Movies Take us Away — and a Giveaway
Dale and I have always loved watching a good movie. When I had my slumber party here at The Little House this fall and got out my scrapbooks to show my friends, I mused that I had pasted the ticket stubs from most of the movies we went to see during that first year of dating.
Some of them were memorable, such as “Animal House,” which I noted we saw on October 7, 1979, “The Electric Horseman (January 12, 1980), the original “Friday the 13th” (June 7, 1980), “Motel Hell (October 25, 1980), and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” I remember that one vividly because we went with my parents and it is one of the last times I remember doing anything with my dad before he passed away.
Most of them weren’t memorable at all, but I’m sure we had just a good of time with the chocolate covered raisins and popcorn, which Dale always ate with Red Hot Tamales.
These days, we have a membership to Netflix, which has allowed us to receive rented movies in our rural mailbox, watch them at our leisure and return them though the mail. It also allows us to watch television series. We watched and fell in love with “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “Deadwood,” and “The Wire,” without having to pay for premium movie channels. Perfect for our rural lifestyle!
Before we moved, our love for movies prompted us to develop quite the video and DVD collection (still not sure what to do with all of those outdated VHS videos).
There were some movies I loved so much that we bought two copies – one for the house in the city and one for The Little House.
Sometimes, we didn’t even open the second copy. While going through the DVD’s looking for “Christmas Vacation” for our traditional Thanksgiving weekend viewing, Dale found we had brand new, unopened copies of a two-disc set with bonus features of “Gladiator,” starring Russell Crowe, “The Life of David Gale,” with Kevin Spacey (love Kevin Spacey) and Kate Winslet, and “Dodge Ball,” starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn (have no idea why we have this one).
You can help me continue to get rid of the stuff in our lives we don’t need and you have the chance to win these brand new, still shrink wrapped movies!
It’s easy to qualify for the drawing. Just tell us about your favorite all time movie in the comments section on this post between now and the time I post on Monday morning. Just by commenting, your name will be put into a hat and you might win all three of the movies for your winter viewing entertainment, or to give as gifts this holiday season!
Sorry to my international readers, but you must live within the U.S. to qualify.
Good Luck and Happy Weekend!
I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but there's a good chance that my favorite film is "She's the One". Great writing and editing, great story, great soundtrack (by Tom Petty), etc. It's very…honest.
Great writing, great editing, great acting, great soundtrack — it sounds great! No need to be ashamed of that.
My favorite movie is what ever my sweet wife would like to see.I enjoy her company and a bowl of popcorn the most.We also are eliminating clutter with hope that we can have a smaller place in the mountains.We are tired of hot summers in north texas.
Hi, Rick, what a sweet answer!
I know what you mean about hot summers. It's just as hot here in Arkansas.
I absolutely love time travel love stories. (I'm a girl.…don't let the name throw you off) My favorite now is The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Kiano (sp) Reeves.
We are in the planning stages to build on our ten acres. A shed is being built now to house the tractor. We sleep in the shed when out there on weekends. Found you through Tiny House Design.
OOOOHHHH I LOVE that Movie!
I love that movie as well. One of our favorites here at The Little House is also "Frequency."
Same Time Next Year with Alan Alda. I don't like watching movies more than once, but this is the exception. It's about a couple that meets up just one weekend a year for an affair.
I don't think I've ever seen that one. I'll have to check it out.
i like The Birdcage with robin williams and nathan lane. south florida, "pirin" tablets and the music. i love netflix. everyone should try it.
Funny movie, Marcia!
I must be wierd my favorite movies are "Where the Red Fern Grows" I don't remember how old I was but my entire grade was taken to the theater to watch that movie. That theater is now an antique/junk store. "Coal Miners Daughter" First movie I ever saw at a Drive-In! Saw it with my mom. Speaking of my mom she had this tradition of watching "The Sound of Music" I watch it every year! I can sing every song from that film. Oh my actually my list is way to long to list here.
I don't remember the movie, Amy, but I loved the book. I don't know for how long after I read that I wanted coon dogs! My parents listened to country music, so Coal Miner's Daughter was a natural for them to see. I was a teen, but must not have cared we were doubling with my parents when we saw it.
Amy, like Kerri I had only read the book, but this morning I watched in through Netflix instant movies.….I still am crying over that end. Such a great movie!
My wife loves watching The Wedding Date (Debra Messing) and The Pacifier (Vin Diesel).
We were being overrun by DVD's … so we separated out the "chick flicks" that we really liked and gave all the others to the local library to lend out.
Donating them to the library is a really good idea, Freth!
Its dated and old but "Silent Running" with bruce dern as the "hippie" astronaut who grows fresh food in pod on a space ship…my all time favorite scene is when he tries to teach the robot to plant a tree.
got here from the tiny house blog
Welcome, Kevin. Glad you found Living Large. I do remember that movie.
Cori! Great idea…wouldn't have thought to do that one. I am investing in a Kimble for my Christmas present so I can have more books without having more books! LOL..right now I have over 800 volumes in a tiny house, and will move to a tinier house hopefully next summer/fall.
Kerri! MY all time fav movie-National Velvet…and yes I am old enough to remember the original! I agree thank Goodness for Netflix, though I use their instant movies more than I do their mail service. Have wanted to see Gladiator, so maybe I will win!
By the way, snow days are awesome fun for kids, but remember your teachers still have to go to school in case some one doesn't get the word that school was cancelled. A great winter gift to give the great teachers in your child's life is an insulated cup and some packets of flavored cocoa.…without mine this morning, I would have frozen standing outside at the drop off zone for two hours! We waved off over 2 dozen parents who hadn't heard the news.
Good idea for the teacher gift, BJ. I love National Velvet!
space saving tip: we had two big ugly dvd "towers" in our living-room. Just last week, we took them all out of the cases and fit them into a cd booklet. I typed up a list of the movies and noted the page in which they are located. Now all 200-something dvd's can be tucked away, taking up just a little more room than a laptop.
Wow, Cori — awesome idea! Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones we never think of. Thanks.
Kerri
I do the same thing with my CD's but take out the CD info and slide it into the pocket that stores that particular CD…that way I know what songs are on that CD. It all seems to fit nicely and a great way to take up less space.
Susan
then recycle the plasitc cases.…
Excellent idea, Susan!
Top Gun
Loved the music.I remember what I was doing when
those songs played on the radio.Guess it just a guy thing.
Also like Bullitt…great car chase.
Will
PS Dream of having my own little house in the woods someday.
Hi, Will, Welcome! I'm also very good at remembering songs and connecting with a time reference.
Good luck on your dream, I'm sure you'll make it!
I also liked Top Gun for the music, Will. I don't know how long I watched ER though, before I realized Goose was on it!
Welcome, Holly. Glad to see you here. Wow, 320! Thanks for the info on the swap site. Good stuff.
Hi, I'm not entering the drawing (we live in a 320 sq ft place and thank god for Netflix), but if you or some of your readers want to trade your old books, CDs or DVDs for others, check out PaperbackSwap.com, SwapaCD.com, and SwapaDVD.com.