PLAY

In the spirit of fun, here's some playful facts about Mark.

Some things about Mark you may not know:

• He's broken his spine three times.
• He can milk a cow and is a farmer at heart (his grandpa owned a dairy)
• He's a certified stock car race driver
• For years he had a parachuting license
• He took lessons on every instrument in an orchestra
• He went to seminary with intentions of becoming a preacher
• He's part of a team who still holds the world's record for the fastest 100 mile run
• Since the day they were introduced, he has owned a Disneyland Season Pass
• He has dined with three US Presidents (Carter, Reagan and George W)
• He briefly trained with one of the top chefs in the world
• Like most of the men on his mom's side, he has a bald spot on both his shins
• He played the tuba (as well as other instruments) professionally
• He was voted "Biggest Nose" in High School
• He was voted "Best Bumm" in college
• He had a Class A Driver's License for years
• He is allergic to parsley and cilantro
• He has memorized several books of the Bible
• He was once set up on a date with a Saudi Arabian Prince's daughter
• He played "Hail to the Chief" for Ronald Regan during his 1984 campaign
• He has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever (a 100 year old recipe)
• He loves to cook, especially bake
• He lived briefly in Douglas City, California, population 69 (yes, 69!)
• He is by nature lazy and a procrastinator but forces himself to work every day
• He has been injured in three major earthquakes
• His secret desire was always to be a dancer, but he never had the body for it
• He has three college degrees but has never once utilized them
• With his wife, he witnessed two spectacular geological events: 1) The largest Aurora Borealis in a hundred years, and 2) The largest volcanic eruption in Hawaii in the last 40 years. Both were AWESOME!!!
• He cannot watch a Symphony or an Opera live without crying
• He has a passion for the homeless and volunteers at the Rescue Mission
• He met Michael Jackson in Vegas where they played carnival games and ate cotton candy... while hoards of people watched
• He has had a stuffed animal (a Tasmanian Devil) in his car since he was 16
• He has not had fast food from a chain or a soda in over twelve years
• His favorite job was being a DJ at a disco/skating rink in the Bay Area in the 80's
• He broke his leg the day before his first acting performance in Junior High School and had to play Benjamin Franklin in a full leg cast
• His first suit was a brown corduroy suit with wood buttons made by Levi's
• He is highly dyslexic, has ADD and cant read well at all
• His favorite food is warm sourdough bread with fresh creamery butter
• His favorite cartoon was a Japanese import called "Aqua Boy" (Mark has only met one person in his life who ever saw it. It always followed "Speed Racer" and "Kimba the White Lion" on a San Francisco TV station in the 60's).
• He has a huge DVD collection (see below)
• His faith in God is the most important thing in his life
• And finally... the weirdest experience of Mark's life revolves around a recurring dream he used to have. In it Mark's family and another anonymous family were vacationing when a volcano suddenly erupts and sends lava racing their way. Since their car wouldn't start, the other family jumped into Mark's family's car to escape. But, the lava was too fast. Just as they were about to be buried by scalding magma Mark tries to wake up but he is sent back to the beginning of the dream. He then has the exact same dream, frame for frame, two more times and finally wakes up after the third. He had the same exact dream, over and over, for nearly 20 years. What makes it so weird is that in his early-20's Mark was doing a play in San Francisco when he suddenly saw the real girl (from his dreams) backstage. They had never met before and yet he recognized her instantly. It gets even weirder! Mark invited her out after the show and mentioned the dream. She turned pale white and said she had had the same exact dream repeatedly since childhood as well. She was able to describe Mark's whole family perfectly, even though they grew up hundreds of miles apart. She knew every detail of the dream, picture for picture, and yet they had never met before. They met for several days after but then Mark moved to LA. He talked to her once after that, several years later, but it was always too weird for both of them. Mark never had the dream again after that night. He still gets the heebie jeebiies thinking about it.

This is a comprehensive list of Mark's favorite films. The films marked with an asterisks are films that everyone MUST see  during their lifetime in order to get a well rounded, intelligent look at the best films ever made… in Mark's humble opinion.

 

Need more? Check out Mark's entire DVD/Blu-Ray collection by clicking HERE.

 

Mark would love to hear your thoughts on this list. Let him know what you think HERE.

 

 

8 1/2

* 12 Angry Men

* 12 Years a Slave

21 Grams

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

* The 400 Blows

* 2001: A Space Odyssey

Ace in the Hole

Adaptation

The Adventures of Robin Hood

After Hours

* Aguirre, the Wrath of God

* Airplane

Alexander Nevsky

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

Alien

All About Eve

All Quiet on the Western Front

All The Presidents Men

Almost Famous

Alphaville

Amadeus

Amarcord

Amelie

* American Beauty

American History X

American Hustle

An American in Paris

An Autumn Afternoon

Andrei Rublev

Animal Crackers

Animal House

* Annie Hall

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

The Apartment

* Apocalypse Now

The Apostle

* The Apu Trilogy

Arsenic and Old Lace

Arthur

The Artist

As Good As It Gets

Atonement

* Au Hasard Balthazar

* Au Revoir Les Enfants

Avatar

Babe

Babette's Feast

Back To the Future

Badlands

The Bank Dick

* The Battle of Algiers

The Battleship Potemkin

* Beast of the Southern Wild

* A Beautiful Mind

Before Sunrise

Being John Malkovich

Being There

Belle de Jour

Ben-Hur (both versions)

Best In Show

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

* Best Years of Our Lives

Beauty and the Beast (1946 and 1991)

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

* The Bicycle Thief

Big

The Big Chill

Big Fish

The Big Heat

The Big Red One

Black Hawk Down

* Blade Runner

* Blazing Saddles

Block-Heads

Blow-up

* The Blue Kite

Blue Velvet

* The Blues Brothers

Boogie Nights

The Book of Eli

Bonnie and Clyde

Bowling for Columbine

The Bourne Ultimatum

* Boyz 'N the Hood

* Braveheart

The Breakfast Club

Breaker Morant

Breaking Away

* Breaking the Waves

Breathless

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Broadcast News

* Broken Blossoms

* Burden of Dreams

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

* Casablanca

* Casino Royal

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

The Champ

* Chariots of Fire

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Chicago

* Children of Heaven

Children of Men

Children of Paradise

Chopper

* Choose Me

A Christmas Story

Cinema Paradiso

* The Circus

* Citizen Kane

City Lights

City of God

Claire’s Knee

A Clockwork Orange

* Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Closely Watched Trains

Coffee and Cigarettes

La Collectionneuse

* The Color Purple

* Come and See

Coming Home

Contempt

* The Conversation

* Cool Hand Luke

Copland

The Cranes are Flying

* Crash

Crazy Heart

* Cries and Whispers

Crimes and Misdemeanors

* Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

* Crumb

The Crying Game

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

* Dancer in the Dark

Dances with Wolves

Dangerous Liaisons

* The Dark Knight

Das Boot

Days of Heaven

Days of Wine and Roses

* Dazed and Confused

Dead Man Walking

The Decalogue

* The Deer Hunter

* Deliverance

* Departures

Detour

Diabolique

* Diary of a Country Priest

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

District 9

* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

* Dog Day Afternoon

Dogville

Donnie Darko

Don't Look Back

* Do the Right Thing

Downfall

The Double Life of Veronique

* Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb

Drugstore Cowboy

Drunken Angel

* Duck Soup

Dumb and Dumber

* Dumbo

The Earrings Of Madame De...

Easy Rider

Elephant

* The Elephant Man

* Elmer Gantry

El Norte

The Emigrants & The New Land

The End of Violence

The English Patient

* The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

* Enter the Dragon

Eraserhead

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Exorcist

* The Exterminating Angel

Eyes Without a Face

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

* Fargo

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

A Few Good Men

Fiddler on the Roof

The Fighter

Finding Nemo

* The Fireman's Ball

First Blood

A Fish Called Wanda

The Fisher King

A Fistful of Dollars

* Fitzcarraldo

Five Easy Pieces

* Floating Weeds

The Fog of War

* For All Mankind

Forbidden Games

* Forest Gump

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Freaks

French Cancan

* The French Connection

The Fugitive

Full Metal Jacket

The Future

* Gandhi

* Gates of Heaven

* The General

Giant

Gimme Shelter

Gladiator

Glenngarry Glen Ross

* The Godfather

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Gomorrah

* Gone with the Wind

* GoodFellas

* The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Good Will Hunting

* Gospel According to St. Matthew

* The Graduate

* Grand Hotel

Grand Illusion

* The Grapes of Wrath

* Grave of the Fireflies

Gravity

The Great Escape

The Great Dictator

The Greatest Show on Earth

* Greed

* Groundhog Day

Happiness

Hamlet (1945)

* Harakiri

Hard-Boiled

* A Hard Days Night

Harold and Maude

The Haunting

Hearts of Darkness

Heavenly Creatures

Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer

Hidden Fortress

High and Low

* High Noon

High Plains Drifter

A History of Violence

Hiroshima Mon Amour

* Holy Grail, Monty Python and the

Hoop Dreams

Hope and Glory

The Hours

Howard’s End

How Green Was My Valley

The Hurt Locker

The Hustler

* Ikiru

In America

* Inception

In Cold Blood

The Incredible Mr. Limpet

Incredibles

Inglourious Basterds

Inherit The Wind

In the Heat of the Night

* In the Mood for Love

Into the Wild

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

* It's a Wonderful Life

Jacob's Ladder

Jean De Florette

The Jerk

* Jerry Maguire

Jesus of Montreal

Jesus of Nazareth

JFK

* Joyeux Noel

* Judgment at Nuremberg

Juno

Jurassic Park

* The Kid

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Kieslowski's Color Trilogy (Red, Blue, White)

Kill Bill (Vol. 1)

Kill Bill (Vol. 2)

* Killer of Sheep

The Killing

Kind Hearts and Coronets

King Kong (original)

King of Kings (1927)

The King's Speech

Klute

Knife in the Water

* Kramer vs. Kramer

* La Dolce Vita

The Lady Eve

La Femme Nikita

Lantana

The Last Emperor

The Last Picture Show

La Strada

Last Tango in Paris

The Last Waltz

The Last Wave

Last Year at Marienbad

* Late Spring

* L’Avventura

Lawrence of Arabia

Leaving Las Vegas

The Legend of Hell House

Legends of the Fall

* Le Million

Lenny

The Leopard

Les Miserables (both)

* Le Samourai

Letters from Iwo Jima

Leon * The Professional

Leopard

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

* Life Is Beautiful

Like Water for Chocolate

* The Lion King

Little Miss Sunshine

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

* Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Lost in Translation

The Lovely Bones

The Lower Depths

M

M*A*S*H

* The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Seven

* Magnolia

* The Maltese Falcon

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Manhattan

The Man in the Moon

Manon of the Spring

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

The Man With a Movie Camera

Marathon Man

* The Marriage of Maria Braun

Martha Marcy May Marlene

* Marty

Match Point

The Matrix

* McCabe and Mrs. Miller

8

Mean Streets

Meatballs

* Memento

Metropolis

Michael Clayton

* Midnight Cowboy

* Midnight Express

Midnight Run

Mildred Pierce

Millers Crossing

Million Dollar Baby

Miracle on 34th Street

Mirror

The Mission

Mississippi Burning

Modern Times

Moneyball

* Mon Oncle

Monster's Ball

* Monsters, Inc.

* Monterey Pop Festival

Moonstruck

The Most Dangerous Game

* Moulin Rouge!

Mr. Hulot's Holiday

Mrs. Miniver

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Muppet Movie

Muriel’s Wedding

* Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

My Darling Clementine

* My Dinner With Andre

My Life to Live

* My Neighbor Totoro

My Own Private Idaho

The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser

Mystic River

* The Naked City

* Napoleon (1927)

Napoleon Dynamite

* Nashville

* Network

The Night Porter

Nights of Cabiria

Night of the Hunter

No Country for Old Men

North by Northwest

Nosferatu

Oldboy

Old Yeller

* Once

One False Move

* One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

On the Bowery

* On the Waterfront

Ordinary People

Out of Africa

Pandora's Box

Pan's Labyrinth

Papillon

Paris, Texas

The Passion of Joan of Arc

Paths of Glory

Peeping Tom

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

* Persona

Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The Philadelphia Story

The Piano

Pickpocket

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Pink Floyd, The Wall

Pinocchio

* Pixote

* Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planet of the Apes

* Platoon

Playtime

Poltergeist

* Ponette

Precious

* The Princess Bride

* The Producers

Psycho

* Pulp Fiction

* Raging Bull

* Raiders of the Lost Ark

Rain Man

* Raise the Red Lantern

* Raising Arizona

Ran

Rashomon

* Ratatouille

* Rear Window

Rebecca

Rebel Without a Cause

Red Beard

* The Red Shoes

* Remains of the Day

Repulsion

* Requiem for a Dream

Reservoir Dogs

Richard III (1955)

Rififi

The Right Stuff

Rio Bravo

Robocop

* Rocky

Rollerball (1975)

* Romeo and Juliet (1968) *

Rope

* The Rose Tattoo

The Royal Tenenbaums

* The Rules of the Game

The Ruling Class

Run Lola Run

Running on Empty

* Safety Last

* Salesman

* Samurai Rebellion

The Samurai Trilogy

San Francisco

* Saturday Night Fever

* Saving Private Ryan

Say Anything

Scarface

* Scent of a Woman

* Schindler's List

* The Searchers

* Secrets and Lies

Sense and Sensibilities

Se7en

* Seven Samurai

* The Seventh Seal

* Sex, Lies and Videotape

Shadowlands

* Shakespeare in Love

Shane

* The Shawshank Redemption

* The Shining

* Shoah

Shop Around the Corner

Short CutsKlute

* A Shot in the Dark

Sid & Nancy

Sideways

* The Silence of the Lambs

Silverado

Silver Linings Playbook

A Simple Plan

* Singin' in the Rain

The Sixth Sense

Sliding Doors

Sling Blade

* Slumdog Millionaire

* Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Social Network

Solaris (1972)

Some Like it Hot

Someone to Watch Over Me

* Sophie's Choice

The Sound of Music

* Spartacus

* Spirited Away

* Stagecoach

* Stand By Me

A Star Is Born (1954)

* Star Wars

* Steamboat Bill Jr.

The Sting

* The Straight Story

Strangers On a Train

Straw Dogs

Stray Dog

* A Streetcar Named Desire

* Strictly Ballroom

* Stroszek

The Stunt Man

* Sullivan's Travels

Sunrise

Superman

Super Size Me

The Sweet Hereafter

Swingers

* Swing Time

* Talk to Her

* Taxi Driver

Tender Mercies

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

* Terms of Endearment

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

There’s Something About Mary

There Will Be Blood

The Thief of Bagdad

The Thin Red Line

* This is Spinal Tap

* Throne of Blood

The Third Man

The Thin Blue Line

The Tin Drum

Titanic

To End All Wars

* To Kill a Mockingbird

* Tokyo Story

Tombstone

* Tommy Boy

* Tootsie

Top Hat

Touch of Evil

* Toy Story

Toy Story 2

Traffic

Trainspotting

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

* The Tree of Life

Triumph of the Will

True Romance

* The Truman Show

* Turtles Can Fly

Twelve Monkeys

Twenty Feet from Stardom

Umberto D

* Ugetsu

* Unforgiven

United 93

The Untouchables

* Up

The ‘Up’ Series

* The Usual Suspects

Vacation

Vengeance is Mine

The Verdict

Vertigo

* The Wages of Fear

* Walkabout

The Wall

Wall-E

Wall Street

Warrior

The Warriors

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe

* West Side Story

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

When Harry Met Sally

The Wild Bunch

Wild Strawberries

* Wings of Desire

Winter’s Bone

* Withnail & I

* Witness

* The Wizard of Oz

* Woman in the Dunes

* A Woman Under the. Influence

* Woodstock: The Directors Cut

The Wrestler

Written on the Wind

* Yankee Doodle Dandy

The Year of Living Dangerously

Yellow Submarine

Yojimbo

You Can't Take It With You

Y Tu Mamá También

* Young Frankenstein

Young Mr. Lincoln

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