Knocked Up

This movie reminded me of Fools Rush In because it's the same kind of premise, but they were two very different movies so I can't really compare. I always like movies where the main characters get together kind of by accident and end up being perfect for each other. I like the fact that, at first, the main characters don't seem like two people you would normally see together, but then you realize they are in the end. The only thing I didn't take to so much was Ben and his friends getting high all the time, but Ben changed in the end and that was good. I guess there had to be an extreme there to show how much he matured throughout the film. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann cracked me up as usual. I wasn't sure if I would like Katherine Heigl on the big screen, but she did well. I loved seeing Kristin Wiig from SNL. She's great!

Good movie.

South Pacific

Not my favorite musical. Didn't finish it.










Originally Posted by HD on 4/12/08 at 3:26 PM.

The Water Horse: Legend of The Deep

Yeah it's a kids' movie, but I love 'em. Anyone ever wants to get rid of their kids for a few hours just send me to the movies with them. We'll all have a great time. This was really really sweet. Love all the guys accents and the loch ness monster was really cute.




Originally Posted by HD on 4/12/08 at 3:23 PM.

August Rush

Sweet, sweet family/love story. I love Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Keri Russell is growing on me more and more with each new movie. Robin Williams was alright, but I prefer his comedic roles. Terrence Howard was in this, too, and I have really grown to like him as well. He was excellent in Hustle & Flow. Freddie Highmore did an incredible job as Evan/August. What a talented kid. I would love to be a musical genius like the one he portrays. Some of the movie was a little far fetched, but maybe not...there are a lot of child prodigies out there these days. It could happen. I really enjoyed the music. It was different and infectious. I knew the movie would end well, but I was hoping for a better wrap up between Lyla and Louis. Oh well. Still good.

Summer watched this with me, Heather, and she, unlike me, bawled like a baby. Sorry, Summer, but, Heather, you should be proud of me...I really don't think I even broke a tear. My eyes welled up, sure, but I don't recall one tear rolling down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it because this was a tear jerker. I think I finally got back the control over my emotions.

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Yuck yucko do we have to watch another guy's throat being slit or being dropped on his head dead. Eeeww. Like the way the film looked, but it was kind of boring and gushing blood.

It's All Too Much - Peter Walsh

I bought this de-clutter book technically for my mom b/c she's got like 20 years worth of everyone's clutter in her house right now, and she needs some help getting it organized. I love this guy's show so I thought it would be a pretty good book. Lots of tips and step-by-step instructions on how to get your crap in order. I'm still working on de-cluttering and not buying more junk, but I think our house is looking nice. Biggest change is that I've instituted a no dish left behind rule in the house where I wash all the dishes from the day before I go to bed. It's going really well thanks to Josh buying into the idea and helping me out. :o) Once the dishes are beat, it's on to putting away the clean clothes. God, I hate doing that. Can somebody build me a robot for that or something? Oh wait...that's more clutter! Dang! The vicious cycle. Anyways...going well. Passing the book on to my mom as soon as she clears a place in her house to read it.

LATER!

Looking For Alaska - John Green

Patti Pancake already commented on this book in another post, but it was so long ago I thought I would start a new one...

At first I didn't like the book much. I feel like they cuss a lot for a young adult book, but I suppose lots of young adults cuss pretty frequently so it was realistic. Patti had written that it had a lot of theories about life and philosophy or things like that, and I didn't see it until near the end. It had some great one liners. My favorite...Page 88 - "...thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane." What weather would you be? I wouldn't say I'm drizzle. Definitely not a hurricane. Ideally, I would be that one stream of sunlight that pokes through the clouds after it rains or that one ray that hits the spot on the floor exactly where you (or more likely the dogs) are sitting and gives just the right amount of warmth.

Another good thought. They said that anything that comes together must eventually come apart. Then they referenced memories. How true! I was thinking how many people we don't even remember in our own families. I don't even know the name of my great grandmothers. That's only 3 generations away from me! Craziness. I guess you could look at that in a negative way saying that life is fleeting or unimportant or meaningless. To me, that just kind of shows how much more important whatever there is...is. And that you should enjoy things while you've got them. Live in the moment sort of stuff. But now we're getting a little cheesy and over quoted, but I guess it's true.

So those are my thoughts on this book. I do recommend it to make you think and for a quick read. Not a very cheery book, which is my usual preference, but I'm happy I spent the time on it.

Zodiac

I really, really liked this movie. Not only is Jake Gyllenhaal super cute as the bumbling cartoonist/code-breaker/amateur sleuth, but Mark Ruffalo stars in this film as the super cute detective/cop who he teams up with to try and find the Zodiac killer. Robert Downey, Jr. has a good role, too, but I like Gyllenhaal and Ruffalo best. Although, Dermot Mulroney does have a small part in this, and he is quite sexy (even with the small gut).

Despite the fact that this movie seems to last for the twenty some odd years it covers, it's really good. A lot of research, a lot of suspense, a lot of drama...great murder mystery movie. The fact that it's based on true events makes it even better! It frustrates me that they were so close for so long, and it's amazing that people actually spent the massive amount of time they did researching the killer, trying to put everything together. It would have been sweet if they could have actually caught the killer in the end and had justice served, but you can't win them all...which sucks. Still, excellent movie!

No Country for Old Men

Good movie, but I didn't like seeing the cattle gun used as a weapon. It was awful, but it added so much to the horror aspect of Javier Bardem's character, Anton Chigurh - a creepy, slow-moving, freaky criminal. I like his coin toss theories. Tommy Lee Jones could have been Sherriff Bell if he hadn't become an actor. He was born to play that role. The Sherriff really grows on you. I was rooting for him to save the day. I wish his ending could have been better. Josh Brolin played a pretty smart character, and I liked watching him anticipate his next moves. I love that his character decided to go after Chigurh instead of just be chased. The rest of the cast was perfectly chosen as well.

It was a great chase with good horror and a lot of suspense. It's pretty cool how much tension there was considering that I don't recall ever hearing any scary music the whole time. I would watch it again.

Six Degrees of Separation

This is a story about the separation and bonds between people who have and have not. It's a good concept, and I understood it but didn't like the movie. Some of the story was just too unbelievable, and some of the acting is awful...I like Will Smith, but in this movie he's too fake as the con-artist, Paul. I know con-artists are supposed to be convincing, but Will Smith just seemed like an actor trying way too hard to act like a con-artist which made it painful for me to watch. He doesn't convince me as being homosexual either. It was like he was too afraid to really step into that role completely. He wouldn't even do an on-screen kiss with another male actor, but I'm glad because I would have been grossed out even more so than I was when he faked sex with a man. I don't get that. He faked that but wouldn't fake a kiss.

I did like Stockard Channing. I thought she did a great job as Ouisa, and I felt bad for her at the end when she had her realizations about her life and marriage. She was the only person in this film that I enjoyed watching (besides Ian McKellen in his small role) because she really got into her character, and I believed her emotions. Donald Sutherland did well, but Channing really carried the film. The rest of the cast was decent, but I couldn't get past focusing on Will Smith's weirdness in this movie to really care about them.

Honestly, it wasn't completely horrible. I'm glad I finally saw it and don't have to wonder what it's about anymore, but I don't think I'll ever watch it again.

Dan in Real Life

This movie was kind of like a home video without all the dizziness. I liked watching the family bond together doing fun activities like normal people do. I really liked their house as well, and I want to visit Rhode Island now.

Steve Carrell cracks me up. I love him in The Office. He does such a good job with his facial expressions. He can be subtle and hilarious at the same time. My favorite line from this movie happens during the big dinner scene when Mitch is talking about meeting Marie for the first time and he says she was like an angel, and Dan, with a straight face and serious tone, adds, "This corn is like an angel." It was funny and pitiful at the same time. Loved it.

I have to add that I was so happy to see John Mahoney on the big screen again. He's such a good actor...I love Frasier.

This was a an amusing family/love story, and I would watch it again.

Enchanted

What a great fairy tale of a movie! I love the whole cartoon come to life idea. It was so fun! Amy Adams is perfect in the role of Giselle. She was so animated in the toon and in real life. I cracked up at her making outfits out of curtains and carpet. She played the innocent would-be princess part very well. Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden both make great leading men, and I think James Marsden's voice certainly matches his dashing good looks. And Susan Sarandon was the perfect wicked stepmother.

I really liked all the songs, but I was kind of hoping for one more big-finish song in the end. Still, it was so entertaining and enjoyable. This movie was my cup of tea because I just love fairy tales and happily ever afters! Great family flick.

Nacho Libre

It was Jack Black funny, as per usual. I love all his facial expressions, and the accent he did was great. His singing was, of course, hilarious. It was amusing and sweet. Definitely a good kids movie.

Waitress

Not at all what I expected. Not really worth a rental. The girls' accents were pretty annoying and the story was strange. It's funny b/c the commercials looked funny. It's one of those where all the funny stuff was in the previews b/c the rest was just weird. PLUS you get that stupid song she sings about pies stuck in your head. Baby don't you cry. I'm gonna make you a pie. Blah, blah, blah heart in the middle.

Second Chance - Jane Green

This book was good, but it was a bummer. It's all about this group of people who were friends in high school, and they lose touch only to be reunited when one of the group dies in a crash. The main character is a lady who is unhappy in her marriage b/c her husband is a jerk, and she spends the whole book either being treated badly or deciding whether she wants to leave him or not. I feel like there is an overwhelming amount of sad in this book and not enough empowering life is good moments. Maybe that's just me being Pollyanna-ish, but I like to read happier fiction than this. Oh well.. maybe I've just run my course with Jane Green books. I liked them when I started with Jemima J., but the ones I read after that were just kind of downers. It was a quick read though. About 4 lunch breaks and an afternoon of reading was all it took.

The Jane Austen Book Club

Ok, I was going to wait and read the book first but couldn't! Yay! I loved it! I love all things Jane Austen, and this movie was so good! You don't have to have read her books to appreciate what goes on in the movie, but if you want more insight and understanding then it helps. The movie is mainly about the women (and one man) and their relationships with each other and with their romantic interests. As the group reviews the Austen novels and characters, they begin to see more of their own lives in greater relation to the stories, and I think that is perfect - showing how Austen's books are still appicable to modern day trials in life and romance. And I have to say that I just love Hugh Dancy! He's my favorite! I have been a fan of his since Daniel Deronda. He was so perfect in this movie as Grigg! He does such an adorable American accent, and his character is so cute the way he pines after Jocelyn. Aw! I know I said it already, but I just love him! And the rest of the cast is perfect, too. There isn't any one person that really stands out more than the others in terms of celebrity, and I think that is what makes the whole thing work. I don't think it would be the same with someone like Julia Roberts or Jennifer Aniston in the club...they would take away from the whole of the story too much.

Great, great movie. I loved the ending. It was satisfactory, but I realy wish The Jane Austen Book Club could go on forever!

A Room with a View

I thought this one was just OK and not anything really great. The scenery was beautiful. Italy is such a romantic place. The story was good, but I haven't read the book. Maybe if I had read the book first, I would have appreciated the movie more. It was funny (there's a scene with a good amount of male frontal nudity and an awkward nude chase - a little entertaining and a little ew!). It was fairly romantic, but I thought the romance wasn't intense enough. I did like George and Lucy's first kiss...that was kind of hot. I love how he just kind of swept her up in the barley field and took her with raw passion. That was good! Too bad they got caught. I thought the acting was pretty good for most of the cast, and I loved seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in his younger years. That was a nice treat despite the fact that his character was a fuddy stud. The movie had a happy ending. Yay. Maybe I need to watch this one again. I might try to read the book sometime before I do that.

Vacancy

This movie is exactly why I don't ever want to stay at a seedy, side-of-the-road motel. I know not every one of them is the setting for snuff films and murders, but I would rather just stay at a nice hotel chain that accomodates lots of guests on a regular basis. Anyway, it was definitely intense and had me shaking the whole time because I couldn't tell where the killers would come from. I didn't like the cameras in the vents. The idea of that creeps me out, and now I'm always looking at my vents. I know there aren't cameras behind them but still. I enjoyed seeing Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale on screen together. They acted well at being scared. I don't think I could do it...I would probably be really scared, even if it was fake. The movie was satisfying, but I kind of expected there to be more to the ending. Thanks for watching it with me, Summer!

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.