Read My Lips - the blog

If wishes were movies . . .

I always rememeber when I was little and I would say, "I wish . . . " almost immediately my dad would say, "If wishes were horses, all men could ride." I am almost sure he didn't write that, but I don't remember the real source. It is just one of those things I think of anytime I am wishing for something. So, for what am I wishing? Oh, movies, I guess.

I started collecting movies about 3 or 4 years ago, because I wanted to remain as a participating consumer in the marketplace. Oh, of course, I buy food and paper goods, the three-pack of new underwear if I get too lazy to do some laundry for several weeks, but I seldom buy anything of any other nature. I have more clothes that I can possibly wear. I don't need anything, really. I have so much stuff already that I really don't know what to do with most of it. What I didn't have were movies. So, I decided to collect movies.

So, if you are actually collecting, does there not have to be some purpose to the collection? My aunt, the one that sends me stuff*, collects movies, too, but she is collecting all of John Wayne's movies. I wanted to go a different way. I actually have four collections: cult movies, sci-fi/superheroes, National Park documentaries, and my Best Picture collection.

I limit the first two categories to movies I like, mostly, and the National Park collection has at least one movie from every NP I have visited, except Crater Lake, because the gift shop closed just as I pulled up to the front door. I mean, it was not like I needed to do much but drive to an overlook and look at the lake. It is mostly a forest, the forest I had been driving through most of the afternoon. I was lucky to get there before the sun had set. But I digress, because this post is really about my quest to complete My Best Picture Collection:

Best Picture Collection: Red=I don't have or are not on order; V=VHS; D=DVD

[ ] 2003 Chicago (2002)
[V] 2002 Beautiful Mind, A (2001)
[V] 2001 Gladiator (2000)
[V] 2000 American Beauty (1999)
[V] 1999 Shakespeare in Love (1998)
[V] 1998 Titanic (1997)
[V] 1997 English Patient, The (1996)
[V] 1996 Braveheart (1995)
[V] 1995 Forrest Gump (1994)
[V] 1994 Schindler's List (1993)
[V] 1993 Unforgiven (1992)
[V] 1992 Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
[V] 1991 Dances with Wolves (1990)
[V] 1990 Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
[V] 1989 Rain Man (1988)
[V] 1988 Last Emperor, The (1987)
[V] 1987 Platoon (1986)
[V] 1986 Out of Africa (1985)
[V] 1985 Amadeus (1984)
[V] 1984 Terms of Endearment (1983)
[ ] 1983 Gandhi (1982)
[V] 1982 Chariots of Fire (1981)
[V] 1981 Ordinary People (1980)
[ ] 1980 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) *ON ORDER*
[V] 1979 Deer Hunter, The (1978)
[V] 1978 Annie Hall (1977)
[V] 1977 Rocky (1976)
[ ] 1976 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
[V] 1975 Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
[V] 1974 Sting, The (1973)
[V] 1973 Godfather, The (1972)
[ ] 1972 French Connection, The (1971)
[V] 1971 Patton (1970)
[V] 1970 Midnight Cowboy (1969)
[ ] 1969 Oliver! (1968)
[ ] 1968 In the Heat of the Night (1967)
[V] 1967 Man for All Seasons, A (1966)
[D] 1966 Sound of Music, The (1965)
[V] 1965 My Fair Lady (1964)
[ ] 1964 Tom Jones (1963)
[V] 1963 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
[V] 1962 West Side Story (1961)
[V] 1961 Apartment, The (1960)
[V] 1960 Ben-Hur (1959)
[V] 1959 Gigi (1958)
[V] 1958 Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
[V] 1957 Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)
[V] 1956 Marty (1955)
[ ] 1955 On the Waterfront (1954)
[V] 1954 From Here to Eternity (1953)
[ ] 1953 Greatest Show on Earth, The (1952)
[V] 1952 American in Paris, An (1951)
[V] 1951 All About Eve (1950)
[V] 1950 All the King's Men (1949)
[V] 1949 Hamlet (1948)
[ ] 1948 Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
[ ] 1947 Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)
[ ] 1946 Lost Weekend, The (1945)
[ ] 1945 Going My Way (1944) *ON ORDER*
[V] 1944 Casablanca (1942)
[V] 1943 Mrs. Miniver (1942)
[ ] 1942 How Green Was My Valley (1941)
[V] 1941 Rebecca (1940)
[V] 1940 Gone with the Wind (1939)
[V] 1939 You Can't Take It with You (1938)
[V] 1938 Life of Emile Zola, The (1937)
[V] 1937 Great Ziegfeld, The (1936)
[V] 1936 Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
[V] 1935 It Happened One Night (1934)
[V] 1934 Cavalcade (1933)
[V] 1932 Grand Hotel (1932)
[V] 1931 Cimarron (1931)
[V] 1930 all Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
[V] 1930 Broadway Melody, The (1929)
[V] 1929 Wings (1927)

I am getting close, really close. If anyone has a viewable copy, hopefully with the original box that they really don't have much use for, feel free to contact me about it.

*I only have that one aunt, but she is the one who sends me the periodic email barrages.

Posted by Tiger at August 6, 2003 06:13 PM