Kismet

Over the weekend, I was watching Kismet (1955) with  Howard Keel and Ann Blythe. Mind you I had just watched these two in Rose Marie (made only a year earlier) where they played a romantic part (sort of) with each other. Then the next year they made Kismet and they play father and daughter - so that was a little weird. Could have been worse had I watched in the reverse order, then it would have been way weird.

It's a cute comedy of errors and I love those. Best ever I think is The Importance of being Earnest. Which I totally love! But today we're talking Kismet.

It also has some really great (and memorable) songs in it, like "Stramger in Paradise". The musical is set in a fictional Baghdad in the times of the Arabian Nights. During one of the earlier songs where they're going on about how amazing Baghdad is, it has this whole Las Vegas type jazz to it which totally cracked me up. That was the downside, which I'm still laughing about.

But, on the good side, Kismet  has some gorgeous songs in it and I think I like Howard Keel best in this movie over the rest of his. Not that I don't like him in others, I do. But I liked him, personally, best in this role. And I just was talking about Seven Brides last week which he was also in. And we recently talked about Rose Marie too. Another Howard Keel film. I think they were celebrating Howard Keel on AMC which is why I recently saw so many.

I think they also did a Doris Day celebration so loads of hers as well. Yummy.

 It was a good week for musicals on the AMC channel. And I do love me some musicals. Who's with me?

I know it's the times, but still...

I like a lot of old movies. Silent, B&W, whatever. I just like a lot of the older films. Despite that, there are things that bug me. I get that it's a reflection of the times that either they were made or the period the film is set in. I think I had a mini rant about this a while back when I was talking about the opera, Madame Butterfly. Even knowing that, intellectually, there are things that bug me emotionally.

Like.... movies where the men make decisions for the women because the women have no say so of their own. Grrrrr.  I was just watching an old 1950 musical, Rose Marie, with Howard Keel. Ann Blythe is living in the woods and getting along fine, but because her dad asked a friend Canadian Mountie to look after her, said Mountie (Keel) just goes and snatches her up and takes her back to town to be taken care of. He doesn't care that she doesn't want to go, he's a man and there ya go. Then when she acclimates to living with the Mounties, the boss Mountie arrives and says she can't stay, but he has a woman friend who will take her in and make her into a lady instead of the tomboy she is. Again, none of the manly men care what she wants, they just dictate her life for her. Grrrrr.

Or what about the times when people were publicly hung or flogged or tortured or whatever as punishment for some crime. I don't really have problems with that so much as the fact that it's attended by everyone including the kids. Really? Kids need to see this? I'm sure there's some really great reason like it's a learning experience so they don't go into crime because this is their future if they do. But really? Little kids need to watch public torture and executions?

All I can say is, I'm glad I don't live in either of those times. So, let's celebrate the progress we've made even if there is always more to make. That's all.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I never get tired of seeing the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Never. I own the DVD and have probably watched it a hundred times, so you'd think when I come across it on TV that I wouldn't succumb, but you'd be wrong. Here I am watching it again and happy to do so.

I love me some musicals, loads of them. But really, this may be my all time favorite (or at least tied with the 1945 version of State Fair).

Warning: Spoiler alert!

When Millie turns all the rough necks into catch-worthy gents... love it! When they're all at the barn raising and it erupts into a dance-fight between the brothers and the town men for the girls affections... love it!  When the brothers are mourning not having the girls with them and sing about being 'lonely hound dogs' and use saws and axes as part of the instrumentation for the song... love, love, love it!!! When the dads show up to rescue the girls and hear Millie's baby crying and they ask the girls whose it is so they can force that couple to marry and every single girls claims it so all of them get to marry all the brothers... love it!  The music, the cast, the dancing, the colors, just everything about this movie brings me joy.

If you like musicals and haven't seen it, you're missing out (in my humble opinion).

More DWTS update and Into the Woods

So, last night I watched the second night of Dancing with the Stars and wow, wow, wow. I am totally crushing on Robert Herjavec, Michael Sam and Noah Galloway. And maybe a little on Riker Lynch. AND I was uber - UBER - disappointed that RedFoo is gone. I like him so much and wanted to see him continue. So, that sucked. Everyone was dancing great, btw.

But, and this is a big but, I felt real bad for Charlotte McKinney. I do not understand why people have to be so damn cruel - like others don't have feelings. She received loads of cyber-bullying hate-crap on various social media sites which I think is just shit. She's a sweet girl who can not help that she has the body she has and does not deserve that kind of abuse. It takes so little to be nice, so why do people think that it's ok to act like that, to treat others like that? I just don't get it. I know I'm preaching to the choir, cuz I'm certain that my peeps are not like that at all. :)

Now, on to Into the Woods. It was released yesterday and I couldn't wait to rush out and buy it. And then I was hard pressed to not watch it that afternoon and instead wait till my guy got home to watch with him, but somehow I had that restraint (applause please). And then I watched it and OMG!!! So good. So very, very good.

No spoilers, so don't fret if you haven't seen it yet.

First off, it actually made me cry at one point toward the end (it involves Emily Blunt) - you'll know the scene when you see it. I hate crying, but any movie that can sneak up on me and get me to tears is pretty damn good. Just saying. I'm not that kind of gooey. My nearest and dearest can attest to that.

Second, Chris Pine as Prince Charming? Oh thank you movie gods that made that match in heaven. He is so totally delicious, it's criminal. Best line ever, "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." Seriously, best line ever! A vapid prince - I love it.

My only regret is that there isn't more of Johnny Depp as the Wolf.

The music, the cast (incredible cast - too many to name), the story, the incredible weaving together of classic story tales. It was all so amazing. I will be watching this several more times in the very near future. Several more times. Very, very near future. Just saying.

Austin Powers and Mike Myers

I think Mike Myers is all kinds of genius. I do. Wayne Cambell. Shrek. His stints on SNL. His Canadian sports commentator in Mystery, Alaska.  Playing his character's father in So I Married An Ax Murderer. And of course, Austin Powers. Definitely Austin Powers.  

After seeing Kingsmen: The Secret Service which I felt was a nice blend of Austin Powers and James Bond, I had to get me an Austin fix. I'm sad to announce that my significant other had not seen any Austin Powers, but he enjoyed it immensely. I'm still working on his film and television education. He had many deprived years for which I am trying to compensate.

Anywho, we came straight home from the Kingsmen and watched the first Austin Power's movie., Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. And though I'm not such a fan of the second film, Goldmember, we did get Mini-Me and Nigel Powers out of it, so that's a plus. On the flip side, I'm not a big fan of Beyonce and Fat Bastard was kind of gross.

Standouts:
- Mimi Rogers is so pretty. I love her mouth. I dunno what else to say about that.
- The naked moments with strategic prop placement. So funny and well done.
- Scott Evil. Could Seth Green be any cuter than as Scott Evil? I don't think so. In the first movie, when he and Dr. Evil are in father/son counseling? OMG, fuuny!
- The incredible casts across all three films.
- Hooray for Dr.Evil and Mini Me. Cuz you cannot get enough Dr. Evil. Truly. He cracks me up all the time and then to have Verne Troyer's mini version. Love it!
- The Fembots with their nipple guns.... LMAO.
- That Austin is able to short circuit the fembots with his sex appeal... LMFAO.

Big Hero 6

Hopefully the comic book purists won't burn me in effigy for this, but I scanned some background on the Marvel comic series of Big Hero 6 and I'm glad they morphed it into the animated feature film it became (and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature). And maybe I'm totally out in left field (not unheard of at all) and the movie did the comic books credit - I really have no clue.

What I do know is that I thought the movie was wicked cute and Baymax is the sweetest darn robot out there. Although in a quick tangent, Chappie the robot in the movie Chappie may come close -but I may not be able to see that one for a while because it looks like a serious tear jerker. And movies that take creatures out of their element or create something unique and then crucify said unique thing for being what it is (King Kong, the Jurassic Park dinosaur they bring to Los Angeles, Johnny five in Short Circuit, Ceasar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes for a few). It just puts my panties in a real twist we when punish others for our own stupidity. Tangent (rant) over.

So Baymax.... seriously.... the voice, the behaviors, the care. So. Freaking. Cute!

The whole story was a good one. Heartfelt, had a message, features regular people becoming super heroes. Just all around cute and better than I had expected. I think this one is under-rated and under-appreciated. So, unless you're like my mom who finds anything animated anathema, do yourself a favor and give this one  watch.

"Kingsmen: The Secret Service"

Hello?! This was G-R-E-A-T!!!

This is what an old fashioned fun spy movie should be. It's somewhere between the silliness of Austin Powers and the seriousness of James Bond. Perfect balance of action, drama, comedy, cool gadgets and smart-dressed people.

Colin Firth is so good as a dashing action hero. Taron Egerton, who plays his protege, was terrific too. My friend and I pondered if he wouldn't have been a better Christian Grey than the one they cast. I dunno. Anyway, you've also got Michael Caine, Mark Strong and Jack Davenport. I couldn't figure out who the Professor was at the beginning, but he looked so familiar.... It was Mark Hamilton! Cool!

And can I just say that Samuel L Jackson and Sofia Boutella were the greatest villain and henchman team ever.  Seriously... ever. Jackson in his color coordinated ball cap and clothes and the lisp. Loved the lisp. And he can't stand blood. So freaking funny. And Boutella as his number one with her slice and dice prosthetic legs. OMG. Loved it all.

Some SPOILERS BELOW....

When Firth says, "Manners Maketh Man" and then kicks ass all over a group of punks. YES!! And when Egerton does the same at the end. Oh, hell yes! Best movie quote in quite a while.

And when the princess of Sweden (I think it was Sweden) says Egerton can have sex with in the asshole if he saves the world, I just about snorted up soda thru my nose.

Just see it. I'm gonna see it again and then buy it and then see it a few more times. Count on it.

American Sniper

Last week, the man who killed Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield was convicted of murder.  And though I’m glad there is some kind of justice for these two families, I want to talk about the movie that brought Chris Kyle’s life to the front of our collective minds. I haven’t read the book and I haven’t read a lot of the news stuff either, but I did see the movie. I saw his widow at the Oscars talking about the movie too.

It is not an easy thing to take another’s life so it is a rare few who are courageous enough to bear that burden for the sake of protecting our own. Chris Kyle seems to have been a rare man indeed.

Bradley Cooper played Chris Kyle brilliantly. I knew going in to the movie that I was likely to cry (and we know how I feel about that) but I wanted to see this story, this honor being paid to the real Chris Kyle, his story and his family. So, I sat transfixed watching a man do what he felt honor-bound to do despite his own mental well-being and the possible loss of his own life, and his wife and child. He was clear on what he felt he had to do and he did it unflinchingly over and over again.

The movie showed well how his struggles, his grace, his patriotism and his courage.

So, I made it thru the entire movie without a tear although it was a gut wrenching watch and then the end credits started to roll where they began showing the clips of the real Chris Kyle, his family, the people lining the streets to honor the motorcade to his funeral, the stadium full of people paying tribute to a real American Hero… I lost it. Then the tears flowed freely. And they were deserved. What a loss.

Here’s to Chris Kyle and his family!

Flashback Friday: Armageddon

Flashback Friday…..Which may or may not be a regular thing. We’ll see.

I turned on the TV the other day and Armageddon was playing. Solidly more than half way thru  cuz they were already on the moon and starting to lose faith because the second team was lost and the first team was running out of supplies to accomplish the drilling task, but I still had to stop and watch it to the end. Cuz there are movies that are so much fun or so engrossing that you can’t not watch .

Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thorton, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, Will Patton, Owen Wilson, William Fichtner, Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Stormare… wha??? Yes, this is a freaking stellar cast. And a fun, funny, action, adventure that partially takes place on an asteroid in space. What is NOT to love about that?

There’s the romance between Affleck and Tyler. The parental – child over-protectiveness/rebellion of Willis and Tyler. The crazy dysfunction of Buscemi who goes into debt partying because he’s certain they’re not coming back from this mission. The heartbreak of an MIA father who doesn’t know how to undo the lack of relationship his has with his little boy and ex-wife.  The poignancy of Willis and Affleck who have a father-son relationship but struggle to admit it. The patriotism of everyone because they’re trying to save the world from a big-ass asteroid even though they may die for their efforts.  The excitement of will they/won’t they succeed.

Good grief. There is so much to love about this movie. If you haven’t watched it in a while…. Grab some popcorn and your sweetie, curl up on the couch and enjoy a summer blockbuster. You’re welcome.

The Oscars

So, The Oscars were a couple days ago and I thought it was pretty darn good. No awards I thought were out of left field. No dresses that were crazy, crazy ugly, although there were some that I found unattractive or unflattering. No bad jokes, just good solid hosting from Neil Patrick Harris. No bizarre thank you messages, although some were non-thank youish in nature but still tasteful and worth hearing. So, all in all... a good Oscar night.

During the memorial part, there were so many names I'd either forgotten or didn't know we'd lost and so that was sad. As it always is.

I thought the tribute to The Sound of Music was terrific and Lady Gaga never looked prettier and she has a beautiful voice that may sometimes be overlooked when most of what we hear her sing is pop music. Not that I don't love pop music or think you can sing bad there - I don't. Just trying to say (very poorly) that she sang with beauty and grace and did Julie Andrews proud. And seriously, she looked great!

Glory which won Best Song so totally deserved it. It was the only song that got a standing ovation and rightfully so to my mind. I had goosebumps listening to it.

Kudos to Reese Witherspoon for her #askhermore campaign that brought light to the fact that actresses are more than their dresses and encouraged the press to ask them about more than who they were wearing.

Kudos to Patricia Arquette (Best Supporting Actress in Boyhood) who advocated for equal pay for women in her speech.

And finally loads of kudos to Graham Moore (Best Adapted Screenplay - The Imitation Game) who told how he had tried to commit suicide as a youth because he felt different and weird. He encouraged all who feel that way to "stay weird, stay different' because eventually they will find their place in the world like he did. Awesome!

And why the whole night happened - the movies. I thought there were so many great movies this year and they were all represented. I would have found it hard to choose between the movies and the amazing actors who starred in them and all the brains and talent that bring them to life in every other way. And that they were so amazing and so hard to choose between - I say good job, Academy, for making those tough calls.

The Imitation Game and my geeky fan-girl moment of the week

Totally geeky moment. Last week when I wrote about Backstrom, one of the stars (Kristoffer Polaha) favorited and retweeted my tweet which was wicked cool because he played John Galt in the 3^rd Atlas Shrugged movie. And as ya’ll know, Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book of all time. So, that was my geek fan moment of the week. And by the way – if you haven’t yet – really – go watch Backstrom. So good.

Now for today’s topic – The Imitation Game. I have no idea how accurate the movie is as far as giving credit to those due for creating the machine that allowed Britain to break the code of the German’s Enigma machine. No clue at all.

What I do know is how great the film was in my humble opinion. It was even better than that if you ask my guy because he’s British and all the stuff that was taking place in the film was reminiscent of his childhood. The film resonated with him on far more levels than it might for an American. But, I thought it was a really good movie. Benedict Cumberbatch was great (as always) and Keira Knightly did a very good job as well. Actually, it was pretty much a stellar cast from start to finish. I’d name all the actors, but it’s a fair list, so I’ll just suggest you see the film instead.  

It’s about a team of British smarty-pants trying to come up with a way to break the Enigma machine  codes so they can win the war. (And please try to imagine if they’d failed and WWII was lost. Actually, Amazon has one episode of an original series they may greenlight called The Man in the High Castle which is based on a Philip K Dick novel and is an alternate history imagining if the Allied powers had lost WWII. It’s disturbing.) So, anywho, the movie is about the trials, triumphs and relationships of this team as they struggle with the problem and even what direction they should invest their time. Very worth the watch.

And now we’re at the part where I have a SPOILER ALERT.

The thing that struck me most was how hard it must have been for this group of people to know all of Germany’s movements and have to make hard choices about which ones they could or could not stop without giving away the fact that they’d broken the code.

Think about that for a moment. Really. We’re at war and the opposing country thinks their coded messages are all secret-like, but we don’t want them to know we know, so we let them blow up a ship that will kill hundreds or thousands so that we can act as though we just got lucky when we stop them in another attack that will save thousands or more or just a really strategic location. So, daily we have to make the decision of who lives and who dies so that we can end a war sooner than later. Tough stuff.

I don’t know how I would live with that kind of burden and responsibility pressing down on me.  I think it would take incredibly strong people with a big picture view to handle that. Which makes me think of that Jack Nicholson scene in A Few Good Men where he shouts , “You can’t handle the truth!” Could the majority of us handle the truth of what is done in the name of our freedom? Something to think about.

The other thing that stayed with me was how horrible homosexuals were treated back then. How awful that we ever came up with chemical castration – just for being gay. Like slavery, sexism and racism (and more), I find the past a hard pill to swallow sometimes. Hard indeed to take how inhumane we can be to one other.  Cruel and sad.  Just saying.

The Hobbit Trilogy

So, The Hobbit. Some more - maybe. I can't remember if I discussed my feelings on The Hobbit parts 1 or 2 so I'll discuss all three now that I've seen them all.

The first one was a train wreck in my opinion. I don't care that there was a fuck-ton of singing in the book. The singing in the movie should have been cut to maybe two snippets (really short snippets)  - like after dinner in Bag End and maybe when they're out camping on their travels. That's it. Two tiny snippets that show their love of music and no more. The singing that they put in the first movie was ridiculous and made the entire film difficult to watch. I really can't view it without fast-forwarding thru all that nonsense. And let's not get me started on the Goblins and that painful half hour of film-making. (It's not a half hour? Really? It felt like an eternity!) It isn't as though they didn't take some license to veer from the written word of Tolkien (one word - Tauriel), so they really could have forgone the painful singing moments. Really. Really, really.

In parts one and two, I'd like to say how much Thorin is an asshat (King Asshat - if you will) and how little the dwarves deserve all the many, many, many, many, many times their asses are saved miraculously by Gandalf and/or Bilbo. Seriously. How many deus ex machina plot devices are we to be subjected to? (Most people only get one, that's it, one miracle-hand-of-god type saving of the plot.) Yes, yes. J.R.R. Tolkien is a genius, yada, yada, yada. Even genius falls down once in a while (or too many times to count) is all I'm saying. And by any fair and just measure, the dwarves would have failed and died en route to the Lonely Mountain. And Smaug would have continued his long-ass dragon nap and Laketown would have continued under the idiotic reign of the Master. And... well you get the idea.

I still liked part two well enough. And part three was even better. The best of the three, in my humble opinion. Thorin eventually redeems himself from the asshattery he wore through the majority of the trilogy. Smaug does what dragons do. Bilbo is the true hero of the day - as is fitting since the title isn't The Dwarves. Costumes and setting and music (not singing) are all excellent as one would expect. Martin Freeman is so good as Bilbo and we already knew how genius Ian McKellan is as Gandalf.

Other notables:
Lee Pace as Thranduil - he's so cold and sexy at the same time. Bad dad, dubious ruler, but yummy yummy elf. Not at all like the wackadoodle he plays in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Aidin Turner as Kili - a dwarf in love with an elf and so hotsy-totsy himself, he gets the elf to love him back. Kili is a heart-throb despite his diminutive size. And Aiden Turner? Well, sign me up! Where I can get more of that? Don't think for one moment that I'm not above binge-watching anything I can find him in on Netflicks. I'm not. I will.

Smaug and Benedict Cumberbatch. I think that says it all. Words aren't needed here are they?

Evangeline Lilly  as Tauriel - Okay - I'm not a purist. I like her addition as a character. I like that she falls for Kili (who wouldn't) and that she's a fighter and tough and loyal and willing to be banished for doing what she knows is right. She's a great character.

Stephen Fry as the Master - so yucky in all the best ways. :)
Orlando Bloom as Legolas - he's still got it but it's hard to notice next to Thranduil and Kili.
Hugo Weaving as Elrond... or anything... yes, please. I have a mad, mad crush on Hugo Weaving.
Manu Bennett (Azog, the lead Orc) - how, HOW? How do they make someone this handsome look that ugly? Congrats to Makeup and costuming.
Luke Evans (Bard) - I believe him. I believe he could save the day and lead that group. Good actor, good guy, good character.
Billy Connelly (Dain) - No way to hide that very singular, very awesome voice.

So, in conclusion, I have to fast forward thru the stupid parts of part one or skip it altogether. Two is mostly good, if you ignore all the times that an eleventh hour miracle saves the dwarves. Smaug is just cool as dragons go. And part three is the best of them and makes up for all the foolishness of the first. Way to end a series. I wish they had just made two films, cut out all the useless crap, tightened up the plot line and not tried to stretch it out so much. But there you are.

Birdman & The Seventh Son

The following group of blogs are going to be out of a little skewed time-wise cuz I'm starting with the movies I watched most recently and going backwards, but there are a lot to discuss. Stay with me. SPOILER ALERT!  Not too much though. In both reviews. You've been warned. :)

The Seventh Son. What to say. It was good enough but it almost felt like a made for TV movie. The cast was good - Julianne Moore as the villain dragon queen was gorgeous but I would have liked to had more depth of feeling from her. A little more of the romantic conflict could have gone a long way. Ben Barnes was yummy. Jeff Bridges was cool. I wish his voice would have sounded like less of an affect. The special effects were decent. I guess it was the storytelling that was lacking for me. I get that it's based on a book (maybe a series... I dunno...) but the plot in the movie was too compressed and so I didn't really buy into  1) the villains being so bad-ass cuz they were beaten fairly easy 2) the romantic twist between Master Gregory and Mother Malkin (weird name that I'd like some explanation for) and 3) the rapid romance between Tom and Alice. Overall - it was okay but I could have waited to watch it on cable.

Now Birdman was cool. Cool and weird and thought-provoking and weird and kind of awesome in this artsy way that I don't normally care for but did in this movie. Michael Keaton is playing Riggan (the main character), Riggan's past-famous superhero character, Birdman, and the character (Mel or Ed or both - I can't remember or have no clue, so we'll stick with 'the character') he is playing in his Broadway play. Keaton is brilliant as this uber-conflicted actor/celebrity.

I saw the movie as a man vs self type tale. Riggan is trying to overcome his celebrity as Birdman so he can be recognized as an actor. A serious actor. But he has demons. Demons that tell him how worthless and useless he is... except as Birdman. And the demon whispering these things is none other than Birdman who doesn't want to be a just a poster on the wall. The persona of Birdman haunts poor Riggan and has him convinced of his superpowers throughout the movie (telekinesis and flying and such). But Riggan is also a shadow of the stage character he is playing. A character who at the end of the play kills himself but not before expressing he doesn't exist, he is nothing.

The character, Riggan and Birdman all want to be more than what they are - loved, acknowledged, validated, respected. It's sad, really, how tortured this guy is in any of his incarnations. And Keaton plays all of them like a virtuoso plays a violin - with grace and crazy mad skill.

The supporting cast is astounding: Zach Galifianakis (who looks great - really, really great in his new slimmer form), Naomi Watts, Emma Stone and the ever amazing Ed Norton, who, as a foil to Riggan, is his own kind of hot mess but brilliant too. And his character's brilliance brings even more depth to Riggan's tortured abilities as an actor.

I found Birdman to be a thinking movie. One you'll be chewing on for a while mentally. An exercise in possibilities of why any of the characters act as they do. I'm still puzzling it over in my head.

Silent Films

I know I've talked in the past about the local theater, The Organ Loft, I am blessed to have in my area that shows Silent Films and has a genius playing the 'Mighty Wurlitzer' Pipe Organ. Last Friday, I saw The Phantom Carriage there. It has a similar theme to that of The Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life.  It was serious though, dark and forbidding about a guy who becomes a drunk and an abuser of his family.  It does end on a positive note with him having learned his lesson and changing before it's too late but what stood out to me was his prayer.  I'll paraphrase... 'Please let my soul mature before I am reaped.'

For me, it meant a few things.  Like it's never too late to do what's right.  And, you never know how long you have on this mortal coil so make the most of it.  It was a simple statement, but it hit me profoundly.  I'll thank my darling T for that.  T was with me and because he feels everything very deeply, I find myself more open to that depth as well.  May I suggest watching something with meaning and allowing yourself the full permission to experience it deeply, profoundly, and with an open mind and heart.  It's exhilarating and liberating :)

Then I watched a film on Netflicks that another friend, N, had suggested.  Diary of a Lost Girl based on a book by Margarete Bohme.  Personally, I found the plot a little rambling and depressing.  There weren't any really redeeming characters including the lost girl although at the bitter end she did stand up for herself which made me happier.  My big surprise was how racy the topic was for 1929.  This girl is raped, has her baby taken away from her, is stuffed in a strict reform school by her father, escapes, finds her baby has died, and joins a brothel.  Most of the male characters are really skeevy including her father.  I get that by the standards of the time, she had few options and I am judging her on modern expectations, but she was such an easy victim.  I really didn't care for her.  Even after awful stuff happens to her, she continues to be naive and willing to be victimized some more.  Not saying I wanted her to become jaded and hard, but maybe smarter and stronger.  I don't know.  I didn't care for this one.  It does make me wonder if she is a better character in the book than she was in the movie.  I'll have to ask N since she read the book too.  If you're familiar with it, I'd love some feedback.

2012 Goal: Write THIS Blog regularly

It's so stupid that I keep ignoring ya'll... since of the blogs I do, this is my favorite one to write.  I like all of my blogs, but this is truly my favorite.  I was going to make this my resolution until I read a friend's blog and firmly agreed that goals is mo' better :)

In the last month, while I was shamefully ignoring ya'll, I went and saw a few films, started writing again and began an affair of the heart/mind/body.

First the movies (since not all of you will be interested in the other stuff).  I saw the second Sherlock Holmes movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  This one was as good or better than the first and I loved that one, so it's saying something.  Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are their usual genius (and sexy) selves but we also got Stephen Fry (LOVE this guy!) as Mycroft Holmes, Jared Harris (you may not know the name but you'll know his face) as Moriarty, and Noomi Rapace (SERIOUS lady crush on her) who you may remember me raving about from the Swedish film trilogy versions of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books.  Kelly Reilly is also terrific as Dr. Watson's beleaguered new bride.  If you liked the first, just go see it (since I'm late on this you most likely already have), and if you didn't..... .

The second was the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Really good...the role of Mikael Blomkvist  is perfect for Daniel Craig.  It has a pretty stellar cast including Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer and Robin Wright.  Rooney Mara was good but I thought Noomi Rapace was better.  I  didn't get as much emotionally from Rooney.  But I still loved the movie.  I may have said it when I reviewed the Swedish films too - but truly, read the books, see all the films - this is a story not to miss in all forms.

Next on my list - my writing.  For Christmas, I got a couple writing t-shirts.  One says, "Even if it's crap, just get it on the page" and the other says, "Writer's Block: when your imaginary friends won't talk to you".  Both were valid reminders of my writing during November and December.  If you want more on what happened, it'll be in my other blog shortly. Anywho - A couple things coalesced into me writing again and my imaginary friends are chatting cheerfully away at me right now, so HAPPY DANCING for that!

My love life is also part of the writing story, so more on the other blog, but I will say this.  It's a wonderful thing when you meet someone who inspires you to smile every day at every thought of them, laugh a ridiculous amount when you're together, and act sappy to the point of your friends throwing up around you (an exaggeration - but not by much).  It's wonderful.  

So, here it is - my 2012 Goal for this blog: Stop ignoring, postponing, and delaying writing it.  I will  write regular and perhaps more often than you will want, but there it is.  Happy 2012, ya'll!  Go attack this year with a cheerful vengeance.

"Moneyball" and "Killer Elite"

So, yesterday I was feeling really desperate for some movie watching down time.  Did I have the money or time to spare - not really.  But did it improve my mood and energy level - Yes indeedy, it did! I really miss the days when I had the the luxury of cash and time for a weekly movie date (with anyone willing or by myself).  I did go alone last night, but that doesn't bother me in the least.  I get to watch what I want and eat ALL the popcorn... I really love those refillable tubs ready to attack my thighs at the first delectable taste of buttery, salty, crunchy goodness  :)
What did I go see all by myself in a late night double-header?  I saw Moneyball and Killer Elite (not that the title of my blog gave that away or anything....)

Moneyball was really good.  Starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill with supporting roles played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright.  And this time, although I would have seen it just for cutie Brad - he was not the reason I saw it. 

I saw it because it's a sports movie.  I may not even be a fan of the sport, but I love sports movies.  Not a fan of golf, but I'll watch Tin Cup all day long.  Don't watch boxing but I'll watch Girl Fight or any Rocky movie at the drop of a hat.  I do like ice hockey and I love Mystery, Alaska.  Also a fan of NFL and Any Given Sunday.  Rugby - yes. And rugby movie Forever Strong - hell yes.  When it comes to ice-skating I will watch competitions and any movie about it (can we say Cutting Edge?).  How about skateboarding and Lords of Dogtown.  Soccer's not really my thing but I won't say no to Escape to Victory.  And baseball.... not a big fan (don't hate - I know it's America's game) but Major League is awesome.  And now I have another sports movie to add to a really, really long list of sports movies I love.  I have plenty more titles for every sport mentioned - don't think I don't.

Moneyball is based on a true story (which is always nice) of how the game was changed back in 2002.  It has a terrific cast (already noted), and makes you think about what really is important or not.  Maybe it's if money is the ultimate goal, or can gut instinct and personal biases replace hard facts and statistics.  Maybe it's what's important to you, personally.  It's funny and serious and has you cheering for this baseball team and it's General Manager (Pitt) who is fighting an uphill battle against his players, his coach, his spotters, his boss and pretty much everyone involved in the sport.  He has one ally (Hill).  The two make a crazy - awesome pair.  Watch this one, folks.  So worth it.

As for Killer Elite.  I liked it.  It starred Robert DeNiro, Jason Statham and Clive Owen.  It's a fast paced, violent action flick of the variety I love.  Hired killers doing their level best to rack up a body count and one guy trying to turn it around and reinvent his life sans the killing.  Good stuff.  Great cast.  Well acted.  Not sure why I didn't love it.  I think it may have had something to do with the main premise of the story being a little thin but still and all - it was a good movie.  You could wait for video on this one though, but watch it then - if this is the violent kind of action movie you also love :)

"Drive"

First, let me say that I didn't not like this movie, but I can say I didn't like aspects of it.  Drive stars Ryan Gosling (who we all know I love), Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, and Ron Pearlman.  Great cast right?  And they all do a really great job. 

It's based on a book by James Sallis.  I haven't read it, but I'm interested in doing so because I really liked the main character.  He may not do the best of things, but he definitely does them for the best of reasons.  He's a terrific anti-hero.

I loved the romance aspect of the movie - that meeting the right gal changed this man's life from being rote (albeit exciting rote) to having some real meaning. 

The action scenes / violent scenes were fast / bloody respectively.

So, why didn't I love this movie?  It a nutshell, it was slow.  When it wasn't the above mentioned action / violence scenes, it moved at a snail's pace.  I mean really s...l....o....w!    My immediate thought as I left the theater was this must be the director's fault.  I don't know.  The overall vision is his, right?  The pacing, the look, the editing are all his final say, right?  I could be wrong - it's been known to happen.  But when you have all these scenes where nothing is going on more than watching somebody do nothing or the camera zooms in on a hand clenching for like a minute (perhaps exaggerated), I have to think, huh?

I looked at the director's credits and didn't recognize anything, but then he was apparently chosen by Ryan Gosling to direct.  I know Gosling has a history of doing some really bizarre movies, but I generally love them anyway.  This one - not.  But not because of the actors, acting, or story which were all good. 

As a side note, apparently the critics loved it.  It was "unique and to be celebrated".  Different strokes, huh?

I'm back - here's summary

I can't believe I blew off all of July - but medical issues and some depression thrown in for good measure will do that for you. I'm back and feeling better - thanks for asking!

And Now For Something Completely.... Summarized.
New Movies:
Larry Crowne - I really liked it. I thought Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were honest and it was a nice story about life.

Fast Five - I love the Fast and The Furious franchise, so I loved this. And it has the best car chase action scene ever! Seriously - downtown Rio, two fast cars, a giant vault and a ton of cops... need I say more? And Vin Diesel... still makes my heart go pitty-pat (sigh).

Horrible Bosses - OMG - this is so fucking funny. Great cast and funny, funny, funny script. Jennifer Aniston is great as an evil sexpot dentist. Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrel are great villains too. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day are hilarious as the poor shmoes dealing with their terrible bosses.

Then I watched a bunch of DVD's and movies on Cable - Whip It was a good story about coming of age and trying to be who you are. My Future Boyfriend was a nice made for TV rom-com that pleased me immensely because happiness (for me) is a cheesy romantic comedy. My Girlfriend's Boyfriend actually got me on a couple levels - the first being a made for TV rom-com, the second being it's about a writer struggling to find emotion in his work (I can relate) and the third being Christopher Gorham who is smoking hot in a sexy geeky way. Alyssa Milano is so pretty too. Dear John worked for me as I had some ups and downs and all ended as I wanted. A Good Woman was a quintessential Oscar Wilde re-do with hidden identities, mistaken motives and enough brilliant one liners to quote for a lifetime.

TV:
Well, I got caught up on my TV shows. The second season of Justified was great - gotta love Timothy Olyphant. White Collar kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what Neil was going to do and how Mozzy and Peter would react. All good. I like the new guy on Warehouse 13 and can I add how much I love Allison Scagliotti and the character she plays. The dancing this season on So You Think You Can Dance has been stellar. Some new shows got on my radar - Suits, Franklin & Bash, and Alphas are all good cast, good shows - I'll keep watching. Falling Skies was a disappointment, sadly.

And I think that catches us up. Have a nice day!

"The Green Lantern" and "Escanaba in da Moonlight"

Some people were panning The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds, but I enjoyed it. I liked the special effects and all the actors. Peter Sarsgaard was really good as a bad guy. I didn't even recognize Mark Strong as Sinestro or Blake Lively with dark hair... my mad skills are failing me . Anyway - I liked it. It was a nice blend of action, special effects, humor, and heart. I'm easy to please, I think we all know this by now :)

So, I'll just say, if you thought you wanted to see it - do.

Now, I was directed to a movie by a friend because it depicted life in the U.P. and he used to live there. What's the U.P.? It's the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan. Seriously - I didn't even know that part of the state was there... go figure. Apparently they talk with an accent that's a cross between the MacKenzie brother's Canadian and Fargo's Minnesota-speak. It was co-written by, directed by and starred in by Jeff Daniels. I truly laughed out loud. If you like dumb humor - this is so for you. Just trust me.

"Killers" and fun in movies

I want to see the new X-Men movie, but I haven't yet. :(
My nephew, when he saw it, said if I wasn't committed to the comics then I'd think it was pretty good. Maybe even on par with the first movie. Then a friend, L, saw it and he said it was heavy on story and emotion but lacking in fun. And the X-Men are supposed to be all about the fun. So, he didn't care for it so much. I still want to see it, but I agree - the X-Men are supposed to be fun. Any thoughts on this? I'll share mine once I've seen it.

Then, L and I watched Killers with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. It also has Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara. I didn't mean to wait so long to see this and it's been waiting for me to watch it for several weeks. But, so worth the wait. This was a fun movie with lots of great lines that just made me laugh. It had a nice story that I enjoyed, cool action scenes, and lots of eye candy for girls and boys alike. Seriously, Ashton is looking good, really good. And Katherine, very pretty. The parents, (hers) played by Selleck and O'Hara are brilliant and the family dynamics the source of many a chuckle.

After hearing L talk about the lack of fun in the new X-Men movie, it brought home even more how much fun Killers was to watch. If you haven't seen it yet and aren't afraid of a good Romantic-Comedy, check it out.