A-to-tha-Zizzle: D

Well it's D Day. No, not that D-Day. The fun one. The one where the letter D takes over my blog. I almost feel like I should dedicate this post to my dad, since his name is Dennis, and he goes by Uncle D, Papa D, Daddy D, Big D and just plain old D. Plus, he rocks. For reals.

My dad in 1976. Looks like he just stepped out of Dazed and Confused.

Seriously, doesn't he look like he would be totally kickin' like chicken back in the day?

See? Told ya. Speaking of which, let's get down to it....the best D films:

Dazed and Confused

It's the last day of school/first day of summer in 1976. The juniors are about to begin initiating the incoming freshmen, parties are being planned and star quarterback Randall "Pink" Floyd is prepared to enjoy his summer before senior year. Unfortunately his football coaches want him to sign a pledge to refrain from using illegal substances. Yeah, right.

Along with his friends (including an awesome Rory Cochrane as Slater and Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson), Pink kicks off the summer with one thing on his mind: FUN. Fun, of course, includes paddling freshmen, pool, mailbox bashing, drinking beer, smoking pot and a massive party.

One of the most kick-A movies EVER. The soundtrack rocks, the dialogue rocks, the clothes rock, basically, it all just rocks. If you haven't seen this movie, stop reading, get in your car, drive to the store and BUY IT NOW. You'll thank me later.

Death Becomes Her

Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis star in this awesome movie. Helen (Hawn) is so happy, she's engaged to the up-and-coming plastic surgeon Ernest Melville (Willis), and she wants him to meet her lifelong BFF, "triple-threat" Madeline Ashton (Streep). They go see her awful play and Ernest is suddenly smitten kitten with Madeline. In no time flat Madeline has stolen Ernest from Helen and they get married.

After fourteen years, Helen is reunited with Madeline and Ernest in a most....unusual way. A murder plot, an accidental murder and magic potion weave a twisted web between them all, and it just gets more demented as the film progresses. Love it!

Dirty Dancing

Baby goes with her family on vacation to the upscale Kellerman's Resort in 1963. Baby is a humanitarian and daddy's girl, who has no interests in anything but saving the world. All of that changes when she meets Johnny, the bad boy dance instructor at the resort. After his dance partner is unable to perform, Johnny hesitantly goes about teaching Baby how to dance. Their constant bickering evolves into a love affair that will leave you hankering for some lovin' of your own.

The dancing is fun to watch, the music is great and Patrick Swayze - God rest his soul - is just a treat. Yum.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner!

Drop Dead Fred

Lizzie (Phoebe Cates) is a happily grownup woman, until she catches her husband having an affair. She moves back home with her controlling, bossy mother (think Mommie Dearest in pink), and is suddenly reunited with her childhood imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rick Mayall).

Fred kept Lizzie in trouble as a child, and is even worse now that she's an adult. He sabotages her everywhere - with her friends, in public, with her mother, basically 24/7. Lizzie wants to be rid of Fred, but she can't let go of the child inside of her.

I loved this movie when I was younger because I thought it would be so awesome to have an imaginary friend to blame stuff on. (I was one of those kids who never had an imaginary friend. I think I had too many siblings and cousins to need one.)


Dumb & Dumber

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels play doofus best buds Lloyd and Harry. After Lloyd loses his job as a limo driver and Harry loses his job as a dog groomer, Lloyd convinces Harry to take a road trip to Aspen to return a briefcase to his last client, Mary (Lauren Holly), a beautiful woman he had taken to the airport.

The roadtrip is packed with ridiculousness, from roadside diner scams to drinking piss from a beer bottle to picking up hitchhikers. Once the two arrive in Aspen, they realize the briefcase is full of money. They go on a spending spree, and end up both meeting Mary and falling for her. This movie is utterly stupid, but one of my most favorites. I like it, I like it a lot!


Today's episode has been brought to you by the letter D, and the numbers 4, 2 and 0. Hehe.

The Many Faces of Jim Carrey: A comedic crush

I love Jim Carrey.

Why, you ask? Well I'll tell you.

He's one of the funniest dudes ever. He can do an impression of just about anyone. He's cute, too.

If I had to make a list of my favorite movies, his would make up the majority. Some of the funniest quotes ever are from his films, and I always take advantage of an opportunity to interject them into everyday conversations.

Although he appeared in various films in the 80s (Peggy Sue Got Married, Earth Girls Are Easy, etc.), Jim's big break came from In Living Color. Playing characters such as Fire Marshall Bill and Vera De Milo gave him the springboard to star in films.

One of the great things about Jim Carrey is the way he is in public. He always seems open and friendly in interviews and plays along with paparazzi - once he was photographed after trading swimsuits with Jenny McCarthy. I couldn't find a picture, but vividly remember Jim presenting an award at the VH1 Fashion Awards (at least I think that's what it was on) wearing nothing but a leaf over his twig 'n giggleberries. He's also rocked the house at the MTV movie awards more than once.

In honor of my affection for this awesome dude, I've compiled my top ten favorite Jim Carrey movies/characters (because sometimes the movie sucks, but a character is still great).

10. Edward Nygma/The Riddler in Batman Forever

You don't have to tell me; I know this movie sucked. As much as I love Val Kilmer, and despite Tommy Lee Jones playing a pretty good Two-Face, there was no saving this installment in the superhero franchise. Even still, I loved Jim's neurotic Edward Nygma/The Riddler persona. Greatness.

Favorite quote from this film:
"Caffeine'll kill ya!"



9. Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask

Although The Mask is favored by most as Jim's best, I have to disagree. Terrible script and shallow characters run amok throughout. However, I feel a sense of nostalgia about Stanley Ipkiss because it's one of the characters that made Jim Carrey a household name.

Favorite quote from this film:
"Hold me closer, Ed. It's gettin' dark......Tell Auntie Em to let Old Yeller out.....Tell Tiny Tim I won't be coming home this Christmas.....Tell Scarlett I do give a damn."


8. Fun with Dick and Jane

I'll be honest, the first time I saw this one I didn't really care for it. Then I watched it again. And again.....and fell in love with it. Carrey is great as the poor dope who loses his job and finds himself indicted over huge business scandal. He's more physically funny than verbally in this one, and I think that's why I love it so.

Favorite quote from this film:
"Indicted? Indicted! INDICTED! I can't calm down, I'm being indicted!"


7. Mark Kendall in Once Bitten

I blogged about this film recently for Movie Delight Monday (check it out for a full review). It was one of Jim's first films, and didn't really become popular until much later in his career. It now has somewhat of a cult following, and is considered one of his great performances.

Favorite quote from the film:
"I don't want to be a vampire. I'm a DAY person."

"Did we get up on the wrong side of the coffin this evening?"

6. Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

I'm counting these as one because, well, it's my blog and I can do whatever I want. Also, it was the same character. So there.

The first time I saw Ace Ventura I was eleven. My friend let me borrow her VHS of it, and I watched it over and over again until the tape stopped working altogether. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my entire life (which wasn't that long, but still). Many don't care for this character of Jim's. They say he overacts with the faces and physical humor, but I think it just makes him that much funnier.

Favorite quotes from these films:
"That's none of your business, and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs."

"Well, I'm not really ready for a relationship, Lois, but thank you for asking. Hey, maybe I'll give you a call sometime. Your number's still 911? All righty then."

"I have exorcised the demons... this house is clear."
"I'm ready to go in, coach, just give me a chance. I know there's a lot of riding on it, but it's all psychological. Just gotta stay in a positive frame of mind. I'm gonna execute a button-hook pattern, super slo-mo."

There's someone on the wing! Some... THING! I'm sorry, what were you saying?

Hi there. Nice to see ya. Bumblebee tuna. Bumblebee tuna!

This is a lovely room of death.


5. The Truman Show

I love this movie. I love the concept, the characters and the actors portraying the characters. All of it was genius. It was while watching this film that I realized Jim had a talent for not only comedy, but drama as well.

Favorite quotes from the film:
"In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening and good night!"

"Somebody help me, I'm being spontaneous!"

4. Bruce Almighty

Jim Carrey was cinema gold in this film. The rest of the cast was awesome too (Morgan Freeman, Steve Carell, and Jennifer Aniston). Bruce Nolan's tantrums are over-the-top, and I loved every moment of them.

Favorite quotes from the film:

"B-E-A-utiful!"

"First off, let me just add another congratulations to Evan Backstabber - pardon me, Bastard. Baxter, rather. It is good to see what someone with real talent can do when great opportunities are given to them instead of me. Anyway, I'm here with Katherine Hepburn's mom. Tell me, why did you toss the "blue heart of the ocean" jewel over the railing of Titanic? Did you feel bad at all letting Leo DiCaprio drown, while you were safe floating on the big door? Could you have taken turns, or were you just too afraid to freeze your big fat a$$ off?"

"Yo, my brethren. What up with thee?"

"I wouldn't want any stray hairs to fall into the booger."

3. The Cable Guy

I'm well aware that many Carrey fans absolutely hate this movie, but I never understood why. I love it. Every single minute of it. Jim Carrey as a psychotic stalker is just awesomeness to me. (I'm also partial to Matthew Broderick though, so that may have helped.) Not to mention he has a lisp and thinks he's various television characters.

Favorite quotes from the film:

"It is a big deal, it is to me!" (Sound familiar?)

"You might recognize this song as performed by Jefferson Airplane, in a little rockumentary called "Gimme Shelter," about the Rolling Stones and their nightmare at Altamont. That night the Oakland chapter of the Hell's Angels had their way. Tonight, it's my turn."

You know what the trouble about real life is? There's no danger music.

Don't you understand, Steven? Somebody has to kill the babysitter.

2. Dumb and Dumber

This is one of the best comedies made. Ever. Like in the history of comedy. Carrey and Jeff Daniels were great as idiot best friends (Daniels was actually a big surprise in this film). I could go on for days about all the reasons I love Dumb & Dumber, but instead I'll just give you my favorite quotes - and there's a bunch of 'em:

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!"
"I'd like to eat her liver with some fava beans and a nice bottle of Chianti."

"That John Denver's full of shit, man."

"If I know Mary as well as I think I do, she'll invite us right in for tea and strumpets."

"We got no food, no jobs... our PETS' HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"
"Mary... I desperately wanna make love to a school boy."

"I got robbed by a sweet old lady on a motorized cart. I didn't even see it coming!"

Lloyd: "Uh, what is the Soup Du Jour?"
Waitress: "It's the Soup of the Day."
Lloyd: "Mmmm. That sounds good. I'll have that."

"Hey guys. Woah, Big Gulps, huh? All right! Well, see ya later."

1. Liar Liar

This film is by far Jim Carrey's best role and my most favorite movie of his. No matter how many times I watch it, I still laugh hysterically. I also love how the dvd plays outtakes during the credits. Some of the funniest outtakes I've ever seen are from this movie.

Instead of listing my favorite quotes (because it would basically be the entire film), I've decided to share a clip from YouTube of the best Liar Liar moments:

I'm also going to share the same video I used a couple of weeks ago for Fantabulous Friday. It's a collection of some of Jim's best movie moments. Enjoy!