My Ten Personal Favorite Christmas Movies/TV Specials of All Time

With it being December and officially the Christmas season, I thought I'd go over my ten personal favorite Christmas movies or TV Specials.  There are a few things I have to preface this list with, which I'll outline in bullets for organizational purposes:

• These are not what I consider to be the ten best Christmas movies ever.  These are just ten movies (or Christmas specials) that I am very fond of and invoke nostalgia and childhood memories.  These are the ten movies I'd personally pick to watch every Christmas season if I could only choose ten.
• I am allowing sequels as separate entries as some sequels I like while others I don't.  
• These are ranked in order of how much I personally like them, not by how good of a movie I think they are.
• A few of these aren't your typical "theatrical release" style films, and more so TV specials or TV movies.  To me, they're close enough to be considered a movie or film.

With that said, here are my personal 10 favorite Christmas movies, ranked:

10. 'Twas the Night
This is a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie), but it's still a movie about Christmas.  Basically, an Uncle who's always getting into trouble (portrayed brilliantly by Bryan Cranston) has to watch over his niece and nephews on Christmas night while his brother and sister-in-law (their parents) have to work.  They accidentally knock out Santa and decide to deliver toys for him.  I won't get into it anymore, but it's a good family Christmas movie with a good message.  You have to suspend disbelief during this film for some parts, and the technology in it has NOT aged well.  But if you can get past those few things, it's really quite enjoyable.

9. Elf
Everyone else loves it, and yes, I have a certain fondness for it as well.  It came out in 2003, and I didn't see it until several years after it came out.  It might've been close to a decade later.  It has rewatchability and it's one of the few roles I enjoy Will Ferrell in, so there's that.  Perhaps I'll have this higher on my list as the years go on, but for now it's only #9 because I haven't seen it quite enough.

8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV special)
Don't get me wrong, I like the Jim Carrey version and the 2018 "The Grinch" film isn't bad, but this is the one that makes me feel all nostalgic.  That classic animation style is just timeless, and I absolutely love the "You're the Mean One, Mr. Grinch" song performed admirably by the legendary Thurl Ravenscroft.  This just never gets old.  

7. Frosty the Snowman
This is one I watched as a small child and have seen it sporadically throughout the years.  It always pulls at my heartstrings.  The Frosty the Snowman song alone is enough to make me emotional.  I also love the animation style and the voice acting is just classic.  I have this on DVD so I can watch it anytime I want during the Christmas season, even if I can't find it on TV/streaming.  

6. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
This is the one Christmas movie sequel that worked.  The Santa Clause 2 wasn't bad, but it still fell a bit short for me.  But this one ups the stakes, changes the setting, and recreates the magic of the first.  In some ways, I almost enjoy it more than the first one, but the first one is such a classic.  It's too bad all the rest of the "Home Alone's" were not even close to the first two.

5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Another timeless classic is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  It's another TV special, but at 52 minutes it almost feels like a film.  My favorite thing about this is its songs.  From "Silver and Gold" to "We are Santa's Elves" to "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year", there's a song in here for everybody.  As a kid, I related to Rudolph, in being picked on for something you were born with and couldn't control (for me, it was my lack of height).  I will never stop loving this TV special.

4. Jingle All the Way
The crazy thing is, I almost want to rank this higher.  I've seen it at least a dozen times.  I love Arnie in it.  It's such a simple premise: A father trying to make something up to his son, goes on a hunt to find him a Christmas gift that's nearly impossible to find.  I love all the hijinks and to me, it's entertaining from start to finish.  Yes, a lot of it is a bit cringy and doesn't make logical sense, but you have to suspend belief when watching this.  

3. Home Alone
Of course, it had to be here if Home Alone 2 was here.  And the first just always slaps, as the kids say these days.  I kind of wanted the same thing to happen to me as a kid--be able to eat as much junk as I wanted, stay up as late as I wanted, watch whatever I wanted.  How Kevin learns about and later deals with the burglars is always my favorite part.  And it includes some great Christmas songs from "Walking Around the Christmas Tree" to "Run Run Rudolph".  

2. The Santa Clause
Similar to 'Twas the Night", Santa becomes incapacitated, and the family whose home where this happens has to take over his route.  This one, however, does it a bit better, with Tim Allen assuming the title of Santa Claus because of "The Santa Clause".  As a kid, this movie made me believe Santa Claus was spelled with an "E" at the end.  I've never been the biggest fan of the custody battle between Scott and his ex-wife for Charlie, but it does add another layer to the plot.  Nevertheless, I absolutely love this movie, and I have very fond memories of watching this on ABC with my family shortly after it came out.

1. A Christmas Story
It had to be, right?  And the weirdest thing is that I didn't see this until near adulthood.  I think I only watched it because I was told I resembled the kid (Ralphie) from the movie.  And boy, I'm glad I did.  It's the perfect Christmas movie.  Anyone who's ever wanted that super special Christmas gift can relate to Ralphie's quest for the Red Ryder BB gun.  I sure look forward to watching this each Christmas season.

Ranking the Nine Skywalker Saga Star Wars Films

Star Wars is my favorite film franchise of all time, and probably always will be.  There's not a single film in the series that I do not enjoy.  As a huge Star Wars fan, I obviously have my preferences and opinions on the films.  For this list, I am ranking the Nine "Skywalker Saga" Star Wars films, so Episode I through Episode IX. 

And in my usual fashion with ranking things, I assign each one attributes and sort them.  The attributes are Rewatch-ability, Believability, Quality, and Lore. 
- Rewatch-ability is pretty self-explanatory, but to further explain, it's how much I look forward to watching the film if I am to rewatch the entire nine episode series. 
- Believability may seem odd for a sci-fi film, but it's more of if the Star Wars universe existed, how believable are certain actions and events that unfold.
- Quality is just how good of a film it is, from the plot to the acting to the visual effects.  We know the sound and music are always top-notch, but not always everything else.
- Lore is how well it contributes to the Star Wars lore.  Does it contradict other films?  Does it introduce too many new things?  If it does, I dock it a point or two at least.  Obviously the original trilogy will score best here.

Each rating is on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.


9. Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Rewatch-ability: 4
Believability: 2
Quality: 2
Lore: 3
Total: 11/20

Comment: Most consider Episode I: The Phantom Menace as the worst in the series.  For a while, I considered it slightly above Episode II, but it really isn't.  It's at least got some rewatch value, as the lightsaber battle is always fun to watch.  There's a bit of meme-worthy stuff, as well.  It suffers in its believability, such as when Anakin pilots a Naboo fighter and doesn't take it seriously.  It's never been considered a great film, and this is probably the Star Wars film where the acting is the worst.  It is the earliest in Star Wars chronological order, so it contributes a bit to its lore and doesn't do much to make the OT look bad.

8. Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Rewatch-ability: 3
Believability: 3
Quality: 2
Lore: 4
Total: 12/20

Comment: Episode I for me is a tad more rewatchable than Episode II.  I can't explain it.  The visual effects are probably the worst, especially the awful green screens they had to use.  The worst is when Mace Windu jumps off a Republic warship shortly after the start of the Battle of Geonosis.  See what I mean here.  It is so clearly obvious he is in front of a green screen.  But this film signals the start of the Clone Wars, and I think it does a decent job of getting us hyped for it.

7. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Rewatch-ability: 3
Believability: 3
Quality: 4
Lore: 2
Total: 12/20

Comment: Is this really the third worst Star Wars film?  It might be.  It's not bad; it's just not as good as the others.  It may be partially due to my high expectations, but I feel J.J. Abrams started out the sequel trilogy so well only to have it lack in the end.  I have seen every Star Wars film at least twice in theaters, and this and the next are the two I just didn't care to watch a third time for a long time.  Anyway, Palpatine coming back from the dead?  Sigh.  At least the film did well in the technical aspects, and a shoutout to Adam Driver for his terrific acting.  I've shared my thoughts on how I feel about Force Heal and Force transport items.

6. Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Rewatch-ability: 2
Believability: 4
Quality: 4
Lore: 3
Total: 13/20

Comment: That may seem like a low rewatch-ability score, but there's only two scenes I ever look forward to when rewatching TLJ: Kylo turning on Snoke and killing him and the ensuing fight, and Luke and Kylo's "fight" at the end.  It's a decently made film in terms of effects and acting and I found it probably the most believable of the sequel films.  It started the Force transport items technique, which I am not a fan of.

5. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Rewatch-ability: 4
Believability: 3
Quality: 4
Lore: 4
Total: 15/20

Comment: So many meme-worthy quotes and scenes in this, which makes it very rewatchable.  I'm still not a huge fan of how Anakin turned to the dark side, but it's definitely the best made prequel film.  I did like how Anakin became Darth Vader physically and they captured that very well.

4. Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Rewatch-ability: 4
Believability: 4
Quality: 4
Lore: 3
Total: 15/20

Comment: TFA is definitely the most rewatchable sequel film to me; I did see it three times in theaters.  Everything else was fairly decent and it was such a pleasant experience seeing a well-made Star Wars film with good acting and effects (and a well-written plot).  The part that was hardest to get over was how it cancelled out the Expanded Universe where Han and Leia had not just one kid but three, including a boy who turned to the dark side, just like Ben/Kylo.  But no one can say TFA is a bad film, and in my opinion, it's the best film outside of the Original Trilogy.

3. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Rewatch-ability: 4
Believability: 4
Quality: 5
Lore: 5
Total: 18/20

Comment: Most would agree RotJ is the worst of the Original Trilogy; but that's like saying The Fellowship of the Ring is the worst Lord of the Rings film.  It's still a really, really good movie.  I do find myself spacing out a little when I rewatch RotJ, if I'm being honest.  The only reason it doesn't get a 5 in believability is because of the Ewoks being able to take out the "entire legion of [The Emperor's] best troops".  It still fits in with the rest of the trilogy with being a high quality film and contributing mightily to the Star Wars lore.

2. Episode VII: The Empire Strikes Back
Rewatch-ability: 5
Believability: 4
Quality: 5
Lore: 5
Total: 19/20

Comment: Don't get me wrong, ESB is still amazing.  Most people consider it their favorite Star Wars film, and many consider it one of the greatest films ever made.  I just prefer the original over this.  I took off a point for believability (again) because of Luke heading to Bespin foolishly.  He also foolishly ignored Leia's screams of "It's a Trap!".  I guess Leia said it first.  But everything else is magnificent, and I'd feel overly critical to give this film less than a 19/20.

1. Episode IV: A New Hope
Rewatch-ability: 5
Believability: 5
Quality: 5
Lore: 5
Total: 20/20

Comment: To me, this feels like two movies in one.  There's the climax of escaping the Death Star and Obi-Wan and Darth Vader's fight, and then there's a second climax of Luke blowing up the Death Star.  This film epitomizes Star Wars, and not only have there been countless parodies of this film, but The Force Awakens is technically a re-imagining of this very plot.

So, here they are in order, from my least favorite to favorite:
9. Episode I TPM
8. Episode II AotC
7. Episode IX TRoS
6. Episode VIII TLJ
5. Episode III RotS
4. Episode VII TFA
3. Episode VI RoTJ
2. Episode V ESB
1. Episode IV ANH

If I were to include Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story, I would put Rogue One fifth behind The Force Awakens and I would put Solo between The Last Jedi and Revenge of the Sith.

And, let's see the average rank by trilogy:
Prequel: 7.3
Original: 2
Sequel: 5.6

A few of these could move up and down a spot, but not far.  The original trilogy is the best, and neither the prequel trilogy nor the sequel could live up to it.  The sequel trilogy, however, is better than the prequels as a whole. 

Movies I am Most Looking Forward to in 2020

The year 2019 was an amazing year for movies and big box office hits.  We had Avengers: Endgame, the biggest box office hit ever.  We also had Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Lion King, It: Chapter Two, Joker, and Aladdin.  Coming soon, I'll post quick reviews of every 2019 release I saw, giving my thoughts on each of them.  And now you can go to that by clicking here.

But what does 2020 hold in store for cinema?  I'll rate each film on a score of 1-5, 5 being I will definitely see it, and 1 being I probably won't see it in theaters unless my friends really want to.

Dolitte: 2
As of me writing this, Dolittle is already out in theaters and I don't have plans to see it yet, so I might not.  I might have to watch it after it's been released on DVD/digital.

Birds of Prey: 2
This is like a spin-off from Suicide Squad, I guess.  I like Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, so I might see this.  But I'm not dying to see it.

Sonic the Hedgehog: 1
I was never a huge fan of the Sonic games as a kid, although I did play them a little.  This might be interesting, but something I can definitely wait to watch.

The Call of the Wild: 1
Not a movie I'm desperate to see, but Harrison Ford might have some meme-worthy quotes in this.  Him as a grumpy old man is just pure entertainment to me.

Onward: 3
Tom Holland and Chris Pratt voice brothers who are trying to resurrect their dad, I think.  Looks fun and heart-warming.  It could go either way if I see this in theaters or not.

A Quiet Place Part II: 4
I really enjoyed the first one, and thought it set up very well for a sequel.  Without John Krasinski, it won't be the same, but it'll still be with the same family.  We'll probably see this.

Mulan: 3
Disney continues with its live-action remakes of their animated classics.  This is one I would see, but I don't have to.  I don't really like the idea of giving Disney money to urge them to make more live-action remakes, although I've done that plenty already.

No Time to Die: 4
I'm a fairly big James Bond fan, having seen all of the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig "Bond" films (I still need to watch the older ones, especially the ones with Connery).  If my friends don't want to see it, I might have to see it on my own, depending on the reviews it gets.

Black Widow: 5
I love the casting in this, from David Harbour to Rachel Weisz.  This will probably be the last time we see ScarJo as Black Widow, and I'll be interested to see what connections this has to the other Marvel/Avengers films.

Fast & Furious 9: 5
I got into the Fast & the Furious series in the past couple years.  I even saw "Hobbs & Shaw" last year.  They return to the rest of the crew, and I'm excited to see it, even if I might have to see it on my own (again).

Wonder Woman 1984: 4
Gal Gadot kills it as Wonder Woman.  From the trailer, it looks to be another well-made Wonder Woman movie.  I will almost for sure see this, although I think I could wait until DVD/digital release if need be.

Top Gun: Maverick: 1
Fun fact: Top Gun (the original) is the only film I've seen in a different language.  I saw it dubbed in German in my German class in high school.  I don't know if I'll see this (probably not), but I'd have to watch the original in English first.

Free Guy: 5
This looks crazy, but in a good way.  I hope this gets good reviews.  I know of a few YouTubers who have small roles in this.  I'll definitely see this, being a huge gamer myself.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife: 2
I have only seen Ghostbusters 1, the original.  I didn't see any of its sequels/spin-offs.  So it's a bit unlikely I'll see this, but you never know.  Reviews might dictate if I see it or not.

Tenet: 4
Christopher Nolan is at it again, and how will he mess with our minds this time?  I'm curious to find out.  I definitely want to see it at some point, hopefully in theaters.

Bill & Ted Face the Music: 3
I really enjoyed the original Bill & Ted, so I might see this one.  Hard to believe they are doing another after so many years.

The King's Man: 3
This film was originally supposed to come out in November 2019, then it was pushed to February 2020, and now it's September 2020.  Those delays make me not really want to see it, despite being a fan of the first to "Kingsmen" films.  There's no Colin Firth or Taron Egerton in this, so it'll be hard to relate.

BIOS: 2
It's directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some of the best Game of Thrones episodes.  It also stars one of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks.  I might see it, might not.  I'll have to see what the trailer looks like.

Halloween Kills: 3
I saw "Halloween" in 2018, so I'll probably see this at some point.  Hard to believe Michael Myers keeps surviving.

Eternals: 3
It's a Marvel movie, so I will definitely see it sooner or later.  There are no returning Marvel characters in this, so we'll see how it does at the box office.  Also, people might have "Marvel fatigue" and not want to see a Marvel movie after Endgame.  I guess this also applies to Black Widow.

Godzilla vs. Kong: 3
I've not been too impressed with the recent Godzilla movies, especially the most recent one, "King of the Monsters".  But I am a big monster movie fan, so I will see this.  I could pass on seeing it in theaters, though.

That's it... not that impressive of a list, to be honest.  And there's not really a film I was as excited to see as Star Wars and Avengers: Endgame.  But here's my top 5:

5. A Quiet Place Part II
4. No Time to Die
3. Fast & Furious 9
2. Black Widow
1. Free Guy

Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies

I thought I'd go for a fun kind of post and I was thinking about what my favorite guilty pleasure movies are the other day.  I have come up with my Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Movies.  None of these are critically acclaimed, but every single one of them is entertaining and I have seen multiple times.  It's just something about these films; I just enjoy sitting back and turning my brain off and watching these every few years.  And, in order for a film to be on here, it has to have less than a 7.0 rating on IMDB, and the ratings on IMDB follow the titles of the films.  Here they are:


Honorable Mention: Smart House - 6.3
I had to give honorable mention to my favorite Disney Channel original movie growing up, Smart House.  It's only a TV Movie, so I couldn't quite count it.  But as a kid I wanted a smart house just like the one in the movie, one that would make me meals, instantly clean up messes, and play whatever I want to watch on the entire wall.  And I would know better than to disobey it and piss it off, unlike the family in this movie.

Second Honorable Mention: Rat Race - 6.4
I remember my parents taking me to see this in theaters, and yes, I was only 12 at the time, so a bit raunchy for 12-year-old me.  But I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had ever seen, and it still to this day makes me laugh.  I got it on DVD in the early 2000s and watched it every few years as I got older, each time understanding a new joke or two.  And the cast is just terrific, from Jon Lovitz to Cuba Gooding Jr. to Rowan Atkinson to Seth Green to Whoopi Goldberg.  


10. Jack Frost - 5.4
Another film with a hard-to-believe premise: A father dies, but his spirit/soul brings a snowman to life and he is able to interact and talk to his son a year after passing.  I liked this movie growing up, and it always made a great movie to watch around the winter holidays.  I particularly like the song "Hey Now Now" by Swirl 360 that plays when Charlie and his "dad" get away from the bullies.  It's so 1990's.

9. Like Mike - 5.2
A kid finds some of Michael Jordan's old sneakers and suddenly gains his basketball ability by wearing the shoes.  It's an interesting story, but I like that it has a basketball theme.  There's a sub-plot of the kid being at an orphanage and trying to get adopted, and eventually does.  Jesse Plemons is in this in the first role I saw him in, as a fellow kid/bully in the orphanage.  I also like the cameos by all the NBA players in this, although no Michael Jordan.

8. Jingle All the Way - 5.6
My favorite guilty pleasure Christmas Movie, Jingle All the Way is fun to watch even outside the Christmas season.  There are so many hard to believe things in this film, but there are so many classic scenes and lines such as "Put the cookie down, now!" and "I'm not a puh-vert!".  It's just a fun film and Arnie just kills it.  And this is not the only time a film Jake Lloyd acted in is on this list.

7. Bruce Almighty - 6.7
This is one of my favorite Jim Carrey roles.  Carrey, playing the titular role, gets the powers of God and uses them with hilarious results.  The casting of Morgan Freeman as God was absolutely perfect.  And Jim perfectly inserts some of his funny and quirky mannerisms into the role.  I'm surprised this doesn't have a bit higher rating, but there are times when the movie just tries too hard to be funny.  I like Jennifer Aniston in this, but she seems a bit out of Bruce's league. 

6. The Island - 6.8
Ewan McGregor in a sci-fi movie?  I'll always go for that. 😉  In this, he plays a clone that escapes his institution along side a very fine looking Scarlett Johansson who also plays a clone.  This movie has been out for a while now, so much so that when this film was shot and set "in the future", well that future is now the past.  I happened to watch The Island the day this was set, July 19, 2019.  This film was also made by Michael Bay, maybe the king of guilty pleasure directors, but he's only on this list once for me.  My favorite line(s): "I'm Tom Lincoln!" "No, I'm Tom Lincoln!"

5. Godzilla (1998) - 5.4
Yes, the 1998 Godzilla starring Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite guilty pleasure films.  I remember how hyped the movie was when it came out, and I even owned a Godzilla toy from that film that screamed like the movie version and stomped and "wagged" it's tail.  I remember seeing it as a kid and it scaring me a bit, but not anymore obviously.  As a sports fan, I loved how the climax was set at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks play.  They set up for a possible sequel with one of Godzilla's babies surviving in the end, but nothing came of it.  Oh well, the sequel probably would have been even worse.

4. Click - 6.4
This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie, believe it or not.  And I just found out, for the longest time this film had Adam Sandler's only death scene (until "Uncut Gems", I believe).  It's got such an interesting (but flawed) concept, but I love it.  He controls the universe with a remote, with unfortunate side effects.  I like how the film teaches us to enjoy moments in life we take for granted, such as time with our parents, working, and foreplay with the wife 🤣.  I also love all the actors in this and their connections to other things or people.  Adam Sandler's mom was played by Julie Kavner, who voices Marge Simpson.  We also see his kids played by Lorraine Nicholson and Jake Hoffman, the children of Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman, respectively.  And we see a small role from Jonah Hill.

3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - 6.5
You knew Nicolas Cage had to be on here at some point, right?  He's the king of guilty pleasure actors.  In this sequel, he "kidnaps the president" and goes to a secret cave inside Mount Rushmore.  I just love the two National Treasure films, and I wish they had made another.  By this point, a third National Treasure film would feel forced, irrelevant, and not as interesting.  However, a third one is listed on IMDB as "In Development", although I believe it has been that way for a few years.   I believe they are having trouble either writing the script or finding writers for it.

2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 6.5
What, I can have a Star Wars film on here!  And there's no better example of a guilty pleasure Star Wars film than Episode I: The Phantom Menace.  I do enjoy watching this and I never skip over it when I watch the Star Wars films (or prequel trilogy).  I remember all the promotions for the film when it came out and each time I watch Episode I, it gives me that feeling of nostalgia.  Sometimes I even get the urge to watch just this film and not Episodes II or III.  Jar Jar doesn't annoy me quite as much as he annoys other Star Wars fans.

1. National Treasure - 6.8
Well, you knew if National Treasure 2 was on here, the first one would have to be on here as well.  I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen this.  I love the history they incorporated into this movie, even if it's not all true.  And, this was for the longest time the only thing I had seen Sean Bean in where he doesn't die.  And, I could be mistaken, but it might be the only film where he plays the villain but doesn't die.

Like I said, I just enjoy turning my brain off and watching any of these films.  I think the thing they have in common is that each one has something happen in it that is just never possible in the real world: A person coming back to life, a dog playing football, a universal remote that controls the universe, and stealing the Declaration of Independence.  Oh, and Star Wars.

Top Ten Star Wars Movie Ideas (with pictures!)

With Disney's acquisition of Star Wars in 2012, they finally allowed us to see non-episodic Star Wars films.  There have been two so far: Rogue One and Solo: A Star Wars Story.  Many consider Rogue One to be the best written film since the Original Trilogy, and many consider Solo to be underrated, myself included.  Solo suffered at the box office, not because it was a bad film, but because it was released less than 6 months after The Last Jedi and many were suffering from "Star Wars fatigue".  If there was a film released every 6 months, you wouldn't really look forward to them as much, would you?  It seems as though the poor box office results of Solo have scared Disney from making more spin-off films.  But we know they'll get back to it, and we'll have one 2-5 years after Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is out.  So, here are my Top 10 Ideas (ranked) for Star Wars films they could make.  I ranked them mainly based on how likely they are to be made, but also I factored in a little bit of how much I'd want them to be made as well.  Keep in mind I did my best to come up with titles.  Also, I really had to focus on films that have at least a small shot of happening some day.  So there won't be any films with Darth Vader as the main character, unfortunately.

10. Qui-Gon Jinn: A Bigger Fish Story
Qui-Gon Jinn is a beloved Star Wars character.  If you remember in Ep. II, Count Dooku revealed to us he was Qui-Gon's master.  I would love to see their relationship and Qui-Gon's training.  We could see hints of Dooku's fall to the dark side.  Obviously, two new actors would have to play them (RIP Christopher Lee).  My ideas are Colin Farrell for Dooku and Tom Holland for Qui-Gon.  Would Star Wars fans still go for this?  Meh, but I know I would.  Also, the title is a joke (mostly), but I just could not resist.

9. Star Wars: The Formation of the Alliance
I could see a film set between Ep. III and IV revolving around the formation of the Rebel Alliance.  I mean, technically we saw the very beginnings of it in the Episode III deleted scene, but this could greatly expand upon that.  It would have another chance to feature Darth Vader (who wouldn't want that?).  And it could show the very first conflicts between the Alliance and the Empire.  One reason I want this to happen (and soon) is I think Millie Bobby Brown would make a really great young Princess Leia.  But they would have to make the movie soon before she gets too old.  Otherwise they'd have to have a casting call and audition hundreds of young actresses.  Also, if they could make this soon they could recast Jimmy Smits in the role of Senator Bail Organa.


8. Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the New Order
Now I know I've heard after Episode IX, Star Wars will forever be done with the Skywalker saga. I don't think that's entirely true.  I mean, they'll be done with the story of the Skywalkers after IX, with Luke dead and Kylo Ren either dead or redeemed (probably).  However, I think they still could make a film between Episodes VI and VII about Luke starting the New Jedi Order and how it fell after he lost his nephew, Ben Solo.  The reason I think this COULD be possible is because there is a decent and well-known actor named Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes in the MCU) who looks SO much like Mark Hamill.  It's crazy.  Hamill and Stan are even aware of it.  And I'm pretty darn sure Mark Hamill would be happy with Stan playing Luke.  The problem being of course is if Stan wanted to do it and if he could pull it off.



7. Windu: A Star Wars Story
In order to have a film centered around a certain character, that character has to be two things: One, he has to be human (Sorry Yoda, Chewbacca, and R2/Threepio), and two, he has to be good/light side.  The audience has to be able to relate to the main character.  So with that in mind, one of the few characters that fits this that isn't a Skywalker is Mace Windu.  And Star Wars would greatly benefit from a film centered around a black character, as it could draw a lot of African-American people into the Star Wars films.  It could maybe even be the "Black Panther" of Star Wars films.  Also, I'd love to see Mace as a young Jedi, learning from his master, Cyslin Myr.  Any tough female actress could play Cyslin, perhaps Danai Gurira.  As for Mace, I'd like to see Corey Hawkins in the role (24, Straight Outta Compton, The Walking Dead).



6. Star Wars: A Jedi's Path I would love to see a Star Wars film about a new character, but with a familiar setting.  This film would follow a Jedi and her path through training and fighting in the Clone Wars.  And I think it should be a female Jedi because there aren't enough female heroines in Star Wars.  The film would have a sad ending more than likely, as nearly all of the Jedi were wiped out in the great Jedi purge of Order 66.  Maybe she could survive at the end and live as an outcast (but would obviously lose her master).  But to see parts of Episodes II and III from someone else's perspective could be really cool.  If this film is done soon enough, a lot of the same actors could be used in the roles they had (Samuel L. Jackson, Ian McDiarmid).  Honestly, if they cast a well-known or up and coming actress and they market it well enough, this could be one of the biggest Star Wars spin-off films, perhaps the "Wonder Woman" of Star Wars spin-off films.



5. Dash Rendar: A Smuggler's Story 

The debate rages on about what is considered Star Wars canon and what is not.  I think ultimately Disney will need to decide if they want to "borrow" characters and character traits from what they call "Legends".  As I was thinking of EU/Legend characters, Dash Rendar came to me.  He is actually considered canon now because he was mentioned in a canonized Star Wars book (Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor).  Does that mean they'll make a film about him?  No.  But imagine if they did, and borrowed from "Shadows of the Empire".  If they could recreate anything from that, it would bring so many of us right back to our childhoods.  And Dash could be played by any actor deserving of the part as his appearance has not been canonized in any way.  Personally, I'd like Charlie Cox (Daredevil) for the role, as he screen tested for Han Solo in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" but didn't get the part.




4. The Adventures of Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a fan favorite character. We know Disney will be fond of the Sequel Trilogy after "Rise of Skywalker" has been out and might want to spin off from it with one of the sequel trilogy characters.  It comes down to Finn and Poe, and I pick Poe.  We could hopefully see him as a teen growing up and learning how to pilot, and see him right before the events of "The Force Awakens" and see what lead to him being on Jakku and how well he knew Lor San Tekka.  And we could see him after "Rise of Skywalker" and see if he has a partner and/or kids.  He might be leading the Resistance at this point, but could still have some action.  We'd have to have BB-8 of course.  And this is the first film on here that wouldn't have to be recast as Oscar Isaac could still play the role.  The only additional casting for Poe they might do is for a younger version of him.  I don't see this as a huge box office hit, and may end up being a TV show instead (Poe is featured on Star Wars Resistance).

3. FETT
I think a movie about Boba Fett is possible, despite what I said earlier in the Mace Windu movie about the protagonist having to be good and light-sided.  Boba is a very complex character, more morally gray than anything.  It could even be set after the events of Episodes IV or V (or between III and IV).  And I would love them to show Fett escaping from the sarlaac pit; maybe even show him fighting it.  In order to draw in fans, they'd have to cast a bigger name than Daniel Logan.  The problem is that Boba is an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, meaning as an adult he would look just like Temuera Morrison.  However, the writers could come up with a clever tactic as to why he doesn't look exactly like him; something like the cloning process wasn't perfect.  Therefore, my choice for Boba would be Toby Sebastian (Game of Thrones).  He looks the part and has a leading man kind of appearance.



2. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Ever since the Knights of the Old Republic video game, I've wanted a movie set around the era of the Old Republic.  Specifically, I would want it centered around Darth Revan, Bastila, and Carth.  With Disney's acquisition of Star Wars that story lost it's canonization, but they could still make a film with a lot of the same elements (and could borrow some characters, too).  It would be very cool to see some characters here and there from KOTOR that us players of the game could pick up on in the film.  The biggest downside to this is that it would be the first film (unless one comes out before it) that isn't set anywhere close to the lives of likable characters such as Yoda, C-3PO and R2D2.  It would feel a lot different and not having a single recognizable character could hurt the film at the box office by dissuading a lot of the casual fans from seeing it.

1. Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Fans have been clamoring for an Obi-Wan film for years.  It would be set between episodes III and IV, and we'd see Obi-Wan on Tattooine looking after Luke.  Ewan McGregor is more than ready and willing to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi.  His character is beloved throughout the Star Wars fandom.  One problem with this I see is writing out a plot that is worthy of a solo film but also doesn't contradict Episode IV.  Remember, the Empire was still unaware of his presence in Ep. IV.  So who would he fight?  We know he fights and kills Maul for good thanks to Star Wars Rebels, but who else?  My only thought is the criminal organization revealed in Solo called "Crimson Dawn".  Could be a way to tie up Solo to this.  Also, there's only so much you can do on a desert planet, he'd almost have to leave Tatooine so that the entire film is not set there.  He could meet up with Yoda on Dagobah and get some advice, and we could see part of how you become a Force ghost and become one with the Force.


There is my list of the Top Ten Star Wars Movie Ideas.  I'd be willing to bet money at least one of these (if not more) becomes a film some day.  If indeed that does happen, I will probably come back here and add my comments to the film that actually got made.  Honestly, I'd love it if ANY of these got made.  It's really a shame Disney handicapped itself by declaring Expanded Universe material as non-canon, but as I said earlier, that doesn't mean those characters can not or did not exist.  Also, if on the very off chance that any Disney/Lucasfilm executive happens to be reading this, please consider making the films on this list, especially the ones towards the end!  Also name me lead screenwriter (lol just kidding... or am I?)

My 2017 Movie Review List

Something I have been doing a lot of with my friends is seeing movies.  It's one of our favorite things to do for a group outing.  This year, 2017, is turning out to be a killer year for movies, with the best yet to come.  I am going to review every 2017 release I see here, and I will update as I watch them.  I'll probably even review some 2017 releases that I rent, because I'm not going to see THAT many in theaters.  Any that I watch later will be in RED.

Each movie will be rated out of 10, on a .5 scale, so a movie could be rated 8.5 or 6.5.  I'll try to order them by when I saw them.

January

A Monster Calls: Liam Neeson does a tremendous job as the voice of the Monster, but I felt my attention ebbing away during this flick.  The kid's hallucinations while dealing with his mother's cancer was hard to relate to for me.  Hard to believe Felicity Jones went from Rogue One (Action) to this (Drama, cancer victim).
Rating: 6.5/10

Split: I'm starting to really get into thrillers, and Split certainly helped.  James McAvoy was given no easy task, having to portray about a dozen different personalities on screen, and boy was he fantastic.  Anya Taylor-Joy was a delight and easy to root for, but her dumb friends were not.  Little did we know this film is connected to "Unbreakable" and a third film, "Glass", will connect the two.
Rating: 8/10

Februrary

John Wick: Chapter 2: I had not seen the first John Wick prior to seeing this (I have now, however), and I was very impressed with the action scenes.  Keanu Reeves is one of the few actors around 50 years of age that can still believably kick ass.  Kind of hard to relate to John, especially since I hadn't seen the first yet, but it was an enjoyable film nonetheless.
Rating: 7.5/10

The Lego Batman Movie: Occasionally when I watch a movie in theaters I find myself dozing off, especially if I watch it late.  I remember dozing off during the climax/action towards the end of all places.  All the colors and (almost) mindless blocks moving around just was hard to follow.  HOWEVER, the voice acting and story were very well done.  Just not a huge fan of Lego movies, I guess.
Rating: 7/10

Get Out: Another thriller and one of the best of 2017 so far.  Jordan Peele did such a good job, in directing and writing.  Some character's motives and decisions can be questioned, but when is that NOT the case?  There was some great acting from everyone, and this is a movie I can definitely watch again.
Rating: 9/10

March

Logan: I love it when superhero movies focus more on the story, dialogue, and cinematography.  The action will be there and the effects will be good enough.  Logan excells.  It deserves Oscar recognition (Hugh Jackman best actor?) and hopefully won't be forgotten about come awards season.  This was the first pure Wolverine movie I've seen and boy I'm glad it was.
Rating: 9.5/10

Kong: Skull Island: Sure ended abruptly, but it kinda sets up for a monster sequel.  Tom Hiddleston was good, not great.  Samuel L. Jackson always makes a decent villain (see Django Unchained, Kingsman: The Secret Service).  The action between Kong and the dinosaurs was ok, a tiny bit of a letdown.  A lot of the character's decisions could be questioned.  A very ho hum type movie.
Rating: 6/10

Beauty and the Beast: As far as live action adaptations go, they couldn't have done much better.  Emma Watson was a delight, and she did surprisingly well for the singing parts.  The action between Beast and Gaston could've been a bit better, and I found the extra backstory a little unnecessary and boring.  The designs for Codsworth and Lumiere were weird, but not bad.  That snowball Belle got hit with by Beast sure was a hoot.
Rating: 8/10

The Belko Experiment: I'm sorry, but James Gunn is killing it.  First with Guardians of the Galaxy (see below), now with The Belko Experiment.  The guy that survived is not who I was expecting to survive (I thought it would be the girl).  And then the twist at the end that the surviving worker was able to pull off, impressive and I bet very few saw that coming.
Rating: 8.5/10

Power Rangers: Some decisions I knew going in I questioned, such as the design of the Rangers outfits and the decision to make Billy Black, Trini bisexual, etc.  But they put together a very good action flick.  It was just a bit hard for me to relate this film to the old Power Ranger series of the 90's I watched as a kid.  But they set up well for a sequel, with a hint to a Tommy Oliver (PLEASE don't make Tommy a girl!) AKA the green ranger.
Rating: 7.5/10

Life: Reminded me a bit of a cross between Gravity and Apollo 13.  Some of the characters' decisions and motives can be questioned (Such as Rory's, played by Ryan Reynolds).  But when you rate all of the aspects together, special effects, acting, writing, etc. and you compare this to other recent space films (like the aforementioned Gravity as well as Interstellar and The Martian) it falls a little bit short in each category.  Enjoyable?  Absolutely.  Oscar/award worthy?  Not really.
Rating: 7.5/10

April

Fate of the Furious: Well I finally watched the entire F&F franchise, and I gotta say I really enjoyed it.  If this is the final film in the franchise, I'd say they capped it off pretty well.  I like how they were able to give Dom a son and not have to have Letty go through pregnancy.  The scenes they had in Russia and Cuba were all done very well.  And Charlize Theron killed it as the main villain.  Seeing as she escaped, it leads me to believe there will be a 9th Fast and the Furious Film.  Fast 9?
Rating: 8/10

May

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2: One of my favorite opening scenes ever, to an action movie or not.  This film was littered with humor throughout, and Chris Pratt is Hollywood's go to lead guy now, and for good reason.  Kurt Russell as his God-like father was a perfect casting.  The only complaint I have is the action was a teensy bit convoluted, but maybe that's just how action movies are nowadays.
Rating: 9/10

Alien: Covenant: I went in thinking this would just be a cheap jump-scare flick, but it was anything but.  They had the audacity to kill of the leader of their group played by Billy Crudup.  This film was good enough to make me want to see Prometheus, and I haven't heard too good of things about that film.  Sets up nicely for a sequel to complete the trilogy.
Rating: 7.5/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Again, the climax just didn't entice me enough.  But I loved the finish, including both Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, although it was hard to believe that Brenton Thwaites was their son.  Johnny Depp was born to play Jack Sparrow and he killed it, again.  Javier Bardem always makes a decent baddie (See Skyfall).
Rating: 7/10

June

Wonder Woman: Yet again another climax I dozed off too, haha.  But Gal Gadot was the perfect choice to play Diana Prince, being both believable and beautiful.  David Thewlis as the antagonist just didn't seem too believable for me, because all I can see him as is Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter series.  Chris Pine was a perfect cast as Diana's love interest.
Rating: 8.5/10

The Mummy: Did I mention I doze off during the end of films?  This was a day viewing for me and I still did.  Was a decent start to the Monster series, but I wasn't too enthralled by it.  Although seeing that I had low expectations, I did think it was better than I thought it would be.
Rating: 7/10

July

Spider-Man Homecoming: It could be just me, but I felt Tom Holland captured the essence of Spider-Man better than Andrew Garfield or even Tobey Maguire.  I think his voice suits the role better, for one.  Wasn't a huge fan of the casting choices, with basically no white friends of Peter Parker (They even made Aunt May Italian).  I liked Keaton as the villian and the effects were great.  They incorporated just enough of Iron Man and even Captain America to make it interesting.
Rating: 8.5/10

War for the Planet of the Apes: I thought this was a solid finish to the new Planet of the Apes trilogy.  I definitely enjoyed it more than "Dawn".  Andy Serkis just flat out knows how to play a monkey.  If there were a time for someone to get nominated for best actor for a motion capture role, this would be it.
Rating: 8/10

Dunkirk: I enjoy movies with a solid protagonist and plot, but this didn't really have that.  However, that is ok, because everything else was just top notch.  The visuals, sound, editing, costumes, music, all fantastic.  This movie was made to capture the essence of the battle of Dunkirk and boy did it ever.
Rating: 9/10

August

The Dark Tower: Haven't read the books, but for a standalone movie it wasn't bad.  I felt a lot of the complex aspects were oversimplified, and they didn't explain enough.  Also, I don't really like Matthew McConaughey as a villian--he's just not believable enough.  My friend who has read the books wasn't a fan of this film, so I have to take that into account.
Rating: 6.5/10

September

It: This movie sure got a lot of buzz and for good reason.  Bill Skarsgard was fantastic as Pennywise the clown.  The kids were all well-casted as well.  Seeing how long the book is, it might've functioned better as a two or three part movie series, but seeing as I haven't read the book, I'm not even sure what the movie left out because it was well-paced.  They did skip ahead a few times, so maybe there were things there.  All in all one of the very few horror/thriller films I'd want to see again.
Rating: 9/10

mother!: Wow, this movie will either leave you fuming or thinking or both.  For me, it was both.  Best not to put yourself in Jennifer Lawrence's shoes, as she is perceived as the main character/protagonist.  I liked all of the religious connotations and connections, and Javier Bardem's character (Him) was clearly a representation of God.  But this film is NOT for the faint of heart or for younger audiences, as it only gets worse and worse.  Terrific acting performances in this by everyone.
Rating: 8/10

October

Geostorm: Not the movie I most wanted to see this month, but it was better than I thought it would be.  You have a disaster movie directed by the guy who wrote the 1998 Godzilla movie, with the lead being an actor who's been in a lot of bad films (Gerard Butler).  But it wasn't half bad, in my opinion.  It was a bit predictable and cheesy at times, but what disaster movie isn't?  Also, the movie's plot is based on the fact that we have satellites that basically control climates for different areas of the world.  Why in the world would someone be able to corrupt these satellites to cause harm and kill millions of people?  Would rather leave our fate to God than whoever has control of "Dutch Boy" as they called the control center.
Rating: 6.5/10

November

Thor: Ragnarok: Marvel continues to succeed, whether it be in Avenger's type films with multiple superheroes or ones that focus on a particular superhero.  This was like a hybrid of the two, as it had Thor (obviously), Loki, The Hulk/Bruce Banner, and a cameo by Dr. Strange.  It seemed to me that they tried a little too hard to be funny, but other than the comedic stretches I liked the direction the Thor franchise took.
Rating: 8/10

Justice League: We SHOULD be excited that the entire Justice League finally got together, but it just left us with an unsatisfying feeling.  For me, the villain never seemed to be that big of a threat, especially compared to Superman.  There was a step forward from BvS but it was a tiny step forward at that.  Still not really liking Affleck as Batman, but Gal Gadot continues to kill at as Wonder Woman.  Hopefully the DC franchise can recover because Marvel is still miles ahead of them.
Rating: 6.5/10

Daddy's Home 2: I wasn't expecting much as I don't think too highly of the first Daddy's Home, but this one wasn't that bad.  There weren't many, if any scenes that made me cringe, and there were at least 3 of those in the first.  The ending was kinda cheesy, but hey, it's a comedy.
Rating: 6.5/10

December
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi: Man oh man... where to begin?  I would have to rank this near the top of Star Wars films, I think.  I'm still debating on whether or not it's better than The Force Awakens.  It had amazing effects, brilliant camera work and cinematography, and it was well acted, too.  With TFA, people could complain that its story borrowed too much from A New Hope, so this is the first Star Wars movie in 34 years that the general audience can't complain too much about.  Solid.
Rating: 9/10

The Shape of Water: This was much better than I thought it would be.  Sally Hawkins was brilliant as the lead, and the supporting cast all did tremendous jobs as well.  It was definitely an interesting story, with a woman falling for a non-human but humanoid creature.  Will this get some Oscar nominations?  It wouldn't surprise me.
Rating: 8.5/10

Well, that's all the films I saw in 2017!  A great year for movies.  Now, for some awards!
Best Actor:
James McAvoy - Split
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out
Hugh Jackman - Logan
Javier Bardem - mother!
Andy Serkis - War for the Planet of the Apes

Some great choices there.  But my best actor award goes to...

Andy Serkis!  That's right, a guy who did motion capture!  He MADE the entire PotA series, as in he was the main reason they had success.  And "War" may have been his best work yet.
Best Actress:
Felicity Jones - A Monster Calls
Dafne Keen - Logan
Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman
Jennifer Lawrence - mother!
Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

Good year for leading women, with Dafne Keen the youngest nominee in any category.  The award goes to....

Sally Hawkins!  She played a mute character falling for a humanoid creature.  Not an easy thing to do.
Best Supporting Actor:
LilRel Howery - Get Out
Tony Robbins - The Belko Experiment
Kurt Russell - Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2
Woody Harrelson - War for the Planet of the Apes
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water

We have three villains and two sidekick type characters.  Who will get it?  The award goes to...

Richard Jenkins!  Yes, The Shape of Water is still fresh in my mind, but I didn't see too many films with great supporting acting roles.
Best Supporting Actress:
Marisa Tomei - Spider-Man: Homecoming
Sophia Lillis - It
Michelle Pfeiffer - mother!
Carrie Fisher - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water
Again, kind of slim pickins but there was one that stood out.  The award goes to...

Carrie Fisher!  I award this posthumously to her.  She exhibited grace, elegance, and power in every one of her scenes.  She won't get an actual Oscar nomination probably, but I think she's not too far off.
Best Special Effects:
Logan
Fate of the Furious
Spider-Man Homecoming
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
I sure saw some amazing special effects this year. The award goes to...

Guardians of the Galaxy!  Yep, I picked it over Star Wars, which was a close second.  Guardians had some amazing visuals that made me stare in awe, something that is not easy to do.
Best Director:
Jordan Peele - Get Out
Patty Jenkins - Wonder Woman
Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
Darren Aronofsky - mother!
Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
I'd be shocked if at least one of these isn't nominated for an Oscar.  The one who I'd be most shocked to not see nominated wins my award.  And that is...

Christopher Nolan!  I can't give every award to The Shape of Water.  But Nolan did a great job in Dunkirk, and not since Saving Private Ryan has there been such a realistic and gritty war movie.  Maybe it was even more realistic than that.
Best Picture:
Get Out
Logan
Wonder Woman
Dunkirk
It
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

The Academy can have up to 10 nominations, so I can too.  This is a tough one.  The winner, and the best motion picture I saw in 2018, IS....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dunkirk!  This one wasn't one for a great plot, but it absolutely EXCELLED in other categories: cinematography, music, sound (editing and mixing), visual effects, and acting.  It is a well deserved best picture from me.

Well, that is it for 2017.  I liked doing this so much I think I'll do it for 2018!  See you then!

Top 10 Movies that Should Exist

I thought it would be fun to do a Top 10 list of movies that don’t exist, but I feel that should.  Some day perhaps a few of these will get made.  If so, I’ll try to update on here if they are.  Now quite a few of these are based on video games, but if you know me, you know I play a lot of video games.  Anyway, here is my Top 10 Movies that Should Exist:

10. Call of Duty Modern Warfare Movie
I have this only at number 10 because I’m not a huge fan of Call of Duty, but the campaign mode of the game had a pretty good story.  It’s pretty much WWIII and it involves Russia.  If you’ve played the Modern Warfare series before, imagine the “No Russian” mission as a movie scene.  Yeah.  I’d also love to see who they cast as Yuri, Soap, and Captain Price.



9. Duma Key
I have to admit, at the time of writing this, I haven’t even finished the book.  But I’m hooked.  It’s a novel by Stephen King about a man named Edgar Freemantle who has lost his right arm, and he goes to this place (called Duma Key—sort of like a resort for the wounded) and he meets this guy named Wireman and an old lady named Elizabeth Eastlake.  And some pretty freaky stuff happens as usual for a Stephen King novel.  I was thinking George Clooney could play the lead role.

8. The Million Dollar Shot
I have looked and looked but there is not even a movie close to this out there, which really surprises me.  Basically, a poor 12 year-old boy wins the opportunity of a lifetime by getting to shoot a free throw shot for a million dollars.  It’s a great story, written by Dan Gutman and I really see this as a quality film. It's a short book as well, but that doesn't mean it can't be expanded or added on to.

7. Gears of War
Gears of War is a video game series by Epic Games which doesn’t even take place on Earth, but on the fictitious planet of Sera.  It involves these Serans (or humans) that have to battle enemy locusts (not the insect) and lambent.  Not many movies are set on fictitious planets.  There’s been rumor of a GoW movie but nothing has been confirmed yet.




6. X: A Fabulous Child’s Story
Here’s a movie that’s never been made: A couple has a baby, but a group of researchers pay them big bucks to raise the child—completely genderless.  This child goes through infancy and being a toddler without a gender.  In the story written by Lois Gold a family names their child “X”, although perhaps they could give it a gender neutral name like Pat or Jamie.  But this would be a good movie to teach people a lot of lessons. 

5. A Beatles Movie
There really needs to be a movie that chronicles the lives of the four Beatles: John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  We see how the band is formed and see their success and then their downfall.  They are the greatest band of all time and there’s plenty of drama to work with (Thanks Yoko).  Just please… PLEASE… don’t cast ANY of the members of One Direction.

4. The story of the 1995 Seattle Mariners (Titled “My Oh My!”)
I may be biased, but I believe the story of the 1995 Seattle Mariners is one of the best in sports history.  Nineteen years without as much of a sniff of the playoffs, and BOOM!  1995 happened!  This will probably never get made, but I do think it would make a great film.  I also want to see Jack Black play Lou Piniella—their resemblance is uncanny.

3. Bad Twin
My favorite mystery novel of all time.  Basically, a hired detective tries to find a guy’s twin brother, going to various ends of the world.  It’s a story within a story (In fact the only reason it was written was because it was mentioned in the TV show LOST).  This also will probably never be made, but I’d love to see it; it's got a great story, characters, and the suspense at times is really good.

2. Some Expanded Universe Star Wars movie (Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight, The Force Unleashed)
After the release of Star Wars Episode III in 2005, I was really hoping for just one more Star Wars movie, even if it wasn’t exactly connected to the two current trilogies.  But as of 2012, nothing has happened.  There was a small rumor of a third trilogy, a sequel trilogy being episodes VII, VIII, and IX, but George Lucas squashed that almost immediately.  I already put forth some video games (each of which have at least 2 in their series) that I think would make great movies.  I don’t care if it’s not connected to the current two trilogies we have, just make more Star Wars movies with lightsabers and stuff!

1. Halo
Seriously, will Halo ever be made?  It’s been talked about for at least five years, yet nothing has happened.  Peter Jackson was once attached to a Halo movie, but then he dropped out.  Halo isn’t the best video game series to be made into a movie, but with how imaginative and original it is, SOMETHING has to be made from it in terms of a show or movie.