It's all about Oscar

Lately I have been trying to knock off a couple more Best Picture nominated movies from my list. To this date I have seen 5 out of 9 nominated films and most likely the eventual winner according the the buzz. Yesterday I saw The Artist, and frankly I must confess I was not impressed. Maybe it was all the hype that did it in for me, or the annoying ladies talking behind (can you imagine during a silent movie in a theatre with only 5 other attendees hearing people talking the whole time????), or perhaps it was that I was extremely hungry and distracted. But while I found it visually stunning, mostly I was bored and very aware of the time slowly ticking by. In the rank of other nominated movies I have seen this one ends up a the end of the pack. This is how I would rank what I have seen:
5. The Artist
4. The Help
3. Midnight in Paris
2. The Descendants
1. Moneyball

I have no interest in seeing Tree of Life, and War Horse isn't in theatres anywhere around here. If ambitious I might be able to add Hugo and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close before the ceremony on Sunday. What is your favorite?

The Switch: more than impressed

This weekend I DVR'd The Switch. And it was actually a pretty impressive movie. General plot is that Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) decides to have a child on her own. However, she is uncomfortable with the idea of never knowing the sperm donor- she states she wants to look him in the eyes- so she purchases the goods from someone she can meet. Her best friend Wally (Jason Batemen) is a neurotic overly truthful guy with bad fashion choices she put in the "friend zone" some 6 years prior. Through a series of mishaps all performed in various levels of drunkness Wally in his words his "hijacks Kassie's pregnancy" although this is not discovered until 7 years later. I will admit the first half of the movie it s bit crazy, mostly the whole idea of a insemination party, where the drunken switch takes place, was a little hard for me to swallow. But actually the rest of the movie makes sense. When Kassie realizes she is pregnant she moves home to MN because is it is a better place to raise a child- which allows you to believe she and Wally are now parted and don't have the similarities between man and child in front of them 24-7. After 7 years Kassie moves back to NY and Wally finally meets Sebastian, a neurotic easily depressed- yet determined child, he at first is put off by his odd-ness. But as the movie progresses and Wally unravels the truth he becomes endeared to Sebastian and now cannot risk losing either him or Kassie from his life. Kassie in the meanwhile is pursing the man she believes to be Sebastian's "seed guy" there is a whole touching scene where Kassie explains Sebastians birth story. Mostly I was entirely enchanted by Jennifer Aniston, Jason Batemen, and the young actor playing Sebastian. Totally worth a redbox rental!

Footloose: A distracted review

This past weekend Directv was having a free Cinemax preview and I took the opportunity to dvr like every movie ever. Including: Footloose. I am a little shocked I haven't ever seen the original as I have watched all John Hughes movies and Dirty Dancing more times than any person ever should admit to, second only to the number of times I have seen Clueless. Plus Kevin Bacon is like totally a Baldwin in it, before being a Baldwin was even invented. However after watching Footloose in its entirety, if perhaps admittedly in a distracted manner (I was making homemade chicken pot pie) I may have found out why this movie never made an appearance into my life before.

While I found the music amazing, Almost Paradise, Holding out for a Hero, and naturally Footloose, I couldn't quite get over where the music was being used in the movie. Holding out for a hero- perhaps one of the most underrated songs ever heard used in a Tracker Chicken Race. Really Chicken with trackers? Only Hollywood would put vehicles that cost more than the average American can imagine racing each other until one falls into a creek. Do you really want to hold out for a hero that has no sense of value?

A shocking amount of domestic violence- which is apparently no big deal to like anyone? First the preacher slaps his daughter (clearly portrayed in the heat of the moment and he does express repentance- but his wife witnesses this and says nothing? really???) Later this same girl gets seriously beat up by her thug boyfriend- He drives away, she ends up on the ground bleeding with a black eye. Which other than a call to Kevin Bacon to come and get her leads to no comments about this abuse? She walks around the next scenes of the movie with a shiner- but no big deal because she has her sun glasses on.

Ren (how have we not gotten to the ridiculous names?- we also have a girl named Rusty) is an amazing gymnast for no other reason then to be pushed out off school activities and to have a slamming, if improbable angry dance scene at a deserted mill.

While like I liked Ren (Kevin Bacon), Rusty (Sarah Jessica Parker), and the friend (Chris Penn) - I hated Ariel, I found absolutely nothing redeemable about her, she constantly exhibited reckless and annoying behavior.

So to be honest not my favorite, but fun moments and good music.

p.s. While I don't remember any times where my parents absolutely wouldn't let me watch a movie as a child I have two memories of censorship, I vividly recall having to leave the room when Patrick Swayze gets murdered in Ghost (to this day I don't think I have ever seen that part of the movie) and when visiting a friends house during 2nd or 3rd grade my friends older sister was watching Dirty Dancing and we couldn't watch where Johnny and Baby finally hook up. So perhaps Patrick Swayze just isn't suitable for young kids

You are Killer or a Knight?

With two movie coming out in a matter of weeks with essentially the exact same plot: how do you choose?
Are you a Killer or a Knight? Shea is going with Killers- thinking the funnier option is the way to go. I personally was a fan of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and therefore am going with the more similar option of Knight and Day- plus regardless of how fast Tom Cruise's star is falling he has a successful action movie or two under this belt. Cameron is no stranger to kick a little ace either.

How will you choose- or will your refuse to try either Mr. and Mrs. Smith knockoff?

Stars Wars... our epic journey

Did you know today all, and i mean all, Star Wars movies are playing back to back on spike tv? well now you do. Spike TV frankly pays Stars Wars a lot, last weekend Shea and I caught Return of the Jedi. And that is when we came up with our epic plan: watch all 6 Star War movies in one day. And today Spike TV is granting us that wish. Wish us luck, we will be using the force.

Film Friday

Here is a blast from the past for some of my loyal readers- Film Friday. I watched this last weekend, mostly i hated it, I mean these kids were horrible to their dad. Like super really bad. I will now laughingly tell you it is described as a comedy (and i am not laughing at the jokes, just the idiot how tried to market that way). But still at the end I was crying, tears a streaming down my face. So I don't recommend it, because it was mostly awful but heart wrenching in the end.

This movie also had tears streaming down my face, but in a much more positive way. On my last plane trip (the one where I purposely brought along no emotionally charged books so I wouldn't end up weeping on public transportation, again (because it happens frequently) the in flight movie- moved me) I saw this gem. Maybe I have a soft spot for Clive Owen and red head children, or maybe it was just really good. I recommend!

It's a hit and miss thing....

My lovely sister Laura, has blogged and talked to me all about her netflix troubles. And wowee Do I completely understand. I usually get into a kick where I think one actor or actress is like the best thing since sliced bread and put all of their work in my netflix queue. Like everything. but weeks later, maybe even months, when they finally arrive at my home, I think maybe I shouldn't have picked all of Kate Winslet's work- because frankly a whole heck of a lot of it is depressing heavy stuff. I also find that I often pick really crappy weird independent films. So more often than not the stuff that arrives at home it pretty touch and go. But I have to say thanks to instant streaming I have discovered like at least 10 television shows that I LOVE LOVE now. Maybe it is just like everything else the more you try the more you succeed.

Film Friday

It is all about balance you see. This week I watched one very good movie. I.E. The Hurt Locker

And one definitely better than expected movie i.e. All about Steve
Taken separately one was to sobering to end the night, and one was to much fluff. If you haven't seen The Hurt Locker, you should. I have a feeling it is going to clean up at the Oscars. Plus I adore the leading man, and cameo from Lost's Kate, and it is a really sobering and impressive look at the kind of hostile environment the men and women of the US forces are facing over there.

All About Steve, left me more impressed and entertained than I thought it possibly could. Maybe I just have a soft spot of Sandra Bullock and useless information. But hey- I laughed, Shea laughed. No one cried.

Starz decided it was christmas....

Last night I was perusing the channels, secretly hoping to be able to watch- like the whole- Halloween trilogy. Alas I wasn't that fortunate. But I did notice that one of my starz channels decided it was Christmas already and was playing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Jim Carrey version. This was disappointing to me, I mean technically it was still Halloween, I get that as a whole, America loves to skip over Thanksgiving, but I mean come on, it was still October. Really. To be fair for months, like super long months, Starz has been playing a movie called "This Christmas" but as far as I could tell it was a newer release. I can say I am disappointed in the skip over. Starz better start playing some of the several excellent, Turkey Day themed movies pronto!