Category Archives: Movie Knights

Movie Night

  • [uknown cartoons]
  • Boondock Saints
  • Operation Condor

Gratings, Canadiens.

Barring any objections, we shall hold the next movie night on 13 June.

I have no food plans as yet, so this can be an item of discussion.

Speaking of discussions, I have noticed a peculiar lack of chatter.  I
am going to make a couple of film recommendations, and I expect to see
you opinionated, self-rightious bastards (whom I love so well) chiming
in with your usual pithy quips and swiftian suggestions.

  1. Judge Dredd  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113492/
  2. Eagle vs. Shark  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494222/

Any questions about that?

Remember, it’s easiest to reply to these messages directly on the
group site:

http://groups.google.com/group/movieknight/post

I’m always available for questions, except when I’m not.  And if you
didn’t receive this e-mail be certain to reply to it and let me know.

Ok, I’m a dumbass.

You’ll want to use this URL for the group:

http://groups.google.com/group/movieknight

What can I say?  I’m a writer not an editor…

I don’t own Operation Condor but I do have several other Chan flicks.

We could do, say, Boondock Saints followed by a Chan movie.

No one seems much interested in food, so how about we just plan on
bringing movie time snacks?  (I have kernals and an air popper if
someone wants to be in charge of that operation.)

I’ll make some of my famous sangria if there are no objections.

Ok, y’all ‘re bug-eyed crazy.

Darien, bring your Operation Condor or suffer the rath of the crowd.

Tom, don’t know about a pizza making contest.  Sounds complicated, but
maybe we can work out the logistics later.  We’ll talk.

Peter, so, you want to watch The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in
Italian?  You may want to rethink your position.

Also, it should be a little cooler by the time next weekend rolls
around so remember to bring clothes for after the sun sets (nudity
will only be permitted until dusk).

Just a little note about the bulb fund.

I have received some of the donations through PayPal, but I know there
are still several of you who would like to contribute.  As such I
promise to have a jar out for donations at this event.

Thanks to Ethan who just donated through PayPal.

I have procured the ultimate donation jar and I have crafted a
wonderful money slot in its lid–this will be available for all to
enjoy next Saturday.

I’m looking forward to seeing y’all there.

Everybody:  Ok, Saturday is approaching (four days and counting).  The
weather might be a bit on the cool side at night, so bring your
blankets or fleece.  I will have the usual fire burning (great for
weenie roasting if you’re so inclined).

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/UGQ4wgGFw1A

I’m not one to discourage any film with Eli Wallach.  You know that.
The Holiday was terrific and who can forget Circle of Iron?  I
digress.

I’ve seen most of the films you’ve mentioned, but there are some
Kubrick films you own which I have not yet seen.  So you should drop
your Kubrick collection off this month so I can play catch up.

Also, I would love to show Scavenger Hunt if you’re up for it.  It
would help spread the word about this film and perhaps help to
encourage the studio to release it on DVD.  (And you thought piracy
couldn’t have positive benefits…)

I had a couple of themed ideas for future nights:

Hit Men with Hearts Movie Night:

  • Grosse Pointe Blank
  • The Big Hit

Art House Quickie Movie Night:

  • Run, Lola, Run
  • The Dinner Game
  • Curse of the Jade Scorpion

Thoughts?

Yeah, Leon is great.

I just ordered this wonderful French spoof of spy films:

http://www.amazon.com/OSS-117-Cairo-Nest-Spies/dp/B001APM44O

I have a host of foreign films (some excellent comedies) I’d like to
show if I can get folks interested in films with subtitles:

  • Johnny Stichhino
  • Amelie
  • Night on Earth
  • Divorce Italian Style

many others…

I don’t think we did Night on Earth.  We did Coffee and Cigarettes
(which has some of the same people and is also by Jarmusch).  Which
brings us to another great hit man film: Ghost Dog.

Habla con ella, yes.  I own that one.  Excellent film.  I also really
like Lucia y el sexo.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/f9b5oNcJF-U

What a night.  Boondock Saints was a big hit.  The laughter echoed off
the moon.  Operation Condor did its job.  Folks brought nice snacks.
My sangria was the best it’s been thus far.  Nobody had to run to the
ER to get half a dozen stitches in their thumb.  Great night all
around.

Thanks to everyone who put monies into the donation jar.  Even some of
the +1’s dropped bills through the lip-shaped slot.  We are inching
toward the new bulb.

We are looking at mid-July for the next night (maybe 12 July?).  Get
ready for the selection process.  I’ll make the announcement around
the end of this month.

Let me know if there are any questions.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/9ffGFYdBUEA

JamesIsIn

Chile Cook-Off and Season Opener

[not clear which movie(s) played]

Excited to return to my grassy knoll?  Me too.

I am not convinced as yet that the temperature is going to rise enough
for us to kick off this season in May, so we may be looking at June
for the season opener.  Feel free to start a thread about movie ideas
for this summer.  I have several ideas myself.  If it gets warm enough
by mid-May perhaps we can do a single feature (rather than the usual
double feature).

So, that’s the good news.  And the bad news?  My projector is telling
me it’s time to prepare for bulb replacement.  I will run it until it
pops, of course; but I have to get the bulb:

http://www.buy.com/prod/Optoma_Replacement_Lamp_for_H31_UHP200W/q/loc/101/10407665.html

Not having worked in six months is really getting to be a drag.
Regardless, I would like to start a collection for bulb replacement.
If twenty-five of us chip in $10, that covers the bulb.  Don’t pawn
that coocoo clock your grandfather left you in his will, but everyone
that helps out will be rewarded by karma or heyzeus or whatever–not
to mention the great fat thank you I’ll be sending your way.

There you have it.  Winter’s nearly done with us, and we can get back
to life as we’d like to think it should always be.

So here is my idea for a 2009 kick-off event.

We could do an afternoon chile cook-off and show one film weather
(warmth) permitting.  I am thinking either Saturday 16 May or Sunday
24 May (Memorial Day weekend).

Thoughts?

Hidy-ho, Movie Knight-a-roonies.

Ok, so the general response seems to be towards this weekend (and
avoiding the Memorial Day mess and conflicts &c).  The sixteenth it
is, then.

A cook-off?

What a nice way to say hello.  Pit your skills—both your cooking
skills and your boasting skills—against your fellow movie goers.

I have one friend who is seeking out some venison (he only makes
venison chile from scratch) but I have at least three confirmed chile
cookers.  I’m sure there are others who will line up their crackpot
crockpots on my banquette table.  Now we just need a few chile
tasters…

Supposing you are not a chile cooker and you were wondering what you
might be able to bring, here is a random list of useful possibilities:

  1. paper bowls (please no styrofoam)
  2. tiki torch lamp oil
  3. plastic spoons
  4. corn bread
  5. cheddar cheese (for grating on top)
  6. scallions or green onions (for garnish)
  7. chips & salsa (for fun)
  8. beer, wine, or beer

Also, I’m still gathering donations for my new bulb.  Please help if
you are able.

What about a damned movie?

Nature may or may not smile upon us Saturday 16 May.  Nature, as
regards rain in Seattle, has long been fickle.  We eat chile for
certain.  The nice thing about chile is it can warm you twice.  If the
rain doesn’t fall on us, we’ll watch a single feature to usher in the
season.

But which movie?

Tongan Ninja?  Dazed and Confused?  Tampopo?

I’m looking forward to your thoughts, and I’m especially looking
forward to seeing all of you again.

Questions?  Give me a call.

PS:  The best method for replying to the group is to visit the site:

http://groups.google.com/group/movieknight

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/Begxi6cN86E

Oh, people have been asking me about the time…  (Details? Pfff… )

Let’s say if you are cooking/warming something come about 5pm and if
you are eating come about 6pm.  The sun will set about 8:30 that
evening which is the soonest we could show a movie.

How does that sound?

UPDATEs:

We have about six people bringing a wide variety of chilis (from no-
tomato vege chili to chili rojo con carne), so that’s all going pretty
well.  The cheddar is taken care of and I found some lamp oil so the
list of stuff looks more like this now:

  1. paper bowls (please no styrofoam)
  2. plastic spoons
  3. corn bread
  4. scallions or green onions (for garnish)
  5. chips & salsa (for fun)
  6. beer, wine, or beer

(Thanks again to everyone who has offered to help out with the bulb.
We are about half way there.)

Buckarro meets the Film Snob Selection Criteria and I own a copy.  So
that’s all good.

Weather is moving in the right direction for a movie (Saturday high
currently predicted at 65 and overnight low at 52 and no rain).  I’ll
keep watching it.

I have at least two people committing to bring cornbread.  Let me know
if you are bringing anything.  We could still use:

  1. paper bowls (please no styrofoam)
  2. plastic spoons
  3. scallions or green onions (for garnish)
  4. chips & salsa (for fun)
  5. beer, wine, or beer

Ok, I have picked up some paper bowls at Costco.  Darien is bringing
some spoons.  Our list is narrowed to the bonus nibbles:

  1. chips & salsa (for fun)
  2. beer, wine, or beer (never hurts, actually)

The weather is looking really good for Saturday.  High of 71 during
the day (I’ll be here all day so if anyone wants to come hang out
while I mentor my chili… ) and an overnight low of 51 predicted.
This is looking very promising for a movie.

Bring your warm jackets and blankets and stocking caps because it will
be cold without them after the sun goes down.  Camping chairs or lawn
chairs are very useful for you new-comers.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

What a wonderful season starter.  Great turn-out, excellent food,
perfect weather, and not a single hitch (we even managed to save an
injured crow who wandered into my kitchen).

Thanks for all of your help and support.

Speaking of support, I neglected (as per my usual poor memory) to put
out a donations jar for the bulb.  Anyone still wanting to help with
the bulb, please feel free to drop by and lay me some green.
Alternatively, you can send me some dough through my PayPal account:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2257123

I will be purchasing the new bulb (about $250) before the next movie
night so as to ensure that when it pops, we’ll be ready.

Also, I have a few containers here if anyone wants to retrieve
theirs.  They are washed and in my cupboard.

I suppose the next one will land around 14 June, so expect to see a
new message from me in a couple of weeks making that announcement.
Until then, feel free to open discussions about ideas for this
season.  (I know there is some interest in showing the cult classic
“Judge Dredd” and for the ever-popular “Blazing Saddles”.)

…there really wasn’t that much to clean.

JamesIsIn

Movie Night Season Ends

  • Fleischer Superman
  • Transformers
  • Cutthroat Island

How about one last bash before the summer fleets away?

I’m thinking of 13 September for various reasons.  Hopefully the
weather will be kind to us by then.  If not, we can always drink in my
basement and play Settlers of Catan.

What to watch?

How about V for Vendetta and Judge Dredd…

Thoughts?

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/lI93h7T0_3I

We still have no movie picked by the 13 September Tentative Info
thread has some great suggestions.  Please head on over to that thread
and add your two cents worth.

Looks like the weather may hold out for us, but regardless I have a
back-up plan.  Or maybe it’s more like a disaster recovery plan.
Whatever.  The point is, I have a plan.

I just lost my latest job (apparently I really know how to pick ’em).
So, how would y’all like to bring something interesting for us to
eat?  I’ll have some stuff here, snacks and sangria, but who wants to
contribute?

You are so much help, Master P.

Ok, here is the current food plan for Saturday.  Pizza is out.  Sorry,
I love pizza but it just wasn’t in the cards.  Here is the new menu.

My brother had brought me a pork shoulder.  Tom is going to provide a
beef shoulder.  I will take these and create the finest taco fillings
you normal humans have ever tasted.  Don’t even mention taco trucks,
Pietro.

So my shopping list still has some stuff required:

  • one red cabbage
  • many small tortillas (4″ singles)
  • walla walla sweet onions (maybe three)
  • frijoles negros
  • 2 anaheim peppers
  • 2 ancho peppers
  • corn chips
  • muchas salsas

I am going to the store and will pick up the peppers and the onions
because I need those right away.

So, here is the current state of affairs.

I have, with the help of some of you, obtained pork and beef for
making taco meats, black beans, chiles, onions, and a bunch of small
tortillas.

I could still use:

  • red cabbage
  • corn chips
  • salsas

Let me know if you would like to bring a side or something.  I know my
brother is planning to bring a side (some sort of pasta, I think).

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Excellent.  We probably have a good amount of food now, if all goes as
planned.  Thanks to all who are helping.

Seven (7 PM) I trust will give everyone enough time to get a nice
plate of something before the cartoons and movies begin.

Questions?  Give me a call.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/kUlimg3xzfg

Thanks again to everyone who made Saturday possible.  There was an
extensive menu of wonderful food, excellent beer, a pleasant fire, and
superb company.  The turn-out was probably the best yet, easily moving
past 30 people.

The films were indeed Transformers and Cutthroat Island (preceded by
some Fleischer Superman cartoons).  Transformers was a hit–people
even stopped as they walked by in the alley.  Cutthroat Island was
what it was and there was much laughter (and appropriate commentary).

Well, that’s it for this year.  The summer of 2008, as concerns movie
nights, has drawn its curtain.

Now we begin plotting for the summer of 2009.  If you would like me to
watch some movie in preperation for next summer, drop a copy by and
I’ll watch it.  I estimate that we will be able to have our first
event about the middle of June.  Rarely is May warm enough for our
purposes (well, I’d do it but who would come?).

As always, I encourage any feedback that might help to make these
nights even better.

Thanks again.

JamesIsIn

Celebration for Darien Cook

  • George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, and Super Chicken
  • Evil Dead II
  • Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?

Our next night is August 16.  My brother, the birthday boy, gets the
honor of choosing the main feature.  What are you throughts for other
films and cartoons for the evening?

(Remember there are two rules for the movie selections.  The first
rule is that it has to be a film I have already seen since I have to
act as host and cannot fully enjoy a new selection.)

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/FQMoSyRufPM

I have a pretty extensive animated collection.  Many shorts.  But I
have a never ending desire to see more.  I admit I have a problem.
They fascinate me like a dwarf dresseed in teflon leotards: I want to
turn away but I can’t.

I have shown ‘toons from Bosco to Robot Chicken.  I have even thrilled
minds and eyes with the likes of the Brothers Quay.

Do you have a favorite?

First, my neighbor is having a bbq starting at 5:00 PM on Saturday, so
feel free to come early and start the evening at the bbq (we are
putting this on together so it’s not like I’m sending you over there
without warning).

Ok, we have a winner for the main feature: Evil Dead II.

I have only seen a couple of suggestions come through for the second
film so I’m going to toss down a short list here (some from others and
some off the top of my head):

  • Ninja Scroll
  • LA Confidential
  • Divorce Italian Style (I am probably the only one who’s seen this but
    it’s awesome)
  • Night on Earth
  • Life Aquatic

As to the cartoons, since everyone is being rather mute on the subject
I may just please myself and show episodes of Tom Slick.

We have started the sangria (watermelon, white peach, apple,
strawberries, and mango).

Ralph (that’s my neighbor) is going to bbq chicken and piggie.

I should be able to make some shakes for the earliest birds to arrive
(white peaches and vanilla ice cream).

Can anyone commit to bringing some citronella infused lamp oil for my
six tiki torches?

Well, my brother had a pretty good birthday.  And so did Michelle
(though hers was a few days earlier).

Thanks to everyone who came.  I think our turnout was somewhere above
25 people though I didn’t do a hard count this time.  After 20 though
it really stops mattering.

The food was plentiful and the sangria went over well.

In the end we showed some George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, and Super
Chicken for the ‘toons.  Then the main feature, chosen by the birthday
kids, was Evil Dead II.  And finally we ended with Oh, Brother Where
Art Thou?  Good times all around.

I’d love to hear your feedback on the event.  What did you like enough
to want to see it again?  What should be gotten rid of?  What might be
added?

JamesIsIn

Movie Knights!

  • Robot Chicken
  • The Big Lebowski
  • The Bank Dick

Our July show was on Friday the 18th of July.  We showed some episodes
of Robot Chicken to start things off.  The Big Lebowski won the vote
for our first feature and we followed that with a classic short film
from WC Fields called The Bank Dick (72 minutes).  I think we wrapped
up about two in the morning.

There was sangria to drink and hot dogs to burn on the open fire.

Does anyone have any feedback?

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!topic/movieknight/c2Jc8Xsw5a8

JamesIsIn