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The Kate Files

Category Archives: Lists

AFI Top 100 Movies – #1-50

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by katefletcher3 in Lists, movies

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afi, classic films, movies, top 100

A few months before we got married in 2013, my husband and I decided to take on a project. We wanted to watch some of the best movies of all times, and in order to do so, began following the American Film Institute’s Top 100 movies list. We are using the 10 year anniversary addition, which updated the list with movies made between 1997 and 2007, but plan to watch the eliminated movies at the end of the main 100. Ideally, when it is updated again in 2017, we will have finished and will be able to watch the additions as well.

It has been very slow going, with periods of watching a bunch of movies and periods of watching none at all. Now that we’ve moved back to the Cincinnati area, we have access to an extremely wide library network, where we can have anything delivered to our local library. As a result, we’ve begun to pick it back up again, and now we are exactly halfway through. So I figured I would share my top and bottom 5 movies from the first half of the main list.

The List on Wikipedia

Kate’s Top 5 (in no particular order):

1. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

3. Psycho (1960)

4. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

5. The Sound of Music (1965)

 

Kate’s Bottom 5 (in no particular order):

1. Intolerance (1916): Oh my god, kill me now. 3+ hours of a black and white silent historical film.

2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962): Soooo long, and not very interesting.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): So weird.

4. Raging Bull (1980): Hate sports movies.

5. Dr Strangelove (1964): This was also really weird.

 

So far, this has been a pretty cool project. We’ve discovered that I like the dramas that are people and character based, and James likes the action movies. I also understand SO many more pop culture references now that I’ve seen these!

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Tips for Moving (Without Movers)

07 Thursday May 2015

Posted by katefletcher3 in Lists

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moving, packing, trash bags

This past weekend, we moved from my parent’s basement (a temporary stop after moving from our apartment in Kokomo, IN) to an apartment about 15-20 minutes away. This was the 7th(?) move between us in the past few years, and we are still trying to avoid using movers. We are at the age where we can bribe family and friends with pizza and beer, but that won’t last much longer. We’re hoping to buy a house next spring, and that will probably be our final move without the use of a professional moving company. I decided I wanted to share a few things that really have helped us out each time.

1. If you have (or can borrow) a vehicle with a trailer hitch, rent a trailer instead of a truck. This is especially true if you are moving any real distance. They only charge for the trailers by the day, but they charge for the trucks by the day AND mile. We rented the biggest trailer and had to make two trips, because um, I have a lot of large furniture, but it was well worth it. We packed the little stuff in the back of the cars we were using.

2. Keep as many original boxes as you can. It is sooo much easier to pack things safely and securely in their original box. Then the small boxes can be stacked and transported in vehicles. Bonus, you then know exactly what is in the box, rather than having a bunch of cardboard boxes labeled by room that you really aren’t exactly sure what all is in it. When we unpacked, we stacked the empty boxes in our outside storage for next time.

3. Pack your clothes in kitchen trash bags, still on the hangers. This was pretty much life changing. Rather than using those expensive garment boxes or folding everything, try this. Shake the bag open, and then rip a small hole in the middle of the bottom seam, take a group of clothes still on the hangers, and pass the tops of the hangers through the hole you made, pulling the rest of the bag down around the clothes to protect them. Tie the bag closed at the bottom so nothing falls out if it falls off the hanger, and voila! Easily transported mini clothing bundles that take up much less room than a garment box.

4. Organize your moving helpers into teams. I had my dad, brother, husband, and two male friends helping, as well as my mother and a female friend. The guys were responsible for moving the furniture, with my dad advising as how to load the trailer. Meanwhile, the girls organized the rest and loaded the cars. Play to the strengths of the people you have helping. The guys had muscles, but not necessarily the organizational skills for the smaller stuff. My dad is really good with spatial concepts, and can load trailers like a boss. We unloaded in the same way, and it worked out so well.

Overall, we had an extremely successful move, and are pretty much settled in. Our couch is due to be delivered tomorrow, and then we will be all set for our housewarming party Saturday! Hope these tips help someone else.

3 Questionable Classic Disney Moments

12 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by katefletcher3 in Lists

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animation, classic, disney, dumbo, movies, peter pan, pocahontas

It’s no secret that I love Disney movies. Specifically, I love the classic animated Disney movies that I grew up with, and I still watch the new ones that have come out in my adulthood. Some people argue that Disney movies have objectionable messages, and while there are definitely some that are worse than others, I tend to think there are redeeming qualities in nearly all of them, and that children do not understand/absorb nearly as much as we’d like to think they do. Subconscious effects could exist, but I think they do more good than harm.

Now that so many older Disney movies are available on Netflix, I have been re-watching several and noticing some cringeworthy moments that are definitely a reflection of their time. Here is a short list of those moments, in no particular order.

2015-4-12-JimCrow

Jim Crow – Dumbo

The movie Dumbo is pretty weird as is (faceless black circus laborers anyone?), but the crows are particularly questionable. It is a group of five birds who teach Dumbo to fly after he is initially away from the circus. The leader’s name is Jim Crow, which appears to be a reference to the Jim Crow Laws which mandated racial segregation in the United States until the mid 1960s. The combination of the name and the fact that they are a black bird, rather than a dove or a parrot or a sparrow or something else really seems like not such a great idea. Granted, the crows are actually some of the most likeable characters in the entire movie, but couldn’t you have named him ANYTHING else?

2015-4-12-RedMan

“What Made the Red Man Red?” – Peter Pan

I really enjoy Peter Pan, but this song and really the depiction of the Indians in general are problematic. They are portrayed as stereotypical and kind of slow, and their main purpose seems to be to sing the song “What Made the Red Man Red?” which basically says that they are the color they are because they are constantly blushing after kissing an Indian maiden. So I guess this is suggesting that otherwise they would’ve been Caucasian? The song also refers to them as “injuns” and I’m pretty certain that if this movie had been created today, this scene would be entirely different.

2015-4-12-Pocahontas

Pretty much this entire movie – Pocahontas

I love Pocahontas. The songs are really powerful, she is portrayed as a strong female unlike characters like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, and it supposedly depicts part of American history. But therein lies the problem. Pocahontas was a real person, but this is not her story. Of course a children’s movie cannot depict all of the details of the violence and struggle that surrounded this time, but to make it into this type of love story really sells short all that Pocahontas experienced. There was never any evidence of a romantic relationship with John Smith, though Disney seems to have tried to provide more accuracy in the sequel. Overall, this movie had the potential to share a part of history but the creative liberties made it into fiction. Which is fine, except not everyone realizes the movie isn’t completely true.

I’d love to hear more about questionable Disney moments. Some day I want to get my hands on a copy of Song of the South, just to see exactly how bad it was.

Top Ten Tabletop Games

30 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by katefletcher3 in Lists

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board games, cards against humanity, catchphrase, cranium, dominion, fluxx, games, love letter, munchkin, scattergories, settlers of catan, sorry

Inspired by my recent invitation to “guys night” where I mercilessly crushed my husband and his friends, here are my top ten (non video) games. They are in alphabetical order, not by any kind of ranking. You’ll notice it is a combination of strategy games and word/trivia games, which are my husband and I’s two preferred categories. He tends towards the slower paced strategy kind, while I love speed and knowledge.

2015-3-30-CAH

Cards Against Humanity

The adult version of Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity always has me alternating between cringing and laughing hysterically. The way to play is for every black topic card, each player submits their best white subject card for judgment by one of the other players. The topics range from “What’s the best happy meal toy?” to “White people like _______?”. The subject cards are even more out there, including things like “a sad handjob” and “smallpox blankets”. Together, the combinations are endless and hilarious. Plus, you never know if you’re going to win, it depends entirely on the judge. Will the best match win? Or simply the most outrageous selection? Warning, this game is absolutely not family friendly — unless your family is cool with sex jokes and horrifying imagery.

2015-3-30-Catchphrase

Catchphrase

In a completely different direction, this game is completely family friendly, as long as everyone can read. It’s best played with an even number of people, who form into two teams. You pass the unit around, and try to get your team to guess the displayed word or phrase, without using any of the words. There is a timer, which makes it even more intense. This game always has us in fits of laughter as well, watching our teammates struggle to describe their target in a way everyone else can understand.

2015-3-30-Cranium

Cranium

This is one of my family’s favorites, and I can reluctantly get my husband to play on occasion. You compete in teams to move around the board, proceeding by completing challenges in trivia, wordplay, art, or performance. The trickiest is the “Humdinger”, where you are required to hum a certain song well enough for your teammates to guess. I think it uses a wide set of skills, playing to the various strengths and weaknesses of each person. My personal favorite is the “word worm” category, which includes everything from spelling a word backwards to identifying a definition, to unscrambling or filling in the blanks. The questions cover a wide range, so no person seems to have a serious advantage over any of the others. This is the perfect game for a group of mixed ages.

2015-3-30-Dominion

Dominion

This game is a recent addition to my repertoire, but one I have started to enjoy. It is a deck building strategy game where you use coins to acquire resources towards the ultimate goal of earning the most victory points. Each player buys cards each turn, which get reshuffled into their personal deck to be used in a future round. Therefore, you have to be careful not to buy too many victory points too early on, because when those turn up in your hand, they are useless as they cannot be tallied until the end of the game. You are also able to attack other players, trash your own cards in order to upgrade, and earn additional “buys” each round. It’s a little complicated to explain, and I’ve only played the beginner version, but it’s definitely something to try. Once it’s in front of you it becomes very self explanatory.

2015-3-30-Fluxx

Fluxx

Another recent addition, and one of my new absolute favorites. There are quite a few versions of Fluxx, but we own the pictured Pirate version, which I adore. It begins as a simple card game, but each play has the potential to change/add new rules. You win by meeting the goal, but anyone can change the goal at any time, which keeps things hopping! The theme is very well done throughout the set, and some of the cards played in combination make things absolutely chaotic. The game itself is very portable, and can take a wide range of time, as the ending is completely random. Like Dominion, the cards themselves are very self explanatory, and the game is easier and faster the more familiar you are with how each card is used.

2015-3-30-LoveLetter

Love Letter

This game is quick, portable, and easy to pick up. A great combination, and the perfect choice to bring along to kill time. With only sixteen cards, it is mainly a game of deduction, knowing which cards others have played, and therefore what is left. Each card has a certain character on it, and each character has a certain effect. You get a choice from only two cards each turn, which moves things along quickly and helps the other players plot their own strategy. The game is won by making the princess “read” your love letter a certain number of times, aka being the last player left in the round.

2015-3-30-Munchkin

Munchkin

We actually own two versions of this game, the original and zombies set. They can be played independently, or in combination, and we’ve experimented with both. It plays like an RPG, where you fight monsters, collect treasure, and ultimately try to level your player to level 10 to win. You can collect and wear gear, choose a race and a class, and either help or hurt your fellow players in the quest to win. The rules are quite elaborate, and the game itself is time consuming and may take a while to learn. But when you’ve figured it out, it can be quite entertaining, and the cards themselves are funny. You can fight “The Lawyer”, wear the “Pointy Hat of Power”, or be cursed by the “Duck of Doom”. For those who enjoy RPGs, this is a much more structured form of play, but the possibilities are still endless.

2015-3-30-Scattergories

Scattergories

An oldie but a goodie. In this game, players are given a letter and a set of categories, and must choose one answer for each category starting with the set letter. The trick is that you only get points for answers no one else has, so for a food the begins with “s”, it’s better to choose “sashimi” than “sandwich”. I’m a word person, so this is definitely one of my favorites. It’s simple to play, entertaining, and the combination of letters and category cards creates a very high replay value. Sometimes simplicity is all you need.

2015-3-30-Settlers

Settlers of Catan

Ahh, the game that proved me victorious at Guy’s Night. This is yet another strategy game, where you collect resources to build roads, settlements, and cities to make it to 10 victory points. Each place you build on provides a variety of resources depending on the what number is rolled on the game’s two dice. You also can sabotage the other players, by moving the robber in order to prevent them from collecting resources on their roll. The game encourages trading with others, and that is one of the best ways to get the cards you need to build. Additionally, you can use resources to buy development cards, which can do anything from giving you a victory point to allowing you to relocate the robber. This is perhaps my favorite of the strategy games, and can get exciting when people are willing to trade and be aggressive.

2015-3-30-Sorry

Sorry!

Another classic. Some may say this is a children’s game, but those people have obviously never played with vengeful adults. This is the ultimate in party games, as you move around the board getting closer to the safety zone of “home”, when suddenly you’re getting knocked back to start, or switching places with another player. It’s so easy to make a comeback in this game, as you need an exact move to make it into the goal area, and that could take a while as it’s the luck of the draw. Playing this game as an adult is a very different – and fun – experience.

 

That’s it for my top ten tabletop games. I hope this encouraged you to try some new and unfamiliar ones, or revisit some old favorites. I’d like to hear any you’d think I’d like, as well!

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