31 Day Film Challenge

My pick for today is American Beauty (1993), Sam Mendes’

Today’s is the easiest pick of the 31 Day Film Challenge by a long-shot.  I really, truly, deeply and categorically cannot stand Matt Damon. As much as I wish I could, I cannot put a finger on exactly what it is that irks me so much about Matt Damon.  I like many, even most, of…

So, I know I chose both a Jeff Bridges and a Coen brothers film just a couple of days ago, but I can’t help it.  I’m doing it again today. Jeff Bridges is an unlikely pick, I know, but he’s definitely one of my favorite actors.  And if I’m forced (which I am today) to…

About eight months ago, when I was planning the syllabus for last semester’s Philosophy of Film course, I had exactly the same problem I’m having today trying to determine which is the “best” of the hundreds of truly great sports films.  Here was (and is) my dilemma:  when I think of sport as an important…

My “favorite Director” is, technically speaking, two directors:  the brothers Ethan and Joel Coen.  Although they are separate people, of course, who have talents distinct from one another, it is still the case that most cinephiles treat them as the single entity “Coen brothers.”  It was hard to pass over many in the pantheon of…

As I mentioned a few days ago, I am in the process of making my first documentary film this summer, so I probably thought a good deal more about today’s prompt than I otherwise might have.  There are so many different types of documentaries and the ones I like the most, I like for very…

Like a lot of other people doing the 31 Day Film Challenge, I can quote “a” line from most film’s that I’ve seen.  I can quote several lines from all the good films I’ve seen.  Some films, like Casablanca and The Godfather and The Holy Grail, include dialogue that has embedded itself so deeply in…

For today’s pick I’m making a somewhat ticky-tack distinction between a film “soundtrack” and a film “score.”  My favorite film score is definitely Ennio Morricone‘s composition for The Mission, one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music ever written as far as I’m concerned.  I picked The Mission on Day 1 of this Challenge,…

Like yesterday, I found today’s prompt for the 31 Day Film Challenge really difficult.  I can think of dozens of songs that remind me of certain events in my life, but I had to think long and hard to come up with a film that did the same.  (I’ll just refer you to my explanation…

First, I want to say that it’s been really great seeing everyone’s 31 Day Film Challenge picks show up each day on the Facebook page for our Challenge. I’ve got a lot of new movies to watch. Today’s pick was surprisingly difficult for me.  There was a similar prompt on Day 5 of the original…