Past Movie Scratches: Wonderful-- Story-- Life-- Shooter-- Abiding-- Armageddon-- Ryan

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

133.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE"--  12-24--  That poor bridgetender.  "You look like an angel I'd get."  "You'll see a lot of strange things from now on."   Was that a bell ringing?

134.  A CHRISTMAS STORY--  12-25--  "Oh, Fudge."  Schwartz gets his (for no reason).  Good old Cleveland Street.  Higbee's.  My favorite Christmas movie.

135.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE--  12-25--  Sadly, I am sure I could have a real good time in Pottersville.

136.  SHOOTER--  12-28--   Just who do you believe?  A certain set of shooting skills.

137.  LAW ABIDING CITIZEN--  12-28--  "You can't fight fate."  Definitely someone you don't want to anger.  Quite a skill set.

138.  ARMAGEDDON--  12-29--  A wacky group of wise crackers off to save the world.  Get off that nuclear weapon!

139.  JACK RYAN:  SHADOW RECRUIT--  12-30--  You just can't trust those Russians.  Getting more than he bargained for.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn'y grow in it?

Past Movie Scratches: Breakfast-- Santa-- Clause-- Krampus-- Titanic-- Dancing--

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

127.  BREAKFAST CLUB--  12-16--  You get all your major high school groups in one movie.  "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his closet?"  Almost fell on the floor laughing with that question.  Ally Sheedy's sandwich and snow storm.

128.  SANTA CLAUSE 2--  12-21--  Gotta find a Mrs. Claus for Santa or no moreTim/Santa.  Watch out for the Fake Santa and his giant toy soldiers.

129.  SANTA CLAUSE 3--  12-21--  Waiting for Baby Claus and Jack Frost is a real sneaky pain.

130.  KRAMPUS--  12-21--  I do believe.  I do believe in Christmas.  This was a weird, scary movie even if I do say so.  All those snow globes in the collection.  Just when you thought it was a bad dream.  From Santa's snowglobes (129) to Krampus' in one night.

131.  TITANIC--  12-23--  Picked a real bad time to fall in love.  "From this moment, the Titanic will founder."  "If you jump, I jump."

132.  DIRTY DANCING--  12-23--  Is this the original "Dancing With the Stars?"  Some great music.  "Nobody puts...."

He Was A Real "Love Man."  --RoadDance

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is lemon juice mostly artificial ingredients, but dishwashing  loquid contains real lemons?

Past Movie Scratches: Polar-- Clause-- Carol-- Pearl-- Vinny-- Christmases

Try to guess the name of the movies in the title of this entry.

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

115.  POLAR EXPRESS--   12-2--  Loved the hot chocolate waiters.    Those were some crazy rides.  "I believe."  Can you hear the bells?

116.  SANTA CLAUSE 3--  12-4--  Jack Frost is making trouble.  Santa-style snow globes.  A special delivery.

117.  A CHRISTMAS CAROL--  12-6--  Remake with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.  I'd like to go out drinking with the Ghost of Christmas Present.  No doubt related to King Henry VIII.

118.  PEARL HARBOR--  12-7--  A perfect day to see this movie.    From the Battle of Britain to Pearl Harbor to Doolittle's Raid.  Talk about your WW II.

119.  MY COUSIN VINNY--  12-8--  One of the funniest movies ever despite the language.  Talk about your culture shock.    Brooklyn meets the Deep South.  Complete with Heman Munster and D-Day.

120.  FOUR CHRISTMASES--  12-10--  And you thought your family was dysfunctional?  They just keep getting nuttier and nuttier.  I sure didn't know Dwight Yoakam was Pastor Phil.  

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

Past Movie Scratches: Vacation-- Joker-- Wonka-- Titans-- Planes-- Office

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

109.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--11-27--  My 2nd favorite Christmas movie.  It's a Griswold Family Christmas.  Merry Christmas, Sparky.  The pretty woman clerk.  Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis.  "It's the gift that keeps giving all year."

110.  JOKER--  11-27--  Described as a psychological thriller and it sure was.  Joaquin Phoenix's much deserved Best Actor win.  We see how he plunged into the depths to become the twisted Joker and it was really the fault of others.

111.  WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY--  11-29--  You just gotta love those Oompa Loompas.  Augustus' pipe, Violet's blueberry, Veruca's chute and Mike shrunk.

112.  CLASH OF THE TITANS--  11-30--  Really big scorpions.  It's Perseus vs. Medusa.  "Don't look the bitch in the eye."  "Release the Kraken."

113.  PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES--  11-30--  "Those aren't PILLOWS!!!"  "See that Bears game last week?"  Doing the "Mess Around."

114.  OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY--  12-1--  The office Christmas party to end all office Christmas parties.  Lots and lots of interesting characters.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:   Why does sour cream have an expiration date?

2022 Movie Scratches: Amsterdam-- Devotion-- Black Panther-- Father Stu-- Violent Night

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater.  I did not go to any movies between when Liz died on September 23 and December.

21.  AMSTERDAM--  9-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A very historic who-dun-it.

22.  DEVOTION--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be there for me and his wingman certainly was, including crash landing his plane to save him.

23.  BLACK PANTHER--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  It's the Wakandans vs. the blue-skinned underwater-living descendants of the Mayans.

24.  FATHER STU--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A ne-er-do-well finds his true calling as a priest then has his ultimate test of faith.

25.  VIOLENT NIGHT--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--What did Santa do on the barmaid.  One wild and crazy Santa.  All the blood and gore you could possibly want in a Christmas movie.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is it called hamburger when it is made of BEEF?

Past Movie Scratches: Play-- Die-- Hard-- Halloween-- Transylvania-- Carrie

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

85.  CHILD'S PLAY--  9-21-- Meet Good Guy Chuckie.  So this is how he got that way.  "This is the end, friend."

86.  DIE HARD--  9-24--  A Christmas hostage situation.  It's Cowboy John.  "Yippie Yi Kay."   It's John vs. Hans.  A real Christmas story.

87.  DIE HARD 2--   9-25--   You're in my little pond now.   John takes a beating but keeps on ticking.

88.  HALLOWEEN II--  10-1--  Why doesn't she ever look behind her?   You don't know what death is.

89.  HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA  2--  10-2--  The wedding, pregnancy and a baby.  Is he a vampire or not?

90.  CARRIE--  10-9--  Don't cross her.

--RoadDog

Past Movie Scratches: Elf-- Four-- Kranks-- Fred-- Kumar-- Despicable

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019.

102.  ELF--  12-10--  Who's coming to town?  Buddy goes looking for his real dad (not Elf Bob Newhart).  Encounters many new things like the revolving door.

104.  FOUR CHRISTMASES--  12-11--  And you thought you family was a bit dysfunctional?

105.  CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS--  12-12--  See where skipping Christmas will get you.  Find the true meaning of community when Blair comes home.

106.  FRED CLAUS--  12-12--  Brotherly love saves the day.  Baseball bats and hula hoops for all!!

107.  HAROLD & KUMAR'S 3D CHRISTMAS--  12-13--   A real stoner Christmas and the many ways to destroy a Christmas tree.  Meet the father-in-law and his perfect Christmas tree.

108.  DESPICABLE ME 3--  12-14--  Game over, Mullet Head.  Brad has been a very bad boy.  Gummer, man.  Gummer.

--RoadDog

Past Movie Scratches (See If You Can Guess These Movies): Crusade-- Vacation-- Express-- Scrooged-- McPhee-- Feet

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.  Sure going to have a lot of these for 2020 because of you-know-what.

A Dog's Eye View of the movies.

97.  INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE--  12-3--  "Don't call me Junior."  "Nazis, I hate those guys."  "X" doesn't mark the spot.

98.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  12-4--  Just imagine living next door to Clark Griswold.   Even if you're not a snooty yuppy.

99.  POLAR EXPRESS--  12-6--  "We're on a tight schedule" and what a ticket punch.  You've got to believe to hear that bell. 

100.  SCROOGED--  12-8--  Loved the Ghost of Christmas Past and Christmas Present.  Christmas Present could really hurt you, but Christmas Future scared me.

101.  NANCY McPHEE--  12-9--  "I did knock."  A "government nanny?"  Squares the kids up with the 5 Lessons and then there were the facial changes.

102.  HAPPY FEET--  12-10--  I can't stop dancing.  Great music and the choreography of those animated penguins!!    Mumbles couldn't sing, but sure saved the day.

"Christmas Vacation" Is My Second Favorite Christmas Movie.  --RoadLights

THINGS TO PONDER:  Why do we drive on parkways and park in driveways?

Movie Scratches: Wonderful-- Frozen-- Jumanji

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in theaters in 2019.

I always try for 52 movies a year; one a week.

This year I didn't make that number.

36.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE--  12-18--  Fox Lake, $5--  My third favorite Christmas movie on the big screen.  Thanks Classic Cinemas.

37.  FROZEN II--  12-19--  Fox Lake, $6--  One of those great animated movies these days but sure could have used a lot less Olav the snow man and all that singing.  The girls finding out some less than wonderful things their ancestors had done.

38.  JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL--  12-19--  Extremely hard to keep up with who was who, but lots of funny situations.

I Don't Go to the Movies During Christmas Break.  Way Too Many People.  --RoadFlick

DID YOU KNOW:  The letters KGB stand for Komitel Gosudarstvenoy Bezopasnosti.

JSS: "A Christmas Story"-- The Drive's A to Z-- "The Last Jedi"

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  "A CHRISTMAS STORY"--   My all-time favorite Christmas show starts in a few hours and runs a 24-hour marathon on both TNT and TBS.  I will watch it straight through at least twice and definitely will catch parts here and there.  Watch out for whose dogs?  We will be having out Christmas dinner at a Chinese buffet, a regular tradition, but no Chinese goose.

2.  THE DRIVE'S A TO Z--  It started at 6 am this morning and will run until sometime after New Years Day.  They do take a stop from midnight to 6 am.  There will be over 2,000 songs arranged alphabetically by title.  It streams at www.wdrv.com. 

First song was "Abacab" by Genisis.    They are up to "At the Station" by Joe Walsh right now.

3.  "THE LAST JEDI"--  The last two weekends, I have watched all the first seven "Star Wars" movies on TNT as I get ready to see the Rise of Skywalker after schools go back in session.  This Sunday they will run "Rogue One" at 1 pm, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at 4 and "The Last Jedi" at 7.  I'll be recording on my VHS tape.

--RoadWalker

It's a Numbers Thing

Some Numbers of interest.

7-6     Record of the Chicago Bears as they prepare to play the Packers in Green Bay Sunday.

10-3    The Packer record.

14-0    The 2019 record of the Richmond-Burton High School Rockets.  They won the Illinois State Class 4A Championship!!

5    The number of Illinois State Championships won by Route 66, Lincoln Highway and US-12 high school football teams.

8    The number of days before we start adding daylight time to each day.  I'm really ready for it.

40   The number of new Christmas movies being shown on the Hallmark Channel.

$1,000   How much you win if you have the best WDRV 97.1 FM, the Drive logo in Christmas lights.

I'm Not a Twit.   And Don't Call Me Shirley.  --RoadDog

DID YOU KNOW:  That a pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

JSS: So Tired of Cyber Monday-- New Christmas Movies-- My Favorite Christmas Movies-- Snow Didn't Stick-- The Drive In Lights

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  SO TIRED OF CYBER MONDAY--  If I heard it or saw it once....  They just don't give it up.  By the way, I didn't order anything over the internet Monday or even leave the house on Friday.  Sorry guys, you lost that bit of your advertising dollar.

2.  NEW CHRISTMAS MOVIES--  I heard that Hallmark Channel has 40 new Christmas movies.  One of these days I might have to watch one of their Christmas movies.

3.  MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES--  I have added a fifth to my list of favorites.  It is "Scrooged."  Hey, Bill Murray.

4.  SNOW DIDN'T STICK--  It snowed over night on Monday, but did not stick on the driveway, sidewalks or street. I sure don't mind snow when I don't have to mess with it.

5.  THE DRIVE IN LIGHTS--  One of the three Chicago radio stations I listen to, WDRV, 97.1, 96.9 FM, the Drive, has a contest where the winner gets $1,000 if they have the best WDRV lights up in their yard.

Thinking About It.  --RoadDrive

DID YOU KNOW.  Telly Savalas and Louis Armstrong died on their birthdays.

Past Movie Scratches: Klunks-- Phantom-- Clones-- Clones-- Sith-- Hope

Movies I watched on TV in 2017.

73.  CHRISTMAS WITH THE KLUNKS--  12-15--  There goes the Caribbean Christmas trip.

74.  STAR WARS:  PHANTOM  MENACE--  12-15--  We meet the cute little Annikin.  You know what he grows up to be, though.

75.  STAR WARS:  ATTACK OF THE CLONES--  12-15--  Annikin starts showing his "problems" which does not bode well for the Jedi.

76.  STAR WARS"  ATTACK OF THE CLONES--  12-16--  Probably the worst romantic effort ever.

77.  STAR WARS:  REVENGE OF THE SITH--  12-16--  Annikin goes "all the way" to the Dark Side and becomes evil Lord Darth Vader.

78.  STAR WARS:  A NEW HOPE--  12-17--  The original "Star Wars,"  now #4 with the prequels.  "Your worshipfulness."

Star War Me.  --RoadDog

FOOD COMMENTS:  "I will not eat oysters.  I want my food dead -- not sick, not wounded -- dead."  --Woody Allen

A Dickens Christmas, Chili Cookoff and Top Christmas Movies

DECEMBER 13, THURSDAY--  Finished putting up Christmas decorations.  Movie "The Possession of Hannah Grace"  Subdivision decorations and "Miracle on 34th Street."

DECEMBER 14, FRIDAY--  Legion for 50-50.

DECEMBER 15, SATURDAY--  "It's a Wonderful Life" Antioch's Dickens Christmas with statues along the streets.    Stores and the Lodge.  Sunnyside in Johnsburg.

DECEMBER 16, Sunday--  Fox Lake American Legion for Bears game (Win). Also, chili cookoff.  I love chili cookoffs.

I now am missing just one of my top four Christmas movies and that is "A Christmas Story," but I know TNT and TBS will have their marathon Christmas Eve and Day so am not worried.

My Top 4 Christmas Movies:

#1 .  "A Christmas Story"
#2.   "Christmas Vacation"
#3.   "It's A Wonderful Life"
#4.   "Miracle On 34th Street"

--RoadDog

FOOD COMMENTS:  "I told my doctor I get very tired when I go on a diet, so he gave me some pep pills.   Know what happened?   I ate faster,"    Joe E. Lewis

Favorite Christmas Movies: Three Down, One to Go

I have managed to watch three of my top four favorite Christmas movies within the last two weeks.

It's a Wonderful Life--  #3
Miracle on 34th Street (original one) #4
Christmas Vacation #2

Guess What My favorite One Is (Which I Will See One Week from Tonight).  Hint, It has a 24-Hour Marathon.  --RoadDog

JSS: "Miracle on 34th Street"-- Still Cold-- Homebound Two Days-- Bars and Movies and Christmas Lights-- Homemade Irish Cream-- Christmas Music

JSS-- Just Some Stuff


1. MIRACLE ON 34th STREET-- Last night, I saw the Christmas movie "Miracle on 34th Street." I had forgotten how good it was. I'll have to move it onto and up to #4 on my Christmas Movie favorites list. (See a couple days ago.)


2. STILL COLD-- We've now had below freezing temperatures for seven days. But, i do have to admit that the last several 20 degree days were "balmy."


3. HOMEBOUND TWO DAYS-- We ended up staying home all day last Sunday and Monday because of crummy weather. That is rare for me, not so much for Liz.

4. BARS AND MOVIES AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS-- Tuesday, I had an excellent Mexican omelet at Dill Pickle in Spring grove ($5 special). The hash browns were so good I didn't even have to put on A-1 like usual. In the afternoon, Liz and I went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin and had eight Top 20 Rankings in NTN.

Wednesday, it was Taco Bell and the movies "Unstoppable" and "Love and Drugs" in Fox Lake and 35 cent jumbo wings at the Dill Pickle.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY Liz and I drove around and looked at Christmas lights. Again, the business on Johnsburg Road between Spring Grove and Johnsburg has an unbelievable display, always a highlight for viewing.

YESTERDAY, it was recording songs for Larry Logan's memorial service today and a trip to Donovan's for more NTN (another 8 Top Twenties).


5. HOMEMADE IRISH CREAM-- Thursday, we went over to friend Pam's house to make her annual homemade Irish Cream drinks which we bottled. She gives them to friends. had a great time making and drinking them. They had SOME kick.


6. CHRISTMAS MUSIC-- While typing away at this with my two busy little fingers, I am listening to Christmas tapes I made over the years. I have about fifty of them and have been listening to them over the last couple weeks while posting and researching.

Enough. --RoadDog


SIXTIES HOTS REVISED-- Bee Gees "How Can You Mend a Broken Hip."

Two New Movies: "Todd Sweeney" and "Rambo"

The last two days, I saw two current movies.

The first was Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street." I have to admit that I was about ready to get a refund when I discovered it was a musical, but stuck around and was glad I did. I liked the music. As a matter of fact, if they come out with a soundtrack, I just might buy it. Certainly enjoyed the music.

This has to be the all-time strangest musical ever. Who'd have figured there would be one about revenge, cannibalism, and lots of eyeliner. Johnny Depp seems to have found a niche playing off-kilter characters who wear eye shadow.

I am happy to report that it was a private showing for me. I was the only person in the theater.

The second movie was "Rambo." When are the bad guys ever going to learn that you'd better not mess with John Rambo. At least he didn't try to reprise his stud self of the earlier movies. If you like gore and bodies being blown to pieces, this is your type of flic. Plus, there was that interesting game where the Burmese soldiers would throw Claymore mines into a rice paddy and place bets on which prisoner running across it would blow up first. Unfortunately, if they made it across, they were turned around and had to run it again.

I'd definitely see the Sweeney again, but not John.

Nothing Like a Night at the Movies. --RoadDog

No Movies for Me

Well, I had hopes of seeing 40 movies at the theaters in 2007. Last Friday, I saw "I Am Legend." This will be my last one, because those that work for a living and go to school are flocking to the theaters this Christmas season.

Yesterday, I was planning on seeing the new "National Treasure" movie at the McHenry, Il, Indoor Theatre, but the line was out the door. Then I drove by the Fox Lake, Il, Theatre to see"Charlie Wilson's War" and the parking lot was full. Guess a lot of people must have taken this week off, and I'm sure parents are shuttling off their loved ones to the movies to get them out of the house.

Guess I will stay stuck at 38 for the year and wait until Jan. 7th to resume seeing the shows.

By the way, "I Am Legend" was a very good show.

It's kind of strange, but sometimes there will be a month or longer stretch where I don't have any movies I particularly want to see. Then, all of a sudden, there are a whole lot released at once.

Other movies I want to see now: Charlie Wilson's War, PS I Love You, Waterhorse, Golden Compass, National Treasure, and Walk Hard.

Hey, Let's Hurry Up and Get Back to Work and School So Us Old Retired Coots can Get Back to Normalcy. --RoadDog

A Good Christmas

Liz and I opened the gifts last night and had eggnog. Watched "Santa Clause 2" and I watched "A Christmas Story." Liz doesn't like this movie at all. I, on the other hand have now seen it three times on the TBS marathon.

We're going over to visit Frances at the nursing home in just a little while. We'll stop back by Kora's for some Christmas cheer before coming home for Christmas dinner.

A Mighty Good Christmas. --RoadDog

Top Christmas Movies

Two other sites I visited with top Christmas movies and rankings.

Yahoo top searched movies 2007.

#3 A Christmas Story

#15 It's a Wonderful Life

#16 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation


Moviefone's top 25 all-time Christmas movies

#21 Gremlins-- forgot about this one. Definitely hilarious.

#10 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--1989

#2 It's a Wonderful Life--1946

#1 A Christmas Story--1983

On my Third Viewing of A Christmas Story Now. --RoadDog