Welcome to the Friday Five, the brain child of Fancy Boys Club creator Brandon Andreasen. Each week, we will give four questions and a top five list for all the Fancy Boys contributors to tell stories and give horrible top five lists for.
This week, with the Oscar nominations having been released, we thought we would ask our writers questions about their favorite movies and movie-related activities. Feel free to make your own lists in the comments. Let’s get to it!
What is the best movie soundtrack of all time?
Brandon Andreasen– Empire Records. I’m willing to die on this mountain, and Drufke knows this all too well. The only other acceptable answer is the soundtrack from the movie Out Cold, which contains, by far, the greatest Eve 6 song of all time. (Editor’s note: Brandon is wrong. See here.)
Michael Grace- Purple Rain. Are you all kidding me? The only answer is Purple Rain. Get outta here.
Alec Stein- Pulp Fiction. The rest of you are wrong. Especially Michael.
Jack Baker- The only acceptable answer is Super Fly. Curtis Mayfield takes you on a 37 minute funk odyssey that far surpasses the actual movie. It’s one of the greatest albums of all time, not just soundtracks. Curtis Mayfield is a goddamn legend and that album is his magnum opus.
Matt Drufke- I also want to say Pulp Fiction, but I don’t want Alec to feel vindicated. So, I’m going to say Once. Not only is every song absolutely perfect and wonderful and emotional and heartwarming and/or heartbreaking, but they are absolutely critical to the John Carney film. Pulp Fiction could exist with different songs. Once cannot.
Kate Peterson- Shaun of the Dead, Ray or Baby Driver (I couldn’t choose)
Emily Ramirez- Grand Budapest Hotel. Alexandre Desplat really knows how to catch a mood.
What is the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
Brandon Andreasen- Dude, Where’s My Car? And it’s not really all that close. In fact, Dude is the bad movie sun that all other bad movies revolve around.
Michael Grace- Van Helsing. It is exhaustively long, and is a horrible film on every possible level. Everyone involved should be in jail.
Alec Stein- Across The Universe. I honestly don’t remember the movie that well but what I do remember is dating a girl in college and this was her favorite movie. She asked me to come over one night to watch it, and we were making a bit of small talk during the I Am The Walrus scene, and this I will never forget. She said “You’re into me because I stopped wearing deodorant, so my body is giving off more pheromones.” Now, whenever anyone mentions this movie, or I see Bono’s dumb fucking face, I can only think of this girls armpits and I hate it.
Jack Baker- Bright. Will Smith says, “fairy lives don’t matter today,” within the first five minutes and the movie somehow gets worse from there.
Matt Drufke- There is only one film that I have left the theater while watching. So, sorry The Sweetest Thing… you win, er, lose.
Kate Peterson- Passengers – I laughed so hard in the theater that people complained. Every scene was either hilarious or infuriating.
Emily Ramirez- The Christmas Chronicles, with Kurt Russell. I dunno whose rehab he had to pay for in order to justify signing onto this pile of holiday garbage, but it was cringingly bad.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure movie?
Brandon Andreasen- Praire Home Companion. I have literally no logical reason why I like this movie so much. It was never popular or super well reviewed. But for some reason, it’s the movie I watch when i’m home by myself on a random Friday night with nothing else to do.
Michael Grace- Any of the Jurassic Park sequels. They’re all bad and I love them. I’m a cynical shit but damnit you put some coolass dinosaurs in a movie and I’ll be there.
Alec Stein- Freddy Got Fingered. This film is an absolute masterclass on subversive satire, comparable to Kaufman’s canon of work. Many of its sketches (it’s hard to call any part of this movie a “scene” in the traditional sense), stand on the shoulders of visual geniuses like Buster Keaton, and take those gags to their inevitable, postmodern limits. Freddy Got Fingered was lightyears ahead of its time. However, just knowing that a movie was made ironically doesn’t make it easier to watch ninety minutes of Tom Green jerking off a horse and whatnot. (Editor’s note: After this reveal, the Facebook group where we all post our answers got into a tizzy as Kate placed a, literal, curse on Alec’s house… er, houses.)
Jack Baker- Snakes on a Plane. Except I don’t feel guilty about it at all. That movie is hilarious from beginning to end. I don’t understand how everyone didn’t get that it’s a comedy.
Matt Drufke- I do not believe in guilty pleasures, as I think if you like something, it’s legitimately good. That being said, my wife hates the Fast & Furious franchise, so I’ll go with Fast Five, perhaps the most fast and most furious film in the franchise.
Kate Peterson- White Chicks. If it’s on, I will watch it.
Emily Ramirez- Clueless. Should I even feel guilty about that?? (Editor’s note: She should not.)
What movie have you rewatched the most?
Brandon Andreasen- A Stupid and Futile Gesture. I’ve probably watched this movie over 100 times at this point. The movie gives me hope that misfits can still find a place to do something bizarre and wacky and great and beloved, then create great movies and buy a bunch of cocaine and party!
Michael Grace- Blade. I’d say that in our house we watch Blade at least once a year.
Alec Stein- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Director’s cut, obviously.
Jack Baker- Remember the Titans. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing, if this movie is on, I’m watching it.
Matt Drufke- My answer was originally also going to be Remember The Titans, but fucking Baker beat me to it. So, I’ll go with my close second, Inside Llewyn Davis. It’s calming when I need to sleep, it’s songs fill my heart with joy, Oscar Issac plays one of the worst people in the history of cinema, and I could listen to Adam Driver sing the words “outer space” every moment of my life.
Kate Peterson- Spaceballs – it’s never not funny to me and I’ve seen it so many times that it’s become something that helps relieve stress on a bad day (like having a strong drink).
Emily Ramirez- Step Brothers.
What are your top five movies of all time?
Brandon Andreasen– Blues Brothers, The Big Lebowski, Social Network, Poolhall Junkies, and Major League 3: Back to the Minors.
Michael Grace- Star Wars, Friday, There Will Be Blood, Twister, and Goldeneye. Hell yeah.
Alec Stein- To be clear, this is a definitive, objectively factual list. Anyone who says differently is just as wrong as they were about the best soundtrack question.
5) Lost in Translation
4) Modern Times
3) The Godfather II
2) Casablanca
1) Princess Bride
Jack Baker- 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Social Network, Dazed and Confused, Mad Max: Fury Road, and WALL-E.
Matt Drufke- To me, the five best films to ever come out are, as follows:
5. Adaptation
4. Dumbo
3. Singing In The Rain
2. There Will Be Blood
1. Almost Famous
Kate Peterson-
For this I picked my 5 favorites, which are definitely not the 5 best films if all time:
Sunshine. The Raid, Dredd, The Empire Strikes Back, and Aliens
Emily Ramirez- Top 5 of all time:
Fight Club
Stepbrothers
Bridesmaids
Far and Away
Kill Bill (1&2)
I’m sure I’ll think of a billion other movies as soon as I send this, but for now these are the ones I’m standing by!
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
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