Just for Kicks...

I know that it has been over a month, but, hey, I've been busy teaching, applying for jobs, editing a book, representing grad students on my campus, oh yeah, and writing my dissertation.

'Tation Update: I now have ONE complete chapter with three others in various states of completion.

Also, I have had a number of friends completing this little blog-thing, I though I would as well. Theoretically, one is a movie geek/nerd/has no life if they have seen 85 of these movies. I might be all of these things, but I also study film for a living (of sorts).

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
(x) Braveheart
Total: 10

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( ) Saw II (Saw I pretty much did what was needed in this area.)
( ) White Noise (My wife saw it, thought it was incredibly stupid, and since no one else saw it, I let it go.)
(x) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total: 10
Running Total ('cuz I'm bad at math): 20

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(I'm not actually sure which "Scary Movie" I saw, but I saw one of them.)
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total: 6
Running Total: 26

(x) Harry Potter 1 [Philosopher's/Sorceror's Stone]
(x) Harry Potter 2 [Chamber of Secrets]
(x) Harry Potter 3 [Prisoner of Azkaban]
(x) Harry Potter 4 [Goblet of Fire]
(x) Resident Evil
(x) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total: 10
Running Total: 36

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch (Do they mean the TV special?)
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( I will assume that they mean the original, even though they probably don't.)
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30 (Mark Ruffalo is so adorable in this movie. It is very well-done for the genre.)
(x) I, Robot
( ) Roots
Total: 5
Running Total: 41

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
(x) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
() KING KONG
Total: 11
Running Total: 52

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
() Halloweentown
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Flubber
Total: 4
Running Total: 55

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
() Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total: 5
Running Total: 60

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play 1
( ) Child's Play 2
( ) Child's Play 3
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Seed of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street (I'm a bit confused as to why the creator of this list has listed all the sequels to everything else, but not this series.)
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total: 8
Running Total: 68

(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(x) Lucky Number Sleven [sic] (This title is spelled wrong. It should be "Slevin".)
(x/x) Ocean's Eleven (original and new)
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Identity
(x) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog (Original)
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total: 8
Running Total: 76

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
(x) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss's Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) Frality
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total: 7
Running Total: 83

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total: 11
Running Total: 94 (Ooops, I'm already over the limit. Let's go for uber-geek status.)

(x) X-Men
(x) X-Men 2
(x) X-Men 3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Others
(x) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total: 11
Running Total: 105

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle
(x) Old School
( ) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old-virgin
(x) Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
(x) Kill Bill
(x) Kill Bill Vol 2
Total: 14
Running Total: 119

On an ethnographic note, I find it interesting that those who have watched three or four sci-fi/horror series' are already well on their way to "having no life". While, in general, this might be true from traditional nomenclature of what it means to "have no life," I think that this might be falsely skewed away from movie types that people who "have a life" might regularly view.

Perhaps it just goes to show what an odd academic I am that I seriously consider trying to craft a more indicative list or one which might give an insight into one's general pop culture literacy.

One of the things that has amazed me in my teaching is the lack of general cultural knowledge that is considered to be part of common knowledge.

On a recent quiz, I listed 35 quotations that most people in America should be relatively familiar with, with a definite angle towards things that students might have seen in the last few years. So, in addition to quotes from "The Wizard of Oz", I included major quotes from "The Notebook" and "Fight Club". Out of these 35 quotations, most people were unable to get the location of more than 10.

Now, I understand that not everyone pays attention to the details of film, like I do, but it should be general knowledge that, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," is from "Gone with the Wind".

Maybe it is just me.