Love and Other Friends with Strings Attached

Disclaimer:  Yes, random, meaningless sex is not what God intended.  So please know that I understand this while describing the movies below.  To enjoy many movies that are released today, you have to essentially realize that people in movies aren't going to do what God intended, be it through physical hook-ups, language, violence or any number of things.  Now, whether we as Christians should be watching movies with such things is an entire discussion that is for another day.  So if you feel that you cannot watch nor enjoy any movie with such things in them, I'd suggest you skip this post... no hard feelings. =)

So, I almost feel like I watched the same movie three times... all three movies have to do with a guy and a girl who decide its a good idea to use each other for sex, and what happens when emotions get involved--because naturally they all do.  They all include a chick who has baggage and just can't commit, and a guy who has issues with his feelings for her, and they all three include what happens when one (or both) of the couples decide to venture out and date/do someone else.

The movies in question are:  "Love & Other Drugs", released November, 2010... "No Strings Attached", released January 2011... and "Friends With Benefits", released July 2011...

And here's how I rank 'em...


My Least Favorite of the Three:

Here's the thing... you have to like Natalie Portman, and you really have
to like Ashton Kutcher to enjoy this film fully

"No Strings Attached"
Directed by: Ivan Reitman ("Ghost Busters", "Twins", "Six Days Seven Nights")
Domestic Gross: $70,662,220
Rotten Tomotoes Rating: 49% on the Tomato Meter
The Guy: Ashton Kutcher, playing Adam, a TV production assistant
The Chick: Natalie Portman, playing Emma, a resident at a local hospital with commitment issues
Disease Involved:  None
Wacky Friend/Parent:  Adam's dad (Kevin Kline) and all of Emma's roommates
Rating:  R for language and sex.
Plot:  Two people who have busy, complicated lives meet up, have sex and agree that they should only do that, to the point where they make up rules to keep out emotion. But of course, one of them develops feelings for the other, only to find out the other has feelings to but is scared because of their past issues.
My Thoughts:  This wasn't a bad movie, really, but there was nothing special about it.  There doesn't seem to be much chemistry at all between Natalie and Ashton, and although all of these movies are predictable, this one is moreso. 


My Second Favorite of the Three:

Jake and Anne, in one of her rare moments with a shirt on

"Love and Other Drugs"
Directed by: Edward Zwick ("Glory", "The Last Samarai", "Legends of the Fall")
Domestic Gross: $32,367005
Rotten Tomotoes Rating:  48% on the Tomato Meter
The Guy: Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays Jamie Randell, a drug rep who sells Viagra as soon as its available
The Chick: Anne Hathaway, who plays Maggie Murdock, a senior citizen worker
Disease Involved:  Parkinson's Disease
Wacky Family Member/Friend: Josh, Jamie's boorish and lazy brother
Rating:  R, for lots and lots of Anne's boobies, plus language.  And sex.
Plot:  Two people who have busy, complicated lives meet up, have sex and agree that they should only do that, to the point where they make up rules to keep out emotion.  But of course, one of them develops feelings for the other, only to find out the other has feelings to but is scared because of their past issues.
My Thoughts:  The problem to me is that I truly like Anne Hathaway, but I'm not a huge Jake Gyllenhaal fan.  So while I could give Anne a 7 out of 10, I could only give Jake a 3 out of 10, averaging a 5.  The film does, however, have Judy Greer, who I'm a huge fan of, and she's a 8 out of 10, so that bumps it up to about 6.  The script is fun, and her dealing with Parkinson's Disease was something I didn't know about, and certainly didn't expect it to play a big of a role as it did.  There are way too many boob shots in this movie--almost like Anne Hathaway wanted to show off as much as possible. 


And Finally, My Favorite of the Three:

Its hard not to like Justin Timberlake, and Mila Kunis has
really grown on me, especially since "The Book of Eli"

"Friends With Benefits"
Directed by:  Will Gluck ("Easy A")
Domestic Gross: $38,200,000 (still in theaters)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:  68% on the Tomato Meter
The Guy: Justin Timberlake, who plays Dylan Harper, an internet art director
The Chick: Mila Kunis, who plays Jamie Rexler, an executive recruiter in NYC
Disease Involved:  Alzheimers
Wacky Family Member/Friend:  Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's kooky mom;  Woody Harrelson as Dylan's gay, wacky sports director
Rating:  R, for language. No nudity except for butt shots.  Oh, and sex.
Plot:  Two people who have busy, complicated lives meet up, have sex and agree that they should only do that, to the point where they make up rules to keep out emotion. But of course, one of them develops feelings for the other, only to find out the other has feelings to but is scared because of their past issues.
My Thoughts:  In my own (un)humble opinion, the far superior of the three films.  The script is funny and light, and more real than the rest (the hilarity of the first hook up is a great example), the jokes are funny, and there is great on-screen chemistry between Mila and JT.  You end up liking both characters a lot, and by the time you find out Dylan's story--father with the beginning stages of Alzheimers--it doesn't feel like a ploy to get you to like him because you already do.  Jenna Elfman shows up as Dylan's sister and plays the part great (and cameos from Emma Stone, Andy Sandburg, Rashida Jones and Jason Segel are great too) and the whole romance is entirely believable this time around.  I liked this film alot, and will probably be the only one of the three to appear on The 100 Coolest Things of 2011... I asked The Lovely Steph Leann which of the three she would watch again, and she agreed that this one would be it. 

So there you have it... skip "No Strings Attached"... catch "Love and Other Drugs" if its around, but know the boobies are there... rent "Friends With Benefits"

The Summer of Blogging Day Forty Nine

Elizabeth Olsen: The New Carry Bradshaw?

Source: mybarestyle; dailymail


Rumor as it that Elizabeth Olsen (on the picture with twin sisters Mary Kate and Ashley) is going to be Carry Bradshaw in the prequal of the movie "Sex and the City". The movie will be based on Candace Bushnell's novels "The Carry Diaries" and "Summer and the City". 
Other names to appear on the prequal are: Blake Lively as Samantha, Selena Gomez as Charlotte and Emma Roberts as Miranda. 
Let's wait and see!!!

The Potter Finale

The time is 1:32p.  I sit now in my recliner, Investigative Discovery showing Dateline NBC on the TV.  There's a bottle of water to my left on a Mickey Mouse coaster, and Leonard Matlin's Movie Guide 2011 on the arm of the chair.  Remote to my right.  Computer in front of me.  I sit, unable to relax, unable to focus on much of anything, except for the reflection that, a half hour ago, I was watching the credits to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" as they rolled on the screen.  A half hour and two minutes ago, I was watching the movie adaptation of the famous Epilogue in the final book of the Harry Potter series.

And now I sit and think about how absolutely, positively amazingly terrifically awesome this movie was.  Because it was all of those things.

Now, I'm not someone who just likes a movie because it has certain characters in it.  Hurricane Rhett raves about "Transformers: Rise of the Fallen", the second in the series, even though I thought it was terrible.  People tend to love "Terminator: Rise of the Machines", when I thought it was useless.  That is to say, just because its a an addition to a series I love and enjoy does not a great movie make...

...but this is a case where, as Yoda might put it, "...a great movie makes it does."

Because this movie has been out in wide release now for, oh, 12 hours or so, I'll keep any spoilers secret... if you haven't read the books, then I won't tell you anything you would find out in the movie.  If you have read the books, then I'll allude to some things that you might know if you think about it, but I won't spell it out.  Spell.  Spell?  Get it?  Harry Potter is a wizard and he... well, spells and... spells?  Never mind.

(now, if you haven't seen the last movie, I can't help you.)

Ron, Harry and Hermione outside of Shell Cottage

The movie jumps right in where the previous movie left off, with ol' Voldy jacking up Dumbledore's grave in order to get the Elder Wand.  We then see Harry on a beach, outside of Bill and Fleur Weasley's home, Shell Cottage.   Harry is leaning over a grave, one that he dug as a result of the death that happened at the end of Part 1, and he joins Hermione and Ron inside the cottage. 

For the next 20 minutes or so, you get a little exposition--Griphook the Goblin is there to discuss the plan that Harry, Ron and Hermione are working on... that is, breaking into Gringott's Bank to retrieve a hidden item from a heavily guarded vault, the vault of Bellatrix Lastrange.  The trio then move over to the room where an ailing Ollivander, the wandmaker, sits, and he talks about the secretive Elder Wand and the possibility of its existence.

Get through this little bit of conversation between the characters, and the movie takes off fast, like a dragon flying through the skies of London.   And the action comes fast and furious. 

Part 2 covers the last half of the final book, which, as we know culminates with The Battle of Hogwarts, and oh what a battle it is.  Prof. McGonagall turns into a bada** (there is no other way to put it), and Hogwarts comes alive with defenses, magic and literally an army of students, teachers and others to protect their school.

The bad guys come in full force, with Voldypoo and Bellatrix leading the charge, as Dementors and Death Eaters surround the castle.  Once the force field is broken (oh come on, that's in the previews...), it's game on.

The war covers probably the final 45 minutes to an hour of the book, but in my mind, it wasn't even long enough.  Having read "Deathly Hallows" 3 times, I remembered several little details that the movie skimmed over, and the movie has its own ideas of who should live and die.  I was actually surprised at the death of one character, thinking, "Really?  They didn't die in the book, and certainly not like that..."

And when the war is over, when its all said and done, we see that Epilogue, that five minute scene that tells you everything is good, everything is right... that tells you All is Well. 

As usual, I had a few small issues with the movie--kind of a "I didn't like that that character didn't do this, like in the book", and "We never saw them do that in the book!" and "Interesting that the movie chose to do this situation that way".  I missed seeing more of The Weasley Twins, Prof. Slughorn and others, but we get a good dose of Luna Lovegood, more Seamus Finnigan that we've gotten in a long time, and a huge dose of Neville Longbottom--as it should be.  Alan Rickman also gets to sink his claws into Severus Snape as a major player, something he had always been in the books, but not so much in most of the movies.

From the Epilogue, Ginny and her husband, with their son, Albus
Severus.  I feel bad for that kid.

But, for the first time I think in any of the Harry Potter movies, I can say with complete honesty, there are things that happen in this movie that I actually liked better than the book.  I love the series, but have always had an issue with the somewhat abrupt ending to the war, after Voldy dies (oh, come on now, you knew he would die, I'm not spoiling anything--that's like saying "Batman beats The Joker in 'The Dark Knight' ruins that movie for you...), and I feel like this movie ends a little better.  Maybe still abrupt, but not as much. 

With so much going on, your favorite characters do make appearances, but sometimes with little to no lines... The Weasley Twins speak twice.  Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have a combined three lines--and I think she says them all.  Even Hagrid only has a handful... but because this is the end, we get alot of characters that have remained AWOL during movies that didn't concern them... Percy is back.  Cho Chang is back.  Lavender Brown comes back.  Pansy Parkinson is back.  Even Goyle is back (Crabbe's absence is never explained, though in real life, the kid who played him, Jamie Waylett, was busted for drugs, so the movie's producers dropped him altogether).  According to the cast list, apparently Oliver Wood, Cormac McClaggen, one of the Patil twins and Romilda Vane appear, but I guess I missed them.  Either way, the love gets spread around to everyone.

All in all, this is the best of the Harry Potter series.  I think if you have only seen the movies, you will have a few questions and you'll find a few holes... and if you have read the book, you'll be like me, and have questions that start with, "I wonder why they did/didn't..."   However, because of the scope and size of the book, I think you will agree that they did the best that could have been done.  The screenwriter, Steve Kloves, got it right... absolutely right, and almost perfect.

And as the camera panned away from Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and the familiar music came on and credit rolled, I had only one thought...

All is well.

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty Eight

Hobos in a Grindhouse

Hobo with a Shotgun... For all the talk about the glory and niche of "grindhouse" movies, every time one comes around that is supposed to be an homage to grindhouse, it typically is a pile of crap.  Not every grindhouse style movie is a pile of crap...

...let's discuss "Grindhouse", first.  What does that mean, to the common moviegoer?  In the early part of last century, the 50s and 60s, maybe even the 30s and 40s, a "Grind House" was considered a theater that showed "exploitation films", and named for an actual theater located in New York City on 42nd Street where people would "bump and grind" while dancing.  A grindhouse theater would many times show B-movies and double features.  The term eventually evolved from meaning the theaters that showed such movies to the actual movies themselves, a'la "a grindhouse movie", and its typically a movie that contains sex, tons of ridiculous violence and usually a bizarre premise, it was always filmed on very lowgrade film with lots of scratches and cuts, and mostly were movies that were blasted by critics as horrible films.

Another great thing about Grindhouse movies
are the movie posters.  They are silly, corny and
completely over the top.  This one is a great
homage to those films.

...anyway, when Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did "Grindhouse" a few years ago, it was your typical grindhouse-like double feature... Rodriguez's part of the film, "Planet Terror", was awesome.  It was funny, it was ridiculous, and it was a great tribute to those old kind of movies.   Even right in the middle of it, there is a "missing" scene that, one the front end had two characters at odds, and when the film cut out and came back, those two characters were discussing how they were father and son.  Plus, there is Rose McGowen who has a machine gun for a leg.  Bizarre premise, like I said.
Tarantino's part, "Death Proof", was less than so.  It was long winded, it was trying to do too much, trying to be too much, and except for an awesome use of Kurt Russell, it was a disappointment after watching "Planet Terror".  The main character introductory scene right in the middle of the film, using an old style camera shot of just going around the table, seamlessly, from person to person, was enjoyable for, oh, the first ten minutes, but it just kept going on and on and on until it was just completely boring.   Even the last scene was a total letdown, save for a car chase that was sorta, kinda fun for again, the first ten minutes.  Eh.

There are hundreds of grindhouse movies out there--this Top 10 list alone has titles like "Faster, Pussycat!  Kill!  Kill!" and "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS" and "Please Don't Eat My Mother" and one of my favorite movie titles ever, "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song"--and includes one that I actually have seen, that being "Vanishing Point".

SIDEBAR... Speaking of "Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song", when Wookiee and I went to see the Troy Trojans play football, we made sure we stuck around for the band, the Sound of the South.  Best band in the South, and that includes you, The Million Dollar Band of Alabama.  Anyway, when the Colorguard came out, we noticed someone of color with a flag.  Not unusual, right?  Well, this someone was a guy.  And he pranced, and twirled and did his thing better than most of them.  We immediately dubbed him "Sweet Sweetback".  He was there the next two games we went to, but not the last time we went.  We miss Sweet Sweetback. 

"Vanishing Point" really is nothing but a 90 minute car chase and features lots of gunfire and explosions and a blind DJ named Super Soul and an awesome white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T with a 440/375 horsepower engine.  Not a whole lot of plot, but I liked it because it was so ridiculously simple, yet cool.

Another film that came out in 2010 was the Robert Rodriguez/Ethan Maniquis film "Machete", which was just about the ultimate "grindhouse" film.  It was absolutely stunning in how ridiculous, over the top yet tongue-in-cheek it was, and yet, the main character, Machete (played by Danny Trejo, who, along with Luiz Guzman, is part of a Mexican That Guy Mafia), is still hilarious.  Honestly, this movie has no social redeeming value, has no purpose on this earth and this is so far removed from being Emmy Turnbow Safe, it makes "The Hangover" look like a Pixar movie.  As a Christ Follower, I cannot in good faith, along with a desire to be encouraging and not a stumbling block, recommend you see this movie.  That being said, its a hoot. 

Here's Rutger Hauer.  He plays a Hobo.  And that Hobo has
a shotgun.   It doesn't get much deeper than that.

The whole point of this blog, though, was to discuss "Hobo With a Shotgun", a movie I saw recently on cable.  Starring Rutger Hauer, the film stems from a contest winner--the contest asked participants to submit trailers, with the winning trailer getting a chance to be made into a film.  The contest was held during a recent South by Southwest festival, and was held by none other than the aformentioned Robert Rodriguez.  

Rutger plays The Hobo, who wanders into Hope Town, which has been taken over and is being run by a mean guy named The Drake, along with his sons Ivan and Slick, and all The Hobo wants to do is save up some money and open up a lawnmower shop, and he ends up meeting and caring for a young girl named Abby--he protects her, not chases her, by the way--and she wants to help him with his business when things go horribly awry and The Drake gets involved and then things get violent with The Hobo and then and so on and... well, you get it.

This movie was pretty terrible all the way around.  I mean, I tried to watch it tongue-in-cheek, tried to appreciate why it was made, and how intentional the crap was supposed to be, and still, it was a pretty crappy movie, 

So, there's your look at recent grindhouse.  I'd recommend "Planet Terror", and possibly "Vanishing Point", and if you can handle the long conversation, "Death Proof".   "Machete" is likable, but its really bad, and "Hobo with a Shotgun" is just bad all the way around.  

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty Five

Sex and the City a bit of a hair FAIL!

On the movie "Sex and the City 2", Carrie Bradshaw goes to her gay friend Stanford's wedding. And before going there she already was dressed up with a suit and has the first hairstyle with a wild high ponytail with a braid, and then at the wedding she has no pony.... or braid.... wtf?

1st Look

2nd Look

I finished all seasons of Sex and the City, plus I re-saw the 2 movies. uuufff! Conclusion: LOVED IT! 

I do admit that at times Carrie did annoyed me with her relationships, but ok.

There were at least other two hair fails during the seasons of S.a.t.C., the last one that I remember was on season 6, when Carries was dating the Russian, one night she goes to his place, and she has her hair straight, they to the thing with the thing gigiri gigiri hum hum aalllrriigghhttt, and after, while on the bed she has wavy hair.... and then when she leaves the house, the hair is straight again... what the balls?

Now is time to move on to another serie..... hhummm what shall I consume next?

Sex and the City a bit of a hair FAIL!

On the movie "Sex and the City 2", Carrie Bradshaw goes to her gay friend Stanford's wedding. And before going there she already was dressed up with a suit and has the first hairstyle with a wild high ponytail with a braid, and then at the wedding she has no pony.... or braid.... wtf?

1st Look

2nd Look

I finished all seasons of Sex and the City, plus I re-saw the 2 movies. uuufff! Conclusion: LOVED IT! 

I do admit that at times Carrie did annoyed me with her relationships, but ok.

There were at least other two hair fails during the seasons of S.a.t.C., the last one that I remember was on season 6, when Carries was dating the Russian, one night she goes to his place, and she has her hair straight, they to the thing with the thing gigiri gigiri hum hum aalllrriigghhttt, and after, while on the bed she has wavy hair.... and then when she leaves the house, the hair is straight again... what the balls?

Now is time to move on to another serie..... hhummm what shall I consume next?

Larry Crowne's Big Miss

This movie should be an awesome film.  Starring one guy who is almost a "Can't Miss", that being Tom Hanks (for anyone who has seen "The Ladykillers", you'll know that the "almost" in that statement is necessary), and at least until recently, a bankable leading actress, that being Julia Roberts (though since "Eat Pray Love" made about 9 dollars at the box office, that might not be true either.)

Mercy and Larry, discussing the GPS, which is voiced by Nia
Vardalos.

...or if you are a glutton for punishment, watch both in "Charlie Wilson's War", only made good by the presence of Philip Seymore Hoffman and Amy Adams, whom I'm in love with...

Anyway, "Larry Crowne"'s premise is promising... a guy who has been successful at a U-Mart, a big Costco-like store, gets fired because he doesn't have a college degree, and to better his life, he heads back to school.  To do what, I'm not sure, but he heads back there.

The co-stars also leads you to believe this might be a, excuse me Chazz Sheen, "winning" movie.  Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji Henson play comical neighbors without being too slapsticky, while Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Wilmer Valderrama lead the group of college friends that Larry meets.  Bryan Cranston is the jerkweed hubby of Mercedes (Julia's character), and does a fine job being jerkweedy, and finally, George Takei almost steals the movie as the eccentric, somewhat creepy Dr. Matsutani, one of Larry's professors.

This looks like a made up pic of Takei... but this is him in the movie,
and he is one part weird and one part hilarious, and wholly
uncomfortable.

Finally, the fact that Tom Hanks directed it, though only his second directing effort, his first was "That Thing You Do!", one of The Lovely Steph Leann's favorites, and a good, good movie.  "Larry Crowne" was also co-written by Nia Vardalos, screenwriter of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", one of my 35 favorite films of all time, and star of another of my new favorites, "My Life in Ruins". 

But somehow, like a jigsaw puzzle piece that almost fits, that almost goes into the spot you think it should go into, but it still had to much wiggle room, or the knobby part is a little too big to go into the slot like it should, this movie doesn't quite fit, it doesn't quite get into that slot like you want it to.

I liked the movie well enough... it does have its funny moments, and I did find myself laughing out loud a few times.  Tom Hanks is the Tom Hanks we love, sort of goofy, never too serious, just lovable.  It doesn't make any sense that he wins the Employee of the Month for like, 8 months in a row, after spending years of high service in the Navy, and he's discarded for not having a college degree.  Heck, John Stossel himself tells us in a recent Washington Post article that college might not nearly be as necessary as we make it out to be.

Overlooking that, then there are the neighbors who make a living by having a 24/7 yard sale.  Then there is the scooter buddy who leases and opens a consignment shop.  Then there is the fact that Julia Roberts' character's name is "Mercedes".

Looking past all of that, however, there is one thing that kinda dulls the movie for me... and that's that Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts have no chemistry.  They just... well, they just don't.  The Lovely Steph Leann will disagree with me here, but there was just no spark between Tom and Julia, which made it hard to put forth a believable spark between Larry and Mercedes. 

Please understand, though, it sounds like I'm doing nothing but telling you the bad stuff about the movie, and maybe that's what I'm doing, but if you can get past all of this, then its not a bad movie at all.  Its entertaining, and even if it never hits the goal that the ambition strives for, its easy to laugh at the neighbors and their yard sale set-up, and its easy to like Larry's newfound hipster scooter friends, and watching Mercy kick out her hubby when he really stoops to new lows of scumbuckety is also great.

I would love to tell you that you should go see this, at least in a matinee, because Tom Hanks is one of those guys you just don't want to see fail, but really, I would have to tell you to Netflix or Redbox it.

If you want to see Julia Roberts with some real chemistry, though, then watch her and Clooney in "Ocean's Eleven", or her and Aaron Eckhart in "Erin Brockovich" or her and Hugh Grant in "Notting Hill", my 113th, 91st and 14th favorite films of all time, respectively...

As for Tom Hanks, watch he and Meg Ryan in the 90s.  They were like a modern day Hepburn and Tracy, and made wonderful movies together.  Oh, and he and Wilson in "Cast Away"... they had a ball together.     

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty Three

American Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies Part II

Aaaaaand... we're back...

Yes, yes, this was promised a few days ago, actually on July 4th, and as its July 7th when I am writing this, I'm a bit late.  But I've given you thirty posts in a little over 35 days, what more do you want from me?  Geez... needy bunch of readers, aren't you? 

Been a busy few days, forcing me to take a few days from blogging, but that's okay, we all need a little vacation from what we are doing every now and again, right?

The Lovely Steph Leann wanted me to point out to you that she wanted "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on this list, though she didn't fight for it.  However, she's appalled that "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" only made it as far as the Honorable Mentions...  that let to this exchange:

Her:  Why did you leave that off the list?  That movie is perfect!
Me:  Because I haven't seen it in forever, and I can't even talk about it knowingly...
Her:  Just because you haven't seen it in a long time doesn't make it any less awesome.  It should be on that list. 

Her bags were packed, though I talked her off the ledge. As it is, however, my decision stands.  You can read part 1 of this list by clicking here.

NUMBER FIVE... "AIR FORCE ONE"
"Get off my plane!"

That's the key line from Harrison Ford led movie, a movie that is so utterly ridiculous, yet so utterly entertaining its ridiculous how utterly ridiculous and utterly entertaining this movie is!   The President and his family are flying in Air Force One, when a terrorist group takes over, one that somehow got on the plane.

Vee have iz wife.  Iz dah-ter.  He veel negotiate.  Gary
Oldman rules.

The terrorists think that the President has been jettisoned via the escape pod on the bottom of Air Force One, which we know first, doesn't exist in real life, and second, when Harrison Ford is your President, you know he's going to kick some major Russkie butt. 

The cast is stellar, including That Guy Hall of Famers William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Capt. Jim Brass and Xander Berkely, as well as A-listers like Gary Oldman, Glenn Close and of course, Han Solo himself,   The action is nonstop, and the movie is one of those that can be watched again and again and again, and still be entertaining... my 46th favorite film of all time.

NUMBER FOUR ... "FIELD OF DREAMS" (1989)
This is not a movie I can watch over and over, because... well, I'll say it, it kinda bores me, at least a little.  But at the same time, parts of it are so riveting and moving, I can't turn away. 

Ray Kinsella thinks he's going crazy when he hears this random voice telling him, "If you build it, he will come", and of course, instead of getting his head examined, he builds it.  And he comes.

He builds it.  They show up, right out of the corn.

This is one of those films that hits you two ways--first, its entirely fantasy, and completely implausible... yet, its that unrealistic fantasy that carries the movie, that drive that Ray has to follow his heart despite what anyone and everyone tells him, that eagerness and curiosity that asks, "What if...?"

It might be something you haven't seen, or maybe something you haven't seen in a long, long time, and if so, I invite you to watch.  This is a beautiful movie all the way around, and even though I've often thought of Kevin Costner as somewhat of a mediocre actor, he definitely pulls his weight here.  James Earl Jones, Timothy Busfield (who, by way, was in a few scenes with legendary actor Burt Lancaster, who didn't know that Busfield was an actor and had him--Busfield--fetching coffee and running errands for him--Lancaster--until he realized they were in a scene together... Busfield happily did it anyway for a Hollywood Icon) and Amy Madigan lead a strong cast, but its the story, the idea that a dream, a vision, a voice can be so strong, so empowering that its life changing, that you have no choice but to follow it--that is what makes this movie what it is.

And yes, its about baseball, and yes, its really not "America's Pastime" anymore... that would be football now.  But baseball is true Americana, its truly an American invention, an American ideal, a creation of the American spirit.  This movie embodies that very imagination.  Its truly Americana. 

NUMBER THREE... "NATIONAL TREASURE" (2004)
If ever there was a movie that could have been called "Revisionist History", it is this movie.  That being said, there are few movies that I've had more fun with at the theater than Nic Cage's "National Treasure". 

Nic Cage plays Benjamin Gates, a historian who's spent the better part of his life looking for a treasure that many people tell him doesn't exist.  The treasure was supposedly left by the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he's never been able to get close...



Is it a declaration of independence.... or a declaration of love...?



...until a set of circumstances has him and his buddy Riley in possession of a hostage, played by Diane Kruger, but also the original Declaration of Independence, stolen from its D.C. home.  They also find themselves being chased by the FBI and Harvey Keitel, but also a former friend turned foe Ian (Sean Bean), who wants to find the treasure for himself and his own greedy team.

To properly enjoy this movie, you have to take "disbelief" and not only suspend it, but put it through the paper shredder--and not a standard one, I mean one that does cross cutting and will tear up CDs and credit cards--take the shreds and spread them all over the back yard.   Because when you see the liberty bell in Philadelphia, that might be the only thing about this movie that is believable.  However, this movie is completely fun, funny and has a great story behind it. 

The film follows one clue after another, incorporating our countries monuments and locales into the story line itself, wrapping them up with a plot involving what our Founding Fathers could have meant by what they wrote and said. 

I will say, though, that while "National Treasure" struck gold, "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" tried the same thing and, in my own humble opinion, laid a dud egg. 

NUMBER TWO... "INDEPENDENCE DAY" (1996)



Good morning.

In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind.

Mankind. That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests.

Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live. To exist.

And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice:

We will not go quietly into the night!

We will not vanish without a fight!

We're going to live on!

We're going to survive!

Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

Dude.  I frakkin' love this movie.  U-S-A!  U-S-A! 

NUMBER ONE... "JOHN ADAMS" (2008)
Okay, so I cheated.  Unlike the other movies on this list, its not a theatrical release, and actually, its not even a movie... its a mini-series.

Paul Giamatti was lauded deservedly as Adams.  Another amazing
performance is that of Tom Wilkinson, who plays Benjamin Franklin
in a humorous, yet likable light.  Wilkinson also portrayed the
jerkface Cornwallis in "The Patriot", also a revolutionary war movie,
and number 7 on this list.

But its the best mini-series I've ever seen in my whole life.  Paul Giamatti stars as the title character, with Laura Linney (told you I dug her) as his beloved Abigail, and the seven part mini-series chronicles Adams' life from his mid-30s, and right around the time of the Boston Massacre, taking you through the disputes and disagreements of declaring independence from Britain, tours of Europe to ask for money and help during the revolution, the end of the war itself, his battles with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson alike, and finally, the end of his life.

Its based on the book by David McCollough, and it does deviate from the book a bit, thus deviating from facts, its still a riveting story from start to finish... even the slow parts are great, and even eye opening, like how much resistance there actually was to independence--so many states just wanted to keep the status quo, and some even enjoyed the British rule. 

I highly recommend you rent it or buy it, and spend some time on it.  You'll get a better appreciation for who we are and how hard it was to get where we are now.

So there ya go... your top ten Americana Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies.  As its a few days past this year's Independence Day, perhaps this list will come in handy next year...

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty One

Americana Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies Part I

So, for the 4th of July, being the proud American Conservative that I am, I usually do something kinda fun and/or serious for the Independence Day weekend, as I try to remember what this holiday weekend is all about... sacrifice, determination, and the birth of a nation.

But this year, I thought of something a little different... The Movie Angle.  I decided to do a Top Ten American Films... now that doesn't mean "Made in America", necessarily... it means, Top Ten Films About American, or Americana... movies that make you feel good, movies that make you proud to be in this country, movies that just give you a great feeling about who we are, and that this is in fact that greatest country in the history of the entire world, nay universe. 

And that quite simply defines the qualifications of this list of movies... its about American, its about the American dream, its about Americana... and its not depressing or too serious.  That means that "Saving Private Ryan", "Glory" and "United 93", which are all amazing movies, were not considered for this list, because... well, though they are about this bravery of this country and its history, they leave you feeling a little sad and quiet.   And let's be real--its the holiday weekend, no one wants to be sad. 

Movies that didn't make my list, but must be mentioned as "Honorable Mentions"... "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), not listed because its been so long since I've seen it, I can't remember it enough to honestly talk about it... "Coming to America" (1988), one of Eddie Murphy's finest, and a great story about the success that anyone can have... "Rocky" (1977), because while a great film, man is it slow... "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), another great film, but still a little depressing with all the death and destruction--great for a guy movie, but not necessarily a Top Ten Americana Film.

Alright, now that we have gotten this part down, let's get to the first five... now, these aren't listed from my tenth favorite to my favorite film, as in, my #1 or #2 might actually be ranked lower on my overall The Dave 100 favorite films list--but these are films ranked in "Most American Dream/Spirit/History/Cana"...

Who else can name anothe Paul LeMat movie?  I can!  I thought he
was cool back in the day.  Cindy Williams went on to do "Laverne and
Shirley", while we all know Opie Cunningham's success

NUMBER TEN... "AMERICAN GRAFFITI" (1973)
I saw this film when I was a kid, and loved it then, and seeing it as an adult, I love it even more.  This movie actually spent a little time in my Top Five Films Ever... now, it currently ranks as my 15th favorite film of all time.

This is very character driven, taking place overnight, following the high school graduation of friends Curt (and his search for the mysterious blonde in the T-Bird)... Steve, and his chick Laurie... John Milner, who becomes an accidental baby sitter... and Terry "The Toad", who just wants to get some alcohol to impress a girl.

You know how DieHard started a trend with other movies being described as "DieHard on a boat!" or "DieHard on a bus!"... well, "American Graffiti" became known as a phrase to describe a film that features a bunch of young stars who would go on to be a famous... this one featured Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Suzanne Somers, Paul LeMat, Charles Martin Smith... all actors who are either still famous, or enjoyed much success for at least the next few decades.  And of course, a very young Harrison Ford in a drag race. 

NUMBER NINE... "MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS" (1944)
Wanted to give something for everyone on this list, and that includes the token musical... I love this movie.  No, seriously, I really do love this film.  Judy Garland was at her young adult peak, and is simply magnificent in this movie.

Set against the backdrop of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, it follows a season or two in the life of the Smith family, including Mr and Mrs. Smith, and their children Rose, Esther (Garland), Agnes, Tootie and Lon Jr, the only boy.   They live, they share romance, like Esther's romance with the boy next door, and Rose's expectations of a proposal from her boo.


What can I say?  I love this song.

Seasons pass, first summer, than Halloween, then onto Christmas where you hear the immortal "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"... by the way, we sing that now as a fun Christmas song, but in the context of this movie, holy crap is this song sad.

But what's not sad?  "The Trolley Song", sung on the trolley as Esther awaits the arrival of her man, John.  I dare you to not feel at least a little happy when this scene takes place, one of my favorite musical scenes of all time.  Bang bang bang goes the trolley... clang clang clang goes the bell...

NUMBER EIGHT... "DAVE" (1993)
Dave Kovic works at a D.C. area temp agency, and makes a side living by impersonating the president at car lots and business openings and so on.  So, when the president becomes incapacitated in a most embarrassing fashion (which includes Laura Linney, who I just adore), Secret Service Agent Duane Stevenson (played by a young Ving Rhames) shows up to ask... or tell... Dave that he now gets to portray the president.

And portray he does, figuring it out as he goes along, trying to use common sense to solve the issues that we see unsolved and wonder why that's so.  All the while, he's battling Chief of Staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella), who is trying to use Dave as his own puppet to get stuff done and further his political aspirations. 

I think this movie led me to be a Democrat in high school and early college, with the belief that the government can pretty much do anything!  When Dave steps up and says, "I want everyone to find a job, and the government will make that it's job to do so!" 17 year old me was like, "Yeah!  That's awesome!"

I've since wised up, but still look upon this movie as a gem, an idealistic image of what our country could be if we just worked together to make it happen... and if the government could be trusted.  My 38th favorite movie of all time.

Benjamin Martin (l) and Tavington (r) square off

NUMBER SEVEN... "THE PATRIOT" (2000)
Well, you have to have an actual Revolutionary War film on this list, don't ya?  I actually have two, but we'll get to that later...

Mel Gibson was in his prime in the late 90s and early 2000s, well after Lethal Weapon movies had come and gone, but before he reached his pinnacle in "Passion of the Christ" (and then subsequent fall of the cliff of relevance due to recent year's activities), and it was in 2000 that "The Patriot" came out.  I remember seeing this movie with Mikey and Shawn and the biggest America lover of 'em all, The Honorable Revr'n Ty Sharpton Coffey, who I literally thought would walk out of the theater, find someone with a British accent and punch them in the face. 

This is a rather silly movie, if you think about it, but nonetheless, its entertaining... it tells the the story of a peaceful American farmer who is swept into the  Revolutionary War when his family is threatened.   Mel plays Benjamin Martin, who is loosely based on real Continental Army officer Francis Marion, along with other Revolutionary War figures.

The real pleasure of this movie is Jason Isaacs, however, a few years before playing Harry Potter baddie Lucious Malfoy. Jason, with his platinum blonde hair, menacing eyes and crazy creepy voice, is Col. William Tavington, and is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and promises the English Army leader Lord Cornwallis that he will capture Benjamin, but "if I do this... I won't be able to ever return to England..."

Of course, there are battle scenes, and violence and a heartbreaking moment when a church burns with everyone inside, but overall it, its engaging and worth a watch.  And yes, you might want to punch a Brit when its all over. 

"Okay, so you go here, and you there, you'll be over here and..."

NUMBER SIX... "MIRACLE" (2004)
If I gave you a short list of events that I wish I could go back in time and tell my Past Self to attend, that list would include the Miracle on Ice in New York, even though at the time my Past Self was only five.  I guess my Now Self would have to convince my Then Parents to take my Past Self.

Either way, that event was monumental in sports history, and this movie tells the story of the American achievement here, namely, their victory over the Soviets.   Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) takes the job as coach, then begins to form the dysfunctional team into a solid team, which includes the famous "Again" scene on the ice following a tie with Norway.. I won't spoil it for you, but its goose pimple inducing.

Of course, you know that the Americans beat the Russians in a semi-final game (it wasn't the gold medal game, contrary to popular belief) and went on to defeat Finland for the gold, but this movie is all about the journey, the struggle and yes, will make you ultimately proud to be an American.  Where at least you know you are free.  And you won't forget the men who died who gave... sorry.  Habit.

TOMORROW, on July 4th... Americana Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies Part II, my picks for the five best Americana Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies ever... including baseball, lost artifacts, aliens, airplanes and history!

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty

Movie Review "The Hangover Part II"

Last Sunday (19 June), I went to the Cinema after work, with Plamina, and we saw the Hangover 2 movie. This time it was Plamina that won a free Cinema ticket at our job.

Before talking about the movie (it won't be too much anyways), I will tell you about the trailers XD. (P.S.: Is anybody here a fan of Dane Cook, if you seen his stand-up performance on Vicious Circle, you would know a part that he jokes about taking a girlfriend to the Cinema and analyzing the trailers, so funny, anyways that's how I feel when I watch a trailer now).

So again they passed the last Harry Potter movie, and Transformers 3 – so gonna see them – and the two new trailers that I saw were about the new The Three Musketeers movie, with stars like Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich, is full of major slow motion action and wicked stuff, I’m curious to see that. The other trailer was about the Green Lantern (a Super Hero) starting Ryan Reynolds –as the Green Lantern- and Blake Lively that I think is suppose to be his girlfriend in the movie, I also see that movie ‘cause Ryan is looking freaky HOT! :P

Okei moving on to Hangover 2. If you seen the 1^st movie of Hangover, the plot of the movie is similar, someone is getting married, this time is Stu, some crazy stuff happened during the night, instead of a baby like last time they have a little monkey, and the action is passed in Bangkok (Thailand). Overall it was funny and entertaining. If you liked the 1^st movie you probably will like this one as well.

Have you seen the movie?

Movie Review "The Hangover Part II"

Last Sunday (19 June), I went to the Cinema after work, with Plamina, and we saw the Hangover 2 movie. This time it was Plamina that won a free Cinema ticket at our job.

Before talking about the movie (it won't be too much anyways), I will tell you about the trailers XD. (P.S.: Is anybody here a fan of Dane Cook, if you seen his stand-up performance on Vicious Circle, you would know a part that he jokes about taking a girlfriend to the Cinema and analyzing the trailers, so funny, anyways that's how I feel when I watch a trailer now).

So again they passed the last Harry Potter movie, and Transformers 3 – so gonna see them – and the two new trailers that I saw were about the new The Three Musketeers movie, with stars like Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich, is full of major slow motion action and wicked stuff, I’m curious to see that. The other trailer was about the Green Lantern (a Super Hero) starting Ryan Reynolds –as the Green Lantern- and Blake Lively that I think is suppose to be his girlfriend in the movie, I also see that movie ‘cause Ryan is looking freaky HOT! :P

Okei moving on to Hangover 2. If you seen the 1^st movie of Hangover, the plot of the movie is similar, someone is getting married, this time is Stu, some crazy stuff happened during the night, instead of a baby like last time they have a little monkey, and the action is passed in Bangkok (Thailand). Overall it was funny and entertaining. If you liked the 1^st movie you probably will like this one as well.

Have you seen the movie?

Photo

Heißer Sommer - Woher willst Du wissen, wer ich bin? (by PiepMiau04)

Celebrate the Summer Solstice and the start of a Long, Hot Summer with thisscene from East Germany’s original communist beach musical.  You really need to stick around until the haystack scene.

A Condor, Elevator Drama and a God of Thunder

So, here are some random films I've seen that I wanted to review...

THOR
Personally, I was not excited to see this movie.  I just wasn't.  In Marvel Comics, I'm a huge, huge X-Men fan, and I love The Fantastic Four.  I also enjoy The Avengers (thus, a love for Iron Man) and I dig Spider-man as well... but even though Thor is a member of The Avengers, I wasn't really pumped for this one.  Never been a big fan of Thor and his mythology...



That being said, I did enjoy the puddin' out of this movie.  Taking place on the mythological realm of Asgard, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is protecting the Nine Realms of the Universe, of which Earth is one.  Thor, Odin's son, is set to ascend to the throne when all sorts of things go bad, including an attack of The Frost Giants (a name so stupid its actually kinda cool, no pun intended) and a set-up for failure by Thor's brother Loki.  Anyone who knows the comics at all knows that Loki is bad news, so I know I'm not ruining it for anyone really. 

Thor ends up getting banned, and through a porthole in space (perhaps the best way to travel through dimensions), he ends up in New Mexico, right in the backyard of scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her fellow scientists Darcy (Kat Stevens) and Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard).  Of course, all sorts of comic booky things ensue, and if you don't like X-Men, Spidey or Iron Man, you won't like this one...

However comma

Its a great movie.  Chris Helmsworth is fantastic as Thor, and Tom Hiddleston is perfect as the weaker, yet smarter Loki.  The effects are quite stunning, with the color and splendor of Asgard, the superhero explosions and superpowers you'd expect to find in a super hero movie, and to top it all off, the story is solid too.  Again, I wasn't expecting nearly as much as I got out of the movie. 

Even Natalie Portman was good--yes, we know she's a good actress, yes, we know she won an Oscar for "Black Swan", but in movies that aren't serious, she tends to mail her performance in (see:  prequels, Star Wars), but she actually isn't that bad.  Of course, there is stuff at the end of the credits, so stick around for that...

Something fun too, if you see the very end scene after Iron Man 2's credits, you'll see Thor's hammer, and if you look close, there's a little red truck.  You'll be able to spot that same red truck in a fun little scene near the beginning of the film--and there is even an Avenger cameo (look for the guy trying to take out Thor in the rain).

Bottom line... if you liked Iron Man and the Marvel Comics stories, you'll enjoy this one as well.

DEVIL
M. Night Shimalamala is at it again... this one, from the "mind" of M. Night Shimalamala, though directed by John Dowdle (who also directed the epic Quarantine, sarcasm included for free).   Now, after "The Village", I am a little wary about anything that M. Night Shimalamala comes up with... granted, "Lady in the Water", while no masterpiece, was actually a decent film, I will say "The Happening" should have never happened.  That movie was an atrocity of American cinema, so bad that its star, Mark Wahlberg, denounced it. 

One of the five is The Devil in human form.  Can you
guess who?  If you watch the movie, you kinda figure
it out.

Of course, "The Last Airbender" was also a commercial failure, and I personally have no interest in seeing it... but then, there's "Devil".

The premise is, five people are on an elevator when it stops... they each have a past, they each have sins they either are committing or have committed and haven't atoned for... the movie actually starts out with a narration that tells you that when he (the narrator) was a kid, his mama would tell him the story of The Devil.  The Devil would seek out individuals who have sinned on Earth, and take the form of a human, make his presence known by a death (the suicide at the beginning of the movie), then trap these individuals in a confined space (an elevator), make them turn on each other, and kill them off one at a time.  The last one to die will die in front of a loved one, but in the end, everyone dies. 

Thus begins our story... five people get into an elevator, and it gets stuck.  A detective is brought in due to the suicide, but he gets sucked into the elevator drama when bad things start happening in the elevator car.   And bad things start happening to the people who get sucked into the elevator drama.  Bad times all around, bad times indeed.

The movie itself isn't bad.  Its a tense film, with its suspenseful moment, though half way through I had deduced how it would probably turn out... moviegoers not as smart as I happen to be (wink wink) might not get it until closer to the end, but if you pay attention, you will figure it out long before the final moments.  Of course, the detective has his own backstory, and I just don't feel like I'm spoiling anything if I tell you that that backstory will intertwine at some point with the elevator drama.  It has to. 

Anytime one of the lead characters has something tragic happen to them in their lives, but happened to them before the movie takes place, more often than not that tragedy will directly affect their interaction with someone in that movie... sometimes even across multiple movies (as described in "Kung Fu Panda 2")
That's the way it works.

So, if you enjoy a suspenseful film with bad effects, kind of a hokey plot and a decent cast (I forgot to mention, the cast is actually solid... a bunch of no names and That Guys, but Bokeem Woodbine, Matt Craven and Chris Messina lead a great group), and a willingness to forget that according to The Word, this ain't how The Devil operates, then you might enjoy it. 

Just close your eyes when the words "PRODUCED BY M. NIGHT SHAMALAMALA" appear, and you'll feel better.

THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
Don't ask me why I watched this movie.  And don't ask me while I took the time to actually get it delivered on Netflix... I think I just heard it was good, and I put it in my queue. 

And.... it was pretty good.  Story goes that Robert Redford is a CIA Researcher in New York who returns back to his office to find everyone there has been killed... and had he not taken a back way out of the office to avoid traffic, he would have been one of them.  Suddenly, he realized he can't trust anyone, and everywhere he turns, people are dying.  The only ally he ends up with is a woman he befriends, Kathy, played by Faye Dunaway. 

Released back in 1975, it was directed by the late Sydney Pollack, who also directed "The Firm", "Tootsie" and "Out of Africa", and it does have that very dated feel to it.  The movie seems like it drags on a bit too long, perhaps 20 minutes or so, but overall, not bad.

So, to sum up, if you are looking for a great flick to catch at a matinee, then go check out "Thor"... and if you are looking for anything to watch and find "Devil" on Starz, or "Three Days of the Condor" on AMC, then give it a few minutes.

The Summer of Blogging Day Twenty 

A Super Movie

In a few words... best movie I've seen this year.

(don't worry... I wouldn't dream of spoiling this film for you, because if you haven't seen "Super 8", I truly want you to go see it for yourself... so most of what you will read below you can learn from watching the trailer...)

"Super 8" tells the story of Joe, a 13 year old kid who lost his mom in an accident, son of Jackson, who is a police officer in their little town of Lillian, Ohio, and is also grieving the loss of his wife, Joe's mom.  Quickly, we meet Joe's friends Charles, Preston, Martin and Cary, all--like my friends were and your friends were at that age as well--with their different characteristics and personalities, some good, some bad.



We also see that Charles is directing a film, using a Super 8 camera, and the movie kind of jumps right in the middle of the production of the kid's movie, and Charles has taken the gumption of bringing on one of the cutest girls in the school:  Alice Dainard.  And Alice's past and present are somehow intertwined with that of Joe, who really is the star of this movie.  Elle Fanning plays Alice, and she's awesome, leading to this exchange on The Deucecast Ep XI: The Lion, The Witch & the Podcast:

Me:  Elle Fanning was great in this part
Mikey:  Elle, I dare say, the better Fanning
Me:  Elle yes. 

Charles (far left) directs, while Alice (the only girl in the photo), Joe
(the kid next to Alice), Preston and Martin follow

So, while out filming a night scene in a location that they would be in extreme trouble for being in, not to mention the transportation they used to get there, there is a huge incident, things go horribly awry, and since by now our characters are established, the story takes off like a roller coaster who just crested a hill and is about to fly at 60 mph+.  (stick around long enough and you'll see the film they made in its completed form... and it might be better than "The Green Lantern" will be... just saying...)

The villain character comes in the form of Colonel Nelec, portrayed brilliantly by Noah Emmerich... Nelec is not a bad guy because he's evil, greedy or conniving... no, he's a bad guy because he just doesn't care, as long as his mission is accomplished--and by utilizing his "not caring" attitude, a lot of bad things happen to a lot of good people.  Emmerich is a character actor that you probably recognize from "The Truman Show" as Truman's best buddy, with a very distinctive face and voice, and though he's been in lots of other stuff you may or may not have seen him in, I am hoping this turn will give him more visible roles.

So, that's all the details I can tell you without giving away too much, and potentially spoiling the surprises and the genuine film "moments" in the movie.  When I say "moments", that's something that so many movies today, good and bad, fail to have.  Moments are those scenes, lines, or things that really just stand out, that make you smile, that make you think, "That's good..."  There are good films, even great, that lack "moments", but this one has several.

Another great thing about this movie is that you care about the characters, you truly give a darn.  You want the movie the kids are making to be good, if not cheesy and corny, you want Joe to figure out how to deal with his mother's death, you want father Jackson to treat his son better and be more understanding, and you want to know what was in that train.  You want to know what that camera saw.

"Super 8" is fantastic storytelling, it unfolds the drama piece by piece, solving one question while at times, asking another... its tense at times, but never scary, its a sci-fi movie at times, but never leaves its relational core.  The movie isn't about what was on that train... the movie is about the friendships of Joe, Charles and other kids and how they react to what was on that train, and as they all deal with their own lives, especially Joe's tragedy, and Alice's family dysfunction. 

One of the comparisons I hear is "Stand By Me", and that is a smart parallel, but only because of the relationships of the friends involved... you care about Teddy, Chris, Vern and Gordo more than you actually care about the dead body, even though the dead body is the reason you care about the four boys--"Super 8" has the same dynamic, even with a chick thrown in.   

Ron Eldard, left, and Noah Emmerich, the other side, will
hopefully be bigger stars than they are.

By the way, that's Ron Eldard as the dad to Alice, a guy you might have seen as one of the shuttle pilots in "Deep Impact", but like Noah Emmerich, his other work may not be as familiar ("Drop Dead Fred"?  "Ghost Ship"?  Seriously, can you tell me you honestly saw "The House of Sand and Fog"?), and I'm hoping that this will raise his stature.

There is some language in it, much of it by the kids being... well, kids.  There is an F-bomb right in the middle of the movie, though its kind of comical by who says it, and the violence is really just sci-fi violence.  I'm afraid to use the word I'm looking for, which is "alien-violence", because I don't want you to thinking, "Whatever, I'm not going to see some alien movie..." because its just not that... I mean, it is, but its not. 

To sum up, I loved the movie, as did The Lovely Steph Leann.  Go see it, in the theaters, don't wait for the DBDB release.  Get a big bag of fresh popcorn, a Co-cola and a pack'a Twizzlers, and enjoy a movie that was made for the movie-going experience... you might not have another movie all summer to give you such an opportunity.

The Summer of Blogging, Day Nineteen