Natalie Portman is not only engaged but she is pregnant. The Associated Press reported this morning that she is engaged to Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer from her latest film "Black Swan".
If you want a couple of movies to stare at her during before you kiss her goodbye, go check out "Black Swan", which is in theaters now, or her upcoming movie "No Strings Attached".
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Eclipse
Whyyy oh whyyyy did I watch this movie?
Oh yeah, because my friends and I have made fun of the previous two while drunk. It's sad that this one is the first one that I have made it all of the way through.
Once again, there was a bunch of making out, everyone trying to protect this boring girl, a love triangle, stalking, and all of the action at the end. As my friend said, "I have sat through all three of the Twilight movies and I still don't get why people like them."
I really don't have much else to say because it's the exact same boring old shit. Unless you are really into the Twilight books/movies, don't even bother. Such a waste of time.
Rating: .5 stars
Oh yeah, because my friends and I have made fun of the previous two while drunk. It's sad that this one is the first one that I have made it all of the way through.
Once again, there was a bunch of making out, everyone trying to protect this boring girl, a love triangle, stalking, and all of the action at the end. As my friend said, "I have sat through all three of the Twilight movies and I still don't get why people like them."
I really don't have much else to say because it's the exact same boring old shit. Unless you are really into the Twilight books/movies, don't even bother. Such a waste of time.
Rating: .5 stars
Saturday, December 11, 2010
NaNoWriMo Fail
Obviously I did not make even half of the word count needed for NaNoWriMo in this blog. Or update much in regards to movie reviews. I did start to write an entry about Tangled, but then got distracted.
The good news is that I have been working with my boyfriend on a new website for my blog. It will actually have a URL rather than being at blogger/blogspot. It will also look much nicer than just a curtain backdrop. I have no idea when this will happen, but probably in the next two months (I hope). Until then, Christmas Break is coming up in school (yay!) so I should have plenty of time to watch more movies and actually post about them. Especially since I want to see Tron, the third Narnia movie, and The Tourist; and I have half-off at Family Video for the next month.
Right now, I have been watching Lie to Me: Season 2, Sons of Anarchy: Season 2, and Burn Notice: Seasons 1 and 2. Definitely a television show kick going on right now.
The good news is that I have been working with my boyfriend on a new website for my blog. It will actually have a URL rather than being at blogger/blogspot. It will also look much nicer than just a curtain backdrop. I have no idea when this will happen, but probably in the next two months (I hope). Until then, Christmas Break is coming up in school (yay!) so I should have plenty of time to watch more movies and actually post about them. Especially since I want to see Tron, the third Narnia movie, and The Tourist; and I have half-off at Family Video for the next month.
Right now, I have been watching Lie to Me: Season 2, Sons of Anarchy: Season 2, and Burn Notice: Seasons 1 and 2. Definitely a television show kick going on right now.
NBC WHYYYY
Lately due to having a full time job, I tend to fall asleep at 9:30/10 pm. That used to be right in the middle of Outsourced, which I didn't mind missing. It's not as great as I thought it might be.
However, starting January 20th, NBC is changing the times of its Thursday nigh shows, just in time for my birthday. But it's not a present that I want. They're adding two new shows (well, one which used to be on NBC and one new). This means that I will not be able to watch my original three shows in a row (Community, The Office, and 30 Rock). Here is what NBC Thursday nights will now look like:
8-8:30 p.m. Community
8:30-9 p.m. Perfect Couples
9-9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. Parks and Recreation
10-10:30 p.m. 30 Rock
10:30-11 p.m. Outsourced
First of all, I was happy when Parks and Recreation was canceled. That show was trying to use The Office's formula by having a camera crew follow around people in an office, performing similar jokes, and having awkward office moments. Not as funny. Obviously NBC thought they could rectify this series after pulling it off the air for a while. Well, think about this NBC, the entire first season of Parks and Recreation can be rented at Family Video for 50 cents while most other television series are rented for $3 (older releases) or $1 a disc. If you have Netflix, Parks and Recreation can be viewed on Instant Queue Also, I can buy Parks and Recreation for about $10 at Walmart, if I really wanted. Which I don't want to. Ever.
Second, now that 30 Rock has been pushed back to 10 pm, I have to choose between 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX at 10 pm. At this point in time, It's Always Sunny is not on Hulu except for the first three episodes. However, starting on December 20th, Hulu will upload one episode a week. I don't know if they'll upload them the day after or wait a week. Until I find that out, I will probably choose It's Always Sunny to watch. If they upload episodes the day after, then I would probably stick with NBC.
However, lately I've been falling asleep by 9:30 (I'm so old...not really), so I probably won't even make it to either of those shows, which is unfortunate. Luckily Hulu is available.
However, starting January 20th, NBC is changing the times of its Thursday nigh shows, just in time for my birthday. But it's not a present that I want. They're adding two new shows (well, one which used to be on NBC and one new). This means that I will not be able to watch my original three shows in a row (Community, The Office, and 30 Rock). Here is what NBC Thursday nights will now look like:
8-8:30 p.m. Community
8:30-9 p.m. Perfect Couples
9-9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. Parks and Recreation
10-10:30 p.m. 30 Rock
10:30-11 p.m. Outsourced
First of all, I was happy when Parks and Recreation was canceled. That show was trying to use The Office's formula by having a camera crew follow around people in an office, performing similar jokes, and having awkward office moments. Not as funny. Obviously NBC thought they could rectify this series after pulling it off the air for a while. Well, think about this NBC, the entire first season of Parks and Recreation can be rented at Family Video for 50 cents while most other television series are rented for $3 (older releases) or $1 a disc. If you have Netflix, Parks and Recreation can be viewed on Instant Queue Also, I can buy Parks and Recreation for about $10 at Walmart, if I really wanted. Which I don't want to. Ever.
Second, now that 30 Rock has been pushed back to 10 pm, I have to choose between 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FX at 10 pm. At this point in time, It's Always Sunny is not on Hulu except for the first three episodes. However, starting on December 20th, Hulu will upload one episode a week. I don't know if they'll upload them the day after or wait a week. Until I find that out, I will probably choose It's Always Sunny to watch. If they upload episodes the day after, then I would probably stick with NBC.
However, lately I've been falling asleep by 9:30 (I'm so old...not really), so I probably won't even make it to either of those shows, which is unfortunate. Luckily Hulu is available.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Gwyneth Paltrow - Singer?
Gwyneth Paltrow was on Glee last night as a special guest. She played a substitute teacher for the Glee club while Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester) was out sick. Just like Mr. Schuester, she had to play a part in many of the students' songs. Now, I knew Gwyneth was a great actress, but I did not know she could sing. Frankly, I didn't think she was all that great. Her voice also did not mesh well with the other actors, especially Rachel's. Gwyneth wasn't the best dancer either, especially in the Chicago piece.
So why was she singing? My mother was able to point out that Gwyneth was promoting her new movie, "Country Strong", where she plays a country singer. I hope she sings a lot better in the movie than she did on Glee. It is going to be hard for me to see that movie anyway because I don't like country music.
I have been watching a lot of television lately but I have not seen the trailer for this movie (and it is scheduled to come out in a couple of months). However, I guess there was an article in the local paper promoting the movie. In addition, earlier, I was sitting at Arby's and I saw an advertisement for the movie. Apparently if you get a small beverage, you have a chance to win a trip to the "Country Strong" movie premiere and to meet a lead cast member (probably not Gwyneth), free music downloads from the soundtrack, or autographed movie memorabilia.
Now, we could get lucky and she could be a great singer like Nicole Kidman (in my opinion) in Moulin Rouge or terrible like Lindsey Lohan in a Prairie Home Companion. Hopefully she is a decent singer, otherwise it will wreck the movie. Not knowing what the plot of the movie is yet, it may already be ruined. I guess we'll find out.
Word count: 319
So why was she singing? My mother was able to point out that Gwyneth was promoting her new movie, "Country Strong", where she plays a country singer. I hope she sings a lot better in the movie than she did on Glee. It is going to be hard for me to see that movie anyway because I don't like country music.
I have been watching a lot of television lately but I have not seen the trailer for this movie (and it is scheduled to come out in a couple of months). However, I guess there was an article in the local paper promoting the movie. In addition, earlier, I was sitting at Arby's and I saw an advertisement for the movie. Apparently if you get a small beverage, you have a chance to win a trip to the "Country Strong" movie premiere and to meet a lead cast member (probably not Gwyneth), free music downloads from the soundtrack, or autographed movie memorabilia.
Now, we could get lucky and she could be a great singer like Nicole Kidman (in my opinion) in Moulin Rouge or terrible like Lindsey Lohan in a Prairie Home Companion. Hopefully she is a decent singer, otherwise it will wreck the movie. Not knowing what the plot of the movie is yet, it may already be ruined. I guess we'll find out.
Word count: 319
Monday, November 15, 2010
Pre Black Friday/Black Friday/Cyber Monday Kill My Bank Account
Every Black Friday I end up buying most of my Christmas gifts. Unfortunately I can't stop myself from buying discounted items for myself.
The first year that I participated in Black Friday, I got up early with my father to go to Circuit City (when it was still open). There was a huge line outside of it. I went to buy Christmas gifts for my friends/family and I ended up buying one gift for my brother and $100 worth of gifts for me. I bought a bunch of dvds and Guitar Hero for the PS2.
Definitely was not worth standing in the cold. A Christian group was giving out hot chocolate, but it still was not worth it. So from then on, I set an alarm and put my laptop next to my bed so that I could just buy items and go back to sleep.
Every Black Friday I tend to buy seasons of The Office. It is one of my favorite television shows, but it is also very expensive when it is not on sale. Often on Black Friday, it sells multiple places for $12.99. In fact, this year Season 6 is on sale at Target for $12.99.
Problem is, my family always wants me to make a Christmas list with items that I want before the holidays. I try to hold off as long as I can because I always end up buying things on the list.
This year, I'm looking at The Office (of course), 500 Days of Summer, 30 Rock Season 4, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Pushing Daisies Season 2, Party Down Season 2, How I Met Your Mother Season 5, The Proposal, Toy Story 3, Californication Seasons 1-3, Weeds Seasons 1-5, Chuck Seasons 1-3, annd Castle Seasons 1-2. I won't buy all of them cause I'd go bankrupt, but if I can get some good deals on some of those tv series/dvds, I will be happy. I am also looking to get a television that is bigger than mine so that I can have better movie nights (ones where my friends can see the tv).
Word Count: 352
The first year that I participated in Black Friday, I got up early with my father to go to Circuit City (when it was still open). There was a huge line outside of it. I went to buy Christmas gifts for my friends/family and I ended up buying one gift for my brother and $100 worth of gifts for me. I bought a bunch of dvds and Guitar Hero for the PS2.
Definitely was not worth standing in the cold. A Christian group was giving out hot chocolate, but it still was not worth it. So from then on, I set an alarm and put my laptop next to my bed so that I could just buy items and go back to sleep.
Every Black Friday I tend to buy seasons of The Office. It is one of my favorite television shows, but it is also very expensive when it is not on sale. Often on Black Friday, it sells multiple places for $12.99. In fact, this year Season 6 is on sale at Target for $12.99.
Problem is, my family always wants me to make a Christmas list with items that I want before the holidays. I try to hold off as long as I can because I always end up buying things on the list.
This year, I'm looking at The Office (of course), 500 Days of Summer, 30 Rock Season 4, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Pushing Daisies Season 2, Party Down Season 2, How I Met Your Mother Season 5, The Proposal, Toy Story 3, Californication Seasons 1-3, Weeds Seasons 1-5, Chuck Seasons 1-3, annd Castle Seasons 1-2. I won't buy all of them cause I'd go bankrupt, but if I can get some good deals on some of those tv series/dvds, I will be happy. I am also looking to get a television that is bigger than mine so that I can have better movie nights (ones where my friends can see the tv).
Word Count: 352
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Why Do People Go See Bad Movies?
Why in the hell do people see a movie trailer for a bad movie, and think that it is going to be good? Then they come out of the theater wanting their money back or complaining about the movie to their friends. How about this. Actually watch the trailer. Actually listen to the dialogue and watch the special effects. Think about what the plot is actually going to be. Look at who the directors/actors are. You will be less disappointed.
Now, I'm not going to say that I haven't been disappointed before by a movie before. One example was Where The Wild Things Are. I loved what the characters looked like and parts of the story but oh goodness I have never been so depressed after watching a movie as that one. It was just a downer. Wasn't the worst movie ever but I didn't leave happy.
Below is a list of people/directors/other things that I don't want to see in my movies. Usually I can tell by watching a trailer or looking up information on IMDB if I want to see a movie or not.
Actors/Actresses I don't like to see in movies:
- Zach Efron
- Kristen Stewart
- Miley Cyrus
- Jonas Brothers
- Nicholas Cage (sometimes)
- Keanu Reeves
- Larry the Cable Guy
- John Travolta
- Lindsey Lohan
- Steven Seagal
- Rob Schneider
- Eddie Murphy (recent movies)
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Megan Fox
- The Wayans Brothers
- Jessica Simpson
- Britney Spears
- Brendan Fraser
- Kevin James
- Woody Allen
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Tyler Perry
Film Directors:
- M. Night Shyamalan (he did a couple good films but then sucked afterwards)
- Michael Bay
- Woody Allen (okay I don't care that he's considered a great director, I find his movies terribly boring, slow moving, annoying, and he is unbearable to watch as an actor)
- Tyler Perry
- Tony Scott (recent films)
Films Sequels:
- Any Disney Sequel (Disney/Pixar sequels such as Toy Story 3 are okay)
- Saw movies
- Scary Movie/Epic Movie/Dance Flick/etc
- Direct to dvd sequels
Other things to look out for:
- Only gross humor in the trailer
- Ridiculously fake special effects
- Too many explosions
- Showing probably all of the funny parts in the trailer
- Giving away important plot elements in the trailer
- Terribly unfunny one-liners
I know that I am going to think of many more once I publish this post, but at least I have the basics down.
Of course, everyone has different movie taste. Hollywood directors wouldn't make these movies if there wasn't a market for it. The best way to find out if you'll like a movie or not is to find a friend who has similar movie taste and ask them if they liked the movie and why. Or find a movie similar and compare ratings. Or go onto IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes and find the rating.
Word Count: 495
Now, I'm not going to say that I haven't been disappointed before by a movie before. One example was Where The Wild Things Are. I loved what the characters looked like and parts of the story but oh goodness I have never been so depressed after watching a movie as that one. It was just a downer. Wasn't the worst movie ever but I didn't leave happy.
Below is a list of people/directors/other things that I don't want to see in my movies. Usually I can tell by watching a trailer or looking up information on IMDB if I want to see a movie or not.
Actors/Actresses I don't like to see in movies:
- Zach Efron
- Kristen Stewart
- Miley Cyrus
- Jonas Brothers
- Nicholas Cage (sometimes)
- Keanu Reeves
- Larry the Cable Guy
- John Travolta
- Lindsey Lohan
- Steven Seagal
- Rob Schneider
- Eddie Murphy (recent movies)
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Megan Fox
- The Wayans Brothers
- Jessica Simpson
- Britney Spears
- Brendan Fraser
- Kevin James
- Woody Allen
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Tyler Perry
Film Directors:
- M. Night Shyamalan (he did a couple good films but then sucked afterwards)
- Michael Bay
- Woody Allen (okay I don't care that he's considered a great director, I find his movies terribly boring, slow moving, annoying, and he is unbearable to watch as an actor)
- Tyler Perry
- Tony Scott (recent films)
Films Sequels:
- Any Disney Sequel (Disney/Pixar sequels such as Toy Story 3 are okay)
- Saw movies
- Scary Movie/Epic Movie/Dance Flick/etc
- Direct to dvd sequels
Other things to look out for:
- Only gross humor in the trailer
- Ridiculously fake special effects
- Too many explosions
- Showing probably all of the funny parts in the trailer
- Giving away important plot elements in the trailer
- Terribly unfunny one-liners
I know that I am going to think of many more once I publish this post, but at least I have the basics down.
Of course, everyone has different movie taste. Hollywood directors wouldn't make these movies if there wasn't a market for it. The best way to find out if you'll like a movie or not is to find a friend who has similar movie taste and ask them if they liked the movie and why. Or find a movie similar and compare ratings. Or go onto IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes and find the rating.
Word Count: 495
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Winter Movies
During the Spring, Summer, and Fall, there aren't many seasonal movies that I watch. Winter is another story. When it's cold outside I like to curl up in a blanket with some popcorn and hot chocolate, and watch a good winter movie (okay, not always a 5 star movie). Winter season is coming up, and I am dreading it, but I am not dreading watching my winter movies. Here are some of the movies that I tend to watch when the weather is cold:
One movie that I watch during the winter is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Most of the movie takes place during the winter time. The scenery, costume design, characters, plot, and soundtrack. I listen to the soundtrack year-round but I love to watch the movie in the winter.
Another movie that I watch during the winter is Scamper the Penguin. It is not an amazing movie by any means but I used to watch it when I was a child. Definitely a movie made for little kids. Anyhow, it has these different colored penguins (pink and blue) and in the beginning the husbands watch the eggs while the mothers get the food. There are irresponsible parents who get their eggs snatched but Scamper survives. He ends up later on being a little adventurer who gets lost out at sea, picked up by bad humans, teaches his little girlfriend and other friend how to wish, gets mixed up with a different breed of penguins, and ends up making it home. Except this movie doesn't come with environmental propaganda like Happy Feet.
Speaking of Happy Feet, that's another movie I watch in the winter. It's adorable and all with singing, dancing, fluffy penguins and the odd one out gets the girl in the end. What I didn't like in the movie is how out of the blue it changes from a love story into an environmental movie right at the very end. Whatever. I still own it, but I would still love a version where politics isn't involved and the plot is better.
Of course you always have the classics like Miracle on 34th Street, It's A Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story. To be honest, I am so sick of watching It's A Wonderful Life. It was always on television and on top of that my dad would watch it plenty on dvd. In regards to It's A Wonderful Life, I think we can all agree that the original was better, although I didn't like either of the little girl characters. And A Christmas Story, well, I haven't seen it. My dad owns it and it's been on television; I've even tried sitting down and watching it, but I can't seem to get past the fact that the kid looks creepy. I'll definitely try watching it this year though.
And who can forget animated Christmas/holiday movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman. Those will never get old for me. They always make me smile.
Some of my favorite holiday movies to watch are the holiday specials that aired on television. These include A Claymation Christmas, A Garfield Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Muppet Family Christmas. I still have them all taped on VHS off of television (and they all still play miraculously with really old commercials). However, I bought the Garfield holiday specials on dvd (it has Halloween and Thanksgiving too) because that was my absolute favorite one.
Fargo is a another movie that is wintery; however it is on the darker side. Usually in the winter I like to watch happier movies, but I definitely have a think for black humor. It was directed by the Coen Brothers (who also did such amazing movies as Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, No Country For Old Men, and The Big Lebowski). It won two Oscars, stars Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, and Frances McDormand. I am not going to go into any more detail because this post is long enough, but if you like Coen Brothers films and haven't seen this one, or if you like any of those actors or like dark films, why are you still reading this post. Go rent this movie right now!
Whether you're into wintery movies with lots of snow about, movies with wintery music, Christmas movies, or you watch summer movies during winter, there's something for everyone. So grab your hot chocolate, a blanket, and popcorn, and pop in a good wintery movie!
Word Count: 754
One movie that I watch during the winter is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Most of the movie takes place during the winter time. The scenery, costume design, characters, plot, and soundtrack. I listen to the soundtrack year-round but I love to watch the movie in the winter.
Another movie that I watch during the winter is Scamper the Penguin. It is not an amazing movie by any means but I used to watch it when I was a child. Definitely a movie made for little kids. Anyhow, it has these different colored penguins (pink and blue) and in the beginning the husbands watch the eggs while the mothers get the food. There are irresponsible parents who get their eggs snatched but Scamper survives. He ends up later on being a little adventurer who gets lost out at sea, picked up by bad humans, teaches his little girlfriend and other friend how to wish, gets mixed up with a different breed of penguins, and ends up making it home. Except this movie doesn't come with environmental propaganda like Happy Feet.
Speaking of Happy Feet, that's another movie I watch in the winter. It's adorable and all with singing, dancing, fluffy penguins and the odd one out gets the girl in the end. What I didn't like in the movie is how out of the blue it changes from a love story into an environmental movie right at the very end. Whatever. I still own it, but I would still love a version where politics isn't involved and the plot is better.
Of course you always have the classics like Miracle on 34th Street, It's A Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story. To be honest, I am so sick of watching It's A Wonderful Life. It was always on television and on top of that my dad would watch it plenty on dvd. In regards to It's A Wonderful Life, I think we can all agree that the original was better, although I didn't like either of the little girl characters. And A Christmas Story, well, I haven't seen it. My dad owns it and it's been on television; I've even tried sitting down and watching it, but I can't seem to get past the fact that the kid looks creepy. I'll definitely try watching it this year though.
And who can forget animated Christmas/holiday movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman. Those will never get old for me. They always make me smile.
Some of my favorite holiday movies to watch are the holiday specials that aired on television. These include A Claymation Christmas, A Garfield Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Muppet Family Christmas. I still have them all taped on VHS off of television (and they all still play miraculously with really old commercials). However, I bought the Garfield holiday specials on dvd (it has Halloween and Thanksgiving too) because that was my absolute favorite one.
Fargo is a another movie that is wintery; however it is on the darker side. Usually in the winter I like to watch happier movies, but I definitely have a think for black humor. It was directed by the Coen Brothers (who also did such amazing movies as Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, No Country For Old Men, and The Big Lebowski). It won two Oscars, stars Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, and Frances McDormand. I am not going to go into any more detail because this post is long enough, but if you like Coen Brothers films and haven't seen this one, or if you like any of those actors or like dark films, why are you still reading this post. Go rent this movie right now!
Whether you're into wintery movies with lots of snow about, movies with wintery music, Christmas movies, or you watch summer movies during winter, there's something for everyone. So grab your hot chocolate, a blanket, and popcorn, and pop in a good wintery movie!
Word Count: 754
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
It's Poster Time!
In every apartment that I have lived in, I have hung movie posters on the walls. Posters that I have collected from many years of working at a movie theater. In my current apartment, I have not hung any posters. One reason is because the walls look so wonderful without anything on them. I have a bay window and a cute round table which when the windows are open gorgeous light shines in on my walls. Another reason is that I have too many posters. The third reason is because I wanted poster frames so that my posters would not rip.
Yesterday I went to Michael's because all frames were 40% off. There was also a coupon for another 25% off on top of that. I was in luck when I found that they had poster frames. Previously, I could not find poster frames that were 27 by 40. Michael's definitely had a couple different brands but only one was on sale. 65% off was a pretty sweet deal!
Therefore, now that I have three new poster frames and one old one, I have to decide which posters out of my many to frame and which I want to put up on their own as I have in the past. I look forward to going through my posters again!
Word Count: 219
Yesterday I went to Michael's because all frames were 40% off. There was also a coupon for another 25% off on top of that. I was in luck when I found that they had poster frames. Previously, I could not find poster frames that were 27 by 40. Michael's definitely had a couple different brands but only one was on sale. 65% off was a pretty sweet deal!
Therefore, now that I have three new poster frames and one old one, I have to decide which posters out of my many to frame and which I want to put up on their own as I have in the past. I look forward to going through my posters again!
Word Count: 219
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
I own a lot of movies. I cannot stop myself from buying ones that I can watch over and over again as well as those I want to share with my friends. Most movies that I watch over and over are animated. I don't know why, and I've said it before, but I am a sucker for animated films. Now, not all of these movies are exceptional 5 star movies, they are just amusing to me or make me happy. Not all of them are the best movies I own either. Here are the movies that I could watch over and over:
Aladdin, August Rush, Batman Begins, Billy Madison, Cars, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Deep Impact, Despicable Me, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Equilibrium, Finding Nemo, Flushed Away, Four Rooms, Gattaca, Horton Hears A Who, Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon, I Love You Man, In Bruges, Kung Fu Panda, Mean Girls, Monster's Inc, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Mulan, October Sky, Oliver and Company, Over the Hedge, Ratatouille, Rent, Run Lola Run, Secondhand Lions, Slumdog Millionaire, Shaun of the Dead, Spaceballs, Sunshine, Superbad, Thank You For Smoking, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Dark Knight, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hangover, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, The Princess Bride, The Producers, The Secret of My Success, Up, Waitress, and WALL-E.
Word Count: 225
Aladdin, August Rush, Batman Begins, Billy Madison, Cars, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Deep Impact, Despicable Me, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Equilibrium, Finding Nemo, Flushed Away, Four Rooms, Gattaca, Horton Hears A Who, Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon, I Love You Man, In Bruges, Kung Fu Panda, Mean Girls, Monster's Inc, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Mulan, October Sky, Oliver and Company, Over the Hedge, Ratatouille, Rent, Run Lola Run, Secondhand Lions, Slumdog Millionaire, Shaun of the Dead, Spaceballs, Sunshine, Superbad, Thank You For Smoking, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Dark Knight, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hangover, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, The Princess Bride, The Producers, The Secret of My Success, Up, Waitress, and WALL-E.
Word Count: 225
Review of NBC Universal Products I Have Bought
I recently purchased multiple items related to television shows from the NBC Universal store. The good thing is that when you sign up for an account, they give you 15% off your purchase. So I tried to find as many items as I could for Christmas gifts (okay and for myself).
One thing that I purchased was a sign that said "The Office" to put next to my desk. I spent about $10 on it with the discount. It was definitely not worth $10. The sign is pretty cool looking, like the logo for The Office, but it is not high quality. I don't know what it is made of, but it's definitely not as hard as plastic (which is what I was hoping it would be). I am afraid to bend it in any way. I still like it, but I definitely could've printed a picture of the logo and placed it on some cardboard it would've been similar to this sign.
Another purchase I made was a shot glass from The Office. It says Dunder Mifflin on the side. I spent $4.80 and it was definitely worth my money. I only buy nerdy shot glasses (like Domokun, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc) and this was definitely a must-have for me since I am a huge fan of The Office.
One other item that I bought from NBC Universal (when I was at Universal Studios in California, not online) was a stuffed animal from the movie "Despicable Me". I have a soft spot for animated films and cute stuffed animals. I don't have as many stuffed animals as I did when I was a child, but I have kept my favorite 10-20. When an animated film with a unique/cute character comes around, I sometimes cannot help myself. This was the case for Despicable Me's minions. I couldn't decide which one I wanted out of the three at the store. One had two eyes and a smile, another had two eyes and a half smile, and the third had one eye. I picked the one with one eye. It wasn't too expensive and was one of the few things I bought at Universal Studios. I brought it to work with me and it made the kids happy.
Word Count: 377
One thing that I purchased was a sign that said "The Office" to put next to my desk. I spent about $10 on it with the discount. It was definitely not worth $10. The sign is pretty cool looking, like the logo for The Office, but it is not high quality. I don't know what it is made of, but it's definitely not as hard as plastic (which is what I was hoping it would be). I am afraid to bend it in any way. I still like it, but I definitely could've printed a picture of the logo and placed it on some cardboard it would've been similar to this sign.
Another purchase I made was a shot glass from The Office. It says Dunder Mifflin on the side. I spent $4.80 and it was definitely worth my money. I only buy nerdy shot glasses (like Domokun, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc) and this was definitely a must-have for me since I am a huge fan of The Office.
One other item that I bought from NBC Universal (when I was at Universal Studios in California, not online) was a stuffed animal from the movie "Despicable Me". I have a soft spot for animated films and cute stuffed animals. I don't have as many stuffed animals as I did when I was a child, but I have kept my favorite 10-20. When an animated film with a unique/cute character comes around, I sometimes cannot help myself. This was the case for Despicable Me's minions. I couldn't decide which one I wanted out of the three at the store. One had two eyes and a smile, another had two eyes and a half smile, and the third had one eye. I picked the one with one eye. It wasn't too expensive and was one of the few things I bought at Universal Studios. I brought it to work with me and it made the kids happy.
Word Count: 377
Saturday, November 6, 2010
I Play Cash Cab
There aren't too many reality television shows that I like (although I'm starting to like more and more now-a-days (not the raunchy ones, but ones like Ace of Cakes and Pawn Stars). One show that I do like on The Discovery Channel is called Cash Cab.
Basically, people in New York City get into what they think is a normal taxi cab. They tell the driver, who is Ben Bailey, their destination. Then lights flash (and usually the passengers get confused or surprised) and they're told that they're on a television game show where they can earn money while they ride in the cab. The contestants answer questions the entire way. If they answer them right, they get money. If they answer three different questions wrong before they make their destination, they get kicked out wherever they are.
So I decided to try to play along with the contestants (I had to type really fast since they questions were presented quickly). Below is my real-time watching/playing the game:
3. "What 1995 film featured the adventures of a talking pig on a ___ farm?" - Babe (lucky guess)
4. Also known as the maid of Core Leon what warrior... shit this is definitely going too fast to type. (also I'm sure I spelled that name wrong)
Okay new episode, I'm gonna try again.
Two older women get in the cab and freak out because of the lights (oh God they're opera singers...STOP SINGING).
Do people ever say no they don't want to play this game? I mean it's a free ride/partial ride either way.
Featuring the Jets and the Sharks what musical features star crossed lovers - West Side Story
In the Gregorian Calendar, how often does a leap year occur - I have no idea...4? oh apparently we use that calendar. Trick question.
Once home of the Rams, what is the largest city that does not have a team in the NFL? - oh God no idea (I would've guessed wrong)
In grammar, present, past and future are all forms of what - tense
With no army, what egotourist economy is known as the Switzerland of Western America - whaaaaat? (second strike) (I would've called a friend or my dad on this one)
What kind of violent wind storm has a water spout when it hits land? - tsunami? (tornado was the answer)
I would've been kicked out with 21 blocks to go.
This goes to show you that I would definitely not earn money in the Cash Cab if I were alone. Chances are much higher when 2 or more people get into the Cash Cab. I definitely have a few friends in mind who I would bring with me or telephone if I were in the Cash Cab.
Word Count: 460
Basically, people in New York City get into what they think is a normal taxi cab. They tell the driver, who is Ben Bailey, their destination. Then lights flash (and usually the passengers get confused or surprised) and they're told that they're on a television game show where they can earn money while they ride in the cab. The contestants answer questions the entire way. If they answer them right, they get money. If they answer three different questions wrong before they make their destination, they get kicked out wherever they are.
So I decided to try to play along with the contestants (I had to type really fast since they questions were presented quickly). Below is my real-time watching/playing the game:
3. "What 1995 film featured the adventures of a talking pig on a ___ farm?" - Babe (lucky guess)
4. Also known as the maid of Core Leon what warrior... shit this is definitely going too fast to type. (also I'm sure I spelled that name wrong)
Okay new episode, I'm gonna try again.
Two older women get in the cab and freak out because of the lights (oh God they're opera singers...STOP SINGING).
Do people ever say no they don't want to play this game? I mean it's a free ride/partial ride either way.
Featuring the Jets and the Sharks what musical features star crossed lovers - West Side Story
In the Gregorian Calendar, how often does a leap year occur - I have no idea...4? oh apparently we use that calendar. Trick question.
Once home of the Rams, what is the largest city that does not have a team in the NFL? - oh God no idea (I would've guessed wrong)
In grammar, present, past and future are all forms of what - tense
With no army, what egotourist economy is known as the Switzerland of Western America - whaaaaat? (second strike) (I would've called a friend or my dad on this one)
What kind of violent wind storm has a water spout when it hits land? - tsunami? (tornado was the answer)
I would've been kicked out with 21 blocks to go.
This goes to show you that I would definitely not earn money in the Cash Cab if I were alone. Chances are much higher when 2 or more people get into the Cash Cab. I definitely have a few friends in mind who I would bring with me or telephone if I were in the Cash Cab.
Word Count: 460
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Red Wings
Hockey is my absolute favorite sport. I love going to at least one hockey game a year, but I definitely wouldn't mind going to tons more. The Red Wings is my absolute favorite team. One of the best moments of my life was going to a Red Wings game with my dad for my birthday and it ended up being a double or triple over time game (and then we won). Growing up, I did not have cable. Therefore, I did not get the chance to watch the Red Wings on tv. I definitely couldn't follow the team as much as I wanted to. But now I thankfully have cable and the Red Wings are on Fox Sports right now. They are winning (2 to 1) so far, which is awesome.
Word Count: 131
Word Count: 131
Californication Seasons 1-3
This show has been excellent, although it is hard for me to watch at times. It is a story about an alcoholic writer who has a child and on again/off again girlfriend who is the mother of his child (the love of his life). Yet he is also a playboy, getting sexually involved with nearly every girl he meets. This happens almost once an episode. He keeps trying throughout all of the seasons to win her back only to be found messing around with another woman and getting himself into predicaments (such as messing around with an underaged girl). His best friend is a chronic masturbator who watched porn at work and messes around with some of the staff (cheating on his coke addict wife) and gets fired from his job. All of these adults pretty much act like children (well, teenagers) causing the main character's daughter to take care of her parents. And her life gets pretty messed up as she has to deal with her parents, her own life, and her own tough decisions with drugs and sex. She has bad role models around.
The plot was excellent season after season as we try to see if any of these characters can clean up their acts and have normal lives/careers. The drama continues and becomes more involved and more complicated/deep each time. At the end of the third season is an episode which definitely tugged at me emotionally as as the main character was the closest to getting his girl (but he also got what he deserved all along).
The reason why this show is so hard for me to watch is because I am not good with the whole cheating thing. I had my heart broken once and it's hard to watch the characters have their hearts broken repeatedly and make mistakes. It's generally hard for me to watch movies/shows with cheating because I will tear up and get stomach sick and hate the character with every bit of me. But there is something that keeps me watching (it doesn't make me feel that what they did was okay, especially repeatedly). It's the emotion of the characters and construction of their beings that keeps me hooked.
Overall Rating: 4.5
Word Count: 372
The plot was excellent season after season as we try to see if any of these characters can clean up their acts and have normal lives/careers. The drama continues and becomes more involved and more complicated/deep each time. At the end of the third season is an episode which definitely tugged at me emotionally as as the main character was the closest to getting his girl (but he also got what he deserved all along).
The reason why this show is so hard for me to watch is because I am not good with the whole cheating thing. I had my heart broken once and it's hard to watch the characters have their hearts broken repeatedly and make mistakes. It's generally hard for me to watch movies/shows with cheating because I will tear up and get stomach sick and hate the character with every bit of me. But there is something that keeps me watching (it doesn't make me feel that what they did was okay, especially repeatedly). It's the emotion of the characters and construction of their beings that keeps me hooked.
Overall Rating: 4.5
Word Count: 372
Chuck Seasons 1-3
Chuck is a series which I had not heard of until the superbowl of 2009 when a 3D episode was aired. It didn't look like a show I'd be interested in until my father, brother, and current boyfriend all recommended it. My father owned the series, which made it easy to borrow. So I figured, why not? And then I was hooked. I watched two seasons in a week amongst other things.
The series begins with the main character Chuck, who works at a "Buy More" electronics store with his best friend. He also lives with his sister and sister's boyfriend. A CIA agent e-mails Chuck a significant amount of data which stores in his brain and causes him to "flash" (or see images from the file) on enemies of the CIA. A CIA agent finds him at the Buy More and along with her partner (squeeeeee Jayne from Firefly) trains him to become a CIA agent and use the power he has.
What's great about this series is the character development. Each character is so well developed with his or her mannerisms that change and grow throughout the series. The main character changes the most but the rest also change drastically by the third season. This is done over time as you get to know the characters and situations they've been placed in.
At first, one would think that with so many characters, this development would be complicated and hard to follow. But it's not. It is very well done. And since you are seeing Chuck's day to day life as himself mixed with his spy work, you really feel for all of the characters and the things they have to go through. Plus, there is a lot of back story. The other good thing about Chuck is that they don't just throw everything at you at once. They hold little pieces of information, secrets, form the viewer which make the series more interesting each time.
In addition, the sets and locations used are great. There was a lot of thought and detail placed into each setting used. It makes you feel like you are actually watching it happen/it's believable rather than being detached from it. The Buy More has all the products similar to what a Best Buy has and layout (as well as the "Nerd Herd" cars like Best Buy's "Geek Squad") and the underground base is unbelieveable as well. This is definitely a show I look forward to continuing to watch.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Word Count: 419
The series begins with the main character Chuck, who works at a "Buy More" electronics store with his best friend. He also lives with his sister and sister's boyfriend. A CIA agent e-mails Chuck a significant amount of data which stores in his brain and causes him to "flash" (or see images from the file) on enemies of the CIA. A CIA agent finds him at the Buy More and along with her partner (squeeeeee Jayne from Firefly) trains him to become a CIA agent and use the power he has.
What's great about this series is the character development. Each character is so well developed with his or her mannerisms that change and grow throughout the series. The main character changes the most but the rest also change drastically by the third season. This is done over time as you get to know the characters and situations they've been placed in.
At first, one would think that with so many characters, this development would be complicated and hard to follow. But it's not. It is very well done. And since you are seeing Chuck's day to day life as himself mixed with his spy work, you really feel for all of the characters and the things they have to go through. Plus, there is a lot of back story. The other good thing about Chuck is that they don't just throw everything at you at once. They hold little pieces of information, secrets, form the viewer which make the series more interesting each time.
In addition, the sets and locations used are great. There was a lot of thought and detail placed into each setting used. It makes you feel like you are actually watching it happen/it's believable rather than being detached from it. The Buy More has all the products similar to what a Best Buy has and layout (as well as the "Nerd Herd" cars like Best Buy's "Geek Squad") and the underground base is unbelieveable as well. This is definitely a show I look forward to continuing to watch.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Word Count: 419
The Jetson's Movie
Watching this movie many years after seeing the show did not feel as nostalgic as I wanted it to. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, but they shoudl've just called the movie "George's New Job" or "Judy Continues to Have Good Luck Laying Rock Stars" because those were pretty much the only two characters who had anything to do with shit (well, I guess Elroy helped at the end and was an annoying little bitch throughout). George gets an executive position to push a button at a Spacely Sprockett plant on another planet/planetary system causing his family to relocate nearby a bunch of stupid weirdo space creatures. Judy, who falls "in love" (and is an annoying bitch) with a rockstar in her hometown after only meeting him for a second (Twilight of the future?) and getting asked out on a date is devastated. That is until a new rockstar asks her out and she is "in love" with him (and he's a creepy looking blue guy (Avatar?)). There's trouble at the space plant because these stupid cute fuzzy monsters are tearing it apart. I don't remember the show having this lame of a plot (other than Judy getting continuously hit on, even buy another rockstar in "The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones") and George being bad at his easy job). The whole part of the fuzzy monsters just turned me off of the movie in the end. Just not worth it.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Word Count: 245
Rating: 2.5 stars
Word Count: 245
My So-Called Life
My friend Jamie is not only the Master of the Internet, but he has impeccable taste in movies, television series, and anime (oh and of course video games). He has given me many recommendations and I have liked them all. My So-Called Life was no different, only that when we first watched three episodes of the series during my sophomore year of college together, I had a heard time watching it. Three episodes in, I was an emotional wreck and stopped watching it. Three years later, I saw the box set of the series sitting on my dad's dvd bookshelf. I was so busy with graduate school and work that I put it aside for another year. Finally, I realized it was also on hulu.com and decided to start watching it.
I agonized over the plots and troubles that the teenagers had to go through. Things that I thankfully never had to go through. Drinking, drugs, guns, parents thinking about cheating, a guy wanting to use a girl form homework/sex, homelessness, etc. It was an intense series which only lasted one season. It was a little too early for its time, but the episodes had excellent acting/scripts/plots. The only nit-picky thing that annoyed me about the series was the use of stock sounds (door creaking open, glass breaking, etc), but what are you gonna do?
Rating: 5 stars
Word Count: 228
I agonized over the plots and troubles that the teenagers had to go through. Things that I thankfully never had to go through. Drinking, drugs, guns, parents thinking about cheating, a guy wanting to use a girl form homework/sex, homelessness, etc. It was an intense series which only lasted one season. It was a little too early for its time, but the episodes had excellent acting/scripts/plots. The only nit-picky thing that annoyed me about the series was the use of stock sounds (door creaking open, glass breaking, etc), but what are you gonna do?
Rating: 5 stars
Word Count: 228
Toy Story 3
Review:
When I was younger and saw the trailer for the original Toy Story, I was freaked out. It wasn't at the part of toys being alive. It was which toys were alive. A creepy baby doll head missing an eye with creepy hairs coming out of its bald head and a pair of legs on a fishing pole with no head/arms/body scared the crap out of me. Nightmares. But I went to see it anyway because it was what all the other students were talking about. It turned out to be an excellent movie which probably made me love my toys/stuffed animals even more. I didn't take as much of a liking to the sequel, but at least it was a Pixar sequel with a legit storyline instead of a terrible movie altering Disney sequel (I'm looking at you Lion King 1 1/2, Cinderella 3, and The Little Mermaid 3).
Before the third movie, Disney/Pixar did the best thing ever: re-released the first two movies as a double feature in 3D so that all of us could have a bit of nostalgia and get the younger generations caught up with what we saw. Of course I went and got all of the collectible cups and lids (for free because I still worked at the theater) with blue slushie.
When Toy Story 3 came out after seeing the first two again, I was more excited. It went above and beyond the hype. There is a reason that this movie has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The story revolves around the main character (Andy) attending college and going through his toys to see which he wanted to keep and which to donate or trash. His favorite toys accidentally get donated to a day care center. They go on an adventure and run into toys that are not as nice. The soundtrack, dialogue, and plot are enough to break your heart. Toy Story closed with a scene a little close to my heart and caught all of our inner children's hearts. When I was packing to move into a new apartment, I had a hard time parting with anything after seeing that movie.
Rating: 5 stars
Word Count: 364
When I was younger and saw the trailer for the original Toy Story, I was freaked out. It wasn't at the part of toys being alive. It was which toys were alive. A creepy baby doll head missing an eye with creepy hairs coming out of its bald head and a pair of legs on a fishing pole with no head/arms/body scared the crap out of me. Nightmares. But I went to see it anyway because it was what all the other students were talking about. It turned out to be an excellent movie which probably made me love my toys/stuffed animals even more. I didn't take as much of a liking to the sequel, but at least it was a Pixar sequel with a legit storyline instead of a terrible movie altering Disney sequel (I'm looking at you Lion King 1 1/2, Cinderella 3, and The Little Mermaid 3).
Before the third movie, Disney/Pixar did the best thing ever: re-released the first two movies as a double feature in 3D so that all of us could have a bit of nostalgia and get the younger generations caught up with what we saw. Of course I went and got all of the collectible cups and lids (for free because I still worked at the theater) with blue slushie.
When Toy Story 3 came out after seeing the first two again, I was more excited. It went above and beyond the hype. There is a reason that this movie has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The story revolves around the main character (Andy) attending college and going through his toys to see which he wanted to keep and which to donate or trash. His favorite toys accidentally get donated to a day care center. They go on an adventure and run into toys that are not as nice. The soundtrack, dialogue, and plot are enough to break your heart. Toy Story closed with a scene a little close to my heart and caught all of our inner children's hearts. When I was packing to move into a new apartment, I had a hard time parting with anything after seeing that movie.
Rating: 5 stars
Word Count: 364
The Maiden Heist
Review:
I saw this movie on the shelf at Blockbuster and it stood out right waway. Red and blue case, Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, three of my favorite actors staring up at me. I had no idea what this movie was about. So I didn't want to spend $5 on it. So I waited a few months and went to Family Video to rent it for 50 cents. First thing I heard was a song that sounded like "Creep" (an instrumental version). The movie is about three security guards who find out that the paintings/statues (maidens) which they had been guarding for years were being moved to another museum in another country. So, being practically in love with these works of art, they devise a plan to work during the move and exchange the art pieces. The plot was interesting but it wasn't entertaining enough to earn 5 stars. Also, if I had ten cents for every time the "door opening" sound effect was used, I would be rich. However, if you'd like a good look at William H. Macy's ass twice and him molesting a statue, this is the movie for you!
Rating: 3 stars
Word Count: 200
I saw this movie on the shelf at Blockbuster and it stood out right waway. Red and blue case, Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, three of my favorite actors staring up at me. I had no idea what this movie was about. So I didn't want to spend $5 on it. So I waited a few months and went to Family Video to rent it for 50 cents. First thing I heard was a song that sounded like "Creep" (an instrumental version). The movie is about three security guards who find out that the paintings/statues (maidens) which they had been guarding for years were being moved to another museum in another country. So, being practically in love with these works of art, they devise a plan to work during the move and exchange the art pieces. The plot was interesting but it wasn't entertaining enough to earn 5 stars. Also, if I had ten cents for every time the "door opening" sound effect was used, I would be rich. However, if you'd like a good look at William H. Macy's ass twice and him molesting a statue, this is the movie for you!
Rating: 3 stars
Word Count: 200
Twilight/New Moon Double Review
To be honest, I cannot fully review these movies. I watched each drunk because it was the only way that I could sit through them.
Before I watched any of the movies, my old roommate left me her copy of the first book at my apartment. I didn't want to read it. Then when she came back to visit 6 months later, she was going to quiz me on it (okay maybe not "quiz" but ask me how I liked it). I read it the night before she came and I wish I were drunk for that too. I would review the book but there are much better reviews out there that say the same thing I would say. As far as the first movie went, it was painstakingly like the book with terrible dialogue, terrible acting (Kristen Stewart, I'm looking at you), and a terrible plot of a girl who obsessed over a stalker who she has only seen across the table once. By stalker I mean watching you sleep, coming in your window, knowing where you are at all times, etc. My ex and I went to the movie drunk ($1 movie night at our college) and got asked to leave before any action happened (like 75% of the way through because NOTHING HAPPENS).
New Moon is the same shit with more stalking (this time by a werewolf), more swooning over guys, and a lot less shirts (why??). The main character (again terrible actress Kristen Stewart) cannot chose between two men, and the one she truly loves has run off to keep her safe. Then she goes f'ing psycho and starts almost killing herself (I wish she would have) to have him pop up as a puff of cloud to worry about here and tell her to stop being stupid. I didn't read this book, so when I fell asleep before the action happened, I don't know what else happened in the film. I didn't even get to see how Dakota Fanning grew up. My fault for playing a drinking game with this movie and sitting on a couch. Couches always cause me to fall asleep! I was told that the action was at the end again and I didn't miss much. More terrible acting, script, dialogue, and plot. Not worth it and I'll never understand why people like watching movies about stalkers and fantasizing about them.
Pretty soon I expect to watch the latest of the Twilight series, Eclipse, drunk and see if I make it to the point where the action happens (if it does).
Word Count: 429
Before I watched any of the movies, my old roommate left me her copy of the first book at my apartment. I didn't want to read it. Then when she came back to visit 6 months later, she was going to quiz me on it (okay maybe not "quiz" but ask me how I liked it). I read it the night before she came and I wish I were drunk for that too. I would review the book but there are much better reviews out there that say the same thing I would say. As far as the first movie went, it was painstakingly like the book with terrible dialogue, terrible acting (Kristen Stewart, I'm looking at you), and a terrible plot of a girl who obsessed over a stalker who she has only seen across the table once. By stalker I mean watching you sleep, coming in your window, knowing where you are at all times, etc. My ex and I went to the movie drunk ($1 movie night at our college) and got asked to leave before any action happened (like 75% of the way through because NOTHING HAPPENS).
New Moon is the same shit with more stalking (this time by a werewolf), more swooning over guys, and a lot less shirts (why??). The main character (again terrible actress Kristen Stewart) cannot chose between two men, and the one she truly loves has run off to keep her safe. Then she goes f'ing psycho and starts almost killing herself (I wish she would have) to have him pop up as a puff of cloud to worry about here and tell her to stop being stupid. I didn't read this book, so when I fell asleep before the action happened, I don't know what else happened in the film. I didn't even get to see how Dakota Fanning grew up. My fault for playing a drinking game with this movie and sitting on a couch. Couches always cause me to fall asleep! I was told that the action was at the end again and I didn't miss much. More terrible acting, script, dialogue, and plot. Not worth it and I'll never understand why people like watching movies about stalkers and fantasizing about them.
Pretty soon I expect to watch the latest of the Twilight series, Eclipse, drunk and see if I make it to the point where the action happens (if it does).
Word Count: 429
Birdy the Mighty: Decode
Review:
Back in college I went to Anime Club. It was held on Saturdays for a few hours. Members would vote on which series to watch for each semester (usually around 4-6). One semester, Birdy the Mighty: Decode was chosen. Not many of the students in the anime club liked this series, except me. It was a little too cutesy for them.
I enjoyed the plot about a group of investigators from outer space on a mission to find a being who could destroy a planet (in this case, Earth). In her investigation, Birdy (the main female character/investigator) accidentally kills a human boy. In order to preserve his body and restore him to normal, she takes over his body. They switch back and forth as he goes to school with his friends by day, and she goes on missions at night. It is comical to listen to the interactions between them in each other's heads and the show as the case gets solved. It turns out that the being takes over the boy's love interest's body and Birdy does not tell him at first, which makes things interesting. This series not only has a fun side but a darker side as well, which makes it a series I enjoyed watching. The second season is currently in progress and I'm looking forward to finishing it.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Word Count: 227
Back in college I went to Anime Club. It was held on Saturdays for a few hours. Members would vote on which series to watch for each semester (usually around 4-6). One semester, Birdy the Mighty: Decode was chosen. Not many of the students in the anime club liked this series, except me. It was a little too cutesy for them.
I enjoyed the plot about a group of investigators from outer space on a mission to find a being who could destroy a planet (in this case, Earth). In her investigation, Birdy (the main female character/investigator) accidentally kills a human boy. In order to preserve his body and restore him to normal, she takes over his body. They switch back and forth as he goes to school with his friends by day, and she goes on missions at night. It is comical to listen to the interactions between them in each other's heads and the show as the case gets solved. It turns out that the being takes over the boy's love interest's body and Birdy does not tell him at first, which makes things interesting. This series not only has a fun side but a darker side as well, which makes it a series I enjoyed watching. The second season is currently in progress and I'm looking forward to finishing it.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Word Count: 227
Shutter Island
This review contains spoilers
Review:
Immediately when I saw the trailer for this movie (before its release date was pushed back) I knew the entire story. Here is a basic outline of the sequence of events in the trailer. Leonardo DiCaprio is given a case to go to an insane asylum on an island (for the most insane) with his partner Mark Ruffalo. Ben Kingsley explains the asylum situation to Leo. A creepy old lady puts a finger to her mouth as if there is a secret. Leonardo looks in the room of the "missing" person. He finds a note that says "who is 67?" and states that there are only 66 people at the asylum. Different creepy scenes from the movie play through with music. Some people may have thought that this would be a supernatural/ghost film/sci-fi thriller or whoknowswhat. The movie was definitely meant to be a psychological thriller. However, once I saw that damn piece of paper that said "who is 67?" I wanted to shout "IT'S YOU!" I said to multiple friends that I would be disappointed if I got the entire plot of the movie from the trailer. That he would go around on a hunt for the missing person and wonder who 67 was in the back of his mind with the whole thing being played out for him like The Truman Show, only for him to discover that he is the 67th patient.
I put off seeing the movie and no one would tell me what happened in the end. I rented it for free from Blockbuster in case I was disappointed. And I was. The whole movie I spent waiting for the end where he would figure it out and I didn't get to enjoy the rest of the movie because it was so obvious. Why was it obvious? Let me make a list of all the clues throughout the movie:
1. They wouldn't let him see the patient files
2. Patients rehearsed what they would say to him when interviewed and weren't good actors about it
3. His partner was getting nervous about stupid shit
4. Flashbacks/hallucinations
5. He was given drugs for headaches
6. Patients were talking to him about things he did that he didn't remember
Etc.
Don't get me wrong, the camera work, scenery, and soundtrack were amazing, but the entire plot was too obvious.
Rating: 3 stars
Word Count: 400
Review:
Immediately when I saw the trailer for this movie (before its release date was pushed back) I knew the entire story. Here is a basic outline of the sequence of events in the trailer. Leonardo DiCaprio is given a case to go to an insane asylum on an island (for the most insane) with his partner Mark Ruffalo. Ben Kingsley explains the asylum situation to Leo. A creepy old lady puts a finger to her mouth as if there is a secret. Leonardo looks in the room of the "missing" person. He finds a note that says "who is 67?" and states that there are only 66 people at the asylum. Different creepy scenes from the movie play through with music. Some people may have thought that this would be a supernatural/ghost film/sci-fi thriller or whoknowswhat. The movie was definitely meant to be a psychological thriller. However, once I saw that damn piece of paper that said "who is 67?" I wanted to shout "IT'S YOU!" I said to multiple friends that I would be disappointed if I got the entire plot of the movie from the trailer. That he would go around on a hunt for the missing person and wonder who 67 was in the back of his mind with the whole thing being played out for him like The Truman Show, only for him to discover that he is the 67th patient.
I put off seeing the movie and no one would tell me what happened in the end. I rented it for free from Blockbuster in case I was disappointed. And I was. The whole movie I spent waiting for the end where he would figure it out and I didn't get to enjoy the rest of the movie because it was so obvious. Why was it obvious? Let me make a list of all the clues throughout the movie:
1. They wouldn't let him see the patient files
2. Patients rehearsed what they would say to him when interviewed and weren't good actors about it
3. His partner was getting nervous about stupid shit
4. Flashbacks/hallucinations
5. He was given drugs for headaches
6. Patients were talking to him about things he did that he didn't remember
Etc.
Don't get me wrong, the camera work, scenery, and soundtrack were amazing, but the entire plot was too obvious.
Rating: 3 stars
Word Count: 400
Television Shows I Wish I Hadn't Seen
Have you ever flipped through the channels and something caught your eye? And then it was such a train wreck that you couldn't stop walking?
This has happened to me so many times. Sometimes it's a good thing. I discovered Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, American Restoration, and Modern Family. But most of the time it's a bad thing.
Today I turned on the television and saw the caption "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant". I was intrigued at how someone could not know. So I watch for a little bit and they're talking about how the girls were just minding their business and doing whatever. They had actors and actresses acting out what they did before they knew they were pregnant. Then, all of a sudden, a baby is coming out and they show nasty umbilical cord and blood. I was so grossed out. Why the heck did I watch this show??
"Sister Wives" is another show that I watched an episode and a half of the other week. It's about a polygamous family. The man, Kody, is legally married to one woman who was from a polygamous family. He has three other wives, one of which he recently married. He has one child with his first wife and she cannot seem to be fertile enough for another. He has thirteen children with his other wives and I think his new wife has three kids of her own (I have no idea but that's what I gathered from wikipedia and the episode). Apparently he has been married to one for 20 years, another for 17, and the third for 16. I happened to watch the episode where Kody marries his new wife. It just looked like chaos. They all said they were happy about bringing her into the family but they did not look happy. Then I watched half of the interview special following the episode because I wanted to see how they really felt. They said that they all had their spurts of jealousy. They replayed videos about the complications of their relationships. Kody then said a line that nothing had really gone too wrong but the television show was really impacting their lives. One of the wives even stated she had thought about leaving once. She was really jealous on their 20 year anniversary. I definitely could not be in that kind of a relationship. Too many people to please. Too many children. Also, I think reality television shows about families, especially those that exploit the children as well, are no good. I just feel bad for all of those kids, not really so much family-wise but just that they have to be broadcast in front of millions of viewers (this goes for the John and Kate Plus 8 show and the 19 Kids and Counting as well).
Two more awkward shows I watched included "Hoarding" and "Animal Hoarders". In "Hoarding", I watched an episode with one woman whose family was falling apart and had moved out because she saved everything. There was no room to walk or see or sit or sleep in the house. Not only that, but she had moldy food in the fridge and dishes in the sink. So gross, it had to be disease infested. Another woman's family was falling apart as well with threats of divorce. The husband was pretty much confined to a separate room and he ended up having a heart attack. The paramedics couldn't get to him there was so much junk laying around! So freaky. In the "Animal Hoarders" show, a woman had so many animals that the house was terribly dirty! Her husband lost his job and they didn't have enough money to feed their family let alone the animals. So they forced her to get rid of some of the pets. Another couple on the show ran an animal shelter for cats. They had so many cats that they didn't have enough money to feed them all and they didn't know how many they had. Cats were roaming around everywhere! I felt so bad for all of the little kitties! There were a lot of them that required medical attention and they didn't have the money to get medicine for them. They did not have enough volunteers to help run the place either. So they were forced by the humane society to get rid of over a hundred cats.
These shows just made me cringe. I definitely will not be watching any more episodes of these shows.
Word Count: 752
This has happened to me so many times. Sometimes it's a good thing. I discovered Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, American Restoration, and Modern Family. But most of the time it's a bad thing.
Today I turned on the television and saw the caption "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant". I was intrigued at how someone could not know. So I watch for a little bit and they're talking about how the girls were just minding their business and doing whatever. They had actors and actresses acting out what they did before they knew they were pregnant. Then, all of a sudden, a baby is coming out and they show nasty umbilical cord and blood. I was so grossed out. Why the heck did I watch this show??
"Sister Wives" is another show that I watched an episode and a half of the other week. It's about a polygamous family. The man, Kody, is legally married to one woman who was from a polygamous family. He has three other wives, one of which he recently married. He has one child with his first wife and she cannot seem to be fertile enough for another. He has thirteen children with his other wives and I think his new wife has three kids of her own (I have no idea but that's what I gathered from wikipedia and the episode). Apparently he has been married to one for 20 years, another for 17, and the third for 16. I happened to watch the episode where Kody marries his new wife. It just looked like chaos. They all said they were happy about bringing her into the family but they did not look happy. Then I watched half of the interview special following the episode because I wanted to see how they really felt. They said that they all had their spurts of jealousy. They replayed videos about the complications of their relationships. Kody then said a line that nothing had really gone too wrong but the television show was really impacting their lives. One of the wives even stated she had thought about leaving once. She was really jealous on their 20 year anniversary. I definitely could not be in that kind of a relationship. Too many people to please. Too many children. Also, I think reality television shows about families, especially those that exploit the children as well, are no good. I just feel bad for all of those kids, not really so much family-wise but just that they have to be broadcast in front of millions of viewers (this goes for the John and Kate Plus 8 show and the 19 Kids and Counting as well).
Two more awkward shows I watched included "Hoarding" and "Animal Hoarders". In "Hoarding", I watched an episode with one woman whose family was falling apart and had moved out because she saved everything. There was no room to walk or see or sit or sleep in the house. Not only that, but she had moldy food in the fridge and dishes in the sink. So gross, it had to be disease infested. Another woman's family was falling apart as well with threats of divorce. The husband was pretty much confined to a separate room and he ended up having a heart attack. The paramedics couldn't get to him there was so much junk laying around! So freaky. In the "Animal Hoarders" show, a woman had so many animals that the house was terribly dirty! Her husband lost his job and they didn't have enough money to feed their family let alone the animals. So they forced her to get rid of some of the pets. Another couple on the show ran an animal shelter for cats. They had so many cats that they didn't have enough money to feed them all and they didn't know how many they had. Cats were roaming around everywhere! I felt so bad for all of the little kitties! There were a lot of them that required medical attention and they didn't have the money to get medicine for them. They did not have enough volunteers to help run the place either. So they were forced by the humane society to get rid of over a hundred cats.
These shows just made me cringe. I definitely will not be watching any more episodes of these shows.
Word Count: 752
IMDB Top 250 Movies Challenge
Back when I was dating my ex-boyfriend, we started a contest to see who could watch the current top 250 movies on IMDB first. I printed the list in 2008, a year and a half or so after we started dating. Most of the movies on this list are classics/well-known movies. However, this is a user-rated list, not too highly regarded by film critics/teachers/students. We put check marks/dots in different colors by each movie we had seen. I hadn't started watching as many movies as I do now until I started going to college and working at the movie theater, so he had seen significantly more movies on the list than I had.
The list was also posted in the break room of the movie theater, so lots of people on their breaks would tally up how many they had seen and compare. It was a fun thing to do when we were bored on break and gave us all something to talk about.
So far, I have seen 145 of the 250 on the list. I plan on completing this list regardless of the fact that I am not dating my ex any longer. It is definitely something fun to do and there are lots of good movie ideas on the list.
Word Count: 213
The list was also posted in the break room of the movie theater, so lots of people on their breaks would tally up how many they had seen and compare. It was a fun thing to do when we were bored on break and gave us all something to talk about.
So far, I have seen 145 of the 250 on the list. I plan on completing this list regardless of the fact that I am not dating my ex any longer. It is definitely something fun to do and there are lots of good movie ideas on the list.
Word Count: 213
How Did I Find The Time?
How in the world did I ever find the time to watch 10+ movies a week?
Back when I was in college (undergrad) I used to have time in between work and school, I would go to Family Video and rent 15 or more dvds a week. People at the Family Video knew me by name. Then I went for my graduate degree at another college and a new video rental store. I would rent tons of movies there and they knew me by name as well. They had more of a selection of classic, cult, foreign, and less-known television shows. I could spend hours just looking around at all of the dvds and talking to employees (except the creepy ones). I would watch movies with my roommates, I would watch movies with my friends, I would watch movies one after the other, I would watch movies while doing homework and while surfing the internet and up until I fell asleep. I would stay up until 2 am watching movies and start watching them as soon as I woke up. Sometimes, I would watch movies, pause them to go to class, then pick them back up again.
One movie that I stopped watching to pick up again after class was Super Size Me. For those of you who have not heard of the movie, it is a documentary about a man who eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. Throughout the movie, he discusses how healthy McDonald's is, gets his health checked up, talks about lawsuits, ingredients, etc. Lots of people have stated that they feel so sick after watching the movie and don't eat McDonald's for a while afterwards. I always eat before class and after starting that movie, I got a craving for McDonald's. So I picked some up on the way to class and finished the movie afterwards.
Once I moved back in with my parents for a year for my internship, they looked down on me spending that much time watching movies instead of studying. That and second semester of graduate school was much harder. So I stopped watching movie for a while and quit my theater job. I felt like a part of me was missing. I used to talk all day at the theater about upcoming movies, check out IMDB weekly, and host movie nights frequently. Finally, summer came, I was graduated, and I was able to watch 10 movies a week again. When I moved out again, I could watch even more movies.
I am still watching about 10 things a week but instead of full tv-series and movies I am watching 7 episodes of different television shows and a few movies a week. Due to my job being more complicated than I thought in the first few months, it has been hard to update this journal. However, I am going to try my best to write enough entries for NaNoWriMo and hopefully get myself back in the swing of things.
Word Count: 498
Back when I was in college (undergrad) I used to have time in between work and school, I would go to Family Video and rent 15 or more dvds a week. People at the Family Video knew me by name. Then I went for my graduate degree at another college and a new video rental store. I would rent tons of movies there and they knew me by name as well. They had more of a selection of classic, cult, foreign, and less-known television shows. I could spend hours just looking around at all of the dvds and talking to employees (except the creepy ones). I would watch movies with my roommates, I would watch movies with my friends, I would watch movies one after the other, I would watch movies while doing homework and while surfing the internet and up until I fell asleep. I would stay up until 2 am watching movies and start watching them as soon as I woke up. Sometimes, I would watch movies, pause them to go to class, then pick them back up again.
One movie that I stopped watching to pick up again after class was Super Size Me. For those of you who have not heard of the movie, it is a documentary about a man who eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. Throughout the movie, he discusses how healthy McDonald's is, gets his health checked up, talks about lawsuits, ingredients, etc. Lots of people have stated that they feel so sick after watching the movie and don't eat McDonald's for a while afterwards. I always eat before class and after starting that movie, I got a craving for McDonald's. So I picked some up on the way to class and finished the movie afterwards.
Once I moved back in with my parents for a year for my internship, they looked down on me spending that much time watching movies instead of studying. That and second semester of graduate school was much harder. So I stopped watching movie for a while and quit my theater job. I felt like a part of me was missing. I used to talk all day at the theater about upcoming movies, check out IMDB weekly, and host movie nights frequently. Finally, summer came, I was graduated, and I was able to watch 10 movies a week again. When I moved out again, I could watch even more movies.
I am still watching about 10 things a week but instead of full tv-series and movies I am watching 7 episodes of different television shows and a few movies a week. Due to my job being more complicated than I thought in the first few months, it has been hard to update this journal. However, I am going to try my best to write enough entries for NaNoWriMo and hopefully get myself back in the swing of things.
Word Count: 498
Monday, November 1, 2010
NaNoWriMo
Today starts National Novel Writing Month. I want to see if all of the entries I write during this month will add up to the amount of words needed for a novel.
Maybe that will get me kickstarted into writing in this blog again. I really didn't think it would be this hard when I started, but life in college/during the summer is easier than life with a full-time job/social life.
Entry #1: 71 words
Maybe that will get me kickstarted into writing in this blog again. I really didn't think it would be this hard when I started, but life in college/during the summer is easier than life with a full-time job/social life.
Entry #1: 71 words
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Ghost Writer (2010)
When this movie came out, I debated on seeing it. It has one of my favorite actors, Ewan McGregor playing as the main character, the ghost writer. However, I passed on it since it just didn't seem too interesting at the time. On my flight to Seattle they were playing it, and the man sitting next to me said it was pretty good, so I plugged in my headphones and watched.
Ewan McGregor is a ghost writer hired to help the former prime minister write his memoirs, but at the same time the minister is involved in controversy. The prime minister locks himself inside his mansion on a remote island to stay away from reporters and invites Ewan to stay there to write the novel. However, not only is there war controversy there is controversy with the fact that the previous ghost writer had died before finishing the novel.
Although an airplane was not an ideal place to watch the movie, I still don’t feel that if I would’ve been in a theater that I would have felt any more interested. The pace was slow,I didn't care about the characters, their affairs, their pasts or anything. It was a bland movie altogether. Not much action. Just a bunch of news, protesters, and an ending action sequence. The first five minutes where Ewan wasn't allowed to take the memoirs out of the room and they were locked up in the mansion and the last five minutes where the conclusion and end credits occured were the only intriguing moments in the movie to me.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Ewan McGregor is a ghost writer hired to help the former prime minister write his memoirs, but at the same time the minister is involved in controversy. The prime minister locks himself inside his mansion on a remote island to stay away from reporters and invites Ewan to stay there to write the novel. However, not only is there war controversy there is controversy with the fact that the previous ghost writer had died before finishing the novel.
Although an airplane was not an ideal place to watch the movie, I still don’t feel that if I would’ve been in a theater that I would have felt any more interested. The pace was slow,I didn't care about the characters, their affairs, their pasts or anything. It was a bland movie altogether. Not much action. Just a bunch of news, protesters, and an ending action sequence. The first five minutes where Ewan wasn't allowed to take the memoirs out of the room and they were locked up in the mansion and the last five minutes where the conclusion and end credits occured were the only intriguing moments in the movie to me.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Back From Cali
Annnnnnnd I'm back. I had an amazing time in California. I did not want to leave. It was gorgeous, always sunny, and comfortable temperature-wise. The first two days were spent at beaches and the second two were spent at movie related locations.
The third day of the trip, I went to Universal Studios where I rode the Backlot Studio Tour bus. On this tour, I got to experience Peter Jackson's 3D King Kong experience. It actually felt like I was in the middle of a fight between King Kong and a couple of dinosaurs. The falling part was a little gimmicky, but the rest was amazing. Then of course the remainder of the tour consisted of viewing sets and props that were in Serenity, Desperate Housewives, and War of the Worlds. Of course there were lame jokes and other gimmicks, but overall it was an interesting experience. The theme park was a lot smaller than I expected, but I had a great time!
The next day I went to Hollywood. It is not as glamourous as it seems. The streets and stores were a little run down, there were a lot of homeless people, and some of the stars on the sidewalk were cracking. But when you think about it, it is a city... However, seeing stars on the sidewalk, the Hollywood sign, and handprints/footprints at the Chinese theatre were amazing.
On the plane ride, not only did I get to watch some films (The Hurt Locker and Just Wright), I got to write some reviews! Not a ton of them, but at least I'm on my way to catching up. In addition, Netflix put out their iPod touch application on the third day of my vacation, so I tested it out and watched a couple of stand-up comedian specials (Daniel Tosh and Christopher Titus).
Now that I'm home and I'm going to start work tomorrow I decided to have a day to myself after my errands. So, I went and rented 12 dvds for $3.40 (heck yeah Family Video) and watched half of them already while doing laundry and getting ready for tomorrow (although I had seen all except the last half hour of one and two others were about an hour long).
The movies I rented and am currently watching include: The Hurt Locker (the end of it), The Lovely Bones, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Seth MacFarlane's Calvacade of Cartoon Comedy, Nerdcore Rising, A Single Man, Gia, Igby Goes Down, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Camille, Brideshead Revisited, and The Boys are Back.
I still have a little bit left in my day, so while I wait for my hair dye to set in (yes, I'm dyeing my hair while typing this) I might type up a review or two.
The third day of the trip, I went to Universal Studios where I rode the Backlot Studio Tour bus. On this tour, I got to experience Peter Jackson's 3D King Kong experience. It actually felt like I was in the middle of a fight between King Kong and a couple of dinosaurs. The falling part was a little gimmicky, but the rest was amazing. Then of course the remainder of the tour consisted of viewing sets and props that were in Serenity, Desperate Housewives, and War of the Worlds. Of course there were lame jokes and other gimmicks, but overall it was an interesting experience. The theme park was a lot smaller than I expected, but I had a great time!
The next day I went to Hollywood. It is not as glamourous as it seems. The streets and stores were a little run down, there were a lot of homeless people, and some of the stars on the sidewalk were cracking. But when you think about it, it is a city... However, seeing stars on the sidewalk, the Hollywood sign, and handprints/footprints at the Chinese theatre were amazing.
On the plane ride, not only did I get to watch some films (The Hurt Locker and Just Wright), I got to write some reviews! Not a ton of them, but at least I'm on my way to catching up. In addition, Netflix put out their iPod touch application on the third day of my vacation, so I tested it out and watched a couple of stand-up comedian specials (Daniel Tosh and Christopher Titus).
Now that I'm home and I'm going to start work tomorrow I decided to have a day to myself after my errands. So, I went and rented 12 dvds for $3.40 (heck yeah Family Video) and watched half of them already while doing laundry and getting ready for tomorrow (although I had seen all except the last half hour of one and two others were about an hour long).
The movies I rented and am currently watching include: The Hurt Locker (the end of it), The Lovely Bones, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Seth MacFarlane's Calvacade of Cartoon Comedy, Nerdcore Rising, A Single Man, Gia, Igby Goes Down, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Camille, Brideshead Revisited, and The Boys are Back.
I still have a little bit left in my day, so while I wait for my hair dye to set in (yes, I'm dyeing my hair while typing this) I might type up a review or two.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hello from Cali
California is gorgeous and I have no idea how I'm going to leave it! I didn't think I would watch any movies, but I did. I saw The Hurt Locker on the plane and a couple of comedy shows on Netflix. If this next flight is similar, hopefully there will be a movie on it as well. Many stories to come once I get back and don't worry, I did get some reviewing in!
I am going to discontinue posting for now due to the fact that it is hard on an iPod.
I am going to discontinue posting for now due to the fact that it is hard on an iPod.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Last Vacation of the Summer
I know I've kept promising posts and completely failed. I have been setting up for my new job which starts in September, going to a theme park, going to the zoo with friends from out of town, and getting ready for my California vacation which is tomorrow. Therefore, I will be out for five days which means I have a plane ride or two to write some more reviews. Then hopefully between my job and social life I will be able to complete 10 posts a week (cause I certainly know I can watch 10 movies no problem).
Off the top of my head, some of the things I have watched in the past week included: How I Met Your Mother Season 5 started and finished, Fame, The Road, Gigi, finished Scrapped Princess (FINALLY), Book of Eli, The Birdcage, Precious, Crazy Heart, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Time for vaycay! Can't wait!
Off the top of my head, some of the things I have watched in the past week included: How I Met Your Mother Season 5 started and finished, Fame, The Road, Gigi, finished Scrapped Princess (FINALLY), Book of Eli, The Birdcage, Precious, Crazy Heart, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Time for vaycay! Can't wait!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Running Commentary - Alice In Wonderland (2010)
Every once in a while I will do a running commentary on a movie where I watch it and just write what I am thinking. So here's the first one. Alice in Wonderland, the 2010 Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp.
There are lots of links below to different things that I was thinking of during the movie. Be aware that many of these links are inappopriate for children. Also, these are random things I thought during the movie which does not mean I hated the movie. I will post a review later.
So, at the beginning a big party is thrown and Alice has no idea what is going on then SURPRISE BITCH IT'S AN ENGAGEMENT PARTY FOR YOU. (Wouldn't that suck?) So then she runs off and sees this rabbit and follows it and falls down the hole like we all remember from the first movie. And she drinks this bottle that says "drink me" (yeah kids, drink bottles that say 'drink me' and eat the magic brownies, especially those that say 'eat me').
23 min - OMG BLUE CHOCOBO
24 min - OMG hot pirate-like guy
25 min - Yes, tear her arms off Tweddle Dee and Dum. HAHA Bird just snatched your ass.
26 min - wtf did the Red Queen just say? She is talking way too damn fast. SLOWWWW DOWNNNNN. And then I'll kick her in the face with my ENERGY LEGS. Also, "What's wrong with your faceeeeeee?"; ewwww why did you just like out of the frog's mouth. Sick.
27 min - OMG Fish butler. I want one. So cute.
29 min - Chesire cat is not as scary as he was in the poster. Oh wait, his eyes got wider. Nevermind. Still kinda cute in his own way though. I want to pet him. So fluffy. HOVERBALL CAT
31 min - HEREEEEEEEEEEE'S JOHNNY! Rabbit is way more creepy than the Chesire cat.
33 min - Kids, drink whatever adults give you, especially those who have crazy orange hair and makeup. Yes. Do the drugs.
39 min - Flashback time!!! Wow, the Mad Hatter has longer hair in the flashback and reminds me of one of my one-week exes. Oh good times. No, I will not spend the night in your dorm after we have broken up.
41 min - Good plan...let's stop in the forest while I do my flashback. They won't be searching for us there anymore. They definitely don't have a sniffing dog! *sarcasm*
42 min - They totally didn't put the throwing of the hat in the movie for 3d effects or IMAX purposes. *sarcasm* WOAHHHH IT'S COMING OUT OF THE SCREEN! LET'S ALL REACH OUT TO GRAB THE HAT!!! (okay so I haven't read the book, if that happens in the book forgive me)
44 min - wow this is different from the first animated Alice in Wonderland where she just kinda floated along and had no idea what was going on. Where she was kinda loopy. This Alice is commanding. It's MY dream bitches, this will go how I want it to.
46 min - BLUE CHOCOBO IS BACK!!!
51 min - "Where is Alice kids?" "She's right there!" "Look to your right!"
52 min - Ohhh looks like the Red Queen thinks Johnny Depp is as hot as all of his fans think he is. They might get it on. Yeah eyebrow raised look. Bow chicka wow wow.
53 min - Damn it Ann Hathaway, I can never see you as anything else but from the Princess Diaries.
54 min - Is it bad that I have no idea what the Jabberwocky is still?
55 min - wtf floating heads in the bloody water. Is this really a kids movie? Reminds me of frozen heads floating in Titanic.
1 hour - ummmmm did Alice just get sexually harrassed? He was going to rape her if she wasn't bigger than him. What kind of message is this sending the kids? Boys, throw girls up against lockers at school, they like that. They're not big enough to push you off.
1 hr 2 min - ummm did that chick's nose just fall off? Gross.
1 hr 3 min - Kids, let the doggies lick your wounds, especially ones they gave you. It won't hurt at all and is very sanitary; Oh hellz yeah sword time!; I don't get why the doggie-like thing all of a sudden forgives Alice and pops back in his eye when she cut it out in the first place. I mean if someone cut my eye out and brought it back to me I'd still be pissed.
1 hr 4 min - Unlawful seduction huh, do kids even understand what that word is? What a douchbag pirate guy.
1 hr 7 min - I'm sorry Ann Hathaway but your makeup looks like shit. Your eyebrows are huge.
1 hr 8 min - Yes little girl, drink witch's potion. Especially that with urine in it. It makes it go down easier. Drugssssss. Most of this movie isn't as trippy as the Disney original though.
1 hr 11 min - Bitch you don't take Johnny Depp's hat.
1 hr 13 min - HAHA suckers! "Ches, you dog" ohhhhh funny joke! So hilariousssssss.
1 hr 14 min - BOOBS OFF TO REVEAL MORE BOOBS; also, why is everyone clapping if they haven't won yet?; Awww the turkey birdy is so cute! And snatchy!
1 hr 16 min - Oh White Queen, you're such a pussy. Fight your own battles!; Awww puppy family!!! :)
1 hr 18 min - Wow Alice, you're kind of a bitch telling the Mad Hatter that he's not real.
1 hr 19 min - Now Alice gets a decision instead of people pushing her around. Turning point of movie! Oh noes! Also, no one's gonna help you cause we're all lame. Oh this relates to her decision about getting married! Look, she's even in a gazebo-like thing.
1 hr 20 min - Wow everyone's a dick.
1 hr 21 min - Flashback to scenes that are similar to the first movie. Painting the red roses! We're painting the roses red! We're painting the roses red! So does this mean that Alice comes back again when she's a teen, then an adult, then an old woman? Is this like Chronicles of Narnia? (just kidding)
1 hr 23 min - Certainly looks like the White Witch from Chronicles of Narnia. FOR ASLAN!!!; Also, it could be The Golden Compass with them riding those animals. BEAR ARMY OMG. Wait, this movie doesn't have a bear army. Not good enough...
1 hr 24 min - So...your parents melted? Is this The Wizard of Oz now?
1 hr 25 min - SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC; Oh that beast actually looks badass!
1 hr 29 min - IN THE EYEEEE; Oh come on that little card tower/domino thing was so cliche. It's like I was waiting for it to happen the whole movie and hoping it wouldn't. Then again, that's the kind of stuff that's supposed to happen in this movie so I forgive it.
1 hr 30 min - IN THE EYEEE AGAINNNN. Different character. What if the pirate-like guy had two eye patches?
1 hr 31 min - wow. That's all you could think of when slaying the dragon? "Off with your head!"; I'm kind of hoping the heads grow back like the Hydra in Hercules.
1 hr 32 min - I'm not going to kill you, but I banish you to a life of no one talking to you or being kind. In my opinion, that's much worse.
1 hr 33 min - WTF JOHNNY DEPP DANCE. Yeah, no everyone else get into it. Yeah, now the whole theater. Oh, okay, that was kinda cute, I'll admit.
1 hr 34 min - For slaying the dragon, you get.......MORE DRUGS! YAYYYY!
1 hr 35 min - I can't stay here with you, because you're fake. Also, because I have to go get engaged to the man that looks exactly like you in real life.
1 hr 37 min - Nevermind, I'm not going to marry you.
1 hr 38 min - Feminist hell yeahhhh.; Yeah, good for you, that dance sure showed them!; You all look like you came from a dream I had! Oh snappppppp similarities.
1 hr 39 min - I like dressing like a boy.
1 hr 40 min - End with fadeout with the caterpillar who became a butterfly who would "see her in another life" and Alice setting out on her next adventure. Unsupervised. In a boat. I'M ON A BOAT I'M ON A BOAT EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME CAUSE I'M SAILING ON A BOAT!
That's about it for the first running commentary! More posts to come!
There are lots of links below to different things that I was thinking of during the movie. Be aware that many of these links are inappopriate for children. Also, these are random things I thought during the movie which does not mean I hated the movie. I will post a review later.
So, at the beginning a big party is thrown and Alice has no idea what is going on then SURPRISE BITCH IT'S AN ENGAGEMENT PARTY FOR YOU. (Wouldn't that suck?) So then she runs off and sees this rabbit and follows it and falls down the hole like we all remember from the first movie. And she drinks this bottle that says "drink me" (yeah kids, drink bottles that say 'drink me' and eat the magic brownies, especially those that say 'eat me').
23 min - OMG BLUE CHOCOBO
24 min - OMG hot pirate-like guy
25 min - Yes, tear her arms off Tweddle Dee and Dum. HAHA Bird just snatched your ass.
26 min - wtf did the Red Queen just say? She is talking way too damn fast. SLOWWWW DOWNNNNN. And then I'll kick her in the face with my ENERGY LEGS. Also, "What's wrong with your faceeeeeee?"; ewwww why did you just like out of the frog's mouth. Sick.
27 min - OMG Fish butler. I want one. So cute.
29 min - Chesire cat is not as scary as he was in the poster. Oh wait, his eyes got wider. Nevermind. Still kinda cute in his own way though. I want to pet him. So fluffy. HOVERBALL CAT
31 min - HEREEEEEEEEEEE'S JOHNNY! Rabbit is way more creepy than the Chesire cat.
33 min - Kids, drink whatever adults give you, especially those who have crazy orange hair and makeup. Yes. Do the drugs.
39 min - Flashback time!!! Wow, the Mad Hatter has longer hair in the flashback and reminds me of one of my one-week exes. Oh good times. No, I will not spend the night in your dorm after we have broken up.
41 min - Good plan...let's stop in the forest while I do my flashback. They won't be searching for us there anymore. They definitely don't have a sniffing dog! *sarcasm*
42 min - They totally didn't put the throwing of the hat in the movie for 3d effects or IMAX purposes. *sarcasm* WOAHHHH IT'S COMING OUT OF THE SCREEN! LET'S ALL REACH OUT TO GRAB THE HAT!!! (okay so I haven't read the book, if that happens in the book forgive me)
44 min - wow this is different from the first animated Alice in Wonderland where she just kinda floated along and had no idea what was going on. Where she was kinda loopy. This Alice is commanding. It's MY dream bitches, this will go how I want it to.
46 min - BLUE CHOCOBO IS BACK!!!
51 min - "Where is Alice kids?" "She's right there!" "Look to your right!"
52 min - Ohhh looks like the Red Queen thinks Johnny Depp is as hot as all of his fans think he is. They might get it on. Yeah eyebrow raised look. Bow chicka wow wow.
53 min - Damn it Ann Hathaway, I can never see you as anything else but from the Princess Diaries.
54 min - Is it bad that I have no idea what the Jabberwocky is still?
55 min - wtf floating heads in the bloody water. Is this really a kids movie? Reminds me of frozen heads floating in Titanic.
1 hour - ummmmm did Alice just get sexually harrassed? He was going to rape her if she wasn't bigger than him. What kind of message is this sending the kids? Boys, throw girls up against lockers at school, they like that. They're not big enough to push you off.
1 hr 2 min - ummm did that chick's nose just fall off? Gross.
1 hr 3 min - Kids, let the doggies lick your wounds, especially ones they gave you. It won't hurt at all and is very sanitary; Oh hellz yeah sword time!; I don't get why the doggie-like thing all of a sudden forgives Alice and pops back in his eye when she cut it out in the first place. I mean if someone cut my eye out and brought it back to me I'd still be pissed.
1 hr 4 min - Unlawful seduction huh, do kids even understand what that word is? What a douchbag pirate guy.
1 hr 7 min - I'm sorry Ann Hathaway but your makeup looks like shit. Your eyebrows are huge.
1 hr 8 min - Yes little girl, drink witch's potion. Especially that with urine in it. It makes it go down easier. Drugssssss. Most of this movie isn't as trippy as the Disney original though.
1 hr 11 min - Bitch you don't take Johnny Depp's hat.
1 hr 13 min - HAHA suckers! "Ches, you dog" ohhhhh funny joke! So hilariousssssss.
1 hr 14 min - BOOBS OFF TO REVEAL MORE BOOBS; also, why is everyone clapping if they haven't won yet?; Awww the turkey birdy is so cute! And snatchy!
1 hr 16 min - Oh White Queen, you're such a pussy. Fight your own battles!; Awww puppy family!!! :)
1 hr 18 min - Wow Alice, you're kind of a bitch telling the Mad Hatter that he's not real.
1 hr 19 min - Now Alice gets a decision instead of people pushing her around. Turning point of movie! Oh noes! Also, no one's gonna help you cause we're all lame. Oh this relates to her decision about getting married! Look, she's even in a gazebo-like thing.
1 hr 20 min - Wow everyone's a dick.
1 hr 21 min - Flashback to scenes that are similar to the first movie. Painting the red roses! We're painting the roses red! We're painting the roses red! So does this mean that Alice comes back again when she's a teen, then an adult, then an old woman? Is this like Chronicles of Narnia? (just kidding)
1 hr 23 min - Certainly looks like the White Witch from Chronicles of Narnia. FOR ASLAN!!!; Also, it could be The Golden Compass with them riding those animals. BEAR ARMY OMG. Wait, this movie doesn't have a bear army. Not good enough...
1 hr 24 min - So...your parents melted? Is this The Wizard of Oz now?
1 hr 25 min - SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC; Oh that beast actually looks badass!
1 hr 29 min - IN THE EYEEEE; Oh come on that little card tower/domino thing was so cliche. It's like I was waiting for it to happen the whole movie and hoping it wouldn't. Then again, that's the kind of stuff that's supposed to happen in this movie so I forgive it.
1 hr 30 min - IN THE EYEEE AGAINNNN. Different character. What if the pirate-like guy had two eye patches?
1 hr 31 min - wow. That's all you could think of when slaying the dragon? "Off with your head!"; I'm kind of hoping the heads grow back like the Hydra in Hercules.
1 hr 32 min - I'm not going to kill you, but I banish you to a life of no one talking to you or being kind. In my opinion, that's much worse.
1 hr 33 min - WTF JOHNNY DEPP DANCE. Yeah, no everyone else get into it. Yeah, now the whole theater. Oh, okay, that was kinda cute, I'll admit.
1 hr 34 min - For slaying the dragon, you get.......MORE DRUGS! YAYYYY!
1 hr 35 min - I can't stay here with you, because you're fake. Also, because I have to go get engaged to the man that looks exactly like you in real life.
1 hr 37 min - Nevermind, I'm not going to marry you.
1 hr 38 min - Feminist hell yeahhhh.; Yeah, good for you, that dance sure showed them!; You all look like you came from a dream I had! Oh snappppppp similarities.
1 hr 39 min - I like dressing like a boy.
1 hr 40 min - End with fadeout with the caterpillar who became a butterfly who would "see her in another life" and Alice setting out on her next adventure. Unsupervised. In a boat. I'M ON A BOAT I'M ON A BOAT EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME CAUSE I'M SAILING ON A BOAT!
That's about it for the first running commentary! More posts to come!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Fall Television Shows
I am looking forward to September when a lot of my television series begin again and watching them with friends as much as possible too. Here is a list of shows I look forward to watching:
August 16 - Weeds (although I don't have Showtime)
September 7 - Sons of Anarchy (haven't seen Season 2 yet)
September 16 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
September 20 - Castle (although I must catch up on Season 2), Chuck, and How I Met Your Mother (need to catch up)
September 21 - Glee
September 22 - Modern Family
September 23 - Community (need to catch up), 30 Rock, The Office, Outsourced (maybe)
November 10 - Lie to Me (need to watch Season 2)
Now don't say anything about not watching Dexter or hospital shows or w/e. I cannot handle much blood or surgeries. It's not that they're not good, I just can't handle them. With movies, the only genre I do not watch is horror. With television series, in order to capture my attention for an entire season, I enjoy the genres of comedy and drama the best.
Also, somehow I have been drawn into watching Ace of Cakes, Cupcake Wars, and The Great Foodtruck Race on the food network. Nom nom baked goods.
August 16 - Weeds (although I don't have Showtime)
September 7 - Sons of Anarchy (haven't seen Season 2 yet)
September 16 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
September 20 - Castle (although I must catch up on Season 2), Chuck, and How I Met Your Mother (need to catch up)
September 21 - Glee
September 22 - Modern Family
September 23 - Community (need to catch up), 30 Rock, The Office, Outsourced (maybe)
November 10 - Lie to Me (need to watch Season 2)
Now don't say anything about not watching Dexter or hospital shows or w/e. I cannot handle much blood or surgeries. It's not that they're not good, I just can't handle them. With movies, the only genre I do not watch is horror. With television series, in order to capture my attention for an entire season, I enjoy the genres of comedy and drama the best.
Also, somehow I have been drawn into watching Ace of Cakes, Cupcake Wars, and The Great Foodtruck Race on the food network. Nom nom baked goods.
This is Harder Than I Thought
It is not hard for me to watch movies, I have been watching 10 or more a week. However, it is more difficult to keep up on the reviews. I am over a month behind in my reviews (40-50 reviews), a lame start for my blog.
Contrary to popular belief at the places I rent movies, I do have a life outside watching movies. I just have really good time-management, multi-task, and prioritize (although I don't always do the things of the highest priority first...). Moving in to my new digs and having every day free to do with what I please has been amazing. I have had friends over or hung out with people at least 5 days/nights a week. I know that this will die down as soon as the school year hits and my job starts so I have been taking advantage of as much friend time as I can.
Yes I know, excuses excuses. However, I must insist that I am not a blog writer who devotes herself solely to her blog. Despite watching 10 movies a week, I will schedule them around my social life and if need be, not get around to watching 10 in a week on busy weeks (but still as close to 10 as I can).
Speaking of which, I am going on a vacation to California to visit some family, so that will most likely be a week that I cannot keep up. When I went to Seattle to visit my brother, he is as much of a movie guy as I am, so I was still able to keep up with my 10, but I do not expect to watch as many movies next week/weekend. Maybe if I don't get all of the reviews done this week I will write some on the plane ride...
Good news is, I have a lot I want to write and I look forward to posting some actual updates soon. Maybe even some tonight.
Contrary to popular belief at the places I rent movies, I do have a life outside watching movies. I just have really good time-management, multi-task, and prioritize (although I don't always do the things of the highest priority first...). Moving in to my new digs and having every day free to do with what I please has been amazing. I have had friends over or hung out with people at least 5 days/nights a week. I know that this will die down as soon as the school year hits and my job starts so I have been taking advantage of as much friend time as I can.
Yes I know, excuses excuses. However, I must insist that I am not a blog writer who devotes herself solely to her blog. Despite watching 10 movies a week, I will schedule them around my social life and if need be, not get around to watching 10 in a week on busy weeks (but still as close to 10 as I can).
Speaking of which, I am going on a vacation to California to visit some family, so that will most likely be a week that I cannot keep up. When I went to Seattle to visit my brother, he is as much of a movie guy as I am, so I was still able to keep up with my 10, but I do not expect to watch as many movies next week/weekend. Maybe if I don't get all of the reviews done this week I will write some on the plane ride...
Good news is, I have a lot I want to write and I look forward to posting some actual updates soon. Maybe even some tonight.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Currently Watching: July 12th - August 9th
These next posts are from movies/shows that I have watched over the course of a month. This is due to the fact that July was the craziest month ever for me (probably shouldn't have even started the blog that month). I went on a trip to Seattle the second week of July, a wedding the third weekend, another wedding the fourth weekend, was packing the whole time in-between for my move to an apartment as well as working 3x/week, then went to the hospital for three days, and finally am moving into my apartment tomorrow. This didn't mean I stopped watching movies or shows, just not as many. I watched them while I packed, was in the hospital with nothing else to do, was on an airplane, and in-between writing reports for work. You think I would've watched more than 10 movies a week at that rate, but alas, I was so busy I did not.
I have a lot of reviews to catch up on writing in the next week, as well as many movies to be watched, as usual. I will be without internet for about 3 days, so this may give me the chance to use my television to watch some more movies (or court tv like I watched in the hospital; or SHARK WEEK for the first time) and write reviews for the blog on paper with pen in-between my unpacking (oh noesssss what will I do without teh internets???...j/k).
This is what I have watched from July 12th through August 9th so far (more to come):
Chuck Seasons 1-3, Californication Seasons 2-3 (I will review all three however), Interview With The Vampire, Pawn Stars Season 1, Lie to Me Season 1, High Anxiety, The Tale of Despereaux, The Promotion, Planet 51, Alice in Wonderland (animated Disney version), My So-Called Life, Silent Movie, Lethal Weapon, Rebecca, Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, Sons of Anarchy Season 1, Bruce and Lloyd's Out of Control, The Jetson's Movie, Toy Story 3, and Castle Season 1.
I have a lot of reviews to catch up on writing in the next week, as well as many movies to be watched, as usual. I will be without internet for about 3 days, so this may give me the chance to use my television to watch some more movies (or court tv like I watched in the hospital; or SHARK WEEK for the first time) and write reviews for the blog on paper with pen in-between my unpacking (oh noesssss what will I do without teh internets???...j/k).
This is what I have watched from July 12th through August 9th so far (more to come):
Chuck Seasons 1-3, Californication Seasons 2-3 (I will review all three however), Interview With The Vampire, Pawn Stars Season 1, Lie to Me Season 1, High Anxiety, The Tale of Despereaux, The Promotion, Planet 51, Alice in Wonderland (animated Disney version), My So-Called Life, Silent Movie, Lethal Weapon, Rebecca, Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, Sons of Anarchy Season 1, Bruce and Lloyd's Out of Control, The Jetson's Movie, Toy Story 3, and Castle Season 1.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Additional Posts You May See From This Blog
In addition to the movie reviews that I will be writing, I will be also be:
Reviewing movie websites
Reviewing movie related webcomics
Posting favorite movie related webcomics
Discussing exciting upcoming releases
Discussing favorite movies, actors, and actresses
Discussing movie related terms
Writing stories from my experience at a movie theater
Discussing the Oscars
Discussing movie related products
Taking requests for movies to watch (except horror movies)
Movie/television discount and reward programs
And much more!
Reviewing movie websites
Reviewing movie related webcomics
Posting favorite movie related webcomics
Discussing exciting upcoming releases
Discussing favorite movies, actors, and actresses
Discussing movie related terms
Writing stories from my experience at a movie theater
Discussing the Oscars
Discussing movie related products
Taking requests for movies to watch (except horror movies)
Movie/television discount and reward programs
And much more!
Explanation of Reviews
As I said before, my reviews are not “top-notch” and in depth as many you may see. I am just starting to write reviews, therefore I may not know what to include. I did take a movie history course in college; however this does not mean that I know everything about movies.
My reviews may be longer or shorter than others. I base my reviews on my opinion, they may or may not provide explanation of the plot, may or may not include spoilers (although I will try to write “spoiler alert” at the beginning of the post if they do), and may include personal stories within them.
I try to do my best to use correct spelling and grammar and somewhat edit the entries, but other than that they are not meant to be award-winning essays. This is written for my own fun, to see how often I can actually watch 10 movies/tv shows a week, and for whoever else wants to enjoy reading as I watch 10 movies/tv shows a week.
My reviews may be longer or shorter than others. I base my reviews on my opinion, they may or may not provide explanation of the plot, may or may not include spoilers (although I will try to write “spoiler alert” at the beginning of the post if they do), and may include personal stories within them.
I try to do my best to use correct spelling and grammar and somewhat edit the entries, but other than that they are not meant to be award-winning essays. This is written for my own fun, to see how often I can actually watch 10 movies/tv shows a week, and for whoever else wants to enjoy reading as I watch 10 movies/tv shows a week.
Explanation of Ratings
I base my ratings on a five star scale. I use half stars as well (that’s one thing I don’t like about Netflix, they won’t allow me to use half stars). If you’re reading this blog I should assume you already know this rating scale:
.5 stars (lowest rating) = Terrible movie; poorly written, poorly directed, or poor acting
1 star = Don’t bother watching it
1.5 stars = Bad movie, hard to watch
2 stars = Bad movie but mostly watchable
2.5 stars = Pretty decent movie, passable
3 stars = Okay movie
3.5 stars = Pretty good movie
4 stars = Good movie, go see it
4.5 stars = Great movie, see it now
5 stars (highest rating) = Excellent movie, one that should be seen by all, great script, great cast, and amazingly directed
This blog is written based on my opinion. Others may rate movies differently.
.5 stars (lowest rating) = Terrible movie; poorly written, poorly directed, or poor acting
1 star = Don’t bother watching it
1.5 stars = Bad movie, hard to watch
2 stars = Bad movie but mostly watchable
2.5 stars = Pretty decent movie, passable
3 stars = Okay movie
3.5 stars = Pretty good movie
4 stars = Good movie, go see it
4.5 stars = Great movie, see it now
5 stars (highest rating) = Excellent movie, one that should be seen by all, great script, great cast, and amazingly directed
This blog is written based on my opinion. Others may rate movies differently.
Wasting Away (aka "Aaah! Zombies!!!") (2007)
Review:
Hollywood goes through phases. Currently we are seeing movies in the categories of superheroes, vampires, and zombies. Out of the three, my favorite happens to be zombies. More recent zombie flicks are comedic and this one is included. Wasting Away is a low-budget zombie film which won Audience Choice Award at Screamfest in 2007. It is about four friends (two girls and two guys) who accidentally turn into zombies when toxic waste is mixed into their icecream. Not thinking much of the green color of the icecream, they all eat it anyways. They feel like they are still humans (in fact, super humans), walking and talking normally; however the outside world can sees them as zombies, where their waves and yells for help are only heard as moans and seen as stiff movements. All of the shots from the zombie’s perspective are shot in color and all of the shots from everyone else’s perspective are shot in black and white. The entire movie, the zombies think that the humans are the ones who were infected because they have gone mad enough to shoot at each other. This movie has a hilarious script and creative plot which make it a good film despite the low budget. It releases on dvd on September 28th.
A trailer can be seen on Level33Entertainment’s youtube account at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtV3N9zRrJs
Rating: 3 stars
Despicable Me (2010)
Review:
I am a sucker for animated films. I have been waiting for this film since I found out about it and the actors and actresses involved.
I love stories about villains who are trying to be the best villain they can be but have hero qualities. I also love dark humor. These aspects can be found in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Igor, and Despicable Me. Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who used to be the best villain, was out-villained by another who stole a pyramid in Egypt. Gru is then denied a bank loan from the Bank of Evil because he is getting to be old and less on top of his game. So, he tries to steal the moon by adopting three girls who sell cookies door to door. He uses them to try and capture a shrink ray from the evil villain who stole the pyramid.
Other notable voices in the movie include Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, and Kristen Wiig. The inventions in the movie are creative, the script was excellent, and the jokes were hilarious. In addition, the vehicles and houses of the characters were creative (and also had a little bit of dark humor as well). Gru does not have a problem freezing everyone to get to the front of a coffee line and steal someone’s purchase or tell someone he’s going to kill their dog, then laugh about it. The timing of the lines was great. The character’s shapes and sizes also added to the humor and were used creatively in the plot and dialogue.
I cannot forget about the minions. The most advertised part of the movie. The yellow minions were in the movie and resembled the voices of the aliens from Toy Story. It is easy to think that this is a Disney film; however Disney is more cutesy/family friendly than this movie. But it looks and feels as intelligently done as a Pixar script. Anyhow, I was worried that they would be annoying and distract from the movie, but I was wrong. They were creatively used and were their own characters. I would say they were a great addition to the film and made me smile multiple times.
Overall, what I liked is that the trailer did not give everything away. All that I knew was that the movie had Steve Carell as a funny looking evil guy and a pyramid getting stolen. That’s all it took for me to want to watch it and I was not disappointed. It was a great film from start to finish with a wonderful ending and lots of baby seal kicking humor.
Rating: 4.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/
I am a sucker for animated films. I have been waiting for this film since I found out about it and the actors and actresses involved.
I love stories about villains who are trying to be the best villain they can be but have hero qualities. I also love dark humor. These aspects can be found in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Igor, and Despicable Me. Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), who used to be the best villain, was out-villained by another who stole a pyramid in Egypt. Gru is then denied a bank loan from the Bank of Evil because he is getting to be old and less on top of his game. So, he tries to steal the moon by adopting three girls who sell cookies door to door. He uses them to try and capture a shrink ray from the evil villain who stole the pyramid.
Other notable voices in the movie include Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, and Kristen Wiig. The inventions in the movie are creative, the script was excellent, and the jokes were hilarious. In addition, the vehicles and houses of the characters were creative (and also had a little bit of dark humor as well). Gru does not have a problem freezing everyone to get to the front of a coffee line and steal someone’s purchase or tell someone he’s going to kill their dog, then laugh about it. The timing of the lines was great. The character’s shapes and sizes also added to the humor and were used creatively in the plot and dialogue.
I cannot forget about the minions. The most advertised part of the movie. The yellow minions were in the movie and resembled the voices of the aliens from Toy Story. It is easy to think that this is a Disney film; however Disney is more cutesy/family friendly than this movie. But it looks and feels as intelligently done as a Pixar script. Anyhow, I was worried that they would be annoying and distract from the movie, but I was wrong. They were creatively used and were their own characters. I would say they were a great addition to the film and made me smile multiple times.
Overall, what I liked is that the trailer did not give everything away. All that I knew was that the movie had Steve Carell as a funny looking evil guy and a pyramid getting stolen. That’s all it took for me to want to watch it and I was not disappointed. It was a great film from start to finish with a wonderful ending and lots of baby seal kicking humor.
Rating: 4.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/
Date Night (2010)
Review:
Many of us have been in relationships where we get to know the other person so well for years and feel comfortable with the other person. So comfortable that we feel as if we are having the same conversations, eating at the same restaurants, and participating in the same routines. The movie Date Night is about one of these couples (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) who is married with kids and afraid that they are playing the same boring roles. Once they see their friends getting a divorce for that very reason, they dress up and plan an exciting date at a fancy restaurant. When there are no tables open, the husband decides to take someone else’s reservation only to find out that the people whose reservation they took are thieves who stole from a mob boss in the city. Carell and Fey are are followed throughout the city by the cops who work for the mob boss and end up trying to clear their names by playing the role of the thieves. The script is excellent as we see the couple switch from roles as husband and wife (acting terrified) to thieves and detectives (but still within their husband/wife personalities).
The movie starts off a little cheesy with the couple stating that clinging empty wine glasses causes bad luck (which they then do in a zoomed camera shot) but ends with a touching line from Steve Carell that I hope to hear one day. Mark Wahlber also plays an excellent role in the movie.
Rating: 3.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/
Many of us have been in relationships where we get to know the other person so well for years and feel comfortable with the other person. So comfortable that we feel as if we are having the same conversations, eating at the same restaurants, and participating in the same routines. The movie Date Night is about one of these couples (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) who is married with kids and afraid that they are playing the same boring roles. Once they see their friends getting a divorce for that very reason, they dress up and plan an exciting date at a fancy restaurant. When there are no tables open, the husband decides to take someone else’s reservation only to find out that the people whose reservation they took are thieves who stole from a mob boss in the city. Carell and Fey are are followed throughout the city by the cops who work for the mob boss and end up trying to clear their names by playing the role of the thieves. The script is excellent as we see the couple switch from roles as husband and wife (acting terrified) to thieves and detectives (but still within their husband/wife personalities).
The movie starts off a little cheesy with the couple stating that clinging empty wine glasses causes bad luck (which they then do in a zoomed camera shot) but ends with a touching line from Steve Carell that I hope to hear one day. Mark Wahlber also plays an excellent role in the movie.
Rating: 3.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/
My One and Only (2009)
Review:
Renee Zellweger is one of my favorite actresses. She was also in Cold Mountain and Chicago, which are excellent movies as well as My One and Only. She plays a strong, independent female character in all of these films.
My One and Only is about Zellweger’s character who is a rich woman whose husband cheats on her. She takes a significant amount of money as well as buys a car to leave the city with her two children. She travels wherever she can find someone (generally a man who had loved her in the past) to provide room and board. Each of these men have a flaw causing her to leave tot he next city/man. Each time she moves she has less and less money remaining. However, she keeps her head up and doesn’t let anything stop her from living and providing for herself and family.
I would definitely love to see more films where Zellweger plays the role of a strong, independent woman in the future as each of her roles have been unique so far in their own ways.
Rating: 3.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185431/
Renee Zellweger is one of my favorite actresses. She was also in Cold Mountain and Chicago, which are excellent movies as well as My One and Only. She plays a strong, independent female character in all of these films.
My One and Only is about Zellweger’s character who is a rich woman whose husband cheats on her. She takes a significant amount of money as well as buys a car to leave the city with her two children. She travels wherever she can find someone (generally a man who had loved her in the past) to provide room and board. Each of these men have a flaw causing her to leave tot he next city/man. Each time she moves she has less and less money remaining. However, she keeps her head up and doesn’t let anything stop her from living and providing for herself and family.
I would definitely love to see more films where Zellweger plays the role of a strong, independent woman in the future as each of her roles have been unique so far in their own ways.
Rating: 3.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185431/
The A-Team (2010)
Review:
For starters I want to note that I have never seen the A-Team television series. Therefore I am unfamiliar with the characters and how well the movie and characters connect with the television show. I do know that it is based off of the 1980’s television series. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see this film, it is hard to tell whether summer blockbusters will live up to their hype or not. I like to go into movies with low expectations when I can. I have been disappointed before. However, I had been told by multiple people that this movie was good. It was. Not only was it a great comedy with a fun script and familiar actors (Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, and Liam Neeson) it also provided almost non-stop explosive action. The number of ways in which the A-Team insanely yet creatively used weapons to destroy their enemies was highly entertaining. Each character had his or her own unique hilarious personality that worked together with the other and made for a great movie.
Rating: 3.5 stars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/
Currently Watching July 5th - 12th
Each week I will try to write a list of what I will most likely be watching.
Here is a list of what I will be watching and reviewing this first week:
Despicable Me, The Ghost Writer, The A-Team, Wasting Away, Shutter Island, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Twilight/New Moon, Date Night, My One and Only, and Toy Story 3.
Here is a list of what I will be watching and reviewing this first week:
Despicable Me, The Ghost Writer, The A-Team, Wasting Away, Shutter Island, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Twilight/New Moon, Date Night, My One and Only, and Toy Story 3.
How I Got to Watching so Many Movies
When I was young, I was definitely encouraged to be active. I was involved in many different after school activities. I had no time for watching television or movies. Even when I did have some time, it was taken up with homework or writing.
Once I got to college I had much more time. I started buying more movies, holding movie nights at my apartment, renting movies, and watching movies/tv shows while I did my homework. I used to walk around video rental stores for hours just looking at dvds and making lists of movies I wanted to see. My friends started to come along too and we would walk around chatting about movies, movie cases, and some even played a game with me involving dvds around the store.
I tended to raid the Family Video because they had great deals. I would rent 15 movies a week because that was the maximum at that location. Each time I moved I found a new video store to raid and knew all the best deals. Many of the employees at each store knew me by name and would chat with me about movies.
Eventually I got Netflix and was able to start rating movies that I had seen. That didn't stop me from renting movies from the store. I rated movies during class and eventually got to the point where Netflix only had 8 movies to recommend to me (now it's back up to 90). Netflix discs didn't seem to come fast enough and I didn't always like watching movies instantly on my computer. I enjoyed the comfort of my television and a dvd in a dvd player. But that got to be expensive and my Blockbuster rewards were running out. Luckily Netflix instant cue and Hulu kept getting better and better and I was able to borrow dvds from friends.
Of course dvds weren't the only way I watched movies. I worked for a movie theater my sophomore year of college up until when I graduated. I mostly worked summers and breaks, but my last year I worked there during the school year. I was able to see movies before they came out and I usually went to see one movie a week. I made a lot of good friends at the theater, started getting better at knowing actors/actresses and pop culture, started watching the Oscars, and learned a lot about the behind the scenes of movies. It was then that I truly became a movie snob.
Originally, I wrote this blog on Tumblr. However, Blogger seems to be easier to use and customize, so I switched. Many of the first posts on this blog, including this one, were written a month ago.
Now, I'm by no means a good reviewer. I don't know as much as those who have studied the field (even though I did take a film history course). I am writing these for fun and they are my opinion. Please enjoy as I start writing 10 reviews a week.
Once I got to college I had much more time. I started buying more movies, holding movie nights at my apartment, renting movies, and watching movies/tv shows while I did my homework. I used to walk around video rental stores for hours just looking at dvds and making lists of movies I wanted to see. My friends started to come along too and we would walk around chatting about movies, movie cases, and some even played a game with me involving dvds around the store.
I tended to raid the Family Video because they had great deals. I would rent 15 movies a week because that was the maximum at that location. Each time I moved I found a new video store to raid and knew all the best deals. Many of the employees at each store knew me by name and would chat with me about movies.
Eventually I got Netflix and was able to start rating movies that I had seen. That didn't stop me from renting movies from the store. I rated movies during class and eventually got to the point where Netflix only had 8 movies to recommend to me (now it's back up to 90). Netflix discs didn't seem to come fast enough and I didn't always like watching movies instantly on my computer. I enjoyed the comfort of my television and a dvd in a dvd player. But that got to be expensive and my Blockbuster rewards were running out. Luckily Netflix instant cue and Hulu kept getting better and better and I was able to borrow dvds from friends.
Of course dvds weren't the only way I watched movies. I worked for a movie theater my sophomore year of college up until when I graduated. I mostly worked summers and breaks, but my last year I worked there during the school year. I was able to see movies before they came out and I usually went to see one movie a week. I made a lot of good friends at the theater, started getting better at knowing actors/actresses and pop culture, started watching the Oscars, and learned a lot about the behind the scenes of movies. It was then that I truly became a movie snob.
Originally, I wrote this blog on Tumblr. However, Blogger seems to be easier to use and customize, so I switched. Many of the first posts on this blog, including this one, were written a month ago.
Now, I'm by no means a good reviewer. I don't know as much as those who have studied the field (even though I did take a film history course). I am writing these for fun and they are my opinion. Please enjoy as I start writing 10 reviews a week.
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