White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)

White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)

In 1988, a teenage girl's life is thrown into chaos when her mother disappears.

Director:

Gregg Araki

Writers:
Gregg Araki (screenplay), Laura Kasischke (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D1W_aH72-g

Recently acquired by my S.O.; watched with him.

It didn't blow me away. The acting was pretty good, although I didn't feel like Gabourey Sidibe was really into the role. It felt like an actor acting.... and not convincingly. I love her, but it felt a bit off for me. Maybe I was just being hypercritical. And I don't think Eva Green is allowed to do a non-evil role! Not with that sultry voice! I think the film is worth a watch. Now for the SPOILERS: The film relies on some misdirects to aid the viewer in believing certain things. I kind of figured a little bit, or at least knew there was some things that were hidden that would be revealed. And I really want to know the credibility of the body decomposition information at the end. Seems impossible and like it was done for poetic purposes. Could definitely see how the daughter was emulating the mother and her sexual desires and how it could be a strange source of conflict. I don't think the 'you used to be fat' thing was believable. We were basically told that Shailene's character used to be fat by Sidibe's character, and Eva Green had made a snide comment to the child-actor, but it felt weird and untrue. I also found it odd that the gay character didn't make a comment about Phil (the young boyfriend) being gay since he wasn't fooling around with Shailene's character. That would seem like something he would say, even playfully, and it was my suggestion, but of course, that would open up the field for doubt and make us not fall into the carefully laid trap of misdirection.  This film felt like a love story to emo music of the time period: late 80s and early 90s. Depeche Mode and what not. The main character didn't seem to have too much turmoil in her position. Like she wasn't really worried that her mom was gone. And why do ghosts always try to contact from the grave in a symbolic means? Seems to me like Eve's ghost would have been just as uninterested in her daughter as she was when she was alive. But suddenly, ooo symbolism. If anything, this film is about trusting people too much? Not really sure what the message is supposed to be, if there is even a message. END SPOILERS: It wasn't a bad movie. It had a nice style to it and the set design was appropriate for the time period. Good soundtrack. Good acting. Nice costuming choices. Hair and makeup too was good. Worth a watch I suppose. Watched trailer and here are my responses: Eva Green gives great 'crazy'. Angela Bassett was underused. The last line of the trailer wasn't in the original movie.  

Valentine's Day (2010)

Valentine's Day (2010)

Intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine's Day.

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writers:
Katherine Fugate (screenplay), Katherine Fugate (story), 2 more credits »

Stars:

Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K45RdE2qlk 

Rented from the library; watched alone... S.O. joined for a few.

If you want a good laugh, read the headlines on the reviews on imdb....  There are 21 pages telling you how terrible the movie is. And it got an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. Okay, so my thoughts.... great cast, but cliche to the max and no one really shined in their little bit of screen time. Since we had so little time to know them, I wasn't invested in any of the characters or the cliche's they represented. The film tried to tackle too much and didn't work. And apparently, only white people have love stories? There were so many white people! Yeah, sure we had Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx and Hector Elizondo and George Lopez... but that was it. Unless you wanna count Jessica Alba, which I don't since she was blonde in this movie. But what really got me was how potentially interesting characters were all basically sight gags that pretended to make the film diverse: the Asians at the flower market, the couple with dwarfism that walked by, the Latino couple fighting, the Indians/wedding party at the restaurant, the sign language interpreter we saw several times. Oh and Kutcher's character saying a few words in Japanese and Spanish to let us know how cool and diverse he was. (Really, no one could understand the Bulgarian woman's accent? Maybe my subtitles helped, but still). I'm sick of diversity getting nods. If you want to show the diversity of L.A., freaking show it! Stop casting big names just to get a draw, because it clearly doesn't guarantee your movie is better. It basically felt like all of the stories were so weak and fluffy, none of them deserved an entire movie, so they lumped them all together. I also noticed that since Taylor Swift was in the film, so were some of her songs. Her character and that of her scene partner Taylor Lautner... dumb fluff. The characters were so shallow, that of course, it was used as comic relief (whereas I don't think I laughed at anything so much as sighed). A movie like this basically takes all the tropes of romantic comedies and shows you how shallow and worthless it can be. There were a couple cute reveals at the end, but nothing amazing that could save the movie. I really wish that I didn't choose this as my only activity for the evening. I didn't expect it to be great, but I hoped it would be tolerable. I just wanted to CARE about the characters. Show me the love story of the Asians that work in the flower market, or the people with dwarfism, or the lady that does sign language interpretation, or the Indians getting married (okay, I watch plenty of Bollywood) and really WHAT was with the cliche 'arranged marriage' mention?! That just undid the open-minded/diversity angle that the filmmakers were trying so hard to portray. I feel bad lambasting this movie, because there was a lot of talent in it, but the scenes felt like poorly written, superficial theater pieces that got in some trite 'funny' lines that didn't really resonate or mean anything. Or the mentions of Rumi or e.e. cummings meant to lend it some intelligence that didn't really help. The funniest bit was at the end.. SPOILER: The radio jockey saying "now for those three words we all really wanna hear: let's get naked." There was a funny gag or two in the gag reel too... Julia Roberts nod to Pretty Woman. Maybe some more.... that barely resonates enough ten minutes after I finished the movie.... END SPOILER. I did find it funny that Jamie Foxx was playing a keyboard, a nod to the movie Ray, where Foxx played Ray Charles. I bet this was one of those movies that the cast and crew enjoyed making but was misleading for the level of success it would have. Oh, and if I was a foreigner or had a hard time telling white people apart... anyone else think Jessica Biel and Jennifer Garner look pretty dang similar? Anyway.... don't waste your time on the film. And if you need more convincing... read the 21 pages of reviews on IMDB to convince you it's a waste of time. Sorry to the cast and crew. (Oh and there were a crazy ass number of deleted scenes on the DVD that you couldn't pay me to watch.... like 'what character was that supposed to be again? would I have cared more? no? okay then). So, goodbye Thursday night....

Note: I actually don't hate Valentine's Day despite the plethora of years I've spent single. I think I have my parents to thank who always gave us Valentine Day cards to let us know we are loved. And I've always used it as a chance to focus on my girlfriends/friends/family and let them know I care; I don't need a commercialized holiday to do so, but we all need an excuse, right? I remember one Valentine's Day in the nerd dorms playing games and doing crab walk races with my friends. That's more fun that an overpriced bouquet or meal in a crowded restaurant on an over-pressured day.

I sure hope my experience with the movie "New Year's Eve" isn't as bad..... Fingers not crossed, not holding my breath.

EDIT: 1/31/15 9 am... I thought about the movie more and came up with more things I didn't like: 
- The gay foreigner that works at the flower shop tells the Bulgarian girl "What are you saying? I can't understand you. Learn English. I did!" Seriously? No one who has ever gone through the arduous task of learning a language would lambast another person for their difficulties with pronouncing "chrysanthemums" (which I couldn't even spell w/o spellchecker). This film pretends to be so open-minded because the white guy (Kutcher) can say a few phrases in different languages, but please, you better speak English ... or else. And Kutcher asked for "somebody in the shop who speaks English with a Bulgarian accent" ... because it's not worth it to take the time to actually listen to someone and treat them with respect.
- Not to mention when Jamie Foxx tried to interview the Japanese flower guy at the market, the man who could hold conversation before suddenly became inept and said a phrase that didn't make sense and oh, white guy had to save the day again.
-Back to the gay guy at the flower shop.... who all of a sudden was suuuuuper-excited about a wedding and of course had a friend in Vegas that designs dresses for Cher and will design a dress for the bride. As if gay guys have nothing better to do than be excited about straight people's weddings and as if they assume that the bride wants their help. Obviously this was a plot device which was really dumb and contrived. Done for the story and not for any truth of character.
- It was hard to understand what the relationships were in the movie. If it was mentioned once, you better figure it out. Like the teenage girl... I forgot she said she nannied, so I was trying to figure out if she was the little boy's sister or cousin or what. And why couldn't the grandparents watch him? Seemed strange to me. 
- SPOILER: (Oh and the trope of the innocence of a boy in love with his teacher? overdone.) END
- Jamie Foxx, the sports newscaster's weeeiiiiiird report after the character came out. How does mentioning "will he play house music in the locker room" in relation to a recently-out athlete make him the new #1 reporter? It seemed borderline homophobic but I wasn't really sure.... because his little speech was kinda disjointed. 
- There was absolutely NO chemistry between Jamie Foxx and whatever J played opposite him... Jessica Biel. (I figured out I called Jennifer Garner Jessica above...they just look so much alike!)
-Taylor Lautner & Taylor Swift characters. I thought Lautner was going to break it off with her.... I mean, she got him a jersey with her favorite number on it (and the number was tattooed on her hand. Was that a joke in reference to her album 22 or did that not come out yet? Did she have one called 18 or something). Anyway it didn't seem like she was a good listener so he'd call it off. Nope, he was just a pushover and went with it. 
-SPOILER: Shirley MacLaine's speech in the cemetery about love should have come from her husband because it was all about acceptance of the imperfections of the person you're with... but she was the who cheated (years back) so he should have the change of heart. Not her. And somehow that speech made a guy run back to a girl he'd dated for 2 weeks because all of a sudden he knew he needed to accept her faults (phone sex operator) and love her? Riiiiight. END SPOILER.

Anyway, there was a lot wrong with the movie and I know I'm not the first person to call it out. This was good practice for me. Like providing feedback for a script. Too bad they didn't try that before making the movie. :P

One for the Money (2012)

One for the Money (2012)

Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

Director:

Julie Anne Robinson

Writers:

Stacy Sherman (screenplay), Karen Ray (screenplay), 2 more credits »

Stars:

Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Rqrts4jPM 

Rented from the library. Watched sola.

I'd read the book a while back when the movie was coming out and a co-worker recommended the series, but never got around to seeing the movie. Now, I just finished reading book #2 and during said reading, needed a refresher on what happened in the first book, hence turning to the movie. It's too bad the movie didn't get a better reception, as there would have been a shit-ton of money to be made off the 20+ book series. After watching the movie and being in the process of book #2, I saw some spots where they added/changed a few things from book #2 into the film for storyline sake. They also left out more ominous/dangerous things like the boxer breaking into her apartment. As it is, it makes it look a bit fluffier. I thought the movie was enjoyable. It was mostly faithful to the book and supposedly to reality. I enjoyed watching the behind the scenes and learning about real bondswomen and their take on the movie. Apparently, it's more or less true to form. Good cast of characters, the actors did a good job. It was okay, but I can see how it didn't quite spark with an audience. I'm not sure what they could have done to make it pop more. I do appreciate the bumbling quality of the Stephanie Plum character. It's what makes her so charming... that she really is 'everywoman' but with spunk and dumb luck. 

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.

Director:

Dean DeBlois

Writers:

Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell ("How to Train Your Dragon" book series)

Stars:

Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9a4PvzlqoQ 

Recent addition to personal collection; watched sola.  

I'd really liked the first one and the sequel held up. There were lots of cool new dragons and a good story about how both boy and dragon found inner strength and came into their own. I really liked all the cool gear that Hiccup had and wish I was that clever or inventive! The film get me very involved. My eyes were glued to the screen like a little kid on the edge of my seat. (SPOILER: For a little bit, I thought his girlfriend was going to become chief. END SPOILER) A couple of the runners/jokes were a little gimmicky, like the different attractions the guys/girls had, but the nice thing was they were carried through in a fun way. It was its own developing story, not just necessarily a gag. And the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid was nice because it didn't take the forefront of the story, nor was it distracting. AND she was a very strong woman who could hold her own, had her own opinion, and wasn't google-eyed over her boyfriend. Roughnut did that (see gag/gimmick comment above). I will say, (since I have subtitles playing and could see the characters names), I'm pretty surprised that the twins were named Roughnut and Toughnut and rode a two-headed dragon. Genitalia reference, anyone?! Anyway, I really like this series. Have yet to read the book series, but the movies stand alone. There are so many creative dragons, that a lot of thought went into it. As a kid who was convinced I had a small, friendly dragon under my bed that just needed coaxing out, I really enjoyed the dragon movies for sure. And as a horse rider, I'd love to be a dragon rider too. The creators did a great job of creating a world in which dragons communicate and exist. The nuances made it very believable. I really enjoyed the intricacies involved in bringing this story to life. Very much recommend this and the prequel to both children and adults. :)

The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)

Tonight in an effort to save myself time later on, and provide a better account of a film, I'm typing up my entry right after seeing the movie. 

The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)

The Kadam family leaves India for France where they open a restaurant directly across the road from Madame Mallory's Michelin-starred eatery.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:
Steven Knight (screenplay), Richard C. Morais (book)

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEO1TWeM5JU

Recent addition to my collection. Watched sola.

I'd been interested in this movie since I saw the trailer. I've been to both France and India, enjoy their cultures and cinema .... and I can't cook worth shit, so I appreciate good cinema about food. (Please note... during my watching of the film, I ate Special K Chocolate chunk cereal, carrot chips and spinach artichoke hummus, a re-heated slice of Hawaiian pizza from a gas station and four mini mint chocolate Milano cookies. I know, your mouth is watering at the thought of the culinary sacrilege.) So I'd been eying the movie at Le Mart du Wal (French way of saying Le Gran Market du Walmart...gosh I'm good at this fake French!) and fighting my super-cheap impulses for about three or four visits. Today I caved and bought the movie, knowing that it would be quality, if not predictable. I'm glad I spent the money.

The film was beautifully shot with some very creative frames. There was a shot where we could see, in the reflection of a food scale at a market, an unhappy Helen Mirren getting in a vehicle, and, behind the scale, a smug Om Puri. That was a great shot. And of course, the food was a star all on its own. The colors popped and looked delectable. I wanted to shop in those markets. I wanted to eat that food.

The film started off with a bit of action: a bustling Indian market, followed by a scary fire that showed us what our main characters suffered before they found themselves far from home. This helped us to feel for the characters, which is quite important, otherwise we don't care about what happens.

The actors were also quite wonderful. It was difficult to ascertain if the children were siblings to lead character Hassan, or his niece and nephew. I suppose I missed the subtle relationship revelation in the airport at the beginning. (The customs agent telling the young woman he hoped she wasn't be putting into an arranged marriage and she made a comment about her family). And at the beginning, it took me a moment to distinguish between Hassan and his brother. And to know the difference between the brother's 'M' name, and the sister's 'M' name. Sometimes it's hard to portray large families on screen and show relationships without being blunt. It is realistic of course, because I'm also one of five siblings.

Each element of the film came together quite nicely. Like I said, it's basically a predictable story of two warring sides that come together in new appreciation of each other. A protagonist who must choose between moving forward with his talent, or keeping his talent closer to home. But it was a nice journey to watch. I do believe I'd watch this film again, and I'm not just saying that because I invested $20 in it. ;) I usually only buy films that I've seen and know that I'll enjoy (and only when they are around $10... yeah I have a death grip on my money), but sometimes I take a chance on thrift store finds without knowing. In this case, I paid full price because I knew that it was going to be a quality feel-good film with elements I enjoy: cultures and the idea of someone cooking for me. I'm now hungry again. Darn.

The movie was a bit long at the two hour mark, hence all my food breaks, but the story worked. Oh, after watching the 'making of' documentary at the end of the film, I was pleasantly surprised to find Indian composer A.R. Rahman was in charge of the score. You'll remember him from Slumdog Millionaire. And to know the cheats that they did in Le Monde du Cinema (aka filmmakers cheating the shot with new constructions, blue screens and alternate locations)

I did like the determination of the character of Hassan. It rang true for me and my screenwriting goals. If you want something, and you have a modicum of talent at it, you need to follow through and make something of it. And use it for goodness in a way that makes you happy.

I hope you've enjoyed this lengthy description of  my impression of the movie. Hopefully it will lead you to a choice about the movie. Have you seen it? What did you think? Or, if you haven't seen it, will you see it now?

Grey Gardens (2009); Killing Season (2013); Teen Wolf (1985); Neighbors (2014); The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011); Winter's Bone (2010); Mars Attacks (1996); The Big Wedding (2013); Stonehearst Asylum (2014); Just Add Water (2008); Tusk (2014); Friends With Benefits (2011); The Shepherd: Border Control (2008)

Grey Gardens (2009)

In 1973, documentary filmmaking brothers Albert Maysles and David Maysles decide to change the focus of their latest project from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to her aunt and older cousin, ... See full summary »

Director:
Michael Sucsy

Writers:

Michael Sucsy (teleplay), Patricia Rozema (teleplay), 1 more credit »

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LXmQfbp-LM

Purchased at antique store. Watched with S.O.

We had watched the documentary a month or two ago and were intrigued to know how the made-for-tv movie would stack up. It was a pretty decent estimation or elaboration from what we learned in the documentary. It was hard to not be attuned to the dialogue and correlate it to the accuracy of its appearance in the documentary. There were a couple lines out of place, but the intent seemed to be there. Drew Barrymore did a wonderful job portraying the mannerisms of Little Eadie. Jessica Lange did really well too, but was a bit underweight in the older years of Big Eadie. I was distracted often by the prosethics/face alterations for both women. It helped to give a plausible background for the documentary but was less of a car wreck to watch than the documentary. I enjoyed it and think it stands alone from the doc, but I recommend both. 

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Killing Season (2013)

Two veterans of the Bosnian War -- one American, one Serbian -- find their unlikely friendship turn tense with one of them reveals their true intentions.

Director:

Mark Steven Johnson

Writer:

Evan Daugherty

Stars:

Robert De Niro, John Travolta, Milo Ventimiglia | See full cast and crew »

 TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yseYEtQoJQ

Recent addition to S.O.'s collection; watched with him.

A big distraction was Travolta's accent and wondering the whole time if it was believable or not to anyone who knows Serbian or Bosnian accents. But I really liked the movie. As filled with violence as it was, it was basically an anti-war movie. A comment in the film was that we have been fighting for thousands of years and we don't know how it ever started. And yet we'll keep on doing it. So much injustice done in the name of war. I think that this movie would be appreciated by people on both sides of the debate. Two strong characters, both skilled in combat made for a suspenseful story. Sure, some things were a bit predictable, but there were moments of unsurity.

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Teen Wolf (1985)

A struggling high school student with problems discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself turning into a werewolf.

Director:

Rod Daniel

Writers:
Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman

Stars:

Michael J. Fox, James Hampton, Susan Ursitti | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9288e8zujFk 

Recent addition to S.O.'s personal collection; watched with him.

This movie is as old as I am. Boom. As much as I know this film is supposed to be iconic and I love Michael J. Fox, I do have some complaints. The film pacing was lacking. The whole beginning was him just saying he felt weird. And we never really address him losing his virginity, whereas if the protagonist was a female, that would be a big deal, right? Something major, but for a guy, we just gloss it over as 'lucky him, even though the bi-atch used him to get her kicks/get back at her boyfriend'. And there was plenty of cheesiness to it. I do like the concept of the town embracing it and not being frightened of it. Oh, there was the inconsistency of why didn't his dad hear the dog whistle too, but MAYBE the dad wasn't as sensitive to it anymore as his transitioning son was. Also, it wasn't quite clear if the mom died or how or if she was a wolf, so when the punk guy said he shot Fox's mom in the garden, it made me wonder if she was supposed to be a werewolf too. FUN TIDBIT: While watching the film, S.O. and I noticed plenty of Cornhuskers/Aksarben posters and old Nebraska license plates, which means this movie takes place in our home state of Nebraska. Cool find!

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Neighbors (2014)

After they are forced to live next to a fraternity house, a couple with a newborn baby do whatever they can to take them down.

Director:

Nicholas Stoller

Writers:
Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O'Brien

Stars:

Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO5Gq5hdFRY 

Watched with the Netflix renters (sis, her man, and my man)

Yeah, not great. I do appreciate what I'd heard in a Seth Rogen podcast/interview/(NPR?) where he said that his wife suggested the wife should be a fun character too instead of being the stereotypical voice of reason. I see how that was incorporated, but overall, it was just an odd film. Everything was done for gag purposes, even and especially the creation of most of the characters. It didn't feel realistic (which I know I'm supposed to have a suspension of disbelief, but still). I wasn't sold on it. When I had seen trailers, it looked stupid, and I wasn't wrong. They tried too hard. And as my sister pointed out, quite unrealistic that girls would stand in line to buy casts of penises/dildos from frat boys. Ugh. I did appreciate that it made fun of frats at the same time it made this frat something stranger. But that was also a weird point too. Anyway, no thanks. 

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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

Director:

John Madden

Writers:
Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel)

Stars:

Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDY89LYxK0w

From my personal collection. Watched with my sis, her man, and my man who fell asleep.
I couldn't believe that I hadn't reviewed this movie back in 2011 when it came out! I searched in my archives on my blog (it goes back a way) and nope, didn't find it. I originally watched this with my mom in the theater and know I was the youngest person there. I also kept looking longingly at the Indian background because I had been there a couple years prior for a wedding. I was glad I had a trip lined up to Mexico, because the wanderlust was kicking, so for those of you who love to travel, beware! I had originally wanted to see the movie for many reasons... it took place in India and it had a great cast, full of many seasoned actors. This film was a really nice reminder of what it's like to grow older and feel less appreciated or useful. I really liked the idea of a more interesting retirement village and I myself might sign up! I thought it was a nice film. Had a small Bollywood-ish theme to it, but no song and dance routine. ;) I'm really looking forward to the second film!

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Winter's Bone (2010)

An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.

Director:

Debra Granik

Writers:
Debra Granik (screenplay), Anne Rosellini (screenplay), 1 more credit »

Stars:

Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O8F8JtSVmI 

From my S.O.'s personal collection. Watched with him.

Remind me to not get lost in the backwoods of Missouri! Yowza! It wasn't quite what I thought from the trailer I had seen years ago. I thought she actually traveled farther from home than she did in the movie. But basically the film is frightening for the reality it probably shows. The nasty side of communities that get swept under the rug. Basically don't go poking around because you won't like what you find. I thought there was a great amount of subtext to it too; things unsaid or implied. It was a depressing reminder of the futility of some people's life situations and the struggles they come up against. Sometimes hard to watch, but a good film, for sure. 

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 Mars Attacks (1996)

Earth is invaded by Martians with unbeatable weapons and a cruel sense of humor.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:
Len Brown (trading card series), Woody Gelman (trading card series), 5 more credits »

Stars:

Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYHeZCEFwhI

 New addition to my personal DVD collection (family favorite formerly on VHS); introduced to SO.

My family and I have loved this movie since we saw it way back when and frequently greet each other with 'ACK ACK ACK!'. There is a lot of star power in this movie and it's quite fun to watch. Highly recommendable if you don't take things too seriously. :)

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The Big Wedding (2013)

A long-divorced couple fakes being married as their family unites for a wedding.

Director:

Justin Zackham

Writers:

Justin Zackham (screenplay), Jean-Stéphane Bron (motion picture "Mon frère se marie"), 1 more credit »

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnD2EacXk0E

Recent addition to my collection; watched alone.

Found it in the $5 bin and thought it was worth a try. Plus, I wanted to see Robin Williams again. :( He didn't really shine in the role. The film was basically a comedy of errors, and that made more sense once I saw it was adapted from a French movie, which I'd like to see now. You have to have a suspension of disbelief and take it at face value. It was okay. But not realistic. Fluff piece. But I really like Keaton, Sarandon and DeNiro. Heigl's okay too, but her situation was easy to call. I didn't know who any of the other actors were. The two brothers. If you are looking for a light movie, this one will do.

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Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

A recent medical school grad who takes a position at a mental institution soon finds himself taken with one of his colleagues -- though he has no initial idea of a recent, horrifying staffing change.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:
Joe Gangemi (screenplay), Edgar Allan Poe (based on a short story by)

Stars:

Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, David Thewlis | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rawTSQ1RKQ0

Recent addition to S.O.'s personal collection; watched with him.

I like period pieces but this one made me angry for all the right reasons: the abhorring treatment of people we now call those with "special needs" and such. At times it was hard to watch. It was intriguing that's for sure. I can't say much for fear of giving it away, but I do recommend this one.

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Just Add Water (2008)

An offbeat romantic comedy about a decent guy, Ray Tuckby, with a dead-end life in the dead-end town of Trona, CA. After encouragement from a stranger whom he happens upon, Ray begins to dream again. He sheds the parasites in his life, musters the nerve to pursue his childhood love, and finally takes back his community by toppling the local teenage Meth-baron.

Director:

Hart Bochner

Writer:
Hart Bochner

Stars:

Dylan Walsh, Jonah Hill, Justin Long | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjVkdIE0gmo 

Recent addition to my personal collection (thrift store); watched alone.

This is one of those movies that relies on you believing that the main character is one of those innocent guys who doesn't have a clue... or a set of balls. Of course, that's what the movie is about. But he and his love interest are too dopey and innocent for me. And the meth-head looked like he was supposed to be Eminem. It wasn't the worst movie, and I more or less enjoyed watching it unfold, but wanted to slap him a few times. I didn't like the end when all the women are pregnant to indicate 'oh everything is grand and perfect now'. As my dad would say "Like, gag me with a spoon. As if!" I hate the indication that "it's just what you do". Find a partner and pop out a baby. Of course, this is ME talking and I've known for a dozen years that I'm not called to be a mother. So I do expect/desire a bit more diversity than some stereotypical trope that does nothing to further a story than act as a bookend and an indication that "it's all going to be okay and life is so perfect because babies indicate a perfect life". Blah blah blah. It's probably hard for infertile couples to be confronted with that trope as well. (Yes, adoption is an option, but infertility for couples is difficult, but aaaaaanywaaaaaay....) Yeah, it was okay. I think I originally thought to give it a try because it had some Sundance Audience Choice laurels on it or something. Oh yeah, Melissa McCarthy (my future BFF/coworker) was in it... playing an unruly mullet-wearing woman (with an infertile husband btw! couldn't tell if she was pregnant at the end of the movie too. :P )

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Tusk (2014)

When podcaster Wallace Bryton goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba while interviewing a mysterious seafarer named Howard Howe, his best friend Teddy and girlfriend Allison team with an ex-cop to look for him.

Director:

Kevin Smith

Writer:
Kevin Smith

Stars:

Justin Long, Michael Parks, Haley Joel Osment | See full cast and crew » 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCQJnOn0ru0 

Recent addition to S.O.'s collection. Watched with him. 

Right before we watched this movie, my S.O. accidentally took a shoulder to the nards and he said that wasn't nearly as painful as watching this movie. Apparently this movie was based off an idea that came from a podcast and people could vote whether this movie should be made or not. And Kevin Smith's logic in the behind the scenes was "If someone watches this and thinks 'This got made? Shit, I can make something!' and goes out and creates, then I've done my job." Seriously? Making a shitty movie is inspiration? In a weird, twisted way, yeah, he's right. Sometimes starting off is rough, but it's how people learn. But we learned the hard way that this movie was really bad. It started off with some clout, the annoying-as-hell podcaster gets kidnapped by a really intriguing old man and we wonder where the hell it's going. And then it progressively just gets super dumb. And then completely terrible. Johnny Depp was misused and held up the action of the story. Be on the lookout for his daughter and the daughter of Kevin Smith as the Clerks in the convenience store, a role they will supposedly be reprising in Clerks 3. But yeah, even though Tusk was professionally shot and looked good, the special effects was dumb and detracted from the movie (ie the big reveal) and that was probably the point it lost us. Too dumb and no going back. No getting back our time either. If you want to see a terrible movie, watch away.

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Friends With Benefits (2011)

 While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan Harper and Jamie Rellis soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.

Director:

Will Gluck

Writers:
Keith Merryman (screenplay), David A. Newman (screenplay), 4 more credits »

Stars:

Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson | See full cast and crew »

 TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS-wWqVAyk

Recent addition to S.O.'s collection; watched with S.O.

This was one rom-com that we both liked. It made fun of all the cheesy cliches, but basically delivered on them, but I don't hold it against it. ;) There were several dialogue moments that rang true to us so was relatable and funny. Nolan Gould looked so young it! He's on Modern Family and looks sooooo much older now. Crazy what 4 years does to a kid. :) (His role was kind of fluffy anyway). I did find out that my S.O. claims he didn't know what a flash mob is, but I find that so hard to believe. How can that be true? In the year 2015?! If you want a slightly less cheesy than normal cheesy romcom, this one will do. :)

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The Shepherd: Border Control (2008)

A former New Orleans cop battles drug cartels and ex-Army Special Forces who are smuggling drugs from Mexico into U.S. through a Texas border town.

Director:

Isaac Florentine

Writers:

Joe Gayton, Cade Courtley

Stars:

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Stephen Lord, Natalie J. Robb | See full cast and crew »

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIfHvcdpOl8

Part of my S.O.'s personal collection, watched with him.

I got wrapped into watching it. Missed the first 15 minutes and went back and watched it after it was all said and done. I get wrapped into action flicks sometimes when there is some cool martial arts to watch, even if it's highly unlikely. It wasn't the worst flick I've seen. Some unbelievable parts. Some stuff just to show off Van Damme's ripped bod. I like how even though there was a female opposite him, it didn't end up turning into some distracting love affair crap. S.O. is a big fan of Brit Scott Adkins who was a big fan of Van Damme's, so that's cool to work with one's idols. :) Hopefully we both get to do the same someday when it comes to our screenwriting endeavors, hopes and dreams.

Well, thanks for staying tuned! Did you get to the bottom? I did. What do you think? Anything you want to see now? Anything you plan to stay away from?