Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Movie Madness: Round 3 Results!

Due to Brad's whining, I'm posting these an hour and a half early.

And then there were eight.



The Godard region is the only one that held to form, pitting #1 Citizen Kane vs. #2 On the Waterfront. Thin Wells vs. Thin Brando. Too bad we couldn't have had Touch of Evil vs. Don Juan DeMarco as well, just to have the hefty versions of the two duke it out too. Seventh-seeded Mockingbird continues to make its improbable run, the lowest seed in the history of Movie Madness to make the Elite Eight. It'll go up against Godfather II, after Michael Corleone did what all good mob sons do and took out his father. In the Fellini, Scarlett discovered that while tomorrow may be another day, for her it'll be a day to nurse the wounds given to her by Jake LaMotta. And finally, even though the crowd was rooting for a Jack vs. Jack regional final, it wasn't meant to be as Rick Blaine held on to beat the lobotomized but still scrappy Randle Patrick McMurphy. We'll see if Rick can hold off Jake Gittes next round.

Updated standings. 1st round/2nd round/3rd round/Total after 3 rounds.

Jen: 21/22/28/71 (Casablanca)
Looney: 22/26/20/68 (On the Waterfront)
Brad: 25/18/20/63 (To Kill a Mockingbird)
O'Tim: 26/22/12/60 (American Graffiti)
Paticus: 27/20/12/59 (Godfather)
Schadenfreude: 26/20/12/58 (Casablanca)
Nat: 20/22/16/58 (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Paula: 27/16/12/55 (Chinatown)
Fez: 23/16/12/51 (Godfather)
Don: 21/16/12/49 (Citizen Kane)
Lucy: 27/14/4/45 (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
Caley Adams: 19/14/8/41 (Star Wars)
Jackson: 23/14/4/41 (The Graduate)
Sylvia: 18/14/8/40 (Casablanca)
Joe the Troll: 23/12/4/39 (Casablanca)
Ravenous: 23/12/4/39 (Citizen Kane)
Venessa: 21/14/4/39 (Gone With the Wind)
Eden: 23/14/0/37 (Gone With the Wind)
Arleen: 18/12/4/34 (M*A*S*H)
Lady Strathconn: 22/12/0/34 (Godfather)
Emma: 17/12/4/33 (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Jeff Adams: 19/12/0/31 (Star Wars)

With a stunning 28-point third-round tally (that's seven out of eight correct), Jen has vaulted into the lead a full three points ahead of Looney. O'Tim's slide is only beginning, as both of his final two movies have bowed out. Kudos to him for picking two comedies -- it took as much guts as it did silliness. Brad slid into the third slot by getting the entire right side of the bracket correct, and still has three of his final four alive. And while Schadenfreude lost two of his final four, his most important two are still alive. Also notable are Nat, who has managed to steadily climb up the ranks, and Paula, who could ride her champion pick Chinatown right to the top.

33 comments:

Paticus said...

Godfather II over Godfather- that's a big box of wrong.

Natsthename said...

Thanks for noting my climb, but I think it ends here, since I don't think you've picked Mockingbird over Godfaddah II. I guess I can only wait and see! No matter, I'm happy that I climbed out of the basement.

Anonymous said...

I so totally rock! At least for today! I'm toast next round but for now, I gloat.

Kos said...

The dual stories of young Vito and Michael, and the performances by De Niro and Pacino, make GII the better movie, IMO. To see the conflict within both men, to see them both as good men who get pulled into a life they never planned for themselves, brings a frighteningly human element to the film -- something that was a bit lacking in the first Godfather. Both outstanding films that stand on their own, but the character studies of GII trump the power of Brando in G.

Paula said...

Go Chinatown!

Looney said...

G vs. GII, isn't the general consensus that GII trumps GI? I prefer it myself... but they both rock.

Gotta bitch at you for one more thing, though, dude. African Queen over Lawrence? Bleh... AQ is obviously one of the greats, but Lean deserved a spot in the Eight for sure, esp. w/ one of the greatest movies ever.

On to the final four! Woohoo!

Gotta see if I have any chance of catching Jen w/ an entire bracket trashed :-)

Unknown said...

This is downright embarrassing. I need to go find a corner to hide in.

Anonymous said...

Looney, you're just plain high re: Larry vs. AQ. How's that for educated discussion?

As for "catching" me, I predict I get no wins, or maybe 1, in the next round, so... my glory is shortlived.

Kos said...

I knew you'd be bumming about Larry, Looney, but I just had to go with Bogey and Hepburn. After an entire career of being the tough guy, in AQ we saw Bogey portray a very vulnerable man trying to be the tough guy, and I think it's his best performance ever.

One thing in the world I hate: leeches.

Kos said...

How about getting a PMA, Jen? You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone, people like you!

Brad said...

I'm on the rise, but I am scared of what might happen in the next round. I think I'll go outside and kill a mockingbird...

Natsthename said...

LOL Brad, I think we're doomed. I still think it's a better movie than Godfaddah II, but it's a squeaker.

The Fez Monkey said...

African Queen?

Looney and Nobody are 100% correct. That is just an abomination. It proves the fix is in, and this whole thing is a sham.

No amount of justification, weaseling, sniveling, etc makes that right. It isn't. By any criteria you choose to apply this result simply doesn't happen.

Not that it matters anyway.

Ook ook

O' Tim said...

Yeah, Kane is my last chance to garner points, so I'm toast. I'm going to write a script about my meteoric rise and precipitous plunge. I think I'll call it "Dr. Kane Smith Likes Graffiti Hot On The Waterfront Over The Cuckoo's Nest At Sunset"

Kos said...

Hey Fez, you misread Nobody -- she agreed with AQ over Larry!

The Fez Monkey said...

Hey Fez, you misread Nobody -- she agreed with AQ over Larry!

Oh. Well, all that proves is Nobody is in cahoots with you and the broken-down boat brigade in terms of this being as rigged and phony as wrestling or the 2000 election. It still does not, will not, can not justify that result.

Looney said...

I think it all points to a particular lack of appreciation for Lean's prowess and vision as a director. Nobody else could make three minutes of a dot approaching on the horizon half as interesting. He used the landscapes and scenery, the people, the buildings, time itself, all the little peripheral details to tell what would have taken pages of exposition. His worlds were vibrant and dangerous and supercharged with color and beauty.

I could go on, but I won't... Lean deserved a spot in the eight for sure, even over African Queen, and Larry was the one it should have been.

Looney said...

Not to mention I'd have been five points up on the field...

Anonymous said...

Fez is right, this is SO rigged. I'm reporting you to the Academy.

Ummm, anyone have their number?

Kos said...

I am the Academy.

Brad said...

Just to play devil's advocate, I want everyone with any kind of dissention against African Queen to look at the fact that it too was directed by one of the greatest, John Huston.

Not only that, but he wrote or adapted most every screenplay for his movies. I think it can be said that Lean's films are a lot more beautiful, but Huston's have a grit and character that cannot be denied.

We all agree that Kos probably picks the films he sees as the best, but that does not mean he's not right in a few cases.

That being said, I like Lawrence better too...

Kos said...

"We all agree that Kos probably picks the films he sees as the best, but that does not mean he's not right in a few cases."

Thanks, dude.

"That being said, I like Lawrence better too..."

Hey!

The Fez Monkey said...

Jeff said: I am the academy.

Yeah? Well, I'm Spartacus. No, wait, I'm Brian and so's my wife.

Ook ook.

Anonymous said...

Look Fez, I'm the first to agree that Koz picks some like rilly dumb movies (you must be the wink you wish to see in the world). But African Queen is a fucking great fucking movie.

Anonymous said...
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Kos said...

Ooh, Jen. While AQ is definitely a fucking great movie, it's not a great fucking movie. That would be 9-1/2 weeks.

Kos said...

And don't forget, I already know who wins this thing. And it just might be you. So be nice!

Looney said...

But African Queen is a fucking great fucking movie.

You're right, Jen, it's just not as good as Lawrence of Arabia.

HTH :-)

Anonymous said...

I am being nice. I just, you know... GF2 over Schindler's.

Smiley!

Lawrence of Arabia. Eh. Kate H wasn't even in it.

Looney said...

Lawrence of Arabia. Eh. Kate H wasn't even in it.

And even so still better than African Queen.

:-)

Glad I could clear that up for you!!

O' Tim said...

Oh Boy! I missed the fact that I picked AQ over Larabia! Hooray for ME!

[skips away, humming]

Kos said...

"Larabia"

LOL! Suppose you could littleize it even more if you removed the 2nd & 3rd letters.

The Fez Monkey said...

I just, you know... GF2 over Schindler's.

Schindler should never have made it to the second round. Ever. At least not over Goodfellas.

However, both of those results are within the realm of believability. AQ over Lawrence is simply madness. Sheer and utter madness. By any reasonable metric used to measure quality of a movie, AQ loses.

This thing is a hoax! I demand my money back. Cheater cheater cheater.

Okay, tantrum over. :)