Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Director:
Wes Anderson
Stars:
Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward and Bruce Willis
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See full cast and crewI knew I would like this movie when I saw the trailer because I happen to be a fan of Wes Anderson films. I like his sense of humor and the often-reoccurring cast members he employs. If you agree, I probably don't have to convince you to see this movie. If you have seen his films and dislike the style, you probably won't find this one any different. I liked the throwback/homage style for the decade but did find that much of the theme was based on how creepy childhood can be. The kids that wore masks were unnerving. And there was a lot of it. Maybe that's to indicate how many bizarre things kids are expected to do and how it's supposed to be considered 'cute'. But Anderson had a way of portraying it that put me on edge. You knew that the blank animal mask you were seeing was only a facade and there was a child lurking underneath. Of course the premise of the movie was unlikely and the children's characters were a little unbelievable as far as realistic-ness goes, but it played into the charm of the movie. I think part of the fun is the cast that Anderson uses: people we enjoy in general, but enjoy even more together.
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The 'Burbs (1989)
Director:
Joe Dante
Writer:
Dana OlsenI last reviewed this movie in Sept 2010 and I don't really like to talk about movies more than once. But it's been 2 years and this time I watched it with my 13 year old nephew and he really liked it. It says a lot for a film to hold up and get approval from newer generations. It probably helps that my nephew is familiar with Corey Feldman from The Goonies and it was funny to see his surprise at seeing a younger Tom Hanks, even though my nephew has seen him in Big as well. (Oh, and of course he knew Carrie Fisher from Star Wars.) This movie will always be one of my favorites. The array of characters and the situations they encounter are great and you do see the hero rise at the call to action (that's screenwriting jargon for taking on the task in front of him, finally accepting it). I think this shows that sometimes ensemble casts/movies are even better than just rooting for one character. It allows everyone the chance to connect with a character on screen in one way or another and enjoy everyone's contribution to the story. I also showed my nephew the alternate ending on the DVD to show him how much the proper ending to a story can really make it or break it.
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Woman on the Beach (2006)
Director:
Sang-soo Hong
Writer:
Sang-soo HongIt's great that I see the poster to know that the film is supposed to be a comedy, but I felt it was painful to watch. Usually Korean movies are supposed to be overly dramatic and tear-inducing; a close neighbor to Indian Bollywood movies that twist and turn your emotions while providing escapism at its finest. But I found this an atypical Korean love story and instead disliked the characters and the plot. I couldn't root for any of the characters and found them all people that I would hate to associate with. I don't know if I'm missing something or if the movie really was a bomb by Korean standards as well. If someone more knowledgeable could intervene, that would be great.
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Better Off Dead (1985)
Director:
Savage Steve Holland
Writer:
Savage Steve HollandMy friend said this is one of her favorite movies, swore I would enjoy it and bought it for my birthday in April. I finally got around to watching it. It's silly, that's for sure. It's kind of an out there movie, but it was the mid-80's, so I guess it was normal for the teens then. It had some odd sequences, definite suspension of disbelief throughout all of it and was a little predictable for plot points. If you are looking for something campy and a throwback, this would be one of them.
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Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (2011)
Director:
Matthew Bate
Writer:
Matthew BateI read about this documentary somewhere. Apparently in the 80's in San Fran, these two young guys lived next to these two old guys who used to get drunk and scream at each other. Well, the young guys started to record the audio, which became somewhat of a cult. Through most of the movie, I found the profanities pretty funny, but felt bad for the old guys that had that as their life. SPOILER: Once the film progressed and you saw how the young guys grew up and, along with others, were trying to capitalize on the old men, I started to feel sick about it. I started to feel it was insensitive that these guys started trying to find the old men and give them booze and a hundred dollars and were pestering them about those days back in the 80s. These old men were living on welfare and the young guys were taking advantage of it. I had to watch another movie directly after because this film left a sour taste in my mouth.
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Playing For Keeps (1986)
Something tells me that Marisa Tomei was added as the main icon on the cover when the DVD was released to draw people. It made me purchase the DVD for cheap at the grocery store, so I guess it worked. This movie was one of those 'teen spirit trumps the odds and win'. I thought it was cool they were fixing up a house, but I thought the ultimate purpose for it was a little short-sighted. And far-fetched. But this is the 80's. It was an okay to watch once movie. And it might be an okay background movie.
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The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo (2005)
Director:
Amy Stechler
Writer:
Amy StechlerSince I was a Spanish student, I'd heard of Frida Kahlo and her art early on. I was surprised that my parents hadn't, but maybe I shouldn't have been because they were only about a year old when she died and they weren't art or Spanish students. If I would have elaborated or shown them a picture, I'm sure it would have rang a few bells. You don't son forget the art of Frida. After watching this documentary, I took a nap and had a dream I was in Mexico and had just finished watching the documentary there and didn't want to return to the States, so was disappointed when I woke from my nap. ;) I liked the documentary. I thought it covered well her life and her art and her relations. I LOVE that Lila Downs voiced Frida's journal entries. I know her best from her songs on 2002 Frida soundtrack. LOVE it. I can't tell you how many times I've played that CD or have belted out her songs in general. Anyway, this documentary is great for anyone that would like to learn a little bit about Mexican art, in a very cool way. The art of Frida is very striking and you've probably seen it somewhere before. What I love is that her art almost seems to overshadow that of Diego Rivera. I also find it interesting how many other famous and political people of the time they were familiar with, so it's always cool to learn more about that.
I don't have a trailer for this film, but I highly recommend checking your local library or movie rental program. I got it from Facets Multimedia.
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Juan of the Dead (2011)
Director:
Alejandro Brugués
Writer:
Alejandro BruguésI've been waiting for a very long time to see this movie. A Colombian friend told me about in January, so I've been following it via social media until I was able to pre-order it this past week and bask in the joy of a very professional-looking Cuban zombie movie. It was everything I hoped for and more. The story was great, the Cuban twist was interesting and informative and insightful. I have too many good things to say about this movie, but I think the trailer helps a lot. I love the characters and the creative ways to kill zombies. Some might say that zombies are overdone, but this is one zombie movie that should not be passed over.
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