I've migrated! Check out my reviews here: http://letterboxd.com/lilmisscinema/
Hoping the site made specifically for movie reviews will help me post faster.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
The Lady in the Van (2015); Jurassic World (2015); The Distinguished Gentleman (1992); Sisters (2015); Connie and Carla (2004); Straight Talk (1992); Breakfast on Pluto (2005); Bound (1996); Once in a Lew Moon (2015); He Said, She Said (1991); Big Business (1988); Gulaab Gang (2014); The Brave One (2007); Turbo Kid (2015); All of Me (1984); Cooties (2014); Nuts (1987)
Ooops, nearly 2 months have gone by since my last post. To be fair, I have spent a lot of that time writing and researching as well as weekend trips, so I guess the number of movies I've watched is lower. It's also taking me a while to get this blog entry out, so I keep adding movies! I'm also adding in movie posters and synopses again. I know it slows down my load time but it gives a better idea of the movie.
~
Note from end: So finishing this post took about 5 hours to do.... I'm reminded why I stopped adding posters, cast info and trailers. Takes a long time and nobody reads my blog anyway. If you do, please comment.
Watched in theater with other spectators - I love Maggie Smith so I figured I'd give this one a go at an independent theater, instead of Jungle Book at a chain, (which I still haven't seen yet). It was a bit long (although I see it was an hour and 45 minutes). A bit slow, but I enjoyed it. It was based on a true story AND a stageplay, from what I understand. IMDB confirms that, and also says it was shot in the same house/neighborhood in which it really occurred. It felt like a stageplay because it was shot in minimal areas, and because the main character was a playwright who would talk to himself (as portrayed by himself using a double). The film focused on a transient woman who parks her van in a man's driveway for 15 years and their unusual relationship, as well as her hidden past. It begs us to think differently about homeless people as well. I do recommend the film if you like British films, Maggie Smith, tones of theater, laughs, sentiment. Wide open, eh? I just don't want to scare you off with my earlier mention of 'long and slow'. It was a good film, but I can see why it was in an independent theater instead of a chain. The audience has to be right.
TRAILER:
Watched via Redbox with nephew, and partially my dad. - I of course saw the first film when I was younger, when it came out. I don't believe I saw any of the following movies in between that one and this one. My fourteen year-old nephew and I made plenty of jabs at things in the movie; right now I remember about how the female lead ran in high heels through the jungle.... or just in general. I'm pretty sure that was addressed in some spoofs when it came out. Despite whatever nit-picky jokes/comments we made, we enjoyed it. There was something wrong with the DVD perhaps as the sound levels were way off. The music was super loud and the dialogue was really quiet. I normally watch everything with subtitles, but definitely had to on this one, despite my nephew originally choosing no subtitles. I doubt that happened in the theater, but I do wonder about other DVD copies and how they fared. I like how they paid homage to the original and still made it their own. I enjoyed seeing actors like Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Jake Johnson in the movie, as I like them in other films/shows. I wrote about D'Onofrio in a recent post in relation to Daredevil
and Happy Accidents.
TRAILER:
Watched with S.O. on DVD or VHS? - Such a timely movie, especially in the midst of election season. I gotta say, it's actually an essential movie! It explains how corporations lobby and bribe our elected officials, and how Capitol Hill is all a nasty game. It can be disheartening, but they throw in an honest senator or two so we know there are some people who are interested in making a positive difference for the people they represent. It also shows how some of the elected officials are completely clueless and unqualified when it comes to holding public office. This should almost be a required movie, it is so biting. But it still manages to be funny. A con man gets elected to be a congressman and is going to cheat the system, but first he has to understand the system...then he develops a set of morals and fights back his way. I really liked this film and would watch it again, if only to fire me up before contacting my state's elected officials... Also, reading the IMDB info - I forgot, I was so excited to see writer Daniel Petrie Jr. in the film. He is "a producer and writer, known for Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Turner and Hooch (1989)". And I met him years ago, along with his equally-well-known brother Donald Petrie. Fun fact, I've also worked on an Eddie Murphy movie too. Can you guess which one? I'll give you a hint: I worked on it in Denver. P.S. Just watching the trailer and saw a parody of the gun lobbyists using semi-automatic weapons to go duck-hunting... yup, still very relevant!
TRAILER:
Looks like you can watch the full movie here:
Sisters (2015)
R
|
|
Comedy
|
18 December 2015 (USA)
Watched from Redbox with one of MY sisters...and my brother-in-law. :) - You can tell Tina and Amy just love working with each other. Kudos to them for finding ways to do so. It was a fun movie. I'd probably watch it again. There were some great cameos in this. Of course it is absurd, but it's fun and that's what counts, right? I don't feel I need to say much about this because I feel it got plenty of notice/was well-marketed.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD with writer friend - Believe it or not, I have yet to write up watching this movie. I did a 'search' on my blog, and I mentioned it twice in 2011, but have never reviewed it, other than to say I love Nia Vardalos and drag queens. This time I watched it with a writer/film friend when our significant others were working on a screenplay. We were both very tired and she asked for a musical; outside of Bollywood, that's the closest I think I have. She thoroughly enjoyed it. It's still relevant today with the message about accepting people for who they are/finding your people. It combines comedy and drama with the danger of witnessing a crime. It's a fun film and I always enjoy what Nia cooks up. Would love to work with/meet her someday.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD sola - Dolly Parton is awesome and this was a fun movie. It deals with simplifying, truth-telling and honesty. It also touches on being true to yourself and doing the right thing. I feel like with Dolly, one knows what kind of film it's going to be. She had original music in it, as expected. Fun note from IMDb: Ron Livingston's feature film debut.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD, sola. - I picked up this movie thinking I might have seen it before because I like gender-bending/queer movies, but when I got to watching it, it was evident I hadn't seen it before. I enjoyed it. It takes place in Ireland and London in the 70s, so there is a lot of history that isn't altogether familiar, but quite interesting - turmoil politically alongside with poor treatment of non-conforming persons. It's actually based on a book (I mistakenly thought it was memoirs, but it is fiction), and it is set in chapters, which contributes to the serial feeling of the film. As writers, we are warned, all action must be cause and effect. Since some of this was life-based, it had moments of "this happened, then this happened", which is supposed to be a no-no. It more or less ties in so we see the life of the character and understand his/her development. There is, however, the underlying thread that drives the story forward: the desire to meet his/her mother. While watching the film, I thought it was based on a real person's memoirs, since the author of the film and the main character both share the same first name, but I see I'm incorrect, as the wiki page for the author lists him as married to a woman with 2 children. Of course, not impossible for a transgender woman to be married to a woman and have children, this doesn't seem to be the case here. No matter; it is a gripping story that makes you feel for the characters. I enjoyed seeing an errant priest (played by Liam Neeson) take under his wing a transgender woman and an unwed mother and be judged by the town, when in fact, that kind of compassion is really what being a priest is supposed to be about, in my opinion. Anywho, I enjoyed the film and its nuances - cartoon birds that came at the beginning and end to explain things.
TRAILER:
Watched on VHS with my boyfriend, as research on film noir and female lovers - These days, VHS color is darker on playback, so that added to the film noir even more than was intended, I'm sure. The drama was high, and one didn't know what the characters would do. As Andy pointed out, it was basically all filmed in one location, so would be relatively cost-efficient to shoot. According to IMDb Trivia, it was shot in 38 days, it "was Joe Pantoliano's first leading role in a film. It's also his favourite role",; Likewise, Jennifer Tilly named Violet as the best role she ever had, and was originally set to play Corky. I liked the film, and how it portrayed female sexuality, which made the story that much more interesting.
TRAILER:
FULL MOVIE:
Watched on VHS, sola, while S.O.; Once again, VHS quality turns the films a bit darker than they are supposed to be. Sad face. The film is intended to show two sides to the same story, which makes you wonder which is correct. I of course, am apt to believe the female version ;) juuuuuust kidding. As there are some things you find out in his story that also seem to be more accurate. But it's an interesting take on the romantic comedy because it's true that we often only see events from our own perspective, which is why we have altercations, hence the film.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD sola - One of the great things I love about getting hooked on Grace and Frankie is that I get excited to see some of their previous work. This was a crazy and fun idea for a movie. Misrecognition, dynamic personalities. Great comedic chops. Loved it and would watch it again of course.
Watched on Amazon for research, later purchased DVD - I watched it one night and then watched it again to take notes. It was hard to watch the beating and the hospital stuff, but it clearly had to be shown. I appreciated the diverse cast of characters that was used. I can imagine some people might point to it as some kind of olive branch, but it allowed for different voices to be heard - especially when the neighbor was patching her up and mentioned that in her country, young boys are given guns and made to kill their parents to prove that anyone can become a killer. It was interesting to see the character's change and her mixed emotions, her downward spiral. I especially appreciated the subtext in the conversation at the diner.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD with S.O. - I appreciated the homage to 80s films and it fit the bill. It was fun, creative and a nice modern throwback.
TRAILER:
Watched on DVD sola; I wasn't sure what the movie synopsis was when I picked it up; it wasn't clear when I read through it the first time, but I knew that with that star power, I was in. Steve Martin's body comedy is stellar in this film, which you'll see in the trailer. It was a good time. AND the title song was performed by Joe Williams, a favorite of my writing mentor, so that held a special part for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would definitely watch it again.
TRAILER:
Watched on Blu-ray with S.O. Andy - One of Andy's recent purchases I wanted to watch with him. Children can be terrifying so it was awesome to see them as the monster. Fun movie and cast, varying characters. Wonder what's next....
TRAILER:
Watched on VHS with S.O. Andy - Another case of old VHS throwing off a bit of the brightness of the film. This was a great drama. Based on a play, it kept our attention. The stakes were always high for the characters. We are used to seeing films of full courtrooms, but this one was about even getting to a regular trial. A volatile woman had to proved that she wasn't crazy, with the help of a new lawyer, to show that other people's opinions aren't always correct. Really enjoyed it. Barbra had a stand-out performance. Leslie Nielsen had a crazy role too. Great film.
TRAILER:
~
Note from end: So finishing this post took about 5 hours to do.... I'm reminded why I stopped adding posters, cast info and trailers. Takes a long time and nobody reads my blog anyway. If you do, please comment.
The Lady in the Van (2015)
PG-13
|
|
Biography,
Comedy,
Drama
|
13 November 2015 (UK)
A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her van that's parked in his driveway.
A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her van that's parked in his driveway.
TRAILER:
_________________________________________________________
Jurassic World (2015)
PG-13 | | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 12 June 2015 (USA)
A new theme park is built on the original site of
Jurassic Park. Everything is going well until the park's newest
attraction--a genetically modified giant stealth killing
machine--escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.
TRAILER:
_________________________________________________
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
R | | Comedy, Crime | 4 December 1992 (USA)
A Florida con man uses the passing of the long time
Congressman from his district who he just happens to share a name with,
to get elected to his version of paradise, Congress, where the ...
See full summary »
Director:
Jonathan Lynn
Jonathan Lynn
Watched with S.O. on DVD or VHS? - Such a timely movie, especially in the midst of election season. I gotta say, it's actually an essential movie! It explains how corporations lobby and bribe our elected officials, and how Capitol Hill is all a nasty game. It can be disheartening, but they throw in an honest senator or two so we know there are some people who are interested in making a positive difference for the people they represent. It also shows how some of the elected officials are completely clueless and unqualified when it comes to holding public office. This should almost be a required movie, it is so biting. But it still manages to be funny. A con man gets elected to be a congressman and is going to cheat the system, but first he has to understand the system...then he develops a set of morals and fights back his way. I really liked this film and would watch it again, if only to fire me up before contacting my state's elected officials... Also, reading the IMDB info - I forgot, I was so excited to see writer Daniel Petrie Jr. in the film. He is "a producer and writer, known for Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Turner and Hooch (1989)". And I met him years ago, along with his equally-well-known brother Donald Petrie. Fun fact, I've also worked on an Eddie Murphy movie too. Can you guess which one? I'll give you a hint: I worked on it in Denver. P.S. Just watching the trailer and saw a parody of the gun lobbyists using semi-automatic weapons to go duck-hunting... yup, still very relevant!
TRAILER:
_____________________________________________
Sisters (2015)
R
|
|
Comedy
|
18 December 2015 (USA)
Two sisters decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home.
Watched from Redbox with one of MY sisters...and my brother-in-law. :) - You can tell Tina and Amy just love working with each other. Kudos to them for finding ways to do so. It was a fun movie. I'd probably watch it again. There were some great cameos in this. Of course it is absurd, but it's fun and that's what counts, right? I don't feel I need to say much about this because I feel it got plenty of notice/was well-marketed.
TRAILER:
___________________________________________
Connie and Carla (2004)
PG-13 | | Comedy, Crime, Music | 16 April 2004 (USA)
A mob mix-up in Chicago sends two chanteuses
screaming for L.A., where they score a perfect gig: posing as drag
queens on the dinner theater/cabaret circuit. Things get extra-weird
when a guy falls for one of the girls.
TRAILER:
____________________________________________
Straight Talk (1992)
A woman ditches her small town life for big city
Chicago, where she becomes a sensation as a radio show host.
Director:
Barnet Kellman
Watched on DVD sola - Dolly Parton is awesome and this was a fun movie. It deals with simplifying, truth-telling and honesty. It also touches on being true to yourself and doing the right thing. I feel like with Dolly, one knows what kind of film it's going to be. She had original music in it, as expected. Fun note from IMDb: Ron Livingston's feature film debut.
TRAILER:
________________________________________________
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
R | | Comedy, Drama | 6 January 2006 (USA)
In the 1970s, a young trans woman, Patrick "Kitten"
Braden, comes of age by leaving her Irish town for London, in part to
look for her mother and in part because her gender identity is beyond
the town's understanding.
Watched on DVD, sola. - I picked up this movie thinking I might have seen it before because I like gender-bending/queer movies, but when I got to watching it, it was evident I hadn't seen it before. I enjoyed it. It takes place in Ireland and London in the 70s, so there is a lot of history that isn't altogether familiar, but quite interesting - turmoil politically alongside with poor treatment of non-conforming persons. It's actually based on a book (I mistakenly thought it was memoirs, but it is fiction), and it is set in chapters, which contributes to the serial feeling of the film. As writers, we are warned, all action must be cause and effect. Since some of this was life-based, it had moments of "this happened, then this happened", which is supposed to be a no-no. It more or less ties in so we see the life of the character and understand his/her development. There is, however, the underlying thread that drives the story forward: the desire to meet his/her mother. While watching the film, I thought it was based on a real person's memoirs, since the author of the film and the main character both share the same first name, but I see I'm incorrect, as the wiki page for the author lists him as married to a woman with 2 children. Of course, not impossible for a transgender woman to be married to a woman and have children, this doesn't seem to be the case here. No matter; it is a gripping story that makes you feel for the characters. I enjoyed seeing an errant priest (played by Liam Neeson) take under his wing a transgender woman and an unwed mother and be judged by the town, when in fact, that kind of compassion is really what being a priest is supposed to be about, in my opinion. Anywho, I enjoyed the film and its nuances - cartoon birds that came at the beginning and end to explain things.
TRAILER:
____________________________________
Bound (1996)
R | | Crime, Drama, Romance | 4 October 1996 (USA)
Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet
concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the
blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caesar.
Watched on VHS with my boyfriend, as research on film noir and female lovers - These days, VHS color is darker on playback, so that added to the film noir even more than was intended, I'm sure. The drama was high, and one didn't know what the characters would do. As Andy pointed out, it was basically all filmed in one location, so would be relatively cost-efficient to shoot. According to IMDb Trivia, it was shot in 38 days, it "was Joe Pantoliano's first leading role in a film. It's also his favourite role",; Likewise, Jennifer Tilly named Violet as the best role she ever had, and was originally set to play Corky. I liked the film, and how it portrayed female sexuality, which made the story that much more interesting.
TRAILER:
____________________________________
Once in a Lew Moon (2015)
1h 15min | Documentary, Biography, Drama | 2015 (USA)
Lew Hunter came from a poor house hold and big
dreams to make it in Hollywood. We will give writers around the world
the applause they deserve. From rags to riches came this farm boy from
...
See full summary »
Watched in the theater with the star, director and many others; Lew Hunter is my screenwriting mentor, so it meant a lot to watch this film with him and many of our shared loved ones. There have been a few versions of this film as more footage is found or shot with each showing. It tells how Lew grew up in Nebraska and made a name for himself in the screenwriting world. It tells of those accomplishments, along with testimonies from those that worked with him and/or studied under him. It discusses several of his major accomplishments, both as a writer/producer/mentor, and as a person involved in fighting drug use in his homestate. I really recommend any version of this film that you may get to see.
TRAILER:
MY VIDEO - AFTER THE SCREENING:
_______________________________________
He Said, She Said (1991)
Dan and Lorie are journalists working in the same
office. More often than not they have opposing view of the issue in
question. Deciding that this is hot stuff, a television producer gives
...
See full summary »
Watched on VHS, sola, while S.O.; Once again, VHS quality turns the films a bit darker than they are supposed to be. Sad face. The film is intended to show two sides to the same story, which makes you wonder which is correct. I of course, am apt to believe the female version ;) juuuuuust kidding. As there are some things you find out in his story that also seem to be more accurate. But it's an interesting take on the romantic comedy because it's true that we often only see events from our own perspective, which is why we have altercations, hence the film.
TRAILER:
____________________________________
Big Business (1988)
In the 1940s in the small town of Jupiter Hollow,
two sets of identical twins are born in the same hospital on the same
night. One set to a poor local family and the other to a rich family ...
See full summary »
Watched on DVD sola - One of the great things I love about getting hooked on Grace and Frankie is that I get excited to see some of their previous work. This was a crazy and fun idea for a movie. Misrecognition, dynamic personalities. Great comedic chops. Loved it and would watch it again of course.
______________________________________
Gulaab Gang (2014)
A fearless woman fights social injustice; creating a
sanctuary for abused women and battling a crooked politician.
Watched on Youtube for research - I'm researching vigilante justice and this film is a Bollywood version of a real group of Indian women who fight back against injustice, especially in rural areas where cops are easily bribed. This film version is interesting because the antagonist is a female, which I appreciate because it's not about men versus women, but love of justice versus love of power. It's about how far does one go with violence to bring about justice.
FULL MOVIE:
______________________________________________
The Brave One (2007)
A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge.
TRAILER:
_________________________________________________
Turbo Kid (2015)
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a comic book fan
dons the persona of his favourite hero to save his enthusiastic friend
and fight a tyrannical overlord.
Stars:
Munro Chambers,
Laurence Leboeuf,
Michael Ironside
|
See full cast & crew »Watched on DVD with S.O. - I appreciated the homage to 80s films and it fit the bill. It was fun, creative and a nice modern throwback.
TRAILER:
_____________________________
All of Me (1984)
A dying millionnaire has her soul transferred into a
younger, willing woman. But something goes wrong, and she finds herself
in her lawyer's body - together with the lawyer.
Stars:
Steve Martin,
Lily Tomlin,
Victoria Tennant
|
See full cast & crew »Watched on DVD sola; I wasn't sure what the movie synopsis was when I picked it up; it wasn't clear when I read through it the first time, but I knew that with that star power, I was in. Steve Martin's body comedy is stellar in this film, which you'll see in the trailer. It was a good time. AND the title song was performed by Joe Williams, a favorite of my writing mentor, so that held a special part for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would definitely watch it again.
TRAILER:
______________________________
Cooties (2014)
R | | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi | 18 September 2015 (USA)
A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary
school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An
unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their
lives.
Watched on Blu-ray with S.O. Andy - One of Andy's recent purchases I wanted to watch with him. Children can be terrifying so it was awesome to see them as the monster. Fun movie and cast, varying characters. Wonder what's next....
TRAILER:
_______________________________________
Nuts (1987)
R | | Drama, Thriller | 11 December 1987 (USA)
A high-class call girl accused of murder fights for
the right to stand trial rather than be declared mentally incompetent.
Watched on VHS with S.O. Andy - Another case of old VHS throwing off a bit of the brightness of the film. This was a great drama. Based on a play, it kept our attention. The stakes were always high for the characters. We are used to seeing films of full courtrooms, but this one was about even getting to a regular trial. A volatile woman had to proved that she wasn't crazy, with the help of a new lawyer, to show that other people's opinions aren't always correct. Really enjoyed it. Barbra had a stand-out performance. Leslie Nielsen had a crazy role too. Great film.
TRAILER:
_______________________________
So finishing this post took about 5 hours to do.... I'm reminded why I stopped adding posters, cast info and trailers. Takes a long time and nobody reads my blog anyway. If you do, please comment. Sunday, April 17, 2016
Man Up (2015); The Boss (2016); My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016); Wreck-It Ralph (2012); Stir Crazy (1980)
It hasn't been too long since my last blog entry, but that's how it's supposed to be, right? Me not waiting so long so the movie blog isn't such a monumental task... So here goes.
- Man Up (2015) watched on Netflix/Roku, with Andy popping in and out. I really enjoyed this one, and Andy liked it as well. I/we generally like Simon Pegg movies and this was a more realistic rom-com than the standard. You got to see how two imperfect characters came to find each other in a less cutesy way than is the standard, so it made it more relatable. Not to say, there weren't the standard plot points, but it didn't make me roll my eyes. I'd watch this one again.
- The Boss (2016) Saw in a theater, sola. I missed the first minute or two (came in at the tail end of her speech to the crowd) and I hate missing even a moment of a film. So I feel like I could have missed something about the character development. But I think the premise of that scene could have been in the trailer. Anyway, I really do like Melissa McCarthy and always enjoy seeing her husband Ben Falcone appear in her movies (similar to Nia Vardalos and husband Ian Gomez). I've even written a movie for her... that being said, I was expecting to have the same reaction as I had to Tammy - expecting it to be stupid but actually finding it to be a nice surprise. This time, however, I wasn't as impressed. Maybe it was just a bit too campy/based on misunderstandings/outside of reality. I think I was just expecting too much from it. There were some funny bits, of course. I would watch it again, if only to see the very beginning and see if I enjoyed it more once I was familiar with the tone of comedy it aimed to be.
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) Watched in a theater sola. I drove an hour to see this movie before it left the theaters, since it wasn't playing anywhere close to me. I'm so glad I did. I was a HUGE fan of the original. My entire family and friends at the time also loved it. It was so relatable. I've loved Nia's work ever since, and have read her book Instant Mom, too. That said, I was very pleased with this sequel. The characters and tone was pretty similar and had a lot of harkening back to the original. I don't know if a person who hadn't seen the original would get this film. It was more like an inside joke. So I suppose not. I really enjoyed this film and it made me cry at the end. It was lovely and sentimental. I'd of course watch it again and am looking forward to the DVD. Opa!
- Wreck-It Ralph (2012) Rented from the library, watched sola, with Andy in and out of the room - this happens when he works out... I really liked the movie and Andy liked what he saw too (which I figured he might since it had old school video games in it). I know this movie had been out for a while, but I never got around to it. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a very clever concept and there was a lot of fun opportunity for characters from the variety of games. I do plan on picking up my own copy and getting Andy to watch it again with me. :)
- Stir Crazy (1980) Watched on DVD with Andy. I enjoyed the film. It was zany and fun. A nice throwback to a different era of comedy. I can't really define what makes it different. Maybe less gross-out? All in all, it was fun to watch and very fun to look at IMDB afterwards. The guy who plays the other rodeo dude is Jonathan Banks who I recognized from Community, but you may have seen him in a few other things, like Better Call Saul or Airplane - he looked really different! One of the more surprising finds was that Georg Stanford Brown, who played the gay prisoner, has directed a lot of stuff! Also enjoyed seeing Barry Corbin in it, who I know from Northern Exposure, and who Andy pointed out is currently on The Ranch (he was unrecognizable to me! Andy has a great eye for actors!) Erland van Lidth who played the big scary guy was actually an MIT grad/teacher and trained for opera singing, as did his sister. Like I said, enjoyable film.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
Roxanne (1987); Mom and Dad Save the World (1992); According to Spencer (2001); Zootopia (2016); How to Be Single (2016)
- Roxanne (1987) Watched on DVD; sola. I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed reading up about the play on Wikipedia and all the renditions that have been performed on stage and screen, as well as skimming the info on the real person. I really like Steve Martin so it was fun to watch him play. Of course, the female lead was a little young, as is Hollywood standard. In reality, Daryl Hannah is 15 years younger than Steve Martin, which isn't completely ridiculous, but still. There are a number of other fun names involved: Shelley Duvall, Fred Willard, Michael J. Pollard, and Damon Wayans. There was plenty of comedy, both in word and in action (slapstick), and the female lead was smart with an interesting career. I recommend this, and would definitely watch it again.
- Mom and Dad Save the World (1992) Watched on DVD, with S.O. Andy. Andy and I found this on one shopping trip or another and he had fond memories watching it as a kid, so I persuaded him to purchase it. It was a little different than I was expecting, but I enjoyed it. It's a stupid comedy, but they tell you upfront literally that the planet is full of idiots. There are many enjoyable actors in the film: Teri Garr, Jeffrey Jones, Jon Lovitz, (although a number of people might object to me calling him 'enjoyable'...too bad for them!), Eric Idle of Monty Python, Dwier Brown (who apparently played the dad in Field of Dreams, Kathy Ireland, and, hidden under bulldog heads: Tony Cox and Ed Gale. There was a scene with an animated rat which cracks me up. This movie asks that you don't take yourself too seriously and appreciate the absurd. I would totally watch this again.
- According to Spencer (2001) Watched on DVD, sola. I found this on sale at an antique/thrift store... and have sold it elsewhere. I wasn't impressed by it much. It wasn't awful, just your standard rom-com, with a couple twists - the roommates were filming a porno. There were some fun actors - David Krumholtz is great in my book. I definitely recognized the Grandma's voice (Florence Stanley) as the Grandma in Dinosaurs. But that part of the film I didn't get. SEMI-SPOILER: The main character's grandma died, and since he was close to her, when he struggles, he sees her and she gives him advice. It seemed pretty random and unrelated to the rest of the story, a gag that didn't quite do it for me. END SEMI-SPOILER. Not one of my favorites.
- Zootopia (2016) Watched in theater. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was going to be hokey. And after watching the film (and really enjoying it), and seeing a trailer again, I feel it didn't do it justice. No worries, as I heard from word of mouth that the film was really good and had a great message about differences. And I really did enjoy it. It does have several great messages, the most important about not letting fear of others and stereotypes cloud one's judgement, and also to follow your dreams despite the naysayers. I thought there were so many clever characters and moments in the film, I will need to watch again to catch them all. I really do look forward to purchasing this one and including it in my collection of favorite (kid-friendly) movies.
- How to Be Single (2016) Watched in theater. First I'll provide the quick review I posted on my Facebook page upon request:
- It
was okay. Rebel Wilson was great. I liked all the actors in general
which was half the draw. My problems were as follows in SPOILER ALERTS...
1) Movie could have been called "How to be a single white woman". Or how to only date white guys except for one dude. Being single is a bit more complex especially if family pressures you, as in some cultures. That would have been an interesting dynamic, but must not have been in the book.... or was it. Hmmmm. May look into that.
2) A woman dead set against babies decided to have them and no one questions her. Like she actually just gets inseminated and its cool. And its because she was left alone with a baby for a few minutes.... she was a doctor that delivered 3000 babies but was somehow overtaken by one. I suppose it happens, but those characters enforce the stereotype that we women who don't want kids will somehow change our mind like flipping a switch.... nope. At least not me and my other cf ladies.
3) while making fun of movie clichés, it still used them.
That's all I got before bedtime. Maybe more later! - END SPOILER ALERTS
- Okay, thoughts now as of writing this blog... I just checked out info on the book and it looks like it DOES encompass worldwide experience of singledom, which this movie is totally lacking. From amazon: "Fed up with the dysfunction and disappointments of singledom, Julie quits her job and sets off to find out how women around the world are dealing with this dreaded phenomenon. From Paris to Brazil to Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai, and Reyjavik, Julie falls in love, gets her heart broken, sees the world, and learns more than she ever dreamed possible. All the while her friends at home are grappling with their own issues—bad blind dates, loveless engagements, custody battles, single motherhood, and the death of a loved one." I don't know about you, but THAT sounds much better than the movie. I understand it can be hard to condense, but given that the book HAD that info, I would have loved to see any of it incorporated. I wasn't impressed by the film. But they say watch bad ones too and figure out what you would do to change it.... sounds like a project for me. :)
- Fun note: Rebel Wilson got a LOT of laughs in the small Midwestern farm-town in which I watched it... like at least 10 actual seconds of solid laughter that carried over into another scene. She really is a great comedic talent, and that came through in what I suppose was ad-libs.
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