Wendy and Lucy (2008)

I am a day behind, but I did watch a ton of movies, just didn't have time to blog this yesterday! I will todays movies tomorrow! Okay...so I know I was supposed to like this. I have been saving it for a night when it was peaceful and quiet in my house. The boys were gone camping, so it was just Chloe and I home alone, and she was in bed already. I found this on Netflix and put it on...and slowly slipped into complete despair! I didn't like this movie. I don't think I liked it at all. I haven't seen many movies that made me feel this hopeless. Michelle Williams plays Wendy, a girl on her way to what is hopefully going to be a good job and better life, when her car breaks down and she loses her dog Lucy in a small, sad little town in Oregon. I realize that all the critics loved her performance in this movie, I had read so many raves. I thought she was okay. I bought it, I guess thats the best I can say. However, her character annoyed me in so many ways. This movie was slow, and depressing. I was so sorry I watched it. I don't know if there is anything good I can say about it....however I would love for you guys to watch it so I can see if I was crazy or not!! If anyone out there reading this blog have seen it, please comment and tell me what you thought....or if you watch it eventually, come back and tell me, I am wildly curious!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152850/

Holy Rollers (2010)

Because I was still in the Jesse Eisenberg mood, I watched this on instant Netflix last night. I almost turned it off at first, because I kept getting confused. Any time drug smuggling is a topic I get a little lost sometimes. However, I sucked it up and kept going and was very happy I did. This was a pretty good movie. Based on a true story, about a young Orthodox Jewish man named Sam Gold (played by Eisenberg) who seemed unhappy or at least unsatisfied with his life. He gets wrapped up in a drug smuggling operation that is using Hasidic Jews to smuggle Ecstasy into the country from Europe. He is brought into this world by his close friend and neighbors brother Yosef, played incredibly by Justin Bartha. This edgier world is enticing to him and he gets sucked in, and of course, begins a downward spiral. Its not a new story....you can see where the film is going right away, and its not completely unpredictable. The performances are stand out though...Jesse Eisenberg has innocence and awkwardness down to a science, and Justin Bartha plays a great devil on his shoulder kind of role. The person I was most impressed with was Ari Graynor, who played Rachel, a young girl kind of lost in the whole drug world. She did an incredible job and I would like to see more of her. There were a few great club scenes that really did a good job of showing Sam getting sucked into the more loose and exciting underground world of drug dealing, drinking and women. And of course, a lovely scene of Sam and Yosef running across one of my favorite places on earth....the Brooklyn Bridge. The ending felt incomplete and weak (even though I know its a true story, I think it could have been a better ending) but overall this was an interesting story, and worth watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1143896/

The Education of Charlie Banks (2007)

Finally, something I can rave about. I loved this movie. From the beginning narration to the end. This is exactly the kind of movie I love, a coming-of-age movie, well written, awesome performances and not a big budget cheese fest. I was surprised to see in the opening credits that this was the directorial debut of Fred Durst (lead singer of Limp Bizkit). As usual, this was in my queue for boys, in this case my boyfriend Jason Ritter, and my new crush Jesse Eisenberg. Good gracious I love talented boys. I fell in love with Jason Ritter a long time ago, but more recently was really impressed by his performance in a movie called Peter and Vandy (which I loved). Slight spoilers ahead:::: So Jason Ritter plays Mick, a kid who has always been in trouble (the movie spans several years)for various things, mostly intense fighting. Jesse Eisenberg (who helps tell the story in narration) plays the title role of Charlie Banks, who turns Mick in when he nearly kills two guys in a fight at a party, but later takes back his testimony when his best friend Danny stresses that whoever turned Mick in is in serious trouble. Fast forward a few years to college where Charlie and Danny are still friends and roommates and,(surprise!) Mick shows up there. Thats all I will say about the storyline except that it never lost me. There is a cute love interest, played by the adorable Eva Amurri (daughter of Susan Sarandon). The music was good, it fit the scenes perfectly. I just really liked this. I can picture this story being a book I would have read in high school, that I would be praying would get made into a movie. Oh also...this movie takes place in the 1970's which sometimes can come across as over the top in films lately...this was very authentic. I can definitely recommend this one.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783515/

Ready? Ok! (2008)

This ended up in my Netflix queue, as usual, because of a guy, Michael Emerson (who played Ben in Lost). I am glad I watched this. Its definitely not for everybody. Its very very VERY low budget, and most of the time comes off like a really cheap made for TV movie. However, the performances especially by Carrie Preston (who happens to be Michael Emersons wife) were really touching. Carrie plays a mom who is confused, not sure about what to do about her sons fascination with cheerleading. The boy, Joshua, wants to be a Cheerleader, and tries to get on the squad at his private Catholic School. Michael Emerson plays their next door neighbor who tries to help the boy learn to be himself. Though the movie never outright says it, its clear that the main fear(if we can call it a fear) is that the boy might be gay. It was a really good story. I loved so much about it, sometimes you can get past some bad acting (there were a few that I thought were not so great) and some low budget filming, etc...to get to a good story and a great performance. I thought Carrie Preston was really good, I thought it was a very honest performance. It is on instant Netflix so if anyone wants to give it a shot, its not the worst thing in the world...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067084/

The Back-up Plan (2010)

I have read a ton of horrible reviews for this movie. Somehow I wanted to see it anyway. I have very mixed feelings about it, so I am not really sure how this is all going to go. I hated it, I laughed like crazy, I liked it, I was bored by it, I thought it was so unrealistic, I laughed some more. Eh...it was okay. I wanted to see this because a girl that went to my grade school is in it. Like more than just a person passing on the street, she actually has a few scenes. So it was the main reason I bothered with this 99 cent Amazon on Demand special. The good points: Jennifer Lopez is cute. I like her, I found her character appealing in lots of ways, and totally predictable in others. There were a few scenes though that had me laughing out loud. Anthony Anderson in a very small role had me laughing even after the movie was over...so there is that. Alex O'Loughlin though very adorable...did not appeal to me in this role. This story was so unrealistic and far fetched that it was hard to stomach, but at the same time...was a fresh and different take on the usual romantic comedy type of thing. The parts that were funny, were really really funny, and the rest of it was just okay for me. The story for those that don't know...is that Jennifer Lopez plays a single girl who decides to have a baby on her own. The very same day that she is artificially inseminated, she meets a great guy when they both get into the same cab. she gets pregnant and they start a relationship. It has moments when I see something special, and I think I can almost recommend this based on those few moments....but other times I think...most people I know probably aren't going to like this. Bubba and I had a few laughs together so it was all worth it to me.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212436/

Our City Dreams (2008)

So I watched another documentary. Sometimes I do it just because they tend to be shorter, and last night I was low on time. We spent a very long and exhausting day taking the kids to their various therapies and then taking Chloe for her 3 month check up at Children's. Its always a very stressful day for me, so I wasn't really in the mood for a full length movie, but I didn't want to abandon the project so early in the game either. So I watched this short little movie. It was good. I wasn't in love with it entirely, but I enjoyed it. Its basically brief glimpses of the lives of 5 different artists (all women) living in New York City. I often watch movies just because they have something to do with NY, and this was one that ended up in my queue for Netflix because of it. It was interesting, and I loved looking at the art, but I was hoping for more information about each artist. I guess maybe if it was pared down to just 3 of the women? I don't know what could have made it better for me, but I did lose interest from time to time. The first artist, Swoon, really intrigued me though, and I would love to learn more about her. If you are into art or like to watch an interesting documentary...check this one out, its pretty cool. If you are looking for excitement...this one is probably not for you.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0968760/

City Island (2009)

Eh...I could have turned this off in the first 20 minutes and not been devastated that I didn't finish it. In fact, I did turn it off and start to find something else to watch, but decided that felt like cheating, so I turned it back on. I am glad I did. This wasn't a fantastic movie, its not the even in the top 100 I have seen in my lifetime. However, the second half of the movie really picked up, it had some sweet moments and some laugh out loud moments. I know its not a great selling point "its not the worst movie I have ever seen" but thats kind of where I am with this. Andy Garcia plays a correctional officer who realizes that an inmate that comes into the prison is his son, whom he abandoned before he was even born. Andy is living with his wife, and his son, and also has a daughter who is away at college. This is a comedy and has some funny moments for sure. Its not really predictable, which is refreshing. Its improbable on so many levels, but the second half for sure can keep you amused enough to find this mildly entertaining. If you like Andy Garcia....watch it. He did a great job, its a really good role for him. If like cute boys, you should watch this...the long lost son, Tony (played by Steven Strait)is quite attractive. Emily Mortimer is in this (as you learned in previous posts, I don't love her, but she is growing on me) and she is sweet here too. Julianna Margulies plays Andys wife, and she is awesome here, I am a fan already but I thought this was a different role for her and I loved it. If you have instant Netflix, its not a bad choice. I almost hope people watch it just so I can see what everyone thinks.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1174730/

The Social Network (2010) and My Dog: an Unconditional Love Story (2009)

I decided since this was sort of a cheat again with a repeat viewing....that I would throw in a bonus documentary that barely should count. It was only an hour long. It was called My Dog: an Unconventional Love Story. It was sort of cute, but nothing spectacular. If you don't love dogs...you might not "get" it. If you do love dogs, especially if you are living without right now...parts of it are downright adorable. Its basically several little stories of celebrities and their dogs. My favorite little section was Didi Conn (Grease) and her family. Her son has Autism and really is obsessed with dogs. They have a beautiful sheepdog, one of my favorites! It was a sweet story. I enjoyed watching this and if you have Netflix, its only an hour long....give it a shot.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1534470/

Okay...on to The Social Network. I am still leaning towards this being my favorite movie of last year. I love David Fincher. He has been one of my favorites for awhile now, Fight Club is one of my all time favorite movies, and I really think he is one of the greats. I was sort of surprised to see that he was directing this, because it doesn't really fit with most of his other movies. I was so excited though, because I think he is brilliant and could bring something special to this. On to Aaron Sorkin...ah, another one of my favorites. The West Wing and Studio 60 were two of my favorite shows, and his movie screenplays were awesome as well. I went into this assuming I was going to come out not liking Mark Zukerberg. That really didn't happen. I don't know how much of this movie is based in fact, and how much is myth or exaggerated. Somehow I decided it almost doesn't matter. This movie could stand alone as a fiction story if it was, and still be a really good movie. Great soundtrack, great performances and an interesting storyline. The invention of Facebook. Perfect.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1534470/

Trucker (2008)

Sometimes I can't even remember why I put movies in my Netflix instant queue..then the opening credits will start and a light bulb will go off....ahhh.....Nathan Fillion. Okay, so I must have put this movie in my queue because of Nathan Fillion. I firmly believe that a movie can only get better with Nathan Fillion. That being said, this was a decent movie. I had low expectations, because I knew absolutely nothing about it, and I haven't really felt strongly one way or another about the main star, Michelle Monaghan. I enjoyed her in the cheesy chick flick that I loved "Made of Honor" but I barely even noticed her in "Gone Baby Gone". She was good in this, very good even. I had a different impression of her being just a pretty face, but really, she can hold her own in a darker emotional role such as this one was. The story is pretty basic....she plays a trucker named Diane who abandoned her son when he was a baby, now his father is ill and the boy is brought back to her "for a few weeks" while the father, her ex (played quietly by Benjamin Bratt) is in the hospital (cancer). I won't give too many spoilers away here, but its pretty easy to see where this movie is going right from the start. It is fairly predictable and formulaic in my opinion. Nathan Fillion plays a married neighbor who clearly has feelings for Diane and bonds a little bit with the boy. The movie as I said is pretty basic, no bells and whistles, no special effects, subtle music...but where it stood out for me is performances. I felt this movie. I thought that the writing was simple but good, and the characters were very well developed. Worth watching if you can handle nice quiet independent movies without a lot of bells and whistles, but with strong performances that tug at your heartstrings a little bit. Oh, also worth watching if you think that Nathan Fillion should be in every movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1087527/

My Flesh and Blood (2003)

I know, I know...another documentary. I can't help it. I am addicted to them. This was a good one. Heartbreaking, to be sure, but so amazing and wonderful too. This is a documentary following a woman named Susan Tom from California, who has adopted 13 special needs children. The film follows a year in the life of this family, showing the ups and downs, the background story and just the amazing strength and courage this woman has in raising these incredible children. Some parts are hard to watch, one of the children has a lot some issues and becomes verbally abusive a few times, another one, the sweet Anthony, had a rare skin disease (Epidermolysis Bullosa) and watching her care for him was so difficult to watch. I thought the film was very honest and revealing, and really really incredible. I was overwhelmed at times, and inspired at others. I think that as a parent that has a special needs child, I always am in awe of people who adopt them on purpose. I didn't choose for Chloe to have Down Syndrome, I love that she does...I am never sorry she does...it is part of who she is, and it makes her Chloe. Susan Tom adopted these children and made the decision to adopt children that had special needs. I find that so commendable. After watching this, I started thinking about how much I love having a child with Down Syndrome, and how I wouldn't mind someday maybe adopting another one. Which brings me to the public service portion of this days blog entry. I found this incredible organization that helps families adopt children with Down Syndrome and a few other various special needs that are in orphanages in other countries. In quite a few countries...babies with Down Syndrome, and other physical issues, are often put into orphanages and when they turn 4 years old, are turned over to mental institutions. I have seen photos of these places, and its so not pretty. Children, older children, teenagers even, all stuck in beds that are almost like bigger cribs. That is their life from then on. I can imagine the life expectancy of a child with special needs is pretty low in these countries. It totally breaks my heart. This organization is so incredible that I want to share it with you. Even if you aren't in the world where adopting a child is something you are interested in doing, seeing these children and spreading the word would help. There are ways to help this organization save as many children as they can.

http://reecesrainbow.org/ please visit this site and see if there is anything you can do to help!

Okay, back to the movie. I loved it, I definitely recommend it, however it does have some harsh situations that may not be suitable for all children. I would let Ian watch it, but there would be some discussions involved for sure.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0342804/

sorry for the soapbox feel of this post, this topic is very near and dear to my heart :)

The Secret of Kells (2009)

I remember first hearing about this movie when it was nominated for an Academy Award last year for Best Animated Feature film. I don't always love animated movies, for me it either needs to be a really great story, or highly amusing. I had never heard of this one, and I tend to forget about them if they aren't on my kid's radar. This one popped up when I was adding new stuff to my instant Netflix queue and so I tossed it on there, forgetting about it for awhile, until Steph mentioned that she had watched it and enjoyed it, so I picked it for yesterdays movie of the day. I loved this movie from the first five minutes. I found it visually magical and beautiful. The story is about a young monk living in a monestary that ends up helping a traveler that comes and is working on completing the Book of Kells. He asks Brendan, the young boy for help, but helping him means leaving the protective walls of the monestary and venturing into the forest. He decides to help and he meets a fairie girl named Aisling and his adventures start there. I won't post any further story/spoilers because I think this is so worth watching, that I don't want to give anything away. I loved everything about this movie. Every scene could be paused and looked at as a work of art. I can see myself watching this multiple times just to look at the many geometric shapes, doodles, celtic art, watercolored frames, and color. The music is haunting when it needs to be, and exciting when the action is going on. Chloe watched quite a bit of this with me and seemed to really be taken in by its interesting imagery. Ian I think got a little bored, but if he gave it a chance I think he would really enjoy it. This is definitely a film for all ages. A perfect little movie, I highly recommend it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485601/

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)

Again, I am a sucker for a documentary and this one was recommended to me by Entertainment Weekly so when I saw that it was on Instant Netflix last night I had to check it out. I should start out by saying, I am a fan of Joan Rivers. I have always liked her, starting way back when she used to sub for Johnny Carson, and into the early years of the red carpet shows. There was a period when I thought perhaps she should retire from those red carpet shows, and then once she did....I totally missed her. She is foul mouthed, offensive, brutally honest sometimes, but I think beneath it all, she is pretty funny. This was a very brash, raw and revealing film that documents Joan Rivers life in her 75th year. It shows sides of her I was surprised to see (including a glimpse of her before her make-up) I learned a lot about her, how important working is to her, the suicide of her husband Edgar, her very obvious insecurities and the falling out she had with Johnny Carson. I loved this movie. I think it made me think of her a little differently, realizing that she is more than just the character she seems to be playing when on-screen. To stop focusing so much on her plastic surgeries and remember that she paved the way for so many female comediennes that wouldn't be where they are today if someone hadn't walked that path before them. I love that she stays so busy at her age, and doesn't want to give up. I love that she says exactly what she thinks, even if its not a popular opinion. I thought this was a great documentary. Oh, be prepared for vulgarity and offensive jokes, this is not for the faint of heart (or small children) its definitely rated "R".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568150/

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

I went into this with very low expectations. For me, Tim Burton is hit or miss. I loved Batman, Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd, but hated Nightmare Before Christmas. So I don't get all excited when I see another Tim Burton movie on the horizon. I can even usually wait until video to watch them. I don't think I've ever seen the Disney cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland, so my only memory of the story is from reading it way back when I was a kid. So I don't have a lot of feelings about what should or shouldn't be included or what it was going to really be about. So the only thing I knew going in was that I don't always love Tim Burton....I think thats the key was the low expectations. I flipping loved it. I realize I am in the minority. I don't know many people that loved this movie. Opinions, if I remember people talking about it ranged from "just okay" to "awful". I don't get it. I thought it was wonderful. I thought it was fantastical, and visually stunning. I thought the characters were brought to life in such creative ways. I loved pretty much everything about it. Johnny Depp, oh my goodness, I love him more and more all the time. I loved his Mad Hatter. I thought Mia Wasikowska was a beautiful Alice. I had only seen her once before in The Kids are Alright, and I thought she was subtle but amazing. I thought this was well worth my time watching, in fact it made me sorry I didn't try harder to see it at the movies, maybe even in 3D. I would watch it again for sure, and I think I might re-read the book while the movie is still fresh in my mind

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/

Winter's Bone (2010)

I am a cheater cheater pumpkin eater. I did not watch this movie last night. I watched in a week or so ago and didn't blog about it because I knew one day I would need a filler. I didn't watch a movie yesterday because of the Golden Globes, which I love. Its like opening day of awards season, my favorite time of the year. Rather than bore you with my opinions of who won or lost, or who looked good, or bad. I will just comment that was so so SO excited to see open mindedness as far as some of the winners go. It was nice to see some new faces, and I can't tell you how much it warmed my heart to see Lauren Potter (the girl from Glee who has Down Syndrome) go up there with the cast to accept her award. She just never fails to make me smile and I loved that she was there, posing on the red carpet and accepting their award together. Love her so much. Okay, so now about this movie I watched awhile back. I can honestly say that this was probably one of my favorite movies of the year. It was quiet, small and a bit gritty, but I really loved so much about it. The story is pretty basic: a young girl needs to find her drug dealing father so she can continue to take care of her family. She runs into trouble at every turn and her persistence and her commitment to her family and what she perceives is her role as the caretaker is just heartbreaking and raw. Jennifer Lawrence was so incredible in this role that its no wonder she is popping up on awards lists. I would definitely watch this again, even though parts were painful to watch. There is definitely some violence, abuse and a very real and sad view of the drug/poverty world, but I still recommend this one.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399683/

Light and the Sufferer (2004)

I confess, the only reason I watched this (and I actually had to rent the real DVD...not instant netflixing) because Michael Esper (of American Idiot on Broadway) was one of the stars. That being said, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I might. I had seen some bad reviews, and saw some odd pictures....but it really wasn't terrible. Now I don't recommend that everyone go out and rent this, I don't think its for everybody. However, if you do like Michael Esper...totally worth it. He is completely adorable and does a great job. This is a bizarre little movie, based on a short story by Jonathan Lethem. Sort of a coming of age story, but with strange alien cats....There is no good way to explain it. Its the story of two brothers, trying to get out of a bad situation, leaving New York for California. They are followed around by the quiet and creepy Sufferer which is this giant alien cat like creature. The interesting thing to me was that it appears in the movie as if these Sufferers are a common occurance. Nobody really questions their presence. I would like to read this story and see how it compares to the film. The problems the brothers are going through get worse and worse and of course there is a tragic end. (no specific spoilers just in case you want to check this out) It's not an uplifting movie by any means, but I liked it anyway. Paul Dano does a good job as the brother that had already been in trouble when his brother Paul (Michael Esper) comes looking for him. I have liked Paul Dano since Little Miss Sunshine, I think he chooses interesting roles and I always look forward to what he is going to do next. I find it hard to just say I generally recommend this because its not for everyone. I will say if you want something a little different, and you want to see how adorable Michael Esper is....feel free to watch this one.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362822/

Cold Souls (2009)

I love Paul Giamatti. Lets get that out of the way first (I seem to say that a lot, clearly I am boy crazy) So watching this one was a no-brainer for me, especially with its sci-fi/metaphysical plot line. The story basically is this, Paul plays himself (sort of) as an actor who can't seem to "find" his character, or is blocked, or whatever the case may be. He hears about this process where you can remove and store your soul and so he decides to do this. When being without a soul makes him too harsh, not feeling enough, he goes back and finds out he can rent another person soul and so rents the soul of a Russian Poet. There is a concurrent storyline about Nina a russian mule that is smuggling souls in and out of the country. The two stories collide and at this point the story starts to fizzle. I still liked this, don't get me wrong. Even though much of it reminded me of a less interesting Charlie Kaufmann story (much in the vein of Being John Malkovich or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) it was still a unique plot. I thought Paul Giamatti was stellar as usual and it was nice to see one of my other favorites, David Straithairn as the Doctor/Scientist who does the soul extraction/insertions. I loved the tone of this movie and thought it really had potential, but it really sort of faded out into nothing for me at the end. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but felt it was worth the ride nonetheless. Great performances and something a little different. A nice way to spend a sleepless night.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127877/

Mary and Max (2009)

This little movie was recommended to me by a friend, and though I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for Ian to watch, we watched it together last night. This is an Australian clay-animated movie about a lonely young girl who becomes pen friends with a 40 year old man with Aspergers who lives in New York. This had some funny moments, but I would say for the most part, this is a drama. I absolutely was in love with this movie. I loved the animation, I loved the voices (Toni Collette plays Mary and my boyfriend Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Max) and I loved loved LOVED the story. I loved the idea that two people who just don't fit into societies "norms" were able to find each other by a complete fluke of fate, and end up with such a unique relationship. It was sad, no doubt about it...a sad lonely little tale. Yet I found a glimmer of hope that even through major differences, people can come together and change each others lives forever. Some of this reminded me a little of a Woody Allen movie. Of course it was so cool to see 1970s New York in Clay animation. I loved the colors in this movie, with its various hues of greys of the city, and the browns of Marys world with just a smatter of red here and there. The music was also perfect in setting the mood. I thought that the anxiety shown in Max's world was very honest and real. I also thought the neglect in Mary's world was so true and so sad. Makes you want to spend more time with your kids thats for sure! There is constant narration (most of the dialogue is the narration) which might bother some people. This was not a problem for me. I think Ian might have found it a bit boring, again I would not consider this a "childrens" movie, in fact I don't think that I would recommend it for children under 11 just because there are a few references to sex, that might require further explanation. I really think though that this is a sweet, sad movie worth watching for sure.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978762/

Jonah Hex (2010)

Wow. Okay, first the good things. Its short. With a running time of only an hour and 24 minutes, this wasn't as painful as it could have been. I had been warned this was pretty bad, but for $1 on Amazon, I couldn't resist, especially since my favorite boyfriend John Gallagher Jr is in it for a few minutes. I think I should put it out there that I love Josh Brolin, I have loved him since The Goonies and my love has never waned. So I actually wanted to see this when I saw the preview for it back in the summer. This movie just didn't work...on any level. I thought the music was good, and some of the effects were done well, but the story was just all over the place, and it just wasn't good. John Malkovich is really pretty basic as the villain (shocker, I know...what?? Malkovich playing a villain, what a unique idea!) and Aiden Quinn, who I loved, really should have been used more. Don't even get me started on Megan Fox, who I think is so unbelievably overrated. I am just going to say it...I think the girl cannot act. I think she is awful, and I have yet to see her prove me wrong. Not that I think it would have mattered if someone more fantastic had played this role, because it was a flat, one dimensional character anyway, that appeared to just be there for eye candy. So overall my opinion.....don't waste your money, or time, or anything else. If you want to see Josh Brolin in a better western, there are plenty to choose from. If you want to see more of John Gallagher Jr, go see American Idiot on Broadway.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1075747/

Chaos Theory (2008)

I should start by saying that I like Ryan Reynolds, I realize he is not for everybody. I have heard people complain that his characters always tend to seem arrogant, or various other complaints. To some, he is just too mainstream, or whatever. I like him. I think he is yummy, besides seeming like a pretty likeable guy. I will go out of my way to see movies that he has starred in, whether they are my kind of movie or not. This was my kind of movie to start with, I don't know how the heck I missed it in the first place, but I found the little gem on Netflix last night and I had to make it my pick of the day. I really really liked this. At first I thought it was going to be your average, everyday romantic comedy type of thing. However, within the first 15 minutes or so of the movie, I realized it was way more than that. The story (without giving too much away) revolves around a tightly wound family guy named Frank Allen (Reynolds) whose wife Susan (played by one of my not so favorite actresses Emily Mortimer) tries to mess him up a bit by moving their clock ten minutes ahead, giving him a bit more time for his morning routine, but accidentally set it ten minutes behind. Those ten minutes throw his life into a crazy tailspin, starting from him missing his ferry and continuing on a downward spiral of events that turn his life and all he knows completely upside down. I didn't expect any of it. I found it to be unpredictable and surprising in many ways. I loved Ryan in this movie. I thought he showed so much range in this role, playing crazy, confused, overwhelmed and hurt. His scenes with the little girl that played his daughter were so touching I found myself sniffling a little bit. Now, I don't love Emily Mortimer, I have no good reason for not liking her, she just isn't one of my favorites. In this movie, I tended to want to grab a headband, or barrette for her, because she always seems to be peering out from straggling bangs that need to get out of her face. I realize that this has nothing to do with the story, but man....it really got on my nerves. She does an attempt at an American accent here which isn't the worst, but could be better, and I always wonder why they bother sometimes...why not just let her be English? Anyway, the movie is told mostly in a flashback, so there is a bit of cheesiness in that telling of the story, but at the same time...the story was unique and it made me think so much about time, and about how one little twist one way or another, can change your life completely. I think about it all the time, if I hadn't seen a particular movie, on a particular night, would I even be friends with the people I am friends with? Or would it all have ended up that way anyway? If we had seen something other than Scrooged...and run into Jeff, Scott and Scott....where would we be today? I love movies that make me think a little bit, even if it has nothing to do with the movie. This was a good one. I have nothing but praise for the performances, the script and even the music. Great stuff. I would definitely recommend this one and a repeat viewing for me is not out of the question. Its one of the many instant Netflix options so if you subscribe to this service, now would be a great time to check it out!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460745/

The Year of Getting to Know Us (2008)

In the past year (probably longer) I have really fallen in complete love with Jimmy Fallon. I have always liked him, I loved his time on SNL. I loved him for the same reasons most people didn't like him on SNL (half the time he couldn't keep a straight face and would crack up...) that made him super endearing to me. I love what a fanboy he is on his talk show. He gives my absolute favorite interviews and I love love LOVE his new show. I have seen most of his movies as well, and always enjoyed them. My favorite role, of course being his small role in Almost Famous. The scene on the plane just cracks me up every time. Just so we all get it....I love Jimmy Fallon. So I jumped at the chance to watch this, when I saw it appear on my instant Netflix options the past few weeks. This was a small, slow, sad little movie about a young man named Christopher Rocket, who has to return home when his estranged father has a stroke. The story is told mostly in flashbacks, where we catch a glimpse of a very unhappy boy, in a pretty dysfunctional family. His mother (played by Sharon Stone) was clearly not happy in her life/marriage and I hate to use the word nutty, but I can't think of a more appropriate word for her. She definitely was "out there". Tom Arnold played the father, who was very distant, and ended up being a womanizer. The movie was just okay for me. I thought Jimmy was fabulous of course, proving that he actually can act, because I tell you, he barely cracked a smile throughout the entire movie. He was somber, depressed and pretty serious, while trying to make some sense of his childhood and past in order to move forward in his future. I thought he was completely believable and would love to see him take on more serious roles like this. He really was great. His girlfriend, played by Lucy Liu, seems to be waiting for him to make a commitment, which he seems to be unable to make, and the movie sort of makes this a focal point at the end. It was very choppy to me, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be feeling half of the time. The high point for me, was the always fabulous Illeana Douglas ( can she just be in every movie, all the time?) as one of his fathers conquests. I wish I had liked this more than I did....I saw one reviewer compare it to Garden State, which I liked SO much better. I don't think this was an awful movie, I just didn't love it. I was glad I put forth the effort to watch it, though, as it gave me more reasons to order my I Love Jimmy Fallon T-shirt. Skip the movie, tune in to his late night talk show...thats my advice!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0924134/

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

I guess this is cheating, though I don't remember setting out any rules for myself as far as repeat viewings go. So its out there. I have seen this movie before. Multiple times. Clearly I enjoy it or I wouldn't keep watching it. I make no apologies for my love for this movie. As many of you know, I am in love with Kevin Smith. I got the opportunity this past year to actually meet him after one of his Q & A shows in Royal Oak, and I will tell you, it was one of the highlights of my life. I was worried that I might get hit by a bus after I was done because it was like my serious dream come true. But guess what? I lived to see even more amazing things last year, so my advice to you is dream BIG! The second confession I have to make for those of you that don't know me well is...drumroll please.....I cuss like a sailor. Seriously, I have a potty mouth. Sorry if you have now lost all respect for me, but I swear, and I kind of like it. So I preface this review by saying, if you don't like cuss words....this is NOT the movie for you ( I just read a little piece of trivia that said that the "F" word is used 229 times in this film). If they censored out the swear words, this would be a super short movie.

Now, onto my review. This is a sweet ( I know, right? how is it possible with that title??) endearing story, about two best friends/roommates, who are so broke that they decide that in order to make some money...they will make and star in a porno film. The chemistry between the two characters is so realistic that at times its painful to watch. Especially when it comes down to them having to actually have sex for the first time with each other, on camera in front of a room full of people. Of course, I am sure you can figure out that they realize they have feelings for each other, blah, blah, blah..I won't give anything more than that away, just in case this is the kind of movie you can stomach, because it really is a good one.

I admit to being a Seth Rogen fan, and this particular movie/role really made me love him even more. I thought the dialogue and storyline were unique and highly amusing. I thought that Elizabeth Banks was sweet, and just very real. Like she could be my friend. I think she plays Miri so honestly, that sometimes I felt like I had been her. (not that I have ever made a porno...not my thing)

I have watched this movie several times now, I own this movie, and I never get tired of it. I recommend it to anyone who can tolerate foul language, and offensive storylines....but who enjoy a sweet endearing story hiding beneath. Great stuff. Thank you again Mr. Smith, sir, you never fail to make me smile.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007028/

Ponyo (2008)

I feel sort of like a cheater for this one. But I did watch it all the way through, but it was really Ian's movie, I was just too sick to fight for the remote. I had been reading a discussion about Hayao Miyazaki.(actually it was more of a Miyazaki vs Disney debate, but thats not important right now!) In any case, I had never seen any of his movies, so since this one was available on Netflix, (and Ian had it in our queue) thats how it happened. First off, I didn't "love" it. I liked it for the most part. I thought it was a nice fantastical, mystical kind of story. I thought the music was good, some of the animation was good. For the most part, I guess I just didn't "get" it. I wanted to. I feel like I should have my geek/nerd card taken away from me because I really don't love Japanese Animation the way so many people that I know do. Maybe I need to try a different movie? who knows, but this was just okay for me. I don't know that I would watch it again...but the kids both seemed to enjoy it. Ponyo sort of reminded me of Chloe from time to time. The story (for those who don't know, or haven't seen it) is about a little boy named Sosuke who finds and starts a relationship with an adorable goldfish princess named Ponyo, who wants to become human. It was cute for the most part. I loved Liam Neeson doing the voice of Ponyo's father. The voices were all good. This is a really pathetic review LOL! It was nice, sweet, simple....but not enough something...for me. Sorry everyone.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0876563/

Grown-Ups (2010)

So for starters, I admit to being an Adam Sandler fan. I realize most of his movies are(not sure of the best word here...immature??)only mildly amusing to some. I always feel a little bit of heart in them. Two of the ones I like and DO recommend are The Wedding Singer (my favorite) and 50 First Dates. Both completely cheesy, but both cute and amusing. This movie....not so cute or amusing. I will say a few positive things and then get to the bashing....the cast had amazing chemistry. In the scenes where it was just the guys sitting around BSing about growing up, etc...those were nice. Even if the topics of conversation bordered on offensive sometimes....still thought it was pretty realistic for men their ages who had grown up together and still maintained a certain level of friendship. The kids were all great. I thought the boys playing Sandlers boys were very amusing as two spoiled rich kids who didn't know how to play like normal kids. I HATED the extended breastfeeding jokes/bashing, it was the first real turn off for me and I didn't find any of it amusing AT ALL. Pumping for the sick bird?? just stupid. Burp and Fart jokes...sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them...here they landed flat and weren't funny. I think there was more that could have been done with the storylines if they had tried hard enough. I was sad that I didn't enjoy this more. I don't think I can even recommend it...that being said. Ian watched a great deal of it with me. He laughed a bit more than I did, but then got bored and started playing Angry Birds with the movie as background noise. Enough said. On a side note...I did enjoy the Adam Sandler song "Stan the Man" that played through the end credits. Seemed to be an autobiographical song about his father, and though it wasn't probably the best song ever written and maybe not meant to be funny....it was sweet and felt pretty honest. Best part of the movie for me...the end credits.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375670/

Dad's In Heaven With Nixon (2010)

Before I start this review, I want to mention how much I love instant Netflix. I have a little Roku box where I can stream movies right to my TV in my bedroom, so on days like today...when I am sick miserable with a cold...I can stay in bed and still watch my movies! Not to mention the many, many documentaries I get to choose from that are available online. I am a sucker for random documentaries.
Last night I chose this one, after closing my eyes and flipping through my queue until it randomly landed here. At first I wasn't sure I really understood where the filmmaker (Tom Murray) was trying to go with this. By the little information snippet, I thought it was about his brother, Chris Murray who is diagnosed with Autism, and has become an artist. About halfway through, I realized that it was really about the entire family, and what they had gone through, both with the challenges of a special needs child/sibling, and also a father who had some mental health issues. It was like watching someone else's home movies. It was an interesting story, and Chris is really a good artist. I fell in love with him during the movie, and really cared about the story they were telling. I recommend this to anyone who has a family member with special needs. Of course I got a lot out of it, especially the part where Janice, the boys mother, talks about her birth experience, and the way they told her about the possible "limits" her son would face. She clearly thought there was more out there for her son, and went out of her way to get him the best therapies and treatment options available. This was a really great story. I really enjoyed it, and am definitely looking more into Chris as an artist.

http://www.inheavenmovie.com/

Eat Pray Love (2010)

I almost didn't ever see this movie. This is by far, one of my favorite books of all-time. I do believe it's a love it or hate it book. For me, it was true love. I listened to it on audio the first time I read it, and just fell in love with the author immediately. I loved her story, found it interesting, and loved the way it was written. I like Julia Roberts, don't get me wrong, but I never thought this was brilliant casting. She isn't Liz Gilbert to me, only Liz Gilbert could be Liz Gilbert to me. I wish she would have just played herself. That being said, this movie was decent. Ryan Murphy did a good job with it, as good as I think one can do with a movie based on a memoir that was very insight based. And though I enjoyed it, and loved watching the food in Italy come to life and make me hungry, I loved the beauty of Bali, however, I thought way too much was missing. I thought that with the long running time that they would be able to squeeze in all the parts that made that book/story the amazing thing I fell in love with...not so. Most of my favorite parts of the book were missing here. It was like snippets of an experience, which is decent to watch....however much better to read the whole thing. I was really looking forward to seeing how they translated her problems with meditating to film.....again, not so well. Whole characters were out, that I loved so much in the book. I guess I just wasn't feeling it. I am so happy that I read this book and didn't just see the movie. The movie was okay...not horrible, not fantastic. I would even recommend it to someone who doesn't love to read, but would get something out of this story. However, to most I would say....buy the book, read it first and then if you are in the mood (or really like Julia....or the yummy Javier Bardem)watch the movie.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/

The Town (2010)

Thanks to AmazonOnDemand running a special, I got to rent this baby for a mere $1 last night! I admit, movies like this sometimes just don't do it for me. I really liked Ben Afflecks directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" but ordinarily, bank robber movies don't keep my interest for very long. This was an exception. At first, I wasn't loving it. It was dark and gloomy, and another one of the many movies lately where I am clearly supposed to be sort of rooting for the sympathetic bad guy. Jeremy Renner gives another great performance as one of the bank robbers with a very short fuse. I have added him to my list of actors not to miss. He gives a pretty raw and believable performance here, as he did in The Hurt Locker last year. Ben Affleck, a longtime favorite of mine, was top of his game here. I found myself really feeling for his character as he went through a range of emotions after falling for the bank manager from the bank they robbed in the opening scene. I don't know much about Jon Hamm except his guest starring role on 30 Rock, as I have yet to watch Mad Men though everyone tells me I would like it! He was good as an FBI agent hot on the trail of these guys, but I wasn't in love with his character. I liked this movie, but I always feel guilty after watching a movie like this, when I end up wanting the bad guys to get away instead of get whats coming to them. All in all, a good flick, glad I took the time to watch it, and a little sorry I didn't catch it on the big screen!

Here is a link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/

The first few...

Well, I am trying this project again. I haven't even gone back to read and see how far I got last time, or when it all fizzled out for me. However, I have been inspired lately by good movies, not to mention the ease of watching now with instant Netflix. So here I go again. Of course, its not a great start when I already watched the movies but didn't blog about them yet! Lets see if I can do better from here on out?

January 1-4, 2011: Big Eden (2000), Black Swan (2010), True Grit (2010), Inception (2010), Easy A (2010)

I will start with Big Eden http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212815/ perhaps I will figure out how to really do links this time around, but for now, this is how I have to do it! I thought this was cute. Its a fictional story about a gay man who goes home to a small town in Montana to tend his ailing grandfather. I liked the characters, and have always loved Arye Gross. It was worth watching, even if it did have a little "lifetime-ish" feel to it. You know, the kind you watch during the holiday season?? Yeah, thats the kind. A little on the improbable side, yet leaves you with a feeling of hope that someday the world will be a better place.

Black Swan http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/ Hm...I don't know if I can write a review of this yet, because two days later, I am still not quite sure what I thought of it! As I was watching it, I was thinking...this is a really great piece of art. I loved the dancing, I loved the acting, especially Natalie Portman. I loved the grittiness that Aronofsky usually displays in his movies (though I haven't really loved any of his films...) and I loved the idea of the story. That being said, I don't know that I feel it lived up to the hype. Would I see it again? Probably. Do I think its the best movie I have seen this year? Nope.

True Grit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/ Wow. I loved this. I expected to like it, because I haven't met a Coen brothers movie that I didn't at least like a little, and I do enjoy a good western from time to time. I didn't expect to love it. I definitely didn't expect to want to see it again right away. Something about this movie made my heart full, no matter how cheesy that sounds. The story is pretty much this: a 14 year old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) sets off to track down her fathers murderer. She enlists the help of an aging, sometimes drunk Rooster Cogburn (played by Jeff Bridges) who is a US Marshall, and adventures ensue. Matt Damon plays a cocky Texas Ranger, and one of my favorite boys Josh Brolin, plays the villain. I loved this...wait...did I say that already? Well I freaking did. It had a lot of heart, it had witty dialogue, it was very well acted and darn it....it brought a tear to my eye. I hope to see Hailee Steinfeld during awards season because she nailed it! Great stuff, can't wait for a repeat viewing.

Inception http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/(this was a second viewing for me, so I won't really say much about it) I loved it. I loved it the first time around, and loved it equally the second. I didn't feel like my second time really made me convinced I had it all figured out, but I still liked it enough to see it again for at least a third time. I loved the plot, the acting, the characters and of course the amazing dream imagery. Very well done and in my opinion, deserving of any praise that gets thrown its way...

Easy A http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282140/ (another second viewing for me) great stuff. The highly entertaining, and very beautiful Emma Stone, who rocks my world these days...plays a young, smart and witty girl who gets caught up in rumors about her sexual encounters...comedy/drama ensues. This movie made me laugh more than once, which is rare for me these days in these "chick flick" type of movie. I loved everything about this movie and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good sweet but smart comedy. Definitely one of my favorites of this past year.

The Ringer (2006)

I am actually not sure if this was really released in 2006 or not, but I don't feel like looking it up either. I found this to be actually a decent movie. I had high expectations of it, because I had heard so many good things about it in the "special needs" community. One of my DS groups really ranted about how good this was, and it did have a great message, and they did a very honest job with the whole thing...but I guess I thought it would be funnier and a bit less cheesy. I still enjoyed it, and thought that it was an interesting enough (albeit crazy) plot, and the acting was good, I am starting to kind of like Johnny Knoxville...but there were parts of this that I kind of got bored. It was sweet, though, and carried a good enough message that I wasn't sorry I watched it. My parents really liked it, and wanted my grandparents to watch it too, so maybe I just missed something there, maybe I was too tired and should have just went to bed, I will be interested to see what others think of it...

The Origin Of AIDS (2004)

Wow, this was scary. I don't know how much of it could be true, if any....but it was very disturbing in any case. I truly believe like that quote I read in that book by Richard Preston (is that his name...The Hot Zone guy??) that "Aids is the rainforests revenge". The documentary implies that AIDS is a direct descendant of another chimpanzee virus that was cultivated etc...and then used in some experimental oral Polio vaccine used in Africa in the late 1950s. I can't believe how freaked out that made me. I guess it made me happy that we don't deal with the vaccine industry, thats for sure, but it sure made me remember just how much pull the pharmaceutical companies have in the worlds health situation. Scary stuff. I am interested in reading more about it, thats for sure...as far as viewing pleasure...eh, a bit slow and boring, but an interesting concept nonetheless

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

awww, I loved this movie. Loved the book, loved the movie. I can't even remember if the movie was a good representation of the book because I read it so long ago...but I thought the casting of these girls was awesome. Everyone was exactly as I would have pictured them looking. I thought the soundtrack was great, and I would actually consider buying this movie. I thought it was a perfect chick flick (is that even PC anymore?) and I don't think I wille ever get tired of seeing it. I think thats about all I can say about it.

New Orleans Music in Exile (2006)

Ouch, this was hard to watch. Its not like I have forgotten all the horrific images, but I guess in a way I kind of blocked them out a little bit, and watching this, just reminded me of the horror and the destruction. This was a good documentary though, showing the rich history and the amazing talents of the musicians in New Orleans and where they are now, what they went through, how they are rebuilding. There are awful images, of the destruction and the damage to the various parts of the city. Not so much of the whole lack of respect for the humanity part, this is truly about the destruction and devestation of the city, and focusing on the music and the music community, which was interesting, because its not something that I usually think about when remembering Katrina. Its obviously a minor problem compared to some of the other horrors, but it was still moving to watch.

The DaVinci Code (2006)

I know, I know...its not like a new story or anything. I still actually liked this movie. I realize that die hard fans of the book are NOT going to love it, in fact out of our group, the few die hard book fans (which, mind you...I do consider myself one) didn't like the changes made in the movie, thought Ron Howard wimped out on a few issues, and left out plot points that they really wanted in there. I disagree. There was maybe one minor thing I may have changed, but really, I thought it was an exciting, interesting movie on its own. If I hadn't read the book first, I still would have liked the movie. I liked how he showed the historical references in flashback style, so that it wasn't just narrative...I LOVED Tom Hanks long crazy hair, I loved the girl, I loved Paul Bettany playing Silas (though I would have focused a bit more on him than Ron Howard did, because you miss something in the relationship between Silas and the Bishop, it doesn't really present that well on screen) I thought it was done very well, and I was absolutely not disappointed.

Oh and I took a few days off this week, sick as a dog!

Chicken Little (2005)

Okay, pretty much just cheating, from here on out....as much as I wanted to be honest here...its just too darn hard....I have been watching tons of movies, forgetting to blog them, and then realizing that half of them are movies I have already seen...so I am officially cancelling that rule. I will DO MY BEST to see movies that I haven't seen already....but sometimes I am just dying to see something again, or see something I have only seen part of, etc....so...since nobody really is reading these anyway...and its my damn blog...I am doing what I want darn it!
Okay, so Chicken Little....I saw it at the movies, I loved it then. I loved the characters, I thought Chicken Little was by far one of the most adorable cartoon figures ever, in the history of small cartoon animals. However, after watching this thing 100 times this past week with Ian...I can't really say I love it anymore. I like it, I still find him adorable...but now its downright annoying..is it the fault of the movie? Probably not, but I don't think its nearly as good as I thought it was the first time.

RV (2006)

awww...this movie was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I expected the worst, and I was so pleasantly surprised. I actually thought this was a very funny movie. It was Ians pick, and I was nervous it was going to get on my nerves, but I found this to be as funny in parts as the original Vacation was. Robin Williams character reminded me exactly of my dad, so that might have helped me see the humor in many of the situations. I LOVE Kristen Chenowith, she can be in every single movie ever as far as I am concerned, she is so darn cute, and talented. Jeff Daniels did a great job too, as usual. I thought it was much funnier than Ian did, so perhaps its not aimed at the under 10 crowd, but the theater was in hysterics much of the time, so obviously I wasn't the only one finding it funny. I would see it again I think..just for a few scenes that I thought were so funny I want to see them twice. It did make me want to go rent an RV and just take off for awhile...driving around the country in a nice Winnebago....I had a dream like that once.

Riding Giants (2004)

I love movies like this. I love documentaries about surfing. I could watch a million of them and not get bored. This one was directed by former skateboarder Stacy Peralta. I thought it was so cool. I find watching surfing to be very therapeutic for me, and what excites them, in such an extreme sport, calms me to watch. This film does it just right too, beautiful music playing in the background watching these huge waves, and these awesome surfers like Laird Hamilton, surfing and talking about the history of surfing etc....I thought this was a really good one especially for the history part. I don't know what about surfing attracts me, I mean first of all, its a sport, second of all, I don't like to swim...but for some reason, I find it amazing and awesome to watch. I thought this one was done really well, and I highly recommend it if you want to know anything about surfing, and even if you don't, its interesting anyway.

American Dreamz (2006)

Dude, this movie...was funny. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it, it was kind of all over the place, and just, sort of, I don't know....different. But that ended up being what I liked about it. You couldn't have predicted anything in this movie if you had written it yourself..okay, well if you wrote it...blah, blah, blah...I get it. I thought everyone was spectacular in this. Hugh Grant, who is becoming one of my favorites, when he plays the Mr. Not-so-nice, that is...was awesome. There were so many great lines in this movie too, classic, the kind of thing you want to repeat just to amuse yourself. I am so glad that this was what we ended up choosing to see tonight. I was very impressed, I can honestly say that after this, I will see anything that Paul Weitz decides to do, I have not been sorry so far. The premise of this movie was unique and insulting, and just incredibly witty. Dennis Quaid playing an idiot president (ooh big stretch for the imagination right?) was goofy and adorable, and almost left me feeling sorry for our own idiot president (until I remembered this is just a movie, and our idiot has no redeeming qualities, that I have seen...)This movie rocked.

Raise Your Voice (2004)

I know, I know, Hilary Duff right, annoying??? A little I guess...but I love these cheesy pre-teen or teen type movies sometimes. This was pretty decent I thought. Not as sugary sweet as some of the others, this one dealt with some real emotions I thought. Not to mention, she is kind of sweet. Even if she does look like she has no neck sometimes, and I am not sure what thats about...maybe she is just short? Who knows, but I thought this was decent in a teenage chick flick kind of way, I would say its most definetly a drama thats for sure, there were some pretty sad parts, I even cried (not that its a difficult feat of course, I cry to the radio half the time) Some of the themes were pretty typical (grouchy father, needs a clue...you get the picture) but some not so typical, dealing with the death of a sibling, moving past that etc....not bad. I am glad I watched it, even if it was a bit Hallmark movie of the week...

The Pink Panther (2006)

Okay, I can't believe I did this, but I saw this months ago, and forgot to blog about it. No idea why, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. I took Ian to see this, and I can say that I found it completely amusing. I thought it was going to be kind of bad, I never watched any of the Peter Sellers movies all the way through, even though my dad found him to be amusing, I just didn't get it. I do however, love Steve Martin, in a serious way, so I would see him stand still and recite the alphabet. I thought he was great, the movie was funny, I could have done without Beyonce, but she didn't suck I guess...the best part of the movie for me? Watching Ian, he was seriously hysterical, I have never seen him laugh so hard at a movie in my life, he laughed so hard almost the entire time, he could barely eat his popcorn. I think it was worth watching for sure.

Mystery Alaska (1999)

I have been resisting this movie for some time now, even though I have heard that its a good one. Sometimes I just can't stomach Russell Crowe, and lately I can absolutely not stomach the game of hockey....so it was surprising to me that I actually enjoyed this movie. I tend to like ensemble type movies of course, and there were some great performances here. Not to mention the "Northern Exposure" feel to the town of Mystery. Add that to David E. Kelleys great writing, and this movie turned out to be pretty good. Hank Azaria was my favorite part, its nice to see him do something a little different, where he isn't the "nice" guy you are supposed to feel sorry for...even though of course, I ended up feeling sorry for him anyway. I am glad I finally gave it a chance.

Stanley and Iris (1990)

I just caught this for the heck of it, I had no real interest in watching it, but it was on, and I was far too lazy to get up and find the remote to change the channel, so read this and keep that in mind. It wasn't bad. I like DeNiro....I find him, I can't think of the word...but you know what I am getting at...I want to make him soup. All the time. He always seems like he needs to be taken care of, and this role was no different, in fact it was worse. He couldn't read, he enlists the help of Jane Fonda (who I also like) who plays this young-ish widow. I thought they were very complentary to each other, however the movie itself kind of played like a Lifetime movie of the week. Not too bad if you are bored, but nothing I would run out and rent in a hurry either.

A Walk on the Moon (1999)

I liked this movie. I tried to watch it once before but I never got to finish it. Of course, I have good reason to like it...Viggo Mortensen (who I only sometimes like) was really hot in it, as the hippy-ish blouse salesman who seduces (? or is it the other way around) this unhappy (sort of) housewife. There was a scene before they start their torrid affair, when he bends down to bite the tag off the blouse she is trying on...I swear to God, I could feel my knees go all rubbery. Sometimes he is fine to look at. Liev Schrieber plays her husband....and I like him too...can't decide which boy I would want either!! Diane Lane plays the housewife, and she has grown on me over the years. I do want to know why every movie she is in has to have a scene of her running around desperate in the rain....and why she always seems to have affairs? Hm.....this was a good movie, taking place the summer of 1969, takes place in upstate NY at this little camp like place. The daughter played very wonderfully by Anna Paquin (I never get tired of her either)was just an added bonus, the music was good, the whole thing was just good. rent it, you shouldn't be sorry.

The West Wing (1999-2006)

Okay, I know, this is officially a complete cheat. I don't even care, this show is so good right now, it should be a damn movie. I was a fan from the start, I LOVED this show the first season, sure mostly because it reminded me The American President, mixed with A Few Good Men (thanks to the brilliant writer Aaron Sorkin) but also because it was smart, and different, and the guys were kind of cute. I fell in love with the characters immediatly and I couldn't get enough of it. The second season was lukewarm for me, and eventually I stopped watching this show....until now. The death of John Spencer made me decide to see how they dealt with the death of his character Leo (one of my favorites ) on the show, plus to see how they were going to end this thing. Not only did I get sucked in right away, it made me truly question why they are ending it now, when it has so much potential for another few great years with the new Santos administration. Sure it took me awhile to figure out who the heck everyone was, there were so many new characters and very few familiar faces...but this has been an amazing few weeks, I watched several episodes in a row so it felt enough like a movie that I thought I would count it as such. The series finale is on next Sunday, Mothers Day and I think everyone should watch it, they will show the pilot first, also spectacular, and then the series finale. Its a don't miss kind of thing. Come on guys...give it a shot!

Dreamer (2005)

I am so glad I bothered watching this. I love horse racing movies, I seriously can't think of one that I ever didn't like, no matter how cheesy it is, I just love horse racing. This was especially good, I thought, because Dakota Fanning is so incredible. I really am starting to believe this girl could do just about anything. Her character in this is so strong, and smart, I just loved it. The horse was beautiful too. Its nice to see that cute little guy from Six Feet Under getting some decent roles, I think he is awesome and would like to see more of him. I thought this was a nice, sweet, wholesome movie. Inspiring of course, and just an all around good family movie. Ian watched some of it, got bored for some of it, and came back for the ending. So I guess he enjoyed it for the most part. I would probably even watch it again.

Imaginary Heroes (2004)

This was kind of a downer. I am not even sure if I liked it, though for many moments I did, for many others I did not. It kind of reminded me a little bit of that other Sigourney Weaver movie that was slow and everyone loved it except me...The Ice Storm. This one too is about a disfunctional type family, this one dealing with the death of their son (brother, etc...)by suicide, and other various issues. I thought that there were some surprises, it wasn't predictible, I thought the soundtrack was good...ugh, I guess I liked it. I almost need to see it again to be sure. The kid, Emile Hirsch, is really good. I would watch probably anything that involved this guy. I love seeing someone so young, so such acting potential. I don't know how I really feel, so feel free to ignore this entry completely!

House of D (2004)

Awww...this was so good. I loved every minute of it. David Duchovny wrote and directed this, and it was smart, and honest, and awesome. I rented it, of course, because of the New York location. I love movies set in NY (as everyone knows) and especially ones that took place in another time. Being the freak that I am...This was great. I loved Robin Williams, he was wonderful as the, (insert preferred politically correct term here...I will use just a random one so as not to show preference)mentally challenged adult that befriends the young boy played so amazingly by Anton Yelchin who I now love!! David Duchovny plays the boy as an adult coming home to come to terms with his past, he isn't in the movie a whole lot, but the story is the part that I loved. It was just so sweet. I thought it was a much better movie than I thought it was going to be, and it makes me sad that movies like that don't last very long at the movies, (if it even came out here) it was such a great film.

Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

well, everyone can probably guess why I would bother with a movie like this. Ethan Hawke, you know, my favorite boyfriend is in it. Actually, this wasn't bad. Its not my type of movie, but I thought it was exciting and interesting. The plot was different, and the acting was all very good. I love John Leguizamo, I love seeing him in anything, he was good. Laurence Fishburne....Maria Bello, lots of good reasons to watch this movie. Then again, its long, and violent, and people get killed left and right, so lots of reasons not to watch it too. I got confused as usual, I always get confused in movies like this, when I am not sure who the bad guys are, and why....but this kept my interest at least, and I wasn't sorry I watched it. I thought it could have been about a half hour shorter though. I am a bit perplexed as to why it did so bad at the box office, I thought it was a perfectly interesting mainstream type movie. The kind that usually is a big enough hit.

Declarations of War (2005)

I am not sure if I can even count this because it was a documentary, only an hour long, and seemed to be made for one of the cable channels. But I liked it, so decided its my damn blog, I can't count whatever I want...heck maybe I will count the last several episodes of The West Wing, they are good enough to be a movie darn it. Okay, so this was basically just a quick little documentary talking to people with various feelings about the war, this was mostly filmed as the war in Iraq was beginning, back in 2003, all viewpoints seem to be represented, you can tell by the way you feel when watching it....you are going to agree with some people, and find yourself yelling at the screen calling the others idiots, sheep, whatever else nasty name you can think of for people who don't really get it. I can always tell which guy I don't like by the fact that his news channel is FOX news....does that really count as news? Anyway, I thought this was well done, it made me remember that it seems to have escaped everybodys mind that there is still a war going on, that our guys are still there, and going back, some for the third time already...and its sad. Very, very sad.

Mean Creek (2004)

Wow. This was an awesome movie. These kids were phenomenal, and this story was riveting. I can't stress enough that it is not a kids movie....but these actors were real, and it was just amazing how into the story I got. It was just such a sad story, and makes you think about bullying in a whole different way. It made me uncomfortable, sad, scared, and just amazed at how wonderful all these actors were, and believable. Rory Culkin is by far the best of the clan, besides being completely adorable, he is an awesome actor. I can't wait to see more from him. The little girl too, she used to be on Port Charles, (sad that I recognized her from that long ago) I thought this was going to be just some slow independent Rivers Edge type movie...but nope, this was really good. (not that I didn't like Rivers Edge of course, but this is on a totally different level)

Music From Another Room (1998)

I feel like I may have seen some of this one before. I felt like I knew the characters a little. So either I caught bits and pieces before, or these characters were so well written that you had to feel like you fit right into this family. Jude Law was just beautiful (as always) and actually it made me wonder whatever happened to Gretchen Mol, she was so adorable, and perky, and seemed to have a lot of potential. This was an awesome cast, and a really good movie. Jude Law plays this guy who thinks he is fated to marry Gretchen Mols character who unfortunately is engaged to another guy. He gets all involved in her family, who are all very interesting characters, her sister is played by Jennifer Tilly who I always enjoy, and Jeremy Piven is in it too, just lots of great character acting...I think I might want to watch this again, possibly even buy it. Its a nice, small, but good movie. (with a cheesy song playing in the ending credits...couldn't figure that out)

The Wedding Date (2005)

Awww, I thought this was sweet. The usual wedding type movie. All the familiar plots, secrets, secrets discovered, chases, fights...etc. But this was a pretty one. It takes place in the English countryside (who can't love movies that take place here...you can almost see Kate Winslet standing in the rain looking out at Willoughbys estate...)its so pretty...and Debra Messing (though not one of my favorites) is nice to look at, and of course..Dermot Mulroney, hot man. It was also nice to see Amy Adams, I am really starting to love her, she is so adorable. This was sort of Pretty Woman meets...My Best Friends Wedding.....meets Four Weddings and a Funeral. I think I would have probably liked it even more if the actress had been someone else, but she didn't annoy me all that much in this, and besides, the character was a good one. Sweet, sappy, cheesy...all the things you want in a wedding movie.

Canadian Bacon (1995)

I wanted to like this movie. I started out having good feelings about it, moments where I just laughed right out loud. I wanted to believe it had lots of potential, mostly because I love Michael Moore, in all his arrogance....but this just didn't do a thing for me. The acting was great...the plot was amusing enough, but it just got too goofy for me, and I got bored pretty quick. I ended up reading during a great deal of it towards the end, so I can't even tell you exactly what happened. Maybe someday if its on again, I will give it another shot, but I doubt it. I have read great things about it from some people, so maybe I was just not in the mood....but I thought it was kind of lame.

Paper Clips (2004)

I know, I am a sap for these kinds of feel good documentaries...this one I had been looking forward to for a long time. I had seen the preview before something else a long time ago, and then it just never seemed to happen, never found it at the movies, never found it on video...then lo and behold one day its on HBO...so I finally watch it, and its everything I wanted it to be! Awesome, its about a group of kids in a small very white Tennessee town that as part of their study of the Holocaust, try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis. Its just an incredible journey, they get such an amazing response and really get to experience learning so much about prejudice. Its an incredible journey, and I recommend it to families of all ages. Its such an incredible story (wait, did I say that already) I think everyone can take something away from a movie this honest, and beautiful. Great stuff...

The Safety Of Objects (2001)

This movie was good. The book was better if I remember correctly. I think that A.M. Homes is an amazing author...also finding out that she is a writer on "The L Word" doesn't hurt, since I love that show body and soul! Okay, so this movie reminded me a bit of American Beauty, but I guess in ways I liked it better (plot for sure, I liked better, even though the whole "all is not right in suburbia" theme is the same in both...this one connected people together and you guys know how I love movies like that) cinematically, of course, it had nothing on American Beauty, but I thought the characters and the acting in this movie were far more believable. So it didn't have the pretty "rose" scene, or the nifty shot of the bag flying through the air....this one had in depth characters that you actually cared about. I love movies that seem to be little vignettes all merging together in a somewhat climactic event. This was good..plus who can hate a movie with Dermot Mulroney?? Good stuff, a downer, but still good.

Cool World (1992)

I thought I was going to hate this movie, I had read so many bad things about it...plus its not really my thing...I didn't like Who Framed Roger Rabbit either, it didn't do a thing for me. On top of all of these reasons...Brad Pitt is getting on my nerves these days. However...I must say, I actually liked this movie. I think perhaps if it had been made more recently, it might have had more success. I wouldn't say its on the same level as say Sin City or something, but I thought the animation was pretty cool, the plot was cool..hey...like the title says...its a Cool World. The plot was pretty basic, a cartoonist creator gets seduced by one of his creations, and they come to life and wreak havoc in the real world.
Yep, I thought it was worth watching, and I actually enjoyed Brad Pitts performance...this was way before he was actually hugely popular, maybe that makes a difference, less cockiness? Not sure, in any case, I actually recommend this one to anyone who likes movies a little bit different, and entertaining from an animation standpoint. It made me want to see Richard Linklaters last animated type thing...Waking Life, which I found just amazing....but thats a post for another day. This was good, the ending could have used some work...but it was cute nonetheless!

Manic (2003?)

I am doing really bad with remembering the years these movies were actually made, but I think I may have got this one right. This was a pretty decent movie. not the most uplifting, or happy story. But I thought the acting was really really great. Its about these young kids in a mental hospital. Its filmed a bit on the grainy side and really raw...a lot of bizarre camera movement, almost enough to make me feel seasick. But the story was good. It follows this young boy (played by that cute guy from Third Rock from the Sun, I have no clue what his real name is) as he is brought into the hospital and goes through his experiences there. Zooey Deschanel is one of the patients as well, and as usual, she is so amazing. I really think she has this amazing ability to seem very real in all her movies, and her emotion is always so honest. I thought it was great. Don Cheadle plays the head guy/dr. whatever he is, and he was fantastic as well. This was a pretty good, but kind of depressing look at mental illness...I am glad I didn't delete it without watching it first (my bad habit lately)

Octane (not sure)

Okay, I shouldn't even count this movie, since I missed the last 15 minutes and then came in for the last 1 minute of the movie...but I will say this....it sucked. I have no idea what posessed me to watch it, other than complete boredom...but I didn't get it. I must have missed the point in that missing 15 minutes, but I refuse to ever watch it again to see if I can figure it out. The movie "seems" to be about a mother trying to rescue her daughter (mother played by Madeline Stowe, daughter played by Mischa Barton) from some bizarre cult. I thought it was weird, beyond bizarre, just downright annoying. I had a hard time following who was where, why people were getting killed, were these people vampires? did they think they were? Why the heck do I find Jonathon Rhys-Meyers so gosh darned hot? All these unanwered questions from this movie...that clearly don't deserve to be answered...well okay...someone can answer the Jonathon Rhys-Meyers question if they really want, because I do find him extremely hot, and plan to see him as often as possible in the next few weeks, just because these brief, crazy scenes with him, reminded me of how hot he really is...Okay, so don't watch it, its bad. There you go.

My Date with Drew (2004)

okay, if anyone has seen this movie, you know why I loved it. The guy is a complete nipper. So the premise is this: This guy loves Drew Barrymore, he wins $1100 in a game show (She was actually the winning answer too!!) and decides to make a documentary, following his dream to get a date with Drew Barrymore within 30 days. The best part about it was...his serious creativity. He only had that $1100 to spend, so he buys a video camera from Circuit City (because they have a thirty day return policy)so he can return it when he is done....and he sets out trying to use his personal contacts to get this date with Drew Barrymore. I am not going to tell you anything else about it...because you have to see it for yourself of course. I won't give away the ending or all his struggles along the way...But I will say that I was rooting for this guy all the way. Take a risk, follow your dream...this guy went all out for his dream. I found myself standing and cheering for this guy to succeed. I loved this movie...all the way loved it.

Saved (2004)

I LOVED this movie. I thought it was all kinds of fun. I even liked Macauley Culkin in it, I thought he was pretty darn good. This is probably "not" for all ages....teen pregancy, kind of a slap in the face of the Christians that tend to be sort of, well...bigoted, how about that, not too harsh right?? This takes place in a very Christian Baptist high school...Mandy Moore is spectacular in it, Jena Malone as well (as the pregnant teen) but my favorite, best, most shining moment in the entire movie...is Eva Amurri (daughter of Susan Sarandon, as if you couldn't tell just by looking at her)she is fabulous!! I was so disappointed after looking her up on IMDB. to see that she hasn't done anything since this movie. I thought she was just awesome. Besides being adorable, in that Susan Sarandon kind of way, she is captivating on screen. Her character is an outcast type, (my favorite) and she is full of energy and rebellion. Awesome, awesome performance. I thought this movie was worth watching several times (which I have now done since it was on cable and everytime I catch it, I can't stop watching it) I highly recommend it. Its nice to see a "smart" teen comedy.

Jesus of Nazareth (1970 something)

This is counting for four days...started it on April 16, finished it on the 19th...each installment was 2 hours long, (ugh including commercials) I remember loving this movie when I was a kid. This time, it was a bit....long. I still loved a lot of it, namely Robert Powell was a pretty hot Jesus. Also who could not like Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene?? Lots of great actors in this movie. And sure, there have been better movies made, but this one really incorporates the whole life of jesus story, from before his birth to his death. Most movies only focus on the end of his life. I like this one. Its not my "favorite" religious movie...that would be The Fourth Wiseman....but it is still up there as one of my favorites...what I would like to do next time is record it, and edit it to a more manageable length, and cut out some of the stuff that I thought were over the top and just dragging it out for time. Like watching Herod in his palace lying on a couch etc...boring, long and overinvolved. Other than that...I still think this stands the test of time.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Okay, this is kind of a cheat, again..(I know, I am getting really bad at this)because technically, I have already seen this, but being that it was Easter week, and I had some health issues going on, and other various craziness....I didn't get as many movies in as I wanted to this week, so this happened to be on, so I gave it a second try. I hated it the first time. I thought the violence was gratuitous (spelled completely messed up but I have no spell check here!!!) and the subtitles just got on my nerves (not that I have issues with foreign films, but this just annoyed me)...and I still felt that way about it this time as well...however this time I think I opened my mind a little bit more and enjoyed some of the other imagery in the movie. I detest Mel Gibson, but I can see that he really put his heart and soul and beliefs into this movie, and I can appreciate that passion (no pun intended of course). I think he can be proud that he got his point across to the crowd he was preaching to. Bubba liked this movie quite a bit, I still can't say I am a huge fan, but I am more accepting of it than I was before

The Ten Commandments (2006)

I am not sure if I can even count this, but I thought I had better, since I wasted some time on it. This was the new "made for TV" version/remake of the classic (if you can call it that, I didn't like that one much either) starring Charlton Heston. This one was starring, Dougray Scott ( I think thats his name) as Moses...he did an okay job, for some reason, with his hair long like that he kind of reminded me of Antonio Banderes, but that doesn't really matter. The movie was just kind of bad, and the other reason I feel like I can hardly count it....is that I didn't even finish it, worse yet, It took me two days to watch it, so I am counting it as two fricken movies... I finally started fast forwarding to parts I was interesting in bothering with...other than those few scenes, where I thought the effects were kind of decent....the movie was just kind of bad. If you are interested in the subject matter...catch the original, or wait for a better remake!

Another Day (or two) Off ....

Okay, I had to take just one more, I realize that I took a whole week with Jedi, and I realize that I promised to watch a movie every day, so I have decided to attempt to make these days up over the summer when I have more time. I needed to take a few more days off this weekend because, we got a new baby in the house, and things have been way too hectic to sit down and watch a whole movie!!! So I will be back to a movie a day starting Tuesday, April 11....now, on to the new baby. His name is Boo, ( not my idea, but its growing on me) and he is a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. He is just adorable, and is slowly creeping his way into my heart. Nobody will ever fill the space Jedi left, she was one of a kind, but this guy is just adorable, so I am going to spend a few days loving on him and will be back soon.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washingon (1939)

awwww, I really loved this sweet movie. When I see movies like this, I wonder why there aren't enough of them anymore. As much as I hate remakes (for the most part...there have been some great ones, King Kong is an excellent example) I would love to see an slightly updated version of this movie. Don't get my wrong, I realize we do not have any such thing as a Jimmy Stewart these days. He was such an amazing spirit on the screen. I don't want to say he was a fantastic actor, because for some reason, he seemed like he was probably like that in real life too. But he just glowed on the screen, even in black and white, you could feel every emotion, and you want to smile when he does. But this movie was such a great story, that it would be nice to see it done with a modern twist. I am glad I finally sat down to watch this all the way through. Its a classic I would have been sad to miss.

A History of Violence (2005)

I was pleasantly (if you can call it that...) surprised at how much I actually liked this movie. I am not a huge fan of anyone in the movie. Bubba saw it at the movies and loved it, so I told him when it was finally out on DVD I would rent it. It had some pretty decent moments. The script was well written, apparantly its based on a graphic novel, and actually got nominated for adapted Screenplay this past year for the Oscars. I thought the characters were interesting enough, Viggo Morensen was particularly good in this role, playing a man living in a small town who gets wrapped up in some violence that occurs, that may or may not (not going to give it all away) have something to do with his past. The thing that bugged me the most about this movie, is really silly....Maria Bellos hair was just nasty. I thought she was supposed to be a lawyer, but it looked like half the time she needed a shower, or had just taken one and not bothered to finish drying her hair. I didn't like her much at all, character included...she just seemed really bland. The son was great, not sure of his name but he did a fantastic job. William Hurt was good, certainly not worthy of an acting nomination in my not so humble opinion, especially taking into effect that his screentime seemed to be approximately 10 minutes, if that. Its not my usual kind of movie, but I really thought it was very good. I would actually recommend it. Great character based movie.

This Girls Life (2003)

I am seriously ashamed at myself for including this movie. This film bordered on porn I suppose. I have no idea why I actually watched it....okay, yes I do...Kip Pardue, I realize most of you have no idea who this guy is, and I am afraid to admit why I not only know who he is, but try to faithfully follow his tiny crappy roles. Let me backtrack a bit...one night, I was bored, and some stupid Sylvester Stallone movie about auto racing came on....I got sucked in to it, and the next thing you know, its on a few days later and I watch it again, and again, and again and again. I am now obsessed with this movie, and I can't even tell you how many times I have seen in, in large part because I love this guy, Kip Pardue, who plays the young up and coming racer in this movie Driven, (I think thats what it was called) so embarassangly enough, I have him on my TIVO wish list and this Porn-like movie popped up, so I watched it. Its about this girl, Moon, who is taking care of her ailing father (James Woods, playing a pretty good role as her father, who has Parkinsons)and doing so by being a porn star, she isn't ashamed of it, and actually enjoys it...somehow in the course of the movie, she starts this side business of a "sex investigator" where she hits on peoples husbands/fiances etc...because their wives pay her to, to see if they will cheat. ( I think there is a nasty TV show based on this concept too) There are relatively known actors in this movie as well, Michael Rappaport plays one of the nasty cheating husbands, Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy...yummy) plays another. Anyway Kip Pardue plays a seemingly small time actor named....you guessed it....Kip. He goes on a blind date with her, falls for her, and is waiting for her to change her mind and want to be monogomous with him. Awwww...what a sweetie. Okay, the movie, kind of bad, lots of familiar faces, not the worst script in the world, but some pretty crappy sex scenes, I expected a bit more out of them! If you are bored an its on cable, its not a complete waste of time, but I wouldn't rent it.

In the Weeds (2000)

awwww, I liked this movie. I only rented it because I really like Molly Ringwald, I think she gets a bad rap, I actually think she was talented, and underappreciated...note, I say "was" because nobody seems to get that and she doesn't do a whole lot in film anymore. I thought this was a pretty decent movie. It reminded me of that show I lost this year (one of the many....Kitchen Confidential) it all takes place in one night at a restaurant. I loved all the various interactions, small subplots etc. and I thought all the actors were fantastic. Great use of Sam Harris, another amazing talent, that mostly does Broadway, and I thought he transfered to film very well....he still reminds me of Thomas Manor, but thats my own issue. The main guy Joshua Leonard ( think is his name) was pretty adorable as well, I had just seen him in a small part in The Shaggy Dog and thought he was pretty cool, good to know he has done a bit more than that small role. And now we come to the part I am torn about...Ellen Pompeo. Everyone knows I am a huge Grey's Anatomy fan. I love the show, I couldn't breathe without it...but I have very mixed feelings about her. I think she is kind of whiny, in every movie or show I have seen her in....yet at the same time, she is starting to grow on me. She does a lot of that sad puppy dog face thing in this movie too. I don't know....ask me again in a year or so, and I will have for sure formed a real opinion on her...for now....the jury is still out. I recommend this movie, its short, sweet, and not a waste of your time.

Office Space

I have been told that this was a great movie, for years now. I just haven't had the motivation to actually rent it...well fate stepped in, and it was on Sundance or IFC can't remember which, so I decided it was finally time. I suppose I didn't really plan to like it, I have never worked in that type of office enviroment so I thought I wouldn't get the jokes etc....I do love the show The Office, but that to me is more about the characters and less about the actual office. In any case, this was much better than I expected. I actually laughed out loud several times. I am not the biggest fan of Ron Livingston, I couldn't stand him for the small amount of time he was on Sex and the City, but I enjoyed him in this, I thought he was perfect for this role. Something about this movie reminded me a bit of The 40 Year Old Virgin, though I am not sure why or how. I definetly recommend this movie, some pretty funny stuff.

King Kong (2005)

I was very sorry after watching this, that I didn't go see it at the theater. I had always wanted to, I was a huge King Kong psycho from way back...I used to play it when I was a kid, I was the girl, my bed was his hand, I would fall off the bed when he put me down etc....I know, I am a wack job. In any case, I actually liked the awful 1970's version. Hated Jessica Lange, in fact, that movie made me hate her and it took me years to actually tolerate her. But I loved Jeff Bridges, and loved him especially in that hippy looking stage. Yummy. So I had high expectations of this version, firstly because I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and had very high hopes for Peter Jackson as director of this movie, and secondly, because I thought that will all the great advances in movie effects, this should look pretty real. Wow, was I amazed at how real it actually looked. If I didn't know better, I would swear that Skull Island really existed, and time stood still there. You couldn't convince me there wasn't a 25 foot Gorilla running around New York. I loved it. I thought it got a bit long in parts, there was almost an hour before we even get to see Kong, getting to the Island took a really long time...and the native parts were pretty frightening, I am glad that this time I watched it first before deciding if Ian should see it ( I think not...)...but overall, I thought this movie was awesome. Its exactly what movies used to be for me...magic. True magic, where you really believe this stuff could happen. The movie was set back when the original was filmed, which I thought was cool, and as much as I don't like Naomi Watts, I thought she fit the part perfectly. Great stuff...probably have to buy it to see what kind of bonus features it has.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)

Okay, I am back...did you both miss me?? :) Okay, so after almost a week long break, to mourn the loss of my precious dog, and working on finding a new one, and some various unexpected health problems...I decided to jump back in with a documentary that I have been waiting and waiting to see. The Walmart movie. I hate Wal-Mart, everyone knows that I am sure...I won't shop there, and though I caved recently, I felt nothing but guilt and shame afterwards. After seeing this movie, you couldn't pay me a million dollars to shop at that "Jack Nasty" place. They didn't even cover some of the issues I personally have with Wal-mart, but they brought up some that I never even think about!!! Its a wonderful informative movie that shows exactly how much major damage Wal-Mart does to a community, especially the small rural communities like my parents. It also give great detail about how they scam to get away with things like treating their employees awful, screwing them on health care,the horrible overseas factories and poor underpaid workers, and their lack of environmental concern....just to name a few. I hate Wal-Mart, did I say that already??? Well I really do. I am glad I took the time to watch this, it just reaffirms my feelings about that nasty place, and I don't plan to ever shop there again. I was letting Bubba go there from time to time, but I have made him promise that no matter how tempting it is, that there is no logical reason to go there....not even to save a few dollars...its just not good enough. If enough people stop shopping there, and start speaking out against these monstrosities coming to their neighborhood.....maybe it will make a dent in their billion dollar empire. I can hope right?