I did actually squeeze in some viewing (movie and otherwise) over the long weekend, although I bet none of it will end up being Oscar-worthy. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that!
On Sunday we spent like $100 to see 30 Minutes or Less (I am including one medium drink and one medium popcorn in that price). This movie stars Jesse Eisenberg as a slacker, pizza delivery boy. He is kidnapped on a delivery run and then armed with bomb vest and tasked to steal $100k from a local bank and convinces his estranged best friend (Aziz Ansari) to go a long for the ride. His kidnappers are played by Danny McBride and Nick Swardson (I know, best idea ever). Our friend who read some reviews before the movie read one that said something along the lines of, "if you like to laugh at funny things, then watch this movie." The movie is super-fun and ridiculous and has a lot of funny things at which to laugh. I was not disappointed at all and I was very entertained. What else can you ask for?
We then continued our Danny McBride Love Fest by watching the first season of Eastbound & Down. See above review. Super-raunchy, ridiculous, and just entertaining from start to finish. However, there is still meaningful character development for Kenny Powers and his brother (played by John Hawkes of Winter's Bone) as well as his sister-in-law. I hear the second season is currently streaming on Netflix.
And since we hadn't ingested enough just ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous media - we also took in Hot Tub Time Machine. This movie stars John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase, and Crispin Glover. It is about a hot tub that is a time machine, taking some of these men from some sort of present time to the '80's. Really fun, really clever, and I absolutely LOVED Clark Duke as Jacob/the voice of reason and normalcy. Or somewhat normal.
Overall, if you like laughing at funny, stupid, silly things - then you will like all of these things.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Droppin' some knowledge...
While perusing one of my favorite blogs this morning (Pop Candy) and reading my favorite daily post, The Early Buzz (a round-up of pop culture-related links), I stumbled upon this: "12 Oscar Contenders to Watch for" - just a little something to whet your appetite for the fall and the eventual awards season.
One movie not mentioned (I guess because it's not making the festival circuit) is Warrior. To me it seems like this year's The Wrestler or The Fighter. It stars Tom Hardy (who you'll remember from Inception and will also be taking a turn as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises) and Joel Edgerton (the best character in Animal Kingdom) as brothers who end up MMA-fighting each other. Nick Nolte stars as their father. I think it looks good.
Otherwise, I haven't been to the movies in about a hundred years. The husband and I did go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 and people (person?), let me tell you - it is good. It's beautiful and so respectful of the world J.K. Rowling created over 7-ish books. I really recommend it if you love Harry Potter. Totally excellent ending.
So what's the plan going forward now that I appear to never go to the movies ever? Well, hopefully to see one over the long weekend, even if it's some good, long weekend fluff.
What are you planning to see next?
One movie not mentioned (I guess because it's not making the festival circuit) is Warrior. To me it seems like this year's The Wrestler or The Fighter. It stars Tom Hardy (who you'll remember from Inception and will also be taking a turn as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises) and Joel Edgerton (the best character in Animal Kingdom) as brothers who end up MMA-fighting each other. Nick Nolte stars as their father. I think it looks good.
Otherwise, I haven't been to the movies in about a hundred years. The husband and I did go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 and people (person?), let me tell you - it is good. It's beautiful and so respectful of the world J.K. Rowling created over 7-ish books. I really recommend it if you love Harry Potter. Totally excellent ending.
So what's the plan going forward now that I appear to never go to the movies ever? Well, hopefully to see one over the long weekend, even if it's some good, long weekend fluff.
What are you planning to see next?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
X-Men: First Class (b a b y day?)
Get excited! My lovely husband graciously accepted my offer to blog about his most recent movie-going experience. This week he attended Baby Day at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek with our niece (ok, and her parents) while I was slaving away at work, supporting his lifestyle. Such sacrifice!! Anyways...onward!
"So, prior to yesterday, I was still fuzzy on some of my history facts. I am a schoolteacher, but I don’t teach history, so bits and pieces have gone by the wayside. That’s okay, though because I went to go see X-Men: First Class, a, from what I can tell, completely historically accurate retelling of world history (I’m pretty sure Sarah Palin was fact-checker on the side), but that’s beside the point.
Yes, I had checked out http://www.imdb.com/ and looked into the newest movie in the X-Men franchise and tried to do a little sneak peeking to see what Marvel would be bringing me/the world. And, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention (see back to the history lessons I also didn’t pay attention to) to cast members/mutants that would grace the silver screen, because I was still in for some surprises.
As far as major plot points go, this film (I’ll throw that word around) basically sets up the world of X-Men that we knew about from the year 2000 (picture Conan O’Brien singing that without getting sued by a major network) when the first X-Men movie fed our superhero-needing senses. For most people that I know that were excited for the first movie 11 years ago, my fellow nerds and I had a pretty firm grasp on who the main characters were, what a lot of their non-mutant aliases were, etc. I was excited to see X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and even X-Men Origins: Wolverine (I personally feel that Hugh Jackman is a fantastic embodiment of the Wolverine character). With some slight, okay pretty glaring, graphical shortcomings in the Wolverine movie, I started to feel less excited about the prospect of a future X-Men movie (unless it centered around Ryan Reynolds’ character, Dead Pool). However, my brother-in-law and I had seen several of these movies together and decided that we would go to see X-Men:First Class together in the theaters.
I’m glad that I did see it in theaters, the action scenes were pretty great, and the graphics were much better than X-Men Origins:Wolverine. My only real complaint about the graphics in this new movie were with ships in the open ocean – I’m fairly certain that with the money Marvel has made on all of these movies that they could have afforded to at least make a scale model of a ship and have it float in an ocean made for a sound stage so that the wake and sides of the ship would look like somewhat realistic, and not like I was messing around with PhotoShop and putting a 3-D mockup of a boat into an actual picture of the ocean. Otherwise, though, the graphics and action were pretty great.
My biggest surprise (which IMDB had no thoughts about hiding, I’m just slow on the uptake, and not big on reading) was Kevin Bacon! He was phenomenal from start to finish. I assumed he was just a cameo in the beginning, maybe a long-time fan getting in touch with Matthew Vaughn, director, or one of the four collaborating writers for a bit part, but no, he was the real deal, and he owned his character. My wife and I had seen Winter’s Bone earlier in the year (or the end of last year), so it was nice to see Jennifer Lawrence acting in a very different role and showing that she can in fact pull off all blue body paint (very important fact to know about yourself). James McAvoy, you had big shoes (or a big wheelchair seat) to fill as Charles Xavier – since this movie is the beginning, a roll that would “later” be played by Patrick Stewart. There was good writing with little one-liners that foreshadow things that happen to the Professor X character. Aside from Kevin Bacon stealing the show, I think Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) was played to a T by Michael Fassbender (who you may remember from Band of Brothers or Inglourious Basterds). Fassbender took the painful rise of Magneto and played it straight and almost had me rooting for the bad guy I know he, spoiler alert, turns out to be.
So, it’s hard for me to give this movie 5 out of 5 stars, but I could give it a solid 4 with the quality of acting, the good mutant character development, and unreal historical accuracy.
-Guest blogger (the husband)"
"So, prior to yesterday, I was still fuzzy on some of my history facts. I am a schoolteacher, but I don’t teach history, so bits and pieces have gone by the wayside. That’s okay, though because I went to go see X-Men: First Class, a, from what I can tell, completely historically accurate retelling of world history (I’m pretty sure Sarah Palin was fact-checker on the side), but that’s beside the point.
Yes, I had checked out http://www.imdb.com/ and looked into the newest movie in the X-Men franchise and tried to do a little sneak peeking to see what Marvel would be bringing me/the world. And, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention (see back to the history lessons I also didn’t pay attention to) to cast members/mutants that would grace the silver screen, because I was still in for some surprises.
As far as major plot points go, this film (I’ll throw that word around) basically sets up the world of X-Men that we knew about from the year 2000 (picture Conan O’Brien singing that without getting sued by a major network) when the first X-Men movie fed our superhero-needing senses. For most people that I know that were excited for the first movie 11 years ago, my fellow nerds and I had a pretty firm grasp on who the main characters were, what a lot of their non-mutant aliases were, etc. I was excited to see X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and even X-Men Origins: Wolverine (I personally feel that Hugh Jackman is a fantastic embodiment of the Wolverine character). With some slight, okay pretty glaring, graphical shortcomings in the Wolverine movie, I started to feel less excited about the prospect of a future X-Men movie (unless it centered around Ryan Reynolds’ character, Dead Pool). However, my brother-in-law and I had seen several of these movies together and decided that we would go to see X-Men:First Class together in the theaters.
I’m glad that I did see it in theaters, the action scenes were pretty great, and the graphics were much better than X-Men Origins:Wolverine. My only real complaint about the graphics in this new movie were with ships in the open ocean – I’m fairly certain that with the money Marvel has made on all of these movies that they could have afforded to at least make a scale model of a ship and have it float in an ocean made for a sound stage so that the wake and sides of the ship would look like somewhat realistic, and not like I was messing around with PhotoShop and putting a 3-D mockup of a boat into an actual picture of the ocean. Otherwise, though, the graphics and action were pretty great.
My biggest surprise (which IMDB had no thoughts about hiding, I’m just slow on the uptake, and not big on reading) was Kevin Bacon! He was phenomenal from start to finish. I assumed he was just a cameo in the beginning, maybe a long-time fan getting in touch with Matthew Vaughn, director, or one of the four collaborating writers for a bit part, but no, he was the real deal, and he owned his character. My wife and I had seen Winter’s Bone earlier in the year (or the end of last year), so it was nice to see Jennifer Lawrence acting in a very different role and showing that she can in fact pull off all blue body paint (very important fact to know about yourself). James McAvoy, you had big shoes (or a big wheelchair seat) to fill as Charles Xavier – since this movie is the beginning, a roll that would “later” be played by Patrick Stewart. There was good writing with little one-liners that foreshadow things that happen to the Professor X character. Aside from Kevin Bacon stealing the show, I think Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) was played to a T by Michael Fassbender (who you may remember from Band of Brothers or Inglourious Basterds). Fassbender took the painful rise of Magneto and played it straight and almost had me rooting for the bad guy I know he, spoiler alert, turns out to be.
So, it’s hard for me to give this movie 5 out of 5 stars, but I could give it a solid 4 with the quality of acting, the good mutant character development, and unreal historical accuracy.
-Guest blogger (the husband)"
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Just popping back in...
I have been negligent, but I wanted to pop in and pass along this article I came across today discussing changes in Oscar categories for next year. The most significant change? The Best Picture category will have from 5-10 nominees. Films that receive 5% or higher of the votes on the initial AMPAS ballot will receive a nomination (in past years this would have meant a field of 5-9 nominees). Thank goodness!!
1=28101&mpc=2">http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=653063>1=28101&mpc=2
Nominations will be announced January 24, 2012 - mark your calendars!!
1=28101&mpc=2">http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=653063>1=28101&mpc=2
Nominations will be announced January 24, 2012 - mark your calendars!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Round-up!!!
Generally the husband and I are able to at least round out the Best Actor and Actress categories each year, but this year we came up short. The week and weekend of the Oscar's was busy busy busy for us, but we were able to grab a couple more of the movies at home. The first was Animal Kingdom. This is an Australian film up for Best Supporting Actress for Jacki Weaver. Interesting tidbit - this film was nominated for 18 Australian Film Institute Awards (Australia's Oscar's) which is the most any movie has ever been nominated. It won almost everything with the exception of the Acting categories where more than one cast member was nominated (only one could win). Jacki Weaver plays the matriarch of an organized crime family. She has 5 sons and 1 daughter and when the daughter dies (of an overdose), Smurf (Jacki Weaver) takes in her grandson. The movie is a look at their family through his eyes. It is gritty and sometimes hard-to-watch, but it is interesting and it is good and Jacki Weaver just embodies the role. Definitely worth seeing.
Saturday night we watched Alice in Wonderland. I was eagerly anticipating this movie while it was being made because I love Tim Burton's eye, but then the reviews were pretty rough. The story meanders and feels a little disjointed - it takes elements from both books and the Disney cartoon, but is also a return to Underland for Alice - I didn't really get the framing. Either way, it does look GOOD. Colleen Atwood definitely deserved her nomination (and win) for Best Costume - I mean I wanted to wear every single thing Alice wore. But as far as this movie being something interesting or different in the Alice pantheon, I just kind of say, "meh."
SO the Oscars...I loved loved loved the idea of Anne Hathaway and James Franco co-hosting and I still think it could have been great, but somehow it just didn't quite pan out. I thought James Franco was super-stiff (and possibly high) and Anne Hathaway did her best to compensate, but it was just a bit off. I know a lot of people thought Kirk Douglas was super-charming and hilarious, but for me it was one segment that just drug on forever. His presentation coupled with Melissa Leo's long acceptance speech - I think 30 minutes ended up being dedicated to that award. I was disappointed that there were no real surprises in the winners. I really enjoyed both The King's Speech and The Social Network, but I was really hoping that by Oscar time everyone would have gotten over that and Black Swan and Darren Aronofsky could just be given their due. I was/am so happy for Natalie Portman and her win - the clip they showed from the movie made me emotional, so you can imagine I was even more so during her acceptance speech. Yay Natalie! I still think 10 Best Picture nominees is too much, but it was nice to see how spread out those films are across genre and appeal. Don't worry, Academy, I'll be back next year.
What's next now that the Academy Awards have passed? Well, Salt still arrived via Netflix, so at least one of us will watch that. Paul also opens in a few weeks and the cast is just irresistable (Seth Rogan, Simon Pegg, Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman - and those are just in the commercials I've seen).
Also - what did you think of the Academy Awards - show and winners?
Saturday night we watched Alice in Wonderland. I was eagerly anticipating this movie while it was being made because I love Tim Burton's eye, but then the reviews were pretty rough. The story meanders and feels a little disjointed - it takes elements from both books and the Disney cartoon, but is also a return to Underland for Alice - I didn't really get the framing. Either way, it does look GOOD. Colleen Atwood definitely deserved her nomination (and win) for Best Costume - I mean I wanted to wear every single thing Alice wore. But as far as this movie being something interesting or different in the Alice pantheon, I just kind of say, "meh."
SO the Oscars...I loved loved loved the idea of Anne Hathaway and James Franco co-hosting and I still think it could have been great, but somehow it just didn't quite pan out. I thought James Franco was super-stiff (and possibly high) and Anne Hathaway did her best to compensate, but it was just a bit off. I know a lot of people thought Kirk Douglas was super-charming and hilarious, but for me it was one segment that just drug on forever. His presentation coupled with Melissa Leo's long acceptance speech - I think 30 minutes ended up being dedicated to that award. I was disappointed that there were no real surprises in the winners. I really enjoyed both The King's Speech and The Social Network, but I was really hoping that by Oscar time everyone would have gotten over that and Black Swan and Darren Aronofsky could just be given their due. I was/am so happy for Natalie Portman and her win - the clip they showed from the movie made me emotional, so you can imagine I was even more so during her acceptance speech. Yay Natalie! I still think 10 Best Picture nominees is too much, but it was nice to see how spread out those films are across genre and appeal. Don't worry, Academy, I'll be back next year.
What's next now that the Academy Awards have passed? Well, Salt still arrived via Netflix, so at least one of us will watch that. Paul also opens in a few weeks and the cast is just irresistable (Seth Rogan, Simon Pegg, Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman - and those are just in the commercials I've seen).
Also - what did you think of the Academy Awards - show and winners?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Serious case of catch-up!
Well, the nominations have been announced and I am proud to say my husband and I ended up seeing all 10 of the Best Picture nominees! But goodness am I behind in telling you about them! And not to mention the other nominees we've seen.
The Fighter - Once again, annoyed by noisy patrons at the Arbor. What is the deal, people?! Anyways, I really liked the movie. Great acting performances and a really interesting story. I don't really follow any kind of fighting, so the plot was all new to me (it's the story of "Irish" Micky Ward). Christian Bale (Best Supporting Actor) certainly deserves the win and I was disappointed Mark Wahlberg didn't make the nomination cut. I read somewhere recently that Melissa Leo's (Best Supporting Actress) performance is kind of like, "Give me an Oscar!" and I do agree with that assessment. She's incredible, but she showed much more range and depth in Frozen River (her first Academy Award nomination). The sisters are as great as everyone says and Amy Adams (Best Supporting Actress) really holds her own as well. Good movie, but we'll get to my favorite movie set in Massachusetts in a minute.
The Kids Are All Right - Super interesting movie. To me, the movie was really about the difficulties of a committed relationship, regardless of your gender or orientation. Of course, it is complicated by the fact there is a third unknown figure (the sperm donor) that doesn't exist in all relationships. It was kind of comforting (to me) to see the similarities in romantic relationships, rather than the overt ones that the movie addresses on the surface. I don't really think Mark Ruffalo should have been nominated for Best Actor - he's good, of course - but he doesn't really cover any new ground in this role. Annette Bening (Best Actress) and Julianne Moore are believable and I really commend this movie for its boldness. Definitely one to see.
How to Train Your Dragon - Super cute, nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score. Very fun to watch, great message, but doesn't really hold a candle to Toy Story 3.
The Town - Now this is my favorite movie set in Massachusetts and in my opinion, the biggest snub by the Academy. Jeremy Renner, of course, deserves his nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but this film deserves so much more. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay - you name it. We finished it and I wanted to watch it again. Really interesting action/crime/drama, but much less complicated than The Departed. Do yourself a favor and Netflix this one ASAP.
Biutiful - Thankfully, not disrupted by loud Arbor patrons! This is nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor (Javier Bardem). Bardem portrays a criminal who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and sets about his life to make things right. I really don't want to give away too much and while my short summary is dismal, this movie really is good. The imagery is subtle, yet lovely, and you continue to root for Javier Bardem's character. There are some difficult scenes, but the beauty really does outweigh those. Keep an eye out for when you feel like watching a heavy, subtitle, yet rewarding movie.
Coming up? Turns out our life is pretty busy between now and the big show. Our current Netflix movie is Animal Kingdom (Best Supporting Actress - Jacki Weaver) and we have I am Love (Best Costume Design), Restrepo (Best Documentary-Long Subject), and Exit Through the Gift Shop (Best Documentary-Long Subject) all on streaming. Unfortunately, we missed Rabbit Hole (Best Actress - Nicole Kidman) in the theaters, so if we make it back to our dear Arbor it will be to see either Blue Valentine (Best Actress - Michelle Williams) or The Illusionist (Best Animated Film) - or both!
What are you seeing next?
The Fighter - Once again, annoyed by noisy patrons at the Arbor. What is the deal, people?! Anyways, I really liked the movie. Great acting performances and a really interesting story. I don't really follow any kind of fighting, so the plot was all new to me (it's the story of "Irish" Micky Ward). Christian Bale (Best Supporting Actor) certainly deserves the win and I was disappointed Mark Wahlberg didn't make the nomination cut. I read somewhere recently that Melissa Leo's (Best Supporting Actress) performance is kind of like, "Give me an Oscar!" and I do agree with that assessment. She's incredible, but she showed much more range and depth in Frozen River (her first Academy Award nomination). The sisters are as great as everyone says and Amy Adams (Best Supporting Actress) really holds her own as well. Good movie, but we'll get to my favorite movie set in Massachusetts in a minute.
The Kids Are All Right - Super interesting movie. To me, the movie was really about the difficulties of a committed relationship, regardless of your gender or orientation. Of course, it is complicated by the fact there is a third unknown figure (the sperm donor) that doesn't exist in all relationships. It was kind of comforting (to me) to see the similarities in romantic relationships, rather than the overt ones that the movie addresses on the surface. I don't really think Mark Ruffalo should have been nominated for Best Actor - he's good, of course - but he doesn't really cover any new ground in this role. Annette Bening (Best Actress) and Julianne Moore are believable and I really commend this movie for its boldness. Definitely one to see.
How to Train Your Dragon - Super cute, nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score. Very fun to watch, great message, but doesn't really hold a candle to Toy Story 3.
The Town - Now this is my favorite movie set in Massachusetts and in my opinion, the biggest snub by the Academy. Jeremy Renner, of course, deserves his nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but this film deserves so much more. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay - you name it. We finished it and I wanted to watch it again. Really interesting action/crime/drama, but much less complicated than The Departed. Do yourself a favor and Netflix this one ASAP.
Biutiful - Thankfully, not disrupted by loud Arbor patrons! This is nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor (Javier Bardem). Bardem portrays a criminal who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and sets about his life to make things right. I really don't want to give away too much and while my short summary is dismal, this movie really is good. The imagery is subtle, yet lovely, and you continue to root for Javier Bardem's character. There are some difficult scenes, but the beauty really does outweigh those. Keep an eye out for when you feel like watching a heavy, subtitle, yet rewarding movie.
Coming up? Turns out our life is pretty busy between now and the big show. Our current Netflix movie is Animal Kingdom (Best Supporting Actress - Jacki Weaver) and we have I am Love (Best Costume Design), Restrepo (Best Documentary-Long Subject), and Exit Through the Gift Shop (Best Documentary-Long Subject) all on streaming. Unfortunately, we missed Rabbit Hole (Best Actress - Nicole Kidman) in the theaters, so if we make it back to our dear Arbor it will be to see either Blue Valentine (Best Actress - Michelle Williams) or The Illusionist (Best Animated Film) - or both!
What are you seeing next?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Boys of Summer
So...I was driving to work this morning and since 101X insists on playing Red Hot Chili Peppers all of the time, I flipped over to KGSR and the aforementioned song was playing. It was the original, by Don Henley. I like this song. I think it's a great song. My parents were into Don Henley when I was younger, so I've been with this song for a long time.
However, as most girls my age, I got into the Atari's around the end of high school. They are your basic post-punk, pop-rock band. On their album, "So Long, Astoria" they included their version of this song. I loved it, America loved it (it is still their highest charting single). They updated it a little - their version is a little more rockin' and they reference Black Flag rather than the Grateful Dead. All in all, great cover.
So back to me in my car this morning. I'm waiting to turn left and having sort of a low-key jam to Don Henley when I found myself wanting a little more to the song. And I realized, I really like the Atari's version a lot better than Don Henley's original. I feel like the later version of the song has more emotion, and more than that, more desperation. Kris Roe's vocals really capture the nostalgia and the urgency of this regret about a time has drifted away. Don Henley just kind of sounds like he's cruising, you know?
So there, I said it. I admitted it. I like the cover better than the original. Sorry, Don Henley, but thank you so much for playing it with the Eagles at ACL Fest last year!
Funny side story - when my husband and I were first dating, he made me a mix cd for my birthday (which was about 3 weeks after we started dating). So he calls me the next day to ask how I liked it and all that business. As I was praising his excellent mix cd skills he asked, "Did you like how I threw down the original 'Boys of Summer'?" I did my best, but ended up busting up laughing. The cd had the version by DJ Sammy. He assumed that the Ataris had covered a DJ Sammy song. Hilarious. He is still that adorable. Maybe that's why I like this song so much...
However, as most girls my age, I got into the Atari's around the end of high school. They are your basic post-punk, pop-rock band. On their album, "So Long, Astoria" they included their version of this song. I loved it, America loved it (it is still their highest charting single). They updated it a little - their version is a little more rockin' and they reference Black Flag rather than the Grateful Dead. All in all, great cover.
So back to me in my car this morning. I'm waiting to turn left and having sort of a low-key jam to Don Henley when I found myself wanting a little more to the song. And I realized, I really like the Atari's version a lot better than Don Henley's original. I feel like the later version of the song has more emotion, and more than that, more desperation. Kris Roe's vocals really capture the nostalgia and the urgency of this regret about a time has drifted away. Don Henley just kind of sounds like he's cruising, you know?
So there, I said it. I admitted it. I like the cover better than the original. Sorry, Don Henley, but thank you so much for playing it with the Eagles at ACL Fest last year!
Funny side story - when my husband and I were first dating, he made me a mix cd for my birthday (which was about 3 weeks after we started dating). So he calls me the next day to ask how I liked it and all that business. As I was praising his excellent mix cd skills he asked, "Did you like how I threw down the original 'Boys of Summer'?" I did my best, but ended up busting up laughing. The cd had the version by DJ Sammy. He assumed that the Ataris had covered a DJ Sammy song. Hilarious. He is still that adorable. Maybe that's why I like this song so much...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Survival
This weekend brought 2 more Golden Globe-nominated, Oscar-hopeful movies. When I was thinking about blogging about these 2 movies together, their common thread dawned on me: survival - in 2 very different ways. The movies also have stellar performances and a real grittiness in common.
Friday night found my husband and I at the Arbor and as ready as we would ever be to see 127 Hours. While it was nice to be in a mostly empty theatre for a change, there were 2 LOUD women over my left shoulder. Listen, I gasped out loud a time or two and my husband and I whisper to each other, but this was like prolonged exclamations and repetitive conversations. If only I could have raised an order flag to alert my server. Alas...
Anyways - 127 Hours chronicles the 127 hours hiker Aron Ralston spent with his hand trapped between a boulder and a canyon wall in Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. I actually saw him on Letterman shortly after his ordeal, so I was really intrigued that they were making a movie about it. I was even more intrigued when I learned Danny Boyle was directing it. So basically Aron spends his weekends hiking and climbing and this particular weekend (seemingly due to his own sense of invincibility) did not let anyone know where he was going. Cut to mid-day Saturday and he is at the bottom of a canyon with his hand stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place (also the name of his book). If you don't know how this story ends - SPOILER ALERT. After some minor hallucinations and struggling to free his hand from the rock, Ralston decides to take fate into his own hands and frees himself - by cutting his arm off a few inches below the elbow. He then wanders for about 8 more hours, rappels down a cliff (WITH ONE ARM!), and is rescued by a Swedish family.
I heard this movie described as basically an acting master class by James Franco. This description is dead-on. He commits to this carefree character and really spirals into the depression, grief, and mania that this man went through. One particularly interesting scene is when Aron is interviewing himself as if on a radio show for hikers, Franco captures both charm and disdain in this exchange with himself. But even outside of Franco's performance, the movie is exceptionally crafted with an uplifting score by A.R. Rahman. Yes, the amputation scene is gruesome, but you get a really cathartic ending that is made all the better by the fact that this a true tale of survival and really coming out on the other side. He chose physiological survival and gained his life back.
On Saturday we finally watched our Netflix movie - Winter's Bone. This story is set in the backwoods of the Ozarks and follows Ree Dolly. Ree is a 17-year-old who is primarily responsible for her younger brother and sister and her mother that has been pushed psychologically over-the-edge. The family barely has enough to make it day-to-day anyways, but then a police officer informs Ree that her crank-cooking father has put up their land and house for his bond and they lose it if he doesn't show up for court the next week. Ree must strike out on her own to track him down. She has to confront his family and rival "families," all the while caring for her own. Jennifer Lawrence (as Ree Dolly) gives a powerful and unapologetic performance in this "country noir" film. I ended up liking the movie although it was a little hard to follow due to the authentic accents and dialects. I also liked seeing the resilience of a teenager and her prevailing love for her family. Ree didn't pity herself or the hand she was dealt and that part of her character pushed her to take care of her family at all costs. Survival again!!
Coming Attractions - I'm hoping to see The Fighter this weekend and we'll finally get a new Netflix movie in the mail - The Kids Are All Right.
Friday night found my husband and I at the Arbor and as ready as we would ever be to see 127 Hours. While it was nice to be in a mostly empty theatre for a change, there were 2 LOUD women over my left shoulder. Listen, I gasped out loud a time or two and my husband and I whisper to each other, but this was like prolonged exclamations and repetitive conversations. If only I could have raised an order flag to alert my server. Alas...
Anyways - 127 Hours chronicles the 127 hours hiker Aron Ralston spent with his hand trapped between a boulder and a canyon wall in Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. I actually saw him on Letterman shortly after his ordeal, so I was really intrigued that they were making a movie about it. I was even more intrigued when I learned Danny Boyle was directing it. So basically Aron spends his weekends hiking and climbing and this particular weekend (seemingly due to his own sense of invincibility) did not let anyone know where he was going. Cut to mid-day Saturday and he is at the bottom of a canyon with his hand stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place (also the name of his book). If you don't know how this story ends - SPOILER ALERT. After some minor hallucinations and struggling to free his hand from the rock, Ralston decides to take fate into his own hands and frees himself - by cutting his arm off a few inches below the elbow. He then wanders for about 8 more hours, rappels down a cliff (WITH ONE ARM!), and is rescued by a Swedish family.
I heard this movie described as basically an acting master class by James Franco. This description is dead-on. He commits to this carefree character and really spirals into the depression, grief, and mania that this man went through. One particularly interesting scene is when Aron is interviewing himself as if on a radio show for hikers, Franco captures both charm and disdain in this exchange with himself. But even outside of Franco's performance, the movie is exceptionally crafted with an uplifting score by A.R. Rahman. Yes, the amputation scene is gruesome, but you get a really cathartic ending that is made all the better by the fact that this a true tale of survival and really coming out on the other side. He chose physiological survival and gained his life back.
On Saturday we finally watched our Netflix movie - Winter's Bone. This story is set in the backwoods of the Ozarks and follows Ree Dolly. Ree is a 17-year-old who is primarily responsible for her younger brother and sister and her mother that has been pushed psychologically over-the-edge. The family barely has enough to make it day-to-day anyways, but then a police officer informs Ree that her crank-cooking father has put up their land and house for his bond and they lose it if he doesn't show up for court the next week. Ree must strike out on her own to track him down. She has to confront his family and rival "families," all the while caring for her own. Jennifer Lawrence (as Ree Dolly) gives a powerful and unapologetic performance in this "country noir" film. I ended up liking the movie although it was a little hard to follow due to the authentic accents and dialects. I also liked seeing the resilience of a teenager and her prevailing love for her family. Ree didn't pity herself or the hand she was dealt and that part of her character pushed her to take care of her family at all costs. Survival again!!
Coming Attractions - I'm hoping to see The Fighter this weekend and we'll finally get a new Netflix movie in the mail - The Kids Are All Right.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Good Start to a New Year
Somehow we made it to 2 movies in the first 2 days of 2011. We have since dropped off.
After a scrumptious day of football and New Year's food (...and mimosas), we made our way to the Alamo Drafthouse Village for a late showing of True Grit. Now I (nor anyone in my party, I believe) haven't seen the original or read the book that each movie is based on - just wanted to get that out there. That being said, I really enjoyed it. As expected all of the principal actors gave inspired performances and it was shot very beautifully by the Coen's (again, as per usual). I personally really enjoyed seeing the movie in a room full of Texans as Matt Damon's character is a Texas Ranger and plays that part as you expect. A little braggadocio and a lot of drawl. Fortunately we all found it humorous, but I did wonder what people in the rest of the country thought about that sort of portrayal and Texans in general. It probably just perpetuated the over-the-top, horse-riding, boots and hat-wearing stereotype - but at least he was charming, right? I also really loved the continuity of the musical theme of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I'm not really sure why they chose Iris DeMent's version as their jumping off point, but she appears to be successful for some reason. Incidentally the composer's reliance on old hymns is what disqualified this film from being eligible for Best Original Score. Certainly deserves a nomination for Best Picture, don't know if it deserves to win.
The next day we traveled down to Alamo South Lamar for a lunch showing of The King's Speech. Great performances again - although I was most impressed with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter as the once and future King and Queen. Colin Firth was a family and company man, but still likable and really displayed the true struggle that King George VI endured his whole life long. I have remarked to more than one person that it was so lovely to see Helena Bonham Carter not play a crazy-face. She was prim and proper and sweet and really added a great, supportive asset to the film. I also liked how the film explored Bertie's (Colin Firth) brother's abdication of the throne and the family issues that posed - not just overcoming a stammer. All in all a very interesting and good movie. The friend we saw the movie with asked us to rank this movie with others we've seen recently and it was hard because it really is a great movie, but it's not anything like Black Swan or even True Grit. Like how would you even compare? It's a great period peace that is impeccably crafted, but I wouldn't say it broke any new ground.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get out to see either 127 Hours or The Fighter. Don't worry - I'll check back and let you know what I think.
After a scrumptious day of football and New Year's food (...and mimosas), we made our way to the Alamo Drafthouse Village for a late showing of True Grit. Now I (nor anyone in my party, I believe) haven't seen the original or read the book that each movie is based on - just wanted to get that out there. That being said, I really enjoyed it. As expected all of the principal actors gave inspired performances and it was shot very beautifully by the Coen's (again, as per usual). I personally really enjoyed seeing the movie in a room full of Texans as Matt Damon's character is a Texas Ranger and plays that part as you expect. A little braggadocio and a lot of drawl. Fortunately we all found it humorous, but I did wonder what people in the rest of the country thought about that sort of portrayal and Texans in general. It probably just perpetuated the over-the-top, horse-riding, boots and hat-wearing stereotype - but at least he was charming, right? I also really loved the continuity of the musical theme of the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I'm not really sure why they chose Iris DeMent's version as their jumping off point, but she appears to be successful for some reason. Incidentally the composer's reliance on old hymns is what disqualified this film from being eligible for Best Original Score. Certainly deserves a nomination for Best Picture, don't know if it deserves to win.
The next day we traveled down to Alamo South Lamar for a lunch showing of The King's Speech. Great performances again - although I was most impressed with Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter as the once and future King and Queen. Colin Firth was a family and company man, but still likable and really displayed the true struggle that King George VI endured his whole life long. I have remarked to more than one person that it was so lovely to see Helena Bonham Carter not play a crazy-face. She was prim and proper and sweet and really added a great, supportive asset to the film. I also liked how the film explored Bertie's (Colin Firth) brother's abdication of the throne and the family issues that posed - not just overcoming a stammer. All in all a very interesting and good movie. The friend we saw the movie with asked us to rank this movie with others we've seen recently and it was hard because it really is a great movie, but it's not anything like Black Swan or even True Grit. Like how would you even compare? It's a great period peace that is impeccably crafted, but I wouldn't say it broke any new ground.
This afternoon I'm hoping to get out to see either 127 Hours or The Fighter. Don't worry - I'll check back and let you know what I think.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)