Devil (2010) is the first movie in The Night Chronicles trilogy. It is written, but not directed, by M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, Lady in the Water, Unbreakable, The Village) Shyamalan wanted to try his hand at producing some of his ideas, the supernatural in a modern urban society. You could actually find yourself in the particular situation. I really enjoy M. Night Shyamalan films; I love his writing style, his directing style, all of it!
The opening shot is awesome! It is your typical helicopter shot of a city, however the whole thing is upside down as it takes you through the city. I don’t want to say to much about the movie because, in the style of Shyamalan, it would give the twists away. The story of Devil comes from a folktale called “The Devils Meeting” in which the Devil roams the earth in human form torturing the living before he kills them. The folktale is told in the movie in a creative way. I know it may not sound very good from that story, but it really is. It is a fascinating story with an intriguing ending.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Super 8
As much as I don’t like to say it, Super 8 (2011) was a disappointment to me. Maybe I just had really high expectations. I followed it for a long time and bought into all of the hype and secrecy about it. I am a huge fan of Steven Spielberg (Hook, Jurassic Park, E.T., Saving Private Ryan). I have also grown to like J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Alias). He is doing some interesting stuff and I kind of like his style. All of that being said I had very high expectations. That may be why I was so let down.
Super 8 takes place during the summer of 1979, Abrams, and Spielberg wanted to recapture the thriller movies of the 70’s and 80’s. They succeed in that. It has a very old feel and even though it has new CGI and such it is still very much a 70’s or 80’s thriller.
Joel Courtney plays Joe Lamb, the main character. This was his first role. He did a good job. He has a few other projects coming out in the next two years. Elle Fanning (Déjà Vu, Phoebe in Wonderland, The Door in the floor) on the other hand has been acting since 1988. She did a wonderful job and I enjoy watching her almost as much as I enjoy watching her sister. Yes, that is right, she is Dakota Fanning’s (The Runaways, Push, The Secret Life of Bees, Coraline) little sister.
I am sure there are people who will enjoy this movie and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up having a cult like following. It just didn’t grab me.
Super 8 takes place during the summer of 1979, Abrams, and Spielberg wanted to recapture the thriller movies of the 70’s and 80’s. They succeed in that. It has a very old feel and even though it has new CGI and such it is still very much a 70’s or 80’s thriller.
Joel Courtney plays Joe Lamb, the main character. This was his first role. He did a good job. He has a few other projects coming out in the next two years. Elle Fanning (Déjà Vu, Phoebe in Wonderland, The Door in the floor) on the other hand has been acting since 1988. She did a wonderful job and I enjoy watching her almost as much as I enjoy watching her sister. Yes, that is right, she is Dakota Fanning’s (The Runaways, Push, The Secret Life of Bees, Coraline) little sister.
I am sure there are people who will enjoy this movie and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up having a cult like following. It just didn’t grab me.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Secret Life of Bees
How did I miss this movie? I really don’t know how this one slipped passed me. With a cast full of some of my favorite actors The Secret Life of Bees (2008) was so fun to watch. Maybe fun isn’t the right word? The Secret Life of Bees takes place in South Carolina in 1964, and isn’t really an uplifting movie.
Dakota Fanning (Dreamer, I am Sam, Push, The Runaways) plays 14 year old Lily. She is an only child trying to come to terms with her mother’s death and an emotionally detached father. Paul Bettany (Priest, A Beautiful Mind, The Tourist) plays T. Ray, Lily’s father. As much as I like him I have to say he was pretty frightening and hard to watch. This means he did an excellent job! Lily and her caretaker Rosaleen end up running away from home. They go to South Carolina where they stay with three sisters who own a bee farm and make honey.
Queen Latifah (Chicago, Just Wright, Mad Money) plays August, the main beekeeper who lets Lily and Rosaleen stay with them. This movie is full of wonderful life lessons that Lily learns while staying with August and her sisters. Even though The Secret Life of Bees deals with difficult subject matter and a difficult time in the United States of America it is a very well written story and worth watching.
Dakota Fanning (Dreamer, I am Sam, Push, The Runaways) plays 14 year old Lily. She is an only child trying to come to terms with her mother’s death and an emotionally detached father. Paul Bettany (Priest, A Beautiful Mind, The Tourist) plays T. Ray, Lily’s father. As much as I like him I have to say he was pretty frightening and hard to watch. This means he did an excellent job! Lily and her caretaker Rosaleen end up running away from home. They go to South Carolina where they stay with three sisters who own a bee farm and make honey.
Queen Latifah (Chicago, Just Wright, Mad Money) plays August, the main beekeeper who lets Lily and Rosaleen stay with them. This movie is full of wonderful life lessons that Lily learns while staying with August and her sisters. Even though The Secret Life of Bees deals with difficult subject matter and a difficult time in the United States of America it is a very well written story and worth watching.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Bad Mother's Handbook
In my post about the Green Lantern I talked about how many super hero movies deal with father son issues. Well, here is a movie all about mother daughter issues. The whole movie is about the relationship between a mother and her child, most specifically her daughter. Wow! I am just now realizing this has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I have been very focused on the musical Little Women for the last few weeks, which is also about a mother and her daughters. As I have mentioned I have three daughters of my own and come from a family of four daughters, no brothers. Just last week I was talking to my mom about watching my daughters grow into young women and she asked "Have you thought about what it is like to watch your daughters go through child birth. And then raise their own daughters." That really hit me because to be perfectly honest, no I haven't thought that far ahead. My oldest is 18; it isn't as far away as it used to be.
After that conversation I just happened to watch The Bad Mother's Handbook (2007). This movie deals with all of that, really. It is three generations of women all living under one roof. Catherine Tate (Starter for 10, Doctor Who (2005), Love and other Disasters) stars as Karen Cooper, a single mom trying to raise her teenage daughter and take care of her elderly mother who isn't really all there these days. Nancy, the elderly mother, is played beautifully by Anne Reid (Coronation Street, Hot Fuzz). She was wonderful to watch. Holliday Grainger (Bel Ami, Daddy Fox, The Illustrated Mum) plays Charlie. Charlie is a straight "A" student who does everything she should, for the most part. She is also a 17 year old girl trying to find her place in the world and figure out who she is.
The Bad Mother's Handbook is a made for TV British movie. It isn't a "Hollywood Blockbuster". There are no car chases, no explosions, no computer graphics. It is just a beautifully written film about being a mom. There are some interesting twists to the storyline, Karen finds out about a huge family secret her mother has been keeping and Charlotte, who goes by Charlie, finds out she is pregnant. Charlie's mother, Karen, doesn't deal with either of these things very well. Charlie's pregnancy is a reminder of her "mistake", she wanted more for her daughter then to be a single teenage mother. Enter Daniel, played by Robert Pattinson (Remember Me, Bel Ami, Water for Elephants) Daniel is a new transfer student, Charlie is asked to help him adjust to the new school, you know, show him around and such. When Charlie finds out that Daniel's dad is a doctor she begins to ask him a lot of questions about pregnancy and Daniel ends up being a huge support for her over the next nine months.
This is a very different kind of movie but I really enjoyed it. It is a very touching story with well written characters.
After that conversation I just happened to watch The Bad Mother's Handbook (2007). This movie deals with all of that, really. It is three generations of women all living under one roof. Catherine Tate (Starter for 10, Doctor Who (2005), Love and other Disasters) stars as Karen Cooper, a single mom trying to raise her teenage daughter and take care of her elderly mother who isn't really all there these days. Nancy, the elderly mother, is played beautifully by Anne Reid (Coronation Street, Hot Fuzz). She was wonderful to watch. Holliday Grainger (Bel Ami, Daddy Fox, The Illustrated Mum) plays Charlie. Charlie is a straight "A" student who does everything she should, for the most part. She is also a 17 year old girl trying to find her place in the world and figure out who she is.
The Bad Mother's Handbook is a made for TV British movie. It isn't a "Hollywood Blockbuster". There are no car chases, no explosions, no computer graphics. It is just a beautifully written film about being a mom. There are some interesting twists to the storyline, Karen finds out about a huge family secret her mother has been keeping and Charlotte, who goes by Charlie, finds out she is pregnant. Charlie's mother, Karen, doesn't deal with either of these things very well. Charlie's pregnancy is a reminder of her "mistake", she wanted more for her daughter then to be a single teenage mother. Enter Daniel, played by Robert Pattinson (Remember Me, Bel Ami, Water for Elephants) Daniel is a new transfer student, Charlie is asked to help him adjust to the new school, you know, show him around and such. When Charlie finds out that Daniel's dad is a doctor she begins to ask him a lot of questions about pregnancy and Daniel ends up being a huge support for her over the next nine months.
This is a very different kind of movie but I really enjoyed it. It is a very touching story with well written characters.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Priest
There is a huge debate these days about what a “good” vampire movie is. There is also a lot of competition out there, even some spoofs. If you look on line there are a variety of lists about what the best vampire films of all time are. There are duplicates on these lists of course and they really don’t vary a whole lot. This happens to be a genre I really enjoy and I have seen my share of vampire movies, most of the ones on those lists as well.
Priest (2011) is just another vampire movie; I guess that is what some would say. Like Van Helsing (2004) Priest is an adaptation of a comic book character. Boy we love those comic book movies these days don’t we? It even starts out with very comic looking drawing to tell us how the story began and bring us up to the present.
Paul Bettany (A beautiful mind, A Knight’s tale, The Tourist, Firewall) plays the Priest, his character doesn’t even have a name, he is just Priest. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. After centuries of war between the humans and vampires the humans feel they have finally won and there is peace. The Priests were the warriors during war time. Once there is peace they are of no use any more and kind of become the outcasts of society, not to be spoken to. Well, of course, the peace doesn’t last or there wouldn’t be a movie. Paul Bettany, the warrior priest, has a brother who is living a happy life with his wife and daughter. That is until the vampire’s come and his daughter is kidnapped. Hicks, played by Cam Gigandet (Never back down, Easy A, Pandorum) comes to the Priest for help in rescuing Lucy, the Priests niece.
I loved this movie! There are so many reasons I enjoyed. The script was really good. There are twists and turns and a few surprises in the storyline. The CGI (Computer-generated imagery) or special effects, are very cool. There are some awesome fight scenes and even a few unusual characters. I love the different ways movies portray vampires this one was pretty unique. The setting reminded me of the Mad Max (1979) movies, futuristic and old west at the same time. There is even a huge train scene at the end!
In short, Priest may be just another vampire movie but if you like dark, exciting, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, vampire, comic book movies. Which I happen to love. You just may like Priest.
Priest (2011) is just another vampire movie; I guess that is what some would say. Like Van Helsing (2004) Priest is an adaptation of a comic book character. Boy we love those comic book movies these days don’t we? It even starts out with very comic looking drawing to tell us how the story began and bring us up to the present.
Paul Bettany (A beautiful mind, A Knight’s tale, The Tourist, Firewall) plays the Priest, his character doesn’t even have a name, he is just Priest. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. After centuries of war between the humans and vampires the humans feel they have finally won and there is peace. The Priests were the warriors during war time. Once there is peace they are of no use any more and kind of become the outcasts of society, not to be spoken to. Well, of course, the peace doesn’t last or there wouldn’t be a movie. Paul Bettany, the warrior priest, has a brother who is living a happy life with his wife and daughter. That is until the vampire’s come and his daughter is kidnapped. Hicks, played by Cam Gigandet (Never back down, Easy A, Pandorum) comes to the Priest for help in rescuing Lucy, the Priests niece.
I loved this movie! There are so many reasons I enjoyed. The script was really good. There are twists and turns and a few surprises in the storyline. The CGI (Computer-generated imagery) or special effects, are very cool. There are some awesome fight scenes and even a few unusual characters. I love the different ways movies portray vampires this one was pretty unique. The setting reminded me of the Mad Max (1979) movies, futuristic and old west at the same time. There is even a huge train scene at the end!
In short, Priest may be just another vampire movie but if you like dark, exciting, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, vampire, comic book movies. Which I happen to love. You just may like Priest.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Lifted
We were just sitting around on Sunday afternoon with my family of ten. Just spending the day at my parents with my sister and her two boys. We were flipping through Netflix trying to find something to watch. We came across this movie called Lifted (2010) I knew it was one I was interested in watching but couldn’t remember why. The description it gave read “The chance to shine in a singing competition offers much-needed hope for a Southern middle-schooler who's drowning in worries, from bullies in the halls to turmoil at home -- and the news that his reservist father has been called back to Afghanistan.”
Somehow the Afghanistan thing didn’t stand out to much, the name Trace Adkins (Then they do, Chrome, Arlington, Songs about me) did stand out though. I am a Trace Adkins fan, for those who don’t know he is a country singer. So, we decided to watch Lifted. Just a side note. If you look on IMDB it has Trace Adkins listed very first. You don’t see him until the last half hour and then not even that much. Still, you do get to see him punch a guy, that was pretty cool.
Well …… two hours later everyone is in tears and yelling at me that I am not aloud to pick the movie any more! I swear if I had any idea what it would be like I would have watched alone. My sister says we should have realized what it would be like as soon as we knew Trace Adkins was in it. (Just listen to any of his patriotic songs)
Lifted is one of those “straight to DVD” movies. Uriah Shelton (The Glades, Alabama moon, The Nanny Express) plays Henry Matthews. Henry is a very talented R&B singer who really enjoys free styling. The opening scene is his mom, dad and him in the kitchen at breakfast and Henry and his dad start singing to mom as she is heading out the door, they do a very fun version of Ain’t no Sunshine by Bill Withers but it sounds more like the Lenny Kravitz version.
When Henry’s father is deployed to Afghanistan his mom and him are left to deal with things at home. There are some tough themes in this movie and that may be offensive to some people. Such as Henry’s grandfather who doesn’t like him or approve of his type of music.
By the end you forget about all of that. In my opinion it is worth watching just to see the end. I think it was so beautifully done and has an amazing message. In reading about it on Netflix it says “This movie is: Emotional” That is very true. Have the kleenex ready.
Somehow the Afghanistan thing didn’t stand out to much, the name Trace Adkins (Then they do, Chrome, Arlington, Songs about me) did stand out though. I am a Trace Adkins fan, for those who don’t know he is a country singer. So, we decided to watch Lifted. Just a side note. If you look on IMDB it has Trace Adkins listed very first. You don’t see him until the last half hour and then not even that much. Still, you do get to see him punch a guy, that was pretty cool.
Well …… two hours later everyone is in tears and yelling at me that I am not aloud to pick the movie any more! I swear if I had any idea what it would be like I would have watched alone. My sister says we should have realized what it would be like as soon as we knew Trace Adkins was in it. (Just listen to any of his patriotic songs)
Lifted is one of those “straight to DVD” movies. Uriah Shelton (The Glades, Alabama moon, The Nanny Express) plays Henry Matthews. Henry is a very talented R&B singer who really enjoys free styling. The opening scene is his mom, dad and him in the kitchen at breakfast and Henry and his dad start singing to mom as she is heading out the door, they do a very fun version of Ain’t no Sunshine by Bill Withers but it sounds more like the Lenny Kravitz version.
When Henry’s father is deployed to Afghanistan his mom and him are left to deal with things at home. There are some tough themes in this movie and that may be offensive to some people. Such as Henry’s grandfather who doesn’t like him or approve of his type of music.
By the end you forget about all of that. In my opinion it is worth watching just to see the end. I think it was so beautifully done and has an amazing message. In reading about it on Netflix it says “This movie is: Emotional” That is very true. Have the kleenex ready.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Green Lantern
As much as I enjoy comic books and the movies based on those comic books Green Lantern (2011) is not one that I am very familiar with at all. So watching the movie was really my first introduction to this particular super hero. Knowing that, I can’t say how well it follows the comic book or the legends of the Green Lantern.
The introduction was really interesting. I didn’t know anything about the Guardians or that there were like 3,600 Green Lanterns. Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, Smokin’ Aces, Buried) plays the Green Lantern. I really like him and enjoyed his performance. The story line is interesting and entertaining. It is fast paced with a lot of action, but still tries to focus on the emotional side of the story as well.
There is a very interesting story about what exactly the Green Lantern is and what the ring is. Hal, Ryan’s character, learns that the color yellow is the power of fear and green is the power of will. The ring is connected to all of the will in the universe that the guardians have collected. The guardians are the keepers of peace, order and justice throughout the universe. One of the guardians tried to harness the power of fear and it turned him evil. What an interesting concept. Hal is told that, “Your will turns thought into reality, the rings limits are only what you can imagine ….. Your constructs are only as strong as your will” There is so much you could analyze and read into with all of that! Fascinating!
Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile, Armageddon, Sin City) provides the voice for Kilowog. He is a very funny character who is going to “train” Hal. Love his voice! It made me chuckle when he said “welcome to ring slinging one oh one or as I like to call it the worst day of your worthless life.” The soundtrack is really good and so is the score. James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Fugitive, Unbreakable) wrote the score. It is really beautiful.
I find it interesting how many super hero movies deal with father son issues. I don’t have a son or a brother so I am not familiar with that dynamic but it is repeated over and over in comic books. Just kind of an interesting thought. The Green Lantern has two different aspects of this dynamic. It is interesting to see those stories unfold and they way in which they chose to tell them.
The introduction was really interesting. I didn’t know anything about the Guardians or that there were like 3,600 Green Lanterns. Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal, Smokin’ Aces, Buried) plays the Green Lantern. I really like him and enjoyed his performance. The story line is interesting and entertaining. It is fast paced with a lot of action, but still tries to focus on the emotional side of the story as well.
There is a very interesting story about what exactly the Green Lantern is and what the ring is. Hal, Ryan’s character, learns that the color yellow is the power of fear and green is the power of will. The ring is connected to all of the will in the universe that the guardians have collected. The guardians are the keepers of peace, order and justice throughout the universe. One of the guardians tried to harness the power of fear and it turned him evil. What an interesting concept. Hal is told that, “Your will turns thought into reality, the rings limits are only what you can imagine ….. Your constructs are only as strong as your will” There is so much you could analyze and read into with all of that! Fascinating!
Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile, Armageddon, Sin City) provides the voice for Kilowog. He is a very funny character who is going to “train” Hal. Love his voice! It made me chuckle when he said “welcome to ring slinging one oh one or as I like to call it the worst day of your worthless life.” The soundtrack is really good and so is the score. James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, The Fugitive, Unbreakable) wrote the score. It is really beautiful.
I find it interesting how many super hero movies deal with father son issues. I don’t have a son or a brother so I am not familiar with that dynamic but it is repeated over and over in comic books. Just kind of an interesting thought. The Green Lantern has two different aspects of this dynamic. It is interesting to see those stories unfold and they way in which they chose to tell them.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thor
My husband loves Thor (2011) the girls tease him now that he is obsessed. Needless to say I have seen Thor a couple of times, we now own the DVD. It is a pretty good movie. It has some really good one liners, such as "Do you want me to slow him down or would you rather send in more guys for him to beat up?" If you are anxiously awaiting The Avengers (2012) then you have to see Thor. It was fun, once again, to see how Shield is involved. There are some very cool graphics, of course. Asgard is very cool! Unfortunately they put so much time and money into making Asgard, Thor's home, so impressive that the rest of the movie is kind of lacking. Chris Hemsworth (A Perfect Getaway, Star Trek) does a good job but the whole time I just kept thinking “man I can’t wait to see him as the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)”. I am anxiously awaiting that one as well. I really enjoyed Chris' performance as Thor, he was impressive. Tom Hiddleston (Conspiracy, Midnight in Paris, The Gathering Storm) plays Loki. Once again very cool and did a great job but I kept thinking “can’t wait to see him in Warhorse (2011)”. Loki has an interesting character arch and it is kind of fascinating to watch his story unfold. Tom portrayed it really well.
In conclusion I guess this was a sneak peek at some actors and some other movies that I am very excited to see. I really did like Thor on its own though. He was neat and it had a pretty good story line. Not my favorite of the super hero movies but entertaining. After all, he is the God of Thunder so ...... you know we should probably show some respect.
In conclusion I guess this was a sneak peek at some actors and some other movies that I am very excited to see. I really did like Thor on its own though. He was neat and it had a pretty good story line. Not my favorite of the super hero movies but entertaining. After all, he is the God of Thunder so ...... you know we should probably show some respect.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Once Upon a Time
I know this is a movie blog and I only talk about movies but I just had to spread the word about ABC’s new show Once Upon A Time (2011). The pilot just aired on Sunday and if you missed it you still have time to catch up. One of the reasons I wanted to mention it on here is that there are very few TV shows that have a movie feel to them. This is really one of them. Once Upon a Time is very well done. Granted I have only seen the pilot but I was very impressed with it.
Adam Horowitz (Lost, Felicity) along with Edward Kitsis (Lost, Felicity) are the creators of this new show. They have been working together since Felicity (1998-2002) in 2001, they produced the final season. Considering how well Lost did I have high hopes for Once Upon a Time. I never really did get into Lost but I followed it a bit. I really get apprehensive about investing any time in a new series because it seems the ones I really like tend to get canceled. So, if you haven’t started watching this show yet, check it out! I don’t want to give anything away about it, besides that, it is just better to see it the way they intended for it to be told. So, catch up on the pilot online or on demand or something and then tune in Sunday nights and get lost in Once Upon a Time.
Adam Horowitz (Lost, Felicity) along with Edward Kitsis (Lost, Felicity) are the creators of this new show. They have been working together since Felicity (1998-2002) in 2001, they produced the final season. Considering how well Lost did I have high hopes for Once Upon a Time. I never really did get into Lost but I followed it a bit. I really get apprehensive about investing any time in a new series because it seems the ones I really like tend to get canceled. So, if you haven’t started watching this show yet, check it out! I don’t want to give anything away about it, besides that, it is just better to see it the way they intended for it to be told. So, catch up on the pilot online or on demand or something and then tune in Sunday nights and get lost in Once Upon a Time.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Zookeeper
Zookeeper (2011) is one of the funniest, cutest talking animal movies I have seen in a while. A whole lot better than Furry Vengeance (2010) Ugh, what a dud. Anyway, back to Zookeeper. Kevin James (King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Hitch) is the Zookeeper. I know the critics didn’t like this movie, I even read recently that it made a worst movie of the year list. It was predictable and silly but that is not always a bad thing.
One of the things I liked about Zookeeper was how clean it was. Yes it had a few potty jokes. I am not sure why the wolf had to teach Kevin about marking his territory but, whatever. It really was a clean, funny movie. Zookeeper is a Happy Madison production, Happy Madison is Adam Sandler's (50 First Dates, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy) company. Part of what makes a good talking animal movie is having good voices for the animals, obviously. The animals in this one where great! They almost upstaged poor Kevin. They were all so funny! With the voice talents of Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Favreau, just to name a few, Zookeeper is pretty entertaining.
One of the things I liked about Zookeeper was how clean it was. Yes it had a few potty jokes. I am not sure why the wolf had to teach Kevin about marking his territory but, whatever. It really was a clean, funny movie. Zookeeper is a Happy Madison production, Happy Madison is Adam Sandler's (50 First Dates, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy) company. Part of what makes a good talking animal movie is having good voices for the animals, obviously. The animals in this one where great! They almost upstaged poor Kevin. They were all so funny! With the voice talents of Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Favreau, just to name a few, Zookeeper is pretty entertaining.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
Price of a Redbox rental $.99, price of a drink and snack $2.11 Seeing Taye Diggs (Rent, Chicago, Brown Sugar) as a Vampire …. Priceless! That alone made Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010) worth watching. I loved watching Taye Diggs in Rent, he was wonderful in Chicago, I even enjoyed his role in How Stella Got Her Groove Back but, to see him with fangs all vamped out made me chuckle. I would have never expected to see that.
Dylan Dog is a private eye for the supernatural. The undead all got together and decided to let one human in on their secret to help protect them from each other. That lucky human is Dylan played by Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Scott Pilgram vs. the world) He captured the character well and was fun to watch. However, I think his friend stole every scene he was in. Sam Huntington (Superman Returns, Fanboys, Not Another Teen Movie) plays Marcus, Dylan’s friend who wants to be a partner, a “go to guy”. Sadly it isn’t until Marcus is killed by a zombie that he may actually get to be that “go to guy” who can really help Dylan.
Dylan Dog is an Italian comic book very popular in the late 80’s early 90’s. The comic is set in London but the movie takes place in New Orleans. That added some humor and was a fun twist on some New Orleans “creatures of the night”. They say the undead chose New Orleans because it is a city that never sleeps so they could blend in easily. They even have a zombie support group. The movie has a very old fashion, private eye, voice over through the whole thing. Very Dick Tracy or something. Dylan does the voice overs and leads us as the story unfolds. “I knew exactly where I needed to go and what I needed to do”.
Dylan Dog is a private eye for the supernatural. The undead all got together and decided to let one human in on their secret to help protect them from each other. That lucky human is Dylan played by Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Scott Pilgram vs. the world) He captured the character well and was fun to watch. However, I think his friend stole every scene he was in. Sam Huntington (Superman Returns, Fanboys, Not Another Teen Movie) plays Marcus, Dylan’s friend who wants to be a partner, a “go to guy”. Sadly it isn’t until Marcus is killed by a zombie that he may actually get to be that “go to guy” who can really help Dylan.
Dylan Dog is an Italian comic book very popular in the late 80’s early 90’s. The comic is set in London but the movie takes place in New Orleans. That added some humor and was a fun twist on some New Orleans “creatures of the night”. They say the undead chose New Orleans because it is a city that never sleeps so they could blend in easily. They even have a zombie support group. The movie has a very old fashion, private eye, voice over through the whole thing. Very Dick Tracy or something. Dylan does the voice overs and leads us as the story unfolds. “I knew exactly where I needed to go and what I needed to do”.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Killers
I really enjoy watching CBS news Sunday Morning every Sunday. One of the segments I enjoy, of course, is David Edelstein. He is a commentator, or a movie critic. I don’t usually like movie critics and I very rarely agree with them, but I do like David’s commentaries. I may not always like the movies he likes but I do enjoy listening to what he has to say about them. An example, Our idiot brother "won't win any prizes but its mellow vibe is a blessed relief" He was complaining about all of the superhero, action movies. (Here is another great review that I loved of his.) http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7381498n
I agree that sometimes it is just nice to enjoy a fun easy going comedy. Killers (2010) is one of those movies for me. I laugh every time I watch it. Katherine Heigl (Roswell, 27 Dresses, Grey’s Anatomy) is wonderful to watch and I just love listening to her scream. That first scream when she enters the house to surprise her husband and finds him being attacked by the first of many "killers" gets me every time. She cracks me up. I don't love all of her movies but I really enjoy this one. Ashton Kutcher (That 70’s show, Butterfly Effect, Dude where’s my car?) is so entertaining. I love the way he delivers a line. “Let’s just say I work for the blah blah blah and they gave me a license to blah” From the very being when Spencer (Ashton) and Jen (Katherine) first meet I am smiling. He enters the elevator in a bathing suit, carrying flippers and begins talking to her in French and she pretends to understand. Killers is just fun, it is not meant to be taken seriously. This is shown right off the bat when Ashton is telling Katherine that he wants to be honest with her and proceeds to tell her how he kills people, "usually bad people, it's not like I'm out killing good guys. I'm not a murderer, I'm a professional." She is passed out and doesn't hear a word. He says "You're a great listener". That scene is so funny!
With a great cast of characters, including Tom Selleck (Magnam P.I., Three Men and a Baby, Quigley Down Under) who plays Katherine’s father and Catherine O'Hara (Penelope, Home Alone, Temple Grandin) as her mother. They are great! You watch the movie wondering how they ever ended up together and why they stay together. They are complete opposites. I don't want to spoil the ending if you haven't seen it, but it is so funny. Jen decides to have and honesty circle with her husband and parents. Another wonderful scene!
If you just want "a mellow vibe" without a lot of CGI you should give Killers a try. It is a very entertaining comedy with a lot of action. And now, thanks to Jen, I often find myself telling my girls "You really wanna' poke momma' bear right now? You think that's a good idea?" Oh another line I love, Spencer says, "Honey, your gun is showing" This movie is just full of great one liners!
I agree that sometimes it is just nice to enjoy a fun easy going comedy. Killers (2010) is one of those movies for me. I laugh every time I watch it. Katherine Heigl (Roswell, 27 Dresses, Grey’s Anatomy) is wonderful to watch and I just love listening to her scream. That first scream when she enters the house to surprise her husband and finds him being attacked by the first of many "killers" gets me every time. She cracks me up. I don't love all of her movies but I really enjoy this one. Ashton Kutcher (That 70’s show, Butterfly Effect, Dude where’s my car?) is so entertaining. I love the way he delivers a line. “Let’s just say I work for the blah blah blah and they gave me a license to blah” From the very being when Spencer (Ashton) and Jen (Katherine) first meet I am smiling. He enters the elevator in a bathing suit, carrying flippers and begins talking to her in French and she pretends to understand. Killers is just fun, it is not meant to be taken seriously. This is shown right off the bat when Ashton is telling Katherine that he wants to be honest with her and proceeds to tell her how he kills people, "usually bad people, it's not like I'm out killing good guys. I'm not a murderer, I'm a professional." She is passed out and doesn't hear a word. He says "You're a great listener". That scene is so funny!
With a great cast of characters, including Tom Selleck (Magnam P.I., Three Men and a Baby, Quigley Down Under) who plays Katherine’s father and Catherine O'Hara (Penelope, Home Alone, Temple Grandin) as her mother. They are great! You watch the movie wondering how they ever ended up together and why they stay together. They are complete opposites. I don't want to spoil the ending if you haven't seen it, but it is so funny. Jen decides to have and honesty circle with her husband and parents. Another wonderful scene!
If you just want "a mellow vibe" without a lot of CGI you should give Killers a try. It is a very entertaining comedy with a lot of action. And now, thanks to Jen, I often find myself telling my girls "You really wanna' poke momma' bear right now? You think that's a good idea?" Oh another line I love, Spencer says, "Honey, your gun is showing" This movie is just full of great one liners!
Monday, September 19, 2011
American History X
I have to begin this by letting you know that American History X (1998) is rated R. I don’t usually talk about ratings because I don’t follow that and could really care less what the rating people think! But this one is R and rightfully so. It is very hard to watch, as are most stories involving racism and/or prison. American History X deals with both of these.
With Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, Primal Fear) as Derek, who is released after serving three years in prison, American History X gives you a glimpse of his life and the lessons he learns along the way. Danny, played by Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, The Green Hornet) is Derek’s younger brother. Danny is failing his history class. His principal challenges him to write a Biography on his brother Derek in order to get a passing grade. In reality the principal is trying to save Danny from the path he is on, which is very similar to the one Derek took.
While American History X deals with very difficult issues it is one of those movies that really sticks with me. The life lessons that Danny learns while retelling Derek’s story are so powerful.
My mom recommended this movie to me. Believe it or not. She said “I really think you might find it interesting.” I like Edward Norton and it sounded intriguing so I figured I would check it out. One of my hobbies, other than watching movies, is cross stitch. So, I got settled all comfy with my cross stitch ready to watch a movie and stitch. I didn’t get one thing done! Not one stitch the entire movie! It grabbed me right from the beginning and I was glued to the screen. By the end I was on the edge of my seat, literally.
American History X is a beautiful movie with a very strong message. If only we could all learn and grow without going down such a difficult road. Not all of us will see and experience the things portrayed in this movie but sadly a lot of people do. To a lot of people that is their life and that is all they know. I hope we can learn from their mistakes and improve ourselves. I guess that is why I enjoy movies that deal with tough things like racism. I want to educate myself and see through someone else’s eyes. Isn’t that one of the purposes of media? That way I don’t have to experience it but I can learn and grow and hopefully be a better human being because of the life lessons Derek and Danny learned.
With Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, Primal Fear) as Derek, who is released after serving three years in prison, American History X gives you a glimpse of his life and the lessons he learns along the way. Danny, played by Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, The Green Hornet) is Derek’s younger brother. Danny is failing his history class. His principal challenges him to write a Biography on his brother Derek in order to get a passing grade. In reality the principal is trying to save Danny from the path he is on, which is very similar to the one Derek took.
While American History X deals with very difficult issues it is one of those movies that really sticks with me. The life lessons that Danny learns while retelling Derek’s story are so powerful.
My mom recommended this movie to me. Believe it or not. She said “I really think you might find it interesting.” I like Edward Norton and it sounded intriguing so I figured I would check it out. One of my hobbies, other than watching movies, is cross stitch. So, I got settled all comfy with my cross stitch ready to watch a movie and stitch. I didn’t get one thing done! Not one stitch the entire movie! It grabbed me right from the beginning and I was glued to the screen. By the end I was on the edge of my seat, literally.
American History X is a beautiful movie with a very strong message. If only we could all learn and grow without going down such a difficult road. Not all of us will see and experience the things portrayed in this movie but sadly a lot of people do. To a lot of people that is their life and that is all they know. I hope we can learn from their mistakes and improve ourselves. I guess that is why I enjoy movies that deal with tough things like racism. I want to educate myself and see through someone else’s eyes. Isn’t that one of the purposes of media? That way I don’t have to experience it but I can learn and grow and hopefully be a better human being because of the life lessons Derek and Danny learned.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Smurfs
“Do not be fooled by their cuteness!” Can I start by saying how much I adore Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser M.D., How I met your mother, Beastly)! He is wonderful to watch in any thing he does. My three daughters and I went to see the Smurfs (2011). We only decided to see it once we found out that Neil Partick Harris was in it. Was it Oscar worthy, groundbreaking amazing? No. Was it cute, fun, entertaining and nostalgic? Yes. Well, nostalgic for me anyway. I grew up watching the Smurfs, it was among one of my favorite cartoons.
Raja Gosnell (Never Been Kissed, Scooby-Doo, Home Alone) directed the Smurfs and did a great job. He was able to keep it very Smurfy. Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays (Glee, Mall Cop, Red Eye) are a young married couple expecting their first child. Jayma is adorable and does an excellent job. Hank Azaria (The Simpsons, Godzilla, Love and Other Drugs) plays Gargamel. Now, I do have to say that I never really liked the character of Gargamel in the cartoons and I really didn’t like him in the movie version. I guess that means Hank Azaria played him well? Yes, he really did. However, I loved the cat, Azrael, in the cartoon and in the movie. The combination of real cat and CGI cat was so good and very funny. He was great.
The Smurfs, what can I say about them? Wonderful voice talents, very cute little blue guys and entertaining. We all really enjoyed the movie. Would I buy it? I don’t know but I would watch it again and again and again. Just to see Neil Patrick Harris try to hug a Smurf. Priceless.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Source Code
“An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man ……” This is how IMDB begins to describe Source Code (2011) I would have to say that is pretty accurate. The opening scene is Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky, Jarhead, Prince of Persia) joltingly waking up on a train. He has no idea where he is and appears to be in the middle of a conversation with the woman sitting across from him. The “woman” is Christina who is played beautifully by Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone, Eagle Eye, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) what follows is what is now called a “Groundhog day” sort of story. We see the same final eight minutes of a man’s life over and over.
Groundhog Day (1993) starring Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Scrooged, Lost in Translation) seems to be a very popular version of the “time loop” movies, even coined a sort of phrase for it I guess you could say. I really like these kinds of stories, both in movies and on TV shows. Source Code does this well with a very different kind of sci-fi twist. With an excellent cast and some intriguing story telling it really held my interest.
Source Code also has a very entertaining audio commentary. Jake Gyllenhaal does the commentary with the writer and director. Ben Ripley (Species, Species III) wrote the script, it was really one of his firsts. Duncan Jones (Moon) directed it, one of his firsts as well. It will be interesting to see what these two do from here on out. Anyway, the three of them really discuss the story and what it all means. They even talk about the ending and some variations that were discussed. If you enjoy the "whys?" of a script you should give the commentary a try.
Groundhog Day (1993) starring Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Scrooged, Lost in Translation) seems to be a very popular version of the “time loop” movies, even coined a sort of phrase for it I guess you could say. I really like these kinds of stories, both in movies and on TV shows. Source Code does this well with a very different kind of sci-fi twist. With an excellent cast and some intriguing story telling it really held my interest.
Source Code also has a very entertaining audio commentary. Jake Gyllenhaal does the commentary with the writer and director. Ben Ripley (Species, Species III) wrote the script, it was really one of his firsts. Duncan Jones (Moon) directed it, one of his firsts as well. It will be interesting to see what these two do from here on out. Anyway, the three of them really discuss the story and what it all means. They even talk about the ending and some variations that were discussed. If you enjoy the "whys?" of a script you should give the commentary a try.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Red Riding Hood
What did I think of Red Riding Hood (2011)? I don’t really know. Kind of hard to say I guess. It was alright, not bad. Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, Twilight) directed it. I am not to sure I enjoy her style. While I absolutely loved Lords of Dogtown, her other movies, not as enjoyable I guess you could say. David Johnson (Orphan, Clash of the Titans 2) wrote the screenplay. There is a novel by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright. It is based on the shooting script not the finished film. (Just some interesting trivia for you.) Anyway, it is an iteresting twist to the Little Red Riding Hood story and I did enjoy that aspect of it. Instead of there just being a big bad wolf it is actually a werewolf. So, they had a werewolf hunter come into town to help. I really liked how they tied in an old werewolf legend. A man was hunting in the woods, and cut the paw off a wolf, though the wolf itself managed to escape otherwise unharmed. He kept the wolf paw and put it in his hunting bag as a trophy. When he got to his friend's house, he told the story and pulled the paw out to illustrate- except it was no longer a paw, but a woman's hand! The man's wife was found to be missing a hand. That was a fun twist as well.
My husband asked if it was a “chick flick”. In a way you could say it is, for the 12 to 14 year old “chick”. Which isn’t to say that is a bad thing, just to give you an idea. That seems to be the age group that would enjoy it the most. It is not a horror movie! For some reason people got the impression that it is scary, well it isn’t. It is just the story of Little Red Riding Hood with a different sort of twist.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Adjustment Bureau
What a different concept. The Adjustment Bureau (2011) leads to some very interesting thoughts. Thoughts about free will and decision making and a greater power being involved in those things. George Nolfi directed and wrote The Adjustment Bureau. He has written the screenplay for The Sentinel, Ocean’s Twelve, Timeline and The Bourne Ultimatium however this is his first time in the director’s chair. I thought he did pretty well. Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Hereafter, Green Zone) stars as David Norris, a very promising politician. Emily Blunt (the Devil wears Prada, the Young Victoria, the Wolfman) plays Elise, the love of his life. I really enjoyed the cast in this movie. They were all amazing. However, Anthony Mackie (the Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby, Eagle Eye) plays Harry and in my opinion he stole the show. His performance was so moving. I loved watching the relationships evolve.
The Adjustment Bureau has a little bit of everything. There is the love story, action and a bit of a mystery to solve. Very entertaining movie all in all.
The Adjustment Bureau has a little bit of everything. There is the love story, action and a bit of a mystery to solve. Very entertaining movie all in all.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Unknown
Unknown (2011) is a good action movie. It reminded me of Taken in a lot of ways. Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Batman Begins, Taken) stars as Dr. Martin Harris. The movie jumps right into action and grabs you in the first few minutes. There is a lot of Liam being chased and Liam doing the chasing. It also reminded me of another popular action movie but I can’t say what. That would spoil the twist at the end. You will just have to watch it to find out about that little twist.
If you are looking for some good chase scenes and action from beginning to end, you may like Unknown. The story line was all right and the acting and directing was enjoyable. Not one of my favorites but entertaining. Definitly worth checking out though.
If you are looking for some good chase scenes and action from beginning to end, you may like Unknown. The story line was all right and the acting and directing was enjoyable. Not one of my favorites but entertaining. Definitly worth checking out though.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Beastly
You know that saying “the third times a charm”? Well I find that to be true of movies sometimes. There are some that can actually catch me a little off guard the first time. Just a little different than I expected and, not sure what to expect other times. I have watched Beastly (2011) three times in the last forty-eight hours. I liked it more each time. I had to watch it three times because that is what it took for my brain to process it all.
Beastly isn’t a new and different story. It is Beauty and the Beast set in modern day New York. My girls and I had a lot of fun comparing it to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. At one point Kyle/Hunter needs a “thinking thing”, something he can do for her. We said he should give her a library. He doesn’t, but he does give her the equivalent. It is kind of interesting how they were able to tell the story in modern day New York but keep to the traditional Beauty and the Beast storyline. Kind of fun actually.
Alex Pettyfer (I am number four, Tormented) plays Kyle, the would be prince. Watching his character change through out the movie is one of the neat things about the Beauty and the Beast story. Alex does a great job and by the end I really liked him as the Beastly character, scars, tattoos and all. (I am assuming if you are reading this you have seen the trailer or at least posters or DVD covers and you know how Kyle looks) Vanessa Hudgens (High School musical, Bandslam, Sucker Punch) plays Lindy, Kyle’s love interest. There was a bit of a surprise for us, we didn’t know that Neil Patrick Harris (How I met your mother, Doogie Howser M.D.) was in it. He was wonderful as usual. We all really like him. Mary-Kate Olsen (Full house, New York Minute) plays the goth witch who casts the spell on Kyle. She was very believable and I am not taking a jab and I don’t mean anything bad by that. It was a good role for her, she owned it.
The music for Beastly was really good as well. The soundtrack goes along with the movie so well. I really like it when the music complements the story and this one does just that. Right from the very first song, Vanity by Lady Gaga. Every song just fits so well. The score is also amazing. The second time watching Beastly I paid a lot more attention to the music. There was a very familiar sound to the score. Turns out Marcelo Zarvos (Remember Me, The Door in the Floor) wrote the score. He also wrote the score for Remember Me which I absolutely love. He is a Brazilian Pianist and composer and his music is beautiful.
(By the way, I have read I Am Number Four. Pretty good read. It successfully filled in those gaps that the movie left. It is very different than the movie but I think they did all right transfering it to the big screen. They kind of can go together which is about all you can hope for when a book is made into a movie. It will never be the same, but it should add to the book and not take away from the reading experience)
Beastly isn’t a new and different story. It is Beauty and the Beast set in modern day New York. My girls and I had a lot of fun comparing it to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. At one point Kyle/Hunter needs a “thinking thing”, something he can do for her. We said he should give her a library. He doesn’t, but he does give her the equivalent. It is kind of interesting how they were able to tell the story in modern day New York but keep to the traditional Beauty and the Beast storyline. Kind of fun actually.
Alex Pettyfer (I am number four, Tormented) plays Kyle, the would be prince. Watching his character change through out the movie is one of the neat things about the Beauty and the Beast story. Alex does a great job and by the end I really liked him as the Beastly character, scars, tattoos and all. (I am assuming if you are reading this you have seen the trailer or at least posters or DVD covers and you know how Kyle looks) Vanessa Hudgens (High School musical, Bandslam, Sucker Punch) plays Lindy, Kyle’s love interest. There was a bit of a surprise for us, we didn’t know that Neil Patrick Harris (How I met your mother, Doogie Howser M.D.) was in it. He was wonderful as usual. We all really like him. Mary-Kate Olsen (Full house, New York Minute) plays the goth witch who casts the spell on Kyle. She was very believable and I am not taking a jab and I don’t mean anything bad by that. It was a good role for her, she owned it.
The music for Beastly was really good as well. The soundtrack goes along with the movie so well. I really like it when the music complements the story and this one does just that. Right from the very first song, Vanity by Lady Gaga. Every song just fits so well. The score is also amazing. The second time watching Beastly I paid a lot more attention to the music. There was a very familiar sound to the score. Turns out Marcelo Zarvos (Remember Me, The Door in the Floor) wrote the score. He also wrote the score for Remember Me which I absolutely love. He is a Brazilian Pianist and composer and his music is beautiful.
(By the way, I have read I Am Number Four. Pretty good read. It successfully filled in those gaps that the movie left. It is very different than the movie but I think they did all right transfering it to the big screen. They kind of can go together which is about all you can hope for when a book is made into a movie. It will never be the same, but it should add to the book and not take away from the reading experience)
Monday, July 4, 2011
The Hurt Locker
My family and I visited Washington D.C. this past week. We saw a lot of monuments and even went to Arlington National Cemetery. I got a little teary talking about going to Arlington but then when we went to the Vietnam Memorial I got very teary. I had a bit of a hard time getting my emotions under control. My girls where concerned and began asking questions. A lot of memories came flooding back to me as I tried to cipher through the emotions. The girls wanted to know why I was so emotional about the Vietnam memorial. I have always dreamed of seeing it one day and have seen so many beautiful photos of it that always make me teary. To be there was an amazing feeling that is hard to describe. I couldn’t hardly take it all in. I just walked along the wall trying to …….
I watched The Hurt Locker (2008) all alone. It is a very intense movie and I was engrossed the entire time. Kathryn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker, Point Break) directed The Hurt Locker. She shot it in a very real way. You felt like you were right there in the action with these men. Walking the streets of Iraq and into the buildings. IMDB (The Internet Movie Database) gives the best synopsis “Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.” I really can’t say it better than that. One scene I will never forget is a soldier trying to disarm a car that has been turned into an IED (Improvised explosive device) while Iraqis are all around watching him from a distance. I can’t even explain what it was like to watch. Because the movie was about an Army squad who did this there were a lot of these kinds of scenes. Very intense and unimaginable.
After the movie I had a conversation with my father who served in the Air Force. He didn’t go to Vietnam but was in the Air Force at the time of it. The Hurt Locker really stirred up a lot of thoughts about the differences and similarities of the Vietnam war and Iraq war. I can’t explain why, but I want to understand what these men go through. They sacrifice so much for us. I was asking my dad all of these questions. The Hurt Locker is rated R, which should really be no surprise. I really don’t enjoy hearing cursing in movies but I feel like in a military or war movie it is real and how they talk. I asked my dad about this and he said it is pretty mild compared to the real thing. There is another scene where the men get into a violent altercation in their room. I don’t know how these soldiers ever sleep. There is no down time. They are on high alert all of the time. So, when they explode and take it out on each other ……. well it is a very interesting scene. So, I asked my dad about that. He said that is pretty accurate as well. I want to know what is real and what is just Hollywood when it comes to those kind of things. I then began to ask about similarities between Vietnam and Iraq. I know they had a hard time knowing who exactly the enemy was in Vietnam, I believe so anyway. There was also a lot of Guerrilla warfare. I would think Iraq would be similar to that. My dad’s response was, “no, it is nothing like Vietnam.” He then became too emotional and our conversation ended there. He doesn’t really cry or get emotional and I try to be sensitive about those kinds of topics so I apologized and felt really bad.
While at the Vietnam memorial with my husband and daughters I told my girls this story, about watching the movie and about my dad getting emotional. They asked if he had friends who died in Vietnam. I told them I didn’t know and probably never would. I was reminded of an essay I wrote for English in 1989. It was about the memorial and the soldiers who served in Vietnam. Even at that young age I wanted to understand. There was a poem I had read about the hurt in the soldiers eyes; it really had an impact on me. I am not a writer and have never felt like that was one of my strong suits. I have come to realize that that is one of the reasons I was so hesitant to start this blog. I can talk, and I can talk all day about movies but doing this ….. it has become more about writing than I expected and therefore I am learning and growing from the experience.
War stories and our American Soldiers have always had a very special place in my heart. I have seen a lot of war movies covering many different wars. I cry at any thing involving our military and the sacrifices they make for us. I will probably never understand where those emotions come from and why it is so meaningful to me. Just like I may never know why my dad cried when talking about this movie and any time we talk about his service.
The Hurt Locker was a wonderful movie, not in a feel good make you happy kind of way, but still amazing. It is not surprising that it won the Oscar for best picture, in the end winning 6 Oscars total.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Footloose
So, I just found out that they are remaking this movie. Now don’t get me wrong. I have heard all of the rumors and followed the stories. Somehow I just figured it wouldn’t ever happen. Well, it is going to happen and yes I will watch it. But before I see the remake and tarnish my image of the old one I wanted to write about the original. Confession, I am a child of the 80’s and I love 80’s movies. I am a huge Kevin Bacon (Sleepers, Apollo 13, Mystic River) fan as well. As a matter of fact I have all of the Bacon Brothers CD’s. Having said that, I love Footloose (1984) I own the DVD and have the whole movie memorized. My favorite scene is of course when Ren is dancing alone in the warehouse. There are also some really good quotable lines in this movie. John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun, Cliffhanger, Harry and the Hendersons) is amazing as Reverend Shaw and Dianne Wiest (I am Sam, Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys) plays his wife. The way they grow as a couple, and as individuals, is so well done. And I can’t forget about Sarah Jessica Parker (The family Stone, Sex and the City, Ed Wood) She plays Rusty and this was her first movie and one of her first roles. She is Rusty! Footloose was directed by Herbert Ross (Steel Magnolias, Secret of my Success, Undercover Blues) I am a fan of his as well. I like his movies and his directing style. Footloose was probably one of the first movies that I started noticing camera angles, wide shots, close ups, all of those kind of things.
Being a child of the 80’s of course means I enjoy those coming of age teenage dramas. I like seeing the new kid trying to fit in, his struggle with a town that is so scared of losing their kids that they go overboard to protect them. It is a tough thing as parents to know where to draw the line. They are just trying to do the right thing. As Ren says, “there was once a time for this law, but not anymore.” Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the big picture and maybe it is time for a change. Footloose is a movie that makes me think. Does music have an influence on how we behave? Of course it does. How can it not? Can dancing be inappropriate? I have heard many stories of high schools today not having prom because of inappropriate or suggestive dancing. Does that mean they shouldn’t be allowed to dance at all?
My first thought was they can not remake a classic like Footloose. No one can ever replace Ren. But, I guess it does still transfer to todays teens and I know how my kids feel about 80’s movies. They usually roll their eyes when I put one in. It would be nice for a new generation to see the story and it will be interesting to see what they do with it. In my opinion it doesn’t really need updated. It can apply to any generation.
Being a child of the 80’s of course means I enjoy those coming of age teenage dramas. I like seeing the new kid trying to fit in, his struggle with a town that is so scared of losing their kids that they go overboard to protect them. It is a tough thing as parents to know where to draw the line. They are just trying to do the right thing. As Ren says, “there was once a time for this law, but not anymore.” Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the big picture and maybe it is time for a change. Footloose is a movie that makes me think. Does music have an influence on how we behave? Of course it does. How can it not? Can dancing be inappropriate? I have heard many stories of high schools today not having prom because of inappropriate or suggestive dancing. Does that mean they shouldn’t be allowed to dance at all?
My first thought was they can not remake a classic like Footloose. No one can ever replace Ren. But, I guess it does still transfer to todays teens and I know how my kids feel about 80’s movies. They usually roll their eyes when I put one in. It would be nice for a new generation to see the story and it will be interesting to see what they do with it. In my opinion it doesn’t really need updated. It can apply to any generation.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
This movie has forever changed my view of mermaids. Well, now that I think about it, they were pretty different in the Peter and the Starcatchers books as well as in the Harry Potter books and movies. Not that that is a bad thing. Just different. I really liked the mermaids in Pirates, even though they were very scary. They were very cool.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been a very fun one. As it usually goes I liked the first one best. It is just awesome. I know there is a lot of controversy about whether or not the other two were good. I enjoyed them all. They are just fun, I loved Will and Elizabeth and that whole story line. I do enjoy most of Orlando Blooms performances. He is fun to watch. I am not a huge Keira Knightley fan but liked her in the first two Pirate movies and she was fine in the third, didn’t really bother me.
This newest installment of Pirates is all about Jack Sparrow. In case you didn’t know Jack Sparrow is played by, and was created by Johnny Depp (Secret Window, Benny and Joon, Sweeny Todd) Huge fan of Johnny Depp right here. Lets be honest he has been the best thing about the whole Pirates franchise. Watching him play Jack Sparrow you can’t help but smile, and maybe chuckle a bit. This may have been his best Jack. I am a little biased so it’s hard to say, but he was great. Penelope Cruz (Blow, Vanilla Sky, Nine) played opposite Johnny Depp. They had great chemistry but this is acctually the second time they have worked together. She played Johnny Depp’s wife in the movie Blow (2001). So, of course she did great as the love interest. What can I say you kind of know what you are going to get with Cruz and she delivers. Feisty and gorgeous. Geoffrey Rush (Shine, the King’s Speech) returns as Barbossa and Ian McShane (Kung Fu Panda, Love Joy) joins the cast as Blackbeard, that was a fun twist.
All in all this was a fun movie with some very cool mermaids and Jack Sparrow antics. (However, I am a little bias when it comes to Johnny Depp.)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I Am Number Four
Sometimes when watching one movie it will lead me to various other thoughts. So I am not as interested in that movie as I am the other things that movie has made me think of. What can I say, I am easily distracted. This is what happened while watching I Am Number Four (2011) It is a very entertaining movie and I enjoyed it but I had this feeling I was missing something. So, I watched it a second time in an attempt to fill in the gaps in my mind. That didn't work. So, now I am going to buy the book and read it.
The book is generally better then the movie and sometimes they can even complement each other. I really like that when they go hand in hand and you can enjoy both. Goal this week - buy the book I Am Number Four.
Now back to the movie. Alex Pettyfer (Tormented, Beastly) plays John Smith or number four. He did a really good job. I enjoyed watching him; he is very interesting on screen. Note to self - keep an eye on Alex Pettyfer. It will be interesting to see where he goes. That was my other wandering thought. Watching I Am Number Four made me want to watch Beastly (2011). I found myself wondering about his performance in that role. The previews looked good and it was one I had already wanted to see but now even more so.
Enough side tracking. I Am Number Four, good movie, entertaining, cool CGI stuff and a good storyline. It was a little different and that was kind of nice for a change. I kind of felt like the end just fell back into the same old stuff but still liked it.
The book is generally better then the movie and sometimes they can even complement each other. I really like that when they go hand in hand and you can enjoy both. Goal this week - buy the book I Am Number Four.
Now back to the movie. Alex Pettyfer (Tormented, Beastly) plays John Smith or number four. He did a really good job. I enjoyed watching him; he is very interesting on screen. Note to self - keep an eye on Alex Pettyfer. It will be interesting to see where he goes. That was my other wandering thought. Watching I Am Number Four made me want to watch Beastly (2011). I found myself wondering about his performance in that role. The previews looked good and it was one I had already wanted to see but now even more so.
Enough side tracking. I Am Number Four, good movie, entertaining, cool CGI stuff and a good storyline. It was a little different and that was kind of nice for a change. I kind of felt like the end just fell back into the same old stuff but still liked it.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Shall We Dance
While visiting with a friend a few weeks ago she expressed concern over her nieces. They had said that Moulin Rouge (2001) is a beautiful love story. My friend was very upset by this comment. "That is not a love story!" she said. "It's not real, and teenage girls shouldn't view it that way." She has never even seen the movie and some of her other comments and concerns didn't really apply but that is neither here nor there. I can however see her point and I understand where she is coming from, I even agree in a way. Having said that I do have to admit that I LOVE Moulin Rouge. (Another blog maybe?) Not only that but my girls, ages 17 and 15, also love the movie. We watch it a lot.
Moulin Rouge may not be a "love story" and it may not be "real" but, Shall We Dance (2004) is. My girls and I watched Shall We Dance the other day. It is such a beautiful story I thoroughly enjoy it every time. John Clark, played by Richard Gere (Pretty Woman, Chicago, Primal Fear) is a very happily married man. He has a loving wife played by Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise, Lovely Bones, Dead Man Walking) and a loving teenage daughter played by Tamara Hope (The Deep End, Saint Ralph). He feels that something is still missing. The family is kind of in a bit of a rut. They just go through the routine of the day.
This leads to John taking ballroom lessons. In the beginning he takes lessons just to get to know Paulina. Paulina is played by Jennifer Lopez (Angel eyes, Maid in Manhattan, Monster-in-law, An Unfinished Life) He tells her, she looked on the outside the way he felt on the inside. What a statement. His daughter begins to notice how happy he is, then she and her mom begin to wonder at the change. John finds out that he loves dancing and it makes him happy. I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but it is very good!
About ten minutes into the movie my 17 year old daughter asked "Is he going to fall in love with his wife?" I will tell you that he does. He never really fell out of love with her but they do find a new passion. Shall We Dance is a beautiful, "real" story about marriage. It takes honesty, communication, room to grow and change to make a marriage work.
My husband and I were married at a young age. Some of the best advice my mom gave me was to give each other the time and space to grow. I believe that applies to every marriage no matter your age or how long you have been together.
One of my favorite scenes is when John and his wife Beverly finally talk about what has been going on. He tells her "The one thing I am proudest of in my whole life, is that you're happy with me. If I couldn't ..... if I couldn't tell you that I was unhappy sometimes, it's because I didn't want to risk hurting the one person I treasure most. I'm so sorry." By this point I am crying and my girls are laughing at me. This movie makes me cry no matter how many times I watch it. It didn't help that my husband walked in at that point and agreed with Richard Gere, "it's true, that is all I want is to make you happy."
Some movies have a way of becoming very personal to me. They just get under my skin and burrow their way into my being. Those are the ones I love the most!
Moulin Rouge may not be a "love story" and it may not be "real" but, Shall We Dance (2004) is. My girls and I watched Shall We Dance the other day. It is such a beautiful story I thoroughly enjoy it every time. John Clark, played by Richard Gere (Pretty Woman, Chicago, Primal Fear) is a very happily married man. He has a loving wife played by Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise, Lovely Bones, Dead Man Walking) and a loving teenage daughter played by Tamara Hope (The Deep End, Saint Ralph). He feels that something is still missing. The family is kind of in a bit of a rut. They just go through the routine of the day.
This leads to John taking ballroom lessons. In the beginning he takes lessons just to get to know Paulina. Paulina is played by Jennifer Lopez (Angel eyes, Maid in Manhattan, Monster-in-law, An Unfinished Life) He tells her, she looked on the outside the way he felt on the inside. What a statement. His daughter begins to notice how happy he is, then she and her mom begin to wonder at the change. John finds out that he loves dancing and it makes him happy. I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet but it is very good!
About ten minutes into the movie my 17 year old daughter asked "Is he going to fall in love with his wife?" I will tell you that he does. He never really fell out of love with her but they do find a new passion. Shall We Dance is a beautiful, "real" story about marriage. It takes honesty, communication, room to grow and change to make a marriage work.
My husband and I were married at a young age. Some of the best advice my mom gave me was to give each other the time and space to grow. I believe that applies to every marriage no matter your age or how long you have been together.
One of my favorite scenes is when John and his wife Beverly finally talk about what has been going on. He tells her "The one thing I am proudest of in my whole life, is that you're happy with me. If I couldn't ..... if I couldn't tell you that I was unhappy sometimes, it's because I didn't want to risk hurting the one person I treasure most. I'm so sorry." By this point I am crying and my girls are laughing at me. This movie makes me cry no matter how many times I watch it. It didn't help that my husband walked in at that point and agreed with Richard Gere, "it's true, that is all I want is to make you happy."
Some movies have a way of becoming very personal to me. They just get under my skin and burrow their way into my being. Those are the ones I love the most!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Unstoppable
I love it when that happens! While watching Unstoppable (2010) I kept having this feeling of Deja Vu. (Ha Ha ya' get it?) At first, I thought it was just because of Denzel Washington. Not really so, there was so much of Unstoppable that reminded me of Deja Vu (2006), similar camera angles, similar color scheme, hmm same directing style? I have been watching Deja Vu quite a bit lately, very good movie. But it wasn't just Denzel Washington that was giving me that Deja Vu feeling. Come to find out it was because of Tony Scott. Tony Scott directed Unstoppable, as well as Deja Vu. I really like his style.
There are a lot of things I take into account when selecting a movie to watch. Actors, storyline and of course the trailer can play a big part, however there are other things to consider, the director, the studio, the screenwriter all of these things I look at as well. Now I can add Tony Scott to that list. I know I enjoy his movies. When you have a head full of useless information it is kind of fun when pieces fall into place like that. It makes me happy when I can recognize a certain director.
A lot of questions ran through my head while watching Unstoppable. How plausible is this really? I mean I know it is based on true events so it really happened but how much did they tweek for Hollywood? I am a huge fan of the Mythbusters and I love the episodes when they test movie myths which of course are usually busted. But hey isn't that why we love Hollywood, the larger than life explosions, the unrealistic car chases, the incredible stunts. So, naturally while watching any movie based on a true story or based on actual events I always wondered where the truth ends and artistic licensing takes over. Just curious.
Anyway, a very entertaining movie. What can I say ..... anything with Denzel Washington is going to be good. He is just amazing on screen. I also am becoming a fan of Chris Pine (Star Trek, Just my Luck) I first saw Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009) and if you want to get right down to it I fell in love with his performance just from the trailer. I watched it saying, who it that guy? And wasn't disappointed when I finally saw his performance in Star Trek. The way the relationship between Denzel and Chris grows throughout the movie is very fun to watch. Not only is the movie an action flick but it also has some very good dialog, which sometimes you miss out on in action movies. It was kind of refreshing.
There are a lot of things I take into account when selecting a movie to watch. Actors, storyline and of course the trailer can play a big part, however there are other things to consider, the director, the studio, the screenwriter all of these things I look at as well. Now I can add Tony Scott to that list. I know I enjoy his movies. When you have a head full of useless information it is kind of fun when pieces fall into place like that. It makes me happy when I can recognize a certain director.
A lot of questions ran through my head while watching Unstoppable. How plausible is this really? I mean I know it is based on true events so it really happened but how much did they tweek for Hollywood? I am a huge fan of the Mythbusters and I love the episodes when they test movie myths which of course are usually busted. But hey isn't that why we love Hollywood, the larger than life explosions, the unrealistic car chases, the incredible stunts. So, naturally while watching any movie based on a true story or based on actual events I always wondered where the truth ends and artistic licensing takes over. Just curious.
Anyway, a very entertaining movie. What can I say ..... anything with Denzel Washington is going to be good. He is just amazing on screen. I also am becoming a fan of Chris Pine (Star Trek, Just my Luck) I first saw Chris Pine in Star Trek (2009) and if you want to get right down to it I fell in love with his performance just from the trailer. I watched it saying, who it that guy? And wasn't disappointed when I finally saw his performance in Star Trek. The way the relationship between Denzel and Chris grows throughout the movie is very fun to watch. Not only is the movie an action flick but it also has some very good dialog, which sometimes you miss out on in action movies. It was kind of refreshing.
Monday, May 23, 2011
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
What a good find! I stumbled across My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010) while browsing through Netflix watch instantly one day. Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?, Charmed) stars as Jesse Young, an adorable waitress who has Sunday dinners with her brother and uncle. At first I was a little hesitant about giving this movie a chance. I grew up watching Who's the Boss and then loved Alyssa Milano in Charmed but she has made some ......... interesting choices. You just never know what to expect with her.
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend was a very nice surprise. It is an adorable movie and surprisingly clean. I would call it family friendly. As soon as it got over I wanted to watch it again and I wanted my daughters, 17, 15 and 13 to watch it as well.
Warning! There will come a point while watching that you are really questioning Jesse and her motives. There comes a point at which she tells the Charlie Brown story to one guy and then turns around to the other guy and says pretty much the same thing! I was furious with her and ready to shut it off. But .... I couldn't do that and just had to see how it was all going to turn out. Then I said to myself, I am going to be really upset if this doesn't end well.
My mom is a fan of the first few minutes of a movie. I have to agree with her on that. It is very interesting to see how a director chooses to begin his story. What is the very first thing he wants you to see and hear? I really like that but, I have to say that I am also a huge fan of the ending. A really good ending can save just about any movie, and a really bad ending can end something I had enjoyed up to that point. This movie has an ending worth seeing!
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend was a very nice surprise. It is an adorable movie and surprisingly clean. I would call it family friendly. As soon as it got over I wanted to watch it again and I wanted my daughters, 17, 15 and 13 to watch it as well.
Warning! There will come a point while watching that you are really questioning Jesse and her motives. There comes a point at which she tells the Charlie Brown story to one guy and then turns around to the other guy and says pretty much the same thing! I was furious with her and ready to shut it off. But .... I couldn't do that and just had to see how it was all going to turn out. Then I said to myself, I am going to be really upset if this doesn't end well.
My mom is a fan of the first few minutes of a movie. I have to agree with her on that. It is very interesting to see how a director chooses to begin his story. What is the very first thing he wants you to see and hear? I really like that but, I have to say that I am also a huge fan of the ending. A really good ending can save just about any movie, and a really bad ending can end something I had enjoyed up to that point. This movie has an ending worth seeing!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Green Hornet
Questions, should I bother talking about movies I am not passionate about? Are people interested in reading about the movies if I am not that interested in writing about them? Should I talk about it because it is a new release? Ok - I love movies and they don't all have to be some deep wonderful thing that changes my life. I can enjoy them just for the entertainment value. However, there does have to be some entertainment value.
I am capable of just enjoying a "beach movie". I learned this term once in reference to books. There is what we call a "beach book", that is to say a very easy read, not real deep, it's not going to change your life, make you cry, you could just sit on the beach and read without a lot of thought. I now use that term for movies as well. However, as I said, there does have to be some entertainment value.
Why am I rambling on about this? Because my family and I watched The Green Hornet (2011). I was not impressed. If you liked Iron Man (2008) you will probably like this one. Rich man with daddy issues, daddy dies leaves snotty son the company; son is disrespectful to everyone including himself. You get the idea, very similar to Iron Man.
Good point, it did have some, Kato is played by Jay Chou (The Treasure Hunter, True Legend) who hasn't done a whole lot. He did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed him on screen. I will have to admit that I don't know much about the Green Hornet but is Kato supposed to be so much cooler? It seemed like he was the one running the show while the Green Hornet got all of the credit?
The special effects are awesome and very fun. I didn't care to much for the directing style but that is just me. The language was a little much to deal with as well. I know that may seem odd considering some of the movies I watch. I am really not a prude about language but it does have to at least make sense and fit into the story. I felt like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. Seth Rogen (Knocked up, Superbad, Pineapple express) played the Green Hornet and was one of the writers. I had a lot of issues with the writing, the dialog, the story, as I mentioned the language, some of the jokes. Then again I am not really a fan of Seth Rogen. I know he has fans and people really like him. If you fit into that category you will really like this movie.
Don't get me wrong I like comic books and I like a lot of the movie adaptations. I really enjoyed the Spider-man movies, the Batman movies, love the X-men movies. I am just not a huge fan of the Iron Man movies or the Green Hornet. Maybe it's the snobby playboy who is so full of himself he is blind to everything else around him. I don't really know.
I am capable of just enjoying a "beach movie". I learned this term once in reference to books. There is what we call a "beach book", that is to say a very easy read, not real deep, it's not going to change your life, make you cry, you could just sit on the beach and read without a lot of thought. I now use that term for movies as well. However, as I said, there does have to be some entertainment value.
Why am I rambling on about this? Because my family and I watched The Green Hornet (2011). I was not impressed. If you liked Iron Man (2008) you will probably like this one. Rich man with daddy issues, daddy dies leaves snotty son the company; son is disrespectful to everyone including himself. You get the idea, very similar to Iron Man.
Good point, it did have some, Kato is played by Jay Chou (The Treasure Hunter, True Legend) who hasn't done a whole lot. He did a wonderful job and I really enjoyed him on screen. I will have to admit that I don't know much about the Green Hornet but is Kato supposed to be so much cooler? It seemed like he was the one running the show while the Green Hornet got all of the credit?
The special effects are awesome and very fun. I didn't care to much for the directing style but that is just me. The language was a little much to deal with as well. I know that may seem odd considering some of the movies I watch. I am really not a prude about language but it does have to at least make sense and fit into the story. I felt like it was thrown in just for the sake of it. Seth Rogen (Knocked up, Superbad, Pineapple express) played the Green Hornet and was one of the writers. I had a lot of issues with the writing, the dialog, the story, as I mentioned the language, some of the jokes. Then again I am not really a fan of Seth Rogen. I know he has fans and people really like him. If you fit into that category you will really like this movie.
Don't get me wrong I like comic books and I like a lot of the movie adaptations. I really enjoyed the Spider-man movies, the Batman movies, love the X-men movies. I am just not a huge fan of the Iron Man movies or the Green Hornet. Maybe it's the snobby playboy who is so full of himself he is blind to everything else around him. I don't really know.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Remember Me
Move over Keith and make some room for Tyler! Keith (2008) is my all time favorite Independent film. However, that was before I watched Remember Me (2010). It is such a beautiful and amazing film. I love everything about it, the acting, the script, the music, everything. Director Allen Coulter(The Sopranos, Kingpin), who is from New York and has lived there forever, really takes you into the heart of New York and gives you a glimpse of Tyler's life, a 20 something guy trying to find himself. Coulter's camera angles are fantastic, the way he chooses to set up scenes is amazing, the way he lets the story unfold, everything about the directing is wonderful.
The script was written by Will Fetters, his first project to be made into a motion picture. What a great first! He felt strongly that this story needed to be told and found a great group of people that agreed with him. The score is by Marcelo Zarvos, whom I know nothing about. The music is beautiful both the score and the soundtrack. It is so subtle but moving. Everybody worked together so well to be accurate to the time, the attention to detail is amazing. Right down to the extras.
The acting is so well done by everyone. Ruby Jerins (Shutter Island, Nurse Jackie), who played Caroline, Tyler's little sister, is so talented. Keep your eye on her. She is going places. Janine, played by Kate Burton (127 Hours, Max Payne), is also a wonderful character. I love the relationships between all of the various characters, they are so well developed therefore the relationships are very developed. Tyler's relationship with Caroline is so touching and Ruby can really hold her own with Rob. They play off each other so well. Janine and Tyler also have a very neat relationship.
It is such an authentic, honest story dealing with how to live, how to overcome tragedy and grief. It is about maturing and learning how to bond with other people, really getting to know each other and letting someone in, so to speak, and learning to forgive.
I will never forget the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Just when you think you know what the movie is about, where it is going and what they are trying to say - you are surprised. In only two scenes you see what it is really about. I don't want to spoil that though. It is all so well done!
There are some movies that have such and impact on me that I am forever changed after watching them. This is one of them. As Michael says "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch" This film has left a fingerprint on my life.
The script was written by Will Fetters, his first project to be made into a motion picture. What a great first! He felt strongly that this story needed to be told and found a great group of people that agreed with him. The score is by Marcelo Zarvos, whom I know nothing about. The music is beautiful both the score and the soundtrack. It is so subtle but moving. Everybody worked together so well to be accurate to the time, the attention to detail is amazing. Right down to the extras.
The acting is so well done by everyone. Ruby Jerins (Shutter Island, Nurse Jackie), who played Caroline, Tyler's little sister, is so talented. Keep your eye on her. She is going places. Janine, played by Kate Burton (127 Hours, Max Payne), is also a wonderful character. I love the relationships between all of the various characters, they are so well developed therefore the relationships are very developed. Tyler's relationship with Caroline is so touching and Ruby can really hold her own with Rob. They play off each other so well. Janine and Tyler also have a very neat relationship.
It is such an authentic, honest story dealing with how to live, how to overcome tragedy and grief. It is about maturing and learning how to bond with other people, really getting to know each other and letting someone in, so to speak, and learning to forgive.
I will never forget the last fifteen minutes of the movie. Just when you think you know what the movie is about, where it is going and what they are trying to say - you are surprised. In only two scenes you see what it is really about. I don't want to spoil that though. It is all so well done!
There are some movies that have such and impact on me that I am forever changed after watching them. This is one of them. As Michael says "Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch" This film has left a fingerprint on my life.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Keith
Movies are an art form that I thoroughly enjoy. I really cannot get enough. I enjoy all types of movies, action, comedy, romance, sci-fi - all of it; one of my favorites is Independent films. The reason I enjoy Independent films, or Indies, is that they make you think. A really good movie, no matter what genre, will make you think even more so after it is over. The longer it stays with me after the movie the more I fall in love with it. That is what it was like with the indie film Keith (2008).
Keith is beautifully directed by Todd Kessler; the music is so well done and really adds to the feel and passion of the movie.
"It's time for the picnic scene" just one of many quotable lines from this movie. Keith is played by none other than Jesse McCartney who mostly does voices for animated characters such as Theodore from the Alvin and the chipmunk movies and some Tinkerbell and Kingdom hearts stuff. I never would have expected to see him in such a role. Ethan Phillips (Glory, the Island) plays the chemistry teacher that makes Keith and Natalie lab partners. Natalie is played by Elisabeth Harnois (One tree hill, Mars needs Moms) She does an amazing job as the very organized, together high school girl who has her whole future planned out. That is until she meets Keith.
"This is the crossroads" another good line. The dialog is so well done. There are so many great lines. Keith is based on the short story by Ron Carlson who was also involved in the screenplay. Throughout the movie Keith and Natalie act out various "scenes". It is kind of hard to explain but that is one of the funny, quirky things about their "relationship".
Natalie thinks she has everything all figured out, Keith is a bit of a mystery and the vaguer he is the more interesting he becomes to Natalie. Without spoiling anything, this is a very serious movie about life, friendship, decisions and love. Keith has a secret that will change Natalie's life forever; in turn she will change his. I really like the way they portray the changes in Natalie's life as things unfold.
"This is the goodbye scene" one of the more touching scenes. Every once in a while a movie comes along that somehow just becomes a part of me. It speaks to me in a way I can't explain, like a piece of art would. Keith is one of those movies!
Keith is beautifully directed by Todd Kessler; the music is so well done and really adds to the feel and passion of the movie.
"It's time for the picnic scene" just one of many quotable lines from this movie. Keith is played by none other than Jesse McCartney who mostly does voices for animated characters such as Theodore from the Alvin and the chipmunk movies and some Tinkerbell and Kingdom hearts stuff. I never would have expected to see him in such a role. Ethan Phillips (Glory, the Island) plays the chemistry teacher that makes Keith and Natalie lab partners. Natalie is played by Elisabeth Harnois (One tree hill, Mars needs Moms) She does an amazing job as the very organized, together high school girl who has her whole future planned out. That is until she meets Keith.
"This is the crossroads" another good line. The dialog is so well done. There are so many great lines. Keith is based on the short story by Ron Carlson who was also involved in the screenplay. Throughout the movie Keith and Natalie act out various "scenes". It is kind of hard to explain but that is one of the funny, quirky things about their "relationship".
Natalie thinks she has everything all figured out, Keith is a bit of a mystery and the vaguer he is the more interesting he becomes to Natalie. Without spoiling anything, this is a very serious movie about life, friendship, decisions and love. Keith has a secret that will change Natalie's life forever; in turn she will change his. I really like the way they portray the changes in Natalie's life as things unfold.
"This is the goodbye scene" one of the more touching scenes. Every once in a while a movie comes along that somehow just becomes a part of me. It speaks to me in a way I can't explain, like a piece of art would. Keith is one of those movies!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Hop
I took my 13 year old daughter to see Hop a few days ago. Now, what you should know about my daughter is .... she is a tomboy. She has never been into cutesy, girly, things and only wanted to see this movie because James Marsden (X-Men, Enchanted, 27 Dresses) is in it. We love the X-Men movies and enjoyed James Marsden's portrail of Cyclops. So, the movie got over and the first thing my daughter says is "that was a very weird role to see James Marsden in". I had to remind her that he was also in Enchanted and his role as Prince Edward was also pretty "weird".
Hop is a cute movie, entertaining but predictable. It is not the best script and wouldn't win any oscars or anything but you have to know that is not the kind of movie you are going to when you see the trailers. The screenplay was written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio who also gave us Despicable Me, Horton hears a Who and Santa Clause 2. What I really liked about the movie Hop is how clean it was. Which is a huge surprise considering Russell Brand (Arthur, Get him to the Greek, Bedtime Stories) is involved in it. Russell Brand does the voice for E.B., the Easter Bunny. He did a great job and even has a very funny cameo appearing as himself.
My daughter was not very impressed when it ended. We had a few laughs but she didn't seem very impressed. We love to quote movies and one of her comments was that it didn't have any good lines to quote. I pointed out that I enjoyed how clean it was.
I have heard and read so many comments about wanting a good family friendly clean movie. Well that is exactly what you get with Hop. So, if we finally get one shouldn't we like it and support it. I even found a few quotable lines. I pointed these things out to my daughter and we talked about it quite a bit. In the end we were laughing and decided that we really enjoyed it. If you ask her about it today she will say she loved it and probably will quote a few lines for you.
Now, this may sound like I talked her into liking it and you may think that isn't right. I don't really see it that way. I think it is one of my jobs as a parent to teach my children to enjoy art in all its forms and to look at things from every angle.
Hop is a cute movie, entertaining but predictable. It is not the best script and wouldn't win any oscars or anything but you have to know that is not the kind of movie you are going to when you see the trailers. The screenplay was written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio who also gave us Despicable Me, Horton hears a Who and Santa Clause 2. What I really liked about the movie Hop is how clean it was. Which is a huge surprise considering Russell Brand (Arthur, Get him to the Greek, Bedtime Stories) is involved in it. Russell Brand does the voice for E.B., the Easter Bunny. He did a great job and even has a very funny cameo appearing as himself.
My daughter was not very impressed when it ended. We had a few laughs but she didn't seem very impressed. We love to quote movies and one of her comments was that it didn't have any good lines to quote. I pointed out that I enjoyed how clean it was.
I have heard and read so many comments about wanting a good family friendly clean movie. Well that is exactly what you get with Hop. So, if we finally get one shouldn't we like it and support it. I even found a few quotable lines. I pointed these things out to my daughter and we talked about it quite a bit. In the end we were laughing and decided that we really enjoyed it. If you ask her about it today she will say she loved it and probably will quote a few lines for you.
Now, this may sound like I talked her into liking it and you may think that isn't right. I don't really see it that way. I think it is one of my jobs as a parent to teach my children to enjoy art in all its forms and to look at things from every angle.
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