Well, I've hit a pretty significant milestone. I have officially watched 100 of the 1001 movies!! It took a while to get there, but I'm confident I will be a little better at watching movies from the book, now that I've added my own Netflix account.
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
I could not have picked a more perfect movie to watch as my 100th! This movie had a little bit of everything I love about film.
First of all, I love movies set in this time period. It was a different age. Women were so much classier, even when they were trashy. Secondly, it was a musical!!! Oh, how I love musicals. OK - maybe it wasn't a full fledged musical, but there was some singing and a lot of dancing. Finally, it starred the late, great, Lucille Ball - one of my all-time favorite actresses.
Dance is about a troupe of dancers who are struggling to find jobs. Their best dancer, Bubbles (Ball) quits the troupe when she gets a solo offer and the other girls continue to look for employment elsewhere. The main character, Judy O'Brien (Maureen O'Hara), is an aspiring ballerina. Bubbles comes back and hires Judy to dance in her new Burlesque show, and that's when things start to get pretty crazy. Love triangles, rowdy men, and some risque dancing ensue.
I loved the movie. I think the story was well-written. There were a few plot points I thought were going to be left unanswered, but everything wraps up in the end. It was just the right mix of drama, music, romance, and comedy. Go watch this film, I'm giving it four stars.
Until the next movie!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Goodbye Summer!
Well it looks like my summer is officially over. In approximately 11 1/2 hours I will begin my senior year at Texas A&M and it is bittersweet. The last three years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I'm hoping for an incredible last year at A&M and plan on savoring every moment I have left.
Since today was my last day of "freedom," so to speak, I celebrated in true form - watching a movie from The Book. This was #99, folks. That means the next movie is going to be EPIC because its a big milestone!!
Milestone, or not, each movie I cross off the list is equally significant as its predecessor and what comes after. As you all know, some of these movies I enjoy thoroughly, while others I can barely make it through. Tonight, I'm pleased to say, was the latter. I really liked this one!!
Patton (1970)
I'm a sucker for war movies, what can I say. Especially if they revolve around WWII. I've never understood my fascination with WWII, but it completely entices me. I'm not a history person... I find it interesting, but not memorization and all that. I can tell you some trivial facts, but not many. But there are certain era's (WWII era included) that I just can't get enough of. This is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this movie.
George C. Scott plays the infamous General Patton. In my opinion, Scott did a wonderful job portraying this controversial general. He was hot-headed, outspoken, but a mighty fine general. Scott echoed all of these traits and more impeccably.
The movie mainly follows Patton in the short period before he takes command of the 3rd Army, and then the time he holds as commander. Patton shows a different side to the general than most people are used to seeing, but it is a nice insight - one Francis Ford Coppola was hoping to show through his script.
If you like war movies, this should be a must see on your list. If you have three hours to kill, this would be an entertaining and informative way to spend it. Overall, I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars.
Until the next movie!
Since today was my last day of "freedom," so to speak, I celebrated in true form - watching a movie from The Book. This was #99, folks. That means the next movie is going to be EPIC because its a big milestone!!
Milestone, or not, each movie I cross off the list is equally significant as its predecessor and what comes after. As you all know, some of these movies I enjoy thoroughly, while others I can barely make it through. Tonight, I'm pleased to say, was the latter. I really liked this one!!
Patton (1970)
I'm a sucker for war movies, what can I say. Especially if they revolve around WWII. I've never understood my fascination with WWII, but it completely entices me. I'm not a history person... I find it interesting, but not memorization and all that. I can tell you some trivial facts, but not many. But there are certain era's (WWII era included) that I just can't get enough of. This is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this movie.
George C. Scott plays the infamous General Patton. In my opinion, Scott did a wonderful job portraying this controversial general. He was hot-headed, outspoken, but a mighty fine general. Scott echoed all of these traits and more impeccably.
The movie mainly follows Patton in the short period before he takes command of the 3rd Army, and then the time he holds as commander. Patton shows a different side to the general than most people are used to seeing, but it is a nice insight - one Francis Ford Coppola was hoping to show through his script.
If you like war movies, this should be a must see on your list. If you have three hours to kill, this would be an entertaining and informative way to spend it. Overall, I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars.
Until the next movie!
Thursday, August 27, 2015
The Greatest Invention of the 21st Century
Let's talk a little bit about something I like to call Netflix.
Netflix has easily become a large part of popular culture in the last 5 or 6 years. Netflixing is a verb used by many. Staying in to watch Netflix is often preferred to a night out on the town. I has become the ultimate distraction for students of all ages. Date nights tend to revolve around what will be watched. Watching TV and Movies can never be the same. In fact, other companies have had to change the was they let people access their content because of Netflix.
Hulu not only offers a small selection of movies and full TV series, but they allow you to watch current seasons of TV, something Netflix does not. But Hulu doesn't have the rights to some networks. So those networks have created a subscription process too for those that would like to stream current episodes. Technology is emerging, and I love it.
But back to Netflix...
Did you know Netflix started it's subscription-based service in 1999? Impossible right??? These days, it seems like most people didn't get an account until the last few years, or they just bum off of a friend (or parent). But today, when people say they have a Netflix account, they usually are referring to their streaming account. Nobody gets Netflix on DVD anymore.
My family first got a Netflix account when me and my sister were in elementary school. As a kid, it was the coolest thing ever. Most of our friends had never even heard of Netflix. At the time, we would get three DVD's sent to our house at a time. This was before BluRay was the more popular choice, and streaming was pretty far out of the picture. My parents managed the account, of course. My mom would add some movies intended just for her and my dad, a few movies for the whole family, and then movies for me and my sister. She tried to keep it balanced so there was always something for everyone to watch. Most of the movies I remember watching in the beginning were classic Disney movies that my parents grew up with, old cartoons, and every Don Knotts film imaginable.
Somewhere down the road in junior high, I discovered the Netflix password, and nothing stayed the same after that. I completely took over the account. There were so many movies I wanted to see!! I would add all of the movies from my favorite actors and actresses. I would rate movies to get suggestions. I would spend hours, yes hours, leafing through the endless collection of potential movies to consume. Pretty quickly, the DVD's coming to the house became all of my picks, and very few for anyone else. Luckily, the streaming service was introduced shortly after.
Once the streaming service found its way into our household, it didn't matter who controlled the Netflix account. The world was my oyster. I could watch whatever I wanted (that was available of course) whenever I wanted. I all but forgot about the DVD side of things. My senior year of high school, a majority of my free time was spent in my room watching Charmed or Cheers, because I finally got my own TV. Then, I went to college and continued to use my parents account for all of my streaming pleasure, and the DVD side of Netflix was completely dead to me.
When I moved to college, my sister sat down and looked at our DVD queue. It had close to 400 movies sitting in it. At this point, we only got one DVD at a time, and we didn't watch it nearly as quickly as we used to. I usually added more to the queue than I would watch. So, my sister deleted most of the movies waiting in the queue and now, they keep it at a modest 50 or so movies.
It wasn't until recently that I realized how much I missed getting DVD's in the mail. I love the streaming services, but honestly, I mostly use it to watch TV shows. I'll watch a movie every now and then, but not nearly as often as I would when they were sent to us. So I sat down, thought about it, and realized, getting my own Netflix account would be a really good investment.
Here's how I see it. I try to go to the movies at least once a week, if I have time/money. Movies in College Station, with a student discount, are $4.50. A Netflix Account (DVD services only) is $7.99/month. That's like going to the movie theater twice! I will get to see way more movies for less money with a DVD account. So I did it. I got my own account. I'm still using my parents for the streaming services, but I get one DVD sent to my house at a time and I love it.
The day I signed up, I spent 6 hours, yes 6, adding movies to my queue. But not just any movies... Only movies from The Book. Remember that 'ole thing? The elusive 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book. I sat there and added every movie Netflix had to my account. Until I hit a speed bump. I found out you can only have 500 movies in your DVD queue at a time... So for now, I'm off to a great start.
So, in conclusion, I love Netflix and it is going to be a wonderful aide in my quest to watch all 1001 movies. I'm nearing the 100th movie, and there will be a big celebration when it happens. Also, be ready for more frequent posts, now that I'm practically forcing myself to watch more movies from the book. Right now, the plan is not to use my Netflix account for any movies that are not in the book, until I've watched all the ones Netflix has to offer. This may take a while, but I WILL CONQUER THIS QUEST.
Thank you for reading all the way down to this point after my long rant about how much I love Netflix. (Maybe they will give me a free month of something for raving about them??? Doubt it)
Until the next movie!
Netflix has easily become a large part of popular culture in the last 5 or 6 years. Netflixing is a verb used by many. Staying in to watch Netflix is often preferred to a night out on the town. I has become the ultimate distraction for students of all ages. Date nights tend to revolve around what will be watched. Watching TV and Movies can never be the same. In fact, other companies have had to change the was they let people access their content because of Netflix.
Hulu not only offers a small selection of movies and full TV series, but they allow you to watch current seasons of TV, something Netflix does not. But Hulu doesn't have the rights to some networks. So those networks have created a subscription process too for those that would like to stream current episodes. Technology is emerging, and I love it.
But back to Netflix...
Did you know Netflix started it's subscription-based service in 1999? Impossible right??? These days, it seems like most people didn't get an account until the last few years, or they just bum off of a friend (or parent). But today, when people say they have a Netflix account, they usually are referring to their streaming account. Nobody gets Netflix on DVD anymore.
My family first got a Netflix account when me and my sister were in elementary school. As a kid, it was the coolest thing ever. Most of our friends had never even heard of Netflix. At the time, we would get three DVD's sent to our house at a time. This was before BluRay was the more popular choice, and streaming was pretty far out of the picture. My parents managed the account, of course. My mom would add some movies intended just for her and my dad, a few movies for the whole family, and then movies for me and my sister. She tried to keep it balanced so there was always something for everyone to watch. Most of the movies I remember watching in the beginning were classic Disney movies that my parents grew up with, old cartoons, and every Don Knotts film imaginable.
Somewhere down the road in junior high, I discovered the Netflix password, and nothing stayed the same after that. I completely took over the account. There were so many movies I wanted to see!! I would add all of the movies from my favorite actors and actresses. I would rate movies to get suggestions. I would spend hours, yes hours, leafing through the endless collection of potential movies to consume. Pretty quickly, the DVD's coming to the house became all of my picks, and very few for anyone else. Luckily, the streaming service was introduced shortly after.
Once the streaming service found its way into our household, it didn't matter who controlled the Netflix account. The world was my oyster. I could watch whatever I wanted (that was available of course) whenever I wanted. I all but forgot about the DVD side of things. My senior year of high school, a majority of my free time was spent in my room watching Charmed or Cheers, because I finally got my own TV. Then, I went to college and continued to use my parents account for all of my streaming pleasure, and the DVD side of Netflix was completely dead to me.
When I moved to college, my sister sat down and looked at our DVD queue. It had close to 400 movies sitting in it. At this point, we only got one DVD at a time, and we didn't watch it nearly as quickly as we used to. I usually added more to the queue than I would watch. So, my sister deleted most of the movies waiting in the queue and now, they keep it at a modest 50 or so movies.
It wasn't until recently that I realized how much I missed getting DVD's in the mail. I love the streaming services, but honestly, I mostly use it to watch TV shows. I'll watch a movie every now and then, but not nearly as often as I would when they were sent to us. So I sat down, thought about it, and realized, getting my own Netflix account would be a really good investment.
Here's how I see it. I try to go to the movies at least once a week, if I have time/money. Movies in College Station, with a student discount, are $4.50. A Netflix Account (DVD services only) is $7.99/month. That's like going to the movie theater twice! I will get to see way more movies for less money with a DVD account. So I did it. I got my own account. I'm still using my parents for the streaming services, but I get one DVD sent to my house at a time and I love it.
The day I signed up, I spent 6 hours, yes 6, adding movies to my queue. But not just any movies... Only movies from The Book. Remember that 'ole thing? The elusive 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book. I sat there and added every movie Netflix had to my account. Until I hit a speed bump. I found out you can only have 500 movies in your DVD queue at a time... So for now, I'm off to a great start.
So, in conclusion, I love Netflix and it is going to be a wonderful aide in my quest to watch all 1001 movies. I'm nearing the 100th movie, and there will be a big celebration when it happens. Also, be ready for more frequent posts, now that I'm practically forcing myself to watch more movies from the book. Right now, the plan is not to use my Netflix account for any movies that are not in the book, until I've watched all the ones Netflix has to offer. This may take a while, but I WILL CONQUER THIS QUEST.
Thank you for reading all the way down to this point after my long rant about how much I love Netflix. (Maybe they will give me a free month of something for raving about them??? Doubt it)
Until the next movie!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Four Calling Birds
Well today was my first official day of winter break, and I only managed to watch one Christmas movie. But that is ok because one movie is better than one, wouldn't you say so?
Today's movie was Golden Winter. I did not have high hopes for this movie after the first five minutes. It is a live action film about a group of puppies that are abandoned by their owners and are trying to find their mom again. With the help of a young boy, they search for their mom and save Christmas in the process. Very cute concept for the movie and I loved the story-line. I did not like the cheap animation to make it look like the dogs were talking. It was downright creepy. If you want to do a movie about talking animals, either make it a cartoon or figure out something better. Some moments were cringe-worthy cheesy, but others were just the right amount. Overall, I'm giving the film 3 stars, because although I enjoyed it, little small things like the animation and bad acting took away from the overall entertainment value. And, apparently Haylie Duff is one of the voices for the dog, but I couldn't tell you which one.
If you need a good movie with talking dogs, I would suggest sticking to the Air Bud franchise.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Three French Hens
Man, oh man, I hate finals. Sorry I haven't been able to post the last few days, but finals have really gotten the best of me. That being said, I haven't had time to watch any Christmas movies, but I did go and see a regular movie this weekend!
Horrible Bosses 2
Be warned, this movie is rated R for a reason. Don't take your kids to see this one folks. The crew is back at it again. After dealing with their, ahem, horrible bosses (see what they did there) in the last film, Nick, Kurt, and Dale are trying their hand as the bosses this time. The trio has created a new product called The Shower Buddy. However, a big company is trying to steal their idea, so rather than murder someone, which they realized last time, won't work, they plan to kidnap Rex, the corporate bigwig's son, and hold him for ransom. Of course, nothing goes quite like the trio plans, which is cause for many laughs and mishaps. Some familiar characters return, like sex-addict Julia, crazy boss Harken, and "Mother-F***a" Jones. My only word of caution: this movie is possibly racier than the last movie, so be prepared. Like I said, rated R for a reason.
With all that being said, I highly enjoyed the movie, just as much, if not more than the first movie. I was laughing like mad, and also trying to figure out how the trio could get themselves out of every mess. If you liked the first, you'll love the second. It doesn't fall into the rut most sequels do. I'm giving it 4 1/2 stars.
Only one more final for me, and then NetfliXmas will resume!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Two Turtle Doves
Yikes, there are only 12 more days until Christmas!
Well, my original plan was to have twelve posts before Christmas, but, I haven't been able to watch any Christmas movies for the last week because of finals... However, I will still try and post something every day until Christmas to live up to my promise.
Fortunately for all of you, but not so much for me, my last post never actually published... So I have about a weeks worth of movies that I reviewed, which never got posted! I will rewrite all of them, even though I haven't seen anything new since then! And hopefully I can watch at least one movie a day until Christmas!
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas
The Fitzgerald's are the definition of a dysfunctional family. I don't think a family can be any more dysfunctional than this one. All of the siblings have to come together for the holidays to decide if they will allow their dead-beat dad to come home for Christmas. This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the problems this family has. If you are looking for a dark Christmas movie, this is the one for you.
Bonus: Connie Britton plays the love interest.
Rating: 2 Stars
Babes in Toyland
I highly enjoyed this movie, but I also love the 60s musical genre. I wouldn't really classify it as a Christmas movie, but Disney sure does think it is. Two young lovers must fight an evil man who has turned them into toys to prevent them from getting married. The word Christmas isn't even mentioned until an hour into the movie, and it is only briefly as the toy maker stressed about "not meeting the Christmas deadline". Despite its lack of Christmas charm, Babes in Toyland is a good, entertaining, family-friendly movie.
Bonus: Early technicolor - bright colors and crazy sets.
Rating: 3 stars
Christmas with the Kranks
I actually saw this movie when it first came out, but it had been so long I forgot what happened. It's a clever movie, but it's not the greatest. Christmas with the Kranks is one of those movies that you watch maybe once or twice, but not something you would watch every year. Tim Allen and Jamie ale acurtis are two of my favorite actors, but this is not their best work. But, if you want a quick laugh and something new to watch, this will do in a fix.
Bonus: Tim Allen and JLC
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Small Town Santa
Don't watch this movie. There are so many better choices out there for you to watch, this is not one of them. A grumpy police officer tried to arrest Santa and has nothing on his mind but himself and falling in love. Santa knows this, but helps him anyways. Happy ending (SPOILER), he gets the girl, but he never really gets the true Christmas spirit.
Bonus: ummmmmm
Rating: 2 Stars
Holidaze
Go watch this movie right now. It's not a Christmas Classic by any means, but this is one of the best Christmas movies I have seen on Netflix to date. I cannot merely describe the movie to do it justice, but if you need a new movie to watch this Christmas, it should be this one.
Bonus: JENNIE GARTH ❤️
Rating: 4 Stars
Scrooged
This is by far the moste bizarre, the most insane, the most ridiculous version of A Christmas Carol I have ever seen. "Scrooge" is a TV producer who is producing a TV special based on... You guessed it, A Christmas Carol. I was not expecting this movie to be so weird, so I was a bit disappointed. I will admit, it was an interesting concept for an adaptation and I haven't quite seen anything like it.
Bonus: Bill Murray is Scrooge
Rating: 3 Stars
I Am Santa Claus
I will never look at a mall Santa the same way again. This documentary followed the lives of five different Santa Clauses, ranging from a gay Santa, a professional wrestler, a sex addict, and real bearded Santa, and a completely normal Santa. It was an interesting look at what Santas are like in real life.
Bonus: SANTAAAAAAA!
Rating: 3 Stars
Alpha and Omega: Howl-iday Adventure
This is nothing "howl-iday" about this adventure. Runt, a wolf, gets lost while exploring with his two siblings. The whole wolf family goes out in search of Runt, before it is too late. This is actually the second Alpha and Omega movie, but I have not seen the first. The movie ends with apthe family around a Christmas tree, so obviously that makes this a Christmas movie.
Bonus: Ashley Tisdale and Martin Freeman provide two of the voices.
Rating: 2 Stars
The Muppet Christmas Carol
I'm pretty sure I watched this movie sometime growing up, or the entir movie was a strong bit of déjà- vu. Either way, I've seen it in its entirety now. This is probably one of the most accurate adaptations of A Chrsitmas Carol I have seen, well, except that this one has puppets in it. Personally, I'm not a big fan of The a muppets, which I why this gets a less than stellar rating. I know I am in the minority here, because for some reason, people LOVE the muppets. Sorry, I'm just not a fan!
Bonus: Micahel Caine as Scrooge
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
The Heart of Christmas
This movie was so good. I loved it. I hated it too. This movie is disguised as a happy-go-lucky Christmas movie, but is actually a sad, sappy cancer movie. Dax is a little boy who has cancer and probably won't live to see another Christmas, so his parents decide to have Christmas in October for him. Grab a box of tissues, you'll need them.
Bonus: Candace Cameron-Burre!
Rating: 4 Stars
That's all I have for now! Hopefully I'll be able to watch some more soon!
Friday, December 5, 2014
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
On the first day of NetfliXmas, my true love gave to me....
Way too many movies to watch!
I know that technically this is my second NetfliXmas post, but for the purpose of my clever song, this is officially the first day of NetfliXmas. Which means there are at least 11 more posts to come!
The Nightmare Before Christmas
I am ashamed to admit that I have never watched this movie until today. I'm pretty sure that I am one of the last people on earth to see this movie. Everyone has always highly recommended it, but it always just looked pretty creepy, and not like a Christmas movie at all. Now, for the great debate: is The Nightmare Before Christmas actually a Christmas movie? Or is it a Halloween movie? I'm not exactly sure where I stand on this debate quite yet, but I will agree that is has several elements of both holidays. Don't be like me and wait until a quarter of your life is over before watching this movie. Christmas or Halloween, it is a good, clever movie.
Bonus: Catherine O'Hara aka Mom from Home Alone, a Christmas Classic
Rating: 4 Stars
All I Want for Christmas (2007)
Yet another instance where I strongly recommend not judging a book by its cover. I actually really, really liked this movie. Don't be fooled, there are TWO "All I Want for Christmas" movies on Netflix. This is not the movie were Santa is hanging upside-down on the cover - I haven't watched that version yet. This movie is about a widowed mom and her son. The mom is about to lose her business and is trying to raise the money to keep the community center open. The son, on the other hand, enters a contest through a toy company to get his perfect Christmas gift, which is for his mom to find a husband. It has it's cheesy moments, but it's a super cute movie about a single mom's journey to finding love once more.
Bonus: The main character looks like Heather Locklear, but alas, she is not.
Rating: 4 Stars
12 Christmas Wishes for My Dog
Watch this movie. It literally has nothing to do with a dog. Don't ask me why the title has to do with a dog, because the 12 Christmas wishes are definitely NOT for her dog. In this movie, Laura leads a crazy, sad life, and wants to turn her life around. This is where the 12 wishes come in, except she uses them for all the wrong reasons. So Laura must turn her life around on her own, and possibly find love in the process. Corny, cute, and it has a lot of Christian undertones which is a HUGE added bonus in my opinion.
Bonus: Andrea from Beverly Hills 90210 and the ginger from Clueless (sorry I don't know her name off the top of my head, but I'm sure y'all know who I'm talking about).
Rating: 4 Stars
Chrismtas on Salvation Street
Meh, I really wasn't a big fan of this one. Honestly, I found it really hard to pay attention. The general grasp I got from what I did watch, however, is that a widowed preacher and his family move to a low-economy area that has problems with gang violence. The preacher tries to help the community and members of the gang see what a true Christian, loving family is, while showing them the true meaning of Christmas and God's eternal love. I love the overall message the movie sends, but the on-screen play of it was just slow and did a poor job of keeping the attention of the audience, aka me.
Bonus: Drawing a blank on this one, to be honest
Rating: 2 Stars
Christmas Bounty
This is a Christmas movie in the same regards that Die Hard is; the movie is set during the week prior to Christmas, but aside from the setting, it has absolutely no connections to Christmas. This, however, does not mean I didn't enjoy the movie. I just wanted to put that up front. Christmas Bounty is about a teacher who goes home for the holidays and tries to hide her family business and true self from her boyfriend. Tory Bell and her family are bounty hunters. A man who Tory had put behind bars has escaped from prison, and she must once again catch him and some of his fellow cronies. Also, get ready for a not so surprise ending.
Bonus: ABC Family movies are daaaa bessssssst.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
One Magic Christmas
Disney can do no wrong, right? Wrong. Disney pulls a Disney and has to give you all the feels within the first ten minutes, making the family poor and killing the father. Now the widowed mother has no Christmas Spirit and her two kids must help her find it, with the help of a Christmas Angel, Giddeon, in order to save Christmas and the family. The overall, general concept is good, but Disney has to play with our heart strings and force us on an emotional roller coaster.
Bonus: It didn't make me cry, just squeezed my heart to a pulp.
Rating: 2 1/2 Stars
Snow Day
Oops, this is definitely not a Christmas movie. However.... I would go so far to consider it a winter movie. During a snow day, a brother and a sister embark on two different quests. The brother journeys to capture the heart of his school crush, while the sister tries to sabotage the snow plow so the school will have two snow days in a row for the first time ever. Even though it wasn't a Christmas movie persay... I really enjoyed it!
Bonus: It's a Nickelodeon movie from the 90's.
Rating: 4 Stars
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
3rd Annual NetfliXmas
Welcome to the 3rd Annual NetfliXmas!
On a side note - it has been so long since I got on here, that I forgot my passowrd, and pretty much everything on this website has changed... Oops. I'll get better about posting on here, that is my New Year's Resolution for 2015!
Alright, so onto NetfliXmas.
"What is NetfliXmas?" you ask. Well, I have the answer.
I am obsessed with Christmas movies. I have seen some good, some bad, and some pretty darn ugly ones. But, I still can't get enough. So for the past two years, this year being the third, thus, 3rd annual, I embark on a quest to watch a whole lot of Christmas movies.
Here are the rules:
1) First, I add every Christmas movie I can find on Netflix to "My List".
2) If I have already seen the movie, it does not get added to "My List".
3) I pick a Christmas movie using a random number generator.
4) I watch the movie in its entirety, no matter how bad it is.
- Let me remind you that I have seen some pretty terrible Christmas movies in the years past.
On a side note - it has been so long since I got on here, that I forgot my passowrd, and pretty much everything on this website has changed... Oops. I'll get better about posting on here, that is my New Year's Resolution for 2015!
Alright, so onto NetfliXmas.
"What is NetfliXmas?" you ask. Well, I have the answer.
I am obsessed with Christmas movies. I have seen some good, some bad, and some pretty darn ugly ones. But, I still can't get enough. So for the past two years, this year being the third, thus, 3rd annual, I embark on a quest to watch a whole lot of Christmas movies.
Here are the rules:
1) First, I add every Christmas movie I can find on Netflix to "My List".
2) If I have already seen the movie, it does not get added to "My List".
3) I pick a Christmas movie using a random number generator.
4) I watch the movie in its entirety, no matter how bad it is.
- Let me remind you that I have seen some pretty terrible Christmas movies in the years past.
5) I rate the movie on Netflix using their 5 star system.
- Please see the sidebar for reference to how I rate each movie.
6) I get on blogger and write a short little blurb about each Christmas movie I watch and share my rating.
7) You read the blog post and decide if there is a new Christmas movie out there for you to watch!
OK - sounds fun, right? Good, because I've watched a handful of movies over the past few days and now I am going to share them with you!
- Please see the sidebar for reference to how I rate each movie.
6) I get on blogger and write a short little blurb about each Christmas movie I watch and share my rating.
7) You read the blog post and decide if there is a new Christmas movie out there for you to watch!
OK - sounds fun, right? Good, because I've watched a handful of movies over the past few days and now I am going to share them with you!
Christmas Crush
This movie was originally a Lifetime movie that has now been added to Netflix. I dont know about you, but I love cheesy Lifetime movies. This was no exception! This movie was about a girl who has come back to her home town for Christmas and for her 10-year high school reunion. Even though she was voted Most Likely to Succeed in high school, her career has gone virtually no where and she doesn't have a college degree. Her only hope is to get back together with her old high school boyfriend, who she dumped at prom before running off to college.
Added Bonus: This movie stars Jonathan Bennett, AKA Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls
Overall Rating: 4 stars
Hercules Saves Christmas
Talk about a strange movie. The concept of the movie at first seems cute, but the plot wraps itself up within ten minutes. Then, another challenge is presented, which again is wrapped up in ten minutes. Finally, the real problem is made apparent. The movie appears at first to be the story of a dog who saves a little orphan boy from being on the naughty list. Then, it seems like the movie is actually about saving a grumpy old man from losing the spirit of Christmas. But actually the movie is about an evil elf that wants to steal Hercules, the dog who creates the naughty and nice list, and it is up to the orphan and old man to save Hercules. So my question is, how is it that HURCULES saves Christmas, when he is the one who has to be saved? I wouldn't waste your time watching this.
Added Bonus: The mom from Double Teamed plays the evil elf's henchwoman.
Overall Rating: 2 Stars
Saving Santa
I would be lying if I said I thought I would like this movie. I had some pretty low expectations going into it. Everyone knows the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but we would all be lying if we said we never did. And I did. The cover of this movie looked plain stupid, not to mention the bad animation. But, I gave the movie a chance and it actually wasn't half bad. The movie had some promise once it started. An evil dude wants to kidnap Santa to figure out how he travels the world in one night, so he can use the same technology in his shipping business. It is up to one elf, Bernard, to save the day. I don't want to ruin Santa's secret, but let's just say its pretty cool, and creates a bit of a Groundhog Day effect to the movie's plot. It's biggest downfall was when they felt the need to add in a big music scene.
Added Bonus: All-Star Cast! Ashley Tisdale (AKA Sharpay in High School Musical and Maddie in Suite Life), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show), and Martin Freemen (The Hobbit and Sherlock)!
Overall Rating: 3 Stars
All American Christmas Carol
If you have never heard of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens then you need to get in your car and drive to you local bookstore right now to educate yourself. For everyone else, this movie may seem a bit familiar. At first, the parallels aree hard to see, aside from the ghosts of present, past, and future. But, a closer look and you will find Tiny Tim, Scrooge, and Marley in unexpected characters. Set in modern day America, this story is far from "All American". This film should have been titled White Trash Christmas Carol. A mom, who is on the verge of losing her children to CPS must make a change in her life, with a little help from some familiar ghosts. Yet, at the end of the movie, i still have one question: did she get to keep her kids? I guess I will never know.
Added Bonus: Stars one of the characters from Orange is the New Black (but don't ask me which one) and Rita from Bridesmaids
Overall Rating: 3 Stars
Call Me Claus
The world is ending and it's all Santa's fault. That is, unless he finds a replacement Santa in four weeks. Every 200 years, a new Santa must take over, or the world will end, and the current Santa has only one option left. The only problem, Lucy Cullins hates Chrismtas. Santa has to do everything he possibly can to get Lucy to become the next Santa and reinforce her lost love for Christmas. Honestly, cute idea in theory, but I really did not like this movie. Whoopie Goldberg plays Lucy, and frankly, she is brash and annoying. Also, why is Santa now a girl? Lucy's transformation from Christmas-hater to new Santa seemed rather abrupt to me as well.
Added Bonus: Whoopie Goldberg and Victor Garber. Plus, that great 90s movie feel to it.
Overall Rating: 2 Stars
Switchmas
Cheesy, but cute. Two kids swap places at an airport to go to each other's respective vacations. Jewish Ira wants nothing more to celebrate Christmas in a snowy paradise, and Mikey is tired of the snow, and would rather spend the week in Florida. So they switch and pretend to be each other. Has a bit of a Parent Trap feel, without the divorced parents. The movie's biggest flaw was the random animated numbers reflecting Ira's Christmas thoughts. However, worth the watch if you want a quirky Christmas movie.
Added Bonus: Dad from Wizards of Waverly Place
Overall Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Eight Six
My goal for this year is to watch at least one movie from The Book a week. So far so good, for the past three weeks I have watched a movie from the book on each respective Sunday! So the new total is 86 (thus the title of tonight's post) out of 1001!
First was A Room With A View. I love love loved this one! It's definitely a classic starring some absolutely phenomenal actors - two of whom are two of my absolute favorites: Dame Maggie Smith and Helena Bohnam Carter. This was one of Carter's first films, and the film that put her on the map. Although I have to admit, as an avid Harry Potter fan, it was weird at first to see McGonagall as Bellatrix's nanny, but I soon got over that. This is the story of a young woman (Carter) who falls in love with a man while traveling with her nanny. However, once she gets home, she is soon engaged to another man. As fate would have it, things are not always as they should be, and the young woman's true love comes back into her life, complicating her impending engagement. Definitely a much see, and I hope to read the novel that inspired the movie soon. 4 stars.
Last week's movie was Beverly Hills Cop! I had heard much about this movie so I had pretty high expectations. While I thought it was very funny (my favorite being when Eddie Murphey's character puts a banana in the tailpipe of a cops car) and very deserving pf its spot in the book, I don't think I could handle another minute of Eddie Murphey's ANNOYING LAUGH. If you can get past the laugh, then watch this movie. It has a wonderful soundtrack - an essential to any self-respecting 80s/90s movie. I guess I should maybe tell you what the movie is about, right? Basically a hot-shot Chicago cop takes a "vacation" and goes to LA to investigate his friends murder. But no description can do justice to the raw humor that makes this movie what it is. 3 stars.
Finally for this weeks movie. DRUMROLL..... Say Anything! This. Movie. Is. A. Classic. I think that pretty much sums it up. It is a movie of big romantic gestures, cheesy one-liners, and a corrupt dad who only wants best for her daughter. Unlike most gooey romantics, this movie is told from the perspective of the boy - John Cusack. Ironically, his sister in the movie is played by his real-life sister Joan Cusack, which I thought was pretty cool. Lloyd (John Cusack) is kind of a no-nothing loser. He has no ambition and just did alright in school, but he has found that he has fallen for the school valedictorian, Diane Court (played by Ione Skye). No one thinks they will ever become anything. In fact, when Llyod first asks Diane on a date, she has to look him up in the yearbook after saying yes. But Llyod doesn't stop for anything, especially after Diane breaks up with him before she leaves for college in Europe. Most people associate this movie with Lloyd holding a boombox over his head underneath Diane's window, but that wasn't even my favorite part of the movie. My favorite part was actually the last scene - which I don't want to ruin for any of you who haven't seen the movie, so go watch it and find out what happens. All I have to say is, this is one for the books, and one everyone would see at least once in their lifetime. 4 stars.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Yes, This Blog Still Exists
Wow.... It's hard to believe it's been almost 9 months since I posted something. I could've had a baby in that time... (BUT I DIDN'T - just thought I'd clarify this is a joke.) But, I figured, now is the best time to start it back up again, yea?
So here's to starting fresh and actually posting on here more than once every year...
Went and saw Labor Day today, staring Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. First I want to preface this saying that, of course, I read the book about 2 weeks ago. I wasn't expecting to like the book (or the movie for that matter), but I really enjoyed the book. It was well written, and pretty realistic. So, I had some high expectations for the movie - especially because Rose (Titanic reference of course) can do no wrong. The movie and the storyline itself were very accurate in terms of the book. However, the movie was just kind of ok. I'm giving it three stars, because I enjoyed it, but all of the emotions and acting just felt pretty surface level. I never felt the deep emotional attachment to the characters that I felt while reading the book. It was good for a one-time see, but it's not something I'll be jumping out of bed to buy on DVD/BluRay anytime soon.
Take it or Leave it, that's just my opinion.
You'll be hearing from me again soon, I'm sure!
Friday, May 10, 2013
SUMMA TIME!
Summer has officially begun!!!! I'm hoping this means tat I will finally catch up on all my TV shows and that I can greatly condense my Netflix Instant Queue! This also means there will be many more blog posts! Yea I hope you're all excited for this!!!
First movie review of the summer BABYYYY!!!
Alright, so tonight I watched Hello Sister, Goodbye Life which is the typical ABC Family movie. It's an older one (2006) and stars Mean Girls' Gretchen Weiners as the main character. Basically, Olivia (Gretchen Weiners) is forced to raise her younger step-sister after her father and step-mom die in a car accident. Olivia is only 21 years old, and sill in college and is forced to choose between raising her sister and going to live in Italy with her hunky boyfriend. I bet y'all @10 that you all guess the ending right! It's a very predictable movie, but it also has a lot of cheesy, feel-good moments. It's not one of ABCFam's best, but it is definitely a stereotypical ABCFam movie. Watch it or not, that's your choice, but overall, the movie was bearable! (3 Stars)
Also, I have discovered this wonderful new app, thanks to the lovely Jacob Triska, called Miso. Basically, any time I watch a movie or TV show, I "check-in" and it will let my followers know what I am watching! So if y'all want to follow my every movie watching move I highly recommend getting a Miso!
First movie review of the summer BABYYYY!!!
Alright, so tonight I watched Hello Sister, Goodbye Life which is the typical ABC Family movie. It's an older one (2006) and stars Mean Girls' Gretchen Weiners as the main character. Basically, Olivia (Gretchen Weiners) is forced to raise her younger step-sister after her father and step-mom die in a car accident. Olivia is only 21 years old, and sill in college and is forced to choose between raising her sister and going to live in Italy with her hunky boyfriend. I bet y'all @10 that you all guess the ending right! It's a very predictable movie, but it also has a lot of cheesy, feel-good moments. It's not one of ABCFam's best, but it is definitely a stereotypical ABCFam movie. Watch it or not, that's your choice, but overall, the movie was bearable! (3 Stars)
Also, I have discovered this wonderful new app, thanks to the lovely Jacob Triska, called Miso. Basically, any time I watch a movie or TV show, I "check-in" and it will let my followers know what I am watching! So if y'all want to follow my every movie watching move I highly recommend getting a Miso!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
And Y'all Thought Twilight Was Bad...
Today, I'm reviewing two AWFUL love stories. Both of these will make you appreciate the Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle. Trust me.
First we have Chungking Express, a move I had to watch for my Film class, and is regarded by many as one of the best films in the world. It even made it into "The Book". However, after watching the movie, I had absolutely no idea what it was about, and I was extremely confused. Then, we had to read a 80 page book about the movie for my class, and even after reading that I still didn't understand the premise of this movie. That's an Art Film for ya... After much contemplation, however, this is what Ive found it to be about. Set in Hong Kong, it's a love story following two cops (Cop 223 and Cop 663) who both fall in love with different people, but it doesn't work out for either of them. However, it's much more complicated than that because you have people with similar or the same names and they all look alike. Sorry, not trying to be stereotypical, but they really do look very similar and I couldn't keep any of the characters straight. One of the girls (I believe her name was May) was a major stalker and kept breaking into Cop 663's house and changing all his possessions and cleaning.. WEIRD. (2 Stars)
The next movie is actually the newest movie based off of one of Stephanie Meyer's novels, The Host. First off, I read the book and actually highly enjoyed it. It was a very interesting story line, and I thought the movie had a lot of potential, but it was literally one of the worst movies ever. Do y'all remember when I watched LOL and told you that some movies are so awful, but you can only enjoy them if you see it with a group of people? Yea well this was one of those movies. I want to apologize to my friends for dragging them to this movie with me, because it wasn't worth the $4.50 we paid to see it. Also, I promised that I would give them a shout out on the blog for coming and enduring those two hours. I'm actually glad they came with me, because we talked and made fun of this horrible movie the whole time. So, Tanner, Gus, Alex, Nick, M.H., Matt, and Ashli, THANK YOU and I cannot apologize enough for making y'all come with me. Also, y'alls comments throughout the movie were better/funnier than the movie itself, especially yours Gus. And whoever told us to "Shut Up" during the movie should be thanking us for our wonderful insight. Yea... We were those people. The group that everyone hates.
The basic premise of The Host is that aliens have invaded Earth and they take on human host bodies. One alien, Wanderer (Wanda for short) is in the body of a girl name Melanie, who was part of the human resistance. Melanie still has some control over her body and soon she has Wanda out looking for the family Melanie has left behind. Soon, Wanda has fallen in love with Jared, who was Melanie's lover, but Ian has fallen in love with Wanda and Jared still loves Melanie. Talk about an intense love triangle... So, like I said, the movie had a lot of potential, but they ruined it with voice-overs to show the communication between Melanie and Wanda in their head, and TERRIBLE acting. I am not a fan of the girl who portrayed Melanie/Wanda. And she had literally the worst "Cajun" accent the entire movie, and cannot act to save her life. I'm talking worse than Kristen Stewart in Twilight... So if you really feel you must go see this movie, wait until it's on Netflix and make sure you watch it with all your closest friends so y'all can make fun of it the whole time. Either way, you are going to hate yourself for watching that movie... (2 Stars)
First we have Chungking Express, a move I had to watch for my Film class, and is regarded by many as one of the best films in the world. It even made it into "The Book". However, after watching the movie, I had absolutely no idea what it was about, and I was extremely confused. Then, we had to read a 80 page book about the movie for my class, and even after reading that I still didn't understand the premise of this movie. That's an Art Film for ya... After much contemplation, however, this is what Ive found it to be about. Set in Hong Kong, it's a love story following two cops (Cop 223 and Cop 663) who both fall in love with different people, but it doesn't work out for either of them. However, it's much more complicated than that because you have people with similar or the same names and they all look alike. Sorry, not trying to be stereotypical, but they really do look very similar and I couldn't keep any of the characters straight. One of the girls (I believe her name was May) was a major stalker and kept breaking into Cop 663's house and changing all his possessions and cleaning.. WEIRD. (2 Stars)
The next movie is actually the newest movie based off of one of Stephanie Meyer's novels, The Host. First off, I read the book and actually highly enjoyed it. It was a very interesting story line, and I thought the movie had a lot of potential, but it was literally one of the worst movies ever. Do y'all remember when I watched LOL and told you that some movies are so awful, but you can only enjoy them if you see it with a group of people? Yea well this was one of those movies. I want to apologize to my friends for dragging them to this movie with me, because it wasn't worth the $4.50 we paid to see it. Also, I promised that I would give them a shout out on the blog for coming and enduring those two hours. I'm actually glad they came with me, because we talked and made fun of this horrible movie the whole time. So, Tanner, Gus, Alex, Nick, M.H., Matt, and Ashli, THANK YOU and I cannot apologize enough for making y'all come with me. Also, y'alls comments throughout the movie were better/funnier than the movie itself, especially yours Gus. And whoever told us to "Shut Up" during the movie should be thanking us for our wonderful insight. Yea... We were those people. The group that everyone hates.
The basic premise of The Host is that aliens have invaded Earth and they take on human host bodies. One alien, Wanderer (Wanda for short) is in the body of a girl name Melanie, who was part of the human resistance. Melanie still has some control over her body and soon she has Wanda out looking for the family Melanie has left behind. Soon, Wanda has fallen in love with Jared, who was Melanie's lover, but Ian has fallen in love with Wanda and Jared still loves Melanie. Talk about an intense love triangle... So, like I said, the movie had a lot of potential, but they ruined it with voice-overs to show the communication between Melanie and Wanda in their head, and TERRIBLE acting. I am not a fan of the girl who portrayed Melanie/Wanda. And she had literally the worst "Cajun" accent the entire movie, and cannot act to save her life. I'm talking worse than Kristen Stewart in Twilight... So if you really feel you must go see this movie, wait until it's on Netflix and make sure you watch it with all your closest friends so y'all can make fun of it the whole time. Either way, you are going to hate yourself for watching that movie... (2 Stars)
Monday, April 8, 2013
They're Baaaaaaaaaack
I can not reiterate enough times just how much I love scary movies, y'all! I seriously love them so much. AAAANNNDDDDDDDD I watched a new one just for y'all this weekend.
Now, a while back, I did a review fr a scary movie called The Evil Dead, which is a cult classic that helped start the whole campy-horror genre back in the 70s. For those of you that haven't read that review (or you just need a refresher) I. HATED. IT. I gave it the worst review ever and swore to never watch that movie again. Well.... Guess what. I watched it again.
Sam Raimi (the director) has remade The Evil Dead and it came out this past weekend (But now it is Evil Dead, dropping the "The" from the title) and it made claims that it would be one of the scariest movies you will ever see. So my friends convinced me to go see it with them, despite my warnings of how awful the original was. However, before I went to see it, I decided to rewatch the original so I could adequately compare the two just for y'all. Look at the sacrifices I make for this blog... Take note of my dedication.
Anywho... Rewatched the original and it was just as corny and stupid (and definitely not scary) as I remember it being. Then, I get to the movie, and after the first 10-15 minutes I start to think, "man, this is actually going to be very legit". And it was for the most part. I still didn't think it was scary, but keep in mind that scary movies don't freak me out at all. For someone who gets scared during Horror Films, you will probably cry a bit. Also, I have a very HIGH gore tolerance and there were scenes that honestly made me want to puke. this movie was EXTREMELY GORY.
Now that all of that has been said, this movie was still extremely corny like the original one, but I'm loving some of the zombie pick up likes such as "Come and kiss me your dirty B****" or "I can see your dirty f***ing soul". Oh, did I mention this movie likes its expletives???
Now, in comparison to the original, the basically kept the concept of the movie the same. The girl still gets raped by a tree and turns into a zombie killing all of her friends and what not. However, they did change the ending and the sole survivor may not be who you expect! Also, the premise behind the story has changed a bit too. The characters are at the cabin not for a vacation, but to help their friend quit using drugs.
Overall, I was much more impressed with this movie than the original - but I didn't exactly have high expectations. It could've used a lot less gore though... (3 Stars)
Now, a while back, I did a review fr a scary movie called The Evil Dead, which is a cult classic that helped start the whole campy-horror genre back in the 70s. For those of you that haven't read that review (or you just need a refresher) I. HATED. IT. I gave it the worst review ever and swore to never watch that movie again. Well.... Guess what. I watched it again.
Sam Raimi (the director) has remade The Evil Dead and it came out this past weekend (But now it is Evil Dead, dropping the "The" from the title) and it made claims that it would be one of the scariest movies you will ever see. So my friends convinced me to go see it with them, despite my warnings of how awful the original was. However, before I went to see it, I decided to rewatch the original so I could adequately compare the two just for y'all. Look at the sacrifices I make for this blog... Take note of my dedication.
Anywho... Rewatched the original and it was just as corny and stupid (and definitely not scary) as I remember it being. Then, I get to the movie, and after the first 10-15 minutes I start to think, "man, this is actually going to be very legit". And it was for the most part. I still didn't think it was scary, but keep in mind that scary movies don't freak me out at all. For someone who gets scared during Horror Films, you will probably cry a bit. Also, I have a very HIGH gore tolerance and there were scenes that honestly made me want to puke. this movie was EXTREMELY GORY.
Now that all of that has been said, this movie was still extremely corny like the original one, but I'm loving some of the zombie pick up likes such as "Come and kiss me your dirty B****" or "I can see your dirty f***ing soul". Oh, did I mention this movie likes its expletives???
Now, in comparison to the original, the basically kept the concept of the movie the same. The girl still gets raped by a tree and turns into a zombie killing all of her friends and what not. However, they did change the ending and the sole survivor may not be who you expect! Also, the premise behind the story has changed a bit too. The characters are at the cabin not for a vacation, but to help their friend quit using drugs.
Overall, I was much more impressed with this movie than the original - but I didn't exactly have high expectations. It could've used a lot less gore though... (3 Stars)
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Marketing and Advertisement!!
Hey y'all! I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've been crazy busy with school!
However, I am going to start posting regularly again, and I really want to try and get the word out to everyone so they all know about my awesome blog!!!
So here's what I ask of you! Tell all of your friends to follow this blog on Twitter @1001MovieQuest and to join the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups/thequestfor1001movies/! Let's get the word out there people!
Thanks y'all are the best! I'll have more movie reviews for you later!
OOOHHHHH and also LES MISERABLES IS OUT ON DVD/BluRay SO GO AND BUY IT RIGHT THIS SECOND.
That's all.
<3 <3
However, I am going to start posting regularly again, and I really want to try and get the word out to everyone so they all know about my awesome blog!!!
So here's what I ask of you! Tell all of your friends to follow this blog on Twitter @1001MovieQuest and to join the facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups/thequestfor1001movies/! Let's get the word out there people!
Thanks y'all are the best! I'll have more movie reviews for you later!
OOOHHHHH and also LES MISERABLES IS OUT ON DVD/BluRay SO GO AND BUY IT RIGHT THIS SECOND.
That's all.
<3 <3
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Cold Bodies. Warm Heart.
"Cold Bodies. Warm Heart."
Quite possibly one of the cheesiest taglines for a movie EVER. The trailer? No better. After first seeing the preview for Warm Bodies, a zombie romance film, I had absolutely no intention of ever seeing that movie. However, the movie was getting rave reviews from everyone I knew, so, I just had to go check it out. And I can honestly say, I'm glad I did.
Warm Bodies is the story about a zombie named R who is different from other zombies. He thinks differently than they do. One day, he meets a human named Julie, and that's when things start to change. And by things, I mean the zombies. They literally start to change and cure themselves. It all stems from R and Julie, who start to fall in love.
It's a very Twilightesque type movie, but it also had it's Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers thing going on. It even had a balcony scene, like R&J. Who would've thought that even zombies could fall in love. All I know is, by the end of the movie every girl in the theater wished they had a zombie boyfriend. I know I wish I did. And it doesn't help that Valentine's is right around the corner... OK - I'm going to go eat a whole box of chocolates now....
But seriously, such a cute movie. A little weird at times, but if you can sit through the whole movie, I guarantee you, R will win you over, just like he did me. (3 Stars)
Quite possibly one of the cheesiest taglines for a movie EVER. The trailer? No better. After first seeing the preview for Warm Bodies, a zombie romance film, I had absolutely no intention of ever seeing that movie. However, the movie was getting rave reviews from everyone I knew, so, I just had to go check it out. And I can honestly say, I'm glad I did.
Warm Bodies is the story about a zombie named R who is different from other zombies. He thinks differently than they do. One day, he meets a human named Julie, and that's when things start to change. And by things, I mean the zombies. They literally start to change and cure themselves. It all stems from R and Julie, who start to fall in love.
It's a very Twilightesque type movie, but it also had it's Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers thing going on. It even had a balcony scene, like R&J. Who would've thought that even zombies could fall in love. All I know is, by the end of the movie every girl in the theater wished they had a zombie boyfriend. I know I wish I did. And it doesn't help that Valentine's is right around the corner... OK - I'm going to go eat a whole box of chocolates now....
But seriously, such a cute movie. A little weird at times, but if you can sit through the whole movie, I guarantee you, R will win you over, just like he did me. (3 Stars)
Friday, February 8, 2013
Don't Do Drugs
Had a little spare time this week and decided to watch a movie, or course. Today's review is about yes another "Must See" Drugstore Cowboy, the story of four junkies who steal drugs from pharmacies for an extra thrill.
Overall, a great movie, and I understand why it earned a spot on "The Book". I love movies that were made in the late-80s, early-90s (such as When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle) and this movie (1989) was no-exception. These movies have a certain quality to them that makes them so relatable and just so raw. In Drugstore Cowboy even if you aren't a junkie, or have never done drugs (which I fit into both categories) you can really understand what is going through the minds of these four characters.
The movie starts with just the thoughts of the main character, Bob (Matt Dillon), who is reflecting on his life as he is dying in the back of an ambulance. Right from the beginning, the movie really pulls you in. Soon, we find out the Bob is the leader of this crew that steals drugs. His wife, Dianne, is played by the superb Kelly Lynch (for any 90210 fans like myself, she plays Ivy's mom), and the other two members of the crew Rick (James LeGros) and Nadine (Heather Graham) also do a wonderful job portraying the drug addicts in their struggles. The plot continues on the simple road of stealing drugs and staying away from the cops. Then tragedy strikes which makes Bob rethink his lifestyle and he decides to get on an addict program and get clean. All of this leads up to the moment that Bob is fighting for his life in the back of the ambulance as a very poetic ending.
Druggie or not, I highly recommend you seeing this film at least once. It's a diamond in the rough, if you take the time to watch it fully and try to sympathize with the characters. (3 Stars)
Overall, a great movie, and I understand why it earned a spot on "The Book". I love movies that were made in the late-80s, early-90s (such as When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle) and this movie (1989) was no-exception. These movies have a certain quality to them that makes them so relatable and just so raw. In Drugstore Cowboy even if you aren't a junkie, or have never done drugs (which I fit into both categories) you can really understand what is going through the minds of these four characters.
The movie starts with just the thoughts of the main character, Bob (Matt Dillon), who is reflecting on his life as he is dying in the back of an ambulance. Right from the beginning, the movie really pulls you in. Soon, we find out the Bob is the leader of this crew that steals drugs. His wife, Dianne, is played by the superb Kelly Lynch (for any 90210 fans like myself, she plays Ivy's mom), and the other two members of the crew Rick (James LeGros) and Nadine (Heather Graham) also do a wonderful job portraying the drug addicts in their struggles. The plot continues on the simple road of stealing drugs and staying away from the cops. Then tragedy strikes which makes Bob rethink his lifestyle and he decides to get on an addict program and get clean. All of this leads up to the moment that Bob is fighting for his life in the back of the ambulance as a very poetic ending.
Druggie or not, I highly recommend you seeing this film at least once. It's a diamond in the rough, if you take the time to watch it fully and try to sympathize with the characters. (3 Stars)
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Movie of the Future From the Past
This Tuesday's movie was Metropolis, a famous German movie from the 1920s.
At first, I was really excited to watch this because it's one of those classics that almost everyone has heard about. Plus, it was in "The Book" (this makes 76 by the way). However, it had a VERY slow start. I'm talking, check your phone every two minutes, thinking it's been an hour slow start. Fortunately, after the first hour the movie really started to pick up and get suspenseful. however, last thirty minutes were, again, very slow.
So, a little bit about this movie:
It's based on a futuristic society in Germany. In this society, a man named Joh Fredersen has built the city Metropolis from the ground up with the help of the people of the city. The people do all the hard labor,and he pretty much sits back and watches. Joh's son, Freder, has grown up in a spoiled, high-class world because of this. But, one day, a beautiful woman named Maria crosses over into the high-society world and catches Freder's attention. He then goes underground (where the working class lives/works) and what he sees there changes his life. The rest of the movie is about Freder trying to save the city of Metropolis, with the help of Maria, Josaphat (a recently fired worker of Joh) and Georgy (a laborer). An inventor named Rotwang has cloned Maria onto a robot and the robot is creating turmoil within the city. The workers are now setting out to destroy the city of Metropolis because of the robot. Luckily, Freder and company are able to save all of the children of the city before it is completely destroyed, and eventually the workers see the mistake they have made.
Overall, it was an interesting movie, although slow at some parts. The suspenseful, fast-paced scenes were definitely more enjoyable than others. One of my favorite parts about my Film class so far is being able to see the transgression between movies as time progresses. This movie is much higher in quality than the one's we watched the first week, and without this class, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the quality and beauty of Metropolis. (3 Stars)
At first, I was really excited to watch this because it's one of those classics that almost everyone has heard about. Plus, it was in "The Book" (this makes 76 by the way). However, it had a VERY slow start. I'm talking, check your phone every two minutes, thinking it's been an hour slow start. Fortunately, after the first hour the movie really started to pick up and get suspenseful. however, last thirty minutes were, again, very slow.
So, a little bit about this movie:
It's based on a futuristic society in Germany. In this society, a man named Joh Fredersen has built the city Metropolis from the ground up with the help of the people of the city. The people do all the hard labor,and he pretty much sits back and watches. Joh's son, Freder, has grown up in a spoiled, high-class world because of this. But, one day, a beautiful woman named Maria crosses over into the high-society world and catches Freder's attention. He then goes underground (where the working class lives/works) and what he sees there changes his life. The rest of the movie is about Freder trying to save the city of Metropolis, with the help of Maria, Josaphat (a recently fired worker of Joh) and Georgy (a laborer). An inventor named Rotwang has cloned Maria onto a robot and the robot is creating turmoil within the city. The workers are now setting out to destroy the city of Metropolis because of the robot. Luckily, Freder and company are able to save all of the children of the city before it is completely destroyed, and eventually the workers see the mistake they have made.
Overall, it was an interesting movie, although slow at some parts. The suspenseful, fast-paced scenes were definitely more enjoyable than others. One of my favorite parts about my Film class so far is being able to see the transgression between movies as time progresses. This movie is much higher in quality than the one's we watched the first week, and without this class, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the quality and beauty of Metropolis. (3 Stars)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Big Seven-Five
It's Tuesday night, so I have two killer movies for y'all to watch. And I highly recommend both of these. And as an added bonus, one was in "The Book" which makes a whopping 75 movies that I have seen from "The Book". I think this is quite a milestone! *Insert celebratory dance*
First movie of the night is Buster Keaton's The Scarecrow. This movie was absolutely magnificent and had everyone laughing the entire 19 minutes. Keaton's style is similar to that of Charlie Chaplin. Personally,I love them both! In The Scarecrow, Keaton and his roommate have fallen in love with the neighbor farm girl and are both vying for her attention and hand in marriage. However, her dad (played by Keaton's actual father) doesn't like either one. So the movie turns into this giant comedic chase to prevent either from getting her hand in marriage, but in the end, Keaton succeeds. (4 Stars)
The second, and final movie, is Sergei M. Eisenstein's Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin]. Battleship is a visionary Soviet film that was meant to be a commemoration of the uprising of 1905, which led to the Bolshevik Revolution in Soviet Russia. Normally, I'm not a fan of these particular types of movies, but I really enjoyed this one. My film class has really changed (and improved) my outlook on these foreign classics, because I get to really understand more of a back story to these films, and what makes them so important to their time. For example, Battleship is considered a Political Montage which was very popular in both the USSR and France during the 1920s. This film is about the uprising f soldiers on the Battleship Potemkin and the reaction of the civilians in the nearby town. It has a very poetic, artistic style to it. For instance, the first soldier to call out for rebellion was the first of many to die, and his death was the symbol that started the uprising in the civilian people. I honestly would love to see a modern remake of this film, I think it would be really cool! This is definitely a classic that everyone should see. (3 Stars)
First movie of the night is Buster Keaton's The Scarecrow. This movie was absolutely magnificent and had everyone laughing the entire 19 minutes. Keaton's style is similar to that of Charlie Chaplin. Personally,I love them both! In The Scarecrow, Keaton and his roommate have fallen in love with the neighbor farm girl and are both vying for her attention and hand in marriage. However, her dad (played by Keaton's actual father) doesn't like either one. So the movie turns into this giant comedic chase to prevent either from getting her hand in marriage, but in the end, Keaton succeeds. (4 Stars)
The second, and final movie, is Sergei M. Eisenstein's Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin]. Battleship is a visionary Soviet film that was meant to be a commemoration of the uprising of 1905, which led to the Bolshevik Revolution in Soviet Russia. Normally, I'm not a fan of these particular types of movies, but I really enjoyed this one. My film class has really changed (and improved) my outlook on these foreign classics, because I get to really understand more of a back story to these films, and what makes them so important to their time. For example, Battleship is considered a Political Montage which was very popular in both the USSR and France during the 1920s. This film is about the uprising f soldiers on the Battleship Potemkin and the reaction of the civilians in the nearby town. It has a very poetic, artistic style to it. For instance, the first soldier to call out for rebellion was the first of many to die, and his death was the symbol that started the uprising in the civilian people. I honestly would love to see a modern remake of this film, I think it would be really cool! This is definitely a classic that everyone should see. (3 Stars)
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Two Classics
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means! MORE MOVIE REVIEWS! YEEHAW.
Today I have two movies from the Classic Hollywood Age, Charlie Chaplin's The Immigrant (1917) and D.W. Griffith's True Heart Susie (1919).
First up, The Immigrant! I would just like to start out by stressing how much of a cinematic genius Charlie Chaplin is. When it comes to the world of film, I hold him in very high regards and would LOVE to meet him and just talk about movies with him. First off, he's hilarious and he never even speaks in his movies. Second, he was so good that he was getting paid crazy salaries for the time. He just has this wonderful on-screen charisma that everyone can relate to, which is why people adored him so. In this movie, he plays a poor immigrant on his way to America. On the boat ride to the states, he wins a bunch of money playing poker, but gives it to this beautiful woman he meets who needs it more than him. After living in America sometime, we see that Chaplin is a poor, hungry man. He finds a silver dollar on the ground and decides to treat himself to some food, but that is literally all of the money he has. While getting food, he sees the woman once again and in the end tries to convince her to marry him, and we can see that even though they are both poor, they are happy. Needless to say, I loved it. (4 stars)
The second and final movie of the night was True Heart Susie. This movie, ultimately, was about love. The title character, Susie, is in love with the boy next door, William. William wants to go to college, but cannot afford it, so Susie secretly sells off her belongings and pays for William's tuition. William is your typical teenage boy; he cannot see what is right in front of him until it is too late. Susie is madly in love with him, but he has no clue. Not surprising, eh, ladies? So William goes off to college and comes back to become the minister of the town. While he was away, Susie was preparing herself to be the perfect mate for him. Of course, that doesn't happen, because this slut Bettina moves in and woos him for all the wrong reasons, so Betty and William get married. Little does he know (in fact, only Susie knows) that Bettina has been having extramarital affairs. Even after Betty dies from pneumonia, Susie never betrays William by letting him know. However, he finds out everything (including that Susie paid for his college) and realizes he loved her the whole time. Not going to lie, it was a pretty complicated storyline to keep up with, especially when there are no words to accompany it. Overall, I felt like I could connect with Susie, and I'm sure any girl in the world could. It's hard to watch the guy you like fall for "the wrong girl" let alone any girl at all. I gotta give Susie some props for keeping her cool. Other than that, the movie was painfully long (or at least felt that way) and I don't really plan on seeing it ever again. (2.5 stars)
More for y'all later!
Today I have two movies from the Classic Hollywood Age, Charlie Chaplin's The Immigrant (1917) and D.W. Griffith's True Heart Susie (1919).
First up, The Immigrant! I would just like to start out by stressing how much of a cinematic genius Charlie Chaplin is. When it comes to the world of film, I hold him in very high regards and would LOVE to meet him and just talk about movies with him. First off, he's hilarious and he never even speaks in his movies. Second, he was so good that he was getting paid crazy salaries for the time. He just has this wonderful on-screen charisma that everyone can relate to, which is why people adored him so. In this movie, he plays a poor immigrant on his way to America. On the boat ride to the states, he wins a bunch of money playing poker, but gives it to this beautiful woman he meets who needs it more than him. After living in America sometime, we see that Chaplin is a poor, hungry man. He finds a silver dollar on the ground and decides to treat himself to some food, but that is literally all of the money he has. While getting food, he sees the woman once again and in the end tries to convince her to marry him, and we can see that even though they are both poor, they are happy. Needless to say, I loved it. (4 stars)
The second and final movie of the night was True Heart Susie. This movie, ultimately, was about love. The title character, Susie, is in love with the boy next door, William. William wants to go to college, but cannot afford it, so Susie secretly sells off her belongings and pays for William's tuition. William is your typical teenage boy; he cannot see what is right in front of him until it is too late. Susie is madly in love with him, but he has no clue. Not surprising, eh, ladies? So William goes off to college and comes back to become the minister of the town. While he was away, Susie was preparing herself to be the perfect mate for him. Of course, that doesn't happen, because this slut Bettina moves in and woos him for all the wrong reasons, so Betty and William get married. Little does he know (in fact, only Susie knows) that Bettina has been having extramarital affairs. Even after Betty dies from pneumonia, Susie never betrays William by letting him know. However, he finds out everything (including that Susie paid for his college) and realizes he loved her the whole time. Not going to lie, it was a pretty complicated storyline to keep up with, especially when there are no words to accompany it. Overall, I felt like I could connect with Susie, and I'm sure any girl in the world could. It's hard to watch the guy you like fall for "the wrong girl" let alone any girl at all. I gotta give Susie some props for keeping her cool. Other than that, the movie was painfully long (or at least felt that way) and I don't really plan on seeing it ever again. (2.5 stars)
More for y'all later!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tarantino Classic
There is so much hype right now concerning the newest Quinten Tarantino movie, Django Unchained. Although I had never seen a Tarantino movie, I knew that his type of movies were not my cup of tea, which is why I decided I would not pay money to go see his latest film. However, I figured it's about time I finally see a Tarantino movie, especially if I want to claim "not to like them", so, I started at the beginning with his directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs. (Also, I'd like to apologize to those of you who thought you would be getting a review on Django, because you're not.)
I can tell you straight off the bat that I didn't like it. I am NOT A FAN of Tarantino. His style is just way too bizarre for me. Yes, I do think he is a phenomenal director when it comes to the logistics of film, I just don't particularly enjoy his movies. Again, I've only seen one so far, so he may prove me wrong yet.
Reservoir Dogs (RD) is about a botched robbery. The story itself is told in a sort of reverse order. At the beginning of the film, we see a man driving a wounded man to a warehouse, begging him to stay alive. Slowly, we get backstories of all the other characters. We learn that there is a group of men who all know each other by code names only, such as Mr. Black and Mr. Pink, and aer working together to rob a jewelry store. However, someone ratted and the cops knew they would be there. So now, the remaining men still alive are trying to figure out who the traitor is. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I hate to ruin it, but everybody dies. No seriously they do. This isn't some trick where I shout "Everyone dies" just to piss you off. They really do all die. Kind of depressing. Also, there are very few women in this film. I can only remember there being one... But, anyways... That's the movie in a nutshell. I feel kind of bad for Tarantino though, because he's the first one to die. But, it is his movie, so it's his own fault. OK - I no longer feel bad for him. (2 Stars)
Well, some exciting news is that this movie was in "The Book"! 74 down!! Yee Yee!
Also, I would just like to rub in the fact that
a) I had the day off today
and
b) Since I didn't procrastinate all weekend (I actually did all my HW on Saturday/Sunday) I got to spend my day catching up on my TV shows and watching this movie. So HA.
I can tell you straight off the bat that I didn't like it. I am NOT A FAN of Tarantino. His style is just way too bizarre for me. Yes, I do think he is a phenomenal director when it comes to the logistics of film, I just don't particularly enjoy his movies. Again, I've only seen one so far, so he may prove me wrong yet.
Reservoir Dogs (RD) is about a botched robbery. The story itself is told in a sort of reverse order. At the beginning of the film, we see a man driving a wounded man to a warehouse, begging him to stay alive. Slowly, we get backstories of all the other characters. We learn that there is a group of men who all know each other by code names only, such as Mr. Black and Mr. Pink, and aer working together to rob a jewelry store. However, someone ratted and the cops knew they would be there. So now, the remaining men still alive are trying to figure out who the traitor is. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I hate to ruin it, but everybody dies. No seriously they do. This isn't some trick where I shout "Everyone dies" just to piss you off. They really do all die. Kind of depressing. Also, there are very few women in this film. I can only remember there being one... But, anyways... That's the movie in a nutshell. I feel kind of bad for Tarantino though, because he's the first one to die. But, it is his movie, so it's his own fault. OK - I no longer feel bad for him. (2 Stars)
Well, some exciting news is that this movie was in "The Book"! 74 down!! Yee Yee!
Also, I would just like to rub in the fact that
a) I had the day off today
and
b) Since I didn't procrastinate all weekend (I actually did all my HW on Saturday/Sunday) I got to spend my day catching up on my TV shows and watching this movie. So HA.
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