Double or Nothing

Having stayed up far too late last night, watching my recorded version of the Academy Awards (which cut off right as the darling Ben Affleck blathered on about working on his marriage), I'm still reeling with movie madness. Sadly we only saw one of the nominated films, Argo, which I thought was amazing and just possibly the most thrilling movie I have ever seen. The real truth is we never watch movies, almost never. When faced with the odd and rare night alone, sitting next to one another in a dark theatre is never the first choice. As two who like to talk, we find bickering across the table a far more productive use of our precious time. It's not that I don't like movies, I really do, I just never seem to find the time to commit to two hours of quiet to a single activity. Recently we tried to watch the Bourne series at home, meaning that I was free to do other important things while watching. The sad truth is that I am not in any way intelligent enough to follow a spy/thriller/action movie if not parked in a dark theatre with strangers and nothing else to do but stare at a screen. Matching socks while trying to follow Jason Bourne, or whoever in the world he really is, traipsing through the streets of Paris, is just far too taxing.

We have friends who can find a relevant movie quote to match almost every conceivable situation. It's amazing, our conversation veers to the large chunks of ice floating aimlessly around Lake Michigan and Jay, without any seeming effort, produces from his brain file a quote from the 2012 movie "Big Miracle". His wife responds immediately, "oh right! 'The Governor has basically turned his back on the whales', I know!", being that she is the other person who actually saw this movie. Half the time I have no idea what is happening, they are just that fast. 

1. "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

2. "I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball. "

3. "Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys f#@k up again, I'm going to get mad. Goodnight."

4. "Double or nothing he eats it."

There it is, the extent of my ability to quote movies, all from quality and thought provoking films. Unfortunately it's not often I find the perfect time to inject "double or nothing he eats it" into dinner conversation. I'm working on that.

Below is a list of my favorite movies, at least as I see them today. Note not one was produced in the last ten years, not that I don't think any good movies have been made lately, I just haven't seen them.


1. When Harry Met Sally
2. All the President's Men
3. Mary Poppins
4. Best in Show
5. Dial M for Murder
6. Bull Durham
7. A Little Romance
8. The Contender
9. The Sound of Music
10. Waking Ned Devine

You know that Argo movie was very good, maybe in five years or so it will crack my top ten list.

Quotes Above:
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Bull Durhan
3. All the President's Men
4. Caddyshack