When this Boy Rediscovers World (Part 7 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 7

COREY: Corey and Topanga are married and adjusting to married life. Corey still remains a pretty self absorbed (and dull) character however in the final episode he finally does something above himself. It's a touching and powerful moment that wraps up the show (he also figures out the title of his series).

SHAWN: Shawn doesn't really do much changing. He's finally become that character we all knew he was destined to be. Smart, kind, intelligent and loving. Of all the characters he's the most interesting one to watch grow these series. 

TOPANGA: Topanga marries Corey, continues to be controlling but (much like Yale) is willing to throw away her dream internship for Corey. SHe would not leave Philadelphia if not for Corey choosing her over his own personal comfort.

MR. FEENEY: Feeney got married at the end of the last season and we never see the wife again (he does refer to her occasionally). His final goodbye at the end is something of beauty. It's at the bottom of this.

ERIC: Eric will always be the most compassionate person on the show. Feeney describes him as the most interesting student and in his final talk with Feeney he says "I know I'm going to be a good person who cares about people". It all comes down to one simple philosophy "Lose One Friend. Lose All Friends. Lose Yourself."

MORGAN: Morgan almost didn't exist at all this season. She wasn't missed.

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: Mrs. Matthews are as tough as ever but still there's nothing but love behind their every move.

JACK: Jack's character is changed a bit. He brags a lot more about his money then ever before but in the end joins the peace corp with Rachel to show character growth.

ANGELA: Angela moves to Europe for a year with her dad. Besides that not much new happens with her character. We see that her fear of commitment stems from her mom that walked out on her and a Dad who was always traveling but that's nothing we're not already super used to with Shawn.

OVERALL:

This is definitely the second best season (behind the masterpiece that is Season 4). It's heartfelt moments (specifically the final scene) really hit hard but the comedy also remains glorious. Some of the highlights include the multiple out-takes of Eric hiding in the couch, the plays with squirrels moment and this beautiful ending (Skip to 13:30)

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 6 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 6

COREY: This season is back to the classic Corey. No longer is the season focused on Topanga's relationship and more about being less bland. This cultivates with my favorite Corey moment ever (The celery poster). This is also the episode where he punches his (real life) brother Fred Savage as well as him living with Shawn as roommates.

SHAWN: Shawn and Angela's relationship are a big focus of this season (which is a decent enough change of pace after the last 3rd of season 5). He grows to the character we think of as shawn. He writes poetry, he has a girlfriend he loves. We also see him deal with sadness more than ever before when his dad dies near the end of the season.

TOPANGA: Topanga is at her most controlling this season (more so than even last years Christmas episode). In the final episode she finds out that her parents are getting divorced which devastates her.

MR. FEENEY: This is the season we see Mr. Feeney in love. The season ends with his marriage to the Dean. This is 100% the Feeney we typically think of, he's a romantic, a friend, a mentor but still a stern educator.

ERIC: Eric remains mostly the same except that he's head over heels in love with his new roommate Rachel. This leads to an interesting love triangle between him and Jack.

MORGAN: Morgan is as pointless as ever.

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: Mrs. Matthews is pregnant/has a baby and Mr. Matthews has a mild mid-life crisis for an episode. Otherwise nothing changes in their personalities.

JACK: Jack and Eric are in full best friend mode now. I actually forgot entirely about the existence of Jason from Season 2. These two have far better chemistry. They Fight over Rachel (their new roommate) but Jack ends up winning and dating her.

ANGELA: We get to know Angela much better this season. Her and Shawn break up but Corey is determined to (a) get them back together and (b) befriend her. In doing so we get to see more about her character. By the end of the season their relationship future is still up in the air.

OVERALL:

This Season is a step up from Season 5. It's much more comedy based (even though it includes the death of Chet Hunter) and the characters are how we remember them. There are a ton of great moments and lines. This episode contains 3 of the most beloved moments in BMW ("Unnnnndapants", "I Mary Poppined Ya!" and Cory/Topanga's duet of War). It still isn't better than Season 4 but it's a close second so far (however I recall loving Season 7 quite a bit it may become a close 3rd very shortly). Also I was half right. They kept the same song as last season but they filmed a new intro to feature Rachel.

100 Movies That Makes Me Love Film: 19. The Frighteners

19. The Frighteners

The Frighteners was the film that started my long-term fandom of horror movies. I used to be afraid of the idea of watching them. However being a huge Michael J Fox fan I desperately wanted to see this movie. So I finally faced my fear and watched the Frighteners, it was a good starter horror film for me. First of all it was shot with the intention of being PG-13 but when the MPAA gave them an R they upped the gore just enough to satisfy horror films. Secondly it really has a strong comedic element to keep the creep level down enough for an 11 year old to appreciate.

Frighteners tells the story of Frank Bannister, a former architect turned ghost-hunter. After his wife was murdered in a car crash Frank develops the ability to see ghosts. He creates friendships with them and hires them to ‘haunt houses’ so that he can come in as an exorcist and rid the houses of them. However when the ghost of a serial killer finds a way to kill people Frank quickly becomes the number one subject.

The film has always remained one of my favorite films ever for it’s delightful blend of horror and comedy. It has a nice weird and macabre sense of humor in it as well. I would watch this movie everyday. I’d show it to all my friends. As I got older I’ve heard a lot of people pass it off as simply ‘okay’, but to me it is as good as horror/comedies get.

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 5 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 5

COREY: Half this season is the super dull and hilariously bland Corey while the other half is Corey desperately trying to win Topanga back. The second half has some of the most boring episodes (the one about drinking) and some of the best (The scream parody). Corey is still one of the funniest characters in the show (if not the funniest) but the Topanga relationship drama stuff is too heavy sometimes.

SHAWN: This is the season where Shawn became an alcoholic for an episode. I'm pretty sure he drinks again in Season 6 and 7 but I can't remember for sure. This season he becomes insanely obsessed with Corey and Topanga's relationship. Most importantly he discovers Angela and it opens up his inner intelligence and we see the beginnings of him being poetic.

TOPANGA: This season Topanga and Corey break up and that's sorta the extent of her characters growth this season (until she asks Corey to marry her in the last episode). Also the christmas episode she shows a little bit of her controlling side.

MR. FEENEY: Mr. Feeny's character has the most growth in the episode immediately after Corey and Topanga's breakup. We see that outside the classroom he hates that after this year he won't be a teacher to these students under his care anymore.

ERIC: Everything I said about Eric in Season 4 remains true. He's a complete fool but he's also the most humane and understanding person in the universe of the show. Also he seems to be obsessed with South Park as he makes about 4 references to it this season. 

MORGAN: Morgan gets roughly one line every 5 episodes. She continues being the most pointless and unnecessary character of the show.

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: Nothing new with them.... they yell at Corey, Eric and Shawn as well as show love.

MR. TURNER: If not for one throw away joke in the last episode where the say hello to him off camera I would have said his character was dead.

JACK: This season we meet Jack Hunter (Shawn's long lost half-brother). He doesn't do much but act cool and live with Eric and Shawn. However I know he's here till the bitter end. The only major thing he does this season is date a girl who's actually a witch.

ANGELA: We also meet Angela this season. She helps Shawn open up emotionally and fall in love for the first time ever. Like Jack she doesn't really develop too much yet this season but she's also going to be here till the bitter end.

OVERALL:

This season is quite uneven. Some episode are incredible while others are quite forgettable. The best episodes are the scream parody and the hyper-self-aware "Kid Gets Acquainted With The Universe" where each actor gets to play a weird version of themselves. It's a shame that while it has some of the best episodes it's a huge step down from the perfection of Season 4. We also get the most well known theme song for the show. As far as I remember this theme song sticks around until the final episode.

100 Albums That Make Me Love Music: 19. The Rocket Summer - Hello Good Friend

19. The Rocket Summer: Hello, Good Friend

Rocket Summer has released some very good albums. I will never take that away from them. However most of them I listen to, enjoy and a year or so later I forget all about it. There is however one exception. Hello Good Friend. An album that should be praised with the same level of intensity of Fall Out Boy’s Take This To Your Grave or The Ataris Blue Skies and Broken Hearts.

This album is never presented or advertised as a concept album and I don’t really think it is, but in 13 tracks Bryce Avary paints us a picture of love, heartbreak and friendships in Suburbia. 

It’s impossible to even pick just one song to highlight, there’s not a single song that outshines another. Rarely does someone put out an album so perfectly pieced together and full of passion that you find yourself depressed and wanting more when the album ends.

If I had to highlight anything on the album (though like I said, it’s next to impossible) I’d have to put out the sadness of Never Knew, the anger of Story and the feel good sing-along nostalgia of Brat Pack.

Brat Pack was the song that first introduced me to The Rocket Summer. I was checking out the song because I love 80’s Teen Flicks and thought the song may potentially be a comedic track about the 80’s (like 1985 by SR-71/Bowling For Soup). Instead I found a song that spoke directly to my torn emotions about my hometown. I’m sure other people will interrupt the song differently (and most likely more accurately) than myself. But when I hear the song I think of how after high school I wanted to get out of my town as quickly as possible... but as I built more and more memories with friends I concluded that while my town is boring it’s home.

Meanwhile Story was the song that stood out to me most when I listened to the album for the first time. This has a lot to do with the speed of the song compared to the rest of the album. Bryce is pounding on the keys and spitting out a rapid-fire rhyme filled chorus a particularly frustrating friend (possibly ex-love). It’s a song that literally makes you just want to jump up and dance.

Finally Never Knew. This song for whatever reason took a special meaning to me in the summer of 2011. We had just finished what I at the time believed was my last vacation with my friends. In a month I’d be boarding a plane and fly home. I had my iPod on shuffle and my friend Ed and I were singing along with the songs that came on. For the most part it was goofy stuff like You’re the Best and Final Countdown. Then Never Knew came on. While most of the lyrics don’t really pertain to two best friends saying goodbye when we were singing there was an emotional moment when we got to the line “Hello, Good Friend. I want to be next to you”. I doubt Bryce will ever read this write up but regardless I want to thank him. I want to thank him for writing a line that summed up a simple sentiment that I wanted to say to my friends. I didn’t want to leave them and while I could have racked my brain for days to come up with the perfect words... those 9 words summed it up better than I ever could.

The Rocket Summer has release some good albums after this but Hello, Good Friend is a magic moment where everything clicked at once. It’s Pinkerton, it’s Take This To Your Grave, It’s Keasby Nights and any other icon album that was impossible to top. As I said previously; this deserves all the praise in the world.

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 4 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 4

COREY: Transformation complete. Corey is 100% the dull and hilariously bland character that makes him one of the best TV show protagonists ever. One of my favorite moments is in the 2nd Episode "Hair Today, Goon Tomorrow" where he fears he is never going to get out of his awkward unattractive stage and imagines himself as the Elephant Man.

SHAWN: By the end of this season we see that Shawn has become the intelligent character that Feeney and Turner always knew he was. It's good to see him move past the regular angst of the last few episodes. He's also become super self-aware about his existence as a TV character. There's 3 or 4 episodes that breaks the 4th wall however Shawn is the only one who is aware of it.

TOPANGA: Topanga is still the same character from Season 3 but since getting her haircut and spending all her free time with Shawn and Corey she's become more laid-back and a little more girly (focusing on shopping and compliments more than ever before).

MR. FEENEY: Mr. Feeney continues to educate our main characters but this season more of his "lessons" takes place outside the classroom. There's at least 4 "back porch" conversations that will make you bite a knuckle, fight back a tear and choke up a bit.

ERIC: Eric is now completed his transformation as a complete idiot. However by the end of the season he has proven that underneath the idiocy he may also be most intelligent of all the kids. 

MORGAN: Morgan remains a minor character in the show still. She's pretty purposeless and will be for the rest of the series.

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: Nothing new with them.... still

MR. TURNER: Mr Turner is a minor character at best at this point. He's no longer the cool young biker teacher. In fact for no explainable reason he dresses like Feeney did in Season 1. He does get into his accident at the end of this season. His fate is left kinda in limbo.

OVERALL:

Season 4 starts off strong with the comedy and while it never stops being funny by the mid-season it becomes more of a dramatic focus. There's a ton of hilarious and classic episodes. This is the season that represents everything that makes series the beloved gem of the 90's it is now.

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 3 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 3

COREY: Season 3 Corey has almost completed his transformation from Hardcore Sports Fanatic to "most hilariously bland character  in television history". The moment when this transformation is complete is a when he says "Shawn, nothing exciting can possibly happen before I eat my grapenuts". The transformation will reach it's pinnacle in a few seasons when he owns a giant celery poster. 

SHAWN: Shawn is definitely officially the character we remember and love. There's still tons of angst but he's a good kid, he respects teachers (mostly do to living with Mr. Turner) and is starting to get his life together. This is the season where Feeney teaches Shawn the important lesson about friends being family. 

TOPANGA: I forgot that Topanga and Corey spend half the season broken up. That lead to her not being present in every episode. But this is 100% the Topanga that we will see for the rest of the series.

MR. FEENEY: Mr. Feeney has finally shown his true colors. He's a strict teacher and a good educator but there are students (specifically Shawn, Eric, Topanga and Corey) who he cares about deeply. 

ERIC: Eric hasn't gone completely retarded just yet so this season more than any other he seems the most uneven. Sometimes there's typical high school angst and other times it's complete and utter stupidity. In the future they make him a dumb character who has deep seeded intellect. That is the best use of this character.

MORGAN: Half this season Morgan doesn't exist. Then she pops back up about 5 years older than we remembered her being. She's a completely pointless character but she does have the best explanation for her absence (She was grounded for a really long time).

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: Nothing new with them.

JASON: Gone.

MR. TURNER: Turner lived through the whole season. Maybe it's next season he has the motorcycle accident.

OVERALL:

Season 3 is a slow burn but it's definitely where you see the writers getting more freedom. It just took until the 2nd half of the season to feel like the golden years of Boy Meets World. The seasons greatest moment is the last episode with Eric's "Feeney Puppet". The theme song is short and simple but still not very good. I'm pretty sure the theme song improves in the next season though.

100 Movies That Make Me Love Film: 20-39

20. Pretty in Pink
21. Wedding Singer
22. Scream
23. Ed Wood
24. (500) Days of Summer
25. Labyrinth
26. Wet Hot American Summer
27. Playing Mona Lisa
28. SLC Punk
29. American Pie 2
30. Free Enterprise
31. Toxic Avenger
32. Chasing Amy
33. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
34. Rushmore
35. Star Wars: A New Hope
36. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
37. Pink Flamingos
38. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
39. Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

100 Movies That Make Me Love Film: 20. Pretty in Pink

20. Pretty in Pink

I’m not too sure what took me so long to get around to seeing this movie, but it was definitely one of the last John Hughes teen flicks I saw. I honestly didn’t get around to watching it until I was legally allowed to drink. I don’t know why though, I was in High School when I fell in love with all the other classics, somehow I just kept skipping this one. Of course, it ended up being my favorite of Hughes’ and he didn’t even direct it.

Pretty in Pink is a film about class wars in a high school. The beautiful but poor Andie Welsh (played by Molly RIngwald of course) has fallen in love with the rich and popular Blaine. Blaine’s friends don’t think they should be seen together due to her being poor and making all her own clothes meanwhile the hyper new wave and geeky Duckie is in love with Andie. 

We have the classic love triangle with class undertones. There are plenty of classic moments in the film including my favorite sequence in which Duckie serenades Andie with Otis redding. The film is packed with cute teen flick moments and Molly Ringwald at her most beautiful. 

My favorite thing about this movie though is the debate that it creates, specifically with my most popular article. You see when the movie ends Andie picks Blaine... Duckie has always been there (admittedly to a sometimes creepy level) but he has a good heart and never lets her down, meanwhile Blaine fucks Andie over repeatedly in the movie but she forgives him anyway. This has never sat right with me. So let’s take this time to revisit my previous article because well... I love it. 

Here is my infamous blog entry It’s Suckie Being Duckie

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 2 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 2

COREY: Season 2 Corey is much more like the character we remember. Gone is his obsession with Baseball and in it's place is his obsession with being cool and girls. However he hasn't completely embraced the geeky loveable loser that he becomes in the college years. 

SHAWN: This is still Shawn as you typically remember him. He has little hissy fits about being trailer trash which will continue for the rest of the series however he still hasn't hit that part of his character where he's secretly brilliant. I think that happens in 2 more seasons.

TOPANGA: This is the Topanga we know. The hippie character is gone. She's flirty with Corey but they're not a couple yet.

MR. FEENEY: Mr. Feeney is still angrier than I remember him being, however he does show more of his caring and concern towards Eric this season. I think next season is when he softens up a bit. 

ERIC: Eric still hasn't gone full idiot here. His coolness has slipped a bit and his friend Jason tends to guide him toward bad ideas but he's not dumb. He's a poor student but in general he's a smart guy.

MORGAN: Morgan is already disappearing in the show. By the end of the series she manages to make a single appearance every two or three episodes. I'm confident that by next year she'll disappear all together.

MINKUS: Gone (except for Season 4 cameo)

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: As said last time. These characters never change. Nothing new. Just lots of sex as soon as their kids leave.

JASON: Jason is a more frequent character this season and schemes with Eric on how to get girls (usually unsuccessfully). He also has no shame in stealing Eric's exes almost immediately upon them breaking up. He's kind of a shitty friend.

MR. TURNER: We're introduced to this character in the first episode as the hip new teacher who rides a motorcycle. He's also the worst actor in the main cast. I think he dies next season or something I can't remember.

OVERALL:

Season 2 is a huge step up from Season 1. The jokes are funnier, the stories are better and the characters are massively improved. It's still not the best season but it's got some great moments. There's also some great "before they were famous" appearances from Adam Scott, Danielle Harris, Eric Balfour and Mena Suvari. My favorite episode this season is Band on the Run where Corey and Shawn decide that pretending to be musicians would make them popular with the girls. 

100 Albums That Make Me Love Music: 20-39

20. Relient K: Forget and Not Slow Down

21. Weezer: Pinkerton

22. The March Hare: Mister Nimbus

23. MC Chris: Goes to Hell

24. Thursday: Full Collapse

25. Catch 22: Keasby Nights

26. Weston: Got Beat Up

27. Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold

28. Blood Brothers: Crimes

29. Beastie Boys: Paul Boutique

30. Panic at the Disco: Pretty Odd

31. Eminem: The Slim Shady LP

32. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Murder Ballads

33. The Pharcyde: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

34. The Ergs: Dorkrockcorkrod

35. Five Iron Frenzy: Our Newest Album Ever!

36. Barenaked Ladies: Stunt

37. Nirvana: In Utero

38. Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

39. The Suicide Machines: Destruction by Definition

100 Albums That Make Me Love Music: 20. Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down

20. Relient K: Forget and Not Slow Down

I have loved Relient K since the first time I ever saw them live. This doesn’t mean I think everything they’ve written a masterpiece but I’ve always appreciated the band. For a while I thought that I had officially heard their peak; Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right... But Three Do was a flawless pop punk album. I enjoyed mmhmm and Five Score and Seven Years Ago but they were far from flawless records. Then Forget and Not Slow Down came out of fucking nowhere.

I remember having a lot of curiousity about the album after reading a few interviews where they discussed how the album was roughly 11 songs stretched out across 15 tracks, how it was 90’s rock influenced and that it was an album written when Thessian locked himself away from the world. 

Within the first minute of Forget and Not Slow Down’s opening/title track I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was going to be their masterpiece album. You can hear the heart and soul of a man dealing with depression and using music to get through it. 

My favorite track is probably Candlelight (the only song cowritten with guitarist Matt Hoopes). Lyrically it’s the most direct love song coming up with some of the most unique ways to praise someone’s beauty. Thesian’s word play and pop culture references shine throughout the whole CD (Part of It he uses the lyrics ‘I want to be the cusack on the lawn of your heart’) but Candlelight is the most adorable song the band has ever written.

It also contains cameos by various singers of multiple bands and the best production values the band has ever had. At the time I’m writing this (3/1/2013) the band still hasn’t released an official follow-up (but they did put out an awesome cover album) that I’m sure will be great but I doubt it could possibly surpass this album.

When This Boy Rediscovers World (Part 1 of 7)

I decided I wanted to rewatch all 7 seasons of Boy meets World. Due to the fact that Boy Meets World exists in a weird universe where the continuity is always thrown off I decided it'd be fun to log the characters and their traits throughout the series.

SEASON 1

COREY: In Season 1 Corey is OBSESSED with Sports. Baseball/Basketball/etc, in fact it's all he talks about throughout... to the point it's frustrating to a loser like me who hates sports. None of the things that make me remember his character exist in this season. I'm curious to see if he randomly changes or if there will be a progression throughout. 

SHAWN: Shawn is about the same as he always is. The only difference is that he doesn't discover dating until the end of the season (as he'll become a womanizer for at least 2.5 seasons). I will say that while Shawn is a "troubled youth" in the later seasons (we're reminded this every 2 or 3 episodes when they do a 'very special episode') there's a large handful of episodes where he's a straight up bully. Specifically toward Mikkus.

TOPANGA: No character changed more than her. First of all, she didn't exist until 4 episodes in. Throughout she was mostly there for jokes about being a weird hippie who has lots of hair. She does kiss Corey in the first episode that she appears in but they don't date until the 2nd to last episode. This isn't like a Rachel/Ross will they-won't they thing. Literally they kiss. Nothing related to them dating for 15 episodes. They have a date. This bothers me specifically since I know in later seasons they claim to have been dating since they were 5 (there's even at least 1 flashback I believe). I'll see what happens in later seasons.

MR. FEENEY: Mr. Feeney is mostly the same except he's a little more angry in this season. That being say the most important aspect of Fenney remains. He's a caring and good teacher. He doesn't play favorites, example when Corey quits Hamlet and then asks to be back Feeney allows him to be an extra but not the lead despite the fact that Corey is the superior Hamlet. 

ERIC: Eric is kinda dumb here and there but not the idiot that he is in future seasons. In fact he's a smooth, cool and well loved high schooler who has a date every episode with a different hot girl (he even gets Keri Russell in an episode). I'm curious when this changes now.

MORGAN: Morgan disappears and reappears from season to season. Right now she just exists as the "cute little girl" in the house. She says random adult things that a 4 year old shouldn't say and the audience goes awww. I can't remember if she still exists in the next season.

MINKUS: Minkus is mocked by corey and bullied by Shawn. Hard to discuss any growth for him since I think this was his only season.

MR. AND MRS. MATTHEWS: These characters have and will always be the same. They may be the only characters with no growth or character redesigns in 7 years

JASON: Jason is Eric's best friend. We know this because it's the only friend he hangs out with all season (and even then it's only twice). I'm pretty confident that he becomes a much more prominent character until the college years.

OVERALL:

Season 1 will always be the worst season of Boy Meets World, but it's not unwatchable as I recalled. The jokes definitely don't hold up and probably weren't too funny to begin with but there is still a nice charm to the storylines and characters. However the opening credit sequence is terrible. The Song sucks and it's far too long.

100 Movies That Make Me Love Film: 21. The Wedding Singer

21. The Wedding Singer

When I was in Elementary School Adam Sandler was a GOD. There wasn’t an adolescent boy who didn’t adore Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore. I had all of his movies and albums. In fact in 6th grade I had an assignment to write a fan letter to a celebrity (yay public school) and I choose Adam Sandler (he never wrote back, possibly because half the students in that class choose him). I was willing to see ANYTHING starring Sandler (including the awful Going Overboard and Bulletproof).

When I saw the trailer for The Wedding Singer, it didn’t look very good. But I was a Sandler fan, so I was going to see it opening weekend regardless. Little did I know I was about to watch not just my favorite Adam Sandler movie, but one of my all time favorite movies.

The movie takes place in 1985. Robbie Hart (Sandler) is a popular wedding singer in New Jersey. Ironically his fiance stands him up at their own wedding. Robbie falls into a depression and the only happiness he has is his newfound friendship with reception hall waitress Julia (Drew Barrymore).

Robbie slowly falls in love with Julia, but she’s engaged to rich businessman Glenn. He keeps his feelings for Julia a secret until he realizes that Glenn has been cheating on Julia (and plans to continue cheating after marriage).

While it’s a pretty typical rom-com situation the film manages to remain fresh and memorable. The characters are all likable and funny. Sandler is at his most charming. Typically he is a loose cannon of screaming rage, every time Sandler freaks out in this movie seems completely justified and reasonable. This was the film that also made me briefly fall in love with Drew Barrymore.

Barrymore became the first celebrity I ever downloaded nude photos of online (thank you Playboy and 90’s internet) specifically because this film came out while I was  going through puberty (sorry to make some of you feel really old). I even wrote about this event in an article for Geekscape a few years back (LINK IT HERE FOR GEEKSCAPE ARTICLE ABOUT SCARLET JOHANNSON).

This film became a movie that followed me constantly. In junior high and most of high school, love sick me would listen to the soundtrack for days on end. I fell in love with songs like Every little thing she does is Magic (The Police), Hold Me Now (Thompson Twins) and Love My Way (Psychedelic Furs). Much like Loser (LINK HERE) I would watch this movie on lonely weekends while eating cheesesteaks.

As I grew older the film always followed me and became the film that I held as the standard for Sandler’s films. It’s been my favorite (and will probably remain my favorite) Sandler film  and his second best film (behind Punch Drunk Love). The song Grow Old With You has become an iconic song in cinema and one of my favorite songs to perform live.

There’s a list of films that I watch with my friend Lauralie at least once a year after a bad day. This is one of those films. It’s one of those films that makes you believe true love is possible and works as a great rom-com for guys who typically hate rom-coms.

My Latest Obsession: Perks of Being A Wallflower

The first book I ever read on my own and truly loved was Perks of Being a Wallflower. I read it Junior Year and then again Senior Year. I bought a copy my freshmen year of college and continued to read it on a yearly basis most of my life. While a few books have surpassed it as my all time favorite, it still remains in my top 5.

When I heard there was going to be a movie based on the book I was a little apprehensive towards so I waited until it came out on DVD. I borrowed my best friend Jeff's copy of it. I waited until I was able to watch it with my friend Sarah as her and I have a history with the book.

Sarah had already seen it and raved about it (like all my friends had) but I still wasn't prepared for how beautiful and wonderful this movie would actually be. It is one of the greatest book adaptations I've ever watched. if you're a fan of the book and have been unsure about checking out this adaptation speaking as a fan I promise you that you will not be let down.

100 Albums That Make Me Love Music: 21. Weezer - Pinkerton

21. Weezer: Pinkerton

After the explosive debut of their self-titled blue album Weezer had the job of trying to top their juggernaut hit album. They had ambitious plans to do a space-themed rock opera originally to be titled Songs from the Black Hole but instead did a loose concept album inspired by the opera Madame Butterfly. The lyrics drew from a combination of Japanese Culture (inspired by the opera) and Rivers Cuomo’s disillusionment with stardom and the rock lifestyle. The band even produced the album on their own to ensure their vision not get compromised.

And man did it ever bomb

Upon it’s release the album barely cracked the top 20 and quickly disappeared from the billboard charts. Geffen desperately pushed for more music videos and singles off the album in a desperate attempt to save the album with no help. The mixed to negative reviews of the album certainly did more to hurt the record and with Pinkerton Weezer went on 5 year hiatus.

The album has since become a cult classic. I’m glad this album finally got the praise it deserved as it truly is a beautifully crafted record that truly taps into the downsides of celebrity, heartbreak and indirectly may be the first true emo record. 

If I had to pick one favorite song (which is pretty difficult because all 10 songs are pretty solid) I’d have to go with the lead single El Scorcho. The song pretty accurately sums up the album with the bridge ‘How stupid is this/I can’t talk about it/I gotta sing about it and make a record of (my heart)’. 

Sadly the record that killed their career in 1996 also became the reason people dislike all their new music (for not being enough like Pinkerton). 

100 Movies That Make Me Love Film: 22. Scream

22. Scream

I saw Scream and The Frighteners within the same week and it completely changes my horror movie life forever. I went from a kid terrified of horror movies to someone completely obsessed. To this day I still adore every second of Scream and consider it the best written horror film ever and the second best horror film in general (behind Texas Chainsaw Massacre). Some would say that those are some pretty big words but the fact is that movie ranks with Silence of the Lambs, Halloween and Jaws as one of the most important films in the horror genre, it is the film that brought the slasher film back (for better or for worse).

I must admit it’s strange watching for one of your first horror films to be a movie specifically written FOR horror movie buffs (and actually spoils a shit ton of movies), but at the time I didn’t care. It was scary, it was funny, it was quotable and every character was super likable. It made me question why I had put off being a horror fan for so long (a weird thought when you factor in that I was only like 12 at the time I saw it).

For those who haven’t seen it Scream tells the story of Sidney Prescott. A year ago her mother was murdered. Things have finally slowed down for her, she has a great boyfriend (Billy) and a group of close friends. Everything is finally normal for her when one day she discovers two classmates were brutally murdered. 

A masked killer (using horror movie trivia as his gimmick) is slashing his way through Sidney’s classmates and he has his eye on her. Could it be her friends? Her father? Her boyfriend? Everyone is a suspect.

The film’s ultra-meta style is in keeping with Wes Craven’s previous film Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (depending on who you are one of the best or one of the worst films in the franchise). Unlike many slasher films (specifically the mid-80’s films) Scream still holds up as a fresh idea with genuine scares and shocks. It’s also the best acting you’ll ever see out of Matthew Lillard (though I did love him in 13 Ghosts and Scooby Doo).

I’ll always hold a place in my heart for this film not just because it’s great, but for all the great things in introduced into my life (like 75% of this list).

My Latest Obsession: Thug Notes

I can't remember how I first discovered Thug Notes but I immediately loved it. While the idea of a Thugged out gangsta talking literary classics is funny I'm more impressed that it's a genuinely educational show.

While Thug Notes summarizes classic novels using phrases like "cap his ass" or "all up in his grill" or "stepping to him" our host Sparky Sweets, PhD doesn't change any of the original stories plot line. More importantly his Analysis at the end of each episode usually has some of the most insightful explanations of the books I've ever heard.

Some books that I genuinely like (Of Mice & Men for example) I have a far better understanding of because of Thug Notes. Below is the newest episode but i recommend checking out EVERY EPISODE so far because they're masterpieces (Of Mice & Men, The Hobbit and To Kill A Mockingbird are my personal favorites so far).

100 Albums That Make Me Love Music: 22. The March Hare - Mister Nimbus

22. The March Hare: Mister Nimbus

In 2006 I was near the end of my “concert booking” days. One of the last bands that I befriended while my booking organization came to the end was The March Hare. In all my years of my booking I never met a band with more talent and stage presence.

The band was relatively short lived (maybe 2 years at the most) and I was genuinely saddened by their break up. Their one album is the one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard. The fact that this was released by an unknown and unsigned band is a genuine travesty and I’m saddened that people don’t know this band more.

The band (consisting of 5 members) made big music with very little. Violins, Keyboards, Guitars and 3-part harmonies compose the entire album. Songs like Dial 911, Assembly Line and Skeleton Opera show the band mixing Disco and Metal. 

Furthermore songs like “Third Law” and “Portmanteau”  which showed the bands ability to create a song crafted of various genres.

Check out the band, buy their only record Mister Nimbus and thank me later