Here we go for round 1 of March Movie Madness! Time to get in the mix and vote.
Image by mcgreevey via Flickr
A couple of you have asked if it’s okay to promote your movie elsewhere to get votes. The answer to that is hecks yeah! Let’s have some fun. Voting for each poll will remain open for 3 days.
For each matchup you’ll see the movie title followed by the person defending the flick. You may also see a link next to their name so check them out and see if you don’t make a new acquaintance.
One final twist. For the first time ever, I’m hiding all poll results, so no one will know who is ahead until the poll closes! Crazy right? Okay, stop throwing objects at me with your mind.
And now, I give you March Movie Madness. Begin.
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Fight Club (Tyler Tarver-TylerTarver.com) vs.
Fight Club has everything a cardiovascular organ could desire: Fincher, fighting, Norton, rebellion, credit card debt redemption, Meatloaf, Jared Leto, and Brad Pitt’s best performance (also his 27 abs). Once one realizes it’s more of a gritty dark comedy, one can fully grasp the irony, filmmaking ability, and legitimate societal points made in this cult classic. All that glory, combined with an M. Night Shyamalan twist, created the only movie I’ve ever seen that was better than the book. First rule, go see Fight Club; Second Rule: Vote, for, Fight Club, sir…
The Dark Knight (Rob Shepherd-RobShep.com)
Fact: Jack Nicholson was the greatest super hero villain in movie history. Until Heath Ledger played the Joker in the Dark Knight.
Fact: Superhero movies are hard to make good. There are more awful than good…Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Punisher, Superman IV, Batman & Robin = stink!
Fact: The Dark Knight is not only the greatest superhero movie of all time it’s so good even people who don’t like superhero movies like it.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Annie-Six Ring Circus) vs.
What makes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, written and directed by the late John Hughes, such a great film is it’s memorable quotes and unforgettable characters. Who doesn’t remember Ben Stein muttering “Bueller…..Bueller….Bueller”, or the school secretary calling Bueller a “righteous dude”? There are so many hilarious moments in the film that I’m finding it impossible to sum it up in four sentences! The fact that this movie was first released in 1986 makes me feel terribly old but it’s one of those movies that defines a generation and makes you laugh so hard you pop your 80′s bolo tie right off your neck.
Dazed and Confused (Jamie-All Things Fnkybee)
Everyone who didn’t grow up in the 70′s secretly wishes they would have and this film lets you live in the 70′s for a day. Every single one of us is in tune with at least one character in the movie and most of all we get to relive the feeling when the bell rang for the last time and “Schools is out for Summer,” who didn’t love that! Dazed and Confused has a great cast, a great story that everyone can relate to in one way or another. It’s a feel good movie for everyone!
Apollo 13 (Rick Reynolds-Website) vs.
Apollo 13 is the film that got me hooked on NASA and wanting to learn all I could about how we went to the moon. I don’t believe that any other film can rival it for it’s authenticity (former Apollo astronauts wanted to learn where Ron Howard got certain footage, believing he had found some secret stashes of documentary film). And the drama of Apollo 13 is all real. You have the hopes and dreams of a nation colliding with the real dangers of space flight, as well as Jim Lovell’s personal trial of survival combined with his knowing that he’ll never get to realize his dream of walking on the moon.
Life Is Beautiful (Kim Wilson-New Life Cal U)
We all face trials and tragedies beyond our control, and “Life Is Beautiful” inspires us to look past those circumstances and to see that life is what we make of it. A brilliant combination of comedy and drama, this award-winning Italian film draws us in and even makes us forget we’re reading subtitles. Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful” leaves a lasting impression about the perseverance of the human spirit and deserves your vote!
The Lion King (Jess-Meet the Buttrams) vs.
Both Harry and Simba have a destiny to fulfill, roles they had no choice to step into, and both movies explore divergent responses to that destiny. While Harry embraced it, bravely fighting the wizard world’s baddest foe while simultaneously battling puberty, Simba did what most of us would really do, if we were honest with ourselves: run away, pretend our problems don’t exist, and find a flatulent warthog to hang out with. Sure, HP5 has some rad special effects, but TLK has two things HP can’t boast (at least not yet): an award-winning show on Broadway…and JTT.
Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix (Krys-Keenie Beanie)
What’s not to like in this 5th installment of the Harry Potter series? There is the secret squirrel action of the members of the Order being revealed to Harry and his formation of “Dumbledore’s Army” with his fellow students to fight the tyranny of Professor Umbridge. There is her sublime comeuppance delivered at the hands of the Weasley twins during the equivalent OWL exams, and last but certainly not least that epic duel with Voldemort that proves Dumbledore is THE MAN. Click over to www.keeniebeanie.blogspot.com to read a comprehensive stump for Harry Potter’s victory.
Ghost (Wendy-Herding Cats in Hammond River) vs.
“Ghost” should win because it had everything a great movie should have: romance, humour, suspense, and pathos. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore together were a very hot couple…the pottery wheel scene is one of the sexiest I’ve ever seen where the actors aren’t naked! Whoopie Goldberg won multiple awards for her role, including an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The soundtrack rocked too…it featured The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.”
Four Weddings & A Funeral (limr-As a Linguist)
This movie is memorable and great because of the way it manages to capture paradoxes of life and love so well. We see this within characters (Hugh Grant’s fumbling charm, for example), within the relationships, (eccentric Scarlett marries the straight-laced American), and within the message itself that sometimes people have to stay unmarried to stay together. It doesn’t shy away from messiness either: Fiona’s unrequited love for Charles, Gareth’s tragic death, Henrietta’s being left at the altar. It’s funny and poignant, sweet and sorrowful, and it does all this seamlessly.
Independence Day (Kerry-Twitter @KerryMeacham)
Okay, what do you get when you mix Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, and a bunch of hammerheaded, slimy, mercury-eyed aliens trying to take over our planet? A kick-a** movie designed to touch you funny bone, heart, and soul. The characters are all perfect for their roles, from Will Smith as a cocky but loveable jet fighter pilot, Goldblum as a smart a** quirky computer geek, and Vivica as a mother who will do anything for her son, including stripping to put food on the table. Anyone that watches President Thomas J. Whitemore’s (Bill Pullman) speech sceen just prior to the final battle and doesn’t get choked up needs to be checked for a pulse, and who doesn’t occassionally use the line from the scene when Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) finally understands how to kick the alien spaceship into high gear, “I got to get me one of these!”
The Matrix (Ashley-AshleyKnight.com)
The Matrix changed the way we viewed & directed action movies. No longer content to just sit by & watch “shoot ‘em up” scenes, it made us hunger for heroes clad in skin tight black lycra, racing up the sides of walls, keeping perfect aim all the while to the beat of a kick a** song that made you want to leap out of your seat & head to the nearest Hot Topic store for your own leather duster jacket. It made you question reality & ask the age old question “are our dreams just dreams or are they in fact what’s real?”. Phenomenal film making!
North by Northwest (Jessi-JessWords) vs.
Imagine Alfred Hitchcock himself planning your vacation. First you deal with a case of mistaken identity in New York, followed by several death threats in Chicago and one startling and all too close encounter with an airplane on a highway. The climax of your trip involves an up close and personal tour of Mount Rushmore, bullet proof vest not yet invented. To quote: “Now you listen to me, I’m an advertising man, not a red herring. I’ve got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don’t intend to disappoint them all by getting myself “slightly” killed.”
Casablanca (Kathy-K. B. Owen’s blog & Todd-Todd Pack’s Messy Desk)
Click here for “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid”: three reasons why you should vote for Casablanca. And take the online fill-in-the-blank quiz! (What do you win? A trip down memory lane!)
Gladiator (Erin-1sttimeoffender) vs.
A fall from grace, betrayal, unrequited love, blood, guts. If these brought to your mind images of Charlie Sheen, you are not alone, but they can also be found in Gladiator. Not only did this movie win 5 Oscars, It did it with the lead actor pretending to be a Spaniard in Rome with a New Zealand accent.
Braveheart (Tamara-TamaraOutLoud)
Braveheart has a fierceness and a love so powerful the film can transcend language. I talked many years ago with a friend in Spain, each of us limited in the other’s native tongue, and when this movie came up, we needed no words: We each clasped our hand to our hearts, sighed deeply, and understood.
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Thanks for voting! Be sure to push for your favorites. Have fun with this in the comment section and check out the links of the people who were willing to participate. You guys are fantastic!
Also, if you want to do a regular NCAA tournament bracket challenge against me, you can even though you’ll lose. Simply click this link to be defeated by me. Password is educlaytion. 
Love this idea. Should make for some interesting clashes as the genres start to mix!
Absolutely. These matchups are so random, but I did try to put similar picks against one another at first.
Like the match-up’s, hiding the results will make it more of a challange… Great movie’s in each bracket and yes each one I had a definite favorite, but won’t spoil the results by telling which one’s….
I went back and forth on whether or not to hide the results but am sure this way is better for the outcome. Less influence by knowing the numbers.
Since you’re so sure you’re going to prevail, I’m totally going to steal your bracket for my office pool. I’m backing your choices with real money, so you’d better come through for me!
Uh-oh. I should disclose that I haven’t watched a full college bball game in years! So, I might just be blustery
Looks great, Clay. I like that you’re keeping the voting under wraps. Builds more suspense. And great pitches, everyone.
Gladiator vs. Braveheart? Man, that is a tough one.
Right?! I already told Clay: I’m gonna kill him.
I know! Who put Gladiator against Braveheart? You guys are brutal.
Can’t wait to see how this pans out – really enjoyed reading everyone’s ollie-oop for their movie!
I am now going to work ollie-oop into a conversation with a stranger today somehow.
Checked out everyone’s blogs– some fun stuff out there. Just wanted to let you know Six Ring Circus, Keenie Beanie, and As A Linguist didn’t have working links for me.
Thanks for the heads up Tamara – the link to my write up within the pitch does work, but the one next to my name is trying to link to Clay’s site.
I fixed it. Thanks T!
Ooh, thanks for the update. I’m checking on that directly.
This is quite the competition, especially since we don’t know the score until the end of the game! Nice pitches everyone!
I concur. The mystery ups the stakes.
Man, I’m up against Bueller!!! That’s one tough match up! 2 of my favorite movies! Of course we know which one my vote went for! “All Right, All Right, All Right”
My post today is dedicated to my movie!
I think I literally know every word to both movies in your matchup. I’m not proud of that. Well, maybe a little.
Some great pics… where is the foreign section? What about Amelie or Run Lola Run? Am I the only one that liked these.
Dazed and Confused all the way!!
I’ve almost watched Amelie like 5 times. True story. Now you are making me think about it again. The last foreign flick I watch was Goodbye, Lenin. Great movie.
Great idea, Clay. Thanks for your time and efforts.
You got it.
Casablanca vs North by Northwest was a killer. How on earth am I supposed to choose between the two???
I know exactly what you mean. I don’t have to worry about voting here, but some of these pairing are brutal! I love N x Nwest AND Casablanca.
As everyone has already said, some amazing match-ups in this comp!
I’m looking forward to seeing how everything goes – I’m very excited!
And you, my friend, are up tomorrow.
Of those listed–I like The Dark Knight and Gladiator the most. The others were mostly toss-ups.
I love in Gladiator when he yells “Are you not entertained? Is this not why you have come?” Dark Knight is also very good. This field is diverse but very strong.
You have home court advantage against me in this first round. I don’t know if it will amount to anything but I am about to launch a Facebook and Twitter campaign for the Dark Knight. The only problem is that people really love Fight Club, so it might back fire. Oh well at least they will come check out your site.
Hi Rob. Do you mean me or Tyler Tarver? I’m not participating in the matchups, just hosting the bracket. But campaign away!
Sorry…I meant Tyler.
I didn’t read it very carefully and I thought I was going up against you. That’s what I get for reading it at 2:30 AM on an iPod. My bad.
No problem my friend! I know that feeling.
I’m humbled by the quality of the movie defenses above…I am completely outclassed! Well done!
Wendy
(who will never snag a job as a movie critic)
i will always vote for Four Weddings and a Funeral simply for the 87 times the f bomb gets dropped in the first 2 minutes.
Bollocks!
Really? I’m gonna have to go watch that now. That’s one of my very favorite words.
This is sooooo much fun!
Word. Vote up!
You know what? These were all easy picks for me. No hesitations on the voting finger for me this time. Fun contest!
We’ll see if you have your finger on the pulse of the voters