Monday Movie Meme – The Man who Played Capote!

As the Seattle Seahawks brought home their first Super Bowl victory, the film world said goodbye to Philip Seymour Hoffman – an Oscar winning actor whose fine talent will no longer grace the big screen. The theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme pays tribute to Hoffman, who was found dead in his apartment on Sunday: The Man who Played Capote.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring your most memorable performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He does not have to be your favorite actor. Heck, you don’t even need to have liked him or any of his movies – but if there is one that you remember most, I welcome you to share it here, adding to my list for this week’s Capote theme.

Twister

I cannot forget the scene in this tornado movie where Jo’s (Helen Hunt) team hounds her for food. It is a slice of humor in the midst of a disastrous plot. “Dusty,” played by Philip Seymour Hoffman is among her storm chasers leading the pack of persistent requests for a rest stop at Auntie Meg’s place.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Having watched the first Hunger Games movie, I was expecting a particular set of characters in the second installment – you know, JLaw, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson and related familiar faces. I was surprised to see Philip Seymour Hoffman pop up on screen, as the designer of the Capitol’s fight-to-the-death competitions.

Given Philip Seymour Hoffman’s long film career that spanned over two decades, it is likely that I’ve seen him in more movies than what I’ve listed here. However, these are the only two with my most memorable performances by him that I’ve watched to date.

What movies feature YOUR most memorable performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman?

Monday Movie Meme - Picking Teams

The theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme is based on today’s signups opening for a Spring Blogathon that I’m Co-Hosting -- the 2014 Blogging from A-to-Z Challenge. Given the grand scale of this annual online event (founded by Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out), the Co-Hosts are seeking minions/helpers to assist us with the behind the scenes grunt work that goes into managing such a popular blogathon that stretches across seas. So if you are game for visiting an extra ten to twenty blogs per week and help with the general promotion of the challenge, or know a blogger who might be up to the task, let me know. Now, let’s talk movies: Picking Teams.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring people assembling teams to complete one important, urgent or complex task. Maybe a group is looking to add someone to their team. Maybe there is a person or pair of people who are trying to assemble a team for something big. Whatever the case is, the situation clearly calls for more hands on deck. Here are my selections for this week’s Picking Teams theme.

Ocean’s Eleven

A career criminal gathers his friends to rob Vegas casinos in this comedy starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the late Bernie Mac.

Armageddon

N.A.S.A and the U.S. Military assembles a group of blue collar and white collar workers to save the planet in this sci-fi action movie starring Bruce Willis Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thorton and Liv Tyler.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Hobbits, an Elf, a Dwaf, two men and a Wizard join together in a fight against evil in this adventure fantasy movie starring Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen.

What movies featuring the assembly of teams would YOU add to this list?

Have YOU signed up for the 2014 A-to-Z Challenge?

Would YOU like to be one of my minions?

Monday Movie Meme - Til’ Death Do Us Part

A new year has commenced. Consider this my apology for going all AWOL on this blog, these past few weeks. Today, the Monday Movie Meme returns with a fourth installment in our Rules of Engagement series. The theme for this week’s meme is based on the fact that when it comes to marriage, sometimes things fall apart.

As seen in film, however, not all couples have an amicable breakup, which brings us to the topic of the week:

Til’ Death Do Us Part 

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring messy divorces.

Here are my selections for this week's Til’ Death Do Us Part theme.

Liar Liar

A lawyer who cannot lie becomes a liability for his client during a divorce case that involves some unscrupulous tactics to win, in this comedy starring Jim Carrey and Jennifer Tilly.

Twister

A weatherman gets more than he bargained for when trying to get his storm chaser wife to sign divorce papers in this action adventure movie, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt.

Although this married couple is not going at each other’s throats per se, I doubt that most husbands or wives would want to finalize their split by risking their lives driving after tornadoes – an act that is pretty messy, by nature!

Why Did I Get Married Too?

The bombshell in this drama, starring Janet Jackson and Malik Yoba, causes a group of friends to realize just how fast things spin out of control when one volatile couple plays hardball with each other during their divorce proceedings.

Waiting to Exhale

I need not remind anyone who has seen (or is even vaguely familiar with) this drama starring Angela Bassett and Michael Beach, of the unforgettable scenes involving Bernadine’s furious exchanges with her soon-to-be ex-husband.

There’s that infamous car torching scene, the drunken telephone calls on this betrayed mother’s behalf…and that oh-so audacious charging of the law firm board room, where it’s clear that she means business – and you better duck for cover!

What are some movies YOU watched that feature messy divorces?