Les Miserables

      What an experience! I had the privilege of attending a prescreening of Les Miserables (2012).  I didn’t know what to expect.  I have been following this movie since the rumors began.  I have followed the casting. Watched every available clip as soon as it was released. Needless to say I have been anxiously awaiting this day.  I fell in love with the music of Les Mis right from the beginning, it just gets into your soul. Then I got to see it performed live. That was breathtaking! Since then it has been a favorite of mine.  I can’t get enough of it.  So it only makes sense I would be on pins and needles waiting for the movie version.

      Where to start? The music? The acting? The directing? The brutal honesty? Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, The Damned United, Longford) directed Les Miserables. He really wanted it to be authentic, the life of the people at that time, the look and feel of the poor. It was not sugar coated.  As I mentioned, I think I am pretty familiar with the story and the images portrayed at that time period.  I have never seen it so ……… brutally honest.  The Lovely Ladies song is a perfect example of that honesty.  It’s kind of hard to watch, and the things Fantine is put through ...... how tragic. Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Ella Enchanted, Bride Wars) plays Fantine. I have heard people talk about her the most, fans doubt that she can play that part. She is amazing! The entire cast did a wonderful job singing.

      When you watch any production of Les Miserables the focus is on the talent of the singers and really hitting those notes, the beauty of the voices. However, the movie is all about the emotion of the songs and what they are saying more than anything else. In the past, when a musical is filmed, the actors would lip-sync to a prerecorded track. Not this time! The actors had to sing live. The orchestra was added in post-production and they had to play to the actors singing, not the other way around.  That was so cool. It gave the actors the freedom to act and add the emotion they were feeling in each scene. And there is a lot of emotion in this movie. The composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyricist Alain Boublil even wrote a new song for the movie. It is such a beautiful song called Suddenly and it fits in perfectly. All of the music is slightly different due to the actors choices but I enjoyed it just the same. There is so much passion you can’t help but get lost in it.

      There were some things I missed.  You don’t get to hear Gavroche sing the full version of Little People, just the little reprise parts. The other two songs that are cut are the innkeeper and his wife's songs. They do sing Master of the House but not Beggers at the Feast or Dog Eats Dog. I understand why they cut these songs; time, focus, side characters, however they are a bit of comic relief, without them you don’t get a break. One thing I noticed while sitting in the theater was the absolute silence.  It isn’t very often an entire theater is so engrossed.  The only noise was the laughter during Master of the House and then an applause as the end credits rolled.

      Every single person involved in this movie really gave it their all and wanted to please the fans. You could feel it in every inch of the film. I was wondering why it is such a powerful musical and why it has the impact it does on people. It’s not pleasant; it shows humanity at its worst. I mean it’s called The Miserables, it’s not supposed to be pretty.  I think it’s the message it has. “To love another person is to see the face of God”. It’s the story of a man who hated the world and all the wrong that had happened to him. When he lets God into his life and learns to love others, and forgive, he finds happiness. What an important and timeless message.

Stand By Me

      To finally have all of those questions answered after so many years! Way back in 1986 I watched this little coming of age movie starring some amazing up and coming actors. It has been a favorite of mine ever since.  Stand By Me (1986) will always have a soft spot in my heart.  I can’t explain why. It's probably one of those movies that planted the seed for my love of movies in general.  I just love it!

     There are a lot of people that don’t realize that Stand by Me is a Stephen King movie.  It is based on a short story entitled The Body. Stephen King wanted to write a story compiling events that happened to him and his friends, and what it was like for him growing up. So, which parts actually happened to Stephen King and which are made up? The leeches are true; the milk money story is true. Stephen King was the good kid that they trusted. A lot of it is true and the feeling of being 12 in 1959 is all true.

    Since this movie came out in 1986 I am guessing you watched it years ago or have never even heard of it. If you are going to watch it, whether for the first time or just the first time in years, watch the special features. There is an  exclusive featurette called “walking the tracks the summer of stand by me”. It was so good! I absolutely loved it and that is where I got the answers to all of my questions.  It is so different from what we think is typical Stephen King for one thing.  I mean not all of his works are horror. The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption aren’t horror either. I always wondered where the story of Stand By Me came from, and if it was somewhat autobiographical.

     Another question I always had was about Gordy’s hat.  There is a scene in which the hat Gordy’s brother gave him is taken by the bullies. He never gets it back and it seems to be forgotten about. Why?  Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Toy Soldiers, Leverage, The Big Bang Theory) who plays Gordy, asked the director about that. He was told that the bully threw it away as soon as he walked around the corner. The hat scene is mainly used to push Wil’s character forward to the final scene. Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys, Young Guns, The Sentinel, Phone Booth) plays Ace Merrill, the leader of the gang of bullies. It was one of his first roles and I have been a fan of his ever since. When he talked about stealing the hat he wanted to put it on. He was told no he couldn’t, “you wouldn’t care that much and you would never mess up your hair that way.” Rob told him.

     I should mention that the director of Stand by Me is the famous Rob Reiner (All in the Family, Bullets Over Broadway, The Story of Us, The Bucket List) He is amazing! He is what they like to call an actors director. He has done it all, actor, director, writer and producer. In the featurette he talks about casting the boys for this film. “when you are casting 12 or 13 year old boys you need to stay close to who they really are. They don’t have the craft at that age to go far beyond that.” That shows how gifted he is that he would know that and then could find such talented boys to fill those roles. It is so well cast. Because they were so young it was kind of a first for some of them.

   Jerry O’Connel (Jerry Maguire, Scream 2, Sliders, Obsessed) was one who had never acted before. He had only done one commercial. He said that Stand by Me was the first film he made that he felt was a reflection of him or an extension of himself and a  coming of age for him. Wil Wheaton pretty much felt the same. I adored Jerry and have liked watching him grow and evolve.  I am a fan but I don’t really like the movies he does or the acting choices he makes. Tom Cats (2001) ughh! Need I say more?

   I could go on and on, obviously, about how much I enjoy this movie and how much I loved the featurette. The featurette even made me cry at the end.  It had a beautiful tribute to River Phoenix (My Own Private Idaho, Running On Empty, Sneakers, Little Nikita) whom I absolutely love.

Rock of Ages

    Wow! I am not sure if that is a good wow or a bad wow.  There where a lot of things I really liked about Rock of Ages (2012) but, there where also a lot of things that I really didn’t like, at all!  The music is great, I really enjoyed it! As a child of the '80s of course I loved the music. The stars did their own singing and I was impressed. Tom Cruise (Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Minority Report, Knight and Day) actually did a pretty good Bon Jovi cover.  I am very biased when it comes to anyone singing Bon Jovi, but Tom Cruise wasn’t that bad. Diego Boneta (Pretty Little Liars, Mean Girls 2, 90210) was great as the nervous, shy, up and coming new rock star. He was adorable. The cast did a great job and I loved the acting and all of the singing.

    So, that being said why didn’t I like it? Rock of Ages is a rock Broadway musical using classic rock hits from the ‘80s. It opened in L.A. in 2005. It is more light hearted and comedic than a lot of what you would see on Broadway.  That is kind of what bothered me to be honest. I am not a prude or anything don't get me wrong. The movie is about sex and rock and roll though.  That isn't what bothered me.  What bothered me was how it was handled. The kissing scenes where so bizarre and over the top ridiculous that is made me want to gag. It was really ridiculous. I know I know ……. I just made  a lot of people very upset.  That is just how I felt.  I liked the story line, it was fun and the way they make the music fit the story is great.  However, I think I will buy the soundtrack and just listen to it.  I don’t think I want to watch it again.

The Lucky One

     Oh shoot! I shouldn’t have watched that movie! Ughhh! …. Wait for it! …… here it comes…. I liked Zac Efron (New Year’s Eve, The Paperboy, The Lorax) in it. I know! How could I? That is exactly what I asked myself.  I read The Lucky One (2012) back in 2008 when it first came out. I absolutely loved it! Yes I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks.  I have to say though that I like his books more than his movies, as a matter of fact I have never read the books that his more popular movies are adapted from. Examples, I have never read Dear John, A Walk to Remember or Message in a Bottle. I have read tons that haven’t been made into movies though.  Some of them are now in that transition.  I am very excited for Safe Haven (2013) another wonderful book and the movie looks promising.

   The movie does fall short of the book. The sheriff is a lot creepier and more of a sleaze in the book. There is one scene in particular that shows what a creep he really is and it was completely left out of the movie. Logan is way more awesome in the book! I really liked him. He was so suave and tough. That was my worry with Zac Efron. Logan is a Marine who served in Iraq. He is on leave and decides to start walking.  I don’t want to spoil anything, which is why I am leaving out details. Anyway, he has walked from Colorado to Louisiana. One of my favorite lines is when Beth asks Logan, “What kind of person drives from Colorado to Louisiana to work in a dog kennel?” To which he replies “I wouldn’t know I walked”.  So, the question then becomes can Zac play a tough, suave Marine that would walk across the country just to meet the woman that saved his life? The answer, he wasn’t perfect but he did pull it off.  He wasn’t too bad.

      On the other hand Blythe Danner (The Prince of Tides, To Wong Foo, The Proposition, The Lightkeepers) was perfect as Ellie, Beth’s grandmother. The grandmother was one of my favorite characters in the book. She is so funny and quirky. I just love her. She was wonderful in the movie as well.  Just like I had pictured her.

     The movie was entertaining and I did enjoy it. However, as usually happens, the book is way better. So, in the end, the movie just made me want to go back and reread the book.

Like Crazy

      I enjoy independent movies. I really like something out of the norm.  I love to see something new that challenges the Hollywood blockbusters.  I wasn’t crazy about Like Crazy (2011) but I can appreciate it as art. It was beautifully filmed and the score was amazing.

     Dustin O’Halloran (Remember the Daze, An American Affair, Now Is Good) is the composer for Like Crazy.  I haven’t seen, or should I said heard, any of his other movies. But I really liked the music he composed for Like Crazy.  Drake Doremus (Spooner, Moonpie) was the director, he hasn’t done a lot. He is also a writer and wrote the screenplay for Like Crazy.  I really like his directing style and this movie made me want to watch more of his stuff.  His way of telling a story through images was wonderful. I loved the match dissolves and jump shots to show the passage of time. He also used motion control shots and skip dissolves so well.  This movie moves quickly over a long period of time and he uses all of these techniques so well to help move it along and show passage of time in a beautiful way.

      While I didn’t like the story line the acting is superb and as I have stated the directing makes it enjoyable to watch.

The Bourne Legacy

      What a wonderful movie! It continues the story after the Bourne trilogy very well.  I have really enjoyed the Bourne movies.  I do have to say that the old made for TV mini series is still a favorite.  The Bourne Identity (1988) starred Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, Shogun, Leverage, The Perfect Family) as Jason Bourne and Jaclyn Smith (Charlie’s Angels, Rage of Angels, Free Fall, In The Arms of a Killer) as Marie. The old one was wonderful, I loved it, but it is very different than The Bourne Identity (2002) starring Matt Damon (Inside Job, The Departed, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Rounders) and the two that followed with Matt Damon.
     
     The Bourne Legacy (2012) doesn’t have Matt Damon in it.  I know that is a very hot issue for people. “What are they doing?” “Why did they do that?” “Why no Matt?” I don’t really understand myself, nor do I have any answers to these questions. I thought maybe it followed the books and Jason Bourne wasn’t in the book. It turns out that The Bourne Legacy is nothing like that book at all! I enjoyed the movie. It is a very action packed, fast paced movie with a lot of fun chase scenes.
     
      Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Avengers, The Town, Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol) plays the new hero, Aaron Cross. Even though the story line is different then the book, it is a very good story line, and told well. Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, Primal Fear, Rounders) plays Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF. If you have read my other posts, you can’t miss how much I love Edward Norton. He is an amazingly talented man and I love his variety of roles. So of course he does a great job in this movie and I loved his role.

       It was so nice to see Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, The Fountain, Chain Reaction, The Lovely Bones).  I loved her in the Mummy movies and was so sad when they replaced her for the third. She is adorable and so talented. She did a great job as Dr. Marta Shearing, very believable and really pulled you in.  The life threatening lab scene was terrifying!  It was so intense and she played it so well. The chemistry between Jeremy and Rachel is very good. It was the subtle touches and eye contact that I really liked.  There is one moment where Marta reaches out and touches Aaron’s arm.  That one touch and that quick camera shot of it said so much.  They develop a real bond and a need for each other without it turning into a typical “bedroom scene”. There wasn’t even a kiss.  I kind of liked that because that has become such an easy way out for a romance movie. I know this isn’t a romance movie but if you know anything about Robert Ludlum, the author,  there is always a romance going on amongst all of the action.

The Music Never Stopped

      You could say that I am almost as passionate about music as I am about movies.  Not nearly as knowledgeable but I love it just the same.  This is a wonderful movie for music lovers.  I mean the real passionate type that feel it not just listen to it.  The people who know and appreciate how much music plays a role in our lives. The Music Never Stopped (2011) is a beautifully told emotional drama of a father and his estranged son trying to learn to reconnect.  When I saw People Like Us (2012) I was surprised at the "old fashion" feel of it.  Just a really good story about a family trying to figure life out. The Music Never Stopped is very much the same feel. 

      Lou Taylor Pucci (Carriers, Beginners, Horsemen, The Go-Getter) plays Gabriel Sawyer.  I have never seen Lou Taylor in anything before. What a talented young man. He did an amazing job.  Gabriel is a man who hasn’t seen his parents in 20 years. The movie takes place in 1986.  That is important because it sets the time period for the music and what was taking place in the world.  When Gabriel and his parents are reunited it is not under good circumstances.  Gabriel has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is unable to create new memories and barely remembers the old ones.  He is just not connecting with anyone or anything.  The movie tells the story through flash backs of various events.  Lou Taylor played the part so well.

      Gabriel’s father started sharing his love of music with his son at a very young age.  He would play a song and ask his son to name the song, the artist and the story of the first time his dad had heard it.  What a fascinating idea! While the dad is trying to connect with his son who doesn’t speak and is pretty well catatonic he comes across an article.  It is about a therapist who believes music can be used as therapy.  Our brains are so amazing that they make very strong connections to music and events in our life.  The dad thinks it is his music that is awakening something in his son but it's not. It is Gabriel’s own music that he is connected to. The songs from his own time and his own stories that bring him back.

      The Music Never Stopped is a very touching, beautifully told story.  I really liked the idea of music connecting us to memories. I know how true that is. To this day there are songs that I hear and I am back in high school or some other important time in my life. 

People Like Us

      People Like Us (2012) is a very interesting movie dealing with family secrets.  I have yet to see a movie that shows how keeping secrets is a good thing. Family secrets only lead to more secrets and that is never good. Eventually these secrets will come to a head and generally it is bad timing and only causes more problems.  People Like Us is a good example of this.  It has been a while since I have seen a really good emotional drama. I think this one filled that void.  It is about a very dysfunctional family. Chris Pine (This Means War, Unstoppable, Just My Luck) plays Sam, a very crafty, talented, fast-talking salesman who is avoiding his family.  When he receives a message that his father has passed away he tries very hard to avoid returning home for the funeral. 

      When Sam’s girlfriend finally gets him home, which she doesn't accomplish until after the funeral is over, he is greeted by a very depressed and angry mother, played beautifully by Michelle Pfeiffer (LadyHawke, Batman Returns, Dangerous Minds, Stardust). The chemistry between Chris and Michelle is wonderful.  I could really feel their bond as mother and son. That is important to me in a family drama.  You have to buy into the relationships.  You have to really believe it. This movie did that well. 

      While settling his father’s estate Sam finds out about a half-sister he never knew he had and the son she is raising on her own.  His father wants him to give them some money and help take care of them.  He is very torn about what to do. The relationship between Sam, Fankie and Frankie’s son Josh is very well developed and beautifully portrayed. I really enjoyed the casting in this movie, everyone is amazing.  That being said I have to admit that Michael Hall D’Addario (John Adams, Little Spirit: Christmas in New York, Sinister) who plays Josh is brilliant. He steals every scene.  What a talented young man. 

     One of the fascinating things about People Like Us is the fact that it is loosely based on actual events. This is writer/director Alex Kurtzman’s (Fringe, New Day, Star Trek, Cowboys & Aliens) feature-film directorial debut. He met his sister when he was 30 years old. He knew that his father had another family but had never met them. When he started thinking about his half-sister and half-brother this image came to him – the last image of the movie. I don’t want to spoil it because it was a pretty neat scene. Alex said, “What you see is I think in many ways very autobiographical and in other ways there’s a lot of invention in there. But I certainly think there’s a lot of emotion and emotional truth for a lot of people in my family in there.”

      In the movie Sam’s father is a huge music producer named Jerry. Much of the music business memorabilia in the “Jerry’s Study” set belongs to co-writer Jody Lambert’s father Dennis Lambert. He is a Songwriter’s Hall of Fame nominee whose hits as writer and/or producer include “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, “Baby Come Back” and “Nightshift”. The set even includes photographs of Lambert himself and his actual Gold Records.

      This is a very dysfunctional family with deep rooted anger and regrets. The movie is about how you deal with that anger and those regrets.  How people react and the choices they make when the truth all comes out. In the end even with all of their flaws they truly love each other and that is really what's important.

Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds

 
      I remember seeing Madea for the very first time.  It’s not something that is easily forgotten.  It was in Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). I loved that movie! That was also my introduction to Tyler Perry (Madea’s Family Reunion, Meet The Browns, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Madea Goes to Jail) After that, I saw him as himself in Why Did I Get Married? (2007) I have been a huge fan and admirer of Tyler Perry ever since. What an amazing man.
     
      In case you aren’t familiar with Madea or Tyler Perry here is a little background.  Tyler Perry starting writing plays at the age of 18. His plays are available on DVD. Most of the plays now have a film adaption. Diary of a Mad Black Woman is a good example of this.  It was a play he did that is available on DVD and then was made into a movie. Madea is a grandmother type of character he plays. He does a few other characters as well.  Tyler Perry is a writer, director, actor and producer.  He has his own studio now.  I was reading a letter he wrote to his fans recently.  I loved it and just had to share a little bit. 

      “A Short and Sweet Thank You From Me To You - On July 8th, I will be celebrating 20 years in this business. 20 YEARS! WOW! When I started I had one prayer: I asked God to just let me do well enough to take care of my mother. Well, from the time I prayed that prayer until the day she died I was able to do that because of people like you all around the world. I remember the day I told her that she could retire, she said, "baby, are you sure these little plays are going to be able to take care of you and me?" LOL. I said, "as long as my folks keep coming." Then, a few years later, she was at one of my plays looking around at all the people in the audience. After the show she said to me, “the people love my baby””
    
       Yes they do! I am one of those people! I love the message in his movies. They always have something to say. Good Deeds (2012) is a wonderful movie about living your own life, your own dreams.   Wesley Deeds is the main character played by Tyler Perry. He has been living for his parents.  He is the “good son”.  He does everything that is expected of him. He is the pride and joy of his mother.  He took over his fathers company after his father passed away.  He takes care of his brother, always trying to clean up his messes. He is engaged to the “perfect” girl that his parents have always wanted him to marry. He is right on track for his life.  Just the way it is “supposed” to be.  That is, until he meets Lindsey.
     
       I don’t want to spoil the movie by telling you to much about Lindsey. She ends up in a situation she never planned on and is trying her best to make it work. She is a single mother trying to take care of her daughter.  Lindsey makes Wesley start to question his “scripted life”, and who exactly he is living for. She makes him think about life and being happy. One of my favorite scenes is when he is starting to change the clothes he wears and the music he listens to.  He puts on his shades and struts out the front door. It is very cute.  At one point Wesley is told “you need to find out what makes you happy.” It was a pretty emotional scene.  He says “that is what I am trying to do”.  Wonderful, wonderful movie.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

      Ok ....... I have to ask ........ What were they thinking?!? What did they do to Ghost Rider?!?  I liked the first Ghost Rider which came out in 2007.  That one was Directed by Mark Steven Johnson ( Dardevil, Jack Frost, Grumpy Old Men, Elektra) He did a good job.  It had it's dark, evil moments. I mean, it is a story about a boy who sells his soul to the Devil, but it was still pretty family friendly and people liked it.  The Ghost Rider looked pretty cool too. Nicolas Cage, (Face/Off, National Treasure, Lord of War, City of Angels) was .... well .... Nicolas Cage.  I like him, he may be the same in every role but I usually enjoy his movies. 


     So, they decide to do a sequel. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011) For some reason that I do not understand they go with Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Gamer, Jonah Hex) to direct.  Really? I am sure the Crank movies have their fans. I am just not sure they are the same fans that enjoy the comic book movies.  I could be mistaken. They have a very interesting style of directing.  I have never seen any of their other movies so this was a first.  It wasn't bad.  They have a cool style and it was very different.  Just not what I expect from Ghost Rider. 


      The directing wasn't the only thing I stuggled with during this movie.  I really think Nicolas Cage lost his mind.  I am not sure what he was doing with the character but he has gone a little crazy since we last saw Johnny Blaze. They also changed Ghost Rider himself. He was very oily, that may be the best way to say it. Spirit of Vengence was also much darker and had more of an evil feeling to it than the first.  Think of The Omen (1976). Just not the direction I expected the story to take.  Now, I do have to say I have never read the comics, maybe this is very true to the way the comic book went.  I don't know.  I just didn't care for it. I think I will stick to the original.

Snow White and the Huntsman

     Let me tell you, for a kid who grew up watching Willow (1988), Labyrinth (1986) and Legend (1985) this movie could not have been any better. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) fits right in with these classics from my childhood. I really enjoyed it. I have been anticipating this movie for over a year. I mean, the moment I heard mention of it I was excited. Then as casting began, more excitement and finally filming began and then wrapped. Like I said, following and waiting for a long time. When I finally got to sit in a theater and see the title on the big screen I wanted to applaud! I was so excited! Then that tiny moment of dread, what if ………?  What if it’s not as good as I have been hoping?  What if it totally flops?  What if I'm disappointed?  I have tried really hard to avoid any reviews so my view wouldn’t be tainted. It didn’t work to well for this one.  I was to slow getting to the theater and was bombarded with a lot of negative reviews. I was not sure at all what to expect.
     
      No need to worry. I was not disappointed at all!  I really liked this movie a lot.  The dialog was wonderful.  The story was great and I liked the old fashion feel of it as a whole.  In an odd way there was a Shakespearean quality to it. Which I liked. When Snow White gives her "let's go to war" speach .... very good. The movie as a whole flowed really well, from the costumes, to the music, to the overall look and feel. Charlize Theron (Hancock, Trial and Error, The Astronaut’s Wife, Trapped) is simply amazing as the evil queen Ravenna.  I haven’t seen her in Monster (2003) but have heard so much about it that I couldn’t help but think of that title as I watched her performance as this particular monster. She was pretty nasty and that makeup job was incredible.  The entire cast was wonderful.  I really liked Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, Thor, The Cabin in the Woods) as the Huntsman, he was great!

      James Newton Howard (Pretty Woman, Waterworld, Signs, Vertical Limit) wrote the score. He is one of my favorite composers. The music tied it all together so well, it was beautiful. We can’t forget about the cinematography.  It is just gorgeous. It was filmed on location in the U.K. The entire movie is gorgeous. I have to mention the costumes as well.  Colleen Atwood (Big Fish, The Silence of the Lambs, The Tourist, Memoirs of a Geisha) was the costume designer. The costumes are incredible! Her attention to detail is amazing! All in all I just loved this movie! Every little piece of it. Now comes
the long wait until I can buy it to add to my collection.

Footloose

      Alright, I finally gave in, I watched Footloose (2011).  I am still very undecided about how I feel about it though.  (Just for reference you might want to go back and read my post about the original Footloose) I wasn't to sure what to think when I first saw the previews for this remake of what I consider a classic.  I saw bits and pieces and heard some of it when my sister was watching it but I hadn't taken the time to sit down and watch it yet.  My first thoughts/impressions where, "why not just call it Step Up 10, or whatever we are up to with those now?" It seemed loud and annoying, to jumpy and flashy. 
  
        Well, I finally sat down and watched it and gave it a fair shot.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I am not going to say I loved it but it wasn't bad.  The actors did great. Kenny Wormald (Center Stage: Turn It Up, Clerks II, You Got Served) had the daunting task of filling Kevin Bacon's (Flatliners, JFK, A Few Good Men, Murder in the First) shoes. Yes, I say daunting.  I really felt for him.  I think that would be a little stressful.  Especially with the way they handled this remake. I have seen my fair share of remakes and I really don't have anything against them it is kind of fun and can be interesting to see how they "update" things.

       So much of Footloose remained the same as the original, 1984, which just made me laugh at times.  The yellow bug is the same, which I saw in the previews, but it is so much more than that.  Some of the dialog is the same, word for word.  Some of the wardrobe is the same. You don't see as much of Ariel's red boots as you did in the original but they still make an appearance.  A lot of Ren's wardrobe is the same. At the end when he's picking Ariel up, I saw her dress and just laughed, it is so similar. But then when Ren gets out of the car and heads up to the door I really laughed.  I think he is wearing "the" suit from the first one.  It is the exact same suit! There was so much that was the same and then all of a sudden different that sometimes my brain couldn't keep up.  I am quoting along with them as they are saying the lines and then they say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing.  That was funny too.  Some of the scenes were even shot the same way as the original.  The actors would have the same stance or be framed in the same way.  I found that comical.

      I do have to ask though, what has happened to emotion and character development?  I feel like the first one let you get to know characters more and dealt more with emotion and family dynamics.  Is that something we are foregoing for more action and to speed up the movie? I have felt that way about a few movies lately. I miss the emotion. I really shouldn't complain though.  This new revised Footloose was good.  They really paid homage to the original and showed respect for it.  They used a lot of the same music but updated that as well.  And didn't always put the music in the same scenes.  The warehouse scene? Hmmm? I do have to say there is only one Kevin Bacon and as good as Kenny Wormald did in the role Kevin's warehouse scene is still the best.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

      We have all heard of trilogies and that word is used quite a bit.  I recently learned a new word. The quadrilogy! I was searching the Internet trying to find a box set of all the Mission: Impossible movies.  While googling I came across a X-Men Quadrilogy box set.  (Just an FYI there is also a Pirates of the Caribbean Quadrilogy box set) How cool is that?! What a fun new word! By the way, I never did find a Mission: Impossible Quadrilogy box set.  There is a trilogy set but that is all. I guess I will wait and see if they come out with one. 

      In case you haven't guessed already I just watched Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011).  What a good movie! I really like all of the Mission: Impossible movies. They are very fun espionage movies.  M:i-2 was always my favorite.  (It is also the only one I currently own.)  Ghost Protocol would really have to be right up there with 2 though.  And, if I buy Ghost Protocol I might as well complete the set.

      The CGI in this movie was amazing! I loved every minute of it.  My oldest daughter watched it with me.  She commented on how high-tech the Mission: Impossible movies always are.  They really are, and that is just one of the things I like about them.  Well, not to long after she said that we saw the coolest technology scene ever in a movie.  I can't even describe it.  They are in a long hallway with a guard at one end and they need to break into a room in that hall.  The way they get down the hall without being seen is awesome! Some of the film takes place in Dubai. It was just incredible!  Tom Cruise (Eyes Wide Shut, Vanilla Sky, Cocktail, Rain Man) is wonderful as Ethan Hunt.  I really like him in this role. Another thing I like about these movies is the story line, or should I say the fact that they actually have one.  I like that you get to know the characters a little bit deeper than just as spies. I like that they actually have lives and personality.

      One of the best surprises in Ghost Protocol was Jeremy Renner (Thor, The Town, The Hurt Locker, The Avengers) I was like "Hey! It's Hawkeye!" He did a great job and I really liked his character and the story arch between him and Ethan.  This is just one of my favorite genres, the espionage movies. This is a wonderful movie, with great CGI, wonderful action and just the right amount of intensity to keep me on the edge of my seat. There is even a bit of humor. It is just a really good movie.  To quote David Edelstein, “Pixar animator Brad Birds first non animated movie. The heroes quaver on ledges or above whirling blades like they know they are in the hands of someone used to indestructible cartoon characters.”

The Avengers

      How much did I love this movie?! Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly) is amazing! I am not much of an Iron Man fan, but he was so funny in The Avengers (2012).  He had some great one liners! The humor in The Avengers is wonderful! At one point, I was thinking to myself, "I have never enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, The Soloist, Wonder Boys) so much, he is so funny". That is when it hit me! It's Joss Whedon humor! He had to have written the screenplay! Sure enough, the end credits rolled and, story Zak Penn (X2, Elektra, Last Action Hero) and Joss Whedon, screenplay Joss Whedon. I knew it! His style is wonderful! I knew he directed The Avengers but somehow I missed that he wrote the screenplay as well. 


       There have been some doubts about cramming this many big names into one movie.  How can each superhero possibly be highlighted properly and each star get there time to shine? Well somehow Joss pulls it off! The combination really worked and it was wonderful. Thor and Iron Man are great.  They have this wonderful fight scene. Scarlett Johansson (The Island, The Prestige, Lost in Translation, The Perfect Score) was wonderful as Black Widow. I really liked her and her character. Jeremy Renner (The Town, The Hurt Locker, Thor) as Hawkeye was superb. His bow was so cool. He had a very small part in Thor (2011) but it was one of my favorite parts. "Do you want me to take him down or would you rather send in more guys for him to beat up?"

      The Incredible Hulk was so cool in this one.  I have seen the previous Hulk movies. I watched Hulk (2003). It was .... OK? I guess? I really liked The Incredible Hulk (2008) with Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, The Score). That was just a great movie and Edward Norton is simply amazing so.... well you know. Mark Ruffalo (Rumor Has It...., Just Like Heaven, Shutter Island) plays Bruce Banner in The Avengers. I don't want to down play his performance at all. He does a great job. However, that being said this movie has the best Hulk ever! He has such character and the best facial expressions.  The Hulk has some of the best scenes in the movie.  He is actually very funny and has great comedic timing.  If I had to pick my favorite Hulk scene it would be a tie. It is hilarious when he punches Thor for absolutely no reason at all and his "fight" with Loki. Hulk is just cool.

       I really can't say enough about how much fun this movie is.  It is a great action flick with very cool fight scenes. The end battle was amazing! It is also full of Whedonisms, his style and sense of humor come through so clearly.  It is just brilliant.  By the way did I mention how much I enjoyed the director and his style? Beautifully shot.

The Matrix

      Can writers be one-hit wonders the way musicians can be?  If so the Wachowski brothers (V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Bound) would be one-hit wonders.  I don't mean that in a negative way or anything.  After all I still haven't seen V for Vendetta (2005).  Maybe that one is pretty awesome as well.  I do know that The Matrix (1999) is quite possibly one of the coolest movies I have ever seen. Whether you like the movie or not you have to admit the impact it has had on movies and on pop culture.  Can it be called, revolutionary? I even make reference to The Matrix in my post about In Time (2011)

      I will never forget going to see The Matrix is the theaters for the very first time.  Five minutes into it you knew you were watching something new.  When you see Trinity, portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss (Memento, Chocolat, Distrubia) hovering, right before she kicks the guy.........WOW! I was blown away.  How many times have we seen that scene repeated or mimicked in other media now? And, we can't forget Keanu Reeves (The Lake House, A Walk in the Clouds, Much Ado About Nothing, Constantine) famous dodging bullets scene.  That was just beautiful and has also been redone over and over.  And we can't forget when Neo learns what Morpheus meant by, "when you are ready, you won't need to." Morpheus is just an amazing character portrayed by Laurence Fishburne (Contagion, 21, Akeelah and the Bee, Mystic River), who himself is pretty amazing.  Because of Morpheus we will forever be asking, would you have taken the red pill or the blue pill? After all if "you take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes".

       The Wachowski brothers truly created a wonderful thing with The Matrix. The story line is so good.  I have seen the entire trilogy.  I have this thing about trilogies though.  The middle one is always my least favorite.  It just is.  The last one was pretty good, but all I need is the original.  I am perfectly happy just watching that one and don't really worry about the other two.  They are good and they do continue the story it's just that I like the first one the best.  After all it is the one that taught me this very important life lesson. "Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead....only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon."

The Muppets

      One evening I was in line at Redbox and overheard a conversation between an eight year old girl and her older sister.  They were trying to pick a movie.  The older sister, who was maybe eleven, was suggesting The Muppets (2011).  To which the little sister replied, "No! I saw that it is soooo booooring".   Is that true? Are the Muppets boring?  Everyone I have talked to about The Muppets newest movie has said the same thing.  "It is so slow", "how boring".
  
       This question is a major focal point of the script.  Chris Cooper (American Beauty, The Bourne Identity, Adaptation, The Patriot) whom I just love, is the "bad guy".  He was amazing in Remember Me (2010) as a tough New York City police officer. But then to see him as an evil oil tycoon in The Muppets? That was great! He even sings a little song and has some pretty funny lines. Such as "maniacal laugh ..... maniacal laugh ...."

       Kermit needs to get the gang back together and raise money to save the Muppets studio and name. They decide to do a telethon and proceed to pitch the idea to studios.  Nobody wants to touch it.  They all say, no way.  The last lady they talk to explains to them that they are all washed up.  They aren't popular any more and they don't fit in with what is popular.  To which Kermit replies "I think kids are better and smarter then this junk".  Are they?  Have we overstimulated them to the point that the Muppets are boring? No CGI, no flying creatures, no space ships or aliens and it isn't worth our time? 

       I have always loved the Muppets and this movie stayed very true to the original Muppet show.  Including some awesome celebrity cameos! I liked this movie for the nostalgia of it. The songs where silly and fun. It has a wonderful message and you can laugh at the bad guy because he isn't as scary and menacing as most are now a days.  That being said. Will your kids enjoy it?  I don't know.  Do they see the humor in that kind of comedy or does it go over their heads and just bore them?  My girls haven't watched it yet so I can't tell you what they thought of it.  I do wonder though?

The Help

      "You is kind, you is smart, you is important"  That is my favorite part of The Help (2011). I loved how Aibileen talks about taking care of her first baby and how much she loved him.  It was then that she learned that she could have a positive influence on a child.  She loved each one of those babies she raised.  Sometimes more than their own mothers loved them.  And she made it a point to tell each child how kind, smart and important they are.
    
      The Help is an interesting view of life in Mississippi in the 1960's.  Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland, Superbad) plays Skeeter.  Skeeter is a very ambitious young girl, fresh from college.  She wants to be an author and was told to write about something that bothers her but doesn't seem to bother any one else around her.  That is when she decides to start interviewing maids, or "the help", about their lives.  This movie has become so hugely popular that I really don't need to let you know all of that.  It was nominated, and won, many awards.  Justly so, I understand why it has made such a huge impact.

      Movies, such as The Help, that deal with racial issues are a fascinating study of human behavior.  I find relationships so interesting, the way we as human beings will treat others, for good or bad.  Be it a mother/daughter relationship, a relationship with neighbors or a boss to an employee.  This movie covers all of these relationships.  I was really disturbed by the way Hilly and her "followers" treated Celia Foote. I know the movie was making a statement about the treatment of the help and I don't want to make light of that at all. It was awful and wrong. However, someone that is belittling to anyone, will be belittling to everyone no matter race.  Celia's story really stuck with me. It broke my heart to watch her story unfold. All she needed was someone to tell her, "you is kind, you is smart, you is important".  Each of us as human beings, no matter our race, gender, social standing, etc. should have someone in our lives to remind us of how special we are for just being us.

      Everyone talks about the end.  The ending is very powerful and not what one might call happy. The movie in general isn't really a feel good, happy movie.  It has some very funny moments and some wonderful characters who are very lovable. That isn't really the point though.  The point is to make us stop and think and maybe take a self evaluation about the way we treat our fellow man.

    
     

In Time

      Another wonderful glimpse into the very interesting mind of writer/director Andrew Niccol (Lord of War, S1m0ne, Gattaca). There are so few original scripts out there.  Everything is a remake, a book, a sequel etc. etc.  It is so nice when someone writes a script just for a movie.  Don't get me wrong, if you have read my past posts you know I love all of these, and don't have much of a preference when it comes to movies.  I am just saying it is refreshing when it's an original script. I also really like it when the writer is the director.  You really get to see his entire vision.  He not only wrote it, but then gets to bring it to life just how he imagined it.
 
      Gattaca (1997) was an intriguing look at genetic manipulation. What if man kind could genetically choose the perfect child? I mean, from conception you can choose eye color, hair color, sex, IQ even? It was a very interesting movie.  In Time (2011) is another sci-fi, futuristic what if movie. People have evolved to the point that they have stopped aging at 25, "but are engineered to live only one more year".  At the age of 25 your "clock" kicks on. The clock is a series of glowing, green numbers on your forearm. There is no more money exchanged, everything is dealt with by means of time.  You are given one year when the clock first starts, after that you work to earn more time, you pay for everything with time.  This translates to millionaires being immortal and on the opposite side, living pay check to check literally is living day to day. 
 
      Justin Timberlake (Love Actually, Get Smart, Bad Boys II) plays Will Salas. He is one of those young men living day to day.  He goes to work and gets paid that day, his payment is 18 hours. That's it! He and his mom are always down to minutes.  I should explain that when your time runs out, the clock shows nothing but zeros, your last seconds are gone, you just drop dead.

      I will never think of time the same after watching this movie.  All of the little sayings we have, "clean your clock", "I don't have the time", "just give me a minute" will always make me stop and think now.  Sadly time management is such a huge part of our lives, we are bombarded constantly.  Everyone "needing some of our time".  Some of us feeling like we have more than enough to share but don't really want to, some of us feeling like we can't spare any and those who have the time to share and do.  These are the thoughts that ran through my head while watching Salas battle with this exact thing in a very literal way. 

      I was surprised by all of the familiar faces in this movie, it was kind of fun.  Cillian Murphy (Inception, The Dark Knight, 28 Days Later ....., Girl with a Peal Earring) completely freaks me out after playing such a believable Scarecrow. However, the more roles I see him in I can't help but like him and I really liked his Neo look as Raymond Leon, the Timekeeper.  Johnny Galecki (Hancock, Roseanne, Big Bang Theory) is Will's best friend, Borel. The biggest surprise was seeing Connor. That would be Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men, Alpha Dog, Rango, Angel). Joss Whedon fans will know him as Angel's son, Connor.

      Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. Fascinating story line, good sci-fi flick, and I almost forgot I was watching Justin Timberlake.  (wink, wink, just kidding)

Hugo

      My first thoughts about Hugo (2011) was, "This is a children's book?"  It seemed so deep and way to involved to be a children's picture book.  Obviously I have never read the book, but I am now very interested in getting my hands on a copy.  I watched a behind the scenes/making of segment about Hugo and the book it is based on.  There are certain shots in the movie that are right out of the book. There are many reasons I was curious to see this movie.  First and foremost it is a Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed, Shutter Island, Taxi Driver) and it isn't bloody! There are no gruesome deaths, no gangsters or mobsters, no shootouts.  I think it would be safe to say that Hugo is his only "family friendly" movie. I just had to check out this whole new side to Scorsese!

     Hugo probably isn't for everyone.  I know it was nominated for best picture at the Oscars and won a great deal of other awards. That being said it is a very "artsy" film.  I found it very interesting and visualy stunning.  The cinematography is just beautiful.  The acting is wonderful and of course the directing is magnificent.  Can I say any less for Scorsese? (I would be scared to say otherwise)  Ben Kingsley (Schindler's List, Gandhi, Sneakers, House of Sand and Fog) is simply amazing.  Asa Butterfield (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Wolfman, Nanny McPhee Returns) is very talented. I am anxiously waiting to see him as Ender Wiggin in next years Ender's Game (2013). I could see a bit of Ender in Hugo and I think he is going to be great in that one as well. Hugo really has a great cast and if you can watch it for the artistic feel and appreciate the beauty that it is you may enjoy it.  Not to mention the wonderful Automaton and the steampunk look and feel the movie has. It has a fascinating story line as well.  There is way to much going on to explain.  Lets just say it is more than a boy living in a train station and it touches on the beginning origins of moving pictures.

The Hunger Games

      First of all I should apologize. This has been a crazy busy March and I haven’t focused on my blog the way I would have liked.  I will try to make up for that. On the good side, we are heading into the summer movies! Lots of fun stuff to talk about.
      The Hunger Games (2012) is one of those movies that doesn’t really need to be reviewed. You can divide people into one of three groups. The fans of the book are going to go see the movie no matter what people say. Then you have those that are curious about all of the hype. They don’t read the book but, will go watch the movie just to see what people are talking about. Then there are the people like me. I read the books. Yes, all three! I wouldn’t say I fell in love with them but I found them interesting and am always curious to see how they choose to transfer books to movies.  I guess you could say there is a fourth group.  Those who refuse to give in and read the book or see the movie at all.
      I didn’t go to the midnight release of The Hunger games but I did see it opening weekend.  I was impressed with the movie.  They did a great job staying true to the book. As always, the book will fill in the blanks a bit but I guess that isn’t always necessary for everyone.  I believe you can enjoy this movie having never read the book.  I feel very strongly that you should always do both, read the book and then see the movie, but I know not everyone cares that much.  I was watching an interview with Stephen King and he said, “comparing a book to the movie is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both delicious, but have very different flavors.” I really liked that! A movie can never take the place of a book no matter how hard they try. It is just a different medium and watching a movie is a different experience than reading a book. If I want the crunch of an apple, an orange will never really satisfy.
      The Hunger Games is such a hugely popular series that I feel I don’t need to say too much about the actual story line. So, I will tell you about the technical side. Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit, Big, Dave) wrote the screenplay and directed The Hunger Games. I am curious if he will do all three? The actors have signed contracts for all three movies. (The last one will not be in two parts). I know Gary Ross is directing the second movie, Catching Fire (2013), but will the studio keep him for the last one? I liked his directing style. The actors all do a wonderful job. The movie had the same feel to it as the book and everyone portrayed their characters very much the way I pictured them. The “careers” where very frightening. So crazy, wild and blood thirsty.  Just the way I imagined them. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class, Like Crazy) is a wonderful Katniss. She still has a chip on her shoulder and has a hard time connecting with people.  Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Kids Are All Right, Zathura) was very out of place in the arena. As a sensitive, quiet and shy baker he didn’t really seem to stand a chance of making it very long. Rue was as adorable and just as sly as I imagined in the books. Amandla Stenberg (Colombiana, Texas Killing Fields, Why Did I Get Married Too?) embodied her well. Woody Harrelson (Cheers, Zombieland, Natural Born Killers, Friends with Benefits) is wonderful as Haymitch, the drunk mentor that is suppose to help Peeta and Katniss.  Stanley Tucci (Margin Call, Easy A, Undercover Blues, Shall We Dance) is so good in any roles he takes on that Caesar Flickerman just came to life. Blue hair, cheesy smile and all!
      There are some slight changes from the book but for the most part it sticks to the book very closely. And, as I said previously, is a good movie even if you haven’t read the book. You can follow it and don’t feel lost or feel like you are missing out on something. The Hunger Games is written in first person, from Katniss’ point of view.  Some of the changes they made in the movie really added to the story.  By removing the first person point of view they could show us things that they just couldn’t in the book.  My favorite was the CGI for the panel of people controlling the arena. It adds to the “creep factor” when you see this group of people watching the “games” unfold and manipulate the arena to their advantage. Wes Bentley (American Beauty, The Four Feathers, Ghost Rider, Gone) plays Seneca, the Gamemaker. He was wonderful to watch.  All of the actors are wonderful. I can’t wait to watch them grow in their individual roles throughout the trilogy.

Chronicle

      “With great power comes great responsibility” I couldn’t help quoting Uncle Ben while watching this movie.  These three boys could have used some of that wisdom. Some times when watching a superhero/comic book movie I can’t help but wonder about reality.  If two people with super human powers, or two transformers, are battling in a large city what would that really be like? How would the everyday people of New York or L.A. react or respond? You get a very brief glimpse of that reality in Chronicle (2012). It is almost too real, which makes it hard to watch, if you can understand that. 
      Chronicle is another one of those first person camera films.  Do we have a name for that yet?  What would you call that? I am not really sure.  Anyway, it is as if you are watching what they are filming. There was some creativity I hadn’t seen before with the hand held camera approach. One thing they did was to introduce a character named Casey who has a blog that she posts her videos on. She video tapes a lot of her life as well. At times you would be looking from her point of view. Other times the camera was a security camera. It was a very interesting idea and I liked that. Because of this directing choice you end up with backs to you and can’t see faces.  To help with that challenge they used mirrors but it was in a natural way.
      Andrew is an awkward high school nobody, who decides to start video taping his life. The first scene opens with his dad banging on his bedroom door trying to get him to open it. He has a full length mirror on the back of his door. Andrew is telling him “No! It's 7 am and you’re already drunk”.  Just a little glimpse of his home life.  He has a cousin named Matt who takes him to school. Matt is family so he tolerates Andrew, but they aren’t “friends” and they definitely don’t run in the same circles. Matt is popular and athletic. Steve is the last member of this little trio.  Steve is very popular and is running for class president. 
      These three boys; Andrew, Matt, and Steve, find something very odd in a hole in the ground.  Days after exploring the hole they begin to discover that they have unusual powers.  They don’t know what happened or what it is. The previews don’t really tell you much but their only ability is telekinesis.  Because of these powers Andrew can now float his camera around him.  That gives us some very interesting camera angles. While telekinesis is their only ability they discover they can do some pretty amazing things with that. 
       This was a very interesting movie with an interesting approach to the directing. There were a lot of things I really liked about this movie.  The acting was pretty good; the script was unique, as was the filming. There were some very cool CGI effects as well. However there were also some things I really didn’t like. It wasn’t a good uplifting movie and it was a little hard to watch at times.  In a comic book movie I can separate the reality; you know there really is no Spiderman or Batman so the violence is different in a way.  As I mentioned in the beginning, this one is very real.  I am not saying I believe in telekinesis or anything but this is not a superhero movie.  It does have similarities.  I was reminded of Unbreakable (2000).  That was one of M. Night  Shyamalan’s movies that I didn’t really like for the same reasons.  Unbreakable is kind of a superhero movie as well, but too real.  It is difficult to watch in much the same ways. In both Unbreakable and Chronicle you see what has the potential to be a hero and a bad guy.  Based on their choices and how they handle their new abilities you see the paths they are on.  In Chronicle it divides friendships and bonds that are formed.  That was sad to see.

This means war

      Why didn’t they ever tell me what FDR stands for?  We do learn that his name is Franklin, but did his parents really name him Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foster? We never learn, he is just called FDR.  That would be Chris Pine’s (Star Trek (2009), Unstoppable, Just my Luck) character that I am talking about.  One of three amazing stars in This Means War (2012)  His best friend Tuck is played by Tom Hardy (Inception, Warrior) Tuck, another great name.
    Tuck and FDR are CIA operatives. The movie starts out very James Bond.  You see the two of them looking very sharp in Tuxes at a party after a bad guy. Awesome James Bond type music playing followed by a lot of action.  You think you know what kind of movie it will be, unless of course you have been following the previews, which of course I have.  Through a funny and strange turn of events they both unknowingly end up meeting, and falling for, the same girl. Laureen, played by Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants, Walk the Line, Legally Blond) is that girl.  I really like all three of these actors.  They made the movie, it would have been a huge disappointment without them. 
      I hesitate to say I liked this movie.  There where a lot of things about it that I really enjoyed.  The acting, as I said, is great. Chris and Tom play off each other so well.  Their “bromance” was wonderful and it was nice to see Tom Hardy in a different kind of role.  Reese is adorable as usual.  She does have this very annoying friend, some call her the comic relief, I call her the gag reflex. Trish is played by Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately, After Lately) I didn’t like her character at all.  The script falls short and is predictable but has some very adorable and funny moments. There was one line from Trish that I really liked, believe it or not.  In the end she did finally have some words of wisdom.  She tells Laureen, “Don’t choose the better man, choose the man that makes you a better woman.” I liked that.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

     Now there may be a lot of you who have never even heard of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008). That would also mean you may not know Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse, Angel). Joss Whedon is a genius! I am a huge fan of his.
      The brilliant Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D., How I met your Mother, Starship Troopers, Beastly)  stars as Dr. Horrible. Nathan Fillion (Castle, Serenity, Firefly, Slither) plays his nemisis Captain Hammer.  Joss Whedon and his family wrote the script and the songs. The songs are one of the best things about Dr. Horrible! They are wonderful.  If you have ever seen the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled Once More With Feeling, you know what I mean.  Joss did the music for that as well.  His songs are so clever.
     Dr. Horrible was written as a web series during the writer’s strike of 2008.  Whedon was making a statement about the strike. It is full of tongue in cheek humor, which is one of the things I love about Whedon. An example of that would be a scene between Dr. Horrible and his friend Moist. Dr. Horrible asks “Hey how was the date last night?  Conflict Diamond said you were doubling with Bait and Switch?” Moist replies “Oh, well …… I thought I would end up with Bait, but you know” “Oh yea ……” That makes me laugh every time!
     One afternoon my dad watched Dr. Horrible with us. He asked “Do you think they regret doing this?” (Meaning Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris.)  Are you kidding me? No they do not at all! They know exactly what to expect when working with Whedon.  It’s like Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton make a wonderful team.  Joss Whedon is the same.  He enjoys working with the same people and they must like working with him because they keep coming back for more. 
     Joss doesn’t do anything flippantly. He does it on purpose and always knows exactly what he is doing and saying.  I am a huge fan of Buffy and I like listening to his audio commentaries.  He will tell you he knew what he was doing.  He is awesome! I love to dissect his work and try to figure out what he is saying, especially Dr. Horrible and what it is saying about the writer’s strike.

A Bear Named Winnie

      Alright, I admit it; I am a huge cry baby. There are certain things that just get me emotional no matter what. I will never be able to watch The Fox and The Hound (1981) without crying.  I cried like a baby while watching Hachi (2009). I have a bit of a soft spot for animals. They are such an important part of my life. Don’t even get me started about the military. (Just read my post about The Hurt Locker (2008) back in July) That gets me teary as well. Throw in a true story and oh my …….
      So, it goes without saying I cried at the end of A Bear Named Winnie (2004). You put the love of animals with the military and I really don’t stand a chance.  The fact that it is based on a true story of something I grew up loving as well doesn’t help at all.
      A Bear Named Winnie is the true story of a Canadian soldier who adopts an orphaned bear cub.  It took place during World War I and he was on his was to England from Winnipeg.  That is how the bear got her name.  It is actually Winnipeg but they call her Winnie for short.  The movie is one of those that begins at the end.  A man and his son are at the London Zoo admiring a bear named Winnie.  The boy is curious about her story. That leads into her back story which is very sweet.  In the end you find out that the man was A.A. Milne with his son Christopher. This story was the inspiration for the Winnie The Pooh stories.  So cute but yea, bring the Kleenex. Speaking of which, box of tissue for when I see War Horse (2011)? Oh yes! Definitely!

Moneyball

      I really enjoy a good, uplifting, inspirational sports movie.  If it’s based on a true story, which most of them are, that is even better.  I am not a huge sports fan in the general sense, but I like the uplifting stories that can come out of any situation.  When I first heard about Moneyball (2011) there was really no question about it, I was going to see this movie. 
     Moneyball is the true story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane.  I would have to say that one of the first things that surprised me about this movie is how recent the story actually is.  It takes place in 2001. Interesting fact, the movie is based on the book written by Michael Lewis who also wrote The Blind Side (2009).
     Brad Pitt (Troy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fight Club, Legends of the Fall) plays Billy Beane. He did a pretty good job, I enjoyed his performance. One of my favorite scenes of his was when he first meets Peter Brand. Billy sits on the edge of Peter’s desk and asks “Who are you?” You get to see a bit of this scene in the trailer but the whole scene was great.  Peter is played by Jonah Hill (Superbad, Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, The Sitter)  He was my only hesitation for watching the movie.  I do not like Jonah Hill’s movies. However, he really won me over in this role.  He did such a great job.  Does that mean I am a fan of his now?  No Way! But he was really good in Moneyball. 
      This is kind of what some may call a slow movie.  I have even heard it called a spots documentary. I would agree with that.  Sometimes in sports movies the games are the big action, intense parts.  That really wasn’t the case with Moneyball.  It focuses more on the strategy and a whole new approach to putting together a winning team.  As I mentioned I am not a huge sports fan. I don’t know names, follow rankings or anything.  I don’t know if a team is any good or not.  I know nothing about money and how that works in the sports industry.  So, you could say that Moneyball was  a bit of an educational film for me.  I learned so much! I think that is why I found this movie so fascinating.  The way players are traded, just gone, expected to move or whatever.  The relationship between the general manager and the manager was very interesting. First of all the fact that they called him the manager and not the coach was new to me.  Secondly I had no idea the role a general manager played.  The way Billy chooses to deal with his scouting staff was very fascinating as well.  Like I said, very educational for me. I like that, when I can learn something new. 
     

Return To Me

      Anytime someone asks me to recommend a good chick flick, Return to Me (2000) is always the first movie that comes to mind.  This is a record breaking movie for me; it has me in tears ten minutes into it.  The first time I watched it, it was more like fifteen minutes in. 
      David Duchovny (The X-Files, Evolution, House of D, The Joneses) is amazing in this movie.  He plays Rob Rueland, my favorite role of his.  The scene when he sits by the front door with the dog …… that gets me every time. He collapses to the floor, the dog comes over and Rob tells him, “she’s not coming home Mel”.  I also love the scene when he yells at Mel, the dog, “Eat in the kitchen like a normal person!”  Such a beautiful mix of comedy and sadness.  Return to Me is one of those movies that you have really got to pay attention to. Every line is so well written.  Even the very first line! Rob says “It’s a shame we’ve gotta’ put roofs on ‘em”  and that comes back around later on. 
       Minnie Driver (GoldenEye, Sleepers, Good Will Hunting, Hard Rain) is simply adorable as Grace. Every single thing she does is wonderful! She is so great in this role. I could never say enough about her.
      Bonnie Hunt (Cars, The Green Mile, Cheaper by the Dozen, Random Hearts) not only is in Return to Me but she also directed it, produced it and co-wrote it. Thank you Bonnie Hunt for such a wonderful movie! She is so awesome.  This was her first time directing.  She does the audio commentary with Don Lake (The Bonnie Hunt show, Life with Bonnie, Cars) who was a co-writer and he has a funny little cameo. 
      The commentary is great! At the beginning Bonnie and Don have a silly little bit about CGI.  Bonnie says “Now this entire crowd is computer generated.” Don says, “No one was there at all?” Bonnie: “No it was an empty room.” Don: “Are you serious?” Bonnie: “No I’m not, those are all real people. I’m sorry. I was trying to act like we were really technically advanced.” Just to give you an idea of what she is like, if you don’t know Bonnie Hunt.  Bonnie used a lot of family members in this movie and she talks about that in the commentary as well.  Her brother, her mother, sisters, nieces and nephews, some crew members kids are all in the movie.  There is a scene where Minnie and Bonnie are with all of Bonnie’s “kids” at the zoo.  Bonnie decided she didn’t want to direct the kids. She wanted to use their real names and just have them behave like kids would.  It is a great scene.  Very real. This is something else she talks about in the commentary. I also found out that John and Joan Cusack’s dad is in the movie. He is a very funny character that makes a “sizable donation” to the zoo and wants to be sure that people know about his “anonymous sizable donation” It’s great!
      My sister has often called me a DVDaholic.  She says I need to join a support group. For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with movies.  I can remember at the age of 9 or 10 going to see The Man From Snowy River (1982) in the theater. But wait! The Black Stallion (1979) was before that! My mom picked my sisters and I up from school and took us to the theater to see the Black Stallion. At the age of 13 or 14 I remember going to the theater with a group of girlfriends to see Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). These are some of my favorite memories. I can remember going to the video store to rent a VCR and movies. It was so exciting! I remember buying our first VCR with tax return money, and then my dad coming home from work asking me what I was doing.  The VCR had quit working, or a tape got stuck, or something and I had taken it apart to fix it. I couldn’t wait for him to have time. When DVD’s came out I was in heaven with all of the special features.  Behind the Scenes, Gag Reels, Featurettes, Audio Commentaries ……. It’s so cool! I just can’t help devouring it all.
     Sorry, I digress, this is just one of those things that happens to me when watching movies and enjoying all aspects of them.  Back to Return to Me, Jim Belushi (According to Jim, Red Heat, The Defenders, Salvador) plays Bonnie’s husband. He is, well, you know, Jim Belushi, so he’s great.  He improvises a lot, which you found out in the audio commentary, and it is all great stuff that he does. Who would have thought that Jim and Bonnie would make such a perfectly wonderful couple? 
     There are a group of four old men that are such an amazing addition to this movie.  One of those wonderful old men was Carroll O’Connor (In the Heat of the Night, Mad About You, Point Blank, All in the Family). Return to Me was his last film; it was also the last film for Dick Cusack (The Fugitive, High Fidelity, Chain Reaction, While You Were Sleeping).  Well, I think I have gone on long enough.  This is an older movie but a classic in my opinion.  So, if for some odd reason you have never seen it …… do so. And, if you get a chance, watch the special features as well. 

Cowboys & Aliens

      The title really says it all doesn’t it?  Almost as plain as when Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable, Jumper, Lakeview Terrace) introduced Snakes on a Plane (2006) “It’s about snakes …… on a plane.” Enough said.  Well, Cowboys & Aliens (2011) is just that easy as well. It’s about cowboys …… and aliens.  What a fun idea.  I always figured the aliens didn’t come to earth until they crashed in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. I mean sure maybe they did a few fly-bys to check things out but that was really all. I never once thought about them coming during the old west. 
     Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Zathura, Elf, Made) is quickly becoming a favorite of mine as a director, writer, producer and actor.  I am really liking the things he is doing, both in front of and behind the camera. He directed Cowboys & Aliens.  It probably helped that he had an awesome cast to work with.  They all did a great job.
      Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace, Munich, Dream House) is excellent, he plays Jake Lonergan.  This is my favorite role I have seen him in.  Harrison Ford (Hanover Street, Blade Runner, Witness, Firewall) is well, Harrison Ford. When is he not fun to watch? It isn’t very often we get to see him as a bad guy. He is a bit of a bad guy in this one.  Not nearly as bad as he was in What Lies Beneath (2000) but still a little bit of a mean tough guy.  Olivia Wilde (The Change-Up, Tron: Legacy, Year One) is gorgeous, and her performance was wonderful as well. I really liked all of the other characters as well. Too many to go on about. Adam Beach (Smoke Signals, Windtalkers, Flags of Our Fathers) as Nat, Sam Rockwell (Moon, The Green Mile, Iron Man 2) as Doc, etc. etc. etc.
      Anyway, moving on, the aliens reminded me of the vampires on Priest (2011) very creepy and weird. Almost as good as the aliens in Alien (1979) yea, they reminded me of those ones as well.  The Alien aliens are, after all, the best aliens. Aren’t they? Still Cowboys & Aliens is a fun, entertaining movie and worth watching.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

      Quite possibly one of the best New Year’s Eves ever! The girls where all busy so my husband and I had the evening to ourselves.  We decided to go to a movie.  This is always okay by me. We saw the new Sherlock Holmes (2011) movie.  I really enjoyed it.
      Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, Lucky You, The Soloist) plays the role so well.  I enjoyed this one even more than the first one.  The chemistry between Holmes and Watson was great! Dr. Watson is played by Jude Law (Cold Mountain, Enemy at the Gates, Repo Man) he is just amazing and makes Watson a wonderful character.  The entire cast was great and the story line was so good.  I get tired of seeing the same story over and over.  Even though I love movies and I will watch the same “boy meets girl” or “good guy catches bad guy” story again and again I love it when I come across something new.  Sherlock Holmes was not predictable.
      A Shadow of Games is a really fun title and a concept that is, of course, carried out throughout the movie.  There is an amazing chess game that was so fun to watch! If you saw the first Sherlock Holmes (2009) then you are familiar with Guy Ritchie’s (Snatch, RocknRolla, Swept Away) directing style for these movies.  It is one of the things that really make these movies very entertaining to watch.  His slow motion camera of what Holmes is thinking is so cool. 
      There are some fun new characters introduced in this Sherlock Holmes adventure. Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta, A Bear Named Winnie, House of Boys) plays one of those new characters.  He is an actor I have really come to like.  I love his character Gordon Gordon on Bones and now, thanks to my mom, I am loving him on Kingdom. Kingdom is a British TV series that ran from 2007-2009, Stephen Fry plays the main character Peter Kingdom. It was fun to see him in Sherlock Holmes and I really didn’t expect to see THAT much of him. No one, should see that much of Kingdom.
       Jared Harris (Extraordinary Measures, The Ward, Mad Men, Fringe) plays Professor James Moriarty, another new addition.  He is pretty creepy and plays an excellent villain. The match up between Moriarty and Holmes is really good. After all, aren’t all superheroes only as good as the villains they face.
      A Game of Shadows picks up right where the first Sherlock Holmes movie leaves off.  Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the first.  Watson is getting married. Kelly Reilly (Eden Lake, Pride & Prejudice, Me and Orson Welles) plays the wonderful Mary Watson. She is great. All in all I really liked this movie, so much so that I would buy it for my collection.  Guess I need to buy the first one too then.  I can’t have a sequel in my collection and not have the first.

Apollo 18

      I still haven’t processed how I feel about this one.  It was a very interesting idea.  I would like to say a very original idea except for the fact that I kept having thoughts of The Blair Witch Project (1999). Anyone remember that one?  Film students out in the woods, horror strikes, supposedly found the camera the next morning with some terrifying footage.  Well Apollo 18 is kind of the same idea.  “Decades-old found footage from NASA's abandoned Apollo 18 mission, where two American astronauts were sent on a secret expedition, reveals the reason the U.S. has never returned to the moon.”
      The film is set up as if you are viewing actual footage that has been uncovered.  There is old home movie footage to introduce the characters and then the rest of the movie is made to look like actual footage from the astronauts cameras. It is very well done in that respect.  The footage looks very authentic and old.
      Apollo 18 is really a first for both the director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and the writer Brian Miller.  (Interesting fact, the Blair Witch project was also a first for its writer and director)  I like to see new talent and then watch to see what they do next.  This is a very interesting movie with an interesting concept.  It isn’t very mainstream at all. It also may not really be for everyone. However, it is a very interesting movie all the same.