Wild Hogs

I love all four of the lead actors, and seeing them together in this comedy was a nice treat. Makes me want to road trip across America myself. HD, didn't you and your dad take a wandering trip or something similar on his bike a while back? Anyway, this was good fun and pretty entertaining. The gay cop was hilarious! I loved the ending with the Extreme Home Makeover bit. That was great! And the outtakes are pretty funny as well. Definitely worth renting.

M:i:III

I finally got a chance to see this last night. A lot of action and suspense, nice technology and decent drama. I was fooled again with all the twists and the face masks. Those dang mask tricks get me every time. I wish I had seen it when it first came out in theaters. Good movie.

300

This movie is something else! Wow! The look of it is so different. The cinematography and everything in this movie was so bold and graphic, and um...whoa...the men in this movie are freaking unbelievable! Muscles galore - talk about some 12 packs! These Spartans were packing some major heat, and I am not talking about their weapons! Whew! The best part about the men - they were all REAL muscle! I watched the extras, and oh my goodness, those men trained and got totally ripped to make this movie... alright maybe not totally ripped, but they got pretty darn cut! Oh, and I love the wardrobe - leather undies and capes! Yeah!

Gerard Butler, once again, proved to be the best part of the movie for me. First of all, he's hot, and I love his eyes. Second, I love how his character respects his wife and gets her permission to kill bad guys. Now that's some hotness right there! His wife was beautiful but tough and equal to the men, and she could totally kick butt, too. I like that Leonidas had such a strong partner. I don't think a weaker woman could've handled him. Lena Headey did a good job in that role.

I didn't really care for Xerxes's freakiness, but I thought he looked cool all gold and covered with chains and stuff. And I also didn't care for his lusty women or the hunchback, but I thought all the ugly creatures and the big animals he had were kind of cool in a weird way. I thought it was so great how even though he was this all-powerful and supposedly immortal god king, he still got hurt. Like Leonidas said, "...even a god king can bleed." It's awesome that his words came true in the end.

I really enjoyed watching this movie and didn't even mind all the blood and killing since the Spartan guys were so gung ho and were fighting for their freedom. I liked how Dilios told the whole story, and it ended very well with him leading the new army but was still kind of sad. I got teary-eyed when he handed the queen back her necklace. I'm a sap. Oh well!

Thanks for loaning this one to me, Heather!

Up at the Villa

This was a bittersweet romantic flick. It wasn't a great romance, but still, it was romantic. I like Sean Penn's character. He was very sweet and charming, and I was surprised at how quickly he was willing to give up his freedom for a lady he had only just met. I don't think he and Kristin Scott Thomas looked that good together, but they did have chemistry. The story was a little dull except for the murder and lies part, but it lacked intensity and the love stuff happened too quickly to be believable in the end. Good for when you have nothing else to watch.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

This movie is based on a true story, a book of the same title written by one of the main character's daughters. She had ten children and basically supported her family by contesting to win prizes and money. I don't know that I could have done it, but she certainly put her talent for words to good use. I think it would be really nice to win a car and thousands of dollars just for finishing a jingle! Too bad she never had the chance to drive the car and leave Defiance or really go anywhere since her drunk hubby was so dependent on her.

Decent movie...makes me glad I'm not a housewife in the 60s.

Martian Child

Sweet movie. Me and Josh kept laughing about how we knew some kids like this when we were little. Not quite as crazy as this little one but some that came close. Nice movie about adoption, rejects, parenting and caring in general. Yeah John Cusack! He's the best under-appreciated actor. Wish I knew him. I bet he'd be a fun one to talk to.

Across The Universe

If you like the Beatles and Moulin Rouge, you will love this movie. It's trippy like Moulin Rouge and crazy to watch. I'm not really into the Beatles, so some of it dragged on for me. Ewan McGregor was singing part of the songs though! I'm a huge fan of his singing so that was great.

Fool's Gold

This is exactly what you expect it would be. The best part is, of course, Matthew M. on the beach and shirtless the whole time. It was entertaining. Probably a rental more than a go see it in the theater kind of movie, but it was fun. I definitely feel like I need a beach vacation now though.

Crash

What I liked about this film was the demonstration of how poor communication and/or a lack of it in modern society can often be misconstrued as racism and prejudice. People still have problems with automatically stereotyping others, but I think it happens mostly out of fear and ignorance. While I don't think it was anything truly eye-opening or new, this movie was still dishearteningly realistic. Recommended.

Becoming Jane

I love everything by Jane Austen and was so thrilled when I found out about this movie! It is wonderful despite the bittersweet ending. James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway are so cute together as Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen, and I have to say that James McAvoy looks pretty darn dashing in those old-fashioned duds...yum!

This movie mostly reminds me of Pride & Prejudice, but I got to see who and what probably inspired many of the characters and elements that Ms. Austen wrote about in all of her fantastic novels. It was nice to get a behind-the-scenes kind of look at a crucial time in the author's life. After seeing this movie, I have a greater understanding and appreciation for her work. Excellent movie! Jane Austen fans should all see it!

The Heartbreak Kid

This is a quirky, romantic comedy, but it's not a chick flick in my opinion. The movie was quite funny and a bit gross at times. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it as a whole. I kind of wish it had ended differently, but the ending did ring true to the movie title. Good for a night when you just want to see something lighthearted and amusing.

The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory

I started this book a couple years ago and was bored this evening, so I re-read a bit and finished it tonight because I want to see the movie and refused to see it before I finished the story.

Pure scandal! Mary, Mary, what a pawn! Her family played her for their own benefit till she was all used up. They were some back-stabbing mofo-ers! She let herself get played, though, but she was so naive and hardly learned to keep her mouth shut at the end. She's lucky she didn't meet the executioner's blade with her sister. And oh, that horrible sister, Anne, when she takes over and becomes Queen...I wanted to slap her so many times throughout this story! But she sets herself up for a bad end, of course, with the help of her screwed up family. How could she expect to sleep with her brother and so many others and have nothing bad come out of it?! She got the axe (this is in the history books - I'm not ruining anything here), and Henry probaby didn't think twice about that decision. Speaking of...Henry VIII, what a bastard in this book! Yes, a big one, too! He had his way in every situation (especially with women), and if you turned on him, watch out! It could be off with their head like that!! The movie is sure to be good!

Philippa Gregory paints a different picture of the past, showing how life was for women when men ruled England. I know a lot of the background story is made up, but she did a lot of research while writing this book (she wrote about that in the back), so I can only imagine that what she wrote is not far off from the historic truth.

Tell No One - Harlan Coben

Wow! This is the first book of Mr. Coben's that I have read, and it will certainly not be the last. From page one, the story is so engaging. Each chapter keeps you rushing to get to the next. Finished it in three days!

Elizabeth is dead-brutally murdered by a serial killer who now sits on death row, and now her husband, Dr. David Beck, sits alone in his office...it's been eight years and out of no where a mysterious e-mail pops up from an anonymous user and the chase is on...Did he really just see his dead wife on that webcam? How could she be alive? Or is someone reeling him into an elaborate mind game? Or an elaborate trap?! Oh man! I was on the edge of my seat almost through the entire thing! This author really gets into the details, and I love how he tells the story from different points of view and then brings them all together in surprising plot twists which happen right up to the very last page! I never expected the ending!

There is actually a movie based on this book, in French, and I'm going to rent it. What a thrill! You were so right, Heather! Very addictive! I'm starting my next Coben book tomorrow!

The Mermaid Chair - Sue Monk Kidd

This is a story about a woman's journey to self-discovery or self-belonging. Her whole life-changing experience begins when she goes to her childhood home to help her sick mother and meets a monk at the island monastery who is about to take his final vows. It's not hard to guess what happens...the story is pretty predictable (even just reading the dust jacket) so you may already know what I am referring to here. Now, I know that a lot has to go on within and without a character, usually something potentially dangerous or threatening in some way or another, for a character to really change in this type of story. I just didn't think it was entirely necessary for her to hurt her husband the way she did. I think she could have had a very intimate and meaningful relationship with Brother Thomas on a different level that was just as spiritual and eye-opening as the one they ended up sharing in this book. Aside from that, I did like the whole mother-daughter-father web of issues and mystery. I also enjoyed the little bits of semi-fake mermaid and saint history that was included. The writer's style is very fluid and poetic so I can see why so many people like reading her stuff, but at the end, it wasn't stimulating enough for me.

Thank You for Smoking

I've learned (and am still learning) a lot about politics from my little sister, and she recommended I watch this movie. I'm glad she did. It's actually not really about smoking or not smoking or who's right and who's wrong. This movie is all about spinning the truth. It was great! It pokes fun at spin doctors, but it doesn't actually point fingers at one particular side or another. It just makes you think and ask questions and laugh a lot. Good comedy! Oh, and not one person actually smoked in the entire movie!

Marley and Me - John Grogan

Dog lovers - you have GOT to read this book. It perfectly describes our crazy pets. It was fun to read a book from someone who obviously wasn't a certified dog trainer. Do they even have certified dog trainers? The Grogans are just the average dog owners. Yeah!

The only bad part is the sad ending. You know it's coming, but just like with your own pups you want to pretend it won't. But still...it's great!

Atonement

This movie was kind of a downer. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it was pretty sad. I liked all the weird camera angles and shots. The casting for Briley was perfect as she kept getting older. They even gave all the ladies her mole for consistency. The story is pretty messed up and you see a soldier's brain while Briley is working as a nurse. Yuck! I don't know how those ladies did that back in the day. Not sure I'd be up for it, but so many of them did it. It's amazing. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. We are pretty lucky. My biggest work worry is that I'll spell something wrong on one of my ads or that people won't be able to find my website.

Overall, good movie. I wouldn't suggest renting it with a bunch of friends over. I can just see people getting up after the movie in silence and going out to their cars to go home. Pick this one up when you're bored some Thursday night and want to see what the fuss was about or when you're stuck alone in Framingham, MA with nothing else to do like me.