American Idiot on Broadway (2010)

Okay...you can't see this on Netflix, or rent it from the video store.  You might be able to see it on tour this fall in a city near you! An even better option is to take a trip to NYC and see it for yourself.  everyone that knows me, knows of my obsession for this show.  I saw it on a trip to NYC in June, and it has literally taken over my life.  Its not for everyone. I know a few people that really just didn't like it at all, and I know a few more that would HATE it based on politics alone.  I freaking loved it.  This was my 5th time seeing the show, my third trip to NY to do so. I think the music is just incredible. I have always enjoyed the Green Day album American Idiot, but to be honest...I am a musical girl. If the music isn't singer/songwriter/folk style...then it has to have a full sound. Big production type sound with lots of harmonies and just awesome sound.  That is the Original Broadway Cast Recording.  If you do nothing else... you should at least check out the music.  Their version of 21 Guns could play 24 hours a day and I would never tire of it.  I took Ian with me this time to see it, and of course he loved the music, both kids have been forced fed it since June of last year.  But the part I loved about Ian's experience is how much he loved the lighting and stage design. He was in awe of the set up.  All his comments to me were stage related, and after the show was over...I was lucky enough to get to meet Michael Mayer, the director, and Ian's only question to him was about the stage! "how many trap doors do you have in this place?" I was quite embarrassed, but he didn't mind, he seemed to find it amusing.  There is sex and drug use in this show...not really appropriate for kids Ian's age, unless you want to do a whole lot of explaining. I lucked out. Ian was so mesmerized by the stage and everything happening there, he didn't give a shit about the story at all.  Not sure if thats good or bad, but it worked out for me.  We didn't have to have any kind of conversation about it!  Its an hour and a half long, no intermission, very little dialogue and a lot of fantastic music.
http://americanidiotonbroadway.com/index.php

We Live in Public (2009)

Another one that was just okay for me. I did find the subject matter very interesting. I had never heard of this guy before and found his life very intriguing. The movie is a look at the life of Josh Harris an early internet pioneer. I had never even heard of him before I started to watch this. I found some of his predictions about the online world pretty haunting, considering he was making these predictions years and years before the creation of things like Facebook and other social networking outlets.  The early parts of the movie were very interesting to me.  How he got his start, made his money and his ideas.  Then I started to lose interest as he started going off path a little bit and his newer projects were just a little odd and even disturbing to me as he starts veering off into almost a performance art direction.  There was a lot of original footage and interviews that I made this worth watching if you have any interest in this type of story.  It was decent.  Not spectacular, but again, I think expectations are still a bit high and perhaps I should stop watching documentaries until Dear Zachary is out of my head...if that ever happens!  The next two entries are going to be complete cheats. I refuse to say I gave up this project...however I did spend over 20 hours in the car over a 48 hour period, so not much time for movie watching!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498329/

I Need That Record (2008)

I didn't like this as much as I expected to like it.  That's not saying its not good, I just wasn't really in the mood for a documentary, but I finished it anyway.  Also I think my expectations are kind of high for a documentary right now because Dear Zachary is still burned in my brain and nothing seems to be living up to that movie for me.  This is a short film about the fall of the independent record stores.  I decided to watch this as one of my favorite independent record stores back in my old town of Roseville, Michigan, is closing its doors. I spent hours in Record Time every few weeks just browsing through the bins trying to find something interesting and new.  I love vinyl and sometime in the next year or so I want to get something to play my records on, as my last player was tossed out, broken in the move.  That being said...I like downloading my music too. I like my iPod. I like that I have more than 3,000 songs on it and still have tons and tons of space for more. I like that I can make MP3s out of audio bootlegs that I find from Broadway shows that I love.  At the same time. I will never stop buying music.  I don't buy CD's much anymore, though I have here and there. I mainly use iTunes or Amazon and download the MP3 version of the album.  I guess I am part of the problem.  Maybe thats why I didn't love the movie. Of course I don't want to see record stores closing down. I love the idea of them. When I see a cool one and I have time, I always stop in and look around.  I don't even have a non-chain one anywhere around me (that I know of anyway...) and once I get back the option of listening to vinyl again, I am sure I will start searching for places to find music again.  This was just okay for me (I feel like Randy Jackson on American Idol giving a basic opinion) kind of worth watching, definitely seems pretty one sided, which is okay sometimes in a documentary. I don't know. I would love to have someone else watch this and give their opinion! It is available for instant streaming on Netflix right now...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1274725/

Daybreakers (2009)

Oh Ethan Hawke....I am still not over you yet.  I should start by saying I have loved Ethan Hawke for many, many years.  I haven't been thrilled with his movie choices lately...but I tend to watch them anyway just because I love him so much.  The knowledge that he lives in NY, makes me look for him everywhere I go, every time I am there. Its sad really.  He isn't even aging as well as I expected him to.  Okay...so enough about that part.  I actually found this to be pretty entertaining, and a nice fresh take on the Vampire movies.  Warning: this is NOT for the faint of heart.  This is pretty violent. I can handle violence but I had to turn my head a few times from this one.  I won't give too much away, but the movie is set in the future, and vampires are pretty much running Earth (some sort of plague has turned the humans into Vampires).  The humans that are left are underground, traveling only by day, hiding, trying to stay alive. Because the humans are becoming few and far between, the Vampires are facing a serious blood shortage, Ethan Hawke plays a Vampire and Scientist that is trying to come up with a synthetic blood supply to help solve the problem.  I feel like if I say too much more that will give away some of the more interesting plot lines.  This was by no means a fantastic movie.  However, the idea of it was interesting enough for me to find it pretty entertaining.  Ethan Hawke was just an added bonus.  I don't know that I would recommend this to everyone...but for sure I would say that if you like apocalyptic type movies, you might want to give this one a shot.  Do not watch it if you can't handle violence, because this one gets kind of rough.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433362/

Basic Black: The Lewis Black Story

This was an interesting, very short (69 minutes) documentary.  I have mixed feelings about Lewis Black. Sometimes I find him hysterically funny and right on the money.  Sometimes his anger annoys me.  I am not an angry person by nature. So people that are angry all the time just send out too much negative energy for me, and I get easily annoyed.  If I am in the right mood, I find him amusing.  My dad really likes him, and of course, I love my Dad, so I always give Lewis Black a chance to entertain me.  This was actually pretty good because it wasn't just a stand up DVD.  It was more of a biographical documentary.  I found it pretty interesting.  Also appealing is that some of it was filmed in Detroit at the Fillmore.  I always love seeing Detroit and Michigan in movies.  I didn't realize that he has been around as long as he has...some of the footage dated back to the 1980's.  If you like Lewis Black...you should watch this. Its interesting to know how he got to where he is. If you don't like him...well its still kind of interesting either way.  I think biographical documentaries are almost always interesting, no matter who they are about!  I am not sure if this is still available for live streaming on Netflix anymore or not.  But its worth watching.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1651057/

Following (1998)

I have deleted this from my queue a million times and always end up adding it back in.  I kept thinking I just wasn't in the mood for a film noir kind of thing...but I really have come to appreciate Christopher Nolan and because this had a short running time and life is hectic right now, I decided that it was time.  So this was the first feature length film that Christopher Nolan directed.  I thought within the first few minutes I was not going to like this, and almost gave up.  I just wasn't really in the mood. Ever since I watched "Dear Zachary" I have had a hard time getting into anything since. I have started and stopped several movies this week that I just couldn't sit through.  I decided to give this one a few more minutes and was so happy that I did.  I really enjoyed it.  In the spirit of Memento (one of my favorite Christopher Nolan movies) it does get a bit confusing.  It took me awhile to figure out that it was not all in chronological order.  It wasn't as rough as Memento (backwards) to figure out....but it did take some time, and I did some rewinding just to make sure I had it all figured out. I didn't though, and there were plenty of surprises that kept this interesting.  The story starts out with a man telling another man about how he had been following people, he was a writer and was just interested in people: where they went, what they did, etc.  Then one day he follows a man who later confronts him in a restaurant.  The man is a burglar who convinces the man to come with him and see what its all about.  Things get very interesting from there and the movie has some twists and turns and surprises.  Its a nice quick hour and ten minute movie and totally worth it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154506/

Dear Zachary (2008)

I really want people to watch this movie. I don't want to scare them off by saying things that will make them think "this is not for me". But at the same time, I don't want to be misleading and make this movie out to be something that is easy to handle. It. Is. Not. That being said, this was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.  Perhaps one of the better movies in general, that I have ever seen.  This movie is a documentary, that started out as a memorial tribute to the unborn son of Dr. Andrew Bagby, a good friend of the filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, who had been murdered.  This movie was touching, beautiful, shocking, horrifying, inspirational and just downright sad.  I don't know that I have ever felt such a range of emotions during a movie in my entire life.  It was put together so well, was interesting from the moment it started and sucked me completely in. I cried like a baby through half of it.  I was stunned. I was horrified. I wanted to go out and do something. I will not give any spoilers away and I am glad that I didn't know ahead of time what the whole story was. Its part of the beauty of the tapestry that this movie seems to be.   At the same time, it made me think so much, about people I have lost in my life. People I have known very well, and felt a great sense of loss after they were gone.  But also people I knew very little but seemed to have left a hole in my life anyway. How one person can touch so many people in so many ways.  How one person can connect so many people that wouldn't otherwise be connected.  How amazing it would be to be able to talk to people and get photos, and see videos of friends I have lost.  To create a real picture of who somebody was, not just to me, but to everyone around them.  That is only one story that is told in this incredible movie.  I can't say enough good things about it.  I will say it is rough, there are parts that are hard to watch, things that are hard to hear.  But overall, this movie is so worth taking that risk.  I am in love with this movie.  It is available on Instant Netflix only through 2/24 right now, but I urge you if you don't do instant streaming...find this movie. Go to your library, rent it...do whatever it is you do to watch stuff, and watch this.  Its a story that needs to be heard.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152758/

The Kings Speech (2010)

I know, not only is the blog post super late...but I have already seen AND reviewed this movie during this project.  But I saw it again yesterday (with my actual husband...like a date) and decided that since I didn't watch another movie that day, I needed to review this again.  So here it is. I loved this movie. I still loved it the second time around.  This time I definitely paid a bit more attention to Helena Bonham Carter.  I guess I never thought about it the first time around, but she is playing the Queen Mum.  I was always so fond of her and I really liked Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of Elizabeth, and I loved the interaction between her and Colin Firth.  I do have an obsession with the current Royal Family for some reason and so this time around I focused more on the names and places so I can do some more research.  I think the reason I love this movie so much is that its such a personal triumph story.  I left feeling inspired, and so touched by the friendship between Bertie and Lionel.  It meant something more to me this time I think.  I wasn't sure if it was the kind of movie that I could see twice, but I think I liked it enough to see it even more than that.  If you haven't seen this yet, go...see it! Its totally worth the trip to the theater!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/

Please Give (2010)

I have had this sitting on my dresser for weeks because I am so busy always watching the instant movies on Netflix, that I seldom remember that I also get one DVD at a time at my house too!  I should start by saying I have a bit of a crush on Catherine Keener.  I pretty much will watch anything that she is in, but this movie in particular I was really looking forward to because it was written and directed by one of my favorite women Nicole Holofcener.  I first discovered her several years ago when I watched her first feature length movie called Walking and Talking (also starring Catherine Keener).  I should re-watch that and review it because its one of my absolute favorite movies.  This was great too. I didn't like it as much as a few of her other movies.  But as usual, I think that her characters, particularly her female characters are very real.  Even with their many neurotic behaviors, I know these women...sometimes I AM these women.  They make sense to me, even when they are saying something so horrifying that you want to hide under your bed.  This movie was about the lives of two groups of people living in the same apartment building.  Catherine Keener plays Kate, who lives with her husband played by Oliver Platt and her adorable but awkward teenage daughter played by the very refreshing Sarah Steele. They live next door to an elderly ornery woman named Andra who is cared for her by her two granddaughters, played by Amanda Peet, and Rebecca Hall (another of my new favorites) I loved the writing. I loved the interaction between the cranky old grandma and her granddaughters. I loved the relationship between Kate and Alex and their daughter Abby as well. It just brought back so many memories for me of being a young girl, trying to figure it all out.   I really just loved this movie.  The music was great, the performances were touching and often made you cringe with the honesty.  I am so sorry this sat on my dresser for the past few weeks without me taking it out to watch it!  I was not disappointed!
UPDATE: This is now available for instant streaming on Netflix
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878835/

Camp (2003)

Steph (addressing you personally because I know you will read this eventually)...I totally realized after watching a few minutes of this movie, that I had already watched it a few years back.  But thank you SO much for reminding me to watch it, because I loved it even more this time.  So yes...folks, this is a repeat viewing and a borderline cheat!  Ah....Camp.  I loved Camp.  A wonderful little movie about a performing arts/drama summer camp.  I can't put into words how much love I had for this movie.  This sweet bunch of kids that have a hard time "fitting in" in their home lives, but feel at home or like family at this summer camp.  The music was great, the kids were adorable, sweet and honest. I think I need to own this movie so I can watch it again and again (and not just keep it on my Netflix queue forever) just the fact that these kids squeal with joy over a surprise visit from Stephen Sondheim brought a tear to my eye. I would so love to have had a place like that to go.  Where the sports counselor plays by himself because everyone else is off singing, or dancing....thats the camp for me! My only summer camp experience was so dreadful that I blocked a lot of it out.  This however, is a camp where everyone fits in. Where being different is a good thing.   I love movies about kids that actually feels like these could be kids that you know, and not some cookie cutter teen comedy that doesn't feel at all real.  This was touching without being preachy and cheesy.  It made me want to spend the rest of the week watching musicals.  Great, great stuff.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342167/

Howl (2010)

"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical naked..." Wow. I really loved this movie.  I should say up front, I am a fan of Allen Ginsberg. I have always been interested in that time period, and Howl. I think one summer I read "On the Road" 5 times and couldn't get Jack Kerouac out of my head.  I have waited so long for a movie to be made that made me feel the way I felt the year I discovered the Beat Generation writers. To see the words come to life on film with such incredible animation.  This was done so well, I don't even know what to say about it.  James Franco played Ginsberg brilliantly, I really am starting to find him interesting to watch and can't wait to see what he does next.  I loved the way this movie switched back and forth, from scenes from the obscenity trial, Ginsberg doing a reading of Howl, along with snippets of interviews with Ginsberg about the trial, and the poem.  But my favorite part, the part that sucked me in and made me want to buy this movie....were the animation sequences. I almost wish that they would have done the poem in its entirety with this awesome animation. The imagery was perfect for me, and it made me want to dig out my old books and read instead of watching any more movies tonight. I could go on and on about how much I loved this, but it will just come off sounding sappy and I can't really get the words out.  Loved it.  That is all.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049402/

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010)

I am not really sure what I thought about this. I feel like I wrote this recently about another movie, but I can't remember which one.  This seemed like the perfect solution for a no-brainer romantic comedy kind of night.  Alyssa Milano plays an adorable unlucky in love girl who meets Ethan, a sweet writer  in need of inspiration (played by the absolutely adorable Christopher Gorham) and them meets the charming and dashing Troy (played by Michael Landes).  She begins dating both guys and that part slowed the movie down a bit for me but WAIT...there is a twist that I won't tell you about in case you actually bother to watch this (it is available on Instant Netflix)  When the storyline twisted...I really thought I hated the movie.  I liked it because of its cheesy predictable storyline.  I even liked how unbelievably wholesome it was.  However, I wasn't sure I liked how it ended.  Usually I like a movie that surprises you, but when you are expecting the basic run of the mill Lifetime movie of the week kind of romantic comedy and you get something a little more creative.  It throws you!  After thinking it over I still liked the movie and would maybe even watch it again just to see if I feel differently the second time around.  Alyssa Milano is cute, I have always liked her and this performance, though subtle, was nice.  But my favorite part of the movie was her brother played by Tom Lenk.  I become more in love with him every time I see him in something.  He is quirky and interesting, and I really enjoyed his small part in this.  Even if I would have hated the rest of the movie, he would have made it worthwhile.  This is nothing special, but if you are in the mood for a sweet, nice, mildly amusing romantic comedy (with a twist) this might be your flick!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1447793/

Lymelife (2008)

This has been in my queue for quite some time now, I just wasn't motivated to watch it.  Sometimes I can stomach Alec Baldwin, and other times he makes my skin crawl.  I used to be a big fan, but over the years, his off screen personality (if we can call it that) has sort of turned me off.  I find him amusing in 30 Rock, but in movies, I can usually do without him.  I did, however, put this in my queue because I do really like Kieran Culkin.  I think he is underused and under-appreciated.  The standout performance in this movie however, is from his brother, the adorable Rory Culkin.  Okay, so this movie is based in the late 1970s and really doesn't come across as an awkward 70's period movies (as some films tend to do).  This movie is at its base, about two different crumbling marriages, and the lives of those around them. I thought this movie was very well done. It felt very real to me, all the arguments and sexual tension were very honest and completely believable. I loved the symbolism. I thought all of the performances were awesome (with one borderline exception...I am not the biggest Emma Roberts fan, I think she is beautiful, but a pretty basic actress, at least from what I have seen from her so far) For a small budgeted independent movie, this one didn't feel small at all. I thought it was great.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363780/

Last Night (1998)

I have had this in my queue for so long and my only guess is that I put it in because of Sandra Oh, because this is absolutely not the kind of movie that I can usually handle without having a panic attack and years of therapy.  Its about the end of the world.  This movie is about the last night on earth.  Its clear from the movie that people have known that the end was coming, and they knew it would be a specific day and time.  The movie itself was just okay.  I thought it was interesting, and different. I thought the acting was decent, even though I only recognized three of the actors.  I usually do like small movies, and though this one was Canadian (not that it makes a difference to me where it was made) it seemed almost too small for me.  I might like it more as time goes on, but for now I am saying it was just okay. It did make me think a lot, about what I would do if I knew in advance exactly when the world was going to end and what would I do with the time I had left.  How would I spend my "last night" which is what this movie was about.  I found it interesting that there wasn't a lot of "panic" going on.  The people on the streets were treating it like one giant New Years Eve celebration. Though you can tell that there had been some looting and problems in the past.  Groups of people were often turning over cars or rolling them away.  I found this theme very interesting.  One of the characters was fulfilling a long list of sexual fantasies or sexual things he wanted to accomplish before the end.  Another character had agreed on a suicide pact with her husband for the last second, only to spend the rest of the movie trying to get to him so they could do it.  The more I think about it, as I write this review, the more I actually liked the movie. I am so fickle!  I say if you can handle end of the world scenarios....this is worth a watch. If that kind of plot line sends you into fits of terror, like myself....this one wasn't so bad.  No nightmares for me last night, if I can handle it, so can you! But at the same time, it felt very real, and that was a bit haunting.  One particular part where two elderly ladies were watching videos of Christmases past...really made me kind of sad.  This is on instant Netflix, so if you have that...check it out.  Its something a little different.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156729/

Date Night (2010)

I have no idea why it has taken me so freaking long to finally watch this movie.  I think it was one of those that I meant to see in theaters, and then when it never worked out for me, I gave up and decided not to bother.  After Steph told me she thought it was pretty funny, I decided to give it a shot while it was on Amazon On Demand!  I really really liked this movie. I think part of the appeal to me was how much I related to the characters!  I am thinking it is probably far funnier to people married with kids, feeling a little like they are living in a rut....than younger single folks.  However, I think some of the humor is universal. I laughed quite a bit, and I sympathized with Tina Fey's character especially.  I really liked this.  Oh yeah....and you also have Mark Wahlberg without a shirt on, a few beautiful times throughout the movie.  Totally worth the ticket price.  Yum!  I thought it was a fun, amusing movie, with heart.  Perfect for Valentines weekend!  I would definitely watch it again, and am sorry it took me so long!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/

Cropsey (2009)

Another documentary, and this is actually a repeat viewing for me. I watched it a few months back, but wanted to refresh my memory about it.  For the most part I really liked this.  It is a documentary about an urban legend back in the early 1980's, that was basically a cautionary tale to keep kids from exploring abandoned buildings near and around a closed down mental institution on Staten Island.  The legend was that an escaped patient was snatching children.  But when children actually started disappearing (and one of them was a 13 year old girl with Down Syndrome) the story became a little more real and a little scarier.  This film was creepy.  No doubt about it. When they were exploring the empty abandoned buildings, I admit, I was scared, and I was just watching!  At first I wasn't even sure if it was a documentary, I thought it might have been another Blair Witch type thing....but it was real.  Decent, worth watching if you are into that documentaries for sure, and maybe if you just like creepy stuff :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1277936/

Sherrybaby (2006)

I love Maggie Gyllenhaal. I may as well start there. Sometimes I wonder at her choices, but I always like her.  This movie was rough.  I can't say it was bad, because it wasn't.  However, the subject matter, was just painful. She plays a woman recently released from prison, who comes back to try to have a relationship with her young daughter who has been living with her brother and his wife while she was gone.  She is a recovering addict, and has clearly had a rough past.  It was just hard to watch.  I liked it, thought everyone was great in it....but it was really super sad.  Not in the, someone died kind of way....but just generally sad. I felt sorry for her, and then I didn't...then I wanted to help her, and then I didn't. I had mixed emotions throughout the entire movie, but overall. I thought she gave an amazing performance and I would recommend this movie based on that alone.
Don't watch it if you are looking for a feel-good romantic comedy though....this is not that movie!
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423169/

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

I am way behind on my blogs but I will try to catch up tonight while watching the Grammy's!  I have been watching, just not writing!  Okay, so first up...Wristcutters: A Love Story.  I really liked this movie.  I love fresh new ideas, and this was definitely not an old story! Its about an afterlife that is filled with people that have killed themselves...they go to the same place, filled only with suicide victims.  Its a strange movie, yet sweet at the same time.  I can't say enough about small independent films like this.  I know they aren't for everyone, but I think if more people would give them a chance, they would be pleasantly surprised.  This was definitely one of the more odd ones, but I still really enjoyed it.  Besides, I really like Patrick Fugit, who plays one of the main characters.  To give you a bit of the story without ruining anything...his character kills himself after a break-up with his girlfriend Desiree, finding himself in this strange afterlife filled with other people that have killed themselves.  He finds out that Desiree has also killed herself, so he goes on a quest to find her. He makes some new friends along the way and they have some adventures :)  That about sums it up, but I found it very entertaining, and interesting.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477139/

Dogtooth (2009)

I almost have no words for this movie.  For real. This was nominated this year for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. (Greece) I can't say I recommend this, because for sure....its not for everybody.  It was strange, creepy, uncomfortably amusing a few times.  The story is about three older (can't really tell how old) teenage kids who live and are schooled (in the loosest terms) at home. They are beyond isolated.  The parents even make up wrong words for things like a salt shaker is a "phone".  At the same time, I found it so interesting that I couldn't stop watching. It is offensive and awful and fresh and wonderful all at the same time.  I don't even really know what to say. Its not for the faint of heart. At. All.  There is nudity, incest, violence to small animals.  The camera work bothered me from time to time, but I can't tell if that was because I was watching on my tiny TV in my room, but often the heads of the people were cut off and you only saw from the neck down. I get the impression it was on purpose, but I am not artsy enough for that not to annoy me a little bit.  I am interested to see the other Foreign Film nominees, because I was sort of surprised this got nominated just because of its bizarreness (is that even a word??) but at the same time. It was unlike anything I have ever seen in my life!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1379182/

Every Little Step (2008)

This is a day late, I came home with a brand spanking new puppy last night, and totally forgot to write my blog post!  This was a fantastic, awesome, incredible movie.  I have been a huge fan of "A Chorus Line" since I was a very small child, probably way too young to be listening to "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three" but I remember picking out the Original Broadway Cast Recording from Columbia House...back when they still send you a big box of RECORDS instead of CDs :)  Anyway, I have never seen the show live, which is almost embarrassing, and I feel shame admitting it.  So this is an incredibly interesting documentary about the audition process for the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line" It gives you a lot of history about the show as well as following a few actors as they go through the audtion process.  Did I mention I loved this movie?? I think owning it may be in my future some day!  Watch it...(its on Instant Netflix for a few more days I think) you won't be sorry!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0977648/

Doctor Who Season 3: (episode 10) "Blink" (2007)

Yep. Its a flat out cheat.  I am admitting it with no shame whatsoever. I had a rough day yesterday and didn't watch a movie, however I watched this episode for the third time in a few days.  Because guess what?  Its freaking awesome.  I am not going to say you should watch the entire series to get to this episode. I think that if you are not already a fan... watching this one episode might help that happen for you. I don't think it will ruin anything to watch this out of context because I believe very strongly that this episode is so good it could stand on its own as a nice little 60 minute movie.  This episode was a bit creepy...but just so well done. I loved it so much I made Bubba watch it the next day with me, and have then watched it one more time yesterday! The story is great, the acting is top notch and I can't say enough wonderful things about it.  Carey Mulligan is the star of this episode and plays Sally Sparrow (great name) a girl who finds a mysterious house and bizarre things are happening there. Things are disappearing with no explanation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink_(Doctor_Who)

The Trotsky (2009)

I was all set to rant and rave about how much I really enjoyed this movie.  But today a little boy that I have been following on CaringBridge, who had the same kind of Leukemia as Chloe, and also has Down Syndrome...relapsed just six months after finishing his treatment. I realize this has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie I watched, but I can't stop thinking about it.  My heart is just broken and I don't know what to say about the movie now because it all seems so trivial compared to what this family is now facing.  I will give it a shot though, I may not be able to stomach a whole movie tonight though...just don't have it in me.
This movie was cute.  It was a smart comedy starring a boy I have come to love Jay Baruchel.  He plays a teenager who is convinced he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky.  This was not only amusing, but witty and fresh as well.  I am so glad I was in the mood for a non documentary movie because this ended up being much better than I anticipated.  That is all. If you are the praying kind, please pray for the Pirie family or visit Peters page http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/peterpirie/ and send them a word of encouragment, and positive energy, good thoughts, or whatever you can.
Here is "The Trotsky"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1295072/

American Teen (2008)

I promise to watch a movie tonight with actual actors. For sure.  But I needed just one more documentary this week.  Its going to be hard to write this review without making personal attacks.  I have to try to remain neutral and just talk about the movie.  Okay....breathe.....so the movie is based on the lives of a few teenagers in Indiana.  Just the basic day to day activities, getting ready for college, prom, etc.    Sounds almost boring, or annoying...but it wasn't.  I thought it was very real, sad, scary and inspiring all at once.  There were a few kids that I wanted to punch in the face, which for me must be pretty bad as I do not condone violence!  One girl in particular...wait...I am not going to get into this, I swore I wouldn't because these are kids who hopefully have grown up by now to be more mature and nicer adults. HOPEFULLY.  But that Megan...oooooh I wanted her to get hers in the end.  UGH this movie was not really representative of my high school experience, but it kind of was....my school was smaller. I pretty much knew every single person in my graduating class, so a lot of this stuff was just not my experience so hard to put myself in their places.  Also....things are so different now in the technological age. I feel so sorry for kids today, that can't get away from that.  It takes gossip to a whole new level (as shown in the movie).  When you can be sitting with your boyfriend while your Mom cuts his hair, and be texting another boy at the same time...um....thats just not cool.  So happy its not the way I had to live my life as a teenager in the 1980s.  Also the pain that some of the kids went through because they either weren't noticed at all....or didn't fit in.  Just made me so happy I am homeschooling my very interesting children.  I can just imagine Ian being one of those kids, the ones who just don't fit in...the ones that get bullied.  It was heartbreaking at times.  There was one part in particular with a girl named Hannah, who was the one that I really "got" the most.  She didn't want to go to school after she and a boy broke up.  This went far beyond "didn't want to go to school" this was, making herself sick, can't get out of the car, the dad trying to help by offering to go with her....kind of didn't want to go to school. I have been there. Its hard.  I really felt those scenes in a very real way.  I was there, I was in that car, I was crying and freaking out...I spent a year in therapy over it. Not over a boy, but the feelings were probably similar.  Following her story through the movie was by far the best part.  This was a great movie, hard to watch at times, as a parent, (and even as a former teenager) because of the reality of it....but really, really good.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486259/

Off and Running (2009)

You guys are probably sick to death of me only reviewing documentaries.  Sometimes though, in order not to give in and quit this project, I need something short to make sure I can squeeze in a movie a day!! This has been in my queue for some time, and as usual, I have no idea how it ended up there.  Its a documentary about a young African-American teenager, who was adopted and raised in a very mixed family, with Jewish lesbian parents, an older Puerto Rican brother, and a younger Korean brother.  The movie basically takes us through a year or two in her life as she makes the decision to try to get in contact with her birth mother, and the sort of downward spiral that her life turns into when that doesn't go quite the way she was either expecting, or hoping for. It was a very interesting movie, a bit slow at times, but overall it really kept my interest.  It was almost too painful a few times as she makes some interesting decisions. Note to anyone who might be offended by teen pregnancy and the options that may or may not be chosen. (without giving any spoiler away)  As someone who always intended (and never say never) on adopting at some point, some of this was a little painful and difficult to understand....why a girl raised with a clearly very loving family, would feel the need to find out about and risk being rejected again by her birth mother.  Then again, this movie helped me see that it really has nothing to do with the adoptive parents, at least in this case.   It had everything to do with this girl feeling the need to somehow identify with the family she never knew.  Wondering where she came from biologically.  The one thing I hate about documentaries like this, is at the end, not all the questions are answered and sometimes you want more information about the family!  This was well worth the time I spent watching it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1083853/

Dakota Skye (2008)

I  am sure that many of you are sick of my obscure Netflix choices, but this is what I tend to watch much of the time, so bear with me.  I have no idea how this one even ended up in my queue.  I liked it though.  It wasn't anything super special, however as usual with the movies I have been watching lately...the performances were really pretty awesome.  This was a small movie, clearly not a huge budget, but very well written and very honest and realistic.  Its about a girl named Dakota Skye, who is blessed (or cursed) with a superpower...she can tell when someone is lying.  Now this is not a "super hero" kind of movie...but its a fresh concept.  Sometimes the character got on my nerves, with her sullen, lost girl sort of behavior.  Then again, she is portraying a 16 year old, and I remember being that girl from time to time.  She meets a boy (friend of her boyfriend) who doesn't appear to lie.  Then the problem comes in...is he really that honest? Or is he the archenemy, the nemesis to her superhero capabilities??  Have to watch the movie to find out.  I thought it was cute, worth watching, a little slow at times, but overall a nice way to spend the evening. Ian Nelson who played the boy named Jonah, really stood out to me.  I thought he was pretty fantastic and would like to see more of him.  This is definitely a nice independent movie.  I think there is some minor sex and definitely some swearing, so if thats not your thing.  You might want to skip it!
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907848/

Groundhog Day (1993)

Okay...this is clearly a cheat. I mean, who hasn't seen Groundhog Day, raise your hand...? This has always been one of my favorites. It may not be the best movie ever made, but it was a fresh storyline. Just in case you haven't seen it....Bill Murray plays Phil, a cranky weatherman that has to cover the Groundhog Day festival in a small town called Punxsutawney. He arrives there with his camera guy (Chris Elliott) and his producer (my not so favorite girl Andie McDowell) and gets stranded there overnight during a blizzard. He awakens to find he is living the same day over again. I have always loved Bill Murray, funny and serious. I think he is great. Of course, this is also the movie that has forever burned "Needle Nose Ned" in my brain...Poor Stephan Toblowsky, no matter how many things I have seen him in, I always think to myself....oh look! Its Needle Nose Ned!! This movie was funny and sweet and creative. Of course its a little cheesy and a little dated (I thought it was even older than the early 90's) but it still holds up. I forced Ian to watch it with me, and he actually enjoyed it as well. He had to ruin it a little for me when he told me that Zach and Cody had an episode similar to this....but it was nice to watch one of my movies with him and he actually enjoyed it and didn't get bored. The perfect movie to watch on Groundhog Day of course. It never gets old :)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)

I know, this really probably doesn't officially count as a movie. But I make the rules here, so I am counting it because....hey it was on Netflix and it isn't a TV show? Whatever...I finally watched this last night. I have had it forever downloaded from Itunes from when it first ended up there, but I have to be honest, I never sat down and watched the whole thing as if it was a movie. I loved Dr. Horrible from the first moment I laid eyes on him. Joss Whedon (one of my favorite people on the planet) created this little gem during the writers strike that year and put it on the internet. I remember Steph telling me about it back then so I immediately downloaded it, but never watched it all the way through. Its fantastic. Its a musical, with three short acts (the thing only takes 43 minutes to get through, so come on people....give it a shot) starring the always entertaining Neil Patrick Harris and the man who should be in every movie ever made.....Nathan Fillion. Also starring the adorable Felicia Day and brief appearances by Simon Helberg (one of my favorite geeks from The Big Bang Theory) This is just fun, fun, and more fun. I am not even giving anything else about it away because I think everyone should watch it at least once. If you really hate musicals, you still might even enjoy it because the songs are fun and catchy and darn it....its just really good. Okay....now go watch it. Even if you don't have instant netflix (which I firmly believe everyone should have) I think its probably still pretty cheap on iTunes. I am pretty sure I paid $3.99 for the whole thing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227926/

Flipped (2010)

After thinking long and hard about it, I decided that wimping out and not watching a movie last night was just a slippery slope to not making it through this project. I want to be more committed this year. So I sucked it up, and checked out the Amazon 99 cent deal of the day. I remember someone mentioning that this film "Flipped" was filmed in Michigan, so I thought...why not? I am so glad I picked this. The only thing I knew about the movie was that it was filmed in Michigan. This movie was a great family film. Its not just a family film, but it is definitely a film that you could watch with your family. Its a drama, so don't expect lots of laugh out loud moments. But wow, did I like this movie. Its my favorite kind of story, that coming of age type thing. It tells the story of a boy and a girl that live across the street from each other and have a very love/hate relationship. It tells the story over the course of a few years, and in a nice he said/she said format. I could tell right away this must be based on a book, just by the way the script was written (and of course found out in the credits that indeed, it is based on a young adult novel by Wendelin Van Draanen) but it was very poetic and beautifully written. I don't know how the book is, but I wouldn't mind checking it out just to compare. I really enjoyed this movie and its honest and heartwrenching pain and confusion of first love. It was very well done, not overly cheesy and in no way offensive. It is wholesome without being in any way preachy. It was a breath of fresh air. When the credits started to roll (and of course I was sniffly because I am such a freaking sap) and I saw that it was directed by Rob Reiner, I thought ah....finally....he is starting to make movies like those that made me fall in love with his movies in the first place. I highly recommend this movie...it might not be for those cynics who can't remember those first love flutters with any sort of a smile...but for everyone else. This was time well spent.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0817177/