Movie Reviews

I actually made myself sit down after the kids went to bed and watch a few movies I've had on my list these past weeks.

So happy that I enjoyed them all.  

I may have dozed off or been busy catching up on my blog reading list and missed some key points.  By the end it all made sense and was worth watching.  If anything, for Jennifer Lawrence's character. 

 Such a great, sweet film.

Now the opposite of the above film.  I laughed and laughed.  Ok, some parts were not so funny and just stupid or gross, but for the most part I really liked Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston's comedy.  This is not something I would recommend to let's say, my Dad, but I would to someone that needs a little comedy relief and isn't expecting a family film.  A family film about an RV trip this is not.  Be sure to watch to the end credits.

Really Bad but Good Summer TV

I love a good summer movie or tv show.

This summer (which is quickly coming to an end) there seems to be an abundance of cheesy tv shows and movies to see.  My favorite kind.  Unfortunately, most of them were even too terrible for my taste.

The good:

My favorite show of the season by far.  It's like a retro Road Rules where they are adults stuck together that actually have semi responsibilities but still stupid enough to disrespect and act like idiots.  But very entertaining and the scenery is breath taking.  Why didn't we all just take a year to sail around the Caribbean after college?

The bad:

Not great.  I really wanted it to be the new Poison Ivy (Michael J. Fox version) circa '85, but it is not.  I just finished the last four episodes in a 42 hour period and it definitely got better.  Although I'll keep watching for the same reason my husband will, it's about summer camp.  The characters are annoying, the plots predictable but it's still about a bunch of kids and adults away from everyday society surrounded but beautiful lakes and cabins.  

Something that really bothers me, it's filmed in Australia so almost every actor is Australian.  But only one actually uses their accent.  I don't like that.  It's supposed to be in America and every actor is not American.  Is it that hard to cast and film local?

This Laguna Beach/Hill shot show is so bad, so very, very bad.  It is so staged, the same old story, skinny pretty girls, bad lines.  I almost wish it was scripted so it could just be bad acting and not bad trying not to act- acting.

But of course I'll keep watching.

TV Movie/Musical:

Let me just say, this was no Back to The Beach, Beach Blanket Bingo or Gidget.  I can handle a cheesy, teen movie but I couldn't even watch this one through the fast forward option. 

Movies:

I haven't gotten to the movies but this one sounds perfect.  I hear it's good.

{Movie Review} Pitch Perfect & Struck By Lightning

I liked it.  I know it's been out for awhile but I just got to watching it when it came on HBO this week.

Nothing amazing but an enjoyable watch.  I always love a singing school based musical with a little love story thrown in.  The main boy character is pretty adorable, Rebel Wilson is her usual comedic self, Anna Kendrick shows off her ability to sing (remember she was in CAMP) and Brittany Snow is her usual sweet role.

A few weeks ago when our tv was stuck on Netflix (because you had to manually change the cords and I was too lazy) I watched Chris Colfer's (from Glee) movie Struck By Lightning.  He wrote and starred in the movie.

Also a surprisingly ok movie but kind of depressing.  Here's the thing, he was struck by lightning, hence the name.  I'm not ruining it for you because it shows it 45 seconds into the movie.  Which I missed.  I guess I was away from the tv right after the opening credits.  And let me tell you, the movie may have made a little more sense if I would have known that from the beginning.  But he does die at the end too so I got the point of the movie.  I was a little shocked.  And maybe it was a little better not knowing.

Chris plays pretty much the opposite from his character on Glee.  Except that he is once again an outcast at his high school.  He sure plays miserable and condescending well.  Because that is all this character was the entire movie.  But there sure were some names in his movie.  Christina Hendricks, Rebel Wilson (playing the same role, again), Dermot Mulroney, Allison Janney, Angela Kinsey (The Office), Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) and Ashley Rickards.  Besides Christina Hendricks's character (which you feel bad for) the others are all pretty selfish, unlikeable characters.

{Movie Review} Silver Linings Playbook & American Reunion

I really enjoyed this movie.  Is it Oscar amazing?  I don't know about that but I loved their chemistry the weird characters with many flaws but still likable.  Bradley Cooper was very good as was Jennifer Lawrence.  

It's been in our Netflix queue forever and I finally caught it on tv this weekend.  So bad.  I mean, really, really bad.  And nudity!  Why?  So not necessary.  The only good part I did catch (I did forward through most of the movie) was the replaying of my favorite song during the end scene with Chris Klein and Mena Suvari that played during their end scene in the original movie.

{Movie Review} Les Miserables, This Is 40, Lincoln, New Years Eve and Tanner Hall

We finally had some time at night to sit and watch the movies that arrived for award season and a few on tv I've been wanting to see.

A little boring.  Steven nor I really knew what the story was about and I have to say we were both kind of bored and confused.  The acting was good and Anne Hathaway does have an great voice, but surprised the little amount she was actually in the movie with all the acclaim she is getting.

I don't know, it was like, he's good, he's bad, he's the bad guy that now is good but really bad and everyone happens to keep running into each other and be right around the corner and oh, there's Anne Hathaway again.  I don't know.  I guess we just don't appreciate good art.  I'm sure would have been much better if we were in the theatre.

I did enjoy "On My Own".

This is 40

It was very funny at parts but very long for a "comedy".  Much more like Judd Apatow's Funny People than his Knocked Up.  It's a story about two people that are unhappy but really just because they are having trouble with their jobs and they fight and their kids fight and act like, teenagers and tweens.  Entertainment Weekly did the best review.  They nail it when they say it is kind of hard to feel sorry for these two characters just because they are getting older and don't want to.  There is a ton of Judd Apatow's crew in this movie which are all hilarious.  Melissa McCarthy by far our favorite part of the movie.  Especially the outtakes of her scene during the credits.

Worth watching, not worth going to the theatre.  Enjoyable but not a movie I need to watch again.

It took us three nights to watch because by the time we turned it on we would fall asleep.   It was very good and fantastic acting.  It probably would have been even better in the theatre when you can surround yourself in the characters and setting.

I finally caught this on HBO, on New Year's Day.  That definitely made it better.  Just like Valentine's Day it is a cheesy, unrealistic movie but had some cute parts.  I always love an adult'ish Zac Efron part. Especially during the credits when he is dancing with Michelle Pfeiffer.  Worlds (movies) colliding.

I caught the middle of this movie a few weeks ago and then the end last week.  So yesterday I dvr'd it and watch it from the beginning to get some explanation.  Quick movie, kind of dark and hard to describe what it is really about except a coming of age movie?  Beautiful Autumn scenery.  Rooney Mara was interesting to watch.  I assume much different than her famous Girl With A Dragon Tattoo role.  An ok girly movie for a rainy day.  Read more about it here.

 Others Steve saw and liked.

If you like Quentin Tarantino films.

I still need to watch this.  

Whew, I think that is it for awhile.

{Movie Review} Argo & The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

My husband is in the union and it turns out the movie companies send him their biggest releases (award nominee hopefuls) in dvd a few months before the award season.

They are screeners and very strict with who receives them and each copy is specific to the receiver to track any reproductions or bootleg copies made.

I still have my friend from childhood's While You Were Sleeping on VHS that I guess I borrowed from her house.  Her dad was in the movie rep business.  It was a screener back in the day but I doubt for any awards.  Although there are some great lines in it.

My husband was beyond thrilled when he received his first package two weeks ago.  Then two more came with a few that aren't even in theaters yet.  I think I've been to a movie since my son was born 2 years ago.

Still waiting/hoping for Lincoln....

We watched Argo in the comfiness of our own home last weekend.  Pretty intense and I may have asked how it ended before it ended because I couldn't take the suspense.  Was I supposed to already know?

Then this weekend I watched The Perks of Being A Wallflower.  It was very good.  Very slow,  dark and artsy'ish but enjoyable.  I didn't see any of the Harry Potter movies but Emma Watson was definitely not a little girl in this movie.  She is a very serious and well trained actress.  The other two actors were excellent as well.  Long and I definitely did a lot of Pinterest pinning to get through it but worth it.

Being Elmo

I thought I already watched this documentary but we must have just started it after seeing a promo for it awhile back.

Yesterday we watched the entire thing and it was really entertaining.  A little long but even my son enjoyed the puppetry.

Kevin Clash's story is really interesting and inspiring.  A Baltimore boy with little money but a different interest as a child, creating and sewing his own puppets until he was discovered.  As well as his history with Jim Henson and the many behind the scenes of Sesame Street and other productions.

{Movie Review} The Big Year

Boring.  I didn't even make it an hour before I fell asleep.  Good cast, slow movie, about birds.

Summer Movie Picks

Sometimes it's nice to curl up on the couch on a rainy summer day and watch some fun movies.

These are a few of my top "summer" movies.  Because I have certain movies I will only watch at certain seasons of the year.

{Movie Review} Like Crazy

I was right, the trailer was better than the actual movie.

Good movie, very back and forth.  I knew someone in real life that had to get married because of visa issues, even though they were actually already engaged.  It must be very hard, I couldn't imagine.  I get sad sometimes because I am not near my family but not to be allowed in the same country as your heart?  That's rough.

Sweet movie, kind of redundant, kind of sad and great chemistry.  The commentary explained a little more about the ending but I still was left wanting more.

The Vow

Finally got around to watching it.  I was right, it would have been a really good movie to go to by myself just to watch and cry.  That's normal, I think.

I cried.  Like a lot, a lot.  I liked it, kind of, but not really.  Didn't love Rachel McAdams.  Really liked Tatum Channing.  I'm not sure why I thought it was so sad but every time he said anything about anything about his wife I cried.

Not as good as The Notebook but considerably better than The Time Travelers Wife and Morning Glory.

Spring Movies

Spring is always a good time for some sweet romantic comedies.

These are my picks for a rainy Sunday.

trailer

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I watched this last night while Steve was out.  Cute.  Just like any other teeny bopper movie.

{Movie Review} Friend Movies

Friends With Benefits

I very surprisingly enjoyed this movie.  Many, many parts made me laugh.  Justin Timberlake was very charming and Mila Kunis is so skinny and pretty.  They had great chemistry.  I can always tell when I really like a movie if I stop and text Meg during it.

A no thinking just watch on a slow Friday night kind of movie.

It is another romantic comedy and it the same premise has been done many, many times before.  Even just last year with No Strings Attached.  I liked this one much more.

We actually ate next to Mila two years ago at a small restaurant while they were taking a break from filming down the block.  She seemed very delightful in person.

One Day

I didn't read the book but I can see it being very good.  The movie?  Eh.  Kind of slow, pretty depressing.  Kind of really depressing.  The end made me cry, hard.  Like the back of your nose hurts type of crying.

Movie Review

We caught up on a Netflix and streaming this weekend.

Bill Cunningham New York

A great documentary about a simple NY fashion photographer of people on the streets and at parties.  He has captured the fashion of the times for over sixty years.  Really a great watch.  I loved hearing his story and watching his sweet, quirky personality.  Just kicked out of his tiny, kitchenless apartment in the famous Carnegie Hall Building after fifty years he doesn't let much get in his way of riding his bike around the city with his manual camera around his neck.  You'll see a few great characters as well as some crazy fashions of the past.

Water for Elephants

I read this book years ago and remember really liking it.  Although I couldn't remember much when it came time to watch the movie.  As for a movie made from a book I thought it was pretty good.  But as a story it wasn't so great as a movie.  If that makes sense.  Too many animal pains going on for my eyes.  I don't remember it being that gruesome but maybe that is the touch of Hollywood.

Food Matters

Why is raw better?  Why should you spend a little more on variety and organic produce than a luxury car for vanity?  Why should you take vitamins?  It all makes sense.  Some a little over the top but a great watch to motivate you to do some good for your body and health of your family.

Justin Bieber Never Say Never

Randomly saw this on our Netflix streaming so it was on while I was cleaning.  I have zero degrees of Bieber Fever.  I will say it was a little entertaining and sure doesn't make him look like the brat that I previously have seen in other interviews.  It is interesting that they act like it was all a surprise of fame and such a crazy experience.  Like the NKOTB, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Miley Cyrus never existed.  Just another link in the chain.

{25 Days Of Christmas} Day 3, 2, 1

I can't think of too many more.  So I leave with these three.

I've never even seen two of those start to finish but I guess they are classics.  I feel like I am missing something important.

This one was pretty good too.

{25 Days Of Christmas} Day 4

Four days?!!!  That means Steve comes tomorrow!!!

A classic.

{25 Days Of Christmas} Day 5

I haven't watched this one in years but it always reminds me of Christmas time.

Even if my best friend and I snuck into The Bodyguard in sixth grade while we were supposed to be seeing this one.

{25 Days Of Christmas} Day 6

Now, this is a good one.  My dad is usually pretty right about things but sometimes a great black and white (in his opinion) isn't always so entertaining to me. 

Saturday night we curled up on the couch and watched The Shop Around The Corner.

And it was good!  I recommend everyone set your DVR (probably to Turner Classic Movies channel which I'm pretty sure is available to those under 45) and watch it.

It is the original 'You've Got Mail'.  Who knew?

I think Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan are just as compatible as Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.



You know this scene from YGM.  One of the few in the movie that is almost the exact same.



And if you want to see the cafe scenes from YGM and SAC this is a long clip back to back here.

Or just go watch the movie.