I Am a Movie Freak: The 1990's

The 1990's - Part 2 of 4

The 1990’s not only brought about my pre-teen/teenage years, but also many, many memorable movies. Again, most of these films were included in Fab 5 sleepovers, mildly irresponsible weekends with high school friends (Jordan) and what little free time I had as a college freshman. Music icons Whitney, Madonna, Cher, and Janet ruled this decade. Tom and Meg, Leo, and Drew also starred in more than a few of the movies that I (still) cannot get enough of. Here is my list…

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Johnny Depp…so handsome…even as an incomplete, oddly pale man with scissor hands.

Home Alone (1990) – The Home Alone house is for sale…$2.4 million. It is more than 4,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms. I’ll take it!

Mermaids (1990) – Cher, Wynona Ryder, and Christina Ricci make the (almost) perfect little family. I LOVE this movie.

Boyz in the Hood (1991) – White pre-teens from a small Southern Illinois town obsessed over this movie – me included.Doc Hollywood (1991) – What a great movie…Michael J Fox is my fav!

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) – I love to eat fried green tomatoes while watching this movie.

The Man in the Moon (1991) – First love, first kiss, first heartbreak…and a first movie for Reese Witherspoon.

My Girl (1991) – I adore this movie. A few weeks ago I caught this movie on TV. I laughed and cried, and laughed and cried. It is soooo good.

A League of Their Own (1992) – “Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!”

The Bodyguard (1992) – I know that Dolly Parton sang it first, but Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” is one of my most loved songs. It is incredible as is this movie.

Dazed and Confused (1993) – Did you know the f-word is used 59 times in this movie? “All right, all right, all right.”

Poetic Justice (1993) – This movie staring Janet Jackson and Tupac was a favorite of mine and my sister’s. We watched it over and over.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) – So romantic…I must reinstate that I L-O-V-E Tom Hanks.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) - Beautiful movie…beautiful actors…oops…I mean beautiful acting.

Forrest Gump (1994) – “Dear God, make me a bird. So I could fly far…far far away from here.” You thought I was going to use this quote…”My momma always said, “Life was like a box a chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”…didn’t you?!

Billy Madison (1995) – Classic. Need I say anything?

Boys on the Side (1995) – Very funny, very moving…I love it.

Clueless (1995) – As sophomores in high school, Jordan and I must have watched this movie every weekend. “God…shit…that’s so embarrassing.”

Empire Records (1995) – “We mustn't dwell... no, not today. We CAN'T. Not on Rex Manning day.”

Se7en (1995) – Extra creepy and at times rather disgusting, but Brad Pitt is so handsome, I don’t even mind.

Tommy Boy (1995) – Chris Farley…need I say more?

Waiting to Exhale (1995) – Absolutely, without a doubt one of the best soundtracks ever. The movie is fantastic too. I love Whitney Houston.

Black Sheep (1996) – I always considered myself the black sheep of my family.

The Craft (1996) – Teen witchcraft at its finest.

Fargo (1996) – Classic.

Happy Gilmore (1996) – As strange as it may seem, I watched some of this movie with my Grandma and her sister one evening. They loved it. I love it too.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) – I was obsessed with this movie and with Leonardo DiCaprio. I wanted to be Claire Daines. The soundtrack was amazing and produced two songs that were so lovely I played them over and over…and over…and over…Kissing You by Des’ree and Love Fool by The Cardigans.

Scream (1996) – Matt has never seen any of these movies. I’m gonna have to catch him up because (as cheesy as it sounds) Scream 4 is on my “Want to See” movie list.

Event Horizon (1997) – Sci-fi thriller…just what a (somewhat) nerdy girl likes.

The Fifth Element (1997) – Again…the nerdy Sci-fi thriller side of me.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) – Another memorable 90’s teen thriller. Random fact: Jennifer Love Hewitt and I share the same birthday (February 21), but she is 1 year older than me.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) – Dermot Mulroney…yum. It has a fantastic soundtrack too.

Titanic (1997) – I went to see this movie with my boyfriend at the time. I cried all the way home afterwards. He made fun of me just like a teenage boy should!

Ever After (1998) – A Cinderella-like movie that I love, love, love. Drew Barrymore is fabulous.

Home Fries (1998) – Another Drew Barrymore movie that is rather superb. Did I mention that she is fabulous?

Hope Floats (1998) – On my top 10 list of favorite movies…and soundtracks. Harry Connick Jr is so charming.

Pleasantville (1998) – Such an underrated movie. I could watch this one over and over and never get tired of it.

The Truman Show (1998) – One of Jim Carey’s greatest…in my opinion at least.

You’ve Got Mail (1998) – Another Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan favorite. This movie made me want to own a bookstore. F-O-X.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) – I miss Heath Ledger.

American Pie (1999) – One time…at band camp…

The Blair Witch Project (1999) – I saw this movie with my parents. And sadly, I slept on the floor of their bedroom that night.

The Cider House Rules (1999) – Tobey Maguire is terrific and Charlize Theron is beautiful.

Cruel Intentions (1999) - A not so typical teen flick. Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Philippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Selma Blair are my heroes.

Fight Club (1999) – Brad Pitt…ahh…sigh. He looks magnificent in this film. Don’t you agree?

Girl, Interrupted (1999) – Love Wynona Ryder and Brittany Murphy…hate Angelina Jolie.

The Green Mile (1999) – Even at more than 3 hours long, this movie had my full attention. It is amazing.

The Sixth Sense (1999) – This was one of M. Night Shyamalan’s first movies and my favorite of them all.

Varsity Blues (1999) – This movie came out after I graduated high school, but I watched it over and over again reminiscing of our football team my senior year. We were awesome and so is this film.

The Virgin Suicides (1999) – I read the book before I watched the movie…loved them both.

Next: The 2000’s; an era where Donnie Darko ate Chocolat while waiting on his One Hour Photo, The Matchstick Men traveled through the Garden State to Brokeback Mountain, and Marie Antoinette was Knocked Up by the Dark Knight. None of which any of them remembered because of The Hangover they suffered.

(Click here to read part 1)

My Summer (Craft) Projects

What comes to mind when you think of a summer project? Most people may think of things that they want to accomplish around the house - building a fence, growing a garden, cleaning windows (although this is usually done in the spring). I am not that person. I definitely don't do windows. My house has 39 of them and they will probably be completely nontransparent before I unhappily wash them. I was that girl last summer...and the summer before that. But, not this year. My summer will be spent doing something that I absolutely love - crafting.

I have 6 projects on my list so far.

1) A yarn wreath...that (hopefully) will look something like this...but in a very pretty blue with grey flowers. This one I have started. So I guess this would be considered a spring (although it feels like summer) project. I hoped that it would end up being birthday gift for my sister. But alas, it is a long, slow process. I don't know if it will be done in time. Unfortunately the yarn doesn't wrap itself.

2) A necklace hanger similar to this...

3) A wall vase just like this...

4) An organizer...

5) A shelf...

6) And a wrag wreath...

I am so excited to finally spend some much needed time...if only 30 minutes a day...working on a very neglected hobby of mine. Stayed tuned for photos throughout the summer of my masterpieces.

I Am a Movie Freak

I have estimated that I have seen more than 1300 movies in my thirty-one years. That is more than 100 days spent devoting my time and attention to another world, a piece of history, or a romance so great it makes me fall in love all over again. Once, I laughed so loudly during a movie that I was told by the man sitting next to me that he enjoyed the movie even more just by hearing me laugh. On more than one occasion I cried all the way home after the movie. And more times than I can count, I have watched such frightening movies that I was too scared to sleep and called my mom to come and get me from a friends house.

Did I learn a lesson from any of those situations? Nope. I still laugh until I can’t breathe. In fact, during my last outrageously expensive visit to the theatre I was told to hush by my own husband. And I still cry, cry, and cry over loves and lives lost. I’m tearing up now just thinking about those movies. And I still (even though I regret it afterwards) give in and scare myself so badly, that I run to the bathroom in the middle of the night and run even more quickly back to bed.

Now that’s devotion – don’t you think? So much devotion in fact, that I have spent more time than I’d like to admit compiling a list of my all time favorite movies. When I got to more than 400 I decided to narrow it down to by top 50 by decade. The 80’s and 90’s were easy…kind of. But then came the 2000’s. Not only were these movies more recent, but I inadvertently spent much of my twenties (24-27ish to be exact) in a fantasyland so what better way to cope than to loose myself in the dreams, hopes, and desires that movies have to offer.

I almost didn’t write this blog because even with all the investigating and racking my brain, I knew that I would leave some out. Being the perfectionist I am (at certain things) I wasn’t sure that I could deal with a flawed list. But, after much consideration I decided that this was inevitable. With hundreds of movies being released each year I simply couldn’t remember every single film I have ever seen. Although I did research, not even those websites provided a list of every movie ever made – even though they claimed they did. So…in order alphabetically by year (not by preference), enjoy the unavoidably imperfect list of movies I love.

The 1980’s - Part 1 of 4

A few of these movies were part of weekend family outings that included a trip to the theatre. Others were watched years after they were released when I was more age appropriate. Most were experienced with my childhood best friend (she had cable) and scheduled into our weekly sleepovers where I was forced (yes, forced) to watch Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th over and over again. Those did not make the list. But these 50 did…


Annie (1982) – Who doesn’t love this one? It almost made me want to be an orphan too.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – This is on everyone’s list…right?

The Dark Crystal (1982) – A favorite of mine since I was very young. So imaginative!

A Christmas Story (1983) – One of my brother-in-laws’ favorites too!

War Games (1983) – 1980’s computer hacking. Matthew Broderick is so good. I could watch this movie over and over again.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) – This one gets funnier every time I watch it.

Ghostbusters (1984) – I am definitely going to call Ghostbusters if I ever cross paths with a not so friendly ghost!

Gremlins (1984) – Gizmo!

Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) – This is for sure my favorite of all the Muppet movies.

The Neverending Story (1984) – One of the best fantasy films ever made.

Sixteen Candles (1984) – Own it, love it. Just one of several great John Hughes films.

Back to the Future (1985) – After this movie I couldn’t wait until the day we could all time travel. I’m still waiting…

The Breakfast Club (1985) – This was the most watched of the Brat Pack movies. It seems like we rented it every weekend. I always told my best friend Katie that I hated it, but I secretly loved it!

Brewster’s Millions (1985) – Spend $30 million in 30 days; I could do it!

The Goonies (1985) – I own this movie and have probably watched it 100 times. It is one of my all time favorites.

Teen Wolf (1985) - Michael J Fox was my first crush solely because of this movie.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Own it. Love it. Classic.

Flight of the Navigator (1986) – This is one of the first movies I remember watching in the theatre.

Labryinth (1986) – Kind of scary for a 6 year old. I haven’t seen it in years. Maybe this weekend…

The Money Pit (1986) – It wasn’t until Matt and I purchased our house that I was introduced to this movie. Matt kept referencing it, saying he hoped our house didn’t turn out to be a “money pit.” Later that fall I caught it on TV and very much enjoyed it. Tom Hanks and Shelly Long are amazingly funny.

Pretty in Pink (1986) – Another unforgettable John Hughes movie. I wish I had been a teenager in the 80’s.

Short Circuit (1986) – Number 5 is alive!

Stand By Me (1986) – Katie and I watched this movie at least 9,259 times during our childhood. She recently referenced it in her blog too. To be young again…

Batteries Not Included (1987) – I caught a few minutes of this movie on TV recently. Until then, I had completely forgot about it…and how much I adore it.

Adventures in Babysitting (1987) – Until I watched a clip from this movie on YouTube I did not think that I had ever seen it. But I have. And I love it! How could I not remember?

Hello Again (1987) – I think my sister and I rented this movie every weekend. Shelly Long is fabulous.

The Lost Boys (1987) – This movie reminds me of Katie. Another (kinda) scary one that she made me watch over and over.

Mannequin (1987) – There is a reason why a majority of these films remind me of my childhood best friend. I think all we did (other than prank call people and write in science books) was watch great 80’s movies. This one included.

Raising Arizona (1987) – I did not realize until I was writing this that the Coen brothers wrote this movie. They have the knack for making absolutely hilarious movies.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) – Comedy, fantasy, horror. Whatever you call it…I call it fabulous. Cher is fantastic.

Beaches (1988) – Love, love, love Bette Midler.

Beetlejuice (1988) – I watched this one in the theatre with my family. A little freaky then, but a favorite now!

Big (1988) – Undoubtedly my favorite 80’s movie. I L-O-V-E Tom Hanks. I have the lines memorized word for word. “The space goes down, down baby, down, down the roller coaster…”

Big Business (1988) – Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin make me laugh until I cry.

License to Drive (1988) – The Corey’s…need I say more?

Mystic Pizza (1988) – One of Julia Roberts’ first movies. And one of my many much loved Julia Roberts movies.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – I had the Nintendo game.

Willow (1988) – Of all the movies my Grandparents could have owned, this was the one and only VHS I ever remember them having. It was a sort of early Lord of the Rings. Except Willow (a dwarf) was protecting a baby from an evil queen. It’s a definite favorite.

Dead Poet’s Society (1989) – Own it. Seen it a gazillion times. Carpe diem.

Dream a Little Dream (1989) – Katie and I watched this in the theatre. Or was it License to Drive? Either way, we saw it together. I didn’t get a lot of it at that time…kind of over my head for a 9 year old. But we loved the Corey’s so we just haaad to see it!

Field of Dreams (1989) – Summertime, baseball, Iowa, Kevin Costner…what’s not to love?

Heathers (1989) – Martha Dump truck!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – Need I say anything about this one.

Parenthood (1989) – This is another movie that I have practically memorized…”When your sliding into first…” It also stars Martha Plimpton whom has made an awesome comeback as Virginia on Raising Hope. Probably my 2nd all time favorite movie!

Say Anything (1989) – A great movie and a great song in an unforgettable scene. I wish a boy would have done that for me!

Steel Magnolias (1989) – Again…I love Julia Roberts movies. This one makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

The Burbs’ (1989) – Tom Hanks…enough said.

The Wizard (1989) – This movie brings back fond memories of me and my sister fighting over our Nintendo.

Troop Beverly Hills (1989) – This is another movie that was watched over and over again. Shelly Long is so funny. Girl Scouts in Beverly Hills…hilarious.

Next: The 90’s. A decade where Mermaids ate Fried Green Tomatoes while Dazed and Confused. Forrest Gump was Clueless and Romeo + Juliet Scream Ever After in Pleasantville. We had American Pie at My Best Friend’s Wedding and watched Hope Float a Green Mile. In the end The Cider House Rules were broken with Cruel Intentions which provoked The Virgin Suicides.