Miss Kira Goes to the Movies!

Blog neglect!

2010-04-24T18:43:00.001-07:00

I never did get around to my Oscar wrap-up! Here's my rambling take on the Best Picture nominees:

Part One:

The first part of the Oscar marathon was fun but exhausting! I enjoyed all five films- well, it was hard to enjoy Precious, but it was so heartbreaking and well-acted. Not one I'll see again anytime soon, but I thought it was a great movie. Mo'Nique scared the crap out of me (WORST MOVIE MOM EVER!!!), Mariah Carey was surprisingly good (and unrecognizable), and Precious herself was perfect.

I'd already seen Up, but it was nice to see it on the big screen again.

A Serious Man was my favorite of the day, I think. Like I said earlier, the Coen brothers haven't let me down yet. Problem is, a lot of people probably didn't get it. It helps if you have Jewish friends who grew up in the Midwest! The movie is somewhat based on the Coen's lives growing up in Minnesota. The story is about all kinds of crap happening to a college professor- but it's funny. The ending is very typical Coen brothers. And how could I not love a movie that has a kid doing his bar mitzvah utterly shit-faced on pot...and doing it perfectly. Hee!

I thought Avatar was a lot of fun and pretty to look at for sure- not really the best movie ever, but I enjoyed it. The plot was fairly simple, the acting was so-so for the most part, but it was a good time! And I saw it in 3-D. District 9 was the one that surprised me- sure, it was violent and gory, but it was excellent storytelling. The Prawns were a bit scary, but at the same time, sympathetic. And both Avatar and District 9 had a similar theme- understanding aliens by actually becoming one of them (one willingly, one accidentally). Very similar stories with different results.

Part Two:

I loved everything except Inglorious Basterds. I hated that one at first because it was so relentlessly violent, though it certainly had good things about it.

I think An Education was my favorite from day 2. Simple story- girl in early 60's England gets "an education" when she is seduced by an older man. She has to grow up very quickly at the end. Carey Mulligan is so perfect in this movie! Lots of great supporting players, too. Alfred Molina plays Jenny's dad, Emma Thompson is the Headmistress of her school, and Peter Sarsgaard is the man who sweeps her off her feet.

Hurt Locker was a pretty amazing look at the Iraq war and the soldiers who disarm bombs and IEDs. Heart stopping doesn't even begin to describe it. Good cast, too-including Best Actor nominee Jeremy Renner, Ralph Fiennes in a cameo, and Anthony Mackie from We Are Marshall (he was good in that, too!). It was pretty hard to watch at times.

Up in the Air probably was the best timed movie of the bunch (because of all the layoffs happening), and George Clooney probaby gave his best performance yet.

The Blind Side- I love true stories that have happy endings, and I loved watching Sandra Bullock in this one.

Inglorious Basterds- I wanted to love this movie. It had a great cast, clever story...but it was just too violent to enjoy. A little less violence and maybe half hour off the running time, and it would have been one of the greats. It was so brutal! I wonder what it was like in the original Klingon. :p

My thoughts on the awards- Hurt Locker deserved Best Picture and Director (first woman to win! WOOT!), no doubt in my mind. I didn't see many of the acting nominees, but I'm glad Jeff Bridges finally won the big one. The Dude abides! Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique, and Christoph Waltz all deserved their wins. Waltz was the best thing about Inglorious Basterds!

The Star Trek francise won its first ever Oscar! It won for make-up.

Other than the Oscar marathon, I haven't been to the movies much in 2010. I did see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which was truly magical. It was entertaining and just plain gorgeous with eye-popping effects. I liked it more than Avatar! Seeing it in 3-D and IMAX made it even better. And Johnny Depp was awesome as The Mad Hatter.

I also saw Date Night- a slightly above-average comedy made terrific because of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey- and the most hilarious car chase I've seen on film in years (even better than the one in Pineapple Express!).

Nothing else really interests me right now. I'm looking forward to Robin Hood with Russell Crowe. I'm not sure what else is coming.

Well, crap.

2010-03-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

Corey Haim has died from an apparent drug overdose.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/10/breaking-actor-corey-haim-dead/?hpt=T2

It's sad, but I can't say I'm surprised. :( He never could conquer his drug problems.

He was in two of my favorite movies of the 80's- Lucas and The Lost Boys. And of course, he was the other half of The Two Coreys (the other being Corey Feldman).

What is with actors my age suddenly dying? It sucks. Haim was 38, same as me. Andrew Koenig (of TV's Growing Pains) was 41 (suicide). Who's next? :(

In other news- I did see all ten Best Picture nominees over the last two weekends- I'll do a wrap-up and my take on the Oscar winners later.

Good God, no!!!

2010-03-03T07:16:00.000-08:00

A movie version of Gilligan's Island is in the works. Do they really have to do it?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a206346/warner-bros-backs-gilligans-island-film.html

I knew Hollywood was losing originality, but this is ridiculous!

It's bad enough that T.V. is remaking Hawaii 5-O and (rumored) The Rockford Files. Do we really need Gilligan and company on the big screen?

Other T.V. shows turned into movies have bombed in the past (Land of the Lost, anyone?). The only reason The Brady Bunch was successful was because it was a spoof, and the Addams Family was more like Charles Addams' original drawings than the show.

The Oscar nominations are out!

2010-02-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

www.imdb.com/features/rto/2010/oscars

I've only seen one- Up, also nominated for Animated Film. I sure hope AMC Theaters is going to do the Best Picture marathon again this year- though it will have to be split into two weekends.

I'm going to pick up Inglorious Basterds, A Serious Man, and The Hurt Locker on DVD this week, so I'll get to see them at least. Mom and Dad loved The Blind Side, and they're sure Sandra Bullock will win Best Actress. But Best Picture, really? My aunt thought Precious was overwhelming but still one of the best movies she's ever seen.

Of the other nominees, I'm most looking forward to seeing Up in the Air, A Serious Man (the Cohen brothers haven't let me down yet!), and An Education. I love that Carey Mulligan got a Best Actress nomination for that one- she won't win, but she'll get other chances.

I wish A Single Man and Crazy Heart would play somewhere near me. I'd love to see the movies that got Colin Firth his first ever Oscar nomination and the one Jeff Bridges will likely finally win an Oscar for.

I think Stanley Tucci should have been nominated for Julie and Julia instead of The Lovely Bones. Would have been nice to see Matt Damon get a Best Actor nomination for The Informant! but a Supporting nod for Invictus isn't a bad deal, either.

Nice that Star Trek scooped up 4 nominations!

But the awards are probably all going to be about Avatar...

I think the acting awards will be: Either Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side or Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia; Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (though I'd love to see Colin Firth win); Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds; and Mo'Nique for Precious. I doubt there will be any surprises.

I really want Kathryn Bigelow to win Best Director for Hurt Locker...aside from the fact that she'd be the first woman to do so, she'd also be beating her ex James Cameron for Avatar.

Happy 100th birthday, Luise Rainer!

2010-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

One of the few early Hollywood greats still living. She won back to back Oscars, for The Great Zeigfield and The Good Earth...way back in 1936 and 1937.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0707023/

She pretty much retired before the 50's, but occasionally did television appearances well into the 90's.

The top ten lists for the decade...

2009-12-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

They're all coming out now, and I agree with some, not so much with others. I haven't even given a thought yet to my own list. And I have yet to see many of the best 2009 films.

"Best" and "Favorite" are not always the same thing, I've learned over the years. Some of the best films I've ever seen I never want to see again (1993's Schindler's List, for example), while favorite movies I want to watch over and over, even if they aren't the best (Spaceballs is still one of my all time favorites!). And I almost never agree with the Best Picture Oscar (the last couple of years were exceptions).

I know I won't be able to narrow it down to just ten for the best of the decade. And my top ten 2009 won't be complete until the Oscar marathon in February (which will be exhausting, now that there will be ten Best Picture nominations!).

So far my favorites for 2009 were Julie and Julia, Star Trek, Up, and Where the Wild Things Are. Next there's The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Informant!, both very strange but wonderful. Of course, there was also Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was mostly excellent, though I was disappointed in some changes from the book. Taking Woodstock is one more film I enjoyed that unfortunately didn't get a lot of attention.

What I hope to see soon (and fortunately, several are likely Best Picture contenders): An Education, Up in the Air, Precious, Nine, The Hurt Locker, A Single Man. I'm going to see It's Complicated tommorow night- my last film for 2009!

RIP, Patrick Swayze. :(

2009-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at age 57. Dirty Dancing was one of my favorite movies as a teenager. Later, I enjoyed his performance in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar as the drag queen "Vida Boheme".

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0990014/

Crap. Another icon from my youth is gone. 2009 has been a bad year for celebrities.

Harry and the Half Blood Prince and Julie and Julia...

2009-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I did get to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I enjoyed it for the most part, despite some questionable changes from the book- the attack on the Weasely home had me thinking, WTF was that? And what the writers did to Neville Longbottom was lame- Order of the Phoenix, he's one of the heroes, now he's reduced to being background. Poor Matthew Lewis. :( I worry about how Neville's big moment in Deathly Hallows will be treated now! On the other hand, the main trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint continue to grow as actors, and Grint especially got to shine. I liked having Quidditch back, and the romantic triangle of Hermione/Ron/Lavender (hilarious girl!) was a wonderful break from the more serious themes. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a lot about Voldemort's background, and the Snape/Prince reveal was too low-key. And Dumbledore's funeral isn't shown. But altogether, the movie was fun and visually exciting (if a bit slower than the others).

I was really looking forward to Julie and Julia- the always great Meryl Streep playing Julia Child? I am so there. And I was very happy with the movie. It's based on two books- the blog adventure of Julie Powell (played by the always adorable Amy Adams), who challenged herself to cook every single recipe in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year; and Child's autobiography. The movie goes back and forth between Child's life in France and her start in cooking, and Powell's often funny attempts to cook every recipe. "Lobster killer! Lobster killer!" One warning: Dan Ackroyd's Saturday Night Live skit about Child (which she supposedly loved) is even more disgusting on the big screen. "I've cut the Dickens out of my finger! Save the liver!" Ewwwwww (but LOL!).

I've only seen six movies this summer. Wow.

This teen of the 80s is very sad right now.

2009-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Writer/director John Hughes, who gave my generation movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Pretty in Pink, died suddenly yesterday at age 59. Though he had mostly retired from the Hollywood scene, his influence can still be seen in younger filmakers today. I don't think we would have had Juno or Rushmore without the smart humor of Hughes' films. He got teenagers in a way most writers couldn't grasp.

Ferris Bueller is still one of my all time favorite movies. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." RIP, Mr. Hughes, and thank you.

Two more summer movies down...

2009-07-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Up and Land of the Lost. Up is definitely one of Disney/Pixar's best. It's a fun fantasy about an old man who uses balloons to fly his house to South America. Great story, and terrific animation. Land of the Lost is both spoof of and homage to the Sid and Marty Croft televison show. It's not one of Will Ferrell's best, but there's a lot of laughs in it. Danny McBride steals the film just as he did Pineapple Express last year. And Matt Lauer of the Today Show has a hilarious cameo.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens next week, finally! I can't wait. The previews look so good.

And another great is gone...

2009-07-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

Karl Malden has passed away at 97. Wow. He lived a long time and made some great movies! The Oscar winner (Supporting Actor for Streetcar Named Desire) had retired years ago, but at any given time one of his movies will show up on television.

Of course, he's also known as the long time spokesman for American Express..."Don't leave home without it!"

Ten nominees? TEN???

2009-06-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Academy Awards next year will have TEN nominees for Best Picture. I think that's a little much! They should at least split it into Drama/Comedy like they do for the Golden Globes.

On the plus side, there's less chance of one obvious winner...

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0849330/

Go, Nia!

2009-06-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Nia Vardalos (of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) is blasting critics who make fun of her for getting the hunk in her latest movie, My Life in Ruins. Apparently, women who are somewhat chunky aren't allowed to get with hot guys. She points out the hypocrisy here: in other movies, chunky slobs like Seth Rogen (in his past films, not currently!) get the gorgeous women and that's somehow okay. Lame! It's nice that someone is sticking up for us "Plus Size" gals.

Link to story:

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0833084/

Summer movies so far...

2009-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Spoilers for some things...

Star Trek was awesome. I can't say enough about how much I loved it. The new cast is terrific, and I don't even mind the new alternate timeline JJ Abrahms has created. There's a whole new universe for this cast to play with (no Vulcan? Waaah!). I can't wait for the next one!

Night at the Museum: The Battle of the Smithsonian was entertaining, but not as good as the first one. Amy Adams is so charming- she's become one of my favorite actresses.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see Up. After that, maybe Land of the Lost, because Will Ferrell hasn't let me down yet. Then nothing until Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The trailer for that was exciting!

Yay!

2009-05-07T19:53:00.001-07:00

Star Trek opens tomorrow. I've heard nothing but good things about it...so I can't wait! I admit I was skeptical about a prequel, but I think it will be fine. I'm going to see it on Saturday. I'd love to see it in IMAX.

So this will be the first 2009 movie I'll see. Wow. I haven't been to the theater since the Oscar marathon. :( Too busy, and the movies I wanted to see most didn't play in my area.

Another sad goodbye...

2009-05-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dom DeLuise has died at the age of 75. The comedian was well known for small parts in movies such as Blazing Saddles, Cannonball Run, and Spaceballs. (PIZZA THE HUT!) He will be missed. :(

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0772220/

Another movie great gone...

2009-04-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

Composer Maurice Jarre, who did the scores for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zvihago, Fatal Attraction, and a Passage to India, died last week. He wrote some of the most memorable music for some of the greatest films!

He frequently did music for one of my favorite directors, Peter Weir: Witness, The Mosquito Coast, Dead Poets Society, and Fearless...and probably would have done Master and Commander had he not been retired by then. His last score was for the miniseries Uprising in 2001.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003574/

I can't wait!

2009-03-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Doubt is out on DVD next Tuesday! I think it was one of the best movies of 2008, and should have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar over The Reader.

This one is a must have for my DVD collection. Slumdog Millionaire will be out soon, too!

I hope to go see Monsters v. Aliens in the theater soon. I may have to wait until after Easter, because my weekends are pretty much booked until then.

Two weeks, two sad losses for the film world.

2009-03-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, actor Ron Silver died of cancer at 62. I had no idea he had been sick, so that was a surprise. He gave some really good performances throughout his career, in films such as Reversal of Fortune, and on television on The West Wing.

On Wednesday, Natasha Richardson died of head injuries from a skiing accident. She was the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, niece of Lynn Redgrave, the wife of Liam Neeson, and a damned fine actress in her own right. I remember her especially from The Handmaid's Tale and Patty Hearst. She was more of a stage actress, so her film appearances were a bit few and far between. She was just 45. A damned shame that she's gone.

Other movie notes- I picked up the DVDs for Milk, Rachel Getting Married, and Happy-Go-Lucky. I watched Milk the day I bought it, and it was just as fantastic as when I saw it in the theater. I'll watch the other two this weekend. I can't wait for Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, and Frost/Nixon to be released on DVD!

I did see Revolutionary Road in the theater, but for some reason, I never got around to reviewing it. I'll do it next week, as well as my final 2008 wrap-up.

I haven't been to the movies since the Oscar marathon. The only one I'm interested at the moment is Sunshine Cleaning, which stars Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, it's not playing anywhere near me. :(

2008 Oscars!

2009-02-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

YES!! Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Picture and Director (Danny Boyle), Kate Winslet wins Best Actress for The Reader, and Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk.

What a great year for movies!

Oscar Marathon!

2009-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have now seen all five Best Picture nominees.

This year it's a bit harder to pick what I think will/should win. Last year, I knew almost before the credits rolled that No Country for Old Men would be the winner, but this year I have two that are neck in neck in my opinion...and possibly the Academy voters', too! Milk and Slumdog Millionaire were the two best of the nominees. I really can't decide which should win Best Picture and Director. I'll be happy with either.

Milk was fantastic all around, and Sean Penn deserves to win his second Oscar for Best Actor. He really became Harvey Milk. My sister and I actually cried through a lot of it. I'm old to enough to remember his murder (and of San Fransisco's mayor), but I never really understood what it was all about. Penn had great support from Josh Brolin (as Dan White, who murdered Milk and the mayor- not because Milk was gay, but because White felt betrayed by both men), Emile Hirsch, and James Franco- who should have gotten a Best Supporting nod along with Brolin- as Milk's former love, Scott. This movie was put together so well.

Slumdog was the most original story I've seen in years- the tale of an uneducated boy from the slums who becomes a winning contestant on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? He is accused of cheating, and must describe how he knew the answers by using events from his life. It's hearbreaking, tragic, and even funny in places. I loved the music. I just loved the whole movie!

Next on my list is Frost/Nixon. I loved this one for the acting more than anything. It's a battle of wits between disgraced President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella, Oscar nominated for the role) and television host David Frost (Michael Sheen, who should also have been nominated). Frost wants to make Nixon admit publically that he did, in fact, break the law with the Watergate cover-up. It's not really a history tale, but it's interesting to see what Americans wanted from Nixon after he resigned. Oh yeah- there's a nice treat for fangirls of Obscure British Actors- in one of the last scenes, Matthew MacFadyen (from 2005's Pride and Prejudice) strips naked and runs into the sea. :p Two thumbs up for that scene.

Fourth- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a wonderful fantasy with a great story and fine acting. Fantastic work by Brad Pitt as the title character, who is born an old man and ages backwards. It was nearly three hours long, but I was so into the story that it passed by quickly.

Finally, The Reader. This was a weird one, in a way, and maybe the weakest of the nominees. It's an interesting story- a teenager (wonderfully played by newcomer David Kross) becomes involved with a mysterious older woman (Kate Winslet) who loves to have him read to her. She disappears from his life suddenly, only to appear as a defendant in a Nazi war crimes trial years later. He realizes her big secret, one that could affect her sentencing, but is so disgusted by her crimes that he remains silent. As an older man (Ralph Fiennes), he reaches out to her again by sending her tapes of him reading. It was a very well acted movie, and the beginning is rather shocking (if you're squeamish about sex scenes and nudity, you need to skip this one). I think Kate Winslet was nominated for the wrong movie, though. This was more of a supporting role. She should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road instead.

I honestly think that Doubt or Revolutionary Road should have gotten a Best Picture nomination over The Reader. This was a tough year!

I'm watching the awards ceremony right now. So far, the only winners I'm happy with are the Screenplays- Original went to Milk, and Adapted to Slumdog; and Animated Feature, Wall*E. I wish Viola Davis had won Supporting Actress for Doubt (Penelope Cruz won for Vicky Christina Barcelona- which I have yet to see).

Slumdog has also won Cinematography. So far, it has won two!

As far as the ceremony itself goes, I'm not too impressed by Hugh Jackman as host. The opening number was amusing, but not as good as anything Billy Crystal did when he hosted.

Heath Ledger has just won Best Supporting Actor- only the second actor to win posthumously. His family accepted for him. :( It will be held in trust for his little daughter until she turns 18 (by her mother, Michelle Williams).

Winner list here:

http://www.imdb.com/

Oscar Nominations!

2009-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

A lot of surprises, but none in the Best Picture category: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Reader. Excellent choices, I'm sure. I can't wait to see all of them.

Surprises: Richard Jenkins nominated for The Visitor, Melissa Leo for Frozen River. I hope both movies are on DVD soon, because they never played in my area. I loved Leo on television on Homicide- it would be awesome if she won the Oscar. I want Kate Winslet to win, though. She's overdue, and The Reader is supposed to be great. Also a surprise: Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder! I was kind of hoping Tom Cruise would get a mention, believe it or not. He stole that movie more than Downey. And Original Screenplay for WALL-E? Really? I loved that movie, but where was the screenplay? :p

Glaring omissions: No nomination for Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky. :( She's one of those actresses that deserves to be recognized, but always gets bumped in favor of big stars like Angelina Jolie. Another one: Revolutionary Road largely shut out, only getting a Supporting Actor nod for Michael Shannon, and Art Direction and Costume Design. And nothing for Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino, which a lot of critics expected him to get a Best Actor nod for.

No surprise at all: Heath Ledger's posthumous Supporting Actor nomination for The Dark Knight. He'll probably win, too.

No surprise here, either: Doubt scooped up four acting nominations: Actress for Meryl Streep, Supporting Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Supporting Actress for both Amy Adams and Viola Davis (who stole her one big scene, and if she wins, it will probably be one of the shortest winning performances ever!). Doubt was a great movie for actors.

So I definitely plan on going to the Best Picture marathon this year- I'm most looking forward to seeing Slumdog and Frost/Nixon. I'm clearing my calendar now, and will get tickets as soon as they are available.

http://us.imdb.com/features/rto/2009/oscars

Too early to predict, because I haven't seen most of the films yet: but Slumdog will probably sweep the major categories, with Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, and Viola Davis winning the acting awards. I'll definitely take notes in between films during the marathon for some categories.

I'm going to try to see Revolutionary Road this weekend- it's playing at Potomac Mills (where the Oscar marathon will be, too). I really loved that book, and I can't wait to see Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie.

I finally saw Burn After Reading on DVD last weekend- it was hilarious! Best Actor nominees Brad Pitt and Richard Jenkins were both in it. Pitt was a scream! And George Clooney was hilarious, too. A very weird movie. It's from the Cohen brothers, so that's no surprise!

I think I'll watch my DVD of Leatherheads this weekend. I haven't yet, and I loved that movie!

I forgot to post...

2009-01-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

I saw Doubt on New Year's Eve. It was easily the best movie I saw in 2008.

Description found at imdb.com:

It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence. Written by Miramax Films

Fantastic adaptation of the stage play, with Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius. She is just amazing. This is one of those movies that doesn't have a lot of action. It doesn't need any, because the characters and drama are so intriguing. I was completely drawn into the story. I hope this film is remembered at Oscar time!

Gone to the dogs!

2008-12-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

I saw Marley and Me last Saturday. It was a sad movie! Any movie about life with a dog will have a sad ending. It wasn't a great movie (there were some slow spots), but it was a pleasant hour and a half. The various dogs playing Marley were adorable, and I always like Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston. A solid B rating.

This week, I'm going to see Doubt, Frost/Nixon, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movies I really want to see, Rachel Getting Married and Happy Go Lucky, aren't playing anywhere near me. :(

Two weeks, two movies.

2008-11-29T21:21:00.000-08:00

I saw Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa two weeks ago. It was hilarious and in my opinion better than the first. Some of the plot was a bit like The Lion King, but was still very enteraining! I give it a B+.

Today I saw Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. They play a couple forced to spend Christmas with their families- both sets of parents are divorced, so there are four houses to go to- and four dysfunctional families to suffer through! Each family scene is funny, but a bit over-the-top. A solid B.

Still haven't gone to the movies...

2008-11-12T08:58:00.001-08:00

I just haven't had time to go out. I did watch Indiana Jones IV on DVD. I must say, it was way better on the big screen. This is definitely the kind of movie meant to be enjoyed best in the theater.

This week, a live journal community I belong to is celebrating the fifth anniversary of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with a watch-a-long...where we watch our DVDs at a certain time and comment live on the film's action and the stars. I missed the last viewing, so I'm looking forward to it. I love the movie...it's one of my all time favorites!

A dry spell.

2008-10-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

I simply haven't had the time to go see any movies. I missed Hamlet 2 and Burn After Reading. :( I don't know if I'll get to see The Duchess. I guess I'll stick to DVDs for a while! I'm going to pick up Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this week. I also have Leatherheads and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day to watch...if I can find the time!

Sad news...

2008-09-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Paul Newman has died at age 83. News just breaking.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/27/paul.newman.dead/index.html

Dammit. One of Hollywood's last truly great movie stars gone.

Movie plans for September.

2008-09-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Only three movies I want to see- Hamlet 2 (I meant to go last week, but was too busy); Burn After Reading (which looks fantastic!); and The Duchess (Keira Knightley in a costume drama. What's not to like?). Hopefully I'll get to see them. I don't know if The Duchess will play in my area.

Not much else coming. I'll have to be happy with DVDs for a while!

KM's Official End of Summer Wrap Up!

2008-09-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is "officially" over, and I managed to squeeze in ten movies, two of them (Get Smart and Mamma Mia!) twice.

Here's my top ten in order:

1. The Dark Knight- awesome.
2. Mamma Mia! Lots of fun. Saw it twice- second time was a sing-a-long!
3. WALL*E- Brilliant
4. Pineapple Express- Funniest movie of the year.
5. Indy IV- flawed with a WTF? ending, but a great time anyway.
6. Tropic Thunder- an excellent send-up of movie making in general and war movies in particular.
7. Step Brothers- Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are bad, bad, boys!
8. Get Smart- a fun movie, nice update of the T.V. series.
9. Hancock- entertaining, but the plot got confusing.
10. You Don't Mess With the Zohan- funny stuff.

Missed Iron Man and Kung Fu Panda. Still want to see Hamlet 2 and House Bunny.

Good summer quotes:

Pineapple Express-

Saul: Just sit back and get ready to enjoy some of the rarest weed known to mankind.
[he lights a joint and inhales]
Dale Denton: It's really that rare?
Saul: [exhales] It's, like, the rarest.
[he examines the joint]
Saul: It's almost a shame to smoke it. It's like killing a unicorn...with, like, a bomb.

Step Brothers-

Brennan Huff: I tea-bagged your drum set! *note- I didn't know what tea-bagging was before I saw this movie. I didn't want to know...*

Get Smart-

Siegfried: How do I know you're not Control?
Maxwell Smart: If I were Control, you'd already be dead.
Siegfried: If you were Control, you'd already be dead.
Maxwell Smart: Neither of us is dead, so I am obviously not from Control.
Shtarker: That actually makes sense.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-

Col. Dr. Irina Spalko: No defiant last words, Dr. Jones?
Indiana Jones: I like Ike.

Indiana Jones: [jumping out of the car] Big damn ants, go!

Tropic Thunder-

Alpa Chino: [why he's in the movie] I had to represent. Cause they had one good role for a black man, and they gave it to Crocodile Dundee!
Kirk Lazarus: Pump your breaks, kid, that man's a national treasure.

Hancock-

Ray Embrey: Did you shove a man's head up another man's ass?
Hancock: [nods]

*that one had to be seen to be believed...*

Well, that's it for the summer of 2008. With Harry Potter moved to next July, there isn't much I'm looking forward to this fall.

That was fun...

2008-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

I went to the Mamma Mia! Sing a Long on Monday. It was great! I wish more of the audience had actually been singing. I guess they didn't know all of the music. Everyone sang along with Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Waterloo, and Money Money Money, but I felt like I was the only one singing Honey Honey and Voulez-Vous.

"You can dance! You can jive! Having the time of your life...Ooooooooooo see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen!" *lol*

I always did like ABBA!

"Voice of the Movies" silenced...

2008-09-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Don Lafontaine has died. The King of Voiceovers did over 5,000 movie trailers and thousands more commercials over his career. What are movie trailers going to be like without his voice saying, "In a world..."? RIP.

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0559639/

Sing along with Mamma?

2008-08-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

I don't know if there's going to be a showing in my area, but I've heard that there will be Mamma Mia! Sing-a-Longs in some theaters. I hope I can find a theater! I'd love to do it. I had trouble not singing when I saw the movie last month.

Other movies- I will probably see Hamlet 2 on Monday. It looks like a total scream!

Heard the Thunder yet?

2008-08-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

I saw Tropic Thunder today. It was awesome! Hilarious, though not as funny as Pineapple Express. It's a great send-up of war movies and movie making in general. Five actors are dropped into the jungle by their director to make their performances more realistic- when the director is killed by an old land mine, they have to try to make their way back to safety. They are captured by heroin producers who think they're actually DEA agents out to shut them down.

The beginning is a series of fake movie trailers to introduce the audience to the actors- Ben Stiller's Tugg Speedman is an action hero who wants to be taken seriously; Robert Downey Jr.'s Kirk Lazarus is an Australian bad-boy Oscar winner who is so method he has his skin dyed to play a black soldier; and Jack Black is the star of gross-out comedies who wants respectability. They're joined by a rapper-actor (named Alpa Chino- genius!) who is rather offended by Lazarus and a young newcomer who idolizes the older actors.

It's great fun to watch these five actors struggle with the reality of their situation. There's a lot of movie-style blood and gore, though it's used for laughs rather than to scare. The funniest part of the movie is the film's financial backer- played by an unrecognizable Tom Cruise. He's vulgar and selfish, and has no problem with letting his big stars die rather than pay ransom demands (to collect on insurance later). Nick Nolte also appears as the phony war hero whose book the film-in-progress is based on, and Matthew McConaughey is Tugg's agent.

What? What? WHAT????

2008-08-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being moved to July 2009!

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20080814/121875456000.html

If they're holding it back this long, it had damn well better be good.

Funniest movie of the year!

2008-08-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

I saw Pineapple Express last night. I have never laughed so hard at a movie. I laughed until I cried- my make up was a disaster by the end.

imdb.com summary: "A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder." That's the whole plot right there. It needs no other description! This movie is definitely not for people easily offended by drug humor and bad language. Drug movies aren't my thing, but I got the jokes and just laughed all the way from the first joint smoked (the Pineapple Express of the title being tested by the military) to the last case of munchies (the potheads scarfing down breakfast in the last scene). Seth Rogen and James Franco are a scream as pothead and dealer, respectively. Danny R. McBride steals the show as the dealer's supplier...who is so out of it he manages to survive being shot multiple times! There were some terrific and hilarious fight scenes, and a car chase that left me unable to breathe because I couldn't stop laughing.

I think Cheech and Chong and Harold and Kumar have some competition! The stoner action comedy...I never thought such a film could be so damned funny.

Top 20 favorite movies? Only 20?

2008-08-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

That has to be the hardest question anyone could ever ask me. On a message board I frequent, there was a discussion of favorite movies of all time. One poster joked that choosing only 20 was like trying to choose a favorite child, and I agreed!

Here's my top 20...in no order.

Citizen Kane
Rebecca
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
LOTR trilogy (I count it as one)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Amadeus
American Beauty
A Christmas Story
Apollo 13
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars
Terms of Endearment
Beauty and the Beast
Chicago
Back to the Future
When Harry Met Sally
Manchurian Candidate (original)
Rear Window
Vertigo
West Side Story

Honorable mentions- Wizard of Oz, Time Bandits, Ghostbusters, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles.

Recent favorites like Atonement, Little Miss Sunshine, Sweeney Todd, WALL-E, and Hairspray will probably sneak into my all time favorites list eventually!

No surprise here!

2008-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight topped $400 million in record time- just 18 days! It took 43 days for the previous record holder, Shrek 2, to make that much. In another few days, TDK will become the highest-grossing comic book film ever, beating the first Spider-Man! Wow. I wonder what the final total gross will be- maybe around $500 million...but I doubt it will beat Titanic's record.

In other Dark Knight news, Morgan Freeman was in a bad car wreck on Sunday, and is still in serious condition. Here's to his speedy recovery!

The Dark Knight

2008-08-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

May be spoilers ahead...

Oh, my goodness. That was the best Batman movie ever. MUCH better than Batman Begins. And yes, Heath Ledger's performance makes the movie great...totally chilling, utterly unforgettable. His Joker is amazing, full of malice, bitterness, cruelty, and dark humor. But the other performances were damn fine too- Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman; Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon; Michael Caine as Wayne's loyal butler Alfred; Morgan Freeman as Wayne's gadget guru Fox; and Aaron Eckhart as D.A. Harvey Dent. And Maggie Gyllenhaal is far superior to Katie Holmes as Wayne's childhood friend, Rachel.

There were lots of scary, tense bits (such as the hospital evacuation and the the ferries playing chicken with bombs), and Dent's transformation into Two-Face is gruesome and sad. There's plenty of action and noise, but it's not gratuitous. For a comic book-turned into film, this one has a lot of emotion, too. The death of Rachel tears at Bruce, and drives Dent into madness.

What a shame we'll never see Ledger on screen again.

Quotes:

Harvey Dent: You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Joker: Here's my card. *tosses the joker playing card on the table*

Naughty but funny...

2008-07-29T05:15:00.000-07:00

I saw Step Brothers on Saturday. It was so disgusting in parts (I cringed at the "balls on the drum set" scene)...but I laughed at every damn joke in it! Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are the step brothers of the title, and they hate each other at first. It's hilarious to watch two overgrown boys battle each other. I was afraid that the only funny scenes had been in the trailer, but there was a lot more! It was sort of a guy flick, but that's okay. A movie called "Step Sisters" would not have worked- really, has anyone ever seen two women fighting over a drum set, wrecking a house, or trying to bury each other?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838283/

Bring on The Dark Knight!

2008-07-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I finally watched Batman Begins- so I'm ready for the sequel. I liked it, though there was too much of character intros and not enough story. Once the action really starts, though, it was pretty awesome! I think I like Christian Bale better than all of the other movie Batmans. He really looks the part of the brooding billionaire/crime fighter.

Downside- Katie Holmes added nothing to the story. She can't act. I'm glad she was replaced for the sequel.

Mamma Mia!

2008-07-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Four stars!

I loved ABBA as a kid. I had to bite my tongue to keep from singing along.

The story is a bit lightweight- girl is getting married, invites the three men who could be her father without telling her mom they're coming, chaos ensues...but it was a fun, joyful two hours in the theater. Most of the cast could sing really well.

Great cast! Meryl Streep was at her best, and it was a hoot to hear her singing ABBA songs. Pierce Brosnan was the only cast member who really couldn't sing well, but he made up for it with charm. Colin Firth seemed a bit Darcy-like at first (hey, he can never fully escape that role), but the character loosened up through the movie. And Christine Baranski and Julie Walters stole the show as Streep's pals. The younger leads were good, too. And the chorus (a Greek chorus, hee!) was perfect!

The scenery was beautiful. I so want to go to Greece now!

Most of the best ABBA songs were here (if not actually sung, they were instrumental versions). They weren't just thrown in. They actually fit in with the story- like Money, Money, Money and The Winner Takes It All. When Streep sings Slipping Through My Fingers, I almost started crying! Baranski nearly brought down the house with Does Your Mother Know. And of course, I wanted to sing along with Mamma Mia! and Dancing Queen.

DVD watching!

2008-07-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of time on my hands while I'm house sitting this week. I brought along a bunch of DVDs to watch. Tonight I watched Atonement. Tomorrow night I'll watch Sweeney Todd. I plan to watch Batman Begins...so I'll be prepared to see The Dark Knight! I also plan to watch Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World for the millionth time.

Tomorrow I'm going to see Mamma Mia! in the theater. Dark Knight will have to wait- it will be too crowded!

Another summer movie down!

2008-07-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

My nephew wanted to see Hancock today, so I went with him. It was pretty good- a bit slow in parts, but Will Smith was great as usual. It wasn't very funny. The previews made it look like a comedy. There were a few funny bits, but it takes a bit of a serious turn. It was a different kind of superhero movie!

The previews didn't interest me much. I've already seen The Dark Knight preview about six times! I think the summer movie rush is about over. I hope the preview for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will attached to something I want to see. There's not much left!

Disney/Pixar does it again!

2008-07-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

WALL-E was great! Easily the best Pixar movie to date. Great story, characters, visuals. Very little dialog! The movie presented a rather depressing future, with Earth becoming so polluted that humans have to go into space- where they are so pampered by machines that they get fat and lazy. Yikes. I loved WALL-E, the little garbage compactor-bot left on the ruined Earth in the 28th Century. He meets the probe EVE, who is sent to find life. He follows her back to the colony ship, and has an adventure in trying to bring the humans home.

I also loved the slight dig at big-box stores like Wal-Mart- the Buy-N-Large corporation of the film controls everything. The world leader is a CEO instead of a president or prime minister.

WALL-E's obsession with the "ancient" movie Hello, Dolly! was amusing.

There was a nice little short at the beginning. I hope it will be on the DVD.

Not sure I'll go see Hancock- the reviews have been mixed, but word of mouth is pretty good. I may wait a while for the crowds to go down.

I wasn't planning on it...

2008-06-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

...but I saw Get Smart again today. My sister and nephew wanted to see it, and I went with them because I had nothing else to do today! It was better the second time- I was able to hear the jokes more. I missed a few because there was so much noise (especially laughter!) the first time I saw it.

Planning on seeing Hancock and WALL-E this week- but I also may end up going to see Indy 4 again!

The summer movies really haven't interested me much this year. After Mamma Mia! and The Dark Knight, there isn't anything else I want to see.

Some silly fun!

2008-06-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

I saw You Don't Mess With the Zohan today. It was hilarious. Adam Sandler is not normally my cup of tea, but this blend of ridiculous plot and wacky characters won me over.

imdb.com summary:

"An Israeli Special Forces Soldier fakes his death so he can re-emerge in New York City as a hair stylist."

Yep, that's the plot. Absolutely insane, but fun. Nice little "Can't we all get along" message, too.

Would you believe...

2008-06-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

..Get Smart is actually good? I laughed all the way through it. Hooray for Steve Carell! Bigger hooray for Alan Arkin as The Chief! It wasn't brilliant, but a fun romp and a fine adaptation of the television series. Three stars.

Also on the summer movie front, I loved Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, despite some re-used plot devices and the bizarre ending. I plan to see it again. I'll write a longer review then. Three and a half stars for now!

I'm probably going to see You Don't Mess With The Zohan this week, then Hancock. I'm looking most forward to Mamma Mia!, though.

RIP, Sydney Pollack...

2008-05-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

Another one of the greats is gone. The producer, director, and actor died of cancer at 73 on Monday. He directed Tootsie, one of my favorite films of all time, and won Oscars for producing and directing Out of Africa in 1985. Most recently, he appeared in Michael Clayton as George Clooney's boss. He really was a good actor, too! I especially enjoyed his "Silence is Golden" ad for movie theaters- "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting your phone call?". He will be missed.

Not a good year for the film industry, is it? Director Anthony Minghella also died recently. He and Pollack produced films together, including Cold Mountain.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy Stewart...

2008-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

100 years ago today, James Stewart was born. To celebrate, Turner Classic Movies ran a marathon of some of his best films. I only got to watch the end of Vertigo and then all of Rear Window- two of my favorite movies of all time. I remember going to see them in a theater as a child- at a Hitchcock film festival. Stewart was one of the great actors. I'm thankful for channels like TCM that continue to show the really good old movies!

A new movie and a classic!

2008-04-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

I forgot to update last week- I saw Leatherheads the Friday before last. It was a hilarious screwball comedy about the beginnings of professional football (obviously not a true story!). George Clooney directed and starred with Renée Zellweger. It was set during the 1920's and Prohibition. I loved the costumes. Zellweger was just born to play characters from this era (like Chicago), and she and Clooney worked very well together. I'm sorry this didn't do that well at the box office. The football scenes were so much fun. This was a great movie for guys and girls!

Last week on American Movie Classics, they aired WarGames to celebrate its 25th anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long. I was in the sixth grade when it came out! It's a little dated now (loved the old computers!), but the idea of someone hacking into the defense computers is still a scary thought. It was also fun to see a young Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy, both in their first big movie roles.

Not much in theaters now that I want to see. I might see Baby Mama next week- it looked good.

Funniest movies ever? Meh.

2008-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

I only watch Bravo's series of "100 best" shows when I'm sick or bored. Today I was a little of both, so I watched a repeat the 100 Funniest Movies. I have to say I don't agree with their choices. Honestly, There's Something About Mary ranked higher than The Producers, Blazing Saddles, M*A*S*H, and Dr. Strangelove? No Spaceballs on the list at all? Animal House over Airplane? What the heck was Shrek doing in the Top Ten? That was funny but hardly one of the greatest. I think I like AFI's funniest film list better. It relies more on smart comedies as opposed to gross-out films like American Pie. That was another problem with the Bravo list- too much new stuff like Wedding Crashers and too few classics. The selection panel (or however they did it) must have been made up of men in their 20s-30s.

Oh, well, it's just my opinion. Personally I'm sick of gross-out comedies- it's okay in small doses, but not when the entire movie is based on it. I like good parodies and well written dialog, with some visual humor thrown in.

is happy

2008-04-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just picked up the Sweeney Todd DVD. Don't know when I'll get to watch it, but it's mine!

There Will Be Blood is out tomorrow. I don't know if I want to own that one or not. I still haven't picked up Michael Clayton.

Almost missed it!

2008-03-28T16:46:00.001-07:00

My mom and I saw Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day last night. It was the last night our local theater had it. I'm surprised we had it at all!

It was a delightful movie. I think it may end up being my favorite of 2008.

Set in 1930's London, the film tells the tale of Miss Guenevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), a mousy, starving governess who can't find steady work. She steals an appointment card from the employment agency, and finds herself as the social secretary to an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Over the next twenty four hours, she helps Delysia sort out her various boyfriends and get a part in a West End musical. She undergoes a transformation of her own, and in the end, helps Delysia find her true love and true self.

There are lovely performances in this movie. Amy Adams is so adorable, and Frances McDormand is believable as Miss Pettigrew. Lee Pace is fabulous as Michael, the poor pianist Delysia really loves. Shirley Henderson is perfectly nasty as a conniving fashion queen who knows Miss Pettigrew isn't what she says she is, and tries to blackmail her into getting back her boyfriend (Ciarin Hinds).

The film's atmosphere is perfect- from the grim beginning with Miss Pettigrew at the soup kitchen, to the shopping/makeover frenzy Delysia takes her on (the lingerie show is a hoot!), to a wild party, and finally a jazzy nightclub. The costumes were fantastic. I was drooling over some of the clothes...I think I may have been born in the wrong decade! There are a few heavy moments, such as an air raid (the film takes place just before WWII breaks out), and the glimpses of poverty- the Great Depression of the 1930's was world-wide. But otherwise, the film is a bright, happy treat.

I'm still looking for the novel by Winifred Watson. My library doesn't own it, and it has only recently been reprinted.

dies from the cute

2008-03-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Possible spoilers ahead....

I went to see Penelope on Friday. It was adorable. It was a nice, sweet piece of candy after all of the gloom and doom of the Oscar winners. There aren't enough movies like this- the ones that are funny, cute, and sweet without making the viewer want to throw up. The last one I can think of was Enchanted!

How can someone not love a tale of a girl cursed with a pig's nose until she finds true love with one of her own kind? Yes, that is the plot, such as it is. It doesn't need to be any deeper than that. There are charming performances all around, from Christina Ricci as the cursed girl of the title to James McAvoy as a potential suitor who isn't what he seems. Reese Witherspoon appears briefly as a friend to Penelope when she leaves home for the first time. There's also Peter Dinklage as a reporter who tries to expose Penelope's secret (and has a change of heart about that), Catherine O'Hara as her overprotective mother, and Simon Woods as the nasty Edward, a blue blooded suitor who is afraid of Penelope. It was hard to think of the nice Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice as the bad Edward, but he was perfectly nasty and snobby.

I loved Penelope's delight at being out in the world for the first time. The movie is very colorful and playful in showing Penelope's world, both behind the walls of her home and beyond them. The whole Penelope/Max romance was a little bit rushed, but it is a fairy tale after all. Finally, I loved the film's "I like myself the way I am!" message. No magical first kiss to break the curse- it's more like Dorothy saying "There's no place like home".

This movie was on the shelf for two years. What a shame. It could have been seen and enjoyed so much sooner! And of course, it's getting trampled at the box office by 10,000 B.C.- give me pig-faced girls over woolly mammoths any day, please.

I would not be a very good Torchwood fan if I didn't point out that Burn Gorman (Dr. Harper) has a small role- he's the boss of the reporter. I'm wondering if his part got cut. His American accent was weird. Some British actors just don't do them well.

More sweetness and fluff at the movies next week for me- I'm going to see Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It's based on a forgotten 1930's novel that is being rediscovered. It looks good.

12 hours, 5 movies!

2008-02-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

AMC Theaters had an Oscar marathon on Saturday- all five Best Picture nominees. My mom and I went. She'd already seen Michael Clayton, and we'd both seen Atonement, but we enjoyed seeing them again.

Michael Clayton: It was a well-written, perfectly acted thriller with a style very similar to 70's classics such as All the President's Men. George Clooney deserved his Best Actor nomination, and if it had been any other year, he should have won! I was very happy that Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress. That was one of the few surprises from last night's ceremony!

There Will Be Blood: An epic loosely based on Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! It was a wild ride, and in some places quite bizarre. It was a very interesting look at the oil industry in the early 20th Century, and what people would do to get ahead in the business. Daniel Day Lewis probably gave the performance of his career, and won his second Oscar for it. His character was conniving, heartless, and intense. I was surprised that there was so much humor throughout the film. Grim humor, but humor. "I drink your milkshake!!!" Hee. That was unexpected. I wish Paul Dano had gotten a Supporting Actor nomination as the rather hypocritical young preacher (there were shades of Elmer Gantry in his performance).

Atonement: I'm glad I got to see it twice. I loved this movie. I think it was my favorite of 2007. I loved the book, and it translated to the screen very well. I had no trouble with the time shifting/different character points of view (a quibble some viewers had). The acting, costumes, score, and photography were all perfect. I was disappointed that the only Oscar it won was for Original Score. It should have won Cinematography, and I'm still surprised that James McAvoy didn't get a Best Actor nomination.

Juno: I enjoyed this movie. I really did. Ellen Page is a terrific young actress, and I hope to see her in movies for many years to come. But I really don't understand why it got a Best Picture nomination. I felt that way about Little Miss Sunshine last year, too- and that was my favorite film of 2006. Juno was a well-written, touching, hilarious, heartbreaking, and charmingly acted film about a pregnant teen who searches for a perfect couple to give her baby to. But a Best Picture contender? Not really. That's just my humble opinion, though. I won't argue with its win for Best Original Screenplay, though- even though I thought Michael Clayton was far better. It's nice to have a comedy win a major Oscar.

And the winner is:

No Country For Old Men

Wow. That was really something. Another book adaptation (a novel by Cormac McCarthy) that was nearly perfect. And it's typical (meaning brilliant and bloody) fare from writers/directors Joel and Ethan Cohen. Murder, drugs, theft, morally ambiguous characters, dark humor, an ending that doesn't tie everything up neatly (and no happy endings, either)- it's all there. Great acting from Josh Brolin (another one who should have gotten a Best Actor nom but didn't!), Tommy Lee Jones, and Best Supporting Actor winner Javier Bardem. This was one of the few Best Pictures I've agreed with in recent years (hello, Crash over Brokeback Mountain, WTF??).

My rankings:

No Country For Old Men
Michael Clayton
Atonement
There Will Be Blood
Juno

So my viewings of the films of 2007 in the theaters is officially over. Bring on 2008! If AMC does a Best Picture Marathon in 2009, I am there.

Oops!

2008-02-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

I forgot one movie on my 2007 list- Fred Claus. 3 stars for that one.

A quick Oscar note- my mother and I are planning to do the Oscar marathon at the nearest AMC theater. All day, all five Best Picture nominees: Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, Atonement, Juno, and There Will Be Blood. This should be a great deal of fun.

2007 in review...

2008-02-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Better late than never. I didn't see as many movies in the theaters as I thought. But here's a rundown:

Blades of Glory- 3 stars. Good, silly Will Ferrell fun!

Shrek the Third- 2 1/2 stars. Entertaining, but the charm has worn out.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End- 3 stars. A mess, but fun.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- 3 1/2 stars. I saw it three times in the theater.

Hairspray- 4 stars. My favorite film of the summer. I love musicals.

Ratatouille- 3 stars. Another excellent Disney/Pixar film. Much better story than Cars.

The Simpsons Movie- 3 stars. Fun, hilarious big screen adventure of TV's favorite dysfunctional family.

The Golden Compass- 3 stars First part of the His Dark Materials Trilogy- a lavish production. The film was a little rushed and themes were toned down from the book, but it was enjoyable. Unfortunately, it did not do well at the box office in the U.S., so it's unlikely that the remaining two parts will make it to the screen.

Enchanted-3 1/2 stars. Probably the most fun I had in the theater in 2007 (except for Hairspray). A delightful send-up of the Disney princess craze and Disney movies in general- with an animated princess banished to the real world of New York City.

Sweeney Todd- 3 1/2 stars. Gory and haunting adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical. Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton team up once again. Sondheim's music is mostly intact, and Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman can really sing. It's a little too intense. I spent large portions of the film covering my eyes!

Atonement- 4 stars. Best movie I saw in 2007. Excellent adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel. Beautifully shot and acted. A four hankie movie if ever there was one- the end of the film is heartbreaking.

Still hoping to see: Kite Runner, Michael Clayton, Juno, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. The last four and Atonement are this year's Best Picture Oscar nominees.

2007 was another good year for movies. 2008 and 2009 look a bit gloomy with the WGA strike still going on (though it may be over this week). There are still plenty of films already in the can, however, and I already have a list of what I'm looking forward to:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull- the title has me thinking WTF?, but it will be nice to have Harrison Ford back as Indy.

Mamma Mia- an adaptation of the hit Broadway show- a story about a wedding set to the music of ABBA. I loved ABBA as a kid. I'm getting "Dancing Queen" in my head now.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- Duh. Of course I'm looking forward to this one!

Star Trek- officially, Star Trek XI- but it takes place long before the original show's adventures. I can't wait to see what the new cast and crew does with the franchise. It needs some refreshing.

A long drought...

2008-01-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

I went a full month between movie theater trips! I did manage to catch up on some films, though. In three days, I managed to see The Golden Compass, Enchanted, and Sweeney Todd. Last Friday I saw Atonement, which was definitely the best movie I saw this year! I'll post longer reviews and my year in review later this week.

Christmas is Coming!

2007-11-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's time for the onslaught of holiday movies both in theaters and on television. I've already seen Fred Claus, which I enjoyed very much. It is full of every holiday feel-good movie cliché a moviegoer can think of, but it's still fun. Vince Vaughn plays the type of character he's best known for- a fast-talking, lovable imp. He is Fred, never do well older brother to the saintly Nick (Paul Giamatti), also known as Santa Claus. Fred goes to work at the North Pole, and chaos reigns. Best scene in the movie: Fred is chased through the streets of Chicago by a dozen angry Salvation Army Santas, and eventually dog piled by them in a department store. The North Pole sets were suitable colorful and corny. And I was very amused to see the rapper Ludacris digitally shrunk down to elf size. Vaughn and Giamatti work well together- and it's fun to watch Fred and Nick argue. I think this will be a classic!

One thing I look forward to every year is the 24 hours of A Christmas Story that airs every Christmas Eve. That is one holiday movie I will never get sick of. "I triple-dog dare you!" The leg lamp, Ralphie's bunny suit, the flag pole...it never gets old.

Another favorite of mine is Elf. Will Ferrell is terrific in this sweet movie. Like Fred Claus, it's corny and clichéd, but enjoyable all the same.

A Muppet Christmas Carol is another one I try to watch every holiday season. You can't go wrong with the Muppets! Michael Caine is a great Scrooge. And the film is very true to Dickens- if you can get past Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit!

It wouldn't be Christmas without television repeats of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (not the overblown Jim Carrey feature) or A Charlie Brown Christmas. I look forward to watching them...and if I miss them, I know I can always find them at the library.

I may be one of the few people out there who really doesn't care all that much for Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life. They're all right, but I don't go out of my way to see them. And I liked Tim Allen's The Santa Claus, but it's not one I watch over and over.

Of course, these are all very secular films. Only The Nativity (which I have yet to see) seems to be about the real meaning of Christmas!

Nuke Your Neighbor! A WWIII film sampler.

2007-10-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

I grew up during the last years of the Cold War. I was a pre-teen in the early 80's, at a time when films about nuclear war seemed to be everywhere. The best known, the "Big Three", were The Day After, Testament, and Threads.

I was 12 when The Day After aired on ABC in November 1983. I was sick and home alone with the stern instructions from Mom to not watch the movie. Naturally, I ignored her warnings, and boy, did I regret it. I was so scared that I couldn't sleep for a week! Kids at school talked about it for ages after. The scenes of the missiles headed for the Soviet Union and the bombs hitting Kansas City and the surrounding areas are still pretty scary today. What doesn't hold up today is the hokey soap-opera storylines. And I get a laugh from watching Jason Robards survive the Kansas City blasts by ducking under his Volvo's station wagon. Come on, those cars are good but not THAT good! The cast was mostly unknown at the time- Steve Guttenburg, JoBeth Williams, John Cullum, Amy Madigan, and John Lithgow. The performances were generally good, and I still get a bit of a chill hearing Lithgow's final line: "Is anybody out there? Anybody at all?"

On a smaller scale, but somehow more devastating, is Testament (1983). Instead of seeing the destruction of large cities, the viewer witnesses what happens to a small town in the months after a surprise attack on the United States. Jane Alexander gives probably her greatest performance here as a mother holding what's left of her family together after a bomb destroys nearby San Fransisco. Her neighbors and children die off one by one, and it is very hard to watch. There are no special effects. There is no explanation given for the attack- all the news they get comes from an old man's CB radio. It doesn't matter- they are going to die no matter who fired first. And that's the point- this little film is about the people who are affected by war.

The last of the "Big Three" is Threads (1984). This one I didn't see until I was grown up and the Soviet Union was no more. I'm glad I waited to see it. It makes The Day After look like a trip to Disneyland. This time, the viewer sees WWIII from a British perspective. It begins with a young couple in Sheffield, England, preparing for a wedding as tensions in the Middle East grow. The man and woman are oblivious about the crisis until "Protect and Survive" films start showing on television. Everything deteriorates quickly, and Britain is hit with 80+ megatons. The film gruesomely depicts the lead actress struggling to survive the post-nuclear wasteland that was once Sheffield. There are no happy endings here- just charred corpses, no food, radiation sickness, rape, murder, looting, and birth defects. The special effects, real footage of nuclear detonations, and make-up are nightmare inducing.

The film begins with this narration: "In an urban society, everything connects. Each person's needs are fed by the skills of many others. Our lives are woven together in a fabric. But the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable." Througout the film, the threads of society are pulled out one by one, and it is not a pretty sight.

This is currently only available on Region 2 DVD- VHS copies on eBay go for nearly $100. It has been floating around on Google Video and You Tube.

HBO got into the game as well with Countdown to Looking Glass (1984). This is a rather chilling film about a cable news network covering the events leading up to WWIII. Again, there are no special effects, just harried news anchors trying to make sense of the information they are trying to report. It ends with the network being turned over to the Emergency Broadcast System by the President's orders...and it's up for the viewer to imagine what happens next. Sadly, this well-made film is not available on either VHS or DVD. It used to air often on the Fox Classic Movie network, but they stopped showing it after 9-11-01. HBO has no plans to release it on tape, either.

From WWIII to nuclear terrorism now- Special Bulletin. It originally aired on NBC and causes a bit of a panic in some areas, despite repeated disclaimers during the film. The plot- anti nuke protesters get a hold of a small bomb, and threaten to detonate it in the Charleston, SC harbor if their demands (the destruction of nuclear triggers) aren't met. A cable news network covers the event, with one of their own camera crews taken hostage. The military intervenes, and Charleston goes boom. Pretty scary stuff- and quite possible. Also not avaiable on DVD- and VHS copies are hard to come by.

Finally, there's When the Wind Blows , an animated feature based on a graphic novel by Raymond Briggs. It's about a middle aged English couple who naively rely on the government to tell them "the correct thing to do" in the upcoming nuclear war. They study the "Protect and Survive" books (also seen in Threads ), and prepare. When the bombs hit, they think they will be all right. It's very hard to watch as they succumb to radiation sickness, even as they still think help is coming.

I never realized how much film and literature has WWIII "what-if's" as their focus. This is just a bit of stuff from the 80's!

80's nostalgia...

2007-09-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Proof that I'm "old"- The Lost Boys came out 20 years ago. I first saw it at a sneak preview the summer before my junior year of high school, and it became one of my favorite movies right away! I even kept the free poster that I got at the preview for years. It was on HBO Zone last week. I can't believe I haven't seen it in so long. It's still cool. And I'd forgotten how much I used to be creeped out by Kiefer Sutherland. Well, he still creeps me out (on 24), but in a good way. And oh, the two Coreys. What the hell happened to them? Sigh.

Good plot- Peter Pan with vampires (hence the title "Lost Boys"); good soundtrack including INXS; good characters such as Grandpa and the Frog Brothers; just plain fun. I can still quote most of it- "Burn rubber does not mean warp speed!" "My own brother, a God-damn, shit-sucking vampire! Oh, you wait until Mom finds out!" "Death by stereo!" "The one thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach...all the damn vampires."

The movies of the 80's were fun. My other favorite of 1987 was Spaceballs.

D'oh!

2007-09-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

When I posted my reviews last week, I forgot to mention a big one! The Simpsons Movie. I really loved it. I admit I haven't been watching the show as much as I did while in college, but I still enjoyed every minute of it. The plot is silly, and some favorite characters barely appeared (I blinked and missed Apu, I think!), but it was still better than many of the recent episodes. Three stars out of four. I'll definitely get the DVD.

2007 so far...

2007-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed at myself- I really haven't gone to the movies much this year. Earlier in the year, the movies I saw in the theater were all 2006 releases, like Dreamgirls. I had a period of two months without going to the theater at all! I finally went back for Blades of Glory. At the time, I really needed to laugh, and this one delivered! It's the usually silly and outrageous Will Ferrell vehicle- this time, mocking the world of competitive figure skating. I almost fell out of my seat laughing.

There was another two month break- and then the summer movie season began. I totally missed out on Spider-man 3, but from what I've heard, I didn't miss much.

Next was Shrek The Third , which, though amusing in parts, was a bit of a disappointment. Two and a half stars out of four. I think the series has run its course...but there are two more sequels in development. I think I'll pass.

Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End was a bit of an incoherent mess at times, but I still had fun watching it. Johnny Depp just rules. Three stars.

Ratatouille was the other "kids" movie I saw this summer. It had a much better story than Cars, though most of it was too sophisticated for younger kids. The animation was excellent, as usual for a Disney/Pixar film. Three and a half stars.

I'm a Harry Potter fan, so of course I had to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix three times in the theater! Many things from the book were left out or changed for the film, but I still enjoyed it completely. The kids are getting to be so good. Three and a half stars.

Dumbledore's Army- taking names and kicking ass!

Yes, I am a Potterhead. I cried after reading the final book, and can't wait for the last two movies. I will definitely get the special edition DVD for OOTP when it comes out. I'm even going to buy a couple of action figures for my collection...

Finally, I think my favorite movie of the summer was Hairspray. Four stars. I left the theater humming and laughing. Great cast (especially John Travolta as the mother!), terrific music and story, just plain fun. I'd love to go to a sing-along showing, but none played in my area.

Not a lot I want to see this fall. I'm most interested in His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. I loved the trilogy of books, and I hope the first movie does well so the rest are made. Sweeney Todd, based on the great Stephen Sondheim musical, is also coming out at Christmas. And with Johnny Depp in the title role, how can it be bad?

Well, okay...

2007-09-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

...my cat doesn't really go to the movies. But I do- whenever I can. If I miss something in the theater, I make sure to rent or buy the DVD later!

I don't usually write long reviews- just little blurbs that say what I liked or did't like. I like almost everything. I can only think of one or two movies that I really didn't like in the past few years.

I love the classics, too. My favorite classic film is Rebecca. I try to catch it whenever it is shown on Turner Classic Movies. Unfortunately, it is not currently available on DVD.

I didn't see too many movies this summer. I missed out on a few that I'd wanted to see. But I did see the third Shrek and Pirates of the Carribean movies; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (three times!); Ratatouille; and Hairspray, my favorite of the summer.

From time to time I'll write about something I've just seen, or remember an older favorite. So this blog is going to be somewhat busy!