Sunday, March 20, 2016

Last Vegas (2013); Hail, Caesar (2016); The White River Kid (1999); Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016); Pee Wee's Big Holiday (2016); Happy Accidents (2000)

I'm getting better about updating a bit more often. Only let a month go by this time. Here we go.

  • Last Vegas (2013) Watched on DVD sola. POSSIBLE SPOILER? I had been holding off on watching this one for fear there might be some age-related accident/death near the end, but they didn't rely on that, thank goodness. END POSSIBLE SPOILER. It was a comedy through and through. These are some great actors and it was fun to see them onscreen together, although it did feel like most of them "called it in" and were just having fun. seemed most dedicated to his role. Of course, it was his stereotypical crotchety old man role, but still, played nicely. also did a nice job. But like I said, it was mostly like playtime for these actors. I really like so it was great to see her. Especially because her character said how ridiculous it is that older men go for younger girls. Overall, it was a fun film and I would watch it again, if only to see the cast have some fun.
  • Hail, Caesar (2016) Saw in the theater with my S.O. I generally like the Coen brothers films, and I like old Hollywood classics (lest you forget I was a Film Studies major...), and the trailer looked like cheeky fun, oh, and I like the cast, so yes, I was in for this movie. I had seen an article online that tried to compare the characters to real-life Old Hollywood actors, but the Coen brothers shrugged it off, saying they weren't familiar with Old Hollywood actors (specifically Esther Williams). That has to be a big fat lie, if ever I read one. Not a week later, I went to see Quo Vadis (1951) at a  event (not reviewed here because I only stayed for half), and there was a scene that "Hail, Caesar" ripped straight from "Quo Vadis", in which our lead man rode a chariot to an overlook of Rome and made a comment about it. The outfits were exactly the same, too. Oddly enough, IMDB doesn't list Quo Vadis as a reference film, so go me! (Thanks J.K., for the R.T. event!) (Okay, "Quo Vadis" was listed in the previous article I linked, and this one on scandals.) Okay, so back to "Hail, Caesar". I liked all the snippets of old Hollywood genres. The narration bothered me... until I saw it done in "Quo Vadis" and understood why it was being utilized. I feel like a person should have a general understanding of old classics and the studio system, and the Red Scare, or they would be scratching their head at this film. It's fun and playful, but also based in reality. I'd watch it again, especially after reading these articles on Hollywood history. It also makes me want to start reading the Old Hollywood gossip books I've picked up at antique stores and garage sales....
  • The White River Kid (1999) Watched on DVD, sola. I picked up the film probably for and a few other names I recognized. It was one of those off-beat films with zany characters, which was what I expected, but it didn't amaze me.. I have it already in my 'sell-back' file, but might consider keeping it. It's hard to know what films I'll enjoy watching again, if ever. Or if it's rare enough to keep. It was a little strange to have all the songs. I wonder how he got involved... The IMDB page didn't mention it, but it did have very divisive reviews. People either loved it or hated it. I'd say it was more of a flop. Glad I watched it, though. They say you learn as much from bad films as you do from good ones.
  • Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) Watch
    ed in a theater with a cinephile friend while on vacation.     I had thought this movie was supposed to be a comedy, because Tina Fey was in it and because the trailer focused on the funny parts. Luckily, it took the theme a bit more seriously than that. Especially because it's based on a real person's experiences. My overall reaction to the film was that you can't pay me enough to be a journalist that goes there, or to be a person who lives in those war-torn countries. It's upsetting, but does a great job of getting empathy from the audience, an understanding of the situations that go on. You get a good idea of the alternate universes that exist on our own planet, outside of what our understanding of "normal" is. I do recommend this film, especially for pro-war people. It doesn't really make a statement one way or another on "should we be involved", but shows the futility at times - not understanding what the people want, being mistaken for Russians - aka conflict and outside military has been a present force in those places for too long, and the length of time and disinterest at the story once it's been on the airwaves for "too long". It's a film that is both uncomfortable and important. I do recommend it.
  • Pee Wee's Big Holiday (2016) Watched on Netflix with my S.O. I gotta say, I loved Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and the challenge of watching/creating a film following one as old as myself... well, it's quite a challenge. It basically had the same parts to the equation, but it didn't quite add up. You basically have to take what you know about PeeWee's past and put it aside, and take this as a fresh film. There are similarities, nods, and homages, but it's just kind of bland to me. Kind of a bunch of random stories that were less entertaining/engaging than the random stories in the original. There was a mysticism in "Adventure" that was lacking in "Holiday". I'll admit I've yet to see Big Top Pee-wee (1988), so I don't know how THAT stacked up, but I didn't love this one. It was kind of forced and made fun of itself. Also, it looked like had very bloodshot eyes during some of the scenes.... did he need some assistance from cannabis to get through? :( That also destroys the charm and child-like innocence. To be honest, I had no idea who was until it was explained in the film. I'll say, I was disappointed and will stick with my "Adventure". And will probably search out "Big Top" to see how it compares. It's hard to follow an awesome film. For me, the magic and wonderment wasn't there.
  • Happy Accidents (2000) Watched sola, on DVD. I like so that is probably why I picked this up. The camera work was a little disorienting. Seemed a little free-form. Basically, you spend the film wondering if the male character is full of shit (he says he's from the future) or if somehow is telling the truth. By the end, we know. (No spoilers, here don't worry.) I looked up the writer/director . You may know him from The Machinist (2004). He also directed The Call (2013) which was written in part by Nebraska Native Jon Bokenkamp who has gone on to create hit show The Blacklist (2013). Anderson also directed Stonehearst Asylum, which I'd recommend (based on a short story by Poe). Knowing all this, it makes me want to hold onto Happy Accidents (i.e. take it back out of the "sell-back because it was okay but I probably won't watch it again" pile). Not sure. It's an interesting concept, to be sure. A woman has a hard time finding a man, finds one that says he's from the future, and has to decide if there is the slight possibility he isn't full of shit. It was an okay film. But it's like, once you have the reveal, it takes out the joy of discovery in any re-watches.

    So what'd you think? Have you seen any of these films? Want to watch any of them now?
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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005); Barton Fink (1991); A Monster in Paris (2011); Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015); La Mano de Satán (2010); Deadpool (2016); Freaks of Nature (2015); What We Do In the Shadows (2014); Highway to Hell (1991); Thao's Library (2015); Learning to Drive (2014)

It's been about a month of watching movies and not updating my blog. I've actually been writing and revising a short script for film festival submission, so I've been occupied. 
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) Watched on DVD, sola. I read the book in high school as part of required reading, so decided to re-read it and watch the movie. It was a movie that basically floated like a dream. What I mean is, the feel of the movie was of a dreamy quality. I'm not sure that elaborated any better. You could tell that producer Oprah held it sacred. She even did an intro to the film. I would have thought would have had a bigger role than what he did. I enjoyed seeing so many non-white actors and we need more of that. The film takes place partially in an all-black town, so that was reflected pretty well here. A couple things were changed from the book, but no gripe here as it was done for time/ease of storytelling. There was a weird scene in which Janie basically was the "other" in the Glades, taking in the different cultures, what some might call 'appropriating' and it seemed like they were tripping acid in the cinematography, which was a bit strange. It was an okay adaptation of the book.
  • Barton Fink (1991) Watched on DVD with S.O. Andy. Another Coen Brothers film. There were some good names in this. I like that they didn't protect our main character, and we could see he was kind of a jerk. You definitely had to suspend disbelief, especially at the end. There were plenty of symbolic moments in the movie as well. Things that were more quirky than realistic. At some point, it was easy to tell what was going on, but getting there was quite the shocker. It was funny to see a writer portrayed, since Andy and I are both writers. Luckily, neither of us is like that. ;) I'd probably watch it again. They did a good job at giving us a variety of characters and that is the key to getting audience members to connect with your story.
  • A Monster in Paris (2011) Watched on Netflix, sola on a sick day. I don't remember hearing about this film at all. I kept trying to determine if it was originally recorded in French or English. Hard to tell. It was alright. Hard to know who the protagonist was, which is important in screenwriting. It followed several different characters. Who was the one who changed the most is usually a key to figuring it out. The voice of the flea when singing, (yes, sounds bizarre, doesn't it?) could have been easily mistaken for female since it was a higher register. I believe it may have been Sean Lennon singing. Sorry, Sean. I mean, not that sounding like a female is a bad thing. Overall, it was a decent film. Typical 'monster film' as an imdb reviewer pointed out similarities to Phantom of the Opera, King Kong and Frankenstein. The song lyrics left something to be desired, but if they were originally in French, it could be that something was lost in translation. I probably wouldn't purchase it to watch again, but I'm glad I watched it and experienced a children's film outside the scope of Disney and Pixar.
  • Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) Watched on DVD with S.O. Andy. Had a good time with this one. It did well on delivering on the concept of 'Scouts would be well-equipped with skills to defend themselves in time of emergency'. There were fun running jokes. There were relationships at stake amidst the chaos. The characters grew through their problems. There were homages to other horror films (that even I picked up on). Lot of popular music used to set the scenes. I would watch this again.
  • La Mano de Satán (2010) Watched on DVD, sola. This was a hard film to watch. It was cheaply shot and you could tell. The actors over-acted and the concept had plot holes. There was unnecessary dialogue with the Satan character. SPOILER: The love interest didn't seem to be gay either and then all of a sudden was after our protagonist changed. Didn't make sense at all. END SPOILER. I would not watch this again and now understand why the movie was in the cheap bin at Homer's Music Store. :( Sad. The cover gave me great expectations.
  • Deadpool (2016) Watched in theater with my S.O. Andy. Sometimes I feel like I am dating the Merc with the Mouth. I've been wanting to see the film since Ryan Reynolds leaked some footage... or somebody leaked footage... I really enjoyed it. The title sequence was pretty clever and the movie poked a lot of fun at itself and at pretty much everything, including Marvel and superhero movies. The relationship/cancer/sentimental stuff was blended nicely with the rest of the film. Fun characters. I enjoyed being a part of the world for as long as was allowed and will look forward to my next return. I would definitely watch it again.

  • Freaks of Nature (2015) Watched on DVD with my S.O. Andy. I recommended the move for Andy just by seeing it at the store. It was an interesting concept. From IMDB: "In the town of Dillford, humans, vampires and zombies were all living in peace - until the alien apocalypse arrived. Now three teenagers-one human, one vampire and one zombie-have to team up to figure out how to get rid of the visitors." Yup, there is a lot going on, but it's handled well. Andy and I had a convo afterwards about the title. My take: MAYBE SPOILER? All the teenagers feel like freaks of nature, human or not. It's just part of growing up. END OF MAYBE SPOILER. I'd watch this again. Afterwards, Andy watched the alternate beginning and I'm glad they didn't go with it... too much backstory that is non-essential to the main story.
  • What We Do In the Shadows (2014) Watched on DVD with my S.O. Andy. I picked this one up from the store because it's from the guys who did Flight of the Conchords so I knew it had to be good. And it was. It also had a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and that's what ultimately got it for me. Mockumentaries are usually a pretty great time. And it comes from New Zealand. We've had good luck with movies from NZ. Andy said it wasn't what he expected, but he'd watch it again. I would too. Fun characters and situation.
  • Highway to Hell (1991) Watched on DVD with my S.O. Andy. This was definitely not what I was expecting... but that's mostly because Andy told me Ben Stiller and his parents did cameos and I thought they were the main characters. It was interesting to see the different concepts of hell on screen. I thought it was creative. There were only a couple special effects for me that were obviously from the past. It was an okay film. I kind of think a remake might be interesting. But don't kill me for saying that....
  • Thao's Library (2015) Watched on DVD sola. So I cried. A few times. Thanks Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media for promoting this film. Great reminder we can all make a difference. I found the narrator a little too mopey for me, but I'm sure there is a lot of soul-searching that goes on when one's sister commits suicide. The most interesting part of the film is Thao and her struggles but I can see why the narrator is included as she is telling the story of how she came to meet Thao. It was important to see that she returned home and the sadness was still waiting for her. So it wasn't totally for naught. I also thought it was interesting to hear Stephen (the photographer) talk about his perception of Elizabeth. Thao seems like an amazing person and it pisses me off that our country used Agent Orange. Shit like that is not excusable, wartime or not. And our own soldiers suffer effects too. Such bullshit. It was heartbreaking to see the children still being born with birth defects because we poisoned their food, water, vegetation... all so we could kill them better. Yeah, America is NOT the greatest country. But here I am. And yes, I'm happy to be here in my easy-peasy life. This documentary was a great reminder to do what you can, with what you have, where you are, as Eleanor Roosevelt said. Also as Thao said: "The good leaf covers the torn leaf. The torn leaf covers the shredded leaf." I didn't understand it at first, but once she explained it, it made sense. We can ALL help others. Thao is amazingly selfless, despite her physical limitations. Or perhaps because of her physical limitations. We should all try to be so amazing... It was an inspiring film. And like I said. I cried a few times, for many reasons.
     
  • Learning to Drive (2014) Watched on DVD, sola.  I had to ask Google what ethnicity is because he was also Gandhi and I was hoping he wasn't just a white guy. IMDB tells me: "His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, is of Gujarati Indian descent". Okay, he gets a pass! IMDB also tells me of the woman who played his wife: "After her debut film Mississippi Masala (1991) became an art house hit, Sarita Choudhury was determined not to "go Hollywood," focusing her acting energies on independent film instead." That was a great film! (My friend got to meet her and gave me a signed copy of The Namesake (2006). Anyway the characters were relatable. They each had something they were going through. I enjoyed seeing Kingsley's character struggle, only because it made him more human. I was happy with the way it ended, but was nervous for a while. Good character-driven story. I'd probably watch again.

    So there you have my take on the movies I watched this past month. What do you think? Have you seen any? Did I persuade/dissuade you?
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Sunday, January 24, 2016

Twinsters (2015); The Ladykillers (2004); The Closet (2001); East is East (1999); Straight Outta Compton (2015)

I figure it will be easier to update if I stay on top of my movie blog. I watched 5 movies in one week. Can we say cinephile?

  • Twinsters (2015): Watched sola on Netflix. I think I remember hearing about this news item so it was really interesting to see the documentary about it and how it pans out for these two women. I like to think that I could tell the difference between the two of them but who knows if I was right or not. (It may have been because they split their hair differently.) It was a good story and followed a natural storyline progression so it was interesting to see how they met each other and where and how they research their own history together. I'm glad it was well documented and it turned out very well. We live in an amazing age.
  • The Ladykillers (2004): Watched on Netflix with Andy. I'm intrigued to see what the original was like, as this was very 'Coen Brothers'. It was a motley crue of characters indeed. We didn't really know what we were getting into. We knew it was some heist movie. I like , but his was a crazy role (slightly annoying at times). I think I was expecting a lot more stuff on the Trivia page on IMDb, but there wasn't terribly much. Sometimes that's half the fun - finding out about the backstory after you watch the film. I liked the cat. Pickles was pretty boss. ;)
  • The Closet (2001): Watched on Netflix on a personal snow day. Yeah, those exist. It's a French situational comedy film and it was pretty good. is a great actor. I also own his film The Valet (2006) which apparently came out after this one. Ha, I just made a funny! It was interesting to see the truth in it. That only by learning that someone could be gay does perception of said person change. And that times have both changed and NOT changed with relationship to treatment of gay people in the workplace. On a side note, the dang kitten was so cute! I thought the film followed the standard storyline pretty well (both for French and Hollywood standards).
  • East is East (1999): Watched on Netflix on a personal snow day. It was a great presentation of the difficulties of immigrants and children of immigrants, but also showed the silver lining in people who accept them (in the guise of the young red-headed boy who cared for several people in the family). At first it was hard to tell the 4 oldest boys apart, but eventually one learned the characteristics. There was a lot of comedy, growth, and hard situations in this film. is a well-versed actor with 280 credits since 1975 on his IMDb page! You may have seen him in The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), Gandhi (1982), if you aren't familiar with his work in Bollywood films. Apparently there is a sequel to this movie West is West (2010), which I'd like to see, considering how much I enjoyed this one. I know I should have recognized and looking at her IMDb page, I've seen her in Calendar Girls (2003), Kinky Boots (2005). There are a few others that other viewers would know too.
  • Straight Outta Compton (2015): Watched on Blu-Ray with S.O. Andy. It was his choice, but I've been curious about the film for a while since I know it did well in theaters. I'd heard of NWA and Ice Cube, and Dre (and Suge, and Snoop and Warren G, and Tupac), so it was interesting to see the story of the rappers and how they came to be, how they fell apart and how it ended. I didn't enjoy some of the song content, or the crazy parties they threw, but as far as a film and story went, it was pretty dang good. After watching this (or near the end), we both exclaimed something along the lines of 'How in the hell did they not get nominated for an Oscar?!' My personal thought is related to a line said in the film: "They're scared of you." And related to rap music and the 'glorification' of the violence. But the film does a good job of contending that they were rapping about what their experience of life was. The film does a good job of showing the unnecessary police brutality and peacocking. It also shows how music artists can get screwed over in the desire to get out of a bad situation. I also couldn't help but think back to the origins of rap, with griots and wordplay contests. The film doesn't necessarily condone bad behavior, but shows it. It also shows the growth of these men, as they mostly settled down (or their own version of it). I know there were plenty of things that were left out from real life, but the film as story alone was pretty powerful. There really is a systematic problem in the film production and award world when a film like this with powerful performances (Jason Mitchell for Eazy-E or even for Jerry Heller) didn't get the nominations it should have. As a screenwriter, I know my responsibility is to create more roles for a variety of actors and characters. There are so many stories to be told, even if there is nothing new under the sun...
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Saturday, January 16, 2016

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014); Pretty Ugly People (2008); Insurgent (2015); Mommie Dearest (1981); Moscow on the Hudson (1984); ThanksKilling (2009); Bad Santa (2003); A Very Murray Christmas (2015); Tammy (2014); The 33 (2015); The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015); Terri (2011); How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998); Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015); See You in Valhalla (2015); That Awkward Moment (2014); Welcome to Me (2014); Dumb & Dumber To (2014); My Way to Olympia (2013); Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List (2015); My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005); Drinking Buddies (2013); Meet the Patels (2014)

Since Oct 26th, I've watched 23 new movies and 3 movies I'd watched before. That's 2 months and 21 days or 82 days. That's a movie every 3 days, but we all know that's not really how it was. I means, sometimes I'd watch 2 movies in one day. ;) Here goes!

  • Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014) Watched on Netflix. I'm a big fan, so I had to check this out. I can't recall much now (man, I really should do these movie blogs more often or this really defeats the purpose....). It was probably mostly okay. It's always nice to see world travels. Believability is probably not so much, but that's where regular cinematic "suspension of disbelief" comes into play.
  • Pretty Ugly People (2008) Watched on Netflix. I wanted to see it because I really like . I do enjoy too. I had a hard time telling apart some of the white guys, mostly because the introductions of them at the beginning were pretty quick, and a couple of them looked the same. The idea is relatable - wanting to flip off the people you hung with that made you feel 'less than', when you think you've attained something special. It took a dark turn, I'll say as much. was a fun character. Nice to see her in a comedic role. I'd probably watch it again. 
  • Insurgent (2015) Hey what do you know? is in this one too. :) It was okay. Long. More or less similar to the book. Hard to remember anything now. I apologize. Rented from the library and watched alone.
  • Mommie Dearest (1981) I think S.O. and I purchased the DVD. Watched it together. This movie is crazy. It's legendary, so we knew we had to check it out. Crazy relationship. Grey Gardens in a way with the mother-daughter dynamic. After watching it, we discovered that had worked on a film Desperate Lives our mentor wrote. We also talked to Lew the night we watched it. He called us while we were watching it to ask us why we weren't at a film party a few hours away. How cool is that? :) 
  • Moscow on the Hudson (1984) Purchased the DVD and watched sola. I had seen this for sale at a thrift store, and had meant to watch it on Hulu, but then it left Hulu before I had a chance, and I found the DVD for sale again, as part of a double feature with Jakob the Liar (1999) (which I have yet to watch). is one of my loves. I did actually cry at his death, so it was bittersweet to watch him again.  I felt the film is still REALLY relevant today. Immigration is a popular topic, and people like to pin problems on immigrants without having a minute understanding of what they go through and what they are sometimes trying to escape. The idea of giving up the ability to go 'home' by defecting, and trying to make your way in a strange land. Trying to learn a language and a new way of life. Most people never give that a moment of thought. I really recommend this movie as it can hopefully open the door for compassion. It's only a small representation of the immigrant experience, that's for sure.
  • ThanksKilling (2009) Found this through one of Roku's horror movie apps. I'm pretty sure we watched it on Thanksgiving night. Boy, was this movie terrible. And I picked it out. And I was still thinking about it the next day, which I've always thought was the sign of a GOOD movie. Oh boy. Obviously, this movie was intended to be terrible. And it came through. I'm not really sure what to say about it. A centuries-old turkey goes on a killing spree. And a group of college students gets picked off. The turkey even masquerades as a human and isn't found out... Yeah. Redonkulous. But somebody is going to watch it anyway. And there's a sequel. 
  • Bad Santa (2003) One of Andy (S.O)'s favorites. He says it's a Christmas tradition. He put it on while decorating the tree on the attached porch. I declined to help since I had a sore throat (turned out to be strep), so I sat inside and watched it. Enjoyable. The relationship with the young boy was so crazy. It was great to see the transition of the character from terrible to less terrible. ;)
  • A Very Murray Christmas (2015) Watched on Hulu on my lunch break. I've got to say, for as much as I adore , this was a bit of a letdown. I don't know what I was expecting. It's always funny when in a show, some celebrities make appearances as themselves, but other celebrities are supposed to be 'regular people'. The best part was popping out from a tree singing "Santa Claus Needs Some Lovin". The rest of it left much to be desired. does have a nice voice, which I'd already known from her backyard sessions singing Jolene. 
  • Tammy (2014) Another movie. I had heard this one wasn't supposed to be good. In fact I heard it was terrible. I had been itching to watch it, and was waiting til it was a cheap price somewhere. I finally broke down and watched it. And it wasn't as bad as I expected. In fact it was pretty good. Andy was in and out, and he enjoyed what he saw, and said he would watch it again. And so would I. The cast was amazing: , , , , , , , and of course , McCarthy's husband and partner in crime. P.S. to Melissa and Ben, I have a GREAT movie I wrote that you would really like. :) (I figure if I put this out there enough, it's bound to pan out for me... teehee - In fact I was writing this movie the same time Tammy come out and was wondering how similar they would be. Similar but different, for sure).
  • The 33 (2015) Saw the film in a second run theater with my beau. It didn't show anywhere else near me, which was disappointing. I lived in Chile for a semester, and this had happened about 5 years after I left. I remember watching the rescue efforts from my work computer 5 years ago. (I also remember my work team's mis-manager suggesting the team dress up as the Chilean Miners for Halloween... and that was before they were safe --- that disgusted me and I demanded they give me the Chilean flag after they were done desecrating it with their little display. To be "fair", by the time Halloween came around, I believe the miners had all been saved. Still, I found this insensitive, at best.) ANYWAY, I convinced Andy to see it with me and he was glad he went. I can't imagine being stuck down there and having to deal with what they did. A true tale of perseverance. And yet it didn't get any nominations this award season. Damn shame. They did a great job of adapting this film from the 70 day experience. Quite a task. I remember attending a film workshop with Howard Rosenman, (producer of The Family Man (2000), Father of the Bride (1991) and Breakfast with Scot (2007) and many others) in which we broke into groups to practice adapting new stories into films. The group I chose was about how one of the miners ran through the mines every day to stay sane. So I already knew this story had cinematic potential. Around the time the movie came out, I wondered, if I was one of those miners and knew that I was going to survive and that  was going to play me in a movie... would I go through the ordeal again? What really sucks is the mining company did NOT compensate the men for their time down there. All that said, it was a well-done movie. And directed by a female. And about a bunch of spanish-speakers. So chew on that, movie executives. :P
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) I think I saw this in the second-run theater. It took a lot for me to remember where the last film left off. It's one of those that feels like it just doesn't end. Or has several endings. But blame that on book adaptations, I guess. It was okay. More of the same.
  • Terri (2011) I had seen the trailer for this a while back, and had put it on my Amazon Wish list, so at some point, I ordered it. It wasn't exactly what I was a expecting, but it was decent. A different kind of 'coming-of-age' film, for sure. 
  • How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) I don't know that I'd ever seen the full movie, but I knew what it was basically about. So I watched the DVD I picked up at a thrift store. , and , are lovely to look at, and SPOILER: it made me cry when 's character died because I don't want to think about losing my friends. :( END SPOILER. Andy kept reminding me in the real story (based off 's life), the guy turned out to be gay. After reading the trivia....I see this is indeed true... but that didn't come to light until 2004. Wow. The original man also made a cameo in the movie! Talk about a movie having different meaning after a while... Also fun to learn is that Danny Glover had a cameo dressed as an old man. Makes me want to watch it again! Not that wouldn't be a good enough reason. ;) me-ow!
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) Saw this in the theater with beau, the day after Xmas. I haven't seen ALL the Star Wars films in their 'entirities' (I am at a loss for the word), but knew enough to know what was going on and why certain things were significant. I enjoyed that a female was a pilot, and that a black man was also a main character. Finally. Only had to wait how many years?
  • See You in Valhalla (2015) I'm familiar with from Modern Family (2009). I think she's pretty cool. I just got lost in her bio for a while. She's been working for a long time for someone her age. Get it, girl! Okay, so I watched this move on Netflix. It was a quirky family. The Viking stuff reminded me a little bit of The Wild Hunt (2009) in that the family had a Norse background. Here I think the attachment to Viking-ness was from a drug rehab. It got a little unbelievable for me at the end, but "suspension of disbelief" is what is to come into play. There were a couple surprises in it. I liked that even though there were offbeat characters, we can't completely dismiss them.  
  • That Awkward Moment (2014) Saw it in the $5 bin at Walmart, so decided why not. It was okay. It started with a voiceover of "why am I sitting on this park bench" so I knew it was going to have to do a lot to redeem itself from that trope. It was basically a guy version of a chic flick. Not sure there was too much special going on. It was okay, I guess. Wasn't as terrible as I thought it might be. 
  • Welcome to Me (2014) I like and was happy to see something with in it. I like her since seeing her in Freaks and Geeks. I feel like I haven't seen her since then, but I obviously haven't been paying attention, because her filmography is pretty long! It was kind of a strange movie, but a good "what if", which is what movies are supposed to be. "What if a person with mental illness won the lottery and wanted to make a tv show about herself?" It felt like a labor of love. I feel like Wiig gravitates towards strange characters. Good for her. Gives us a variety of stuff to watch.
  • Dumb & Dumber To (2014) Watched with my beau. He bought the DVD. It was pretty good. I always thought it was so funny my 'wealthy' grandparents thought the original was so funny. That just tells you that some kinds of humor cross boundaries, I guess? We enjoyed it. It didn't turn out exactly like one thought, or at least it didn't for me. It made Andy want to rewatch the original, and I wouldn't mind.
  • My Way to Olympia (2013) Found on Netflix. It had been sitting on my queue for a while. The filmmaker has a disability and wanted to talk to some of the Paralympic athletes. This actually held some significance for me as I had started an online petition for the major networks to give us more television coverage of the 2012 Paralympics. These athletes astound me, because not only are they able to overcome their physical disadvantages, there are able excel in their chosen sports. It makes it seem that much cooler than the normal Olympics, not that I could match ANY of them in any categories. It's inspiring to watch people test their limits when many of us might try to put them on a pedestal. Hard work all around. It was pretty cool to watch. Had I been a little less lazy that day, I would have exercised afterward from the motivation. ;)
  • Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List (2015) Watched on Netflix. The beginning was kind of unbelievable as it tried to show how these two interacted. It seemed they were pretty superficial. Which I guess is kind of the point. And had a weird attached-at-the-hip relationship. I thought it was going to turn out a bit differently.
  • My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005)  Found on DVD in thrift store. I think you have to have seen the movies it references to get the jokes, or even understand a semblance of a storyline. The only ones that threw me for a loop was the 3 rabbi. Someone on IMDB said: "Memento," "Pulp Fiction," "Magnolia," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Amelie," "Run Lola Run," "El Mariachi," "The Good Girl," "Pi," "Swingers" and many others." The opening credit sequence is a cartoon about a disgruntled filmmaker who goes into a movie theater shooting everyone up and forcing the projector to play his movie. I found that a little gruesome in light of movie theater shootings that came after. Oops. If you don't know movies and you don't like spoofs, this film will be lost on you.
  • Drinking Buddies (2013) Watched on Netflix, by myself. I like the 4 main characters for different reasons, so it was nice to see them together. However, I kept looking at the clock within the first 20 minutes to find out when the story was going to start, what it was supposed to be about. Movies about infidelity make me feel weird about my own relationship, and it left a weird taste in my "mind"/mouth, however you want to go about it. You can tell the pairs are mismatched and that the one couple REALLY should be together so SPOILER it's a little annoying when they aren't together by the end. END SPOILER. I guess I should give them kudos for going against the grain? Eh.
  • Meet the Patels (2014) Watched on Netflix. I've spent a lot of time getting familiar with Indian culture, so this wasn't completely new to me. I really enjoyed this documentary, but my major gripe that the Gujarati was not in English subtitles. There were many times when the family members would talk, sometimes switching back and forth between languages and I felt like an outsider, which might have been part of the point: if we were in a room with them, we may not understand. But to me, that's lazy filmmaking. When 1/3 of the dialogue is unrecognizable, help out your audience. I really wanted to know what was being said because I think that would have been helpful. Now, maaaaybe, the lack of subtitles had something to do with Netflix, but I watch EVERYTHING with subtitles, and there was a bit of subtitles. Maybe the subtitles are supposed to be done by Netflix and whoever was in charge had no flipping clue. If that's the case, they should have had someone else be on the dang job! :P I'd watch it again with more subtitles. Oh, also worth mentioning, is the poor 'cinematography'. Ravi's sister was shooting on the sly, essentially, so the quality wasn't great. But that was forgivable. I also just wondered if this was a faux-mockumentary, merely made to look like a documentary. I'll have to look that up. Also of note, I really liked the cartoon bits that moved the story along. Varied it up for us.

Other movies I watched during this time that I have already reviewed AND the entry in which you can see my response:
  • Minions (2015) This time with youngest nephew: http://littlemisscinema.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-voices-2014-trip-to-italy-2014.html
  • St. Vincent (2014) This time with parents: http://littlemisscinema.blogspot.com/2014/12/monster-squad-1987-hunger-games-2012-47.html
  • Juan of the Dead (2011) This time with my S.O.: http://littlemisscinema.blogspot.com/2012/08/moonrise-kingdom2012-burbs-1989-woman.html
Okay, I hope you enjoyed my list! See anything you like? I'll try to let less time go by, because this just took me 2.5 hours to write :(
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Monday, October 26, 2015

The Road Within (2014) Delirious (1991) Divergent (2014) The Deflowering of Eva Van End (2012) The Final Girls (2015) Tales of Halloween (2015) He Never Died (2015) Trainwreck (2015) The Intern (2015)

In about a month, I watched 9 movies, not including shorts I watched at Mile High Horror Film Festival (forthwith referred to as MHHFF). Also not counting movies I've watched before (Hocus Pocus & Hotel Transylvania). Here goes!

  • The Road Within (2014) I watched this on Netflix. I really liked the actors ( of Slumdog Millionaire and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and sequel, of UK show Misfits, and , Lenny and Lisa Bonet's daughter) and I liked the unique characters - they all had some sort of social disorder and clashed wonderfully. Misfit group comes together to learn from each other. Allowed you to laugh at their disorders but feel for them too. Great situation that allowed for conflict, which is key to storytelling.
  • Delirious (1991) Andy wanted me to watch one of his favorite movies. Fun and kooky. Soap opera writer ends up in his own show.
  • Divergent (2014) Read the book and enjoyed the movie (both were rented from library). I noticed a few things different, but understand why. Good cast. Looking forward to the others.
  • The Deflowering of Eva Van End (2012) Found it on Netflix. The synopsis for this foreign film says it all: The members of a dysfunctional family begin to reinvent themselves thanks to the exchange student who moves in with them. I enjoyed it. A bit like Little Miss Sunshine, but a bit heavier.
  • The Final Girls (2015) Watched as part of the MHHFF. Was a very clever homage to horror movies. The cast was great. Highly recommendable.
  • Tales of Halloween (2015) Watched as part of the MHHFF (with one of the directors and actors!) Was a fun horror anthology. Lovingly done.
  • He Never Died (2015) Also watched at MHHFF. It was not what I was expecting and that was great. If you like , you are going to love this. It doesn't come out until December, so be sure to mark it on your list!
  • Trainwreck (2015) Watched in theater with a friend. I enjoyed it. The cameos were nice.
  • The Intern (2015) Watched in theater. Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about it. While I really love roles for senior actors (and am working on my own projects like this), this one felt preachy about letting seniors into the workplace/prove their worth. He didn't really have imperfections and was just there to make everyone's life better. What did people do for him? Part of the ending also didn't sit well with me because *SPOILER* movies always tell us that if someone cheats, you end it, and this violated that. It left me feeling yucky. *END SPOILER*

    I know I didn't go in depth, but hopefully I've at least piqued your interest a little bit for the majority of these films. Which ones?
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Sunday, September 20, 2015

The Voices (2014) The Trip to Italy (2014) A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012) Inherent Vice (2014) Who's Harry Crumb (1984) Cuban Fury (2014) Knights of Badassdom (2013) Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) Practical Magic (1998) The Way Way Back (2013) Triumph of the Will (1935) Smoke Signals (1998) Freaks (1932) My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Saved! (2004) Inside Out (2015) Chef (2014) Spy (2015) Undertaking Betty (2002) Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (2011) Get Hard (2015) One Small Hitch (2013) Minions (2015) Clueless (1995) The Skeleton Twins (2014) Brave (2012) Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971) Ant-Man (2015) Kill Me Three Times (2014) The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) The Decoy Bride (2011) For a Good Time, Call... (2012) In a World (2013) The Way (2010) Unfinished Song/Song for Marion (2012) Calendar Girls (2003) Annie's Point (2005) Bridesmaids (2011) Welcome to the Jungle (2013) Sex Ed (2014) My Boyfriend's Back (1993) Life After Beth (2014) Cake (2014)

HOLY CARP, (yes, carp), it's been more than 5 months since I updated my movie blog! Yowza! So I'm guessing it will take multiple attempts to get this blog entry written. I started to do this a month ago but I must have gotten distracted.... I'm going to do this differently this time to save myself a bit of time. Instead of searching for the posters and trailers, I'm just going to list the movie name, including the link to the IMDb page for that particular movie. I'll have a shortened version of my thoughts on the movie, but will not provide a link for a trailer. That will be your homework, should you find the movie interesting from my brief description.

  • The Voices (2014) This was definitely a different movie. It was bizarre and well-executed, aesthetically speaking. The set design was great and it was certainly a fun role in which to watch . We knew when we watched the trailer, it was just something we had to see. Watched on DVD with my S.O.
  • The Trip to Italy (2014) In the sequel, they got the Michael Caine impressions out of the way within the first 10 minutes, which was probably a good thing, or the viewer may have spent the rest of the movie in anticipation and not enjoying the film. It was another study of friendship and mistakes on the open road. As usual, some of it was over my head because of the references to certain things, but it was still worth watching, if only for the beautiful Italian countryside. Watched on DVD, sola.
  • A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012) I usually watch anything if is in it. This wasn't one of my favorites. I guess I wasn't sure on the tone and felt it got switched up on me. Worth a watch if you are craving something out of the norm. Watched on Netflix with S.O.
  • Inherent Vice (2014) I know it did well with awards, and I guess it's based on a book, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I guess I don't really care for the drug-fueled characters that have lots of vices. So I suppose I should have known better since the title gives it away. But I know plenty of people would enjoy this one, for sure. Watched on DVD with my S.O.
  • Who's Harry Crumb (1984) Silly and fun, Andy wanted to watch this favorite from his past. Full of pratfalls and sight gags, you get what you expect from this comedy, and that's alright when you're in the mood. Watched on Netflix (?) with S.O.
  • Cuban Fury (2014) I'd seen the trailer for this and knew it was on my list. I'm usually a sucker for dance movies, and just as I watch anything with Simon Pegg, same goes for his companion (the Pegg cameo was pretty fun). I also REALLY like and of course is never a bad addition. It was pretty standard as far as storyline goes, which is fine. Watched on Netflix, sola.
  • Knights of Badassdom (2013) I'm also a sucker for and am usually intrigued by LARPing movies, as I've seen a few good ones. It was a pretty decent movie, if you allow for some unreal happenings. Watched on Netflix with S.O.
  • Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) It was more of the same as sequels go. Relying on stereotypes of secondary characters to pull us through. Still fun to see the cameos and hear the songs. Watched in a second-run theater.
  • Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) I've said before I'm not a huge fan of drug movies and although I love , I wasn't really into this. I guess I just don't care for the Hunter S. Thompson persona. I can't relate to someone so devil-may-care. Watched on ? with S.O.
  • Practical Magic (1998) I've seen this one before and decided to watch it again. is one of my absolute favorites. We've been watching a lot of Witches of East End on Netflix, so I was craving some sister-witch time. It's a movie film that plays on the bonds women have throughout their lives and how some things are greater/more important than perception/judgement of others. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • The Way Way Back (2013) I'd wanted to see this for a while. Great cast, relate-able characters and situations. Even if we haven't lived them, we understand. Pretty universal. Watched on DVD sola.
  • Triumph of the Will (1935) This I watched online for research for a feature film I wrote. Really creepy propaganda that gives a great sense of time, place and character. With hindsight being 20/20, watching this is a great exercise in being able to call out bullshit that is currently being broadcast. Good practice in utilizing/reawakening critical thinking skills. Watched on Youtube.
  • Smoke Signals (1998) The last time I previously reviewed this movie was 2013. Always a great film. I'd been dying to watch it again, especially since I wrote a small homage to the film in one of my lines in the feature script I was writing at the time. I got to share this movie with a room full of other writers/creatives and it was well-received.
  • Freaks (1932) Apparently, even thought I first watched this movie in college when I started this blog, I never reviewed this film. I got to share the film and we watched the behind the scenes on the production because my companions were that interested in it. I'm drawn towards the 'other'/circus/sideshow realm. It's intriguing to see people portrayed. I know that later, some of the actors felt it was a negative portrayal, but I find it fascinating. It makes me want to know more about the people involved. Watched on DVD with other writers/creatives.
  • My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Even though I've watched this movie multiple times, I'm not showing I've reviewed it before. This is a movie my family quotes often. It's relate-able and funny and has original characters that are pulled from real life. It started my love of off on the right foot, as I'm sure it did for many people. It shows a great transformation of character and story. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!!! Watched on DVD with family once again.
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) I usually like but maybe this was just too much of "more of the same". The characters talked so quickly that if I didn't watch everything with subtitles, I might have missed the words. As it was, I had a hard time interpreting what was said, which detracted from my enjoyment. I thought the focus was on style and less on making me give a shit about the characters. I didn't really care for the story and was kind of disappointed. Watched on DVD with my Pops, I believe.
  • Saved! (2004) I last reviewed this film in 2012. Still one of my favorites as it is painfully close to the truth of what Catholic school can be like. Watched on Netflix sola... with S.O. popping in for a while.
  • Inside Out (2015) is one of my favorites so I was looking forward to hearing her. I'd also heard many good things about this film and was interested to see how the writers/creators had created a film about emotions. Enjoyable. I wouldn't mind watching it again. Watched in a second-run theater.
  • Chef (2014) A little long (or maybe I watched it in chunks that day). I like the cast and thought it was a nice story of family and road movies. Food movies make me wish I had the desire/talent for cooking. Oh well. That's why we turn to movies, eh? ;) Plus it doesn't help that I'm too cheap to eat out at restaurants anyway. I'm all about 'feed me now and feed me cheap... and oh yeah, it should probably be healthy. I also like the realistic use of social media, both in the story and the aesthetics. Watched on Netflix, sola.
  • Spy (2015) I love (and have written a movie for her, if anyone from her camp is able to read this... please contact me!) and I knew I was going to see this movie. Luckily, it was pretty good. I also was REALLY excited for 's appearance. I love her show and can't wait for other people to discover her wonderful comedy too. "Such fun!" (quote from her self-named show Miranda - I still need to watch her in Call the Midwife). I liked how watching this film empowered me along with the character, even mentally. I can't wait to watch it again. My S.O. loves imitating and I wanted him to watch this film with me, but I wasn't sure how the tone would play out. After watching the film, I'm confident he'll enjoy it. Watched in a second-run theater.
  • Undertaking Betty (2002) Cute British film. Comedy of errors, in a way. I really enjoyed 's role in the film. I'd probably watch it again for the over-the-top mortician humor. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (2011) Pretty straightforward story. You get what you'd expect. Nice cast. Hilarious to watch essentially play 's character in the show Grace and Frankie while still using the name Grace. is always wonderful, and it was neat to watch a different Olsen sister grace the screen. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • Get Hard (2015) I'm sure you're not surprised if I say this movie wasn't profound. You'll get what you expect with this comedy. Lot of dick jokes, but what do you expect with a prison theme? It was okay. Watched on Apple TV with friends.
  • One Small Hitch (2013) Standard rom-com with no surprises. Watched on Netflix, sola.
  • Minions (2015) Of course I had to watch the film as I love me some minions. I was kind of worried how they were going to pull it off, but it was a great utilization of the hero's journey with plenty of interesting turns. SPOILER: I love how they tied in Gru at the end. END. Watched in a second-run theater.
  • Clueless (1995) Always a nice kickback to a bygone era of hilarious fashion. Nice to see so many wonderful actors in younger roles. Watched on Netflix sola with S.O. appearing every once in a while.
  • The Skeleton Twins (2014) When I first saw the trailer, I was intrigued to see two stellar comedians act in something a bit more serious. They of course did wonderfully. I liked how the backstory was slowly revealed piece by piece. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • Brave (2012) This is one of those movies I've watched multiple times and love to share with new viewers. Original review here. A shorter review here. Watched with both parents and two of my nephews, including one that had seen it before.
  • Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971) It's been a long time since I saw this. I remembered it fondly, but when I started it for my two youngest nephews (age 13 and 10), I was reminded how dated the cartoons were for this CGI generation. It also was two hours long and we all felt it drag quite a bit. Still a great movie that shows us how far we have come with our film technology in the past 44 years. Don't expect your youngin's to love it though, sadly.
  • Ant-Man (2015) I knew nothing about this Marvel story until I heard was going to star in it. It was enjoyable and I'd probably watch it again. I'll still kill ants though, sorry. Watched in a theater with my 13-year-old nephew.
  • Kill Me Three Times (2014) Another vehicle. Wasn't sure exactly what we were getting into, but I think we enjoyed it. Watched on Netflix with my S.O.
  • The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) I enjoyed the first one and rightly assumed I'd enjoy this one as well. Wonderful cast, yet again. Watched on DVD sola.
  • The Decoy Bride (2011) Easy to cast off as another rom-com, but I love that it took place in Scotland, which brought it's own charm, especially since the voice of Brave was the lead actress. Enjoyable for the genre. Not incredibly dumbed down. I might actually watch it again. Rented from the library, also available on Netflix, watched sola.
  • For a Good Time, Call... (2012) I'm sure I posted about this a few years ago, but can't find an original post... I think I use the phrase "good time" too frequently in my reviews perhaps? But I enjoyed the film when it first came out and I saw it with a couple girlfriends in D.C. This viewing made me miss my girlfriends, as I watched it alone. This film is very 'girlfriend' and parallels them like any other romantic relationship. It's a sweet take on a dirty industry. I'd watch it again. It's bright and colorful and cute and the wonderful makes a cameo. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • In a World (2013) Pretty unique film. I really liked the inner look at recording studios, as well as a complicated father-daughter relationship. I liked all the accents/voices, especially since my sister excels at the same. I like the look at women's struggles in the film industry and the reality of it. And the cameo by . Watched on Netflix sola.
  • The Way (2010) Big kudos to Emilio Estevez for writing, directing and acting in this film, also a vehicle for his father . Based on a book, it was a nice father/son, coming-to-terms, road movie. I liked to learn about the El Camino (The Way) pilgrimage in Spain and although slow-paced, it was still gripping emotionally. Rented from library, watched sola.
  • Unfinished Song/Song for Marion (2012) I don't know why, but the movies about older people losing their partner completely wrecks me. This was a sweet film and it had me sobbing several times. Instead of the cancer-stricken wife dying right away, we got to become attached to her and see how much of a transition our main character had to do. I've enjoyed seeing ever since I saw him in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This was a sweet film, touching. Rented from the library, watched sola.
  • Calendar Girls (2003) I'd heard nothing but good things about this 'ripped from the headlines' feature film. Cheeky and fun. Although I had a bit of a tough time telling two of the short-haired brunette leads apart from each other. I really enjoyed it and would watch it again, as well as recommend to others. Rented from the library, watched sola. 
  • Annie's Point (2005) I picked it up from the library because it had the awesome in it. I figured it was going to be surface-level and it basically was. No big surprises here. Rented from the library. Watched sola.
  • Bridesmaids (2011) Surprisingly, I can't find a review for Bridesmaids, but I know I must have because I've seen it before. It's not a superficial movie even though its a comedy. I like that our character is already at a low when the movie begins because we already wonder if her life can get any worse. And of course it does. It plays with female friendship in adulthood and how trying weddings can be. I was watching this as background noise and didn't finish watching it that night.... but couldn't help but need to finish it the next day. It's one of those that you have to finish because you need that satisfaction of seeing the characters make it. And loved that was the love interest, which I had forgotten about. Watched on DVD, sola.
  • Welcome to the Jungle (2013) It's like Office Space meets Lord of the Flies. And it works. It was fun to see the bullshit corporate world placed in a jungle with in a humorous role and excelling at it. I also loved seeing of The Last Man on Earth (among others) and Megan Boone pre-The Blacklist. Watched on Netlix with S.O.
  • Sex Ed (2014) Ever since I read the synopsis on Netflix, I was intrigued to see in this role. The students ended up being younger than I expected (which makes sense) and the tone/storyline turned out differently than I expected and I liked it. It also had me add to my list of actresses for a feature I have in mind. It wasn't until I was typing up this blog and saw the character name on imdb that I got the 'Ed' joke. And Osment does a great job portraying a teacher... Great message and some interesting things too. Watched on Netflix sola.
  • My Boyfriend's Back (1993) We found this on VHS while out treasure hunting and already had the following movie waiting for us to watch at home (same theme of love interest returns from the grave) so we figured we'd watch chronologically. It's very campy/cheesy and wasn't the best. It was also not properly named because SPOILER the boyfriend isn't the one who came back from the grave. If you are looking for some old school cheese, this is it. Watched on VHS with S.O.
  • Life After Beth (2014) After we'd seen the trailer, we'd been wanting to see this for quite some time. Luckily our friends had a copy to lend us. We watched it after the previous one to see if they handled it any differently, and it was of course, much better. I like the cast a lot and it was interesting to see a film that, revealed in the 'making-of', wanted to portray the emotional trauma of a horror film on a more personal level. It was an interesting movie, concept, and execution. I enjoyed seeing freak out. At times, she reminded me of my sister (actress as well) and it was fun. There were a couple of story specifics in their world that made me question the logic a bit, but I liked the new take on zombie films. Watched DVD with S.O.
  • Cake (2014) I'd been eyeing this film for a while. I like films and this was a unique role. I still wasn't sure what it was about when I saw the trailer, but it was about chronic pain which doesn't sound very thrilling but when combined with the loss of loved ones, makes for an emotionally-charged film. I like that we pick up further down the road in that action and layers of their lives are revealed. We don't instantly know what's happened, but get to observe it as it unfolds. It was compelling and about an aspect of many people's lives that we don't experience on a day-to-day level, and that's important to see to help promote compassion and understanding, one of the abilities of film. Watched on Netflix sola.
So there you have it.... 45 films. Ha cha cha! Have you seen any? Did I pique your interest on any of these? Which ones?
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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Don Jon (2013); Home (2015); G.B.F. (2013); Atari: Game Over (2014); Camp Takota (2014)

In less than 2 weeks, I've watched 5 movies. That's more my usual speed. Been hitting the screens kinda hard lately to avoid writing for the screens, if you know what I mean. ;) I guess we need a little down time. And can pretend it's general research. :P Anyway, here goes.


Don Jon (2013)

A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.

Director:
Writer:
Stars:
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TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6615kYTpOSU

Watched with S.O. from Netflix on our new Roku! 

This movie used repetitive sequences to show the growth and change of the character. There were some scenes that irked me but it was more to do with the characters' outlook and helped to portray the message of the movie; the use of women as sex objects. It really tied in to what Writer/Director/Actor JGL was getting at about our hyper-sexualized view of women and their place in society. The story wasn't your typical rom-com and did a good job about showing imperfections in relationships and interactions. No one came out looking perfect but the growth was rewarding. I enjoyed seeing Tony Danza in a different role, even though his character was skeezy. Julianne Moore did a great job as usual. It was a little surreal to see a Jersey couple wooing each other as it doesn't seem typical Hollywood, but it grew on me. This film had important messages, yet was enjoyable to watch. Way to go, JGL and crew.
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Home (2015)

Oh, an alien on the run from his own people, lands on Earth and makes friends with the adventurous Tip, who is on a quest of her own.

Director:
Writers:
(screenplay), (screenplay), 1 more credit »
Stars:
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TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyqZf8LiWvM

Watched for $2 at a small town theater with other movie-goers. Total for ticket, small popcorn, PB M&M's and courtesy water: $5.50.... Gotta love small towns!!!

The best thing about this movie: A black female lead character that was strong, brave, intelligent and to have it said that her dark skin is beautiful. It felt soooooo empowering to me, an almost 30 year old white gal, to see and hear that message that I know so many young girls need to hear!!! (Yet interesting how she is lacking from the poster, eh?) Criticisms: The alien's improper use of English through the entire movie was a bit annoying. I mean, wouldn't he have improved after talking to a native speaker for so long? I had no idea that Steve Martin was the voice of Captain Smek. I thought the fact that Rihanna's character, aka the main character, had a name of "Gratuity" was a bit odd. Yeah, they wanted her to be called Tip and make it cutesy, and maybe that is someone's real name, but it didn't work for me. 'Tip' was fine, but why not have it be short for Tippy or I don't even know what related names there are. Wow, just got sidetracked reading Rihanna's bio on IMDB. Since she was the voice for the character, a lot of Rihanna's music found it's way into the movie, crafted originally. I think J-Lo did some on it too, since she voiced Rihanna's mom. Overall, it wasn't the best that I've seen, but it was colorful and creative and I loved seeing a black female character that was a great role model (despite her funny violent moments). And with music like that, I can see little girls loving the soundtrack too.
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What happens after Tanner is outed by his classmates and becomes the title "gay best friend" for three high school queen bees?

Director:
Writer:
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TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krEdqwLLASw

Watched sola on Netflix/Roku.

I don't recall exactly where I first watched the trailer, but I was excited to watch Xosha Roquemore play a role because I already enjoy her on Mindy Project. At first, it was a little hard to get into until I figured out what the tone was. Oh, I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see in the film. It was kind of at that point I knew it was okay because she was in the campy cult classic But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) so I knew it was safe territory. The characters were a bit spoofy, but that was kind of the point. The film did a very good job at showing how mainstream culture tries to pigeonhole homosexuality and use it as a status symbol, forgetting the actual person under all the labels. At the same time, it didn't completely demonize those of us who have been less than mindful about how we treat gay people. (Although it showed how 'silly' anti-gay religious types are...) Watching this film helped point out to me some of the instances in which I have fallen victim to the same predispositions that the queen bees did. But the film didn't make us want to hate or condemn them, it just showed how ridiculous it is when it happens as a reminder to watch our behavior and treatment of others. was another fun cameo/character among others. I would probably watch it again, because I like those films that are slightly dramatic teen comedy flicks. Ooo, it also hinted at other stereotypes that are dumb like the SBF - Sassy Black Friend. Ha. It was a fun movie with a message.
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A crew digs up all of the old Atari 2600 game cartridges of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" that were tossed into a landfill in the 1980s.

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

Watched on Netflix/Roku with my S.O.

So here's some fun trivia. The Atari games were unearthed on my birthday last year, and it has actually been one year since I started getting into comics, thanks to my S.O. I, for a while, started a blog for comics, but have read so many in the past year there's no way I could keep up! Anyway, it was interesting to learn about the beginnings of the video game world and some of the craziness that went on in development. And it was fun to see how much excitement has been garnered by an urban legend that was actually true. If you are a nerd, I probably don't have to tell you twice to watch this... you may have already watched it twice. :P (And for those of you wondering, my birthday is April 26. Is it any small coincidence the Atari 2600 games were unearthed on April 26? ;)
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Camp Takota (2014)

With her personal and professional life in shambles, Elise ends up having to take a job as a counselor at her old summer camp. There, she reunites with two estranged friends who attended ... See full summary »

Directors:
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Writers:
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TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97aoiaWwRVk

Watched sola on Netflix.

As a former camper/camp counselor, I'm always excited to see the camp theme used. Here it was both used and underused at the same time. Basically the summer flew by and nothing really happened at that camp and she kept her hair perfect. Fanny packs are the real deal though. :P The love interest was good looking and actually did a great job at making sparks fly. (He was in Fruitvale Station which is a GREAT film). The majority of it was pretty formulaic. I thought it's a safe film for the younger kids. The little 6 year old Penny was pretty adorable. There weren't any huge surprises in this film. I've seen a lot better uses of the camp theme though... Heavy Weights (1995) and Huge (2010) TV Series come to mind. Through the trivia, I'm coming to find that some of the actresses in this film are actually YouTube personalities. So, whatever. Anyway, it was pretty formulaic, but I wouldn't watch it again and I have a much better script for Camp stuff.....Wouldn't you like to know! ;) And really... why was she squatting in the woods every morning to use the bathroom when it was clear there was a shower in her cabin, so obviously she had running water.... and if she spent all that time at camp, how would she not know about poison ivy? Oh, sorry, did I just ruin a gag for you? Not really. :P
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