The Siff is hosting an Alfred Hitchcock festival this weekend showcasing Vertigo (one of my all time faves), North by Northwest, The Man who Knew too Much and The Birds.
Check Back on Monday for my new post about my thougts on the selections and the new film "Double Take".
See ya There!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Eat, Pray, Love: Wake me Up When we Get to Bali
For a movie starring Julia Roberts and taking place over three gorgeous locations, this movie should be a vicarious thrill. Instead, we are given the first 2/3 of the movie inside main character Liz’s (Roberts role) quest to find herself during a yearlong sebactacle - a long, boring, self-centered to the extreme view of the world. The movie fails to sufficiently explain to us why her character is so miserable in the first place and why her marriage ultimately fails. One minute she is seemingly happy attending a party with her husband (Billy Crudup in a to brief role) and the next she is crying while she prays to god asking what she should do next. I think it would have been easier to go on this journey with Roberts character if we were given the chance to be privy to her life experience prior, but I digress.
First stop on the itinerary is Italy, a ho-hum experience where the best story is happening to her friend (a fellow American) she meets in a café upon arriving. Julia eats spaghetti and pizza guilt-free and buys bigger jeans with before mentioned girlfriend in a moment of inspired feminism, but otherwise, it’s uneventful but beautiful to look at. It seems Liz is still mourning the end of her marriage she thought she wanted and then a brief fling with a young, up and coming actor played by James Franco that was ill-advised and ill-timed. Much like the ending of her marriage, the audience gets no real explanation of what goes wrong, the relationship just sours and she moves on.
Next is India, where her plan is to meditate and find inner peace– all I found were minor characters far more interesting than her and a travel tip to bring straws if I’m ever planning to travel to India myself. I did like the interaction between Roberts and Richard Jenkins who plays a fellow meditation student, but it was not enough to distract from the other clichés that abounded.
I did wake back up when Javier Bardem comes on the screen during the last leg of her trip in Indonesia (namely Bali). It has been quite awhile since I noticed so distinctly an actors charisma and star power as he literally brought this film to life. If only the entire movie had included his performance it would have been better off. This is a story you grow to care about because we’re given a chance to; we learn why his character Felipe has shut himself off from love and feel satisfaction in seeing them together. It makes sense to know that Felipe in the book is her now husband and subject of her second book “Committed”. Even the music seems to come alive as we’re treated to the best of Brazilian samba.
Not all books move well from page to screen and this is one I fear was lost in translation.
First stop on the itinerary is Italy, a ho-hum experience where the best story is happening to her friend (a fellow American) she meets in a café upon arriving. Julia eats spaghetti and pizza guilt-free and buys bigger jeans with before mentioned girlfriend in a moment of inspired feminism, but otherwise, it’s uneventful but beautiful to look at. It seems Liz is still mourning the end of her marriage she thought she wanted and then a brief fling with a young, up and coming actor played by James Franco that was ill-advised and ill-timed. Much like the ending of her marriage, the audience gets no real explanation of what goes wrong, the relationship just sours and she moves on.
Next is India, where her plan is to meditate and find inner peace– all I found were minor characters far more interesting than her and a travel tip to bring straws if I’m ever planning to travel to India myself. I did like the interaction between Roberts and Richard Jenkins who plays a fellow meditation student, but it was not enough to distract from the other clichés that abounded.
I did wake back up when Javier Bardem comes on the screen during the last leg of her trip in Indonesia (namely Bali). It has been quite awhile since I noticed so distinctly an actors charisma and star power as he literally brought this film to life. If only the entire movie had included his performance it would have been better off. This is a story you grow to care about because we’re given a chance to; we learn why his character Felipe has shut himself off from love and feel satisfaction in seeing them together. It makes sense to know that Felipe in the book is her now husband and subject of her second book “Committed”. Even the music seems to come alive as we’re treated to the best of Brazilian samba.
Not all books move well from page to screen and this is one I fear was lost in translation.
2 out of 5
Affleck Finds his niche in "The Town"
I couldn't help but be struck by two things while watching "The Town"; the first is that Ben Affleck is a much better director than he is an actor and that his heist drama had a sense of authenticity that was almost unnerving in it's details of life in Charles"town".
Opening with a bang, we are given front row seats to a bank heist in progress that is frightening in it's efficiency - that is until one of the gang members decides they need to take a hostage to ensure they make it out with the cash. The problem?? Ever hear the line "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" well, it's like that for Doug MacRay (Affleck) who finds himself falling for said hostage, Claire (played with understated grace by indie fave Rebecca Hall). The fallout from that meeting sets up the rest of the films events. After leaving Claire unharmed by a nearby beach, the robbers find out that the drivers license they took from her lists her address as 3 blocks from them and that's a problem. What if they run into her around town and she recognizes their voices? The solution becomes the real problem when Affleck's Doug takes it upon himself to "take care of it" by setting up a spontaneous meeting with her at a Laundromat and then ends up falling for her instead. The exchange that follows with her explaining her subsequent breakdown to the previous bank heist leads to unexpected laughs as we are privy to information she's not, her being innocent to Doug's involvement.
A movie about a bank heist isn't new by any stretch, but what feels new is the family legacy spin on the act of robbery as a business and the idea that in this small Boston neighborhood, it is literally passed down from father to son. The characters throughout are well drawn and well acted by the likes of Jeremy Renner as Dougs best friend and fellow robber. Renner provides the most tense scene of the movie when he "bumps" into Doug and Claire having lunch together. Just see if you aren't squirming waiting for her to notice a certain tattoo on said friend. Jon Hamm is unstoppable as the no nonese FBI agent intent on taken the crime ring down. Chris Cooper is also on hand playing Doug's convict father & painting a picture of what Dougs life could become. The cinematography is also first rate at the hands of Robert Elswit who gives us the feeling of truly being one of the group with a view inside their life of crime just to survive. Watch for Blake Lively from Gossip Girl in a taut performance as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who just wants Doug to love her - she is cast against type here and shines. I believed her performance which could have been cliched and vulgar but was instead insightful and subtle.
I was reminded in a way of "Good Will Hunting" oddly enough, because by the end of that movie, you so want Will to overcome his circumstances and become his potential leaving his former life. I wanted the same for Doug and you will too although his is fraught with obstacles and not much else.
Affleck has truly found his niche, his ability to show you Boston through his lens is a powerful gift. I felt the pressure of his circumstance and absorbed the despair he portrayed, he should do for Boston what Woody Allen has done for New York.
Opening with a bang, we are given front row seats to a bank heist in progress that is frightening in it's efficiency - that is until one of the gang members decides they need to take a hostage to ensure they make it out with the cash. The problem?? Ever hear the line "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine" well, it's like that for Doug MacRay (Affleck) who finds himself falling for said hostage, Claire (played with understated grace by indie fave Rebecca Hall). The fallout from that meeting sets up the rest of the films events. After leaving Claire unharmed by a nearby beach, the robbers find out that the drivers license they took from her lists her address as 3 blocks from them and that's a problem. What if they run into her around town and she recognizes their voices? The solution becomes the real problem when Affleck's Doug takes it upon himself to "take care of it" by setting up a spontaneous meeting with her at a Laundromat and then ends up falling for her instead. The exchange that follows with her explaining her subsequent breakdown to the previous bank heist leads to unexpected laughs as we are privy to information she's not, her being innocent to Doug's involvement.
A movie about a bank heist isn't new by any stretch, but what feels new is the family legacy spin on the act of robbery as a business and the idea that in this small Boston neighborhood, it is literally passed down from father to son. The characters throughout are well drawn and well acted by the likes of Jeremy Renner as Dougs best friend and fellow robber. Renner provides the most tense scene of the movie when he "bumps" into Doug and Claire having lunch together. Just see if you aren't squirming waiting for her to notice a certain tattoo on said friend. Jon Hamm is unstoppable as the no nonese FBI agent intent on taken the crime ring down. Chris Cooper is also on hand playing Doug's convict father & painting a picture of what Dougs life could become. The cinematography is also first rate at the hands of Robert Elswit who gives us the feeling of truly being one of the group with a view inside their life of crime just to survive. Watch for Blake Lively from Gossip Girl in a taut performance as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who just wants Doug to love her - she is cast against type here and shines. I believed her performance which could have been cliched and vulgar but was instead insightful and subtle.
I was reminded in a way of "Good Will Hunting" oddly enough, because by the end of that movie, you so want Will to overcome his circumstances and become his potential leaving his former life. I wanted the same for Doug and you will too although his is fraught with obstacles and not much else.
Affleck has truly found his niche, his ability to show you Boston through his lens is a powerful gift. I felt the pressure of his circumstance and absorbed the despair he portrayed, he should do for Boston what Woody Allen has done for New York.
5 out of 5
Money Might Never Sleeps but You Will
In Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the world of high finance was never more boring. The sets may be first rate and the casting sublime, but the problem is I didn't care about anything that was happening to them. The storyline is very similar to the first movie in that we have a wise old mentor in the way of Frank Langella to Shia LeBeouf's protege Jake. Jake is an up and coming trader trained by Langella who happens to be in love with Gekko's daughter Winnie. In fact their mentor/protege relationship was the only one I really felt invested in and it was was over before I knew it and then the rest of the movie went downhill without it. We see Gekko exit prison with a cell phone the size of a brick which provided both a laugh and a point of reference as we are told it's been 7 years since the original movie and alot has changed. Douglas's Gekko is as slick as ever and you can tell Douglas delighted in playing him again. I did like his refreshed take of greed being what got us in our predicament we are all in now and references to the mortgage collapse, but Gordon Gekko feels and looks tired. It's not that Michael Douglas's performance wasn't good, it's just that I don't feel that Wall Street was a movie that held up over the years, it feels dated; from the computers to the fashion to the mindset. Stone's a heavy handed director and nothing's different here - the pace is slow and it feels at times like he is making two movies; one about greed and the market, both in 1987 and now, and the other a melodrama about starcrossed lovers from different sides of the tracks. It would have been nice to have more of a backstory as to why LeBeouf's Jake and Carey Mulligan's Winnie got together in the first place - their story needed to be fleshed out better and explained if the audience is expected to root for them- as it was it felt like she gave up to fast and he walked out to willingly. James Brolin's character is perfect as the villianous, evil, star broker who's pulling all the strings - I loved to hate him, which is to his credit. Even so, every turn Stone takes is predictable and at 2 hours felt overly long. By the time the credits rolled I felt relieved - never a good sign. If you want a great movie about Wall Street and stocks, rent 2000's Boiler Room instead.
My take 2 out of 5 stars
Monday, September 13, 2010
My Review of Roku HD Player
The best-selling HD Player (as known as Netflix Player by Roku) plays High Definition video and connects to surround sound audio.
ROKU's a Necessity!!
By Reelgirl from Seattle, WA on 9/13/2010
Pros: Easy to use, Video selection, Reliability, Great value, Compact, High quality picture, Easy to set up
Cons: Want more video choices
Best Uses: Bedroom, Living room
Describe Yourself: Early adopter, Home entertainment enthusiast, Netflix fan, Movie buff
I bought my first ROKU player the moment Netflix advertised it. When it stopped working 2 1/2 years later, the week I was without one was horrible. This is one of the single best purchases I have made in recent memory - it's compact, easy to use and a great value for the money. I tell anyone who will listen to run to Netflix and order one STAT!!
(legalese)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Dinner for Schmucks is Charmed Comedy
It's hard not to like a movie with either Steve Carell or Paul Rudd. You put them together and it is not only hilarious but charming and heartwarming. Now don't get me wrong - this movie is NOT as funny as Role Models or The Hangover but it is funny.
The title says it all, referring to the type of dinner Paul Rudd's character is asked to attend if he wants the big promotion he's been after. The task is simple; invite an idiot and the bigger idiot he/she is, the better. Rudd's character Tim starts off not wanting to oblige due to the morality of it all (and the nagging of his girlfriend Julie) but then feels like it is destiny when he almost runs over Barry (Steve Carell) with his car. Barry it turns out is a perfect Schmuck - he doesn't know he's an idiot, he's is eager to be friends with Tim and attend and he has a strange hobby; making diorama's of classic scenes with dead, stuffed mice! Barry was in fact trying to save a dead mouse when Tim almost ran him over.
There is a very familiar Oscar and Felix vibe going on in the movie where you can't help but love Carells, blissfully naive Barry and want him to be liked. That was when I realized that the movie had worked, I cared about Barry and what happened to him.
The minor supporting characters make this movie, Jemaine Clement as a self-important new age artist in love with himself and his likeness in ALL his art (this Russell Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and Zach Galifianakis from "The Hangover" as Barry's co-worker at the IRS who's talent is controlling minds and eating Barry's pudding (don't ask, it would give away to much to say).
The bottom line is you'll laugh, but not so hard you cry. **2 1/2 out of 4 stars
The title says it all, referring to the type of dinner Paul Rudd's character is asked to attend if he wants the big promotion he's been after. The task is simple; invite an idiot and the bigger idiot he/she is, the better. Rudd's character Tim starts off not wanting to oblige due to the morality of it all (and the nagging of his girlfriend Julie) but then feels like it is destiny when he almost runs over Barry (Steve Carell) with his car. Barry it turns out is a perfect Schmuck - he doesn't know he's an idiot, he's is eager to be friends with Tim and attend and he has a strange hobby; making diorama's of classic scenes with dead, stuffed mice! Barry was in fact trying to save a dead mouse when Tim almost ran him over.
There is a very familiar Oscar and Felix vibe going on in the movie where you can't help but love Carells, blissfully naive Barry and want him to be liked. That was when I realized that the movie had worked, I cared about Barry and what happened to him.
The minor supporting characters make this movie, Jemaine Clement as a self-important new age artist in love with himself and his likeness in ALL his art (this Russell Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and Zach Galifianakis from "The Hangover" as Barry's co-worker at the IRS who's talent is controlling minds and eating Barry's pudding (don't ask, it would give away to much to say).
The bottom line is you'll laugh, but not so hard you cry. **2 1/2 out of 4 stars
Thursday, July 1, 2010
An Anti-Twihard Drinks the Kool-Aid & Thinks it Tastes Pretty Good
It started with a plan - two of more friends wanted to go to Forks, WA as a goof. Sure, they like the movies, but don't wear Twilight shirts or throw darts at a poster of Bella (yet). The trip sounded fun regardless of the reason why we were going, so I agreed. I then got to thinking, what would it hurt to watch the first movie?? 2 hours of my life sure, but what the hell!.
To my surprise I was completely engrossed in the movie by the 15 minute mark and by the time there was only 20 minutes left and the battery died on my DVD player (I was of course watching in shame under the covers with headphones) I almost had a panic attack.
It is definitely teen angst but there is believable chemistry between the stars, the locations are beautiful and in the end it drew me in. Pretty impressive for a franchise I was sure I would despise.
I will be seeing the 3rd installment "Eclipse" on Saturday, so if you see a blonde in a baseball hat covering her face, it's probably me.
To my surprise I was completely engrossed in the movie by the 15 minute mark and by the time there was only 20 minutes left and the battery died on my DVD player (I was of course watching in shame under the covers with headphones) I almost had a panic attack.
It is definitely teen angst but there is believable chemistry between the stars, the locations are beautiful and in the end it drew me in. Pretty impressive for a franchise I was sure I would despise.
I will be seeing the 3rd installment "Eclipse" on Saturday, so if you see a blonde in a baseball hat covering her face, it's probably me.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Cruise is "Top" CIA Agent in Latest Popcorn Flick
The newest Cruise action movie “Knight and Day” is not breaking any new ground. The stunts are impressive, the locations sublime and both Cruise and Diaz seem to have successfully stopped the aging process. It is classic movie escapism in every sense of the word and if you go into it knowing that and expecting nothing more you won’t be disappointed.
It has long been my theory that in every Tom Cruise movie, he is the “top” something. There was Top Car (Days of Thunder), Top Wagon (Far and Away), Top Agent (Jerry Maguire) and of course the one that started it all… Top Gun. This movie is no exception. Tom plays Roy a seemingly rogue ex-CIA operative that on a plane ride from hell takes innocent bystander Diaz along for the ride. What’s a girl gotta do to get a date these days?? If you are Diaz’s June, the answer is crash land a plane, parachute another, ride a motorcycle ala Michelle Pfeiffer style in “Grease 2” and outrun more bullets than Antonio Banderas in “Desperado”.
The movie itself is predictable but fun to look at – in my book a movie deserves at least a half star more if I get to vacation vicariously by watching it. You’ll visit the tropics, Prague and South America in this outing, so for $10 it is cheaper than a real vacation.
The stars have chemistry; both which each other and charisma all their own, so as implausible as the movie is at times, they kept my attention and made the movie extremely watchable. There is a scene however towards the end (feeling long at 2 hrs, 23 minutes) where I couldn’t help but think “Give me a break!” but I’ll forgive them this for the satisfying ending.
Enjoy this for what it is – a summer blockbuster that you will soon forget but enjoy while it lasts.
2 ½ of out 4 Stars
It has long been my theory that in every Tom Cruise movie, he is the “top” something. There was Top Car (Days of Thunder), Top Wagon (Far and Away), Top Agent (Jerry Maguire) and of course the one that started it all… Top Gun. This movie is no exception. Tom plays Roy a seemingly rogue ex-CIA operative that on a plane ride from hell takes innocent bystander Diaz along for the ride. What’s a girl gotta do to get a date these days?? If you are Diaz’s June, the answer is crash land a plane, parachute another, ride a motorcycle ala Michelle Pfeiffer style in “Grease 2” and outrun more bullets than Antonio Banderas in “Desperado”.
The movie itself is predictable but fun to look at – in my book a movie deserves at least a half star more if I get to vacation vicariously by watching it. You’ll visit the tropics, Prague and South America in this outing, so for $10 it is cheaper than a real vacation.
The stars have chemistry; both which each other and charisma all their own, so as implausible as the movie is at times, they kept my attention and made the movie extremely watchable. There is a scene however towards the end (feeling long at 2 hrs, 23 minutes) where I couldn’t help but think “Give me a break!” but I’ll forgive them this for the satisfying ending.
Enjoy this for what it is – a summer blockbuster that you will soon forget but enjoy while it lasts.
2 ½ of out 4 Stars
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Shrek Franchise Ends on High Note
The last installment in the Shrek franchise is a welcome return to what made the first movie so endearing; Shrek’s unlikely friendship with donkey, his love for Princess Fiona and his true self showing underneath his gruff, “ogre” exterior like Simon Cowel on Idol.
The premise is straightforward and for a mother like myself, totally relatable. Shrek is now the father of triplets and is starting to tire of the monotony of everyday life.
A montage plays of his day to day routine and how one day runs into the next. At the triplets first birthday party, Shrek loses his cool and after hearing one little boy ask him time and again to “Do the Roar”, does just that before storming out of the party.
A new character is added in the way of Rumpelstiltskin – a bitter, angry little man who is still stewing over losing far, far away when Fiona’s parents no longer needed his help rescuing Fiona once Shrek helped her escape from the tower. Overhearing Shrek venting outside, he sees a chance for revenge and another chance at the kingdom.
The setup then becomes what would Shrek’s life have been like if he hadn’t been the one to rescue Fiona that day? In exchange for his day back to his mean pre-Fiona Ogre self, Rumpelstiltskin takes another day in return and picks… the day Shrek was born.
Its fun to see Fiona empowered after having to save herself in this version, as a strong, fearless warrior bent on stopping evil witches that now hunt Ogres down for Rumpelstiltskin. I liked falling in love with the characters all over again while Shrek did the same with Fiona.
The 3-D aspect isn’t needed, but its fun and adds a new element to a franchise that was showing its age. The extra $3.50 a ticket is steep though, and without effects to warrant the technology, felt like gouging.
I found myself tearing up at the end applying the premise to my own life and kids, but I will be happy if the creators still to their guns and make this the “final chapter”.
The premise is straightforward and for a mother like myself, totally relatable. Shrek is now the father of triplets and is starting to tire of the monotony of everyday life.
A montage plays of his day to day routine and how one day runs into the next. At the triplets first birthday party, Shrek loses his cool and after hearing one little boy ask him time and again to “Do the Roar”, does just that before storming out of the party.
A new character is added in the way of Rumpelstiltskin – a bitter, angry little man who is still stewing over losing far, far away when Fiona’s parents no longer needed his help rescuing Fiona once Shrek helped her escape from the tower. Overhearing Shrek venting outside, he sees a chance for revenge and another chance at the kingdom.
The setup then becomes what would Shrek’s life have been like if he hadn’t been the one to rescue Fiona that day? In exchange for his day back to his mean pre-Fiona Ogre self, Rumpelstiltskin takes another day in return and picks… the day Shrek was born.
Its fun to see Fiona empowered after having to save herself in this version, as a strong, fearless warrior bent on stopping evil witches that now hunt Ogres down for Rumpelstiltskin. I liked falling in love with the characters all over again while Shrek did the same with Fiona.
The 3-D aspect isn’t needed, but its fun and adds a new element to a franchise that was showing its age. The extra $3.50 a ticket is steep though, and without effects to warrant the technology, felt like gouging.
I found myself tearing up at the end applying the premise to my own life and kids, but I will be happy if the creators still to their guns and make this the “final chapter”.
New Sex and the City Movie Jumps the Shark!!
Its official – the magic has left the Sex and the City franchise. As a long time fan of the series since the beginning as well as the first film, I was disappointed beyond words in the latest incarnation to the big screen.
The trailers for the movie made me nervous, but I was determined to keep an open mind. I just couldn’t wrap my head around our 4 big city gals in Abu Dhabi?? Why this seemed like a good idea to Michael Patrick King for even a moment is beyond me. It’s called Sex and the City for a reason, so if New York ain’t broke, why fix it? Admittedly the first movie did take us for a short while to Mexico, but there was a good reason for that trip and it fit into the storyline in a plausible, seamless way.
This trip feels forced and unnecessary and at two hours and 23 minutes, feels as long as that sounds. It is a painful movie to sit through, not only because of the surroundings and cringe worthy dialogue, but also the storylines. I don’t want to see Carrie have cold feet again about Big- this storyline should officially be retired, it feels lazy on the part of the writers. I would rather see Carrie deal with the good and bad of being married, not just the 20 minutes total they spend on it. I also don’t want to hear Miranda yell “Abu Dhabi Doo!” out a limo window, since when is she cheesy? It was so out of character that I suddenly knew this movie was in serious trouble. To lose your characters innate voice is a sad thing to behold.
I did like the opening montage of the girls in the 80’s just arriving in Manhattan and the storyline involving Charlotte’s struggles as the mom of two and also Miranda’s struggles with her boss at the firm because they were real and struck a chord with me. The rest of the movie was a slap in the face to any true fans of the series.
So, on that note, I will go back to watching my DVD’s of the series instead and remember the gals the way they should be; strong, beautiful, funny- flawed but relatable.
The trailers for the movie made me nervous, but I was determined to keep an open mind. I just couldn’t wrap my head around our 4 big city gals in Abu Dhabi?? Why this seemed like a good idea to Michael Patrick King for even a moment is beyond me. It’s called Sex and the City for a reason, so if New York ain’t broke, why fix it? Admittedly the first movie did take us for a short while to Mexico, but there was a good reason for that trip and it fit into the storyline in a plausible, seamless way.
This trip feels forced and unnecessary and at two hours and 23 minutes, feels as long as that sounds. It is a painful movie to sit through, not only because of the surroundings and cringe worthy dialogue, but also the storylines. I don’t want to see Carrie have cold feet again about Big- this storyline should officially be retired, it feels lazy on the part of the writers. I would rather see Carrie deal with the good and bad of being married, not just the 20 minutes total they spend on it. I also don’t want to hear Miranda yell “Abu Dhabi Doo!” out a limo window, since when is she cheesy? It was so out of character that I suddenly knew this movie was in serious trouble. To lose your characters innate voice is a sad thing to behold.
I did like the opening montage of the girls in the 80’s just arriving in Manhattan and the storyline involving Charlotte’s struggles as the mom of two and also Miranda’s struggles with her boss at the firm because they were real and struck a chord with me. The rest of the movie was a slap in the face to any true fans of the series.
So, on that note, I will go back to watching my DVD’s of the series instead and remember the gals the way they should be; strong, beautiful, funny- flawed but relatable.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chelsea Handler + Belvedere = what the %$#@ did she just say?
I knew it was a bad sign when there was a huge line out the door and we were arriving right at 10:30. Apparently, Chelsea promised a book signing, but promised it to a THOUSAND people!! Her late show didn't even start until 11:22.... 52 minutes late! I am not ashamed to admit I was already tired (feeling all of my 35 years) and the opening act Guy Branahm still had to perform.I won't even go over Guys act, it had one theme only and not enough funny bits about that theme (did you know he was gay?) :) to justify it. I liked how he brought in some local material about our city, but he was literally sreaming into the mike.
Chelsea was funny, but only sporadically, thanks to too many sips from her sponsor (Belvedere Vodka). By the time she made it on stage it was already Midnight and she was well on her way to last call. There were some very funny bits, don't get me wrong. One in particular about discovering "the feeling" at a 2nd grade sleepover had me laughing so hard I was crying and afraid I was going to start choking. Chelsea does have a way with getting away with things most of us only think in our heads and she obviously strikes a cord with more than just my fellow thirtysomethings (the place was packed and had 20 yr olds and 40 year olds alike).
I would like to see her again, but would definitely go to the earlier show.... I think they got more "Bang, Bang" for their buck.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Why Can't Hollywood Stay Married??
I can't believe I was shocked to read about Sandra Bullock moving out of the family home with Jesse James, but I really was. Can no one in Hollywood stay married for even a microsecond?? It is so infuriating to constantly read about their disposable marriages and accusations of infidelity. If Jesse really did cheat on Sandra, he is crazy, for sure. It would however give more credence to the so called "Oscar Curse". Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Hilary Swank, Kate Winslet and now Sandra Bullock were all separated from their spouses within a year of winning an Oscar.
Is it just that men are that insecure of a powerful, talented woman or does it just simply change the balance of power and traditional roles of men and women so much that it can't be rectified??
I give Monique 6 months, of course, she is the only one that already has an "open" marriage (don't get me started on that)!
Maybe that was the real reason Jesse was tearing up during her acceptance speech, he was really thinking "Oh man, I am so dead.... I knew I shouldn't have slept with that tattoo artist!"
Is it just that men are that insecure of a powerful, talented woman or does it just simply change the balance of power and traditional roles of men and women so much that it can't be rectified??
I give Monique 6 months, of course, she is the only one that already has an "open" marriage (don't get me started on that)!
Maybe that was the real reason Jesse was tearing up during her acceptance speech, he was really thinking "Oh man, I am so dead.... I knew I shouldn't have slept with that tattoo artist!"
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Parenthood is truly "Must See TV"
As a mom to two girls myself, it is so nice to see a show really showcase the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly sides of parenthood. I also found it ironic that I was vacuming up broken glass from a mug that fell off my TV tray while I thought this.
Did I mention that this was all at 10:30 while my 9 month old looked on crying because of the noise from the vacum and I realized I still have to put a load of laundry in so we all have something "green" to wear tommorrow? Sometimes I just need more hours in my day.
This is why TV & movies are important - they can take us to another place for just a little while we try to put everything in perspective.
That being said, Monica Potter really does remind me of Julia Roberts & it's good to see Mike O' Malley from "Yes, Dear" again. When will we find out what's up with the dad having condoms in his desk drawer in the barn??
Catch it tuesday's at 10pm on NBC
Did I mention that this was all at 10:30 while my 9 month old looked on crying because of the noise from the vacum and I realized I still have to put a load of laundry in so we all have something "green" to wear tommorrow? Sometimes I just need more hours in my day.
This is why TV & movies are important - they can take us to another place for just a little while we try to put everything in perspective.
That being said, Monica Potter really does remind me of Julia Roberts & it's good to see Mike O' Malley from "Yes, Dear" again. When will we find out what's up with the dad having condoms in his desk drawer in the barn??
Catch it tuesday's at 10pm on NBC
Monday, March 15, 2010
How Long Does it Take to Make Your Hair Look that Bad (or, I saw that new Robert Pattinson Movie)
Is it Just Me or Do these two Posters look alike???
I am admittedly, NOT a Robert Pattinson fan. I haven't seen any of the "Twilight" movies, I don't remember him from Harry Potter and every time I have seen him he looks like he just rolled out of bed (not in a good way).
Having said that, I sat down to watch "Remember Me" with the lowest of expectations. I didn't leave thinking I had seen the next "East of Eden" but I didn't hate it either. What I walked away with was a brief look into what may appeal to so many young girls out there. Robert's character Tyler has brooding down pat and his forlorn looks out his apartment window attempt to make you feel his inner conflict. The problem?? His Tyler is not a put upon 17 year old on the brink of adulthood wondering what to do with his life. The fact that we are expected to empathize with his immature 22 year old tirades is insulting. Maybe it's a generational thing and I am ageing myself here, but if you want to see a much better depiction of young angst, rebellion and "daddy issues" go rent "East of Eden" and take in Robert's obvious inspiration for the depiction of this role, James Dean.
Now, for the story; the movie opens in Brooklyn in 1991. A young girl and her mother (an interesting cameo by Martha Plimpton) are waiting for the subway. An attempted armed robbery against them results in her mother being killed in front of her devastated daughter. Flash ahead 10 years and we meet that girl again, now a 21 year old played by Emilie De Ravin of "Lost" fame. We see a foreshadowing of events when they show Tyler and Allie in the same college class at NYU.
Tyler is a ladies man and we are led to believe can get any girls he chooses with his tousled hair and love of poetry. A night out at a local club with his sidekick Aiden (Tate Ellington) leads to a fight for Tyler who is misdirecting his anger at his father & would pick a fight with a trash can. The responding cop doesn't like Tylers attitude and roughs him up a bit, sending him and Aiden to jail to cool off. Aiden finds out by chance that the jerk cop has a daughter (have you guessed it yet?) and suggests that Tyler date and then dump her to get back at her old man. Of course that girl ends up being Allie and so the story begins.
The movie may have been marketed as their tale of young love, but it was the tale of Tyler and his 11 year old sister Caroline (standout Ruby Jerins) who really held my attention. I was charmed by her and their sibling banter. Tyler was most empathetic in these scenes, the protective and wise older brother who dotes on his sister after school. I would have liked more scenes of them together.
The real theme of the movie I thought was grief- how we all process and handle it differently. Allie it turns out is just as damaged by her mothers death as Tyler is by his brothers suicide at 22 who he idolized. This gives them a bond and a way into each others world.
The dad Tyler now detests and blames for his families unraveling is played perfectly by Pierce Brosnan who's own grief is disguised by his aloof demeanor and deep pockets. He bails Tyler out of jail not once but twice during the movie.
At 112 minutes, it had my attention throughout & I didn't predict the ending (which I won't ruin). This in and of itself is worth the price of admission sometimes (in this case though a matinee, not a full price show aftr 5).
The last few somber minutes served as a reminder to me how one event can burn itself into your memory making it impossible to forget.
Final Score = A good excuse to buy popcorn and sit in the dark, but don't pay full price
Having said that, I sat down to watch "Remember Me" with the lowest of expectations. I didn't leave thinking I had seen the next "East of Eden" but I didn't hate it either. What I walked away with was a brief look into what may appeal to so many young girls out there. Robert's character Tyler has brooding down pat and his forlorn looks out his apartment window attempt to make you feel his inner conflict. The problem?? His Tyler is not a put upon 17 year old on the brink of adulthood wondering what to do with his life. The fact that we are expected to empathize with his immature 22 year old tirades is insulting. Maybe it's a generational thing and I am ageing myself here, but if you want to see a much better depiction of young angst, rebellion and "daddy issues" go rent "East of Eden" and take in Robert's obvious inspiration for the depiction of this role, James Dean.
Now, for the story; the movie opens in Brooklyn in 1991. A young girl and her mother (an interesting cameo by Martha Plimpton) are waiting for the subway. An attempted armed robbery against them results in her mother being killed in front of her devastated daughter. Flash ahead 10 years and we meet that girl again, now a 21 year old played by Emilie De Ravin of "Lost" fame. We see a foreshadowing of events when they show Tyler and Allie in the same college class at NYU.
Tyler is a ladies man and we are led to believe can get any girls he chooses with his tousled hair and love of poetry. A night out at a local club with his sidekick Aiden (Tate Ellington) leads to a fight for Tyler who is misdirecting his anger at his father & would pick a fight with a trash can. The responding cop doesn't like Tylers attitude and roughs him up a bit, sending him and Aiden to jail to cool off. Aiden finds out by chance that the jerk cop has a daughter (have you guessed it yet?) and suggests that Tyler date and then dump her to get back at her old man. Of course that girl ends up being Allie and so the story begins.
The movie may have been marketed as their tale of young love, but it was the tale of Tyler and his 11 year old sister Caroline (standout Ruby Jerins) who really held my attention. I was charmed by her and their sibling banter. Tyler was most empathetic in these scenes, the protective and wise older brother who dotes on his sister after school. I would have liked more scenes of them together.
The real theme of the movie I thought was grief- how we all process and handle it differently. Allie it turns out is just as damaged by her mothers death as Tyler is by his brothers suicide at 22 who he idolized. This gives them a bond and a way into each others world.
The dad Tyler now detests and blames for his families unraveling is played perfectly by Pierce Brosnan who's own grief is disguised by his aloof demeanor and deep pockets. He bails Tyler out of jail not once but twice during the movie.
At 112 minutes, it had my attention throughout & I didn't predict the ending (which I won't ruin). This in and of itself is worth the price of admission sometimes (in this case though a matinee, not a full price show aftr 5).
The last few somber minutes served as a reminder to me how one event can burn itself into your memory making it impossible to forget.
Final Score = A good excuse to buy popcorn and sit in the dark, but don't pay full price
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Here Goes Nothing! This is Free Right? :)
So, I always wanted to do something involving movies.... but, then my life happened and now I am the proud mom of 2 beautiful girls and I am still crazy about movies.
Now, to me, not all movies are created equal. There are my art house favorites (Annie Hall, Flirting with Disaster, Me, Myself, I), there are my film noir faves (Double Indemnity, Gilda, Scarlet Street, Niagara) and then there are my gulity pleasure, shame inducing faves like "Kingdom of the Spiders", "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead" and "Dance Till Dawn".
Movies to me are like scrapbooks in my head... I saw "Pretty Woman" after my first crush and I broke up, thought I was "late" while watching "The Favor" and saw "Dirty Dancing; Havana Nights" alone in a theater a few days before I gave birth to my first daughter.
I even have what I affectionately call my "woobie movie", that movie you watch again and again, and AGAIN and even fall to sleep to. Mine used to be Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" but has been Woody Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery" for the last seven.
If only I could have figured out a way in the beginning to parlay that passion for movies into a career with benefits and a 401k... but I digress.
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