Ripping Good Yarns: Our Third Hall of Fame Movie

This is our third Hall of Fame winner, joining The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars in our Ripping Good Yarn Hall of Fame, Movie Division.  It is a about a prisoner who eventually escapes using a trick.  The two leads are played excellently by Timothy Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and much of the movie revolves around the relationship of these two prisoners.

The story is based on a Stephen King short novel called Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.  It's good to see my favorite modern writer already in the Hall of Fame.  

I would show you a vote but I can't.  There were very few votes, and they were scattered over months.  The Shawshank Redemption was the only one to receive multiple votes, beyond just getting one or two.

It is my fault for not being more persistent in soliciting votes.  It takes a lot of effort just to do something that is supposed to be fun. I found it hard, with everything else I've got going on,  to concentrate on it.

I love Ripping Good Yarns and the Hall of Fame idea.  But until I can figure out a way to garner more participation, I will probably suspend this for awhile.

Thanks to those of you who did participate.

T. M. Strait

Ripping Good Yarns: Vote for Your Hall of Fame Movie 2014!

After a series on new fall TV, let's return to the movie screens, and resume Ripping good Yarn's selection of a movie to be the third entry into our Movie Hall of Fame, to join our first two entries, The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars.

There's nothing like going to the movie show!  The old drive-ins we went to with my parents, the large downtown movie theaters that even had balconies. the old Court Theater in Saginaw that on Saturday afternoons would show a double feature, cartoons, a serial chapter and more for no more than a quarter or two.  Even the suburban megaplexes with their cushier chairs, stadium seating, deluxe sound systems and 3D.  Of course, now, admission may take a trip to the small loan department!

So I could wax all day about my love affair with going to the movies.  And that's just one of many ways people see great movies now.  They might download them, watch them on TV, rent a DVD, or even see them on their phone.

I have tried to solicit nominees through the Ripping Good Yarn group, general Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and anyone within the reach of this blog.  To say that the response has been underwhelming would be a vast understatement.  But still I plod along.  I mean, I'm somebody who ran around the house acting out whole TV schedules, with no input or attention from anyone, so it's going to be hard to embarrass me into silence.

Please look at the movies listed below and vote for one of the following to be our third Hall of Fame entry.  There are no rules of judgement regarding selection.  It can be a personal favorite, or you can have well reasoned logic based on critical review or even box office.  It's all up to you! you can vote for more than one if you like, but then I will fraction your vote accordingly.  Feel free to vote or comment here or on Facebook.

Here are the ten nominees to pick from:

Stand by Me

Gone with the Wind

It's A Wonderful Life

Casablanca

The Shawshank Redemption

Jaws

North by Northwest

Jurassic Park

Fried Green Tomatoes

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I wait your input, Rippers!  The final selection is yours!

Ripping Good Yarns: Nominations Open for 2014 Hall of Fame Movie

Hail to the mighty cinema!

There's nothing like going to the movie show!  The old drive-ins we went to with my parents, the large downtown movie theaters that even had balconies. the old Court Theater in Saginaw that on Saturday afternoons would show a double feature, cartoons, a serial chapter and more for no more than a quarter or two.  Even the suburban megaplexes with their cushier chairs, stadium seating, deluxe sound systems and 3D.  Of course, now, admission may take a trip to the small loan department!

So I could wax all day about my love affair with going to the movies.  And that's just one of many ways people see great movies now.  They might download them, watch them on TV, rent a DVD, or even see them on their phone.

Two years ago I started Ripping Good Yarns Hall of Fames to honor the best of the best, in TV, movies, and books.  The past movie winners are as follows:

2012 Winner Star Wars

2013 Winner The Wizard of Oz

So are we ready for our 2014 entry?  This is a general category, for  movies of  all types.  The only rule?  The movie has to be at least ten years old.  That would mean the newest movies considered would be from 2004.  But when you nominate movies you don't need to worry about that.  I will filter those movies out that are too recent to be considered.



Please note that movies will be picked as finalists based not just on being nominated but by how many people nominate the same movie.  So if you see a favorite, say Blazing Saddles, already nominated by someone, than you should definitely second that nomination!  Or second, third, fourth, on into infinity!






I will throw into contention five movies that did very well in our Facebook Faceoff from awhile back.  Feel free to comment on these and to nominate many more! 

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Gone with the Wind

It's A Wonderful Life

Casablanca

Schindler's List

I await your input, Rippers!  The nominations are afoot!

Ripping Good Yarns: Vote for Your Hall of Fame Movie 2013!

After a series on new fall TV, let's return to the movie screens, and resume Ripping good Yarn's selection of a movie to be the first in the Hall of Fame.

There's nothing like going to the movie show!  The old drive-ins we went to with my parents, the large downtown movie theaters that even had balconies. the old Court Theater in Saginaw that on Saturday afternoons would show a double feature, cartoons, a serial chapter and more for no more than a quarter or two.  Even the suburban megaplexes with their cushier chairs, stadium seating, deluxe sound systems and 3D.  Of course, now, admission may take a trip to the small loan department!

So I could wax all day about my love affair with going to the movies.  And that's just one of many ways people see great movies now.  They might download them, watch them on TV, rent a DVD, or even see them on their phone.

For my new Ripping Good Yarn award, I would like to start a Hall of Fame for movies.  We will start with a general category, for movies all types.  these movies are a mix of my selections and movies nominated by Rippers.  They included only movies made before 2000..

Please look at the following and vote for one of the following to be our first Hall of Fame entry.  There are no rules of judgement regarding selection.  It can be a personal favorite, or you can have well reasoned logic based on critical review or even box office.  It's all up to you! you can vote for more than one if you like, but then I will fraction your vote accordingly.  Feel free to vote or comment here or on Facebook.

Here are the ten nominees to pick from:

Wizard of Oz

Gone with the Wind

It's A Wonderful Life

Casablanca

Lord of the Rings

Back to the Future

North by Northwest

Jurassic Park

Schindler's List

Raiders of the Lost Ark

I wait your input, Rippers!  The final selection is yours!

Ripping Good Yarns TV Hall of Fame Winner 2013!!!

Last year's Hall of Fame winner, M*A*SH!

The votes are finally in! We have our second entrant into the shiny new Ripping Good Yarns TV Hall of Fame.

Receiving 0% of the votes were the following -

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman 
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Cheers
Lost


Receiving 8% each of the vote were the following -

All In the Family
I Love Lucy

Receiving 17% each of the vote were the following -

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Star Trek
The Twilight Zone

And the winner, our second Hall of Famer, with 33% of the vote is -


Seinfeld


The famous show about nothing.  Just some people in New York complaining about everything, but in a very entertaining and amusing way.  From the inventive Kramer (Manzier, anyone?), to the incredibly selfish George Costanza, the neurotic but attractive Elaine, and the ever fussy Jerry Seinfeld, it was a show that took small mole hills of plot and turned them into mountains.  It ruled the roost of television for most of the nineties.

I was not a big fan of the show, but there was no denying it's tremendous impact.  It had a huge influence on many subsequent shows and effected the way we looked at sitcoms.


So congratulations, Seinfeld!  You now occupy the premier second spot on our imaginary Hall of Fame mantle piece.  Huzzah!