Top 10 Fictional Movies That Should Be Made

By “fictional movie” I mean a movie that does not actually exist. They are often seen in the background of a film or TV show as a poster, trailer, billboard, or theater marquee. Sometimes they exist solely as a conversation between the in-universe characters. Or, like ‘The Dueling Cavalier’ in Singin’ in the Rain, they can exist as a film-in-a-film. A good real-life example is the Coen brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which took its title from the fictional movie project in Sullivan’s Travels. Despite the fact that the real and fictional versions differ in plot, they share similar settings and themes. On the special edition DVD, the Coen brothers mention their film is almost what Sullivan would have ended up making after Sullivan’s Travels ends.

Below is a list of those fictional movies that I believe Hollywood should make, whether just to satisfy my inner fanboy or because I think they will turn out to be something worth watching.


10
Thundercats

As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to the realization that a lot of the things I enjoyed as a kid were pretty terrible. Bazooka gum, Big Macs, Monopoly… and Thundercats. I loved the show as a kid, but was thoroughly unimpressed upon watching it again in college. I’m still not convinced the movie would be all that good because the basic story is a bit too ridiculous and nonsensical. ‘Thundercats’ makes the list based solely on the incredible quality of the fake trailer. However, I don’t mind a brainless action adventure movie every so often, à la The Mummy. Combined with my lowered expectations and powerful nostalgia, I think I could easily enjoy this movie when it comes out on DVD.


9
Angels With Filthy Souls
Home Alone

Remember that scene where Macaulay Culkin’s character uses a movie to trick the pizza delivery guy? This is that movie. For the longest time I thought this was an actual movie. ‘Angels’ was meant to emulate classic gangster movies in the film noir style. You can’t go wrong with characters named Acey and Snakes and dialogue like, “I’m gonna give ya till the count of ten to get yer ugly, yella, no good keister off my property before I pump yer guts fulla lead!” It isn’t so much that I want somebody to make this movie, as I wish it actually existed. There was, of course, a sequel in Home Alone 2 called ‘Angels With Even Filthier Souls’.


8
See You Next Wednesday

‘See You Next Wednesday’ is a recurring gag found in many of the works of John Landis. Landis is the director of such personal favorites as National Lampoon’s Animal House, Blues Brothers, ¡Three Amigos!, and Spies Like Us. SYNW is often mentioned by the film’s characters or seen in the background in posters and billboards. The problem here is that the plot, and even the genre, of SYNW changes from film to film. It has been a war movie, a melodrama, a porno, and a horror flick to name a few. Since there is no consistent plot or theme, what it means is that Landis would have free reign to do whatever he wanted, though it’d almost certainly turn out to be a comedy. However it ends up, Landis has proven that he possesses a deft comedy touch and I imagine it could be a lot like The Kentucky Fried Movie, but with a focus on spoofing Hollywood.


7
Firestorm
Seinfeld

Most of the examples on this list exist as a parody or homage to a particular genre or a specific movie. Seinfeld is chock full of these types of fictional movies, including ‘The Flaming Globes of Sigmund’, ‘Prognosis Negative’, ‘Chunnel’, and ‘Blimp: The Hindenburg Story’ to name just a few. ‘Firestorm’ sounds like a parody of action movies and is mentioned during several different episodes, but is never actually seen, just talked about. It stars Harrison Ford, who at one point, “jumped out of the plane and was shooting back up at them while he was falling.” There’s also an “underwater escape” and a “helicopter lands on a car” at one point. It is supposed to be a huge blockbuster film in the show, as I believe it would be in real-life. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a truly senseless, over-the-top, summer action popcorn movie and ‘Firestorm’ ought to be just the ticket. In fact, how come they haven’t made this film yet? (and no, the 1998 Howie Long movie of the same name does not count – I want falling plane shooting!)


6
Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie
The Simpsons

The Simpsons loves to use jokes featuring these types of fictional movies. Like most of the fictional movies out there, a lot of these gags are either a ridiculously numbered sequel or a pornographic pun. Some of personal favorites from the show include ‘Star Trek XII: So Very Tired’ and ‘Das Butt’. However, “The Itchy and Scratchy Show” has been a recurring element since the earliest episodes and was made into a movie in the sixth season. They’ve already made a Simpsons movie, so now Itchy and Scratchy deserve a turn.

In this day and age, it’s time for animated movies to move into more adult territory. As much as I love the films of Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, the genre needs to start to grow. An Itchy and Scratchy movie would undoubtedly be excessively violent, but that’s okay. The “Spy vs Spy” segments from MadTV were always my favorite parts. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was a start, but there needs to be more and better. Masterpieces from Japan such as Grave of the Fireflies and Princess Mononoke have proven that there is a lot of potential here. ‘Itchy and Scratchy’ may not be as high-brow, but it would be a move in the right direction and might provide that kick in the pants needed to get the industry interested. Utilizing all the powerful creative forces at the beck and call of Matt Groening, an ‘Itchy and Scratchy’ movie might be a lot better than some of you think.


5
Werewolf Women of the SS
Grindhouse

This faux trailer, written and directed by Rob Zombie, for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s film Grindhouse, introduces itself as, “A brilliant achievement in motion picture history. Finally, the truth about Hitler’s diabolical plans to create a race of superwomen can be told…” Ultimately, five faux trailers were made including ‘Machete’, ‘Hobo With A Shotgun’, ‘Don’t!’, and ‘Thanksgiving’. Apparently, ‘Machete’ and ‘Hobo with a Shotgun’ are being made into actual features, but are currently trapped in development hell. ‘Werewolf Women of the SS’ follows the themes of the other trailers as a homage to the exploitation films of the 70s. Its got werewolves, Nazi’s, mad scientists, half-naked women and camp galore, not to mention Nicolas Cage as Fu Manchu!

Hopefully, if this movie ever gets made, it manages to avoid becoming torture porn, which would suck. The whole point of ‘Werewolf Women’ is that its super cheesy. But it is extremely difficult to deliberately make a movie that is so-bad-its-good, and to get the audience to actually realize this. Most people tend to just miss the point, as I fear they would here. Recent attempts at camp films such as Snakes On A Plane and Shoot ‘Em Up haven’t exactly been box office or critical successes.


4
Rochelle, Rochelle
Seinfeld

Another movie from the Seinfeld mythos makes the list and deservedly so, since it was featured so prominently on several episodes. Like ‘Firestorm’, ‘Rochelle, Rochelle’ was only ever talked about and never seen, but served as the primary plot point in the episode “The Movie.” It even got a shout out on Curb Your Enthusiasm and was referenced in an American Express print ad featuring Larry David (the show’s creator). The movie’s tagline, “A young girl’s strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk,” basically tells you all you need to know. The movie itself is apparently unbearable, but it does feature a lot of nudity (its primary appeal). Later on, the movie is even adapted into a Broadway musical starring Bette Midler. It’s difficult for me to say how exactly this movie would translate in real life, but a tongue-in-cheek (pun intended?) version could probably work. I mean, Striptease did $113 million worldwide. But, much like George and Jerry on the show, I’m not going to go see this movie for the story. As Elaine exclaims, “Men will sit through the most boring pointless movie if there’s the slightest chance a woman will take her top off.” The clip above relates to “Chunnel” as no clip could be found mentioning Rochelle, Rochelle.


3
The 3
Adaptation

‘The 3’ is a fictional spec script written by the fictional twin brother of Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman. The script is a cliché psychological thriller about a cop protecting a woman from a serial killer. It’s suggested that, “the killer’s a literature professor. He cuts off little chunks from his victims’ bodies until they die. He calls himself ‘The Deconstructionist’.” At one point there’s supposed to be a chase scene where, “the killer flees on horseback with the girl, the cop’s after them on a motorcycle and it’s like a battle between motors and horses, like technology vs horse.” Bear in mind that the supposed twist of the movie (spoilers!) is that that the killer, the cop, and the girl are all the same person! I know that ‘The 3’ is meant to be a jab at the crap that is so often churned out by Hollywood, but I really want to see that chase scene. The version that plays in my head is like a bizarre mix between Identity and Memento. Considering how meta Adaptation was, how more meta (and awesome) would it be if the main protagonist(s) was played by Nicolas Cage, who also played Charlie and Donald Kaufman?


2
Aquaman
Entourage

Long gone are the days when the idea of a comic book movie would make even the most hardened fanboy cringe. And with the continuous development of CGI and respect for the original source material, comic book movies are truly coming into their own. Recent successes such as The Dark Knight and Watchmen have proven that such movies can also be intellectually satisfying.

As a show about a Hollywood movie star, Entourage actually has a few decent movie ideas including ‘Medellin’, ‘Smoke Jumpers’, and a Martin Scorsese ‘Great Gatsby’. The development of ‘Aquaman’ played a major role in Seasons 2 and 3, and is the one that really stands out from all the rest on Vincent Chase’s fictional filmography. Kevin Smith has even commented that he’s been asked about ‘Aquaman 2’, despite the fact that there hasn’t been a first ‘Aquaman’.

Aquaman may be one of the lamer comic book characters out there, but the main selling point here is James Cameron. What Aquaman needs more than anything is somebody who truly understands and respects the majesty and beauty of our oceans. Cameron’s post-Titanic projects, Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss, as well as his new film Avatar, have proven that he knows how to capture the mystery and wonder of new worlds. He is also well known for always being at the forefront of CGI technology which would come in handy since a good part of the movie would have to take place underwater. Simply put, there isn’t anyone else out there more capable or qualified for the job. As for casting, I’m not at all sold on the idea of Adrian Grenier for the main role, but I do like Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam – just put a hook on his hand and he’s good to go.


1
The Legend of Zelda

‘The Legend of Zelda’ is a fake trailer that appeared on the IGN website in 2008 as an April Fool’s joke. I didn’t see it until a few days later and was both shocked and dismayed when I finally discovered that it wasn’t real. The original Legend of Zelda games on the NES and SNES were some of my all-time favorites. And unlike other video game franchises (I’m looking at you Mario and Luigi), the world of Hyrule is one that is deep and engrossing. Thanks to the numerous games that the franchise has produced, many of the characters, races, weapons, and worlds that can be used are already fully fleshed out. Anyone who produces a Legend of Zelda trilogy (as if one would be enough) would have a treasure trove of material to work with.

The main reason ‘The Legend of Zelda’ makes the top spot is how immensely successful it would be. A film such as ‘Thundercats’ would really only appeal to guys who watched the show when they were young. ‘Zelda’ would appeal to a much wider audience since both boys and girls play the games. And because of a consistent output of titles for the Wii and DS, Zelda continues to build a strong fan base and wouldn’t rely entirely on nostalgia. An epic fantasy adventure film along the lines of Lord of the Rings would have unlimited appeal (not to mention the possibility of the rare movie tie-in video game that is actually any good). Peter Jackson would be the natural choice to helm such an undertaking, but almost anybody could knock this one out of the park, so long as we keep that Uwe Boll guy as far away as possible from this sacred franchise. A ‘Legend of Zelda’ trilogy could finally accomplish what has eluded Hollywood so far: make a good video game movie.

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10 Interesting Facts about the Caribbean

10
Natural Resources & Agriculture

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Cuba (fondly called El Cocodrilo by the natives) and many other countries are known for having a lot of natural resources, that are exported throughout the world. Resources like bauxite, oil, iron ore, asphalt and nickel are some of the most common.

Bananas, cocoa and coffee industry are also popular sources of income in these islands (like Jamaica), and in most smaller islands that do not boast natural resources, these are the major contributors to their economy, apart from tourism.


9
Island Inhabitation

Caribbean-Islands

One of the most awesome facts that you’ll ever hear about these isles, is that roughly only 2% of the islands are inhabited. Think of the islands that you know & that figure only represents 2% of the total islands that are down there. It is amazing the amount of land, there is down here, only seen and roamed upon by wildlife.


8
Accidental Re-discovery

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On his voyage to Asia (the Indies) in 1492, Christopher Columbus had believed that he had in fact arrived at the aforemetioned destination and the region was named West Indies. The name “Caribbean”, comes from the Amerindian tribe, the (cannibalistic) Caribs (who were some of this writer’s ancestors). The colonization of the islands by the Europeans has left its mark, for there are many structures still existing that are major tourist attractions.


7
Multiculturalism

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Most residents of the islands are descendants of African slaves. They were brought to work in sugar plantations and as slavery ended, they remained in the paradise like conditions. The culture, religions and languages of each country / dependency are unique, due to the different monarchies that ruled during the said slavery days. For example, the islands of: Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe have a very rich French heritage; while Cuba and Puerto Rico are strongly Spanish based. Religious beliefs also go with the former rulers and ancestors. For instance, in Haiti, voodoo (voodu) is very rampant, because of the African slaves, who brought that form of witchcraft to the West Indies.


6
Music

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As in item number 5, the history of the Caribbean has heavily influenced the musical genres. Some of the more popular styles of music are reggae, calypso, reggaeton, salsa, (East Indian inspired) chutney & pan music. Pan music, also known as steel pan music is made from steel tins or drums, that are fashioned to carry tunes and make lovely sounds.


5
Climate and Natural Disasters

When-To-Go

There are only two seasons in the West Indies. Dry and rainy seasons. The dry season lasts from roughly December to May and it is very hot, breezy and dusty. Then, from June to November is the rainy or hurricane season. At this time, a number of storms and hurricanes develop near the West African coast and make their way across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean. Very dangerous period of time, where some countries are unfortunate to experience these disasters, almost every year, like Grenada and Haiti.

Interesting to note: The Caribbean lies on the Caribbean Plate and it was noted on a news report, that a major earthquake (apart from the one that hit Haiti in January, 2010), that is expected to strike, is 20 years overdue!


4
Food

Okra

Food in the Caribbean is based on mostly African, Spanish, Chinese, and East Indian, but generally are crossovers of the cuisines from the rest of the world. Spices, peppers and many different types of herbs (seasonings) are heavily used to prepare most meals. Popular dishes here are jerk chicken (Jamaica), fried flying fish (Barbados), general seafood which is prepared in many different ways, and stewed peas and beans, like pigeon peas. Roti, which is East Indian based, contains curries and spices. Callaloo soup, which is made of dasheen leaves, okra (pictured above) and sometimes crabs, is eaten with rice sometimes, and is most prevalent in Trinidad and Tobago.


3
Flora and Fauna

Heliconia1

Flora and fauna (flowers and animals) are in abundance and wide variety. Dry and moist forests, savannas and mangrove swamps are what covers the lands that are not used by the natives for living on. Many beautiful flowers make their home here; for instance the Bwa Kwaib is the national flower of Dominica, the Bougainvillea of Grenada and the Heliconia of Montserrat (pictured above). Fruit trees can also be found all over the place: like the mango, papaya, orange, banana, guava, pineapple, tamarind and watermelon.

Some of the wildlife in this region are endangered species and as such, are protected by the respective governments of each island. Hunting is permitted, but only at certain times of the year, with the agouti (rodent), iguana, manicou (opossum) among others being hunted. Animals like the manatee (sea cow), Bahamian hutia and Aruba Island Rattlesnake are outright protected from being harmed.

Interesting to note: I recently learnt of a species of oyster, in the West Indies that can climb (mangrove) trees!


2
Festivals

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The main festival that locals and tourists partake of, throughout most of the Caribbean isles would be Carnival. This explosion of color, energy and fun takes place in Dominican Republic, Antigua, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Barbados. This festival is varied in the different territories, but one thing remains true. The colorful, lovely costumes and fun! The carnival is the final big party before the penitential season of Lent begins.

Other activities are carried out, with most bearing similarities to Carnival. Crop Over Festival in Barbados, Tumba Festival in Curaçao and even St. Patrick’s Day in Montserrat are hosted throughout the year. All carrying deep historical significance.


1
Tourism

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Of course, this is what almost any non-islander thinks the Caribbean is all about: Sun, sea and sand! The majority of foreigners come here to experience the natural beauty of the land and trees, and to inhale the pure, clean air while soaking in the sun. Eco-tourism is a big hit, as well. People visit sanctuaries like the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad, Little Tobago also known as Bird of Paradise Island, The Reef Resort in the Cayman Islands and Balenbouche Estate (pictured above) in St. Lucia for the viewing of rare animals in there natural habitat. Some tourists return year after year for all the other reasons mentioned in this list and many more.

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Top 10 Most Controversial Star Trek Episodes

Star Trek is one of the most beloved franchises in television history. That doesn’t mean it has been without its share of controversy–from the production staff to the fans to TV networks. The most controversial episodes are discussed below.


10
The City on the Edge of Forever
Original Series, 1967

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With its classic time travel story, this episode is widely considered one of the best in Trek history. However, behind the scenes, it caused a firestorm between the producers and the writer. Harlan Ellison, a noted sci-fi author who penned the episode, was upset with the changes Gene Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana made to his story. These included the excision of a drug addicted Enterprise crewman and a hostile Kirk-Spock relationship. Ellison wanted his name removed from the final episode, but Roddenberry wouldn’t do it. There was bad blood between the two for years. In 2009, Ellison sued Paramount for failing to compensate him for all the decades of merchandising the studio did for the episodes. An LA federal court ruled in his favor.


9
Spock’s Brain
Original Series, 1968

Remote Spock

First episode of third season, and the first to air after the series was renewed. Too bad it would end up considered the worst Star Trek episodes of all time. As the title would suggest, it concerns Spock’s Brain–it’s gone missing, and the crew must find it. Leonard Nimoy says he felt embarrassed throughout the episode, though it’s possible to look back on the episode and think it’s so bad it’s good.


8
Plato’s Stepchildren
Original Series, 1968

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Under the control of aliens, Kirk and Uhura kiss. It just so happens that Kirk is white and Uhura is black. Though often called the first interracial kiss on TV, it wasn’t; the kiss wasn’t even voluntary. However, NBC was frightened at the potential that southern TV stations would be angered by the kiss, and they did two takes, one with the kiss and one without. Only Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, deliberately flubbed the latter take, so the kiss remained. There isn’t any evidence this show caused any real controversy when it aired, save for a single irate letter from a Southerner.


7
Conspiracy
The Next Generation, 1988

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Parasites infect the Federation, threatening to take it over. The controversy comes from a particularly violent scene at the end of the episode. Picard and Riker confront Remmick, a Starfleet officer infected by the parasites. They shoot him with phasers, causing his body to explode, and revealing the mother bug inside. This scene was so violent that the BBC removed it when airing the episode, and the Canadian sci-fi channel still runs it with a warning.


6
Shades of Gray
The Next Generation, 1989

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Star Trek’s only clip show. Riker falls into a coma and the only way to save him is have him relive painful memories. Paramount told the makers they wanted to do a clip show because other episodes had big budgets. And thus this was born. Even a co-writer thought it was pretty bad, calling it a “piece of shit.”


5
The High Ground
The Next Generation, 1990

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This episode concerned terrorism and a planet who wants the Federation to join their fight for freedom. Again, the Brits are to blame for the controversy. Data has a line in which he says Ireland was eventually unified by terrorism in 2024. Sensitive about such a mention when the Troubles in Northern Ireland were still ongoing, the BBC cut the line when the episode first aired. The episode has never been shown on Ireland’s RTE channel, and sometimes when the episode is aired the UK the line is still cut.


4
Rejoined
Deep Space Nine, 1995

Rejoined-47

Star Trek is infamous for avoiding overt references to homosexuality, something fans have complained about for decades. This is one of the few episodes to make even an oblique reference to it, showing a female kiss. Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn are Trills, an alien species that lives on in symbionts implanted in host bodies. Two of their previous hosts had a romantic relationship that was never resolved, hence the same-sex kiss. One TV station in the south removed the scene, and the producers received a large number of negative calls in response.


3
To the Death
Deep Space Nine, 1996

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Notable because most of the controversy happened before the episode was aired. “To the Death” was the first Star Trek episode ever cut for violence. When the DS9 crew travel to a planet with an Iconian Gateway–a portal to practically anywhere–they encounter hoards of the vicious Jem’Hadar. Hand to hand combat ensues. Originally, 52 Jem’Hadar were shown getting killed, but this was was trimmed to 20, losing 45 seconds of the episode. The BBC censored it even further. Fans complained the result felt choppy and disjointed.


2
Tsunkatse
Voyager, 2000

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Seven of Nine is forced to compete in an alien gladiator sport. Among her combatants is an alien champion played by…The Rock. To many fans, “Tsunkatse” was simply an attempt to cash in on the popularity of another UPN show, WWF Smackdown! (now WWE). The Rock even used his signature moves and eyebrow raising, to the delight of his alien crowd. Despite negative fan reaction, the episode was the highest rated of the season, and you can be sure that’s what the producers wanted.


1
Harbinger
Enterprise, 2004

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Romantic tension between the Vulcan T’Pol and Commander Trip Tucker culminates in a “love scene” where T’Pol lets down her garment and displays her bare backside, including her naked rear end. Ten days before the episode aired, Janet Jackson had accidentally displayed her bare breast at the Super Bowl–surely factoring into the network’s decision to crop the scene and hide the bare bottom. The scene was shown without cuts in Canada and exists intact on the episode’s DVD.

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Top 10 One on One Battles in Film

Movie’s have long given us some amazing battle and fight scenes. This list is reserved for one on one battles only. Good Vs. evil, protégé Vs. master, even father vs. son, this list is dedicated to those memorable and significant fight scenes that we won’t forget. My only regret is that I am definitely forgetting some top contenders. The ones I’ve chosen are picked based on the intensity, history and significance and are among my personal favorites. Happy reading.


10
Han Vs. Kai
Romeo Must Die

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In one of the movie’s final scenes, Han realizes who is true nemesis is and battles his long time friend to the death. The fight is extra memorable as the two have a mock battle earlier in movie which more or less ends in a draw. Han finally finishes off his brother’s murderer with a well placed kick to the head while the entire outdoor arena goes up in flames.


9
John Spartan Vs. Simon Phoenix
Demolition Man

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“Is it cold in here, or is it just me?” In a futuristic version of the classic cop Vs. bad guy, we watch the demolition man finally best his long time foe by freezing him and kicking his head clean off. The sheer intensity of the fight results in the total destruction of everything and the movies hero narrowly escaping alive. Fists, laser guns and even a giant metal claw get involved in this great sci fi fight to the death.


8
Inigo Montoya Vs. The Man In Black
The Princess Bride

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In one of the, if not the best swordplay battle of the 80’s we watch the films supposed villain, the Man in Black take on the honorable mercenary, Inigo Montoya. In a true sign of respect to his foe, Inigo assists the Man in Black in reaching the top of the cliff and then even giving him time to rest before the battle begins. We watch the two of them try to get the best of the other until my personal favorite scene in the movie – the Man In Black revealing the he as well is not left handed.


7
Robin Hood Vs. The Sheriff of Nottingham
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

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The battle between Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham has long been a well known tale. In the early 90’s we watch Robin Hood storm the castle of Nottingham looking to free the people from tyranny and avenge his father’s death. A true battle between good and evil, the fight ends with Hood narrowly winning the battle with knife the chest. This also benefits Marion who was otherwise looking at what would have been a nasty marriage.


6
Wolverine Vs. Deathstrike
X2 X-Men United

Wolverine

As Wolverine closes in on Styker, hoping for a chance to learn the truth about his past, he happens upon the brainswashed mutant, Deathstrike. With similar healing powers to his own, and similar adamantium claws the two of the engage in a climatic battle ending when Wolverine pumps his adversary head to two with liquid adamantium. Clunk.


5
William Wallace Vs. The Magistrate
Braveheart

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The only battle on the list that was not fought by physical means. William Wallace from one of the best epic movies in history fights an agonizing battle of wits against the magistrate it charge of his execution. The magistrate has Wallace strapped to a table and tortured by being disembowelled, wanting only for Wallace to finally cave and accept Edward the Longshanks as his one and only king. As Wallace feels his insides being ripped out and the crowd cheering for more and more blood, he refuses to accept the king and a merciful death. It comes to a head when the crowd finally begins to realize they don’t like watching someone being gutted and begins to cheer for mercy. The magistrate finally admits defeat after Wallace summons all his strength to shout only “freedom” and orders him killed by decapitation.


4
Ripley Vs. The Alien Queen
Aliens

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Possibly one of my favorite lines in all of movie history is spit out of Ripley’s lips moments before she decides to do battle with the source of the her biggest nightmare, The Alien queen. After realizing the enormous creature has stowed away on their ship, Ripley is able to escape the cargo bay before realizing she has abandoned her comrades in the room with the queen. Ripley climbs into an exosuit cargo-loader and using the protective armor and giant vice grip claws, she finally beats the beast by expelling it into space. Unfortunately this happens after the queen manages to tear Ripley’s droid buddy right in half in milky explosion of goo.


3
Neo Vs. Agent Smith
The Matrix Revolutions

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There may never be a better and more dramatic build up to a fight in a movie than the one viewers get the pleasure of watching in Matrix Revolutions. Having been aided by his former foe, Neo plugs into the Matrix to take on – for the last time – Agent Smith. As they walked toward each other in the pouring rain, Neo probably realized what was riding on the battle. The fate of all mankind. Kind of a big deal you could say. This fight scene will long be remembered for the sheer amount of destruction it caused, pretty much the equivalent of two Gods fighting each other.


2
Maximus Vs. Commodus
Gladiator

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This battle made its way to the top of the list for many reasons. Most notably because the viewers wanted it and needed it to happen. As the movie unfolds we watch the sinister and sadistic Commodus destroy the life of Maximus and plunge Rome into a place of fear and unrest. The only pure thing left is the spirit of competition and the legendary coliseum in which Roman gladiators battle to the death. Commodus, wanting to put an end to the legendary “Spaniard” and give the crowd “the end to the story” challenges his nemesis and even punctures his lung before the battle in an effort to guarantee himself victory. Although both participants die at the end of the fight, Maximus secures his revenge by staring his enemy in the eye as he drives a knife in his throat.


1
Darth Vader Vs. Luke Skywalker
Return of the Jedi

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What can you say? The ultimate version of good vs. evil. The troubled, brilliantly talented Jedi, Anakin Skywalker plunges into the dark side joining forces with one of the greatest deceivers in movie history. As the powerful Anakin becomes Darth Vader, he murders his own Jedi brethren among others until he is finally defeated by the one who trained him and believed in him his whole life, Obi Wan Kenobi. Left for dead by his own master, Vader survives the fight but is transformed into a half machine half man Sith lord who pretty much oozes rage and hatred. Years later, Darth Vader exacts his revenge by slaying Obi Wan but not before Obi Wan is able to direct Darth Vader’s own son Luke Skywalker toward the way of the Jedi and of the force. As the series unfolds, Darth Vader is finally defeated in battle by his own son. Vader goes on to make one of the greatest redemptions ever by saving his sons life, thus ending his own and that of the Emperor, the one who started the whole chain of events by luring Anakin to the dark side.

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Top 10 Most Terrifying Natural Disasters in History

Natural disasters cause fascination in everyone – as is apparent from the enormous amounts of press coverage that they give – Haiti being a good example of this. We all fear the day that we might be caught in one, and perhaps that is the reason for our fascination. This list looks at ten of the most terrifying natural disasters ever.


10
Typhoon Tip

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Pacific typhoons are generally more powerful than Atlantic hurricanes, because the former have much more water over which they can gather strength.

On October 12, 1979, Tip made history with the lowest air pressure ever recorded at sea level on Earth: 870 mbars. Standard sea level air pressure is 1,013.25 mbars. Hurricane Andrew only made it to 922 mbars.

Tip had one 1 minute sustained winds of 190 mph. It killed 99 people, a low number compared to some of the others on this list, but this must be placed in the perspective of a long warning before the typhoon strikes.

44 of the fatalities were fishermen in the open Pacific. Tip sank or grounded 8 ships. One of these was a giant freighter that the storm broke in half. Not only was it the strongest cyclone, it was also the largest ever recorded, half the size of the United States, excluding Alaska.


9
The Lake Nyos Limnic Eruption

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Limnic eruptions are one of the most bizarre natural disasters known. The criteria required for one to occur make them very rare. Lake Nyos is in a very remote area of the Cameroonian jungle. It is not very large, only 1.2 miles by 0.75 miles, but it is quite deep, 682 feet. Under the bed, a magma chamber is leaking carbon dioxide into the water. This changes the water into carbonic acid. Carbon dioxide is 1.5 times denser than air, which is why it will not rise from the bottom of a lake, unless shoved up by another force. There are only three such lakes known on Earth.

On August 21, 1986, the carbon dioxide at the bottom of the lake suddenly erupted all at once, 1.6 million tons of it, and released a cloud of carbon dioxide from the lake. This cloud, being heavier than air, hugged the ground contours, and blew out of the lake at 60 mph, went downhill throughout the area at up to 30 mph, and displaced all the oxygen in several small villages, suffocating between 1,700 and 1,800 people, not counting all their livestock.

The force of the gas expulsion also blew out the lake water itself, in an 80 ft high tsunami that stripped the trees, shrubs, and soil off one side of the shore.


8
The 1960 Chile Earthquake

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The most powerful earthquake ever recorded struck near Valdivia, Chile on May 22, 1960, at 2:11 PM local time. As many as 6,000 people were killed. Many more would have been, had it not been for Chile’s preparedness for earthquakes, and the remote location of the epicenter.

Eyewitnesses reported that the entire world appeared as if God had seized one end of it like a rope, and slung it as hard as he could. 40% of the houses in Valdivia were razed to the ground. Cordon Caulle, a nearby active volcano, was ripped open and forced to erupt.

The quake measured 9.5 in magnitude, and 35 foot high waves were recorded 6,000 miles away. Of all the seismic energy of the 20th Century, including the 2004 Indian Ocean quake, 25% was concentrated in the 1960 Chile quake.

It caused 82 foot high waves to travel down the Chilean coast. Hilo, Hawaii was destroyed. The quake possessed twice the surface energy yield the 2004 Indian Ocean quake, and equalled 178 billion tons of TNT. This would have powered the entire United States, at 2005 energy consumption levels, for 740 years.


7
The 2003 European Heat Wave

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Europe is not accustomed to hot summers. Give them a break, hot summers almost never happen there. But in 2003, they got hit with one that would make the southeastern United States, or the Australian outback sit back and marvel.

This lister is from North Carolina, where hot summers are expected and prepared for. In Europe, most of the homes built within the last 50 years before 2003 were not equipped with air conditioners, because none had ever been needed. Now, well over half of them have equipped themselves for the future.

There were at least 14,802 deaths from the heat in France alone, most of them old people in nursing homes, or in single family homes without the ability to cool off. The heat dried up most of Europe, and severe forest fires broke out in Portugal. Some 2,000 people died there from the heat.

About 300 died in Germany, where the weather is usually very cold to delightfully mild; 141 in Spain, where the temperature actually gets into the 90s Fahrenheit once in a great while; 1,500 in the Netherlands. Multiple temperature records, having lasted since the 1700s, were broken, then broken again a week later: 106.7 Fahrenheit in Brono, Switzerland. This melted a lot of Alpine glaciers into flash floods. 104.7 in Bavaria, Germany. 103 in Paris. The new record in Edinburgh, Scotland is now 91.2, which is unheard of there.

The wine harvest came a month early to save the grapes. 75% of Ukraine’s wheat crops were parched to death.


6
The Storm of the Century

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From March 12 to 13, 1993, a cyclonic storm formed off the east coats of the United States, so vast in size that it caused a unique hodgepodge of severe weather.

Rarely does a single storm system cause blizzards from the Canada/U. S. border all the way down to Birmingham, Alabama, but this one did, and Birmingham received 12 to 16 inches of snowfall in one day and night. This was accompanied everywhere with hurricane-force wind gusts of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The Florida panhandle received up to 4 inches, and the strange thing is that 5 people were killed by tornadoes, in the middle of this blizzard.

The Appalachians of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia received as much as 3.5 feet of snow, with drifts up to 35 feet. 300 people froze to death throughout the eastern half of the country when the electrical power was knocked out by falling trees. 100 mph wind gusts reached all the way to Havana, Cuba.


5
The Great Flood of 1931

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The deadliest natural disaster ever recorded occurred through the winter, spring, and summer of 1931 in central China. There are three major rivers draining this area, the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Huai. All three flooded catastrophically, because the winter snowstorms were particularly heavy in the mountains around the river basins, and when spring began, all this snow melted and flowed into the rivers.

Then the spring brought particularly heavy rains. Then the cyclone season, which usually brings only 2 storms per year, brought 10, 7 of them in July. All this water swelled the three major rivers, especially the Yellow River, and because they drain a very large, very flat area of China, somewhere between 3.7 and 4 million people were drowned or starved.

Nanjing City, China’s capital at the time, became an island surrounded by over 100,000 square kilometers of water, more area than the state of Indiana, or all of Portugal.


4
The Tunguska Explosion

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On June 30, 1908, at about 7:14 AM local time, an asteroid or comet plummeted over the lower Tunguska River, in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, a remote area of Siberia, and detonated at an altitude of 3 to 6 miles.

It exploded with the energy of the largest thermonuclear bomb the United States has ever tested, the Castle Bravo bomb, 10-15 megatons. This is one-third the power of the largest thermonuclear weapon ever detonated, the Tsar Bomba. The airburst toppled about 80 million trees over 772 square miles of Siberian taiga, and would have registered at 5.0 on the Richter Scale.

Thankfully, no one was killed, because the nearest eyewitnesses were about 40 miles away from ground zero. They reported seeing a bright blue column of light streak across the sky, almost as bright as the sun, then a flash, and a report like artillery fire right beside them.

For one hundred miles around the epicenter, people were blown off their feet by the shockwave, their clothes were scorched off, windows were shattered, and trees seared to death and blown over. Iron locks were snapped off barn doors.

This detonation was more than sufficient to incinerate the entire population of Japan, the Sao Paolo metropolitan area, the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, or the entire United States’s New England megalopolis from Boston to Washington, D. C.


3
The 1999 Bridge Creek F5 Tornado

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On May 3, 1999, a tornado outbreak lasting for 3 days, began with a bang, when an F5 formed at about 7:12 PM local time. This tornado was the most powerful windstorm ever recorded on Earth, at 318 mph. It killed 36 people, and traveled northeast from Amber, OK, through Bridge Creek and Moore. Moore is a southern suburb of Oklahoma City, and had the tornado veered north into the city, it would have probably caused more deaths than any other tornado in history, and become the costliest.

8,000 houses were obliterated. It shredded large vehicles with debris, and then wrapped them around telephone poles, threw them completely through warehouses, whipped 2×4s through wheel hubs, and pine straw all the way through 8-inch-thick pine trees.

This was the first time that the local weather stations reported over radio that if residents were not securely underground, they would be killed. Hiding under mattresses in bathtubs, in ditches, or under overpasses was insufficient.


2
The 1815 Tambora Eruption

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Mt. Tambora is on Sumbawa Island, in south Indonesia. It erupted from April 6 to 11, 1815, but the worst of this was at the end, from 10 to 11 April. The power is rated as 7 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, making this eruption the most powerful in recorded history, four times more powerful than the 1883 Krakatoa eruption.

This means that the Tambora eruption was 52,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima Bomb. All the vegetation on Sumbawa was incinerated or uprooted, mixed with ash, and washed out to sea. The trees formed rafts 3 miles across. Pumice ash does not mix well with water, and one of these rafts of ash and wood drifted all the way to Calcutta, India.

92,000 people were killed, most by starvation, the largest loss of life caused by a volcanic eruption in recorded history.

The finer ash remained in the atmosphere for 3 years and covered the entire planet, causing brilliant sunsets, and the famous “Year without a Summer,” in both North America and Europe. The ash disrupted the weather, and caused global temperatures to decrease as much as 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit on average, an enormous drop.

1816 was the coldest year of the 1810s, and the 1810s was the coldest decade of the century because of the eruption. 12 inches of snow fell in Quebec City from 6 to 10 June, 1816. Crops in the entire Northern Hemisphere were severely damaged.


1
The 1958 Lituya Bay Megatsunami

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Megatsunamis were only theorized until July 9, 1958, when, in Lituya Bay, a very narrow fjord of the Alaskan panhandle, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook 90 million tons of rock and glacial ice off the mountainside at the head of the bay. It dropped off all at once, almost vertically, and landed as a monolith into the bay’s deep headwaters.

This generated the highest wave ever recorded on Earth, 1,720 feet. That’s 470 feet taller than the tip of the Empire State Building’s antenna. It is, in fact, taller than all but the five tallest skyscrapers on Earth today, and most scientists agree that it had sufficient power to rip these buildings from their foundations.

The wave traveled from the head of the bay out toward the open ocean, and because the bay is so narrow, the wave was funneled up the mountainsides. It snapped all the trees off at 3 to 6 feet above the ground, everywhere up to 1,720 feet high around the bay. Most of these were 6-foot-thick spruce trees.

There were a total of 3 fishing boats in the bay, near the mouth, and the wave sank one, killing the two on board. The other two were lucky to ride this wave up the mountainsides and then slosh with it back into the bay.

One of them was anchored, and the 3-foot-thick iron anchor chain was snapped like thread when the wave lifted the boat. One of the survivors estimated the length of time between the wave’s overtopping of the island in the bay to its arrival at his boat as 2 seconds. If this is true, the wave was traveling 600 mph.

It stripped away all the trees, grass, and soil down to the bedrock, and then dissipated in the open ocean.

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