12 posts tagged “movies”

Holy crap. It's a little slow and meandering but the pay off is SO worth it. Dude!

I really wanted "The Number 23" to be a good movie, mostly because I've come to really like Jim Carrey and wanted to see him in a new context. Unfortunately, this movie proves that my wanting something to be really good will not make it so.

It wasn't so bad that I turned it off but halfway through, I did stop it to go take a nap. When I started it again, it just got worse and worse. I have really low standards and the plot was too weak even for me. I could tell what they were trying to do, with the stylized acting bits and whatever, but it just came across as bad acting, not stylized anything.

There were some interesting visual effects but nothing we haven't seen before. I guess if it finds its way to HBO or whatever, maybe I'd say watch it but don't go out of your way. I'm really glad I didn't force anyone to go with me when it was in theaters.

This is one of my favorite scenes from any movie... ever.

It's Saturday afternoon, I really have nothing to do, and I'd like to go for a walk and poke around some stores. The problem is that it's -10 degrees outside with the wind chill and it's super windy. I knew the real cold would hit eventually but it's always a downer when it happens. I'll probably still go out for a bit because I'm feeling restless but I'm not looking forward to the cold and wind!

I watched the movie "Dog Park" last night, mostly because I saw that Janeane Garofalo is in it and ok, DOG is right there in the title. It's an ok little movie but the best part (besides the doggies) is that the main character works at Shift magazine. I loved that magazine when I was in college so I got a kick out of that :) The movie is one of those dippy rom-coms that I only ever watch alone while huddled up in my snuggly bath robe. I'm such a girl sometimes :(

How great is "Mean Girls," seriously? Tina Fey wrote the screenplay and it's just so funny. There are dumb parts but overall, I'd call it an excellent film. Keep in mind that I have extraordinarily poor taste in movies. "Clueless" is in my top ten.

Also, it was filmed before Lindsay Lohan completely lost her mind, so it's worth watching so you can remember her before the insanity set in. Sigh. Poor Lindsay.

I realize it's only Tuesday but if you're thinking about something to do this weekend, I'd highly suggest you get yer ass to the nearest movie theater and see "Stranger than  Fiction." Heck, you could be all crazy and go see it on a school night.

We saw it Sunday and I just really loved the whole film. Brandon liked it, too and he usually goes for "guy" movies. We were both curious after seeing the commercial all over the place but a little apprehensive because it stars Will Ferrell. I'm so glad we gave it a chance. Ferrell was very understated, not his usual over the top self and the rest of the cast was perfect, too. I didn't realize that Queen Latifah and Maggie Gyllenhaal were in it until they popped up on screen. If I had known they were in it, I would've seen it sooner!

It's one of those smart, funny, lovely films that made me sniffle a bit at the end. It's a romantic comedy/tragedy but not in a sappy Sandra Bullock way. It's romantic along the lines of "Eternal Sunshine."

Bonuses: Dustin Hoffman plays a professor of literary theory, which I just loved. His office reminded me of every English professor I ever had. And parts of the movie were filmed in Chicago so you get to see CTA buses, various architectural landmarks, and the Drury Lane theater.

Just go see it. Pop Matters has a good review of the movie here.

Ok one more post and then I'm watching the Daily Show and the Colbert Report and going to bed!

I saw two very different movies recently. Last weekend, we saw "Little Miss Sunshine" which I loved. I had a feeling I'd enjoy it based on the trailer and the reviews but WOW what a great little movie. It's sad but in some ways, it's also very uplifting. I tend to not like over the top, tragically sad films because they don't feel real to me. The characters in this movie were so real in their personalities and the way they interact that it would be impossible to not feel compassion for them. It's also REALLY funny and just charming overall. The little girl who plays Olive is terribly cute but not in a gross, trying too hard way. She's cute in a real little girl you'd want to hug way.

And who doesn't love Steve Carell?

Brandon and I headed downtown again Sunday afternoon (I didn't injure myself this time), had lunch at Pizzeria Due (I still think Giordano's has the best deep dish pizza in Chicago), did some window shopping (and ok, I bought some stuff at Sephora) and saw "The Descent."

O. M. G. AAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!! SCARY SCARY SCARY!!

I'm kind of a wuss with horror films. I still hide behind my hands through certain parts of "The Ring," despite the fact that I've seen it a few times. "The Descent" is about five times scarier than "The Ring." I didn't see most of the scary stuff because I was cowering in my seat and pretending not to be there but it SOUNDED really scary!! And it's not just blood and gore scary, it's that feeling of dread, they're all going to die horrible deaths scary. There are a few cheap "shock" moments but OH GOD IT'S SO SCARY OH GOD OH GOD. *cries*

I watched three movies this weekend. Saturday night, we watched THE HILLS HAVE EYES (I have to type it the way Brandon says it). Um, so I don't mind a little gore in my horror movies but YIKES. I'm giving it three stars purely because it proved my assumptions wrong. I thought the jerk son-in-law would be slaughtered first, but I was wrong.

Sunday morning, I cleansed my brain with a little-known movie called "Breakfast at Tiffany's." I guess it's some old flick starring that Audrey Hepburn chick.

Just kidding.

I've never seen it before and even though I really wasn't paying much attention, the ending still made me sniffle a little. I'll have to watch it again soon and maybe read the book. I love this part.

Sunday night, we watched "Minority Report," which I liked a LOT. I'm trying so hard not to like Tom Cruise movies but he gets all the good roles! I'm giving it five stars, which I don't just hand out to any ol' movie.

I had to think about this one because sequels usually kind of suck. I'm going to go with Kill Bill Vol. 2 but that's only because I can't think of any other sequels I really like.