2005 Movie Wrap-Up

As I'm posting these items, I'm starting to remember where I was when a number of these movies came out, as well as who I was with and the stage I was in in my life. I feel as though I'm going back in time. Specific movies definitely have a memory attached to some of them. Here's 05:

Best:
40-Year-Old Virgin
Capote
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Corpse Bride
Crash
Four Brothers
Fun wit Dick and Jane
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Hoodwinked
Hustle and Flow
Kingdom of Heaven
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride and Prejudice
Rent
Sin City
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Syriana
Walk the Line
Wedding Crashers


Sucked
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Fantastic Four
Good Night and Good Luck
Munich
The New World
Sahara

2004
Best:
The Aviator
Closer
Collateral
Dodgeball
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Finding Neverland
Fahrenheit 9/11
Friday Night Lights
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
Kinsey
The Manchurian Candidate
Million Dollar Baby
Miracle
National Treasure
The Phantom of the Opera
The Polar Express
Ray
Sideways
The Village

Sucked:
Alexander
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Meet the Fockers
Ocean's Twelve
Spanglish
Spiderman 2
The Stepford Wives
Troy
The Woodsman

2006 Movie Wrap-Up

So I guess I'll just keep going on this movie thing. If you think about this year, verses what came out in 2007 and even 2008, it was definitely a week movie year.

Best:
Apocalypto
Babel
Blood Diamond
Borat
Cars
Children of Men
The Devil Wears Prada
Flags of Our Fathers
The Good Shepherd
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
Notes on a Scandal
Pan's Labyrinth
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Thank You For Smoking
The Departed
The Queen

What Sucked:
All the King's Men
Black Dahlia
Bobby
The Da Vinci Code
Hollywoodland
The Fountain
Lady in the Water
Miami Vice
Nacho Libre

2007 Movie Wrap-Up

So, I'm getting kind of into this year end movie list thing, so I'm going to post a list from 2007.

Best:
300
3:10 to Yuma
Across the Universe
American Gangster
A Mighty Heart
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Away from Her
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Bee Movie
Beowulf
The Bucket List
Charlie Wilson’s War
Eastern Promises
Fracture
Gone Baby Gone
Grindhouse (Planet Terror and Death Proof)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Heartbreak Kid
Into the Wild
Juno
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
Oceans Thireen
Ratatouille
Reign Over Me
The Savages
Superbad
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

What Sucked:
1408
Atonement
I Am Legend
Hannibal Rising
Number 23
Mr. Brooks
No Country for Old Men
Reno 911: Miami
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

2008 Movie Wrap-Up

We see (and buy) more than our fair share of movies in a typical year, so I figured this blog would be a good way to record what we liked, hated and thought was way overrated. In no particular order, here are my best movie for 2008 and the most over-hyped films of the year:

Best:
21
Burn After Reading
The Changeling
Choke
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dark knight
Doubt
In Burgess
The Other Boleyn Girl
Horton Hears A Who
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Iron Man
Milk
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Pineapple Express
Role Models
Wanted

Biggest Disapointment:
Tropic Thunder
The Love Guru
Vantage Point

Goodby, Our Companion

Goodbye, Our Companion

When I was in fifth grade, my brother and I convinced my mother to buy a little white female Maltese puppy just days before Christmas. She'd never had a pet before, and neither had we. Somehow we convinced her buying Krystal was a good decision and we've never looked back. She was there for nearly all of our upbringing and a fixture in all of our milestones as we aged. My mother took care of her every day, and she greeted my father every evening when he came home from work. A barrage of pictures taken through the years show my brother and I aging, while this little white spark of a dog chugged along.

I never thought she would still be alive and kicking for both of our high school and college graduations and weddings. But, I am heartbroken to say that after 18 years, we have made the decision to put Krystal to sleep.

I came to terms that she had been in declining health, but despite losing her sight about a year ago, she never lost the characteristics that made her Krystal. Although the body was a bit older, the spark in her that made us bring her home that night was still strong. In these final days, that spark has dimmed.

Even though I knew in my head that it was only a matter of time before we had to make a decision, now that the decision is made, it is no easier to face the reality. The next time I walk into my parents house, the quiet will be deafening. I just think of that little spunky dog sleeping in her house in my parents laundry room no longer being there after 18 years. I sit here replaying my mother's wavering voice on the telephone and think back to all of the veterinary appointments she took our dog to and the unconditional love and care that both my parents gave Krystal. Caring for her has been a painful reminder of the deterioration of a loved one that no one should ever have to experience, yet all of us will.

I never understood the love and significance of a pet completely until today. I never realized that a little white spunky dog that was bought on a December night 18 years ago would change our lives. We are forever grateful.

Rest in Peace, true companion.

Krystal Conners, 10-03-1990 to 11-05-2008