Chevy Chase Day 2009
Your pals at Critical End! would like to wish a super happy birthday to Sir Chevy Chase (we’ve knighted him in our own minds). Can you believe the man is 66 today?! Most people don’t know that Chevy didn’t become the household name that he is today until around his 32 birthday when he first started getting noticed on some show called NBC’s Saturday Night. I wonder what ever happened to that forgotten gem?
Speaking of great moments in Chevy history, Ryan and I have listed our five all-time favorite Chevy films below. In celebration of this special day, why not take a few hours to get reacquainted with one of the greatest comedians of all time?
Ryan’s Top Five Chevy Picks
1. Caddyshack
2. Three Amigos!
3. Fletch
4. National Lampoon’s Vacation
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Logan’s Top Five Chevy Picks
1. Caddyshack
2. National Lampoon’s Vacation
3. Fletch
4. Three Amigos!
5. Spies Like Us
And finally…news hit the web yesterday about a rumored fifth Vacation film from New Line Cinema. However, I couldn’t find a single website that had a source on this, so I’ve decided to hold off reporting the “details” for now. Just be aware that this could possibly exist outside of my dreams within the next few years. More info to come.
Happy Chevy Chase Day, kids.
October 8th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Where the hell is “Seems Like Old Times”???
Seriously — “Spies Like Us”? Freaking “Christmas Vacation”?
I can’t help you people.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:00 am
The fact that we celebrate a yearly event called “Chevy Chase Day” should be proof in itself that we love everything the man has done, even the crap. I’m proud to say that I have such lost gems like “Seems Like Old Times” and “Cops and Robbersons” in my DVD collection. Hell, I even have copies of “Modern Problems” and “Man of the House” on DVD.
However, despite the fact that “Seems like…” got a 7 out of 10 rating from me, I can’t quite justify it making my top five recommended Chevy films. Sorry, Wes.
Mind sharing your five? We’d love to know.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I just think you’re undervaluing Mr. Chase’s most subtle, and yet one of his funniest performances. (The courtroom scene alone is gold medal material.) And the movie where he most elevates his fellow castmates, instead of being dragged down by them. Honestly, “Spies Like Us” forces him to play an even dumber version of his “Three Amigos” character. Chevy shouldn’t play dumb. Smart, or dumb-but-thinks-he’s smart, but not dumb.
1. Fletch
2. Seems Like Old Times
3. National Lampoon’s Vacation
4. Caddyshack
5. Three Amigos!
Honorable Mention – Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird
Dishonorable Mention – that Law & Order where he’s a stand-in for Mel Gibson
October 9th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Okay, now hold the phone here. Chevy has some dumb moments in “Spies Like Us”, but he’s definitely leaning more toward Fletch than Clark Griswald and he’s much smarter than he is in Three Amigos! See below:
Russian Interregator #1: Why are you here?
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Why am I here? Why are you here? Why is anybody here? I think it was Jean-Paul Sartre who once said… how do you spell Sartre?
[soldier slaps him]
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Owww… and let that be a lesson to you.
Surrounded by Ninja warriors]
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Alright. Stop right there… and I’ll bring back the sun. Okay…
[Shows a picture from his wallet]
Emmett Fitz-Hume: This is my sister. You can all have her. I hear she’s very good.
Austin Millbarge: Show some balls, man!
Emmett Fitz-Hume: I think it’s too late to try and impress them.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: What’s she saying?
Austin Millbarge: H… hair… hairbrush… headrest…
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Jesus, where did you learn your Russian? JCPenney?
October 9th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
“Foul Play”, anyone? At least we can all agree on Caddyshack, though. Logan, I’ll be happy to slap some sense into Ryan for you. His top 5 were a bit out of order.
Mine are a tad more reasonable.
1. Caddyshack
2. National Lampoon’s Vacation
3. Fletch
4. Spies Like Us
5. Seems like Old Times
The man DEMANDS a top 10! Too many good ones.
October 10th, 2009 at 6:40 am
First off, let me say that these comments are all a dream come true for me. Please keep them coming (wipes away tear). That being said, here’s my top ten list for Dave.
While I love a lot of films that Chevy is in (Dirty Work, Hero, Follow That Bird), you won’t see those on this list, as I only wanted to rate actual “starring Chevy Chase” movies. Here goes:
1. Caddyshack
2. National Lampoon’s Vacation
4. Three Amigos!
5. Spies Like Us
6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
7. Fletch Lives
8. Seems Like Old Times
9. Vegas Vacation
10. (Three way tie. That’s allowed, right?)
Cops and Robbersons, Funny Farm, Foul Play
I know that I’m opening myself up to insults by placing “Fletch Lives”, “Vegas Vacation”, and “Cops and Robbersons” on here, but I think all three of those are somewhat underrated Chevy endeavors. I’m sure this list isn’t any where close to yours, gentlemen. Please share.
And in the interest of science, here are my bottom five (that I’m still proud to say I own and watch every third Tuesday):
1. Modern Problems
2. The Karate Dog
3. Man of the House
4. Oh! Heavenly Dog
5. Caddyshack II
Ok, fine. You got me. I admit to actually liking “Oh! Heavenly Dog”, but even more disturbing is the fact that “Caddyshack II”, while not a great movie, almost didn’t make this list.