Ultimate Guy Movie - Sweet 16

by mtalken on Mar 15, 2009 6:55 PM EDT Comment 41 comments

Since it had so many comments, I'm doing to assume it was a success here. Of course, I posted it right before going on a 4 day retreat, so I didn't really post much on the thread, but I was looking at it.

First off, the sports winners were the top four seeds, the only close one was Hoosiers/Slapshot, which shocked me. I figured Natural/Bull Durham would be closer than it was.

Anyway, many of the movies you guys said outside the sports bracket were on one of the other brackets, but I'll give you what's left, and if I have time later this week (probably Wednesday), I'll go ahead and post the original brackets, so you guys can see what the actual bracket itself was.

Anyway, here are the remaining picks:

War/Action movies

8 Braveheart vs. 4 The Matrix

2 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back vs. 6 Gladiator

Sports

1 Rocky vs. 4 Caddyshack

2 Hoosiers vs. 3 Bull Durham

Comedy

1 Ferris Bueller's Day Off vs. 4 M.P. and the Holy Grail

2 Animal House vs. 3 The Big Lebowski (this one's basically this high because of my personal bias).

Gangster/Drama

1 The Godfather vs. 4 The Usual Suspects

2 Shawshank Redemption vs. 11 American History X

American History X is the lowest seeded movie left. The only 1 seed out so far is the Lord of the Rings conclusion, Return of the King, which was the #1 seed in the War/Action bracket. The closest 2nd round matchup was also in War/Action when The Matrix went up against Fight Club (5 seed) and Matrix won by 1 vote.

Another close vote that involves a movie mentioned here was a 1st round matchup between Gladiator and the Dark Knight where I actually had a tie and had to find someone to cast a deciding vote. The first person I found online to vote that I hadn't already gotten was my cousin who went Gladiator.

Anyway, on Friday, I'll cut off the voting. Next time I'll post not only the overall winners, but also the VEB vote.

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Vote or Die!

War/Action

The Matrix
Gladiator

Sports

Rocky
Hoosiers

Comedy

Ferris Bueller
Animal House

Gangster/Drama

The Godfather
The Shawshank Redemption

FWIW, I am not at all impressed with the Finalists for the Comedy bracket. Where was Blazing Saddles ranked and what movie beat it?

Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.

by Tackle Box on Mar 15, 2009 9:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

since I don't wanna die

The Matrix
The Empire Strikes Back

Caddyshack
Hoosiers

M.P. & the Holy Grail
Animal House

The Usual Suspects (tough choice)
The Shawshank Redemption

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

and....BEN SHEETS!!! **

**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)

by mattyfrommo on Mar 15, 2009 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"since I don't wanna die"

I just wanna ride on my motorcy………cle.

Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.

by Tackle Box on Mar 15, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Oh I don't waaaaaaannnnt a pickle

I just wanna ride my moootorsickle

by vexedtechie on Mar 17, 2009 6:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

heh

4B - beer baseball bands blog

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 15, 2009 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Responses:

I felt I got the right 8 movies in the top 8 spots on Comedy, but I went back and forth with some other people figuring out where to put them more specifically.

Blazing Saddles was #5 and lost to Grail, although I personally voted for Saddles.

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Braveheart
Gladiator

Rocky
Hoosiers

MP and the Holy Grail
Animal House

The Godfather
American History X

I’m assuming Scarface was in another bracket.

by spants on Mar 15, 2009 10:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Scarface was in the gangster bracket but lost in the 1st round.

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

War/Action movies

The Matrix

Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back (!)

Sports

Caddyshack

Bull Durham

Comedy

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

The Big Lebowski

Gangster/Drama

The Usual Suspects

Shawshank Redemption

4B - beer baseball bands blog

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 15, 2009 11:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I HATE the Usual Suspects so much.

Matrix
Star Wars
Rocky
Bull Durham
Holy Grail (best John Hughes movie is The ’Burbs, not a fan of Bueller)
Big Lebowski
Godfather
Shawshank Redemption

I just have a hard time believing The Usual Suspects is even an average movie, so could someone please tell me how it’s a great movie, guy or otherwise.

by TheBirds on Mar 16, 2009 12:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't have a good explination for you

but every time it’s on, I get sucked in to watching it.

It’s not as bad (the sucking in) as when I see Shawshank, but it gets me almost every time.

Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.

by Tackle Box on Mar 16, 2009 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shawshank is totally that way for me too

Comes on, mesmerized by it. I really don’t have any explanation other than near perfect pacing so you never have a moment to stop watching it.

by TheBirds on Mar 16, 2009 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't imagine...

How many hours men have spent watching Shawshank for the combined reasons that it sucks EVERYONE in, no matter at what point in the movie you are, and that it’s on TBS like 4 times a week. (or is it TNT?)

by mtalken on Mar 18, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's all in the twist!

Also, you must be on crack, because IMDB users rank it #22 all time! And they’re never wrong!

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Mar 16, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ahh the twist, that I won't spoil but I will say...

It’s not that great.

by TheBirds on Mar 16, 2009 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

you must be on crack!

I kid, I kid.

I absolutely love that movie, it would definitely make my Top 3 of all time.

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

and....BEN SHEETS!!! **

**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)

by mattyfrommo on Mar 16, 2009 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I actually guessed the twist before it happened

Of course, I saw that movie for the first time like 2 years ago, after I’d seen the twist-tastic Sixth Sense, among other twisty movies

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Mar 16, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta watch old Film Noir like Double Indemnity or Postman Always Rings Twice

Each have numerous twists that I think are better than Usual Suspects without basing an entire movie around it.

Also, no Steven Baldwin.

by TheBirds on Mar 16, 2009 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the twist

was pretty awesome.

That and Fight Club were two of the few movies that totally caught me off guard once the twist was revealed.

Then again, I’m one of those people who thought Sixth Sense was kind of obvious and wasn’t that impressed, so I guess it’s one of those movies where if you pick up the twist, it’s not that great….

by mtalken on Mar 18, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

War/Action
Matrix
Star Wars Empire Strikes Back
Sports
Caddyshack
Hoosiers
Comedy
MP and the Holy Grail
Animal House
Gangster
Godfather
Shawshank Redemption

"Statistics mean nothing to the individual"
"You are what you eat and you clearly went out and devoured a big fat guy"

by jacksonian on Mar 16, 2009 1:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WAR/ACTION
Braveheart
Gladiator

SPORTS
Caddyshack
Bull Durham

COMEDY
Monty Python
Animal House

GANGSTA
Godfather
American History X

In the poker game of life, women are the rake.

by el birdo in soko on Mar 16, 2009 4:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

War/Action
Braveheart
Gladiator

Sports
Rocky
Hoosiers

Comedy
M.P. and the Holy Grail
Animal House

Gangster/Drama
Godfather
Shawshank Redemption

Patiently awaiting the day Colby Rasmus does this: .275/.381/.551/.932, 29HR, in St. Louis...

by RunninRedbird on Mar 16, 2009 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Aw man

I could have been the vote for Fight Club that tied it! Anyways, my answers:

Matrix
Star Wars

Rocky
Hoosiers

Python
Animal House

Usual Suspects
American History X

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Mar 16, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

War/Action movies

8 Braveheart

6 Gladiator

Sports

1 Rocky

3 Bull Durham

Comedy

4 M.P. and the Holy Grail

3 The Big Lebowski

Gangster/Drama

1 The Godfather

2 Shawshank Redemption

Notes

Interesting choices for action movies making the sweet sixteen, I’d like to see what the other choices were and how the seeding broke out. I think Empire is a much better overall movie than Gladiator, but Gladiator is clearly the better guy movie. Can we get a sword battle between William Wallace and Crowe’s Gladiator to decide this matchup? I would totally watch.

How is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off a 1 seed? I’ll just Holy Hand Grenade it right out of here. I’ll take the smart, witty Big Lebowski over Animal House any day.

Tough to take The Godfather over The Usual Suspects, but Stephen Baldwin’s participation and his being one movie removed from Pauly Shore kills it. You can’t compare the cast of that movie with Brando, Pacino, Caan, Duvall, and Cazale without feeling bad about doing it and apologizing profusely so you don’t end up with a horse’s head in bed next to you.

Shawshank over American HIstory X in a blowout…

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Mar 16, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This would be fun to watch

William Braveheart Wallace

General Maximus Decimus Meridius

Are you not entertained!?

Patiently awaiting the day Colby Rasmus does this: .275/.381/.551/.932, 29HR, in St. Louis...

by RunninRedbird on Mar 16, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bueller....

was the weak #1 seed (even though it wasn’t the first to lose). Like I said above on a reply, I couldn’t (and still feel I didn’t) get the 1-8 seedings right, even though I’ll very much defend I had the right 8 movies in the top 8 spots. I probably should’ve made Animal House #1 and Bueller should probably be more like #3 or so, but oh well. Part of doing it this way is that movies have to beat what’s in front of it, and if it can do that 6 times, then it’s a great movie, no matter where it was seeded.

Shawshank/Am Hist X is so lopsided I’ve already promoted Shawshank to the Elite 8 despite voting not ending for about another 3-4 days.

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Full Comedy Bracket

As I’ve said in a few previous comments, I didn’t feel I ended up getting the order right, although I felt I did get the best movies in the top 8 spots. Part of some seedings is longevity (Anchorman here, Dark Knight in the War/Action) which led to them being double-digit seeds.

Anyway, here’s the comedy bracket. I’ll admit it’s not perfect, but I think the best movies are still in there.

1 Bueller vs. 16 Army of Darkness (Army of Darkness vs. UHF was the play-in, to keep it in the spirit of the NCAA)
8 American Pie vs. 9 Life of Brian
5 Blazing Saddles vs. 12 Lil Miss Sunshine (maybe not a guy movie, but I felt Steve Carrell’s character and the son were just so awesome)
4 Grail vs. 13 High Fidelity
6 Superbad vs. 11 Fargo
3 Lebowski vs. 14 Something About Mary
7 Clerks vs. 10 Anchorman
2 Animal House vs. 15 40-year-old Virgin

Then it was:

1 Bueller vs. 8 Amer. Pie
5 Saddles vs. 4 Grail
6 Superbad vs. 3 Lebowski
10 Anchorman vs. 2 Animal House

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you've overseeded the Big Lebowski

Don’t get me wrong, I love that movie. But if we’re talking “guy movies,” I just don’t see how it’s that high.

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Mar 16, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Blazing Saddles and Grail should both be higher

No Princess Bride is an absolute crime against humanity.

I think Lebowski should be lower simply because of it’s niche status and cult following (similar to where you have Clerks, 6-8 seed or so).

Life of Brian would have been in the play-in in my bracket (as much as I love Grail, Life of Brian is more of a re-hash of the Flying Circus routines), with 40 Year Old Virgin moving up to it’s 9 seed. Bueller is probably a 5 seed.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Mar 16, 2009 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have to agree

if Lil Miss Sunshine can get in, The Princess Bride should be a 1 seed.

Although anything with Princess in the title probably never had a chance of being a 1 seed as a GUY movie

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

and....BEN SHEETS!!! **

**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)

by mattyfrommo on Mar 16, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As I've written below

I don’t know what the criteria are here, that’s the problem. There’s a lot of “not guy movies” in these brackets by my standards, and omitting all of those action movies I listed is a horrible job when you include movies like LOTR and Pulp Fiction in your action movie lists. To be honest, Reservoir Dogs is more of a guy movie than Pulp Fiction is and so are Grindhouse and the original Kill Bill.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Mar 16, 2009 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Full Gangster/Drama Bracket

I feel very good about where I put all these movies. The only thing I’d change looking back is the 16 seed as A Clockwork Orange. It probably should’ve been in the range of a 10 or so, maybe even higher, but it was one I overlooked at first and added late, so putting it in at 16 and bumping the previous 16 (which I’ve already forgotten what it was) was the easiest way.

1 Godfather vs. 16 A Clockwork Orange
8 Goodfellas vs. 9 Se7en
5 Good Will Hunting vs. 12 Casino
4 Usual Suspects vs. 13 Scarface
6 American Beauty (Kevin Spacey’s character, in my mind, makes this a guy movie) vs. 11 Am. Hist X
3 A Few Good Men vs. 14 The Graduate
7 Psycho vs. 10 The Departed
2 Shawshank vs. 15 Snatch

2nd round was:
1 Godfather vs. 9 Se7en
5 Good Will Hunting vs. 4 Usual Suspects
11 Am. Hist X vs. 3 Few Good Men
10 Departed vs. 2 Shawshank

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Full War/Action Bracket

For this one: Only movie I left out that probably should have made it was an Indiana Jones movie. I’m personally not a huge fan, but I was trying to also base this off the opinions of a few others and off a few movie lists (AFI and a few others, IMDB was used in a few cases, but rarely)

1 LOTR3 vs. 16 300
8 Braveheart vs. 9 Bourne ID
5 Fight Club vs. 12 From Russia With Love (was rated the highest of all the Bond movies when I looked)
4 Matrix vs. 13 Heat
6 Gladiator vs. 11 Dark Knight (was decided by a tie-breaking vote)
3 Apocalypse Now vs. 14 Platoon
7 Pulp Fiction vs. 10 Full Metal Jacket
2 Star Wars V vs. 15 Terminator 2

2nd round was:

1 LOTR3 vs. 8 Braveheart
4 Matrix vs. 5 Fight Club (Matrix won in tie-breaker)
3 Apoc. Now vs. 6 Gladiator
2 Star Wars vs. 7 Pulp Fiction

I felt good about this bracket, if for no other reason, the top 8 seeds moved on the first round.

Anyway, rip em apart if you want, but remember, I figured whichever movie wins would have won regardless of matchups, so if your movie got bumped, it likely would have been bumped anyway.

by mtalken on Mar 16, 2009 2:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No Die Hard?

No Die Hard w/ a Vengeance? No First Blood? Magnificent Seven? Kelly’s Heroes? The Green Berets? Those are all good action movies that you’ve totally left out, and are better choices than some of what you have in there.

The second and third Bourne movies are much better than the first one.

I don’t think that Pulp Fiction, LOTR, or Star Wars really qualify as Action Movies.

I can see why middle seeds are coming out of this bracket — all of the higher seeds are just mis-cast choices in this bracket.

FWIW, I think this is a really cool idea, but I really think you should have listed some guidelines for yourself, such as:

Come up with a definition of a “guy movie”, so you can base your list around it and defend your choices. (Ex: Movie is endlessly discussed by guys drinking beer at the bar; Movie appeals to guys only, i.e. you would only watch it with a group of guys, your girlfriend wouldn’t want to go to this movie or ask you to go with her, etc.) I think this is the biggest problem with the movies that you have — I could dismiss a lot of them as not being “guy movies” because chicks like them so much. Examples would be The Graduate, Ferris Bueller, American Pie, Good Will Hunting, American Beauty, Superbad, and Pulp Fiction. I don’t think there’s a girl out there who would literally sit down for a marathon of Bloodsport, First Blood, Major League, Die Hard, The Green Berets, and The Magnificent Seven, but they would have to think about sitting down for the marathon of those other movies, because they have appealing romance plotlines in them.
No movies prior to 1970, so you don’t have to defend not putting in certain movies before that timeframe. It gives you a specified timeframe to work in.
No comic book or fantasy movies are allowed (this would include LOTR, 300, etc.). As good as Dark Knight was (possibly the best film in the last 14 years since Pulp Fiction changed all the rules in Hollywood) it really doesn’t belong on this list. It’s not a “guy movie”, it’s a mass marketed blockbuster. You can make a case for 300 because of the blood-porn that it was, but I went and saw it in the theater and there’s a group of 10 girls sitting in front of me just to look at Gerard Butler’s abs. No group of 10 girls is going to see Gladiator at the theater, they just aren’t.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on Mar 16, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Glad to know you appreciate Pulp Fiction as much as I do

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Mar 16, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd say LOTR3 qualifies as a war movie.

Two Towers even more.

Pulp Fiction, yeah not really actiony.

Lot of movies I hate to see go down. I like Heat much more than the Matrix. No Indiana Jones might be the biggest snub of this particular bracket.

by TheBirds on Mar 16, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A-fucking-men

I write in Die Hard in all categories except comedy, which belongs solely to Raising Arizona.

"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz

by taiko on Mar 17, 2009 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Braveheart, Star Wars

Rocky, Bull Durham

Monty Python, Animal House

Godfather, Shawshank

The last one will be the movie brawl of all time. Two of my absolute favorites duking it out right there.

"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.

by redbirdnation8206 on Mar 16, 2009 10:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Braveheart, Gladiator
Caddyshack, Hoosiers
M.P. and the Holy Grail, Animal House
The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption

by _pistol_ on Mar 17, 2009 9:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just for my own records:

I’ve tallied down to here. Please try to put votes as original replies so that it will make it easier for me to go back later this week and tally up the remainder, as I won’t look at anything above this line to tally up.

And of course, it’s just a silly fun little game. I understand everyone’s going to have gripes, but this is mostly for me and my group of college friends, so I’m sure there’s plenty of dissent.

Some of the choices brought up:

1) Princess Bride: Yeah. It’s an awesome, awesome movie. But it’s also not a big “guy” movie. I guess you can make the case some of the others weren’t either, but Princess Bride as a #1 seed just doesn’t work for me, if for no other reason that at this point it’s pretty much a cult classic more than a mainstream classic (ask 100 guys under the age of 25 what Princess Bride is, I bet you get 50% of them thinking it’s some cheesy girl movie).

2) Die Hard: I had another friend point out that it should have been in there. He’s probably right. Both Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance were great. I guess that’s what happens when I made 90% of this bracket during a grad class and then run it by 2-3 of my friends briefly before I start posting.

My criteria was a movie that the average guy could sit down and enjoy, whether it’s a movie that might make them cry (like Rudy) or roll on the ground laughing (like Superbad) or one that has awesome action or memorable lines (like Dark Knight or The Godfather).

My other criteria was that if there was a series, only one movie from a series could make it (hence no Godfather 2, and only one Star Wars and LOTR movie).

One last note: If you want to see the bracket that inspired me to do this, here’s a link:
http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1000/specialFeature?id=moviemadness

It’s something ESPN1000 out of Chicago was doing, and I heard, while driving to my grad class, some of their picks, so I, bored in class, made my own list. So you’ll notice some similar movies and some that I missed that I probably shouldn’t have (like Die Hard, a #4 seed in their bracket).

I think one thing about mine that is better is that my movies are done by genre, rather than just throwing all the movies in together as they did, where you have comedies vs. action movies in the 1st round.

Anyway, I actually appreciate all the feedback and all the votes. I think it’s kinda fun to banter about these things, especially since baseball’s not up and going for real yet.

Next week I’ll have the Elite 8 up for you guys to vote, and if you want to still vote this week, make sure you do so, because so far, I’ve got 4 matchups of the 8 that are separated only by 1 vote by you guys.

by mtalken on Mar 18, 2009 2:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs