Movies Movies Movies
I set a goal this year- 365 movies in 365 days... or to average a movie a day .. so far 33 days into the year and I have 40 movies under my belt. I will post my reviews here as I get them cranked out. :)
Wish me luck. Here are the first 40... would IMDB links be helpful? LMK
1. Music and Lyrics Cuter then I expected and it moved along nicely. Hugh Grant is really looking old, not really a bad thing. I loved the 80's pop stuff and the Wham! like dance moves. The movie was a neat little journey movie about the lyrics and harmony in our life and how it is better when it all comes together. I think they resolved Alex's (Hugh Grant) angst well, they found a way to give him a voice that seemed very true to the character and he really grew. I think they dropped the ball on Sophie (Drew Barrymore), they gave her an interesting back story and a cause for her shaky character, and it never felt right for the character and was not explored enough to be really something for her to grow from. I think it could have been better, but it seemed obvious that they cared more about the A story and B story, so this C story was just half way developed.
It would make a sap fest for sure, but I don't think it is a movie I would add to my collection, ok ok maybe my wish list :)
2. Friends and Family Cute movie about 2 guys Stephen and Danny who are lovers AND hit men for the mob. This movie is kinda a mish mash of people realizing who they really are or revealing their identities to their loved ones. Stephen's parents know about Danny but they don't know what they do for a living, they think they are caterers. Add in the mob bosses son's who are better at sewing and cooking then actually running the family and his daughter who wants to marry someone who is not Italian or Catholic, and his militia parents from Wisconsin and then a few other inserts that are added for laughs and you end up with a movie that makes you smile, and is sweet and a tiny bit sappy. The one thing that was a little annoying is that Stephen and Danny show very little affection towards each other. One time hands pressed together and once they hold hands, but no kisses, pats on back, or anything. I don't think it needed to be a love fest like Don and Timmy (Donald Strachey Mysteries), but a little more affection would have added to the characters. At the ended there is a very sweet moment when a tiny kiss or arm grab would have been great and nothing at all, just smiles.
3. Karla In a very Lifetime movie sense this movie is based on real events, Paul Bernardo (Misha Collins (My fave Angel on Supernatural aka puppy) and his wife, Karla Homolka ( Laure Prepon that 70's show), kidnap, sexually abuse, and murder three young girls. The movie is an interview with Karla by Dr. Arnold (Patrick Bauchau - aka Chase's dad) interviews her about why Karla stayed with a man who raped, murdered and abused her) Pretty standard fare as these movies go, a little slow, I found myself wanting to get to the end. Misha looks pretty - except the whole killing and raping thing. He wears a tux and suits, and gets casual as well. But, yeah not really a movie I would have picked. Misha was the draw and the reason why I watched to the bitter end. It is a pretty brutal movie. It wraps things up pretty quickly at the end. It would have been nice to have more of the trial.
4. I Love Your Work I was looking forward to this movie, especially after the one above. It seemed most of the cast from All Over the Guy was also in this movie. This is a weird movie .. weird in the Chelsea Walls sense, a ton of known faces and a non linear storyline that you will not understand or get until you reach the end credits, even then you might think that you have no idea what just happened. An interesting movie, not one that I would likely watch again by myself, I would watch with friends if they really wanted to see it. The direction was cool, the colors helped the story along. It was pretty deep and thoughtful, but I lost focus a few times and it did not keep me gripped to the tv along the movie.
5. Jonathan Creek, The Grinning Man Christmas Special It was so weird to see a new Jonathan Creek, it has been years since the last one aired. A really complicated case. well more like cases. Jonathan armed with a girlfriend of sorts (Carla's friend) and a new "partner" of sorts Joey Ross, he tries to figure out how people vanish from a locked attic room. And Adam is back to his old self, kinda. LOL It is a little slow, but it all resolves itself, like ALL.. stories you had no idea you were following are resolved as well. One I will need to watch more then a few times.
6. 27 Dresses This was on when I woke up, so I told TIVO to record it for me. I kinda wanted to see wit when it came out, but Katherine Heigl can irritate me, and James Marsden is adorable, but I was eh on the whole idea of the movie. It was a cute movie, and pretty predictable. I did not hate it, but I thought that it pushed the plot and contrived situations to move things along- which is know is expected in a rom com. I am eh on the whole thing, I might watch again if friends want me to watch it with them. I really did not think that Heigl and Marsden had mad chemistry either.
7. Alex Rider: Operation StormBreaker With Ewen McGregor, Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, Damien Lewis, Bill Nighy, and Andy Serkis, how could I NOT give this a go. Well, I watched it. All of the big names had nice cameos, but most of the screen time was on the little 14 year old Bond wanna be. The stunts were eye rolling at time. They did a great edit on a fight between 2 girls, cutting back to different fights on telly, that mirrored the fight taking place. Alex's uncle who is taking care of him is a spy and killed. Alex had no idea and then is asked to complete the mission. I think the younger set might enjoy this more then I did, I thought the story telling was a little laborious at times.
8. Long Term Relationship The acting .. ummm well yeah not so good, the plot had premise but it just was not played out all that well. Glenn is sick of one night stands, or more like quick hook ups so he answers a personal ad from Adam who is seeking a Long Term Relationship. They decide to take it slow, and wait 2 months before having sex. And it is BAD, like epic bad, and to make matters worse, Adam is a Republican. So, with his friends giving him good and bad advice, Glenn needs to decide if he really wants to stay with Adam, or wants to have good sex. Not really lots of nudity, but there is some. The boys had an awkward chemistry, nothing wowing. I doubt I would watch this again.
9.IQ A Meg Ryan romcom, it is cute. Stephen Fry is the finance that that not the right fit, Tim Robbins is the mechanic that she should be with and Walter Matthau is Albert Einstein her uncle who wants to use physics to get her with the right guy. It merrily rolls along as you would expect. I had never seen it, so I thought I would give it a go. Tim Robbins as never really been a draw for me, and I didn't see tons of chemistry, it did not completely hold my attention, but was enough of a distraction that it entertained me.
10 Ten Inch Hero I was so prepared to hate this movie, well hate is a strong word, I was prepared to so .. "Hey look, punked out and tattooed Jensen!!! How adorable... *snore*" But I was pleasantly surprised. It is not the best script, but it has clearly developed (if a bit stereotypical) characters who each go on a personal journey to reveal that the book is a lot more then the cover would indicate. It handles 4 story lines pretty well, not focusing on one more then others but keeps it balanced, and even though it ends how you think it will, there are enough little surprises along the way to make it worth seeing. Jensen once again proves he can act. It is a movie I would watch againto see Jensen in a kilt to pick up stuff I missed, there is nothing really *OMG* different and unique, but it is a nice independent movie telling a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Like able and interesting characters who have clear voices.
11.Zack and Miri Make a Porno I was not sure what to think. Kevin Smith movie - yippee, Seth Rogen.. not so sure, Elizabeth banks, cool.. so I took a chance. If you take out the rude and crude language, the nudity, then it was at its core, a very sweet romantic comedy. It did not seem to get much press, most likely b/c it goes way over the top with the porn stuff and crude language. Zack and Miri have been friends since kindergarten and they are still living together as just platonic friends. Poor and unable to pay the bills they decide to make a porno to earn some money. The question that looms is .. if they have sex for the porno, will it just be sex or something more. I would have liked it more without some of the more crude anal sex jokes, and shit jokes, but the cast brings warmth to the roles and the movie has some sweet moments and I thought that Rogen and Banks has a nice chemistry.
12. Slumdog Millionare What a wonderful movie, totally deserving of all the praise and nominations it is receiving. One heck of an editing job, a script that deftly blends Hindi and English , the inclusion of subtitles that brings together a movie that moves between three time lines in a seamless and breathtaking way. Jamal is a young boy growing up in the slums and he ends up at 18 to be on the India version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" When he starts getting the answers right, the host is sure he is cheating and must account for why he knows the answers. Words fail as to how well constructed this movie is, even though it as an 'R' rating, it is not for sex, but violence esp towards kids. A movie worth the emotional investment :)
13. Weird Science Okay I will admit I love the TV show , (Lee Tergesen, John Mallory Asher and Michael Manasseri with Vanessa Angel were all so well cast. ) but I had never seen the source material. So, I saw this up on some movie channel and hopped to it just to finally cross it off my, older shows I need to see list. I loved Valley Girl and Repo Man and most John Hughes movies, so I figured this one would be enough dork and high spirited fun to be a great diversion. It was pretty outlandish and abused the laws of nature, but it was very much in the high spirited fun category. I so preferred Lee's Chet to Bill Pullmans, but I think that is because he is a developed as a character not just a plot device. It is pretty much - loser boys win pretty girls hearts and the fun is what happens to get them there. I am happy that I watched it and scratched it off my list, but I will watch theDVD's (season 1 and 2 are out and ,... yes it is on my wish list- it ran 5 seasons and 88 eps)
14. The Quiet Man Yes, the 1952 movie with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Dennis lent me this movie ages ago. I tried to watch it once and it did not hold my attention so I gave up 40 mins in or so. He pestered me again and wanted to discuss the ending. So, I have been trying to get back to this movie, and tonight I did. *does happy jig* In this John Ford sweeping Irish Epic John Wayne is Sean Thornton, a disgraced American Boxer who just wants a quiet life in the Irish Countryside. He falls in love and has *coughissuescough* with the way they handle the whole marriage arrangements. When his new Brother in law refuses to pay the dowry, and his wife refuses him unless he defends his honor, Sean needs to decide if he can confront his fears and defends his wifes honor.
15. Daniel's Daughter Oh Sebastian,what I do for you. TIVo told me that Sebastian Spence was in this movie, and as usual when I am trying to catch up on someone's back catalog, I had NOT idea what this was about,and color me shocked but it is brand spankin new,in fact I caught the premiere of this lovely Hallmark movie.
It exactly what you expect and with an okay (if corny at time) script and a cast that is entertaining, I really enjoyed this movie, for what it was and nothing more.
The premise is this- Girl is shipped off to live with relatives after mom dies. Dad promises her that when he gets his life together he will send for her, that never happens and now 30 years later dad is dead and wants her to scatter his ashes. She is bitter and cold and loves her perfect life at Perfect Magazine and with her perfect fiance (and much older- hello daddy issues) , SHE is planning their perfect wedding. So, she resentful and takes her assistant (he is awesome) with her to her old home town. There she discovers Sebastian Spence (who has gained a little weight,but just gives me more of him to ogle) Will she forgive her father, can she help out the small town with their own conflicts, will she fall for Sebastian?? Oh so many questions. If it had not been 2 am when I watched this,I might be more critical..but it was sweet and gentle.
16. Ghost Town I enjoyed this a little more then I thought. Ricky Gervais was pretty typical - a dentist who hates people. It is not your typical romcom, the ending is unique, but it follows all the same tropes and cliches. I did not hate it, but eh .. not too bad.
17. Pineapple Express- There is only a certain number of pot jokes one movie should be allowed to tell, this tells enough for 4 or 5 movies. I think to really get and enjoy this movie you should be high.. I wasn't .. so .. It had some nice elements, but overall just too silly and improbable for me.
18. Tropic Thunder- I was prepared to roll my eyes, I had heard good things so I thought I would give it a spin and really ended up enjoying it. I think it was well structured, and the twisty stuff at the end was satisfying for the movie as a whole.
19. Nick and Nora's Infinite Play List - What a fun movie, it was like a grown up romcom. It certainly appealed to me who grew up with John Hughs, but seemed a little more sophisticated. Some of the characters were a little arched and played into sterotypes, but it had enough fun and entertaining characters to keep me emotionally invested. I also loved that they really focused on ONE story and did not try to tell a bunch of them. The secondary characters had story lines, but they were all dealt with quickly and not drawn out, so we could return to the reason we were there.
20. Kung Fu Panda- It was late and I needed comedy to keep me up, so I dove in. This is a charming cartoon, with nothing new to say, but a fun and fast moving delivery. I liked it over all, the characters were all clear in who they were, and it told a simple story, with really not many 'b' or 'c' stories, so it was easy to follow. I kinda wanted to know how Panda ended up with his father.. the question is brought up and then ignored.
21. The Wave: I wanted to see this movie when it was at SIFF, but scheduling conflicts did not allow it. So, while not a happy and upbeat film it was worth seeing.From IMDB:
When Rainer Wegner, a popular high school teacher, finds himself relegated to teaching autocracy as part of the schools project week, hes less than enthusiastic. So are his students, who greet the prospect of studying fascism yet again with apathetic grumbling: The Nazis sucked. We get it. Struck by the teenagers complacency and unwitting arrogance, Rainer devises an unorthodox experiment. But his hastily conceived lesson in social orders and the power of unity soon grows a life of its own.
In probing the underpinnings of fascism, The Wave is far from a social-studies lesson. As with his previous film, Before the Fall, director Dennis Gansel fashions an energetic, gripping drama that cuts through superficial ideological interrogatives and goes straight for the veins--the human psychologies and individual behaviors that contribute to collective movements. In unpeeling the emotional layers and contradictions of his characters (the need to belong, to be empowered, to escape social distinctions), Gansel offers a humanistic perspective on the terrifying irony that these students may welcome the very things they denounce.
And lest we too easily dismiss this cautionary tale, its noteworthy that the true story that prompted Todd Strassers novel The Wave (from which the film was adapted) did not take place in Germany, but at a high school in Palo Alto.
This was a very good film. I think in some ways a little simplistic but I really liked how the students reactions, they are not what is expected by the end. This is a message movie, but the message is not bashed against your head, it gives you the chance to think about what happened and draw your own conclusions.
22. Choke Another movie that I missed at SIFF. Premise is simple, movie is layered and complicated and even at the end, you think you know what is going on, but maybe you don't. Sexual addict Victor (Sam Rockwell) had made it a trade to have sex with anyone and get love from the people who save him when he makes himself choke. The choking scenes were way harder for me to watch then the sex. There is alot of sex. (but mostly in 2-3 second flashes). He is in SA and working on his 4th step. His mom is in an mental institutions. YES, she is crazy. The level of her crazy is told through flashbacks. Kelly MacDonald (love her) enters his life and then things really get interesting. A well told tale, that does not try to be anything it is not. A good movie.
23. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People I wanted to like this film. It has Simon Pegg after all, but I ended up thinking that this tale of tabloid writer to the heights of Hollywood press ended up as a series of jokes and no coherent story line. It was a mess in story telling and lacked character development. His big break was never explained and it just seemed like no matter how much of a ass he was just forgiven and moved up the ladder. I saw it .. and now I can just forget it.
24. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: I saw the first and thought I would check out the second. I had heard bad things and .. well it lived up to it. I think it favored those who read the books, because the plot line made me confused. How was it 1000 years in Narnia and like maybe 1 year in London. The dialog was painful and the sword fighting was lack luster. The only thing it had going for it is that the kids seemed older then the Prince (who seemed in looks to be 10 or so years older) . I actually did start to drift off a little during the movie. it did not hold my attention at all.
25. Jane Eyre This was the 2006 BBC 4 part mini series, with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens. It was everything you want in a period drama. Old drafty buildings, candles, lack of make-up, some beautiful costumes and some very simple ones. Dashing heroes and strong heroines. I have always liked Toby Stephens and he does a great job with the material. Ruth Wilson is really good as Jane, who is piratically terrorized as a kid and still grows into an very good person. With four hours it gives time to let the story develop and unfold. I have not read the book, but I might consider it now. (okay I have a stack of over 20 books begging me to read them, so I need to hold off adding to the madness). I laughed, I cried, and I was surprised at the passion.. whoa.. and they thought Mr. Darcy's wet shirt was hot. How 'bout Rochester and Jane laying on a bed and him tracing her neck with his fingers while talking to her of passion.. very hot. A long movie, but a lovely time spent.
26. Everyone- I want not to hate this movie.. and hate is a STRONG word. The acting was okay, the script was horrible, lines too clever for their own good and in ways that seemed OOC. The premise is a gay couple is getting ready for their marriage, but they don't call it that, in fact they can't decide and that is half the problem. Invited to this less then cheery situation comes, mom and some young hustler, and a sister and her husband whose, baby died 3 years ago to the day, a brother and his wife who can't seem to have kids and have an affectionalty distant relationship, a another brother who is vain and his bulimic wife who is an actress and pregnant, a sexually celebate minister and a bartender who cant' say the right thing. Bring this mess together and you don't get a comedy as advertised, but a dramatic mess. I have sat through worse movies and the 3 min music filled montage that wrapped up the stories seemed a little pat and not really complete. So.. not worth a repeat visit, but I did not require any bleach either. Little note gin2001 One member of the couple was in a ep of Eureka.
27. A Little Comfort This was a short movie - (but if I count the 4 hour Jane Eyre as one, I can count this 30 min movie as one as well) It was strange and kinda like half a story. It was an almost dialog free coming of age and coming out story, it was sweet and tender, a nice little movie.
28. You'll get over it Another French Film, but one I enjoyed much more, Julien Baumgartner is Vincent, a swimmer with 2 good friends, the hero of the school and his parent's favorite, until he is outed in front of the school. I never knew what direction this movie was going to take and I was really happy with the winding narrative. It is a nice coming of age movie, with some angst, humor and a really satisfying ending.
29. Out at the Wedding Charlie Schlatter plays Jonathan, not really the lead of the movie, but he holds the whole thing together and makes it worse - LOL. But he was by far my favorite character. Alex tells lies to everyone. She tells her boyfriend Dana that her family is dead. When she heads south to atttend her sister's wedding (She had not been home in over 3 years), her best friend Jonathan tries to explain to a former classmate that he is gay, the guy hears it as Alex likes girls and suddenly Alex finds everyone accepting her new found queerness. But that is just the start of the string of lies and deception that consume this movie. If I had to take it seriously, I would have hated it, but as an exaggerated farce it is a fun ride. The script is painful at times, and the actors are not stellar. But is is a nice date movie.
30. Sideline Secrets UGH most painful. It seems like the more full frontal male nudity, the worse the movie is.. this was just a mess. The sad thing is that the idea of the plot is interesting. But the acting was painful, the script seemed written by people who are mute and the music got louder the worse the acting and script was. A few times it sounded like the dialog was ADR'ed , not a line or two- but an entire scene and it was painful to listen to. Oh the plot. A boy painfully comes out to his distant mother and errant step father, meanwhile a series of young gay men go missing around town and the cops don't care. Can our young hero balance the tight rope of coming out and help his new boy friend find the missing boys?
31. Mambo Italiano This was in filmed in Canada and was just a fun movie, it had the same ethnic energy as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but was .. errr gayer. Angelo (Luke Kirby) is in his late 20's and lives with his traditional Italian Parents (Ginette Reno and Paul Sorvino) and his sister Anna. Angelo is the apple of his mother's eye, but he has a problem, he is gay and she keeps setting him up with nice Italian girls. This is the fun and entertaining story of Angelo coming out and more importantly standing up for himself and believing in himself. It is just fun and I would not want to give away more. I already told evila_elf that we will watch this movie next time she visits.
32. Criminal Intent Oh Sebastian what I do for you . Luckily evila_elf joined me over IM to watch this Lifetime movie. Susan (Vanessa Angel- she was also on the TV show Weird Science) is hired by her best friend's ex-husband to defend him from the friends murder. Yep.. it is lifetime. Cheezy and silly, it has a paper thin plot that the drag out over 2 hours. The high points.. Sebastian in handcuffs, Sebastian working a few very nice suits and Sebastian showing off his scars. He has 2 and they are covered up al ot, or just my HD is paying off. And Vanessa needs to stop making her lips puffy.. they were very distracting.
33. The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Yeah yeah yeah... so this is the sequel to The Cutting Edge (which I love) This is the 2006 movie. Doug and Kate got married and had a daughter named Jackie. (I will add that Doug and Kate were also replaced by new actors (that made me sad)) The story is pretty typical- Jackie is a solo skater, who because of an injury she needs to skate pairs now. Alex (The awesome Ross Thomas (Gabe from Shelter)) is an inline skater who sabotages himself when ever he is on the edge of success. You can pretty much write the story from there- but yes I will watch this over and over .. it is not as good as the first one, but a nice homage to the original. Also .. Ross Thomas seems to spend 1/2 the movie shirtless, and is even nekkid in the shower once as well. If you have never seen the original- SEE that one first.. it is awesome and made of so much cool. But if you already love the first, you will probably enjoy this one as well.
34.The Last Templar I have seen worse mini series, and worse movies. I did roll my eyes at parts (Mira Sorvino running in mini dress and heels after bad guys, she mounts a horse and takes one down). But it did also have a semi interesting story in the same vein as Da Vinci Code. They do wack the audience about the head on issues of faith and religion. But not bad. The soapy issues of Tess (Mira Sorvino) and Sean (Scott Foley), hooking up or not hooking up were a little overly dramatic and gag inducing. Good news - Monsignor De Angelis (Victor Garber) was happily evil, and I snickered each time he had to handle a prop (I'm Victor Garber and I don't do props /Jen garner), his hair was longish and wavy (I know that is an important point for more then one of you) - but he did wear a pair of glasses that did him no good at all. The ending was eye rolling and groan inducing.
35. Forgive and Forget Steve John Shepherd and John Simm star in this less then uplifting movie about David and Theo, they are best mates and have grown up together. There is one small issue. David is gay and in love with Theo. Theo is very straight and David is deeply stowed in the closet. When Theo moves in with his girlfriend, David wants to stop the man he loves from falling in love with someone else. It is a slow moving movie and lets the story unfold and except for one tiny little scene, you would never suspect that David is gay. When David comes out, things really go sideways for him. It aired Jan 2000 in the UK.
36. Secret Agent Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 1936 movie, and it was entertaining and had a very complicated but interesting plot. I did find at places that the emotional impact was shortened. Something dramatic would happen and they cut before you could fully process the horror. The Mountain scene was really well done, it said everything about the action with out using words, just quick visuals and a moaning dog. It is fun to go back and see the roots of current film making.
37. Frost/Nixon A very powerful movie, almost shot like a documentary. I loved the flash forward to provide context.Matthew Macfadyen looked HORRIBLE.. I am sure it was for realism, but honestly the man should never be blond. NEVER. Frank Langella was stunning as Nixon, he really conveyed the sense of loss and pain in his eyes. He had me in tears at the end. Michael Sheen was really good as Frost and I felt that so much of the movie was his story and his journey and I really liked that, I liked how they focused the film. I also really liked the use of vintage clips. I liked Milk and Slumdog more, but this was a very strong movie with really good performances.
38. Mostly Martha aka Bella Martha The movie No Reservations was based on this movie. Had not seen that one, probably won't. But I enjoyed this movie, it was a little slow and for a French movie actually quite uplifting and life affirming. Martha is a driven chef, but she is so concerned with the structure of the food, that she does not have any color or joy in her life. Her sister dies in a car accident and she now needs to care for her niece Lina. In the mean time, Lea her sous chef is due to have a child so her boss brings in Mario. He is Italian and all about color and passion. You can probably write the rest of it from there, but it is a fun journey.
39. The Times of Harvey Milk Winner of the 1984 Oscars for Best documentary, It is really well done and informative. I had to keep reminding myself that this was done just 5 years after the murders. It feels like it has a much more distant perspective then it should which makes it timeless. It is just really good and worth watching. It should be required for Civil Rights classes.
40. Captain Blood Errol Flynn stars in this swashbuckling movie about a Doctor sold into slavery and sent to the Americas. Olivia de Havilland is beautiful as Arabella Bishop- she simply glows on film. A really good movie about revenge for all the right reasons and about being true to your nature. Not many sword fights, but one really good dramatic one. Flynn shines as the leader and he is just so darn pretty with his long hair and soft features. The action scenes were really well planned out and filmed really well. The whole film really stands up to time.
Wish me luck. Here are the first 40... would IMDB links be helpful? LMK
1. Music and Lyrics Cuter then I expected and it moved along nicely. Hugh Grant is really looking old, not really a bad thing. I loved the 80's pop stuff and the Wham! like dance moves. The movie was a neat little journey movie about the lyrics and harmony in our life and how it is better when it all comes together. I think they resolved Alex's (Hugh Grant) angst well, they found a way to give him a voice that seemed very true to the character and he really grew. I think they dropped the ball on Sophie (Drew Barrymore), they gave her an interesting back story and a cause for her shaky character, and it never felt right for the character and was not explored enough to be really something for her to grow from. I think it could have been better, but it seemed obvious that they cared more about the A story and B story, so this C story was just half way developed.
It would make a sap fest for sure, but I don't think it is a movie I would add to my collection, ok ok maybe my wish list :)
2. Friends and Family Cute movie about 2 guys Stephen and Danny who are lovers AND hit men for the mob. This movie is kinda a mish mash of people realizing who they really are or revealing their identities to their loved ones. Stephen's parents know about Danny but they don't know what they do for a living, they think they are caterers. Add in the mob bosses son's who are better at sewing and cooking then actually running the family and his daughter who wants to marry someone who is not Italian or Catholic, and his militia parents from Wisconsin and then a few other inserts that are added for laughs and you end up with a movie that makes you smile, and is sweet and a tiny bit sappy. The one thing that was a little annoying is that Stephen and Danny show very little affection towards each other. One time hands pressed together and once they hold hands, but no kisses, pats on back, or anything. I don't think it needed to be a love fest like Don and Timmy (Donald Strachey Mysteries), but a little more affection would have added to the characters. At the ended there is a very sweet moment when a tiny kiss or arm grab would have been great and nothing at all, just smiles.
3. Karla In a very Lifetime movie sense this movie is based on real events, Paul Bernardo (Misha Collins (My fave Angel on Supernatural aka puppy) and his wife, Karla Homolka ( Laure Prepon that 70's show), kidnap, sexually abuse, and murder three young girls. The movie is an interview with Karla by Dr. Arnold (Patrick Bauchau - aka Chase's dad) interviews her about why Karla stayed with a man who raped, murdered and abused her) Pretty standard fare as these movies go, a little slow, I found myself wanting to get to the end. Misha looks pretty - except the whole killing and raping thing. He wears a tux and suits, and gets casual as well. But, yeah not really a movie I would have picked. Misha was the draw and the reason why I watched to the bitter end. It is a pretty brutal movie. It wraps things up pretty quickly at the end. It would have been nice to have more of the trial.
4. I Love Your Work I was looking forward to this movie, especially after the one above. It seemed most of the cast from All Over the Guy was also in this movie. This is a weird movie .. weird in the Chelsea Walls sense, a ton of known faces and a non linear storyline that you will not understand or get until you reach the end credits, even then you might think that you have no idea what just happened. An interesting movie, not one that I would likely watch again by myself, I would watch with friends if they really wanted to see it. The direction was cool, the colors helped the story along. It was pretty deep and thoughtful, but I lost focus a few times and it did not keep me gripped to the tv along the movie.
5. Jonathan Creek, The Grinning Man Christmas Special It was so weird to see a new Jonathan Creek, it has been years since the last one aired. A really complicated case. well more like cases. Jonathan armed with a girlfriend of sorts (Carla's friend) and a new "partner" of sorts Joey Ross, he tries to figure out how people vanish from a locked attic room. And Adam is back to his old self, kinda. LOL It is a little slow, but it all resolves itself, like ALL.. stories you had no idea you were following are resolved as well. One I will need to watch more then a few times.
6. 27 Dresses This was on when I woke up, so I told TIVO to record it for me. I kinda wanted to see wit when it came out, but Katherine Heigl can irritate me, and James Marsden is adorable, but I was eh on the whole idea of the movie. It was a cute movie, and pretty predictable. I did not hate it, but I thought that it pushed the plot and contrived situations to move things along- which is know is expected in a rom com. I am eh on the whole thing, I might watch again if friends want me to watch it with them. I really did not think that Heigl and Marsden had mad chemistry either.
7. Alex Rider: Operation StormBreaker With Ewen McGregor, Stephen Fry, Robbie Coltrane, Damien Lewis, Bill Nighy, and Andy Serkis, how could I NOT give this a go. Well, I watched it. All of the big names had nice cameos, but most of the screen time was on the little 14 year old Bond wanna be. The stunts were eye rolling at time. They did a great edit on a fight between 2 girls, cutting back to different fights on telly, that mirrored the fight taking place. Alex's uncle who is taking care of him is a spy and killed. Alex had no idea and then is asked to complete the mission. I think the younger set might enjoy this more then I did, I thought the story telling was a little laborious at times.
8. Long Term Relationship The acting .. ummm well yeah not so good, the plot had premise but it just was not played out all that well. Glenn is sick of one night stands, or more like quick hook ups so he answers a personal ad from Adam who is seeking a Long Term Relationship. They decide to take it slow, and wait 2 months before having sex. And it is BAD, like epic bad, and to make matters worse, Adam is a Republican. So, with his friends giving him good and bad advice, Glenn needs to decide if he really wants to stay with Adam, or wants to have good sex. Not really lots of nudity, but there is some. The boys had an awkward chemistry, nothing wowing. I doubt I would watch this again.
9.IQ A Meg Ryan romcom, it is cute. Stephen Fry is the finance that that not the right fit, Tim Robbins is the mechanic that she should be with and Walter Matthau is Albert Einstein her uncle who wants to use physics to get her with the right guy. It merrily rolls along as you would expect. I had never seen it, so I thought I would give it a go. Tim Robbins as never really been a draw for me, and I didn't see tons of chemistry, it did not completely hold my attention, but was enough of a distraction that it entertained me.
10 Ten Inch Hero I was so prepared to hate this movie, well hate is a strong word, I was prepared to so .. "Hey look, punked out and tattooed Jensen!!! How adorable... *snore*" But I was pleasantly surprised. It is not the best script, but it has clearly developed (if a bit stereotypical) characters who each go on a personal journey to reveal that the book is a lot more then the cover would indicate. It handles 4 story lines pretty well, not focusing on one more then others but keeps it balanced, and even though it ends how you think it will, there are enough little surprises along the way to make it worth seeing. Jensen once again proves he can act. It is a movie I would watch again
11.Zack and Miri Make a Porno I was not sure what to think. Kevin Smith movie - yippee, Seth Rogen.. not so sure, Elizabeth banks, cool.. so I took a chance. If you take out the rude and crude language, the nudity, then it was at its core, a very sweet romantic comedy. It did not seem to get much press, most likely b/c it goes way over the top with the porn stuff and crude language. Zack and Miri have been friends since kindergarten and they are still living together as just platonic friends. Poor and unable to pay the bills they decide to make a porno to earn some money. The question that looms is .. if they have sex for the porno, will it just be sex or something more. I would have liked it more without some of the more crude anal sex jokes, and shit jokes, but the cast brings warmth to the roles and the movie has some sweet moments and I thought that Rogen and Banks has a nice chemistry.
12. Slumdog Millionare What a wonderful movie, totally deserving of all the praise and nominations it is receiving. One heck of an editing job, a script that deftly blends Hindi and English , the inclusion of subtitles that brings together a movie that moves between three time lines in a seamless and breathtaking way. Jamal is a young boy growing up in the slums and he ends up at 18 to be on the India version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" When he starts getting the answers right, the host is sure he is cheating and must account for why he knows the answers. Words fail as to how well constructed this movie is, even though it as an 'R' rating, it is not for sex, but violence esp towards kids. A movie worth the emotional investment :)
13. Weird Science Okay I will admit I love the TV show , (Lee Tergesen, John Mallory Asher and Michael Manasseri with Vanessa Angel were all so well cast. ) but I had never seen the source material. So, I saw this up on some movie channel and hopped to it just to finally cross it off my, older shows I need to see list. I loved Valley Girl and Repo Man and most John Hughes movies, so I figured this one would be enough dork and high spirited fun to be a great diversion. It was pretty outlandish and abused the laws of nature, but it was very much in the high spirited fun category. I so preferred Lee's Chet to Bill Pullmans, but I think that is because he is a developed as a character not just a plot device. It is pretty much - loser boys win pretty girls hearts and the fun is what happens to get them there. I am happy that I watched it and scratched it off my list, but I will watch theDVD's (season 1 and 2 are out and ,... yes it is on my wish list- it ran 5 seasons and 88 eps)
14. The Quiet Man Yes, the 1952 movie with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Dennis lent me this movie ages ago. I tried to watch it once and it did not hold my attention so I gave up 40 mins in or so. He pestered me again and wanted to discuss the ending. So, I have been trying to get back to this movie, and tonight I did. *does happy jig* In this John Ford sweeping Irish Epic John Wayne is Sean Thornton, a disgraced American Boxer who just wants a quiet life in the Irish Countryside. He falls in love and has *coughissuescough* with the way they handle the whole marriage arrangements. When his new Brother in law refuses to pay the dowry, and his wife refuses him unless he defends his honor, Sean needs to decide if he can confront his fears and defends his wifes honor.
15. Daniel's Daughter Oh Sebastian,what I do for you. TIVo told me that Sebastian Spence was in this movie, and as usual when I am trying to catch up on someone's back catalog, I had NOT idea what this was about,and color me shocked but it is brand spankin new,in fact I caught the premiere of this lovely Hallmark movie.
It exactly what you expect and with an okay (if corny at time) script and a cast that is entertaining, I really enjoyed this movie, for what it was and nothing more.
The premise is this- Girl is shipped off to live with relatives after mom dies. Dad promises her that when he gets his life together he will send for her, that never happens and now 30 years later dad is dead and wants her to scatter his ashes. She is bitter and cold and loves her perfect life at Perfect Magazine and with her perfect fiance (and much older- hello daddy issues) , SHE is planning their perfect wedding. So, she resentful and takes her assistant (he is awesome) with her to her old home town. There she discovers Sebastian Spence (who has gained a little weight,but just gives me more of him to ogle) Will she forgive her father, can she help out the small town with their own conflicts, will she fall for Sebastian?? Oh so many questions. If it had not been 2 am when I watched this,I might be more critical..but it was sweet and gentle.
16. Ghost Town I enjoyed this a little more then I thought. Ricky Gervais was pretty typical - a dentist who hates people. It is not your typical romcom, the ending is unique, but it follows all the same tropes and cliches. I did not hate it, but eh .. not too bad.
17. Pineapple Express- There is only a certain number of pot jokes one movie should be allowed to tell, this tells enough for 4 or 5 movies. I think to really get and enjoy this movie you should be high.. I wasn't .. so .. It had some nice elements, but overall just too silly and improbable for me.
18. Tropic Thunder- I was prepared to roll my eyes, I had heard good things so I thought I would give it a spin and really ended up enjoying it. I think it was well structured, and the twisty stuff at the end was satisfying for the movie as a whole.
19. Nick and Nora's Infinite Play List - What a fun movie, it was like a grown up romcom. It certainly appealed to me who grew up with John Hughs, but seemed a little more sophisticated. Some of the characters were a little arched and played into sterotypes, but it had enough fun and entertaining characters to keep me emotionally invested. I also loved that they really focused on ONE story and did not try to tell a bunch of them. The secondary characters had story lines, but they were all dealt with quickly and not drawn out, so we could return to the reason we were there.
20. Kung Fu Panda- It was late and I needed comedy to keep me up, so I dove in. This is a charming cartoon, with nothing new to say, but a fun and fast moving delivery. I liked it over all, the characters were all clear in who they were, and it told a simple story, with really not many 'b' or 'c' stories, so it was easy to follow. I kinda wanted to know how Panda ended up with his father.. the question is brought up and then ignored.
21. The Wave: I wanted to see this movie when it was at SIFF, but scheduling conflicts did not allow it. So, while not a happy and upbeat film it was worth seeing.From IMDB:
When Rainer Wegner, a popular high school teacher, finds himself relegated to teaching autocracy as part of the schools project week, hes less than enthusiastic. So are his students, who greet the prospect of studying fascism yet again with apathetic grumbling: The Nazis sucked. We get it. Struck by the teenagers complacency and unwitting arrogance, Rainer devises an unorthodox experiment. But his hastily conceived lesson in social orders and the power of unity soon grows a life of its own.
In probing the underpinnings of fascism, The Wave is far from a social-studies lesson. As with his previous film, Before the Fall, director Dennis Gansel fashions an energetic, gripping drama that cuts through superficial ideological interrogatives and goes straight for the veins--the human psychologies and individual behaviors that contribute to collective movements. In unpeeling the emotional layers and contradictions of his characters (the need to belong, to be empowered, to escape social distinctions), Gansel offers a humanistic perspective on the terrifying irony that these students may welcome the very things they denounce.
And lest we too easily dismiss this cautionary tale, its noteworthy that the true story that prompted Todd Strassers novel The Wave (from which the film was adapted) did not take place in Germany, but at a high school in Palo Alto.
This was a very good film. I think in some ways a little simplistic but I really liked how the students reactions, they are not what is expected by the end. This is a message movie, but the message is not bashed against your head, it gives you the chance to think about what happened and draw your own conclusions.
22. Choke Another movie that I missed at SIFF. Premise is simple, movie is layered and complicated and even at the end, you think you know what is going on, but maybe you don't. Sexual addict Victor (Sam Rockwell) had made it a trade to have sex with anyone and get love from the people who save him when he makes himself choke. The choking scenes were way harder for me to watch then the sex. There is alot of sex. (but mostly in 2-3 second flashes). He is in SA and working on his 4th step. His mom is in an mental institutions. YES, she is crazy. The level of her crazy is told through flashbacks. Kelly MacDonald (love her) enters his life and then things really get interesting. A well told tale, that does not try to be anything it is not. A good movie.
23. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People I wanted to like this film. It has Simon Pegg after all, but I ended up thinking that this tale of tabloid writer to the heights of Hollywood press ended up as a series of jokes and no coherent story line. It was a mess in story telling and lacked character development. His big break was never explained and it just seemed like no matter how much of a ass he was just forgiven and moved up the ladder. I saw it .. and now I can just forget it.
24. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: I saw the first and thought I would check out the second. I had heard bad things and .. well it lived up to it. I think it favored those who read the books, because the plot line made me confused. How was it 1000 years in Narnia and like maybe 1 year in London. The dialog was painful and the sword fighting was lack luster. The only thing it had going for it is that the kids seemed older then the Prince (who seemed in looks to be 10 or so years older) . I actually did start to drift off a little during the movie. it did not hold my attention at all.
25. Jane Eyre This was the 2006 BBC 4 part mini series, with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens. It was everything you want in a period drama. Old drafty buildings, candles, lack of make-up, some beautiful costumes and some very simple ones. Dashing heroes and strong heroines. I have always liked Toby Stephens and he does a great job with the material. Ruth Wilson is really good as Jane, who is piratically terrorized as a kid and still grows into an very good person. With four hours it gives time to let the story develop and unfold. I have not read the book, but I might consider it now. (okay I have a stack of over 20 books begging me to read them, so I need to hold off adding to the madness). I laughed, I cried, and I was surprised at the passion.. whoa.. and they thought Mr. Darcy's wet shirt was hot. How 'bout Rochester and Jane laying on a bed and him tracing her neck with his fingers while talking to her of passion.. very hot. A long movie, but a lovely time spent.
26. Everyone- I want not to hate this movie.. and hate is a STRONG word. The acting was okay, the script was horrible, lines too clever for their own good and in ways that seemed OOC. The premise is a gay couple is getting ready for their marriage, but they don't call it that, in fact they can't decide and that is half the problem. Invited to this less then cheery situation comes, mom and some young hustler, and a sister and her husband whose, baby died 3 years ago to the day, a brother and his wife who can't seem to have kids and have an affectionalty distant relationship, a another brother who is vain and his bulimic wife who is an actress and pregnant, a sexually celebate minister and a bartender who cant' say the right thing. Bring this mess together and you don't get a comedy as advertised, but a dramatic mess. I have sat through worse movies and the 3 min music filled montage that wrapped up the stories seemed a little pat and not really complete. So.. not worth a repeat visit, but I did not require any bleach either. Little note gin2001 One member of the couple was in a ep of Eureka.
27. A Little Comfort This was a short movie - (but if I count the 4 hour Jane Eyre as one, I can count this 30 min movie as one as well) It was strange and kinda like half a story. It was an almost dialog free coming of age and coming out story, it was sweet and tender, a nice little movie.
28. You'll get over it Another French Film, but one I enjoyed much more, Julien Baumgartner is Vincent, a swimmer with 2 good friends, the hero of the school and his parent's favorite, until he is outed in front of the school. I never knew what direction this movie was going to take and I was really happy with the winding narrative. It is a nice coming of age movie, with some angst, humor and a really satisfying ending.
29. Out at the Wedding Charlie Schlatter plays Jonathan, not really the lead of the movie, but he holds the whole thing together and makes it worse - LOL. But he was by far my favorite character. Alex tells lies to everyone. She tells her boyfriend Dana that her family is dead. When she heads south to atttend her sister's wedding (She had not been home in over 3 years), her best friend Jonathan tries to explain to a former classmate that he is gay, the guy hears it as Alex likes girls and suddenly Alex finds everyone accepting her new found queerness. But that is just the start of the string of lies and deception that consume this movie. If I had to take it seriously, I would have hated it, but as an exaggerated farce it is a fun ride. The script is painful at times, and the actors are not stellar. But is is a nice date movie.
30. Sideline Secrets UGH most painful. It seems like the more full frontal male nudity, the worse the movie is.. this was just a mess. The sad thing is that the idea of the plot is interesting. But the acting was painful, the script seemed written by people who are mute and the music got louder the worse the acting and script was. A few times it sounded like the dialog was ADR'ed , not a line or two- but an entire scene and it was painful to listen to. Oh the plot. A boy painfully comes out to his distant mother and errant step father, meanwhile a series of young gay men go missing around town and the cops don't care. Can our young hero balance the tight rope of coming out and help his new boy friend find the missing boys?
31. Mambo Italiano This was in filmed in Canada and was just a fun movie, it had the same ethnic energy as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but was .. errr gayer. Angelo (Luke Kirby) is in his late 20's and lives with his traditional Italian Parents (Ginette Reno and Paul Sorvino) and his sister Anna. Angelo is the apple of his mother's eye, but he has a problem, he is gay and she keeps setting him up with nice Italian girls. This is the fun and entertaining story of Angelo coming out and more importantly standing up for himself and believing in himself. It is just fun and I would not want to give away more. I already told evila_elf that we will watch this movie next time she visits.
32. Criminal Intent Oh Sebastian what I do for you . Luckily evila_elf joined me over IM to watch this Lifetime movie. Susan (Vanessa Angel- she was also on the TV show Weird Science) is hired by her best friend's ex-husband to defend him from the friends murder. Yep.. it is lifetime. Cheezy and silly, it has a paper thin plot that the drag out over 2 hours. The high points.. Sebastian in handcuffs, Sebastian working a few very nice suits and Sebastian showing off his scars. He has 2 and they are covered up al ot, or just my HD is paying off. And Vanessa needs to stop making her lips puffy.. they were very distracting.
33. The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold Yeah yeah yeah... so this is the sequel to The Cutting Edge (which I love) This is the 2006 movie. Doug and Kate got married and had a daughter named Jackie. (I will add that Doug and Kate were also replaced by new actors (that made me sad)) The story is pretty typical- Jackie is a solo skater, who because of an injury she needs to skate pairs now. Alex (The awesome Ross Thomas (Gabe from Shelter)) is an inline skater who sabotages himself when ever he is on the edge of success. You can pretty much write the story from there- but yes I will watch this over and over .. it is not as good as the first one, but a nice homage to the original. Also .. Ross Thomas seems to spend 1/2 the movie shirtless, and is even nekkid in the shower once as well. If you have never seen the original- SEE that one first.. it is awesome and made of so much cool. But if you already love the first, you will probably enjoy this one as well.
34.The Last Templar I have seen worse mini series, and worse movies. I did roll my eyes at parts (Mira Sorvino running in mini dress and heels after bad guys, she mounts a horse and takes one down). But it did also have a semi interesting story in the same vein as Da Vinci Code. They do wack the audience about the head on issues of faith and religion. But not bad. The soapy issues of Tess (Mira Sorvino) and Sean (Scott Foley), hooking up or not hooking up were a little overly dramatic and gag inducing. Good news - Monsignor De Angelis (Victor Garber) was happily evil, and I snickered each time he had to handle a prop (I'm Victor Garber and I don't do props /Jen garner), his hair was longish and wavy (I know that is an important point for more then one of you) - but he did wear a pair of glasses that did him no good at all. The ending was eye rolling and groan inducing.
35. Forgive and Forget Steve John Shepherd and John Simm star in this less then uplifting movie about David and Theo, they are best mates and have grown up together. There is one small issue. David is gay and in love with Theo. Theo is very straight and David is deeply stowed in the closet. When Theo moves in with his girlfriend, David wants to stop the man he loves from falling in love with someone else. It is a slow moving movie and lets the story unfold and except for one tiny little scene, you would never suspect that David is gay. When David comes out, things really go sideways for him. It aired Jan 2000 in the UK.
36. Secret Agent Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 1936 movie, and it was entertaining and had a very complicated but interesting plot. I did find at places that the emotional impact was shortened. Something dramatic would happen and they cut before you could fully process the horror. The Mountain scene was really well done, it said everything about the action with out using words, just quick visuals and a moaning dog. It is fun to go back and see the roots of current film making.
37. Frost/Nixon A very powerful movie, almost shot like a documentary. I loved the flash forward to provide context.Matthew Macfadyen looked HORRIBLE.. I am sure it was for realism, but honestly the man should never be blond. NEVER. Frank Langella was stunning as Nixon, he really conveyed the sense of loss and pain in his eyes. He had me in tears at the end. Michael Sheen was really good as Frost and I felt that so much of the movie was his story and his journey and I really liked that, I liked how they focused the film. I also really liked the use of vintage clips. I liked Milk and Slumdog more, but this was a very strong movie with really good performances.
38. Mostly Martha aka Bella Martha The movie No Reservations was based on this movie. Had not seen that one, probably won't. But I enjoyed this movie, it was a little slow and for a French movie actually quite uplifting and life affirming. Martha is a driven chef, but she is so concerned with the structure of the food, that she does not have any color or joy in her life. Her sister dies in a car accident and she now needs to care for her niece Lina. In the mean time, Lea her sous chef is due to have a child so her boss brings in Mario. He is Italian and all about color and passion. You can probably write the rest of it from there, but it is a fun journey.
39. The Times of Harvey Milk Winner of the 1984 Oscars for Best documentary, It is really well done and informative. I had to keep reminding myself that this was done just 5 years after the murders. It feels like it has a much more distant perspective then it should which makes it timeless. It is just really good and worth watching. It should be required for Civil Rights classes.
40. Captain Blood Errol Flynn stars in this swashbuckling movie about a Doctor sold into slavery and sent to the Americas. Olivia de Havilland is beautiful as Arabella Bishop- she simply glows on film. A really good movie about revenge for all the right reasons and about being true to your nature. Not many sword fights, but one really good dramatic one. Flynn shines as the leader and he is just so darn pretty with his long hair and soft features. The action scenes were really well planned out and filmed really well. The whole film really stands up to time.
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