A month behind the entertainment news, but that doesn't mean I can't relay my horrors to the masses that make up the internet. I just found out that there is going to be a movie version of "The Lorax". This was my all-time favorite Dr. Suess book and potentially children's story of all time. My love for this story began back in kindergarten when I watched the 1st grade class of my school put on a play based on the 72 page book.
Well now Universal is making this into a movie. Oye. What is with producers turning a short, simple children's story into a 2 hour mess?? (I am purely speculating on time, but I am fairly certain it would be more in line of the Jim Carrey 104 minute Grinch than the lovely simple 26 minute animated version) And how are the producers further twisting the dagger in my heart? They have casted Taylor Swift as one of the characters (who doesn't exist in the actual story). The only plus is that this movie is animated...ugh.
Fingers crossed the Truffula trees and Brown Bar-ba-loots look as crazy fun and adorably cute as they do in the book.
I saw an advertisement for Beastly the other day. The movie stars a High School Musical girl and some other dude. These two actors are the top billed on all the print ads I've seen and so with this in mind, I assumed that I would have no desire to see it. Then I saw the trailer on tv, and man did I swing 180 on that decision.
Mary Kate Olsen is in this movie!!! The commercial shows her for just a moment but just as she disappeared from the screen I knew it was her. Not for a second did I think that was Ashley, Ijust knew. How in the world is she not on the posters? I get that her adult movie role choices have not been the best, but she is still way more famous than these two. Who cares if she is a supporting cast member, she is freaking MK Olsen.
I gather she is the wicked witch, or just the witch since the guy has it coming to him (remember this is an updated version of Beauty & the Beast). From this still, I would say she is pulling off the creepy and intensity just fine. Now I need to find time hit up the theaters...something tells me I will find time to see this before I get to The Fighter or The Kings Speech.
When the Social Network came out last year, I said I had no interest in going to see it. I further revised this statement and decided not only did I not want to pay for a movie ticket, but I didn't want to even watch it on HBO. In fact, the only way I would watch the flick is if I were on an airplane and it was free.
Well, thanks to Jetblue bribing me into a happier place after delaying my return flight, that exact situation fell into my lap. There I was at 7:40 am, just about to lift off and ready to spend the next few hours watching the story of facebook.
To be honest, I loved the opening scenes and the fast paced dialogue. In the end, the movie was enjoyable, but if I had to recommend my favorite movies of this past year, it wouldn't be in the top three (Inception, Despicable Me, Black Swan). If you have an afternoon to waste and have access to the film for free, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, if you haven't yet seen it, feel good knowing that your life is no less amazing than mine is now, it wasn't a life-changer or a breath-taker.
The only plans I made going into my Christmas vacation home was to go out to Charlie O's for my birthday and see Black Swan with my sister. The first was easily accomplished. Black Swan took some extra work as the snow kept us home-bound for a bit, and then there was Miki. How do you leave a cutie like that home alone?!?!
Well, we finally felt ready to head out for an afternoon showing. Natalie Portman's character, Nina, is emotionally complex. We are quick to see her need for perfection. Nina focuses on her form and movement, leaving the emotion behind the ballet as an afterthought. It is this exact issue that leaves the director hesitant to cast her as the lead in Swan Lake. His version has the lead woman play both white and black swan (I assume this is different from the traditional piece - let's check wikipedia - nope this has been the case since the 1800s), and from a technical perspective knows Nina is the best for the role, but is unsure if she can bring the passion for the seduction needed for the Black Swan.
Obviously she gets the part. If she didn't the movie would just end. For the sake of those who have not seen the film yet, I will skip over all of the crazy things that happen up until the end (but don't worry I am still not revealing anything you don't already know). Throughout the movie, Nina is being asked to prove that she is sexual enough for the part of the Black Swan. I have to admit, I agreed with the douchey ballet director, Nina just didn't have it in her. Her body emaciated body - from what I have read, is pretty accurate for a dancer - did not give off anything close to sexy. The movements did not draw me in.
But then it happens. The final sequence includes a very powerful Black Swan performance. Her movements have so much emotion behind them, that I began to really lose myself in the energy.
Just look at this frame. There is serious power and control being forced through the movement. Once the ballet began my heart started to race. I could feel my breathing slow down. Then after the final moment was over and there is that beat before the credits roll, I slowly took myself out of the reality that was created for me. I notice I have not breathed in and force a breath.
Over the last few years, I have noticed that I can get very invested in movies, tv and literature. Occasionally a piece moves me to the point of breathlessness. Coming out of theaters after this happens is always exhilarating and I can't wait to feel the same way again - kind of junkie behavior. I try not to go into movies expecting this, as to avoid disappointment. Seeing the previews for this movie made me think I would enjoy it, I never thought I would get so enveloped in the visuals, as it is shot completely with a hand-held camera and I tend to dislike that kind of jerky framework. Here it completely complimented the emotions Nina was experiencing, drawing me further and further into the plot.
In the end, go see this movie! I won't promise you will forget to breath, but I can't imagine you will come out disappointed.
Hit the "skip to :47 seconds" image in the video to get to the trailer. But I just saw the Pirates of the Caribbean 4 trailer for the first time and I am beyond excited. Penelope Cruz looks amazing, Keira who???
This past weekend was amazing, I will be posting about the Snowball Gala, SSR, betteroffbowling, and Christmas shopping later this week. Ok, probably not until Friday as I have a major amount of Economics to do by Thursday. Tootles!
I would say it is a bad sign if the trailer of a sequel starts with scenes from the original flick. Unfortunately for ABCFamily, the only way anyone would know that this was Mean Girls 2 is to do just that. The cast is completely redone (with exception of Tim Meadows) and there are new writers, which pretty much guarantees this will be horrible.
Lindsay might have turned into a train wreck, but there is no denying that Mean Girls is one of the best films around.
Movies that center around women empowerment either come of patronizing or amazing. Made In Dagenham looks phenomenal. It is a film by the BBC based on real events regarding seamstresses fighting for equal pay. The cast looks perfect. Smee from Hook plays the lovable male who secretly or not so secretly supports and encourages the women to rebel.
I watched a few different clips from the film and I have to admit there were a few tears. As much as I hate history, I love history that revolves around feminist movements. Reading or watching events where women fight for equality just warms my heart so much and makes me want to find a cause to rally up behind. I know that the script is based on true events, but I really hope the dialogue at the end of the trailer real...I love me some extra sassy leaders.
Reporter 1: "What if the minister says no deal?" Reporter 2: "Yeah, how will you cope?" Woman: "Cope? We are women. Don't ask that stupid question"
My professor let us know a few weeks ago that our class this week would be canceled. She had suggested that everyone work on their group projects as everyone should now have 7-9:30 free. Well, two of the members of my group saw the free night as a way to earn more money and agreed to work late, which meant free night for me! I mean, it would have been rude to work on the project myself, I wouldn't want anyone to feel bad about not pulling their own weight.
So instead, I thought why not have a girl date with one of my best friends. We agreed to enjoy a feast at Redbones. Thanks to a groupon that I had burning in my pocket, we were able to enjoy three different types of meat (sausage, ribs, pulled pork), sweet potato fries, cold slaw, beans, and of course some pie. Once we got to the point that another bite could not even be considered, let alone executed, we saw that it was almost 9 pm and time to head over to the movie theater to see The Town.
Let me tell you, this movie was amazing. As you may know, many scenes we re shot here in the Boston area. My friend and I had a great time picking out areas that we frequent.
Early on, Ben Affleck's character eats lunch with Rebecca Hall's. They are sitting on the patio of Grendal's Den. How do I know that? Well, first if you have ever walked in the area, you can tell based on the surroundings. But the main reason is that I stood in the park area for my entire lunch hour the day it was filmed hoping to see someone famous. Sadly, no one came out and I had to return to my office sad.
Later on there is a large sequence that was shot in the northend right by Bacca's. We had eaten there during restaurant week together, so of course we made a little girly shrill of excitement when the location was on the screen. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say, it was disappointing after about 2 hours of awesome.
Even taking into account the ending, this movie gets my stamp of approval, and I urge you all to go out and see it. I mean, come on, it's a Ben Affleck movie.
Tom Selleck has a new show this fall on CBS. It is called Blue Bloods, and I can only imagine he will be a cop because I can't think of any other profession that allows for that kind of facial hair.
As exciting as it is to be able to see this mustache on tv every Monday, I am more interested in one of his new movies. IMDB tells me that Three Men and a Bride is in development!!!
If the movie is just being developed, I would guess the earliest it will be released is in 2012. 3 Men and a Baby was released in 1987 which means in two years Mary will be 25 which is a perfectly acceptable age to be getting hitched. This kind of timing could be great or awful. Toy Story 3 worked wonderfully because viewers were able to relate to Andy (and his toys) since they were aging at the same rate. But it could be awful as I don't know if my fellow 20-somethings will be as excited as I am for the film.
Side note: I just checked the actress's IMDB page that played little Mary in the second movie. She hasn't done anything since 1994. I think it might be time for her comback ;)
Everyone knows a bbq isn't complete without corn on the cob. This vegetable is the ultimate picnic table accessory, and brings joy to all ages, minus those currently sporting braces. It is crunchy, butter, salty, and sweet all in one bite. Yum!
Per usual, when I get cravings for a food item, such as these ears of corn, I cannot wait to pick one up and munch. Unfortunately, this often means I
attempt to pick up the food item as soon as it hits the table, aka the minute after it came off the grill/out of the pot. This results in an awkward game of hot potato between my hands and my mouth. I loved that at a child my parents would attach little corncob holders to the end so that my delicate fingers did not get subjected to butter burns.
As an adult the practice of using holders is looked down on. I should just woman up and deal. Up until now, I was going along with this. But then I saw these:
Who wouldn't be excited to use a unicorn as a corncob holder?? I was super bummed that they were sold out because lately I have been in a unicorn mood. Most likely this is because I am still totally loving Agnes (from Despicable Me) and all her enthusiasm. I mean, just try to hide your smile after watching this!
The people behind Despicable Me are awesome. The movie was hysterical and their partnership with IHOP is brilliant. The minions, who are Gru's helpers and assist him in carrying out his evil plans, are now being used to advertise IHOPs new tater tot platters. These guys are shaped awfully like this tasty potato treats, so basically, a match made in heaven.
After seeing the movie, I went to the movie's website (something I never do) and played the Minion Dominion activity. You can tell the little guys to jump, dance, fight, wave, etc. It is pretty fantastic and if you have some downtime I suggest playing around with this duo.
Did you know that if you go to the movies at 10:30 am it only costs $6? Well I now know and have every intention of becoming a morning movie patron.
I am not sure if I will ever go to the theaters in the pm now that I know there is such a deal if I compliment with my brunches with some cinema. And seriously, who wouldn't love some abs first thing in the morning?
Yes, in case you can't figure it out I saw Eclipse. I totally recommend it.
I saw Toy Story 3 (3D), loved it, and now wish I hadn't read so many reviews. When reading various articles over the last two weeks, I was convinced that I knew the ending. Watching a movie for the first time when you think you know the spoilers is very distracting - guess I will just have to watch it again!
The main focus of the movie is that Andy has grown up and is heading to college. His mom is making him pack up his room and all of his toys (thankfully my mom didn't make me do this until about a month ago). The toys will either be trash or saved and this puts them into a panic. My mom always was amazed that I have such a hard time letting go of my childhood play things, but maybe she will go see this movie and understand. I mean, how could I possibly be expected to throw away toys that kept me occupied for hours?? They know all of my secrets!! After walking out of the theater I immediately had the urge to get home so I could hug my teddy bear. He needed one, it had been a while since he hung out with me.
Go see this movie. Be ready to get a little teary. And try and remember where you last put your stuffed animals because you are going to want to find them as soon as you get home!
Someone out there in the great interwebs had the genius to match up Lady Gaga's Bad Romance with a the dance sequence to the Seize the Day (Chorale) from Newsies. If you are unfamiliar with Newsies, shame on you. Go out and rent it. It was quite the movie back in 1992 and features a young Christian Bale!
Here is the video:
Additional clips, the original music with this dance.
And you may find that you do in fact know the music from this movie when you hear Seize the Day. I just love a group of men singing and dancing in formation.
Waking Sleeping Beauty is a film about the biggest comeback in Disney animation history. The animated movies made between 1984 and 1994 are now considered Disney classics - Oliver & Company, Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Alladin, and The Lion King. These movies were almost never drawn due to the fact that there were a series of unfortunate flops (as told to me by the preview). I would like to know what is considered a flop because when I look at a chronological history of Disney Movies, I rather like the ones that were released right before this period. They aren't the most exciting films, but they are pretty adorable nonetheless.
Well, for whatever the reasoning, I am amazed to learn that animation was almost closed down at Disney studios, considering their live action films have never been their strong suit. I think this will be a fascinating film and cannot wait to see it. I checked on imdb and it should be released sometime next month. So here is the big question, anyone interested in joining me?
Jezebel posted a column about sexism and the Academy Awards. People, who ever they are, have begun discussing that if Kathryn Bigelow wins for Hurt Locker will she have won for merit or because she was a woman.
Honestly, people.
These are the types of discussions that simply annoy me. Why do people always need to ask if a person won an award because of their race, gender, sexuality, etc? Furthermore, if James Cameron wins, I find it doubtful that people will ask if he gets to take the gold statue home because the voters just didn't want to give it to Kathryn.
Christmas is in less than a week. Which is awesome. But I am getting a little panicky. My Christmas cards have all been personalized, addressed, stamped and mailed. My gifts not only purchased but also wrapped. And yet I am extremely concerned. Why? I have not yet watched any of my favorite Christmas movies!
Love Actually starts 8 weeks before the holiday and I try to start watching mid November to work with the time frame. I will subsequently continue to watch it semi regularly while cleaning, decorating or just hanging around. The flow of the different story lines is so well executed with the way the characters interact and are intertwined. Even with all the love, the movie keeps it it light and funny with some spectacular lines, such as; "I am Colin, God of Sex". This movie will forever and always make me think of college. I don't even know if I can count the number of times we got together to watch this one.
"Buddy the Elf. What's your favorite color?" Another new Christmas classic. This movie is so quotable. Everyone seems to around saying lines from this one... "SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!" This one let's your inner kid come through. Who doesn't like Will Ferrel in a small green elfish costume? It is truly fantastic. Makes any grump into a believer. After seeing the movie I can't help but to sing a Christmas song loud and clear for all to hear.
My mother's favorite Christmas movie is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. We watch it annually as a family, often in Florida. Nothing says Christmas like palm trees. There are so many physical gags in this film. Personally, I love it when they untie the tree and the branches just explode everywhere. Just thinking about it makes me giggle. Chevy Chase is doing well for himself on Community, but he will always be Clark Griswold to me.
I hope to find some time to get some movie watching in stat! In the mean time, at least I can enjoy the cartoon intro to Christmas Vacation.
Saw New Moon tonight with a bunch of friends. It was amazing. The movie was so much better than Twilight, the acting has improved. Don't take this as me saying that the movie is going up for an award. I'm just saying that I could probably watch this one more than three times. It was a common agreement that three was the maximum number that one could sit through Twilight.
Jacob Black has an amazing body. Everyone in the theater took a deep breath in when we first saw him shirtless. That happened over and over again throughout the movie. Edward is Edward, but Jacob totally has an amazing body and well, for now, I am on team Jacob.
Last weekend I went out with my senior year roommates to see Arsenic and Old Lace at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square. The movie was made in 1944 and stars Cary Grant. I had never seen this movie before, but this experience makes me want to rent some films from this time period. The conversation was not only witty but fast paced, it reminded me of the Gilmore Girls in terms of the tempo.
If you haven't had the pleasure of viewing the film, the characters are quirky and the plot is ridiculous but that is why it is so charming. The film is 118 minutes and only covers a few hours of a day. Not only is such a short time period covered, but close 80% of the film is set in one room. After watching the film I was amazed on the simplicity of the film and yet how much more enjoyable it was than many of the films that have been made recently. There aer no special effects or big loopholes in the story line.
Yes, the story revolves around two old women who mercy kill (for lack of a better term) gentlemen that come to their house looking to rent rooms - which is a little hard to believe. Of course, their nephew discovers when he goes to tell them he secretly got married and is on his way to his honeymoon. While waiting in the house, he happened to notice a body was stuffed in the window seat. That body was their most recent kill - number 13.
Once this discovery is made, hilarity ensues. If you do go see the film after reading this, please be excited to know that Peter Lorre does play the part of Dr. Einstein. He is his usual creepy yet adorable self.
The Brattle shows classic movies regularly and for a very reasonable price. I enjoy that there is an establishment that allows us to experience these films in the theater as a big screen can really enhance a film.
If I had happened upon this film on my tv at home, I doubt I would have watched the whole thing, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't have paid very close attention. So I am glad my friend thought we should go out and see it. The last movie I saw at the Brattle was Casablanca. If you haven't seen that in the theaters, you really should. It was so much better in the theater than in my house.
