My Collection 10 by Nostra

The Collection 10 series continues with Nostra from The Netherlands .

Those who are new, the aim of the series is for people to take 10 DVDs from their collection at home, photograph them, and write a line or two about them. They do not have to be favourites, but just movies that have a story behind them. You might like them, hate them, or till now didn’t even know you had them, it is all about letting everyone know a little about your likes and dislikes.


First of all I would like to thank Raghav for this opportunity to send in a selection from my collection. It was difficult to pick one as I have bought quite a lot of DVDs through the years. In the end I settled for these 10;

Black Swan - this is my all time favorite movie (another one from my top 3 features later). It's a movie which moves me every time I watch it. Just like the last line of the movie: It's perfect.

Alien Quadrilogy - I bought this because just look at it, it looks awesome. I will have to admit that I didn't see all 4 movies yet, only the first 2, but that happens to a lot of movies in my collection

Allemaal Film - this is another example of something I still have not seen yet. It's a 9 part documentary about the history of Dutch cinema from 1945 till now. It's always good to know about the history of things from your own country!

Mr. Nobody - in my all time favorite top 3 this is number two. A complex story which looks at the consequences of our choices and this movie tries to show a lot of them. The scientific bits only add to that feeling of complexity and completeness. One I can't get enough of.

The Odd Couple - When it comes to comedic actors these two are my favorite and have quite a selection of the stuff they did together.

Green WIng - While this isn't a movie I just had to include this comedy series from the UK. In my opinion the funniest TV show ever made.

Shaolin Soccer - I'm a big fan of Asian cinema (lately watched a lot of Korean movies) and Shaolin Soccer is a very funny movie with some great special effects which makes this so much fun to watch.

Spirited Away - When it comes to hand drawn animation Studio Ghibli is the best there is. They have shown that stories can be very complex and don't always need a princess.

Back to the Future - In my opinion there are not enough movies that deal with time travel, but this is one of the most enjoyable ones ever made.

I, Robot - Although the movie itself isn't amazing, the box in which the DVDs are stored is just awesome and looks great in my collection.



Thank you Nostra for taking out the time to do the post for Ticker Talks Film.  You can view Nostra's blog at www.myfilmviews.com and follow him in Twitter (@MyFilmViews). I would also like to specially mention that Nostra has been a great source of information for me, personally, when it comes to Documentaries and Korean Cinema, and is somewhat partly responsible for me appreciation both the genres.   


If you would like to share your Collection 10, please get in touch with me via Twitter (@raghavmodi) or via email (raghavmodi9@gmail.com)

My Collection 10 by Chip Lary

The Collection 10 series continues with Chip Lary from United States of America.

Those who are new, the aim of the series is for people to take 10 DVDs from their collection at home, photograph them, and write a line or two about them. They do not have to be favourites, but just movies that have a story behind them. You might like them, hate them, or till now didn’t even know you had them, it is all about letting everyone know a little about your likes and dislikes.

The Matrix - This was the first DVD I ever bought.  It was in early 2000 and it was even before I owned a DVD player.  I knew I was going to be getting one in a couple of weeks, so I wanted to make sure I had something to play on it when I set it up.

Lawrence of Arabia - Defines "epic" when it comes to movies.  This was a special edition with a really nice cloth covered case.  Later releases of this movie on DVD went with a standard plastic case.

Total Recall - Speaking of special packaging, Total Recall was first released with a separate metal Mars case that sits on top of a thick paperboard base.  The DVD is inside the metal case on a foam support to prevent it from scratching.

Black - I have worked with many Infosys contractors from India and I would discuss movies with some of them.  One of them had a Netflix account before I did and after he watched this movie he loaned it to me before he returned it.  I liked it and wanted to buy a copy of my own, but somehow Netflix had managed to get Region 1 DVDs for rental before the movie was even released in the United States.  About a year later I finally found a DVD I could buy on a U.S. website that specialized in movies from India.

Hoop Dreams - Speaking of hard to find: I saw this movie on a cable channel back in 1995, but it was never released to DVD until a few years ago.  I think that Criterion sometimes is too much of a groupie for certain directors, but when it comes to this film I wish I could personally shake the hand of whoever at Criterion got the rights to it so that it could be put on DVD.  It is the best documentary ever made.

Done the Impossible - This is a DVD that you can't even buy, except from the people who made it.  It is a fan produced documentary of the death of the TV show Firefly and its rebirth as the movie Serenity.  It's not cheap looking, though.  The people who did it were professionals.  There is a ton of content on it, including hours of interviews with the cast.

Whale Rider - I'm including this just because I try to get as much notice for this film as I can.  It features a great story and an absolutely terrific debut performance from Keisha Castle-Hughes, who at the age of 12 became by far the youngest female ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Bikini Summer 2 - Why include this?  Just like The Godfather Part II, it is a sequel that is better than the original.  Okay, maybe not *just* like The Godfather Part II.  Seriously though, I included it just to show that I'm not completely highbrow when it comes to movies.

Amelie - I'm including this because the character of Amelie may just be the most appealing person ever put on film.  I also love Audrey Tautou's expression on the cover.

Black Cat White Cat - Finally, I am including this DVD because I only just bought it after spending 12 years trying to see this movie.  I found an all regions Korean import I could buy.  Why was I looking for this movie?  Because I needed it to complete seeing every single movie on the IMDB Top 250 year end lists since 1998 (a personal goal).  This Balkans movie - made during the time that Yugoslavia was still breaking apart - appeared in the 1999 year end list and I have never been able to find it until now.  I look forward to watching it.

Thank you Chip for taking out the time to do the post for Ticker Talks Film.  You can view Chip's blog at www.tipsfromchip.blogspot.com 


If you would like to share your Collection 10, please get in touch with me via Twitter (@raghavmodi) or via email (raghavmodi9@gmail.com)

My Collection 10 by Mark

The Collection 10 series continues with Mark from Brighton, UK.

Those who are new, the aim of the series is for people to take 10 DVDs from their collection at home, photograph them, and write a line or two about them. They do not have to be favourites, but just movies that have a story behind them. You might like them, hate them, or till now didn’t even know you had them, it is all about letting everyone know a little about your likes and dislikes.

Platoon - A great movie, which stars Charlie Sheen back in the days before he went completely crazy. I think the cover shot on the DVD is brilliant with Willem Dafoe on his knees as he gets shot dead by one of his own.

Zulu - One of my all time favorites. Introduced to me by my Granddad when I was young, I have some very fond memories of watching this with him over and over again. I love watching this back and seeing a very young looking Michael Caine lead his regiment of limited numbers in a stand off against thousands of Zulus.

Jaws - A classic that is a must have for everyone’s DVD collection. Jaws shows off the raw talent of a young and upcoming director Steven Spielberg from back in 1975. A film that has struck fear into everyone entering the sea for the years since, Jaws is not only brilliantly shot but also has some excellent acting performances considering most of the movie is set around three men in a boat out at sea chasing a big fish. I have always loved Richard Dreyfuss in this.

Anchorman - Yes, this happens to be one of my most used DVDs in the collection, which means I could actually recite the movie word for word now. The DVD is nearly worn out mainly because you can just sit back and relax in the world of Ron Burgundy. My favorite of all Ferrell's films and adding Steve Carell and Paul Rudd at there very best makes this one of the best comedies ever.

Black Adder - I am a massive fan of British comedies and this happens to be one of my favorites. The box set contains every episode of the brilliant series and I often watch a couple of episodes when ever there is nothing else on to watch. The cast is fantastic and the writing is even better. A timeless comedy that will still be funny 50 years from now.

Bottom - Another British comedy, but this in my opinion is by far the funniest every comedy series. The duo of Rik Mayall and Adrian Edminson playing the disgusting and stupid Ritchie and Eddie is nothing short of hilarious. Each episode is as funny as the last and if you have never seen any episodes I highly recommend you do so. The series was very popular in the 90's and still has a bit of a cult following today. They moved on from the series to do a number of live shows which were brilliantly crafted. I was lucky enough to go to a few of them. I still hold on to that bit of hope that they will come back once more for a special episode.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - One that I forgot I had in the collection and found lurking at the back of a cupboard. The strange world of drugs is shown by Johnny Depp sporting a bald head which isn’t the best look for him. An interesting watch if not a bit strange!

Stir Crazy - This is Gene Wilder (Skip) and Richard Pryor (Harry) at there very best, classic comedy from the pair who seem as if they were made to work together. Incredibly funny and is another must watch if you have never seen it before.

Pulp Fiction - Had to add this one, many people will agree that this movie is worth a spot on the greatest films of all time list. Tarantino at his very best with a killer plot and a cast that is flawless, this DVD seems to almost get better every time I watch it.

Star Wars 1-6 - The complete collection, well no collection is complete without these. Granted the 1,2 and 3 don’t get watched as much as the original trilogy but I still had to have the full collection.

Thank you Mark for taking out the time to do the post for Ticker Talks Film.  You can follow Mark on Twitter @Reviwer or view his blog www.ultimatereviews.co.uk If you would like to share your Collection 10, please get in touch with me via Twitter (@raghavmodi)

My Collection 10 by Russell

The Collection 10 series continues with Russell from Australia.

Those who are new, the aim of the series is for people to take 10 DVDs from their collection at home, photograph them, and write a line or two about them. They do not have to be favourites, but just movies that have a story behind them. You might like them, hate them, or till now didn’t even know you had them, it is all about letting everyone know a little about your likes and dislikes.

American History X

One of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. Edward Norton was beyond impressive in this. American History X was one of the very few select movies that I went to see 3 times at the cinema. A true power house of a film.

Any Given Sunday

I loved everything about this movie. I thought that Oliver Stone did a hell of a great job showing the American footballers as modern day gladiators. One of the best scenes is where Lauren Holly is yelling at Dennis Quaid in the kitchen about how she married a footballer…it’s terrifying!

Black Rain

There is nothing that I didn’t love about this movie. In fact I have one copy I purchased in Australia and another one that I purchased again in the States for the special features. Standout scene is Andy Garcia and Ken Takakura singing Ray Charles in the karaoke bar.

Chopper / Two Hands

Both of these movies revolutionised Australian cinema for me. They showed that Australia can make modern crime movies that can stand up to the rest of the world. They both have action, drama, and a distinct Aussie humour which made them a must have!

Collateral

Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx showing a different side to their usual film roles. Michael Mann went above and beyond creating a isolated feel in a heavily populated city. The shoot out in the Korean bar is one of my favourites and could only be handled by Michael Mann. Also the movie has my favourite commentary track.

Falling Down

Personally this is my favourite Michael Douglas movie. He created an “everyman” character dealing with the frustrations of daily life by reacting in increasingly violent ways. The parallels between Douglas and Duvall are brilliant and multi-layered.  Quite easily in my top 5 movies of all time.

Play it to the Bone

I saw this at the cinema. I heard that Harrellson and Banderas hated each other during the filming so the fight scenes were real. It was a great movie. The first half is a character study of 2 friends preparing to fight each other and the second half is a full on action movie. Worth a watch.

Point Break

This movie is just a whole lot of fun! Keanu at the top of his game. Swayze is iconic as Bodhi. And starred Lori Petty too…whatever happened to Lori? It’s like the tagline says “100% pure adrenaline”. The question is, why wouldn’t you watch it?

The Godfather

What can I say about The Godfather. The great film of all time. No DVD collection is complete without it. Plain and simple.

Thank you Russell for taking out the time to do the post for Ticker Talks Film.  You can follow Russell on Twitter @Russell_Oz or view his blog www.137exactly.com. If you would like to share your Collection 10, please get in touch with me via Twitter (@raghavmodi)

My Collection 10 by Rachel Horn

A brand new series and who better to start it with than my #MTOS Partner-in-Crime Rachel Horn from United Kingdom.

The aim of the series is for people to take 10 DVDs from their collection at home, photograph them, and write a line or two about them. They do not have to be favourites, but just movies that have a story behind them. You might like them, hate them, or till now didn’t even know you had them; it is all about letting everyone know a little about your likes and dislikes. 

Harvard Man

The year was 1999, I was 19 years old, and I went to the cinema to watch Drive Me Crazy with Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier. It was love at first sight. I had found my ideal man and I still love him to this day, but back then I bought everything I could with him. Harvard Man is a terrible movie, but it is a guilty pleasure because of him.

13 Going on 30

This is one film I can watch again and again. Jennifer Garner is my female crush and I love her, but this film is awesome too. I love that she plays a silly part so different from her awesome Sydney character. 

Blue Crush

I lived in Turkey for a few years and when I came back I worked at a surf shop for 7 years and wearing Boardys and flip-flops for work was awesome. During my time there Blue Crush came out and we went to a special screening together and we all loved the film so much and played the soundtrack a billion times a day at work. It makes me think of really happy memories.   

24

24 is the best show ever. I LOVE Jack Bauer. I was in labour with my first child and I wouldn’t go to the hospital until I had watched the new episode on SkyOne.  

Band of Brothers

What can be said about Band of Brothers? It is a brilliant mini-series. The actors are all amazing and this really drew me in. I was thinking about it weeks after watching it. If this was a 10 hour movie, this would be my favourite movie.

James Bond

James Bond makes me think of my childhood watching it with my Dad. Even though I own all the DVDs, I always watch them when they are on TV. My favourite Bond is Roger Moore.

Police Academy

Another childhood favourite, I had most of them on VHS. The best ones are with Mahoney in them though. 

Super Troopers

This is such a funny film and takes me back about 7 years when my best friend was living here from Canada and with her husband they lived with other students, and we would all quote the movie all night and watch it again and again. Great film. 

The Goonies

I don’t think there is a person on Twitter that doesn’t know my favourite childhood film is The Goonies. My VHS tape was nearly worn out when I was a kid.

Lord of the Rings

This is my favourite film ever. I remember hating my friends for making me go and watch it, but I came out and was like WOW! Then I did my normal obsession thing and went mental buying loads of memorabilia, stamps, coins, glass necklaces, rings, etc.

Thank you Rachel for taking out the time to do the post for Ticker Talks Film. Rachel can be contacted on Twitter via @askimrach. If you would like to share your Collection 10, please get in touch with me via Twitter (@raghavmodi)

The Poor Memorabilia Collector

For the longest of time movie props have been the ultimate memorabilia item for any self confessed geek. The thought of having a prop from one of the classics, showcased in a room in your house, for all those who visit to see, but not touch, probably gives you the same tingly feeling that I am getting writing about it. But, in this age of economic hardship that dream bubble takes only a few minutes to burst. And, if you have a spouse who is not a "geek", that's just extra work convincing him/her.

So, in a world where your geek-standards are measured by the volume of your collection, be it comics, movies, or memorabilia, it's not always necessary to go for the most exclusive and more expensive options. There are other cheaper memorabilia curios, which might not get you as much credit as say the official replica of the light saber, but nevertheless they help you have a more rounded and diverse collection.

Here’s my list of a few cheaper memorabilia options;

Postcards – They can mostly be found in movie theaters for free, but even if you have to buy them, they are rather cheap. Group them up together and frame them if you like, or just have a collection. Easy!

Posters – The bigger versions of a postcard, posters are once again easy to find. Spend some time on Twitter following movie production companies and you just might get lucky in getting one for free. A lot of independent cinemas give them out at the end of the year or have sales. Even if you have to buy a poster, they don't cost that much. Especially with the new trend of classic/retro/arty posters, they make for some great wall art and a topic of conversation.

Stamps – You’d be surprised by the number of stamps that are based on Film and TV. I believe most movie producing countries have cinema based stamps and they are a simple and easy way to get some movie memorabilia.

Bobble-heads – Who doesn’t like bobbleheads? They are small, cute, and bobbly (yeah I’m at the stage where I can start making words up). Normally I would have loved to have a huge collection of bobbleheads, but for the longest time I’ve just had the solitary Marvin the Martian one. Place it on the subwoofer when you are watching Transformers or Fast and the Furious and it’s fun to see them bobble every time there is an action scene. 

Fast Food Toys – Most big-budget movies now involve fast food joints as part of their extensive marketing campaigns. As a result, small toys become a part of their kids menu (usually). Now, in my case it helps, because my daughter is as excited as I am about the toys, and because she is just 4 she gets bored of them after a day, or they mysteriously disappear, only to be found much later in a corner of my home theater. Wonder who does that?

Novelty Items – Since films are such a popular medium of entertainment, everything that is even remotely linked to them (chocolates, popcorns, drinks) somehow get inspired and as a result novelty items like the two M&Ms watching a 3D film dispenser are made available in the market. They really make for a fun addition to your TV room/home theater etc.

Figurines/Models – Be it Tron or Phineus and Ferb, figurines are believe it or not big business. My advice is to wait a bit till after the whole buzz of the movie has died down before you go buy these figurines because most often than not by that time they are on sale.      

Mega Packs – It’s common knowledge that one of the reasons movies come out in Mega Packs (sets of 2 or more dvds) is because production companies can get rid of their stock that is not really popular by linking it with a blockbuster movie. What is really nice about these packs is that they generally include something else along with the DVDs. I’ve seen plush toys and in the case of the photo a special edition Monopoly.

Art and Film – Similar to the new trend of fan made posters it’s interesting to see how companies from different fields come together to cash in on the success of a film. I’ll be the first one to admit that I was jumping with joy when I came across the photographed Moleskine Star Wars Notebook. Simply brilliant, now if only I can get myself to actually use it.

Comic Books – Again it’s nothing very expensive, but collecting comic books or special editions is a good way of starting your memorabilia collection. I personally am not a comic book collector but when I came across the Batman Vs Ragman comic book I had to buy it simply because I was nicknamed “Ragman” by a few friends in school.

Film Magazines – Total Film and Empire, two of the most popular movie magazines, have special covers and special editions from time to time that make for a great collection. Add to that my present favourite Little White Lies which is in itself highly collectable due to limited printing and a rather unusual look and feel for a film magazine. Display them together or just collect them for reference later, they are an amazingly cheap way to connect with the movies you love.   

Do you have a collection? What is your most prized piece of memorabilia? Do tell…