After Z - The Recap

Welcome to day twenty-six plus one of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme was movies! I posted a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then got to guess the movie in the comments. Answers were revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to Z: Zathura: A Space Adventure

And now the recap, a complete list of the month's movies.

A - Aliens

B - Blazing Saddles

C - Crimson Tide

D - Dead Poets Society

E - The Empire Strikes Back

F - The Fifth Element

G - Gone in 60 Seconds

H - Heartbreak Ridge

I - Iron Man

J - Jurassic Park

K - A Knight's Tale

L - The Last Starfighter

M - Mr. and Mrs. Smith

N - Necessary Roughness

O - O Brother, Where Art Thou?

P - Pacific Rim

Q - Quigley Down Under

R - Rush Hour

S - Secondhand Lions

T - Terminator 2: Judgment Day

U -The Usual Suspects

V - Van Helsing

W - The Wraith

X - xXx

Y - Young Guns & Young Einstein

Z - Zathura

Z - We're Done! Sorta...

Welcome to day twenty-six of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answers to Y: Young Guns and Young Einstein

It's the last day of the Challenge. We're finally done. It's been a long month of movies. Some were easy, some were not so easy. It was fun choosing all the movies. I hope it gave you some ideas for movies to watch or to re-watch. This will be the last movie posted, but check back tomorrow for the answer and a complete recap.

Synopsis
What do you do when your space adventure game turns out to be more than a game? You keep playing... and praying.

Quote
"Do not push the button." - Walter

Character
The Astronaut - He's mysterious, he's a little rude, and he's trapped. Can they save him and themselves or will they be trapped in space with him? And why does he seem familiar?

There are your clues. Can you end the challenge with a correct guess?

Y - Because I Can

Welcome to day twenty-five of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to X: xXx

OK, it's the penultimate day of the challenge. That's right, only two letters left! In honor of this milestone, we have a double shot of movies today. You heard it right, two movies. Could it be that there were two movies that were so good they had to both be honored? Could it be that I couldn't decide which movie to use? I'll let you decide. (Hint: It's mostly the second one.) The first is one of my all-time favorites. The second is just goofy fun that requires shutting down some brain cells during viewing. (If you don't, they will be forcibly shut down for you.)

Quote 1
"Did you guys see the size of that chicken?" - "Dirty Steve" Stephens

Character 1

Jose Chavez y Chavez - In this movie, his characterization is not quite historically accurate. However, he is ridiculously skilled with a gun and a knife, which apparently is historically accurate.

Synopsis 1

Our first movie has an all-star cast as some of history's most notorious gunslingers. It's a fun movie that I think got unfair ratings from critics. C'mon people, it's Lou Diamond Phillips... on a horse!

Quote 2

"If you can't trust the Governments of the world, who can you trust?"

Character 2

Marie Curie - Yep, that Marie Curie, the scientist. She's the love interest. Don't know how historically accurate this one is either.

Synopsis 2

Movie number two is completely different. While it is still based on actual history, it takes a few more liberties. Set in Australia, it takes weirdness to a level that was misunderstood in America when it was released. I think it's an underrated film, but you've got to be in the mood for some ridiculousness for its own sake.

Alright people, let's hear your guesses. Can you get one or both? Let's see.

X - About a Man

Welcome to day twenty-four of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to W: The Wraith

Now we're to everyone's favorite letter in the A to Z Challenge. It doesn't matter what your topic, or if you even have a topic, X is always tricky when you first start out. I'll admit, I wasn't sure what I was going to do for today. But, then it came to me and it was pretty obvious. A bald guy who's name starts with X, leading to the name of multiple movies. Duh.

Character
Augustus Gibbons - He's not the nicest boss anyone could have. But that's OK, because he makes up for it with a complete disregard for his employees' welfare. But he gets results.

Synopsis
Extreme sports, rock music, and a protagonist with a distrust and lack of respect for authority. Yep, it's time to save the world.

Quote
"I like anything fast enough to do something stupid in."

Figured it out yet? If not, check back tomorrow.

W - Who Is He?

Welcome to day twenty-three of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to V: Van Helsing

We're almost to the end. Just four letters left. Today, we're going a little out of the mainstream. It's an indie sci-fi movie from the 80s. Good luck with this one.

Quote
"Bad feelin's don't add up to resurrections, buddy." - Sheriff Loomis

Character

Jake Kesey, played by Charlie Sheen, is new in town. Who is this mysterious stranger with the scars? And how is he related to driver of the black sports car that's out for revenge?

Synopsis

After Jamie is killed by local car thieves who steal cars by cheating in street races, a mysterious stranger in a black sports car appears in town challenging the thieves. The stranger eliminates the thieves one by one. Who is the driver? And what is his relationship with the new kid in town?

I saw this one as a teenager and it has stuck with me for almost thirty years. I don't know why, since it was not very successful. It has developed a small cult following. It also includes a very cool prototype car that I wish had gone into production.

V - Very Fun Movie

Welcome to day twenty-two of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to U: The Usual Suspects

Today we have one of those movies that you watch just to enjoy. The effects are great and the story is simple. Here are your clues.

Synopsis
There's no chance this movie will ever be listed as Hugh Jackman's best. But that's OK, 'cause it's also got Kate Beckinsale. Interesting tidbit, Kate learned to speak Romanian so she could speak English with a Romanian accent. Kate Beckinsale in Romania? There's got to be a vampire or a werewolf involved, right?

Character
Anna Valerious is the last of her family, cursed for the last ten generations. She is determined to destroy her archenemy and end the curse. Years of preparing has made her into a formidable fighter.

Quote
"Vampires, gargoyles, warlocks, they're all the same — best when cooked well."

And there are today's clues. Like I said, not the greatest movie of all time, but it's still good mindless fun.

U - Using up the letters quickly

Welcome to day twenty-one of the A to Z Challenge. If you're here for the first time or if you've forgotten already, this year's theme is movies! I am posting a quote, a character or two, and a brief synopsis of a movie for each letter. You then get to guess the movie in the comments. Answers will be revealed in the following day's post.

Answer to T: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

We're getting very close to the end. That means only a few letters left. Unfortunately, that also means some letters that have very few movies. I don't know if that makes it harder or easier to pick one. So here goes.

Quote
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Character
Roger "Verbal" Kint - A disabled conman who is the only survivor of a thief crew that works for a legendary mob boss who may or may not actually exist. The movie is essentially told from Verbal's viewpoint.

Synopsis
Five criminals meet in a lineup. Their lives will never be the same again. And who is Keyser Soze?