Baby Mama (2008)
Posted by Erin Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:31:55 GMT
I thought this was really funny. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hilarious, as usual. Steve Martin's relatively small part is also great. Well, I liked all of it, really. It made me laugh.Across the Universe (2007)
Posted by Erin Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:47:30 GMT
I missed the beginning of this but still enjoyed it for the most part. As Jon pointed out, the ending is a too rosy, considering the many serious topics visited (drug use, the Vietnam War, sometimes violent war protests, etc.), but the remade Beatles songs sound great and are visually stunning and beautiful.Revisiting the '80s
Posted by Erin Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:38:00 GMT
I was 14 and 16 when these two movies came out, so I was totally part of the target audience.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The only thing I could have remembered off the top of my head from this movie was the foreign exchange student named Long Duk Dong, but it was all familiar when I watched it again on TV at my in-laws' house. Unfortunately, someone let me have the remote, and this is what I settled on. I forgot that it was so stupid, although Jake is still dreamy as the seemingly unreachable object of the girl's desire. My mother-in-law's brother (is that my uncle-in-law?) got a kick out of the stumbling bride high on muscle relaxers at the end.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
This movie aged pretty well, I thought. Duckie still looks goofy but edgy, the dialog is still funny but not retarded, and the romance is classic. (Although I am a jaded adult who wonders just how long the teen romance is going to last, I still like a good teen flick. Like Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You.) The music's still good, too. I don't think Molly Ringwald looks very good in pink, though, I'm sorry to say.
I kind of wish Andie had ended up with Duckie, though. He's so funny and cool and cuter than the rich guy. Oh! Since I assume that their teenage romance was doomed, I'll just imagine the sequel where Andie and Duckie get together in college! That makes me happy.
Bonneville (2006)
Posted by Erin Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:10:56 GMT
Named for the car in which the three main characters take an unexpected road trip after one of them is widowed, Bonneville
I was surprised that two of the main characters are obviously Mormon (and according to the "Behind the Scenes" stuff on the DVD, the other is, too). Also surprisingly, it's a pretty good representation of Mormons, though one character seems overly prim and the other overly casual. There's some humor here that will appeal only to the LDS crowd and those who've run into us a fair amount, like when the prim Mormon offers a Book of Mormon to a hitchhiker they're dropping off. I won't spoil the joke, but it's funny and realistic. I only noticed one very small error with regard to LDS practices, and there's a good chance that some LDS people don't know enough to spot it.
The road trip starts in Pocatello, Idaho, and ends in Santa Barbara, California, but most of the movie was filmed in some of Utah's most beautiful places, which also makes it worth watching.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
Posted by Erin Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:02:27 GMT
Watched this with the kids. I'm having trouble remembering it, so that's not a great sign. But after a little effort, I remember that it was okay. I'm assuming the Susan Cooper book on which it's based is better.The Dust Factory (2004)
Posted by Erin Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:09:20 GMT
This was a little too profound and confusing for the kids, but kind of an interesting movie. I'm also not sure the parallels or metaphors or whatever they should be called really worked that well. But the characters were likeable and the message was good.The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Posted by Erin Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:35:30 GMT
I'm all about taking the kids to the movies this summer, I guess.
I liked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which we saw in a real movie theater right after it came out, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. When I've caught glimpses of it since then (one of the kids bought the DVD, so it's been viewed a few times), it seemed way too serious. So I wasn't all that excited about Prince Caspian. I enjoyed it, though.
Here's my take on the Chronicles of Narnia movies thus far: they're beautiful to look at, even stunning at times, and the action is exciting and intense (also strangely bloodless). I don't remember the books that well, but I suspect that what's getting glossed over in the movies is the thought processes of the characters as they make very important decisions. I also suspect that their choices and how they get there are the most important part of the stories, so maybe that's why the movies don't stick in my head.
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Posted by Erin Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:09:02 GMT
Oh, that Jack Black is a hoot, even as an overweight panda who dreams of being a ninja. Some great lines from the beginning: "Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose Kung Fu skills were the stuff of legend.... It is said that his enemies would go blind from over-exposure to pure awesomeness!"
It's not all about Jack Black, though. His awesomeness is actually somewhat restrained and totally appropriate for kids. I liked this movie a lot, and I think the kids did, too.
I Am Legend (2007)
Posted by Erin Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:36:06 GMT
Will Smith is really a good actor, and he's great in this. I had some pretty disturbing and vivid dreams after watching it, though. I really need to read the book someday. There are two other movie versions: The Last Man on Earth (1964) with Vincent Price and Omega Man (1971) with Charlton Heston. I've seen Omega Man, and I think it was pretty corny, but I can't remember it that well. Anyway, I Am Legend is very far from corny. It's suspenseful and scary.Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Posted by Erin Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:47:30 GMT
This is pretty good, but I had a surprisingly violent reaction to something in one of the special features. The director or writer or someone was talking about the movie (you know that every movie is special, right, and deserves its own thoughtful discussion about how they came upon their wonderful idea, how they found the perfect actors, etc.), and he said, "We wanted New York to be a character in the movie." I suddenly felt the urge to yell "Shut up!" and throw a pillow at the TV. Like 2/3 of all movies aren't set in New York!* Yawn. Or commit violence with throw pillows. Take your pick.
It was original as far as romantic comedies go, and the backdrop of the Clinton campaign and administration was pretty interesting. I had some problems with the movie (not just with the special features), but I think they might be considered spoilers, so I will leave it at that.
*This statistic is a fabrication. If anyone knows what the real statistic is, please tell me.
