tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post3155660222525155132..comments2024-03-27T21:42:56.131-05:00Comments on 1001plus: RingsideSJHoneywellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-79570875063279446312014-12-18T21:57:16.834-06:002014-12-18T21:57:16.834-06:00The minute she signed her name on the contract.The minute she signed her name on the contract.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-31700884827136637922014-12-17T23:20:06.779-06:002014-12-17T23:20:06.779-06:00Wait wait wait! Aeon Flux is considered one of Cha...Wait wait wait! <i>Aeon Flux</i> is considered one of Charlize Theron's <b>bad</b> films?<br /><br />When did that happen?Tonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17921029597363212734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-51978619975533943292013-04-23T21:22:30.456-05:002013-04-23T21:22:30.456-05:00I'm going to take a guess. Does it have somet...I'm going to take a guess. Does it have something to do with which actors/actresses have been nominated/won an Oscar for playing an athlete? And no, I've not looked into the answer to that. I'll wait for you to share your research. :-)Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-66585930357448624812013-04-23T07:50:07.822-05:002013-04-23T07:50:07.822-05:00And boxing still gets more than its share. I'v...And boxing still gets more than its share. I've got another question I'm itching to ask here, but I'm not going to. No, I'm going to hold onto it and do the research myself.<br /><br />Also, you're a <i>lot</i> closer to having seen all of the nominees than I am. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-14720443634418563272013-04-22T20:42:50.070-05:002013-04-22T20:42:50.070-05:00Boy, you're just trying to tease me with these...Boy, you're just trying to tease me with these questions, aren't you? I can't review all 503 nominees right now (since I still haven't seen 95 of them), but here's a quick pass, working backwards from today:<br /><br />Moneyball (baseball)<br />The Fighter (although it is far more about the boxer's family than it is about boxing. I think there's only one bout.)<br />The Blindside (again, far more about the family than about football)<br />Million Dollar Baby (boxing)<br />Seabiscuit (horse racing)<br />Gladiator (gladiator combats in the ring)<br />Jerry Maguire (not really about sports, but a sports agent)<br />Field of Dreams (baseball)<br />Chariots of Fire (track and field, Olympics)<br />Raging Bull (boxing)<br />Breaking Away (cycling)<br />Heaven Can Wait 1978 (football)<br />Rocky (boxing)<br />The Hustler (billiards)<br />On the Waterfront (about a boxer, but not about boxing)<br /><br />That's it for the nominees back through 1945. I've seen all nominees from 1967-up and all but 12 of the ones from 1945-1966. I don't think any of the 12 I haven't seen are about sports.<br /><br />Taking a look at the 57 nominees prior to 1945 I've seen I only get:<br /><br />Pride of the Yankees (baseball)<br /><br />So that's 3 for baseball, 3 or 4 for boxing, 1 or 2 about football, and 1 each about billiards, cycling, track and field/Olympics, gladiator ring combats, and horse racing.<br />Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-26444095099464982812013-04-22T19:55:43.229-05:002013-04-22T19:55:43.229-05:00Good question. I'm thinking that when I get th...Good question. I'm thinking that when I get the chance, I'd like to see how many actual sports films--not a scene or two but films actually focused on a sport--have even been nominated for Best Picture. I know there are a number of others, and I bet that boxing still comes out with more than its share. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-51620099444954694202013-04-22T17:35:29.570-05:002013-04-22T17:35:29.570-05:00When I saw your comment about sports movies I reme...When I saw your comment about sports movies I remembered our earlier exchange and lo and behold, there was a link to it. Inspired by this, and your comment that three Best Picture winners were about sports (I'm assuming you meant Rocky, Chariots of Fire, and Million Dollar Baby), I decided to take a pass through the Oscar list, too.<br /><br />Going My Way has some small scenes involving pickup baseball, but more to show how cool the new priest is than to really have a sporting competition. As you mentioned, On the Waterfront is about a boxer, although not boxing. Ben-Hur has the big chariot race. Forrest Gump has some quick sporting scenes (football, table tennis), but that's it. Gladiator has armed combat in a ring, which was considered a sport at the time.<br /><br />That's it. Going through the list I was struck by the sheer number that were historical movies that didn't even offer a chance of any kind of professional sport in them.<br /><br />As for the two movies you reviewed, I liked both of them. I actually didn't see Rocky until after I had seen at least 2, 3, and possibly 4. I never saw 5. I did see Rocky Balboa, and if you haven't seen it, it is a return to what made the original movie great - more about the characters than about the boxing.<br /><br />I agree that Million Dollar Baby is a downer. I've never watched it since the first time I saw it. Her mother could go on a list of the worst mothers ever put in movies, right along with the mother from the recent boxing movie The Fighter. What is it about boxing and mothers?Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-1443144685764831992013-04-22T11:19:30.015-05:002013-04-22T11:19:30.015-05:00Agreed completely. I'm not even sure I'd c...Agreed completely. I'm not even sure I'd call Creed a villain. He's really just an opponent, or an obstacle for Rocky to overcome. One of the problems with the series as it continued was exactly that--the opposing boxer became not a real opponent, but a bad guy. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-15427643315020187982013-04-22T11:16:05.871-05:002013-04-22T11:16:05.871-05:00Nice job, Steve. I've only seen Million Dollar...Nice job, Steve. I've only seen Million Dollar Baby once in the theaters, and while I enjoyed it, I don't remember it that well.<br /><br />On the other hand, I've seen Rocky many times. I went back and watched all six films for the LAMBcast last year, and it was really interesting to note the massive changes in the series. What works so well about the first movie is the way it builds the characters, and not just Rocky. Mickey, Pauly, and Adrian have their own arcs and are played so well. Also, I feel like Apollo Creed is so believable and isn't your standard villain. Weathers really gets what makes this guy tick, and he's also excellent in Rocky 2 despite some issues with the overall film. Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-40032326499032007692013-04-22T08:09:24.120-05:002013-04-22T08:09:24.120-05:00@Kim--For me, Million Dollar Baby is the better fi...@Kim--For me, <i>Million Dollar Baby</i> is the better film, but given a choice, I'd pick <i>Rocky</i> as one I'd rather watch almost every time. And a great call on Charlize Theron. One wonders how many <i>Aeon Flux</i>es she's allowed for each <i>Monster</i> she makes.<br /><br />@Nick--One of these days, you should just watch it. It might not live up to some hype you've heard, but it really is good.<br /><br />@Jay--Well, when you want to ram home a particular aspect of a character, nothing does it like a stereotype, right? As for <i>The Core</i>...no comment.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-41632909333755488632013-04-22T07:36:59.439-05:002013-04-22T07:36:59.439-05:00I prefer Million Dollar Baby to Rocky - not a huge...I prefer Million Dollar Baby to Rocky - not a huge Stallone fan, but I love Morgan Freeman - but I always get so damn annoyed at the cookie-cutter caricatures of Swank's family in that film, even if one of them is Riki Lindhome, who I adore. And don't you dare bad mouth The Core, I love that ridiculous, implausible, insane wonder of a film.JayCluitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16972011198109066985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-91423769795178112342013-04-22T01:30:08.567-05:002013-04-22T01:30:08.567-05:00Rocky is still on my "shame" list, sadly...Rocky is still on my "shame" list, sadly. I've still never seen it (though for some reason I've seen Rocky Balboa, which I didn't like).Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08092564511948736386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-50016932035830293482013-04-22T00:27:47.684-05:002013-04-22T00:27:47.684-05:00See, I prefer Rocky to Million Dollar Baby. Perha...See, I prefer Rocky to Million Dollar Baby. Perhaps it's the depression factor... As for Swank, she's like Charlize Theron--they do one great film every now and then and then make a half dozen crappy movies and then another good film. It's a vicious cycle. Kimberly J.M. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09078951928157843937noreply@blogger.com