Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 22:22:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject: The Movie Voting E-mail From: "Andrew C. Brown" To: swilnews @ swil.org Reply-To: presidents @ swil.org At long last, I've compiled my notes from the meeting (they were, after tearing apart my room three times, in my pocket), and offer you the following movie choices. Of the following movies, 15 will be shown. Each person who votes has 15 votes, 1 for each movie they think should be shown. Two movies below are sets of 'shorts', which amounts to 3 30-min segments. Or something like that. As the wiki states, the people who are allowed to vote are the people who will be able to watch the movies. Seniors not in the area, alums in Texas, please don't vote. And after the voting, the presidents will tally up the votes (read: pick their favorites) and announce some sort of schedule. The Princess Bride (1987): A kindly grandfather sits down with his grandson and reads him a bedtime story. The story is one that has been passed down through from father to son for generations. As the grandfather reads the story, the action comes alive. The story is a classic tale of love and adventure as the beautiful Buttercup is kidnapped and held against her will in order to marry the odious Prince Humperdinck, and Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) attempts to save her. On the way he meets an accomplished swordsman and a huge, super strong giant, both of whom become his companions in his quest. They meet a few bad guys along the way to rescue Buttercup. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990): Four turtles and a rat are transformed into a humanized state by a mutagenetic gel in a sewer. The rat becomes their mentor, and teaches them all he knows regarding Ninjitsu. The turtles use their newfound skills to combat the crime in New York City. But when their mentor is captured by an enemy from the past, can they hold true to what they've learned, and stay together as a brotherhood? Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992): Buffy thinks very highly of her keen fashion-sense. In fact, fashion, cheerleading, movies and parties are all she ever thinks about. Then one day, Merrick approaches her; telling her she has a specific mission in life - killing vampires. What good is her "keen fashion-sense" in her new daily tasks? Several years later, this movie became inspiration for a somewhat popular TV series; you may have heard of it. Yes, "Everybody Loves Raymond". Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989): When best friends Bill S. Preston and Ted "Theodore" Logan are in danger of being seperated and having their band, Wyld Stalyns broken up because they're failing history, a time traveler from the future gives them a telephone booth so they can travel through time and ace their history report. Robin Hood Men in Tights (1993): The standard story of Robin Hood: Evil Prince John is oppressing the people while good King Richard is away on the Crusades. Robin steals from the tax collectors, wins an archery contest, defeats the Sheriff, and rescues Maid Marian. In this version, however, Mel Brooks adds his own personal touch, parodying traditional adventure films, romance films, and the whole idea of men running around the woods in tights. Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, and A Grand Day Out (1990's): The stop-motion animated inventor and his dog star in these three adventures, in which Wallace is used by a criminal penguin in a robbery involving the title mechanical trousers, Wendolene the sheep-owner catches Wallace's eye while Gromit is framed for sheep-rustling, and the two take a holiday to the moon because they've run out of cheese. Addams Family Values (1993): Uncle fester finds true love (or is it ?) in Debbie, the Addamses's new babysitter, hired to care for the Addams' latest addition, Pubert. Debbie has her eye on Fester's money, but first she has to separate him from the rest of the family, while Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to a summer camp. Read or Die (2001): Yomiko Readman rejoices at every new paycheck, because then she can buy new books. But she is soon thrown into a whirlwind race to apprehend a number of cloned superhumans and protect from them her newest, and most precious, acquisition: Beethoven's last and secret symphony. The Stepford Wives (1975): Stepford Wives is about a small suburb where the women happily go about their housework - cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking gourmet meals - to please their husbands. Unfortunately, Bobbie and Joanna discover that the village's wives are not quite what they seem... The Pagemaster (1994): A cowardly boy who buries himself in accident statistics (Maculay Kulkin) enters a library to escape a storm only to be transformed into an animated illustration by the Pagemaster (Christopher Lloyd), & work through obstacles from classic books to return to real life. Steamboy (2004): Rei is a young inventor living in the U.K. in the middle of the 19th century. Shortly before the first ever World Expo, a marvelous invention called the "Steam Ball", behind which a menacing power is hidden, arrives at his door from his grandfather Roid in the U.S. Meanwhile the nefarious Ohara Foundation has sent men to acquire theSteam Ball so that they can use its power towards their own illicit ends. Contact (1997): Contact, based on the novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, is the story of a free thinking radio astronomer (Jodie Foster) who discovers an intelligent signal broadcast from deep space. She and her fellow scientists are able to decipher the Message and discover detailed instructions for building a mysterious Machine. Will the Machine spell the end of our world, or the end of our superstitions? Will we take our place among the races of the Galaxy, or are we just an upstart species with a long way to go? Alphaville (1965): Lemmy Caution, an American private-eye, arrives in Alphaville, a futuristic city on another planet. His very American character is at odds with the city's ruler, an evil scientist named Von Braun, who has outlawed love and self-expression. The Butterfly Effect (2004): A young man (Kutcher) blacks out harmfull memories of significant events of his life. As he grows up he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life. Dude, Where's My Car? (2000): Jesse and Chester, two bumbling stoners, wake up one morning from a night of partying and cannot remember where they parked their car which prompts them on a journey to find it and along the way, they encounter a variety of people who include their angry girlfriends Wilma and Wanda whose house they trashed, an angry street gang, a transexual stripper hounding them for a suitcase full of stolen money, a cult of alien seeking fanatics, and a group of aliens in human form looking for a mystical device that could save or destroy the world. Nothing So Strange (2002): A documentary examining the December 2nd, 1999 assassination of Microsoft CEO Bill Gates in Los Angeles, and the group of key players seeking to unravel the mystery of his alleged assassin as well as the circumstances surrounding his death. Legend (1985): A demon who seeks to create eternal night by destroying the last of the unicorns and marrying a fairy princess is opposed by the forest boy Jack and his elven allies in this magical fantasy. Two different versions of this picture feature soundtracks by either Tangerine Dream or Jerry Goldsmith. Toxic Avenger (1985): This is the story of Melvin, the resident geek at the local health club. One day, Slug and Bozo (some resident jocks) chase Melvin around the club and Melin ends up plunging out of the window into a tub of toxic waste. Melvin is transformed into The Toxic Avenger and he is a geek no more! Toxie fights crime and gets revenge on his enemies like a true hero. Conan the Barbarian (1982): A barbarian trained in the arts of war joins with thieves in a quest tes to figure out exactly how to help the patient, he gradually begins to realize that this so-called alien is having a remarkable effect on the mental health of the hospital's other patients. Thumb Movies: Thumb Wars, Bat Thumb, The Blair Thumb (2000-ish): In these 30-minute shorts, painted thumbs act out the greatest of sci-fi and fantasy. In "Thumb Wars", Luke Groundrunner fights to save the universe from Black Helmet Man and his death machine. In "Bat Thumb", Wuce Bayne's alter-ego must save Gaathumb from No-Face. And in "The Blair Thumb", three student filmmakers find horror when they try to make a documentary without a tripod. Amid the Dead (2004) and The Real Meaning of Swarthmore (2004?): "Amid the Dead" is an apocalyptic zombie movie explores the existential questions of undeath, and "The Real Meaning of Swarthmore" a documentary examining the bizarre and otherworldly life of Swarthmore students. Quest for Camelot (1998): During the times of King Arthur, Kayley is a brave girl who dreams of following her late father as a Knight of the Round Table. The evil Ruber wants to invade Camelot and take the throne of King Arthur, and Kayley has to stop him. The Black Cauldron (1985): Centuries ago, in the land of Prydain, a young man named, Taran is given the task of protecting Hen Wen, a magical oracular pig, who knows the location of the mystical black cauldron. This is not an easy task fot The Evil Horned King will stop at nothing to get the cauldron. The Witches (1990): A young boy, recently orphaned, is taken to England by his grandmother. At a hotel in which they are staying, a group of witches have gathered to prepare a plot to rid the world of all children. Wyrd Sisters (1996): On the Discworld, carried through space on the back of a giant turtle, the country of Lancre is facing problems. The Duke has killed the king and taken over, leaving the prince for dead. But Granny Weatherwax and the rest of her coven have something to say about this, and when they start meddling in politics, they discover it's not quite as easy as some playwrighw the undead have risen and are spreading their zombie curse to everyone they can get their teeth into. Just doesn't seem worth getting out of bed some days. Bubbahotep (2002): Based on the Bram Stoker Award nominee short story by cult author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis (Bruce Campbell) as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death", then missed his chance to switch back. Elvis teams up with Jack (Ossie Davis), a fellow nursing home resident who thinks that he is actually President John F. Kennedy, and the two valiant old codgers sally forth to battle an evil Egyptian entity who has chosen their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983): In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk. Can two young boys overcome the worst the devil himself can deal out? Wishes are granted, but twisted as only the esteemed Mr. Dark can make them. Based on the Ray Bradbury novel. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): Planes reported missing in 1945 suddenly appear in the Mojave desert. A commercial flight is buzzed by a 'bright' object that the pilot 'wouldn't know how to describe'. Roy Neary, while working one night, has a Close Encounter... The US Government determine where the visitors plan to land and create an elaborate cover-up to keep people away. However, a group of people, including Neary, share a vision which draws them to the place and a meeting with new, and old, friends. Returner (2002): After an alien invasion threatens to annihilate the human race, a young Japanese girl, named Milly (Anne Suzuki), travels back in time from 2084 to October 2002, and enlists the reluctant aid of skilled Tokyo gunman, named Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro), to discover and prevent the start of the war. However, trouble ensues when the two protagonists are forced to deal with a Japanese mafia boss, named Mizoguchi (Gor didn't work for the Government after all... Pi (1998): Max is a genius mathematician who's built a supercomputer at home that provides something that can be understood as a key for understanding all existence. Representatives both from a Hasidic cabalistic sect and high-powered Wall Street firm hear of that secret and attempt to seduce him. Atlantis (2001): 1914: Milo Thatch, grandson of the great Thaddeus Thatch works in the boiler room of a museum. He knows that Atlantis was real, and he can get there if he has the mysterious Shephards journal, which can guide him to Atlantis. But he needs someone to fund a voyage. His employer thinks he's dotty, and refuses to fund any crazy idea. He returns home to his apartment and finds a woman there. She takes him to Preston B. Whitmore, an old friend of his Grandfathers. He gives him the shepherds journal, a submarine and a 5 star crew. X-2 (2003): Already living in a society that mistrusts them, the mutants are faced with even more discrimination after an unforeseen enemy - who may be a mutant with extraordinary powers - launches a devastating attack. The news of the assault causes a public outcry against the mutants, including renewed support for the Mutant Registration Act, and William Stryker, a military leader rumored to have experimented on mutants (possibly including Wolverine), is among the most vocal supporters of the legislation. Stryker puts into motion a plan to eradicate the mutants and begins an offensive on the X-Men mansion and school. Magneto, having escaped from his plastic prison, forms an unlikely alliance with Professor Xavier to stop Stryker. Meanwhile, Wolverine heads north to investigate his past. Shaolin Soccer (2001): A shaolin kung-fu practitioner is seeking a way to spread the word about his chosen art. He meets a down-on-his-luck lame ex-football player who trains him and his five brothers to play football. They form a team, and are soon entered in a prestigious tournament with a 1 million dollar prize. The 6th Day (2000): In the world of the very near future, cattle, fish, and even the family pet can be cloned. But clonind lots of references to classic animation. Fantasia (1940): Disney animators set pictures to classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. "The Rite of Spring" tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. "Dance of the Hours" is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants and alligators. "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria" set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day. The Sword in the Stone (1963): Arthur (aka Wart) is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for Wart beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give Wart an education (whatever that is), believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way. Mulan (1998): This retelling of the old Chinese folktale is about the story of a young Chinese maiden who learns that her weakened and lame father is to be called up into the army in order to fight the invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive the rigours of war in his state, she decides to disguise herself and join in his place. Unknown to her, her ancestors are aware of this and to prevent it, they order a tiny disgraced dragon, Mushu to join her in order to force her to abandon her plan. He agrees, but when he meets Mulan, he learns that she cannot be dissuaded and so decides to help her in the perilous times ahead. Emperor's New Groove (2000): Emperor Kuzco finds himself in a fix when his "loyal" ex-advisor Yzma attempts to poison him, and insteas transforms imself into a llama. Now he needs to flee the murderess empress and find a way to get back to normal. Unfortunately, his only ally is a subject whose home Kuzco planned to pave over for a new water park. The Land Before Time (1988): An orphan for his life. The Knight and Death play as the cultural turmoil envelopes the people around them as they try, in different ways, to deal with the upheaval the plague has caused. Super Mario Brothers (1993): Mario and Luigi, two wacky plumbers, undertake a daring quest to save a princess in "Dinohattan" -- a hidden world where the inhabitants evolved from dinosaurs! Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) face deadly challenges from a diabolical lizard king (Dennis Hopper) and must battle giant reptilian goombas, outwit misfit thugs and undermine a sinister scheme to take over the world! Stay Tuned (1992): Roy and Helen Knable are having problems. Roy has become a couch potato and Helen resents this. After a fight, Spike, a high ranking devil, appears to offer Roy the ultimate satellite system. Roy signs without realizing he has sold his soul. When he is sucked into the cable version of Hell, Helen is sucked in with him. They go through the satanic variety of cable TV where dying will consign them to damnation. Shows they find themselves on include, Driving over Miss Daisy, Northern Overexposure, and Autopsies of the Rich and Famous. Roy must take charge and save them from the dangers of this cable Hell. Amazon Women on the Moon (1987): A series of short sketches, most of which parody late-night television and the low-budget movies one often finds there. Other skits include a man being attacked by his apartment, a funeral hosted by classic comedians, and a teen-age boy's big night turning into a nightmare. -- Andrew C. Brown, Esq. 'The Man of a Thousand Titles' SWILScribe of Appending Doom Kaos, Fifth Librarian of the Apocalypse Venti's Familiar Professor Chaos Meredith Toast Satan "Getting *that* much fun out of life ought to be illegal."