What is going on in Hollywood these days? It seems to me that the studios today are going for quantity and not quality. They suck in the masses with their flashy previews full of promises of great action, high drama, suspense...and then fail to deliver the goods.
I swear I am so sick of sitting down to watch a movie and then half way through being so disappointed that it doesn't even bother me to turn it off and go do something else.
Now not all of today's movies are that bad. There are some that still make the movie experience worthwhile. Some people may not agree with my opinions, but I think I have pretty good taste in what is or isn't a good movie.
When I sit down to watch a movie I want to escape. I want to be taken away and fall into the story. I want to get so involved in the story that I forget that I'm sitting in a movie theater or in my basement at home. Not many movies today do that for me.
What has gotten me on this rant tonight? Just finished watching "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with Kenzie and Brad. Cool concept, terrible movie. The main character "Dave" was painful to watch. He was such a whiner you could hardly understand him...and Nick Cage...what a waste of a good actor. I like the funny Nick Cage, not the action Nick Cage. I could watch Raising Arizona a million times, but this movie...not his finest at all. There was some cool special effects but honestly that was about it. BLeh....capitalizing on a Disney classic cartoon and taking what could have been a really cool story and just letting it fall flat. BUT..I'm sure the studio got their money.
Now, on the other hand I watched another movie with the girls the other day that I really liked. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Lightening Theif" Since I was watching it with the girls, there were several times I was interrupted or had to get up and pause the movie. Even with those interruptions I was engrossed in the story. The actors were decent, even a cameo by Uma Thurman. It was cute and entertaining. I want to watch it again without the girls.
I don't know...maybe I'm being to harsh.
On another note: It snowed pretty heavily today. I bet we got around 5 inches. Went outside around 10pm to take a walk down my street. It was absolutely gorgeous out. God is such a wonderful artist. I don't care how annoying snow can be, it is still so very beautiful.
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dios Mio
Took the girls to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua yesterday. We usually go to the library for "story time" on Wednesdays but the library was closed for in service. I thought going to the movies would be a nice change for them.
The last movie I took them to was The Chipmunks last Christmas....Kenzie did go see Wall*E with her grandma....
Anyways...they did great. They stayed with me, were mostly interested in the movie (it totally kept their attention, which Chipmunks did NOT do), and sat in their seats very well. They talked out loud and laughed and yelled at the characters (appropriately) and it was pretty cute. There was just a couple of older women and us there so I wasn't too worried.
It was a cute movie, good for kids. It actually had a decent plot, and the animal characters were well developed. You actually had feelings for them and what they were going through. My favorite bit character was a long haired chihuahua named Montezuma, voiced by Placido Domingo....hows that for cool. Main character I liked best was probably the German Shepard, Delgado, voiced by Andy Garcia.
The think I couldn't get over was how much money it cost the three of us to go to a 12:20 in the afternoon movie. Whatever happened to matinee pricing...and kids under 5???
I mean it was one adult and two kids: ages 3 and 4..it cost us 18.00 bucks for tickets....then to get drinks and popcorn....
The kid size drinks were almost 5 bucks each... a bag of popcorn was 5 bucks...so for the three of us it was cheaper to get the HUGE BIG ASS, GiGANTIC bucket of popcorn to share. Thoughtfully, they will give you two brown bags to share the popcorn out of the HBAG bucket.
So thoughtful....those drinks and the HBAGBP cost us another 19 bucks... so, basically for 2 toddlers and a mom going to a matinee it was $40.00 activity. That's ridiculous!!
No wonder NetFlix is thriving..who can afford to go out to movies? In this floundering economy? Ouch!!!
BUT...overall it was a good time, the girls loved it and that makes it all worthwhile to me.
The last movie I took them to was The Chipmunks last Christmas....Kenzie did go see Wall*E with her grandma....
Anyways...they did great. They stayed with me, were mostly interested in the movie (it totally kept their attention, which Chipmunks did NOT do), and sat in their seats very well. They talked out loud and laughed and yelled at the characters (appropriately) and it was pretty cute. There was just a couple of older women and us there so I wasn't too worried.
It was a cute movie, good for kids. It actually had a decent plot, and the animal characters were well developed. You actually had feelings for them and what they were going through. My favorite bit character was a long haired chihuahua named Montezuma, voiced by Placido Domingo....hows that for cool. Main character I liked best was probably the German Shepard, Delgado, voiced by Andy Garcia.
The think I couldn't get over was how much money it cost the three of us to go to a 12:20 in the afternoon movie. Whatever happened to matinee pricing...and kids under 5???
I mean it was one adult and two kids: ages 3 and 4..it cost us 18.00 bucks for tickets....then to get drinks and popcorn....
The kid size drinks were almost 5 bucks each... a bag of popcorn was 5 bucks...so for the three of us it was cheaper to get the HUGE BIG ASS, GiGANTIC bucket of popcorn to share. Thoughtfully, they will give you two brown bags to share the popcorn out of the HBAG bucket.
So thoughtful....those drinks and the HBAGBP cost us another 19 bucks... so, basically for 2 toddlers and a mom going to a matinee it was $40.00 activity. That's ridiculous!!
No wonder NetFlix is thriving..who can afford to go out to movies? In this floundering economy? Ouch!!!
BUT...overall it was a good time, the girls loved it and that makes it all worthwhile to me.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Movies that Don't Suck....
I used to be a real movie buff. There weren't too many movies that I hadn't seen..even the very off the wall independent type ones. There are some movies that didn't get great reviews or didn't do well at the box office, but I LOVE to watch them. They don't suck. At least in my opinion.....as much as that counts. My husband doesn't share the same taste in movies that I do, so my viewing has dropped considerably since we got married....plus it's so hard to get to the movies when you have two toddlers and not a real good babysitter. AND when we do get a chance to go out, we really don't feel like sitting in the theater for two hours. We'd rather go somewhere where we can talk with each other and hang out together more because we seldom get to do that anmore.
So, I'm not up to date on my new movies. I have to wait for them to come out on one of the movie channels or on DVD so I can see them. I watched Casino Royale the other night. I was very impressed. It was like watching an old school Bond movie again. None of the political correctness bullshit that ruined the last few. Daniel Craig is an awesome James Bond. I have to admit I was skeptical about the movie. I was so disappointed with the "Remington Steele" set of Bond movies.. I watched the first one and said nope, not buying it.... After watching Casino Royale, I'm back on the Bond bandwagon.
Anyone out there have any suggestions for newer movies that don't suck? I like action, horror, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy, I'll even watch a good drama. I just have to be in the mood for a drama...sometimes I just don't feel like crying.
So, I'm not up to date on my new movies. I have to wait for them to come out on one of the movie channels or on DVD so I can see them. I watched Casino Royale the other night. I was very impressed. It was like watching an old school Bond movie again. None of the political correctness bullshit that ruined the last few. Daniel Craig is an awesome James Bond. I have to admit I was skeptical about the movie. I was so disappointed with the "Remington Steele" set of Bond movies.. I watched the first one and said nope, not buying it.... After watching Casino Royale, I'm back on the Bond bandwagon.
Anyone out there have any suggestions for newer movies that don't suck? I like action, horror, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy, I'll even watch a good drama. I just have to be in the mood for a drama...sometimes I just don't feel like crying.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Top 100 Movies and Other Summertime Ramblings
I was reading my friend Bernie's blog today and he was talking about the AFI's top 100 movie list of 2007. I should clarify...it is the top 100 American movies. I decided to list them here and highlight the ones I have seen* they are in green*. I'll see what my grand total is.....and how much of a movie snob I've been. Hmmm....62....I need to watch some more.
The American Film Institute's 2007 list of the top-100 American movies:
1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.
2. "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "Casablanca," 1942.
4. "Raging Bull," 1980.
5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.
8. "Schindler's List," 1993.
9. "Vertigo," 1958.
10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
11. "City Lights," 1931.
12. "The Searchers," 1956.
13. "Star Wars," 1977.
14. "Psycho," 1960.
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968.
16. "Sunset Blvd.", 1950.
17. "The Graduate," 1967.
18. "The General," 1927.
19. "On the Waterfront," 1954.
20. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946.
21. "Chinatown," 1974.
22. "Some Like It Hot," 1959.
23. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.
24. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982.
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939.
27. "High Noon," 1952.
28. "All About Eve," 1950.
29. "Double Indemnity," 1944.
30. "Apocalypse Now," 1979.
31. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941.
32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974.
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.
35. "Annie Hall," 1977.
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957.
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946.
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.
39. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964.
40. "The Sound of Music," 1965.
41. "King Kong," 1933.
42. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967.
43. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969.
44. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940.
45. "Shane," 1953.
46. "It Happened One Night," 1934.
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951.
48. "Rear Window," 1954.
49. "Intolerance," 1916.
50. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2001.
51. "West Side Story," 1961.
52. "Taxi Driver," 1976.
53. "The Deer Hunter," 1978.
54. "M-A-S-H," 1970.
55. "North by Northwest," 1959.
56. "Jaws," 1975.
57. "Rocky," 1976.
58. "The Gold Rush," 1925.
59. "Nashville," 1975.
60. "Duck Soup," 1933.
61. "Sullivan's Travels," 1941.
62. "American Graffiti," 1973.
63. "Cabaret," 1972.
64. "Network," 1976.
65. "The African Queen," 1951.
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981.
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", 1966.
68. "Unforgiven," 1992.
69. "Tootsie," 1982.
70. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971.
71. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998.
72. "The Shawshank Redemption," 1994.
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.
74. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991.
75. "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.
76. "Forrest Gump," 1994.
77. "All the President's Men," 1976.
78. "Modern Times," 1936.
79. "The Wild Bunch," 1969.
80. "The Apartment, 1960.
81. "Spartacus," 1960.
82. "Sunrise," 1927.
83. "Titanic," 1997.
84. "Easy Rider," 1969.
85. "A Night at the Opera," 1935.
86. "Platoon," 1986.
87. "12 Angry Men," 1957.
88. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938.
89. "The Sixth Sense," 1999.
90. "Swing Time," 1936.
91. "Sophie's Choice," 1982.
92. "Goodfellas," 1990.
93. "The French Connection," 1971.
94. "Pulp Fiction," 1994.
95. "The Last Picture Show," 1971.
96. "Do the Right Thing," 1989.
97. "Blade Runner," 1982.
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.
99. "Toy Story," 1995.
100. "Ben-Hur," 1959.
And on to other things... I'm about to start my real summer this week. Monday starts mine and the hubby's great summer of concerts: Rush in Pittsburgh. It should be very cool! I like Rush, I don't know all their songs but I know enough of them to know I will have a good time. Now, the hubby...Rush was the first band he ever saw in concert so he is pumped about going.
We are spending the night there and coming back on Tuesday. Whoo hoo!!
Then we go on vacation Friday for a whole week. I will not have my computer so I will not be able to post. I thought I better get in a few before I leave. Didn't want to keep you three or four people who read me here freaking out and wondering what had happened to me.
We are going to the gulf for a week of fun in the sun! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!! It has been four years since the hubby and I have gone on a vacation!
So...we will have a much needed break. I love the beach!
The American Film Institute's 2007 list of the top-100 American movies:
1. "Citizen Kane," 1941.
2. "The Godfather," 1972.
3. "Casablanca," 1942.
4. "Raging Bull," 1980.
5. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
6. "Gone With the Wind," 1939.
7. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.
8. "Schindler's List," 1993.
9. "Vertigo," 1958.
10. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
11. "City Lights," 1931.
12. "The Searchers," 1956.
13. "Star Wars," 1977.
14. "Psycho," 1960.
15. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968.
16. "Sunset Blvd.", 1950.
17. "The Graduate," 1967.
18. "The General," 1927.
19. "On the Waterfront," 1954.
20. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946.
21. "Chinatown," 1974.
22. "Some Like It Hot," 1959.
23. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940.
24. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982.
25. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.
26. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939.
27. "High Noon," 1952.
28. "All About Eve," 1950.
29. "Double Indemnity," 1944.
30. "Apocalypse Now," 1979.
31. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941.
32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974.
33. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975.
34. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.
35. "Annie Hall," 1977.
36. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957.
37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946.
38. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948.
39. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964.
40. "The Sound of Music," 1965.
41. "King Kong," 1933.
42. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967.
43. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969.
44. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940.
45. "Shane," 1953.
46. "It Happened One Night," 1934.
47. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951.
48. "Rear Window," 1954.
49. "Intolerance," 1916.
50. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," 2001.
51. "West Side Story," 1961.
52. "Taxi Driver," 1976.
53. "The Deer Hunter," 1978.
54. "M-A-S-H," 1970.
55. "North by Northwest," 1959.
56. "Jaws," 1975.
57. "Rocky," 1976.
58. "The Gold Rush," 1925.
59. "Nashville," 1975.
60. "Duck Soup," 1933.
61. "Sullivan's Travels," 1941.
62. "American Graffiti," 1973.
63. "Cabaret," 1972.
64. "Network," 1976.
65. "The African Queen," 1951.
66. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981.
67. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", 1966.
68. "Unforgiven," 1992.
69. "Tootsie," 1982.
70. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971.
71. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998.
72. "The Shawshank Redemption," 1994.
73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.
74. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991.
75. "In the Heat of the Night," 1967.
76. "Forrest Gump," 1994.
77. "All the President's Men," 1976.
78. "Modern Times," 1936.
79. "The Wild Bunch," 1969.
80. "The Apartment, 1960.
81. "Spartacus," 1960.
82. "Sunrise," 1927.
83. "Titanic," 1997.
84. "Easy Rider," 1969.
85. "A Night at the Opera," 1935.
86. "Platoon," 1986.
87. "12 Angry Men," 1957.
88. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938.
89. "The Sixth Sense," 1999.
90. "Swing Time," 1936.
91. "Sophie's Choice," 1982.
92. "Goodfellas," 1990.
93. "The French Connection," 1971.
94. "Pulp Fiction," 1994.
95. "The Last Picture Show," 1971.
96. "Do the Right Thing," 1989.
97. "Blade Runner," 1982.
98. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.
99. "Toy Story," 1995.
100. "Ben-Hur," 1959.
And on to other things... I'm about to start my real summer this week. Monday starts mine and the hubby's great summer of concerts: Rush in Pittsburgh. It should be very cool! I like Rush, I don't know all their songs but I know enough of them to know I will have a good time. Now, the hubby...Rush was the first band he ever saw in concert so he is pumped about going.
We are spending the night there and coming back on Tuesday. Whoo hoo!!
Then we go on vacation Friday for a whole week. I will not have my computer so I will not be able to post. I thought I better get in a few before I leave. Didn't want to keep you three or four people who read me here freaking out and wondering what had happened to me.
We are going to the gulf for a week of fun in the sun! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!! It has been four years since the hubby and I have gone on a vacation!
So...we will have a much needed break. I love the beach!
Friday, March 30, 2007
What movies do you REALLY like?
I have watched two of my favorite movies this past week. They are movies that I will watch over and over and over and over and NEVER get tired of watching. We all know the movies you are supposed to like. But what about the ones you REALLY like. Not the pretentious bullshit movies "they" tell you are wonderful, and that you should love, and if you don't love them you are an idiot...but the ones you tell all your friends to go and see, the ones when you find out someone you know hasn't seen, you totally freak out and tell them "YOU HAVE to SEE IT!"
Here are my top 15: They are in no particular order. I can and will watch these movies whenever I catch them on television and/or when I get bored and want to watch something from my home DVD collection. If they are a series I will include all of them unless noted otherwise.
1. The original Star Wars Trilogy (iv, v, vi)
*if you read my blog, you know I am a Star Wars Fanatic......"I've got a bad feeling about this."*
2. Death to Smoochy
*this movie cracks me up, and I think Edward Norton is an awesome actor...."I'm Rainbow Fucking Randolf"*
3. Boogie Nights
*great soundtrack, great story, it has everything..drama, comedy, tragedy, shoot outs, sex, fast cars...what's not to like?....." What can you expect when you're on top? You know? It's like Napoleon. When he was the king, you know, people were just constantly trying to conquer him, you know, in the Roman Empire. So, it's history repeating itself all over again. "*
4. Clerks
*Kevin Smith is great. I love the characters and the deadpan way they talk. They are such horrible actors, but the movie wouldn't be as good any other way. Jay and Silent Bob crack me up......"I don't care if she is my cousin. I'm knocking those boots again tonight"*
5. The Green Mile
*Tom Hanks with Stephen King....you can't go wrong........"That was a shockin' experence"*
6. Starship Troopers
*Space ships, Scary Alien Bugs, Totally hot guys and gals with guns...need I say more?......"Put your hand on that wall Trooper!"*
7. The Lost Boys
*Vampires, Young Jason Patrick, Young Kiefer, and the Coreys...you can't miss with the Coreys..."Death by Stereo"*
8. Goodfellas
*There is just something about gangster movies I love... Robert Dinero, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco they have an awesome chemistry in this movie......"funny how?"*
9. Night of the Living Dead
*My favorite Zombie flick, I love Zombie flicks almost as much as Vampire movies..but not quite as much....."They're coming for you Barbara."*
10. Steel Magnolias
*I am a southern girl.....need I say more...."Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair."*
11. A Knight's Tale
*Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger, and yeah...Heath Ledger. Medieval Fantasy type movie combined with modern Rock songs, and the fact that Geoffrey Chaucer is a character......"A man can change his stars"*
12. Jaws
*I don't know why I love this movie as much as I do...I have a thing for Spielberg movies......"You're gonna need a bigger boat."
13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp Version)
*Well, Johnny Depp is my favorite actor and I love Roald Dahl stories, I also think Tim Burton is a genius, not to mention Danny Elfman....."You're really weird."
14. Frailty
*Another movie I don't really know why I like it so much, probably because of the twist in it. Matthew Mc is very cool, so is Bill Paxton as the dad....."We don't kill people, we destroy demons."
15. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
*This movie reminds me of Myself and my oldest Best friend from high school. Especially when they are looking in their closet for something to wear to go clubbing......."I don't care if you like us, 'cause we don't like you. You're a bad person with an ugly heart, and we don't give a flying fuck what you think! "
Here are my top 15: They are in no particular order. I can and will watch these movies whenever I catch them on television and/or when I get bored and want to watch something from my home DVD collection. If they are a series I will include all of them unless noted otherwise.
1. The original Star Wars Trilogy (iv, v, vi)
*if you read my blog, you know I am a Star Wars Fanatic......"I've got a bad feeling about this."*
2. Death to Smoochy
*this movie cracks me up, and I think Edward Norton is an awesome actor...."I'm Rainbow Fucking Randolf"*
3. Boogie Nights
*great soundtrack, great story, it has everything..drama, comedy, tragedy, shoot outs, sex, fast cars...what's not to like?....." What can you expect when you're on top? You know? It's like Napoleon. When he was the king, you know, people were just constantly trying to conquer him, you know, in the Roman Empire. So, it's history repeating itself all over again. "*
4. Clerks
*Kevin Smith is great. I love the characters and the deadpan way they talk. They are such horrible actors, but the movie wouldn't be as good any other way. Jay and Silent Bob crack me up......"I don't care if she is my cousin. I'm knocking those boots again tonight"*
5. The Green Mile
*Tom Hanks with Stephen King....you can't go wrong........"That was a shockin' experence"*
6. Starship Troopers
*Space ships, Scary Alien Bugs, Totally hot guys and gals with guns...need I say more?......"Put your hand on that wall Trooper!"*
7. The Lost Boys
*Vampires, Young Jason Patrick, Young Kiefer, and the Coreys...you can't miss with the Coreys..."Death by Stereo"*
8. Goodfellas
*There is just something about gangster movies I love... Robert Dinero, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco they have an awesome chemistry in this movie......"funny how?"*
9. Night of the Living Dead
*My favorite Zombie flick, I love Zombie flicks almost as much as Vampire movies..but not quite as much....."They're coming for you Barbara."*
10. Steel Magnolias
*I am a southern girl.....need I say more...."Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair."*
11. A Knight's Tale
*Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger, and yeah...Heath Ledger. Medieval Fantasy type movie combined with modern Rock songs, and the fact that Geoffrey Chaucer is a character......"A man can change his stars"*
12. Jaws
*I don't know why I love this movie as much as I do...I have a thing for Spielberg movies......"You're gonna need a bigger boat."
13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp Version)
*Well, Johnny Depp is my favorite actor and I love Roald Dahl stories, I also think Tim Burton is a genius, not to mention Danny Elfman....."You're really weird."
14. Frailty
*Another movie I don't really know why I like it so much, probably because of the twist in it. Matthew Mc is very cool, so is Bill Paxton as the dad....."We don't kill people, we destroy demons."
15. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
*This movie reminds me of Myself and my oldest Best friend from high school. Especially when they are looking in their closet for something to wear to go clubbing......."I don't care if you like us, 'cause we don't like you. You're a bad person with an ugly heart, and we don't give a flying fuck what you think! "
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