Monday Coolness

Today's coolness is in the form of a movie review. I tried to convince a certain somebody (who I may or may not be married to) to make a video review with me, but he wasn't going for it. Which is really too bad, because I'm pretty sure some of you would have peed laughing (I'm lookin' at you mom). He's pretty amusing when he wants to be.

So here I am all gangsta with my movie cup. Don't even act like the random hair wisps don't happen to you. Psh. I just came in from the rain and took my hood off. But you know you love how my cardi, ring, and nails are all the same pink. Yay-yuh! (If you need help pronouncing that consult Lil Jon or Regular Show.)

So... movie review. We went to see Red Riding Hood last night. The commercials have all looked legit. Hubby saw that Gary Oldman was in it and that sold him. We have free movie passes comin' out our ears at the moment so we went and used some.

All-encompassing one-sentence reviews:

• Hubby: Ummmm... Twilight, no vampires, more blood, and Gary Oldman.

• Typhoid: Good stuff, but it was pretty reminiscent of Twilight.

So for those of you who don't know, the movie was directed by Catherine Hardwicke - the same director from Twilight. I didn't factor this in until we got to the opening credits. Done over a forest in the same style as our camera shots of Forks.

My take: The story was good. LOVE Amanda Seyfried in it. The two potential loverboys were nice to look at. Gary Oldman was fantastic as usual. When is he not amazing? I really should have predicted who the wolf was, but a decent effort was made to try and keep the audience guessing. No huge names besides him and Seyfried. We did get to see Bella's dad though. I was satisfied with the ending. The soundtrack? No thank you. Too emo (similar to some certain sparkly vampire movies). But overall I give it a solid B+.

Hubby's take... well he kept with the Twilight comparisons and said Seyfried is easier to look at than Kristen Stewart, the rest of the cast couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag. Gary Oldman had more talent in his pinky toe than the rest of the cast put together. The other love interest looked like a special needs version of Robert Pattinson. The soundtrack made him want to cut himself. The director needs to not make everything just like Twilight because he kept waiting for Amanda Seyfried to gasp and bite her lip. And WHY did the main love interest have hair product? Ending was fine. He gave it a C+ for effort.

Obviously some hormones have something to do with it, haha. I didn't realize how much of a chick flick it actually was. But there was blood splatter! So it's not like there was nothing for the guys to appreciate. And it definitely wasn't the strongest thing I've seen. At the end credits I just looked at hubby and waited for him to say something. Sooo maybe warn your honey that it could be a little bit of a chick flick and he might want to sit this one out.

I have the book. It's up next after the current werewolf book that I'm reading (I just gravitate toward these things I guess).

Possibly off to another movie today? We'll have to see. I told hubby I owe him a manly flick after making him sit through wrist-cutting music (he said he could possibly have liked it better without the emo soundtrack).

**PS - I took today and tomorrow off for hubby's birthday so hopefully an adventure or two can be written about later.

Another Day...

... another movie.

I got up this morning and was excited to watch a movie I had set my DVR for last night. Penelope. With Christina Ricci and James McAvoy (*sigh*). It was really cute. Like, REALLY cute. I might save it instead of deleting it for the time being. Or just go add it to my Amazon list.

Go rent it (or Netflix it since that's the thing to do now). And it's totally okay for your kids, so feel free to make it a family movie night.

Right now I have Stardust and P.S. I Love You recording. So it looks like tomorrow will be another movie day. Gotta love movie channels...

Alright, off to get presentable and go to my mom's so I can do some sewing. Stinkin' Christmas coming up all fast and stuff...

Movie Review... ish

So did anyone actually see Australia? That movie with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman? I kind of enjoy Baz Luhrmann and his weirdness. I liked Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet. So I figured I could give this one a shot. I mean, HELLOOOO, Hugh Jackman.

And it was actually good. Not great. I liked it, but don't feel a need to buy it. It runs two hours and forty-five minutes which felt a little long. The story was good. You totally hate the "bad guy," there are kids involved, there's of course a love story... I liked it.

But the best part?

DEFINITELY Hugh Jackman. Holy crap that man is hot. It kind of helps that he actually got to speak in his normal accent for this movie (did I mention accents KILL me??). But yeah, yum. I don't know if I've liked him as much as I did in this movie.

So if you have three hours to kill, or if you're doing projects (like I was) and want a movie on to help you out, watch it. If you don't have much of an attention span, don't. It's that simple.

Movie Review

Hubby and I went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince yesterday. I have been waiting for this with a mix of excitement and fear. I loved the first four movies. Then came the fifth. And I was... disappointed. I wish there could be a do-over. It was just... wrong. It didn't fit with the other ones. So yeah, I was definitely worried about this one.

But thankfully, I left pleased. Yes, I liked it.

Now, that's not to say there isn't room for improvement. I've come to the conclusion that David Yates is far too self-devout (thanks to hubby for that description) for these movies. He doesn't appear to care NEARLY enough about the story. But he didn't screw this one up royally so I guess I can let him continue to exist (even if he's really lame at the whole "existence" thing).

Anyway, I did leave content. The big-scene-that-I-won't-reveal-here-because-I-don't-want-to-spoil-it-for-anyone (which hubby TOTALLY did to someone on a message board last week) totally got me. I cried. And actually, everything leading up to it had me feeling like I wanted to throw up because I knew it was coming and I felt like the actors were THAT GOOD. So well done there (to the actors, NOT to Mr. "I'm-So-Lame" Yates).

For a two-and-a-half hour movie I felt it went really quickly, which is always a good sign. The soundtrack for this one was spot-on (unlike the last one which I deemed "all kinds of wrong"). I was never bored and actually could have sat through another thirty minutes easily.

Issues: after thinking about it, I do wish there were things they hadn't left out. I obviously won't name specific parts of the story right now, but there were scenes that should have made the cut. I will say that the whole "teen-angst-love" theme was funny. But there was a little bit more than necessary. I can think of a couple parts that could have been shortened or left out in order to make room for more story. I think by this point we get that the Hogwarts students are growing up and hormones are coming into play. It's fun to watch and all, but I'm more into the story than extra fluff.

Reading this I realized it sounds like I hated the movie, but I didn't! It's a LOT better than the fifth one in the series, but not up there with the first ones. As a movie that's being viewed just for a good time (as in, not a rabid fan of the books) it earns a solid A. As a movie that's supposed to be an adaptation of a wildly successful series it earns a C. Maybe. So I guess we can average that out to a B. Fans of the books, if you can go in knowing that there's no way we can see ALL of the material on the screen, you should be fine. If you go in ready to pick it apart, don't bother going. Aren't movies supposed to be fun?

BTW, hubby and I just discussed the movies a bit. If Lord of the Rings is allowed to be three hours, WHY can't Harry Potter be longer? And if I hear the lame "kids can't sit through it" excuse, I'll just laugh at you. At this point, we've definitely gone into some dark magic...

PS - I totally got to see a Where The Wild Things Are trailer on the big screen for the first time. I came pretty darn close to tearing up. I cannot WAIT for it.

Movie Review

Hubby and I took the kid to see Transformers 2 today! Feels like we've been waiting forever. We were going to wait for my mom because she really wanted to take Tad, but our schedules are so conflicting that it wouldn't have worked this week.

Tad liked it, but I think it was a little long for him. Run time is about two hours and twenty minutes. He got a bit fidgety toward the end. But he still liked it. His favorite thing about it? Bumblebee of course!

He ended up changing his mind and not wearing the mask to the movies. But how cute is he? He's rocking some Bumblebee shoes and boxer-briefs too!

I really don't feel like getting all technical or anything here. It was pretty much what you expect a summer movie to be. I wasn't bored at any point and there were plenty of explosions and battles.

This movie had more humor than the first. Quite a bit was juvenile humor (Mojo, the dog, "establishing dominance" over the new dog). Julie White, who plays Sam's mom, had me dying. She was hilarious. Sam at a frat party was funny to me, but mainly because I know the guy who played Frat Guy #1. I was way excited to see him up there.

One thing I did think was kind of meh and almost useless was the character of Alice, played by Isabel Lucas. I can't go into detail without spoiling anything, I was just really... underwhelmed by her part and honestly forgot about her by the time we walked out of the movie.

There's plenty I could say to argue with all the reviews out there, but why bother? I'll just tell you: hubby and I enjoyed it. Don't go expecting a new world view. Don't go expecting some epic speech that will stick with you. Do go expecting something entertaining, and if you're able to do that you shouldn't be disappointed.

Movie Review

Hubby and I have had a good start to the summer. Movie-wise that is. And I'm really loving living so close to the theater.

Yesterday we went and saw Drag Me To Hell. It's the new Sam Raimi movie and reviewers have been calling it his "return to horror." For those of you who don't know, Sam Raimi did the Evil Dead movies. And as a reluctant-viewer-turned-fan of those, I was pretty stoked for this one. Then our local paper published their review and LIKED IT which is a shock around here. The reviewers here tend to hate everything that hubby and I love.

So plot in one breath: Christine is cursed by an old woman and tries to ditch the curse. That's the absolute simplest way to give it to you. And I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that.

I went into this knowing what to expect. Well, maybe not knowing, but hoping that it really was classic Raimi. And I think you have to go in with that in mind. It's definitely what I was hoping for. The scare that I like to call the cheap shot was there. A LOT. Ya know, where everything is quiet or almost quiet and then BOOM there's something jumping out and scaring the crap out of you. Plenty of that. There were total gross-out scenes (but not gory) that you expect. Hubby argues that there was one scene you could call gory. But we were both laughing because it was exactly what you watch a Sam Raimi flick for.

And that man and his camera work. Wow. It's very distinctive and it was in full force in this movie. I can't even describe it here because I know all my readers haven't seen his previous movies. But as hubby and I were watching we were laughing and elbowing each other because a particular shot looked EXACTLY as it did in Evil Dead or Army of Darkness. I'm actually ready to watch those movies now just to figure out which shots and angles I recognized.

Being such a fan of Raimi and his previous work makes it hard for me to review this. It was exactly what I wanted, exactly what hubby wanted, but will the average movie patron enjoy it? I'm not sure. I think people going to be creeped out will be disappointed. This movie has some camp to it. It's not like horror movies today that go straight for disturbing. You have to have an open mind if you aren't already a Raimi fan.

The story wasn't bad. I didn't feel any problems with dangling plot or continuity issues. Was it a predictable plot? A bit. But at the end, we had several guesses and weren't sure which we would see. Hubby even managed to be surprised (that's saying a lot when he finds something predictable). But it was fun. It wasn't elaborate and confusing.

And for those of you that are hoping to see our favorite Raimi hero, Bruce Campbell... sorry. He's not there. Hubby and I were holding out for him until the very end, but no Mr. Campbell. Apparently it conflicted with Burn Notice (which will be back soon!) so he couldn't do it. I'm a little sad still. But there was a piece of audio that sounded like it may have been him from another movie. Still trying to figure that out. Also, don't be too disappointed. There are some little gems for you Raimi fans to find.

All in all, I feel it earned an A. Hubby technically agrees, though he claims that since Bruce wasn't in it he'll only give it a B. Fun movie.

Movie Review

Hubs and I went to see Terminator: Salvation tonight. Actually just got back (gotta love the theater being twoish blocks from where we live).

GREAT start to the summer. Best movie ever? Nah. Good use of our money? Yup.

Guys: all the action is there. Good story (not hard to follow as I've seen some people say). MORE than made up for T3 (which I didn't see, but don't need to).

Ladies: Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. That alone will make any functioning female happy. I love me some Bale. Sam Worthington was more of a pleasant surprise. Don't get me wrong, I didn't go just for the eye candy. I like guns and explosions just as much as hubby does, so I enjoyed that aspect as well.

Admittedly, there were bits and pieces that left something to be desired. A few characters and the subsequent relationships were a little rushed. There's also a part that would have been more powerful given some stronger development (sorry, don't want to give anything away to y'all). But I was not bored or confused for a second. Which happens more than it should with some movies...

I did roll my eyes once. And giggle a couple times. There are a few little shout outs to the previous movies. Which were definitely fun, and not overdone in any way. Just more pleasant surprises along the way. It was also funny to hear the teenagers behind us be clueless about why these things were there in the first place. That's what happens when you don't catch up with things from before your time...

Overall, solid B. Possibly a B+. Hubby says B+, possibly A-. Good enough that it could earn a second viewing (if there weren't at least ten other movies we're looking forward to). If you want to get out to the movies aren't into mutants or space travel, check this one out.

Movie Review

Wednesday night we felt like a movie. Since the kid is still with us (I totally don't mind that either!) we knew it had to be something kid-friendly. So we settled on Coraline (or as Tad says it, "Toraline"). We didn't catch it in 3D because of price and because the theater that's two minutes from us didn't have it in 3D. I'll survive.

Okay, I fully expected some weirdness and some coolness. Tim Burton was involved so it wouldn't be right if it wasn't a little weird.

But it was weird. Not in a bad way. I really liked it. The idea behind it was good, there was a little message for those of you that like messages.

And the stop-motion animation... ohhhhh. LOVED it. The whole beginning sequence was super fun to me because I've been so into stitching and such lately. And the rest of the movie... awesome. Her other-dad's garden was possibly my favorite scene in the movie. It was just cool.

Hubby liked it. "Cool movie, kind of creepy." I'll agree that there was a little creepiness there. It's not as much a kid movie as you'd like to think it is. But Tad liked it. He did admit to me that there were parts that were scary though. But apparently not that scary. He didn't crawl into my lap or anything. He was totally focused the whole movie.

So I'll give it a solid A. Just don't expect your average three-or four-year-old to be enthralled. It's not as juvenile as one would expect.

And previews? Oh how I love previews. There was one for Monsters vs. Aliens. I hadn't actually seen a trailer for that one. It looks HILARIOUS. I may be taking a trip to see that one. Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs also came up. It was the squirrel-thing again in his own little moment with the acorn. Tad loved that. I may see it, but not likely in theaters unless Tad asks for it directly. There was also Up, the new fun from Pixar. It looks weird, but you know I'll see it. Pixar always has awesomeness. Then there was this weird flick called 9. I really am still not sure what was going on with it. It doesn't look like a kid movie. But it looks like one of those movies that you'll regret not seeing on a large screen. Tim Burton is involved in that one too. And Christopher Plummer does a voice. So there's two big reasons for me to want to watch.

Okay, enough of that for one review. No telling when the next review will be, but keep an eye open.

*Edit: Apparently, 9 is based on a short film. I've embedded the short here for you.

Movie Review... of the best movie this year

Okay, so we saw Gran Torino. I had my doubts when I very first heard about it. I hear "Clint Eastwood" and my brain defaults to westerns. Which, sorry, I don't enjoy. But the more I heard about it and the more I saw the previews, the more I wanted to see it.

So when hubby brought it home (don't ask, we didn't download it or purchase it, just don't ask), I knew I would sit and watch it with him. Well, we finally did last night.

Best. Movie. Of. The. Year.

Hands down. If you haven't seen it, go see it before it leaves theaters. If you have seen it, leave me a comment and give me your feelings (spoiler-free please).

Clint is badass*. I mean, he always was, but this movie... wow. Okay, it's not the most culturally sensitive movie. And I'll admit, I died laughing at several parts where Clint was blatantly and horribly racist. But I couldn't help it. Just the way he was a complete and total ass. It was funny. BTW, I totally want him to be my surly neighbor now.

The story is good, and I really can't reveal much because I know some of you haven't seen it. Just trust me when I say it is amazing and I'm already to watch it again. I didn't see the ending in the way it happened, I expected something else, but it wasn't disappointing.

So if you have the cash, and the time, go see Gran Torino this weekend. I promise, it is an awesome, amazing, spectacular, and every-other-adjective-that-means-good movie.

*Saying he was badass reminded me of a joke my husband told some of us last weekend at our friends' house: "Why does Clint Eastwood always talk through clenched teeth? He's trying to hold back the awesome!" Laugh. You know it's true.

So on the subject of movies...

I watched a couple movies in the past few days that I had not yet seen. So here's a quick "what I thought" for y'all.

Sunday I watched Marie Antoinette. You know, the one with Kirsten Dunst from 2006. I had kind of wanted to see it when it was in theaters, but it wasn't high enough on the list for us to make it (that and I didn't think Tim would want to see it). But it came on one of our movie channels last month and I set the DVR for it so I could watch it later. So Sunday morning was a lazy morning. Tim was at work and I thought, Hey. I have a movie on DVR that I haven't watched yet. So I started it. And you know what? I really liked it. Like, really. It was good. Now I'm not even going to get into the fact that people argued how "unrealistic" and "falsified" it was because let's think about it, who goes to the movies for a history lesson? If you're gaining all your knowledge from the movies, I pity you.

So back to the movie. I'm not a huge fan of Kirsten Dunst. I don't hate her, but I'm definitely not a fan in general. But I liked her in this movie. The movie itself was fun. Sofia Coppola did a great job. I was torn whether to like Marie or think she was a bad person. And the general look of the movie... wow. I've been obsessed with pastels, chandeliers, and damask since Sunday. I could totally plan a ginormous party inspired just by the movie. Loved the dresses, the hair, the sets... everything.

The fact that I could kind of feel for the characters at least gave the movie some substance. It made it more than just eye candy. So if you haven't seen it, I say go for it. I may actually go buy it since my DVR won't store it forever (we found this out at my mom's when High School Musical just disappeared one day). Overall grade? Solid B+

Yesterday Tim had the day off and we decided to see what was on demand on Comcast. Sometimes there's actually good stuff in the free movies. So Tim saw Secondhand Lions listed. Neither of us had seen it and he had heard good things. I love Michael Caine, Tim loves Robert Duvall - seemed like a good choice.

So we started it. Once I got past the fact that Haley Joel Osment is no longer a cute kid, but rather an awkward looking manlet in this movie, I was fine. Actually Caine and Duvall were outstanding. They were hilarious. Easily my favorite part of the movie. The story was great. We both laughed, I came close to crying a couple times, and it just left you feeling happy. We need more movies like that.

So here's another one for you to see if you haven't. And if you know Tim, I'm sure you'll agree that he will be exactly like those two old men if something were ever to happen to me at an early age. Not quite eccentric but... yeah. So rent it. Or catch it on demand. It's fun. I give it an A.