel. Or maybe I am just a fan of great movies. I had watched this movie when I was younger and didn’t really get it. When I watched it again in a film class in university, it blew my mind. If this movie is good enough to get a shout out in a Simpson’s episode, it is good enough to be number 17 on my list of favourite movies. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsdvhJTqLak)
18 - The Weatherman – Back to Nicholas Cage…I really like this movie. Nicholas Cage, as usual, plays the role of a guy that just can’t get his luck sorted out. The film is so depressing to watch as you see the downfall of cable television weather man. His family, his marriage, his friends, and career fall apart around him but he can’t do anything but pretend to be happy on television. Even people he doesn’t know blame him for the bad weather in their city. Cage can’t catch a break but seems to find some refuge in the sport of archery. Don’t believe me? Watch the movie. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_KgbI0PKY)
19 - Hot Rod – This is the stupidest movie on my list. And one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make me laugh every time I see it. Hot Rod is exactly what you would expect from a film syndicated by Saturday Night Live. The acting is so stupidly bad that it’s great and the plot is so ridiculously unbelievable that you are glad it isn’t real. I think what gets me about this movie is the simplicity of each stupid character and the obscure-ness of each of them. Another stupid movie that is very quotable. Basically, this stupid movie follows an amateur stunt man, played by Andy Samberg, as he tries to raise money for his father’s stupid life saving surgery. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PlrxUzKYoI)
20 - Old School – This is one of those movies that everyone seems to own and is willing to throw it on when you can’t decide on something else to watch. I would argue that this is one of Will Ferrall’s most memorable roles even though he only plays a supporting character. Regardless, it is a pretty unbelievable plot but fun to watch it pan out. A bunch of 30-somethings going back to college to party and start a fraternity. Who wouldn’t want to live that out? (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybNn__9pnms)
21 - Grandma’s Boy – If you like the movie Half Baked, you will fall in love with this movie. Relax and enjoy it. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsEuOw3ihbs)
22 - All The President’s Men – I think this is the movie that made me want to study journalism. What an epic movie all based on true events! This movie showcases the two young journalists that expose the Watergate scandal. As you’re watching the film, it is hard to believe that (most of) this actually happened. The story itself is far-out enough that you would expect it to be written by a team of writers. Sometimes true events are better than what any writing team could boil up. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fLdCZm7qgs)
23 - Big Daddy – I had this movie on VHS and when DVD’s became the new media of choice, I picked it up on DVD. I am not entirely sure why this movie is so good but it is. Adam Sandler’s dry delivery throughout the movie shows a side of him that isn’t obnoxious and he even goes a majority of the movie without doing any stupid voices. He plays the character well in this film. Also, now that my friends are starting to have kids, it’s funny to see how similar Adam Sandler’s parenting in Big Daddy is similar to how I would picture my friends raising a kid. Poorly, but with so much love. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_l5fMb1oxg)
24 - Toy Story – I know, I know. Two animated films on the list?! Toy Story always did something to me. I guess I always wanted to know my toys were alive. Who wouldn’t want their toys to be alive? I am pretty sure this is the first movie that got me hooked on Pixar and that’s why it is on my list. It was a movie that did something that I hadn’t seen before when I first saw it in theatres with my Dad. The animation was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was hard for me to watch the movie and soak the plot in when I was too blown away by the visuals. Since then, I have been hooked on Pixar and sought out to get all their short films. A year ago when Toy Story 3 came out, I was excited enough to see it in theatres. Even after all those years, I was still dying to see the antics these toys would get themselves into…this time in 3D! Best (animated) trilogy ever. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYz2wyBy3kc)
25 - Lord of War – I can’t believe this is the third movie I have on my list with Nicholas Cage as the leading role. I wouldn’t say I REALLY like Nicholas Cage as an actor…maybe I do if he is in three of these 25 choices. What’s the deal with him anyway? He seems to get a bad rep. He is a little funny looking and he was in the movie Faceoff. So those are two things right off that back that don’t play into his favour. He always seems to deteriorate in all his movies. He starts off semi-normal in every movie he is in which just progresses with a downward spiral. Hm…nonetheless, see Lord of War for another Nicholas Cage downward spiral. If you’re not convinced to watch it, just sit through the opening credits. You won’t be able to peel yourself away from the screen. (Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avESXf5_1Zk)
Top 10 Honourable Mentions that for some reason didn’t make it on my list (in no particular order):
Spun - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrWD1kVi0ME
Control Room - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-C-pf6ZPmw
Encounters at the End of the World - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3leTaf2Txw
Uncle Buck - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_lOyGcMIEU
Comedian - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDzuT0fXro
Castaway - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJvosb4UCLs
Catfish - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3EDxgecC14
Exit Through the Gift Shop - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJBdDSTbLw
Moon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_Q
Outsourced - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LImhTTFu4b8
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