A Month of Movies - December Holiday Edition

Moving on from November, we enter a winter wonderland of movies. It was a blizzard of genres, but we managed to watch a few holiday classics.

The Debt (Redbox)

Helen Mirren. That's all you need to know.

This movie (2010) was very good, even though it's not at all what it's advertised as. If you watch the trailer, you think you'll be embroiled in an intense espionage thriller, where a Nazi monster comes back to haunt three agents who were supposed to have eliminated him on a secret mission.

What you won't find here is plot twists, chase sequences, fight scenes, or any other hallmarks of an action/spy movie. What you get is a carefully crafted drama about human nature under duress. 

It's a far quieter movie than expected, and I was not satisfied with the ending, but it is worth a watch for the fine acting. Helen Mirren is superb, as is Jessica Chastain.

Big Trouble (Family Video)

I love walking down the aisles of a video store, waiting for a title or image to catch my eye. I saw this 2002 comedy and thought it looked fun and zany. Tim Allen is another one of my favorite comedies, from Home Improvement, Jungle 2 Jungle, Galaxy Quest, and even The Santa Clause.  

This movie is nothing but pure caper madness and definitely worth your time. You've got the hijincks of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World, an ensemble cast that's stuffed to the brim with amazing comedians, and a crime plot that's as improbable as Get Shorty or Pulp Fiction.

Shanghai Noon (VHS)

Oh Jackie Chan, this is not your finest work. 

Even waiting for the glimpses of his amazing martial arts is not enough to save this movie (2000). Owen Wilson is adorable, but this is a nostalgic stinker. At least the bathtub scene is still hilarious. 

Pushing Tin (VHS)

Awful. Sheer 90s awful. We lasted 15 minutes and shut it off. 

Plot as relayed in a cheesy narrator voice:

Two air traffic controllers go toe-to-toe in a battle of the egos. Insert multiple sequences of them showing off and trying to outdo one another. I'm a man, I have testosterone, grr! Enter pretty lady as plot complication. Likely will have to bond over trying to avert a crisis. Only by working together to save lives can they put their difference aside (ha, IMDB says I'm right about the ending!).

Jane Eyre (DVD/Netflix)

I taught a Women in Literature class recently and assigned the book. Wanted to treat my students the last night of class to a film adaption. 

I tried the Mia Wasikowska / Michael Fassbender version from 2011. I was sorely disappointment. The film is beautifully shot and I loved that the vast majority of the dialogue was directly from the book, but it completely missed the mark. It takes the gothic romance genre too literally. There is no love and light between the characters, only tears and oppressive broodiness.

I grew up on the Charlotte Gainsbourgh / William Hurt rendition from 1996. I had good memories of the film so I didn't screen it before showing it in class. I was a little disappointed to find that this adaption is hardly any better. 

Too much is condensed, altered, and omitted to be faithful to Bronte's intent. At least you want to cheer for this version of Jane and Mr. Rochester. I've been told that some of the mini series do the book better justice ...

Christmas Vacation (VHS)

I never watched this movie as a kid. Not once. I think the first time was in high school and I think I liked it but didn't fall in love with it.

Mike hadn't seen it either until we watched it for the first time last year. Now I think we have a new Christmas tradition on our hands. Chevy Chase, another goofball master, captures so much of what makes us all go a little crazy around the holidays ...

Home Alone (DVD)

Ok, let's be honest about this 90s movie trend. We've been tapping into our childhood, in search for something perhaps no more psychological than a warm fuzzy.

Home Alone is a modern classic and it is still delightful to watch. Everything about it is flawless. Perhaps it's why I like the two Chris Columbus Harry Potter movies (I know, I'm admittedly in the minority). There's a special quality infused into Columbus films, like Mrs. Doubtfire and Stepmom. Plus when you have a score by John Williams, oh man.

 

Neat thing I noticed for the first time - the entire movie is decorated in red and green. Every single inch of the screen, from the house to character clothing, uses that color scheme. Christmas is literally everywhere! 

White Christmas (Netflix)

As a movie buff, I sometimes obligate myself to "catch up" on classics that I wouldn't normally pick but are important in film history. It's why I'm still slogging my way through AFI's Top 100 lists ...

Whenever I talk holiday movies with folks, I always get ragged on for not having seen this one! So I hunkered down one Saturday morning and tried to get in the Christmas spirit with this 1954 Technicolor classic.

Honestly, this isn't my cup of tea. I don't mind musicals, but this one is over-the-top cheesy. As much as I tried, I couldn't get into it. Unhappily for me, Irving Berlin knows how to write catchy songs and I had a rough two weeks following this viewing. 

But I can at least say that I've seen this now. I also checked off my first Bing Crosby film so silver lining :)
  
The Way Way Back (Redbox)

Thought this looked like a cute coming-of-age comedy. Can't go wrong with Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Maya Rudolph, and Alison Janney (love her!). It even has Jim Rash in it, the dean from Community.

Despite the cast, this is not an uproariously funny film. It's more of a dramatic exploration of the modern family as told by a teenager trying to find his place in the world. A good indie flick on its own (Fox Searchlight knows what it's doing), but suffering from misleading advertising.

Worth checking out if you're a Sam Rockwell fan (he plays his usual self) and seeing Steve Carell play a massive jerk. 

Charlie's Angels (VHS/DVD)

I blame Sam Rockwell for this. We were talking about his other roles and I mentioned to Mike that he plays the bad guy in one of the Charlie's Angels movie. He was dubious so I tentatively asked him if he wanted to watch them with me.

These movies are a guilty pleasure. They're campy, totally improbable, filled with ridiculous humor, and full of girl power parading around in tight clothes and heels.

We turned our brains off and laughed.

Little Women (Netflix)

For some reason, I associate this story with Christmas. Maybe because there are many scenes set in winter? At any rate, I branched out from my staple 1994 Winona Ryder version to see what Katharine Hepburn could make of my hero Jo.

This George Cukor film (My Fair Lady, The Philadelphia Story, and many Hepburn-Spencer Tracy pairings) is a fine adaptation. It was done in 1933, right in the thick of the Depression. It's a rose-tinted, sappy version of a simpler time. I don't say this cynically, but it makes all the sense when trying to get down-trodden folks to shore up a few pennies to escape into the theater for an evening. 

It was a nice trip into the past and I'll get a hold of the Elizabeth Taylor 1949 version next. And at the rate Hollywood is recycling old material, I bet we'll see a Little Women adaptation in the near future. It would be interesting if they took the basic story and placed it in modern times. Hmm ... no one steal that script idea!

American Hustle (Movie Theater)

LOVE LOVE LOVE

This movie was nothing short of glorious fun. I cannot emphasize how highly this film deserves every award it's been nominated for. If you hated Silver Linings Playbook (which I enjoyed), never fear, this is truly a comedy. It's dark, a signature of David O. Russell, but the humor leads the way.

The casting is perfect and the acting sublime. Russell is fantastic at taking over-the-top characters, putting them in a preposterous situation, and letting his actors steal the scene.

GO SEE THIS!

January was so busy that we've barely watched any films. Check back at the end of February when we've had some downtime!

A Month of Movies - November Comedy Edition

You know, it's odd how few holiday plans we had this year and yet November and December flew by at an alarming pace!  I'm still trying to grasp that it's February ...

So here's a double post on what's been in our DVD queue lately.  

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (VHS)

I adore goofball comedies. I always loved watching parodies with my dad, like any of Mel Brooks films, Hot Shots: Part Deux, The Naked Gun, and Airplane. Austin Powers is no different. The slapstick, groan-worthy puns, clever references, outlandish characters, nonsensical plot - I'm sold.

Hadn't seen this movie in ages and Mike and I were still busting up a gut. So many quotable lines! It's crazy to think that this was released in 1999 though ... oh high school ...

Catching Fire (Movie Theater)

While we watch a fair number of movies, it takes special motivation to actually go to the theater. I'm just not willing to spend $20 for both of us to be disappointed. So I try to be selective about which movies we see.

I saw the first Hunger Games movie when Mike was deployed and immediately went out, bought the book, and sat down to read it in one sitting. My mom even sent him the books in his care packages.  

While I know some don't agree, I think the first movie is really good and a strong adaption. Catching Fire, however, takes the series to a whole new level. I loved every minute and even cried 10 minutes into it. Everything was on point, and yes, some stuff was left out, but that happens with every book-to-film translation. 

The key is that they got the essence and feel of Book 2. This will not be a trilogy where the second movie is only a weak bridge between the first and second! 

Father of the Bride (VHS) 

Such an adorable movie! Steve Martin is hands-down my favorite movie comedian. He's so personable and warm and he's got the best "you've got to be kidding me" face. 

The movie's look is definitely dated (so 1991), but it comes off in a nostalgic way. A friend and I remarked that they just don't make family movies like this anymore. I mean, when was the last time you saw a film that celebrated the father-daughter relationship in this way? 

Bill Engvall stand-up comedy (Netflix)

Confession - I've never watched the Blue Comedy Tour, I definitely cannot stand Larry The Cable Guy, and Jeff Foxworthy can be ok in small doses.

I can't remember why we choose Bill Engvall one night, probably because I don't like super raunchy humor and Mike loves his catch phrase "here's your sign." I immediately appreciated his stage presence, observations on life (particularly marriage and family), and storytelling. 

We've now watched Here's Your Sign, 15 Degrees Off Cool, and Aged and Confused. I even started watching the latest season of Dancing with the Stars because he was on there!  I'm kind of curious to watch his TV show, particularly as I love all things Jennifer Lawrence too ...

Peter Russell: Notorious (Netflix)

When we had cable, we loved catching Friday night stand-up on Comedy Central. It's how we got into Gabriel Iglesias and Maria Bamford. It's such an awesome way to end a dismal week at work. Laughter really is the best medicine.

After we'd exhausted our Bill Engvall options, we elected for a random pick based on the description. I like comedians who can do a lot of voices or impressions and Peter Russell is pretty decent. Not too offense and a few funny stories about growing up in an immigrant family. Not amazing, not off putting, relatively amusing. Not particularly motivated to seek out any of his other specials though.

101 Dalmatians (Netflix)

Oh yes, we watched the 1996 live version of this Disney classic. Didn't I tell you we had varied tastes?! All I can say is that we'd both had a bad day, it was available on instant streaming, and puppies. Lots of puppies.

Oddly enough, this movie is pretty funny and Glen Close is simply marvelous as Cruella de Vil. So over the top, so sublime, so perfectly committed to the role.

The Switch (2010)

Haters gonna hate, but I really do like Jennifer Aniston. I never even watched Friends in its heyday, but I loved her in We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses, Just Go with It (even more surprising, an Adam Sandler movie I like!), Bruce Almighty, Rumor Has It, and Office Space.  

Sure, there have been some perfectly awful movies she's been in. I couldn't get through more than 20 minutes of Friends with Money, Along Came Polly is just a weird movie and she and Ben Stiller don't have the best chemistry, The Bounty Hunter is pretty ridiculous, I haven't seen The Break-up nor do I want to, and Wanderlust is just obnoxious. I'm not even sure where to classify Marley & Me (there's that puppy thing again).

She and Jason Bateman were so funny in Horrible Bosses that I thought The Switch would be gold too. It's not. It's not awful, but it's just not a comedy in my mind. It's more of a drama between two long-time friends with one or two chuckle-worthy moments. Even Wikipedia classifies it as an American romantic comedy-drama. And you know Wikipedia is never wrong.

This is the End (Redbox)

I bravely stepped outside of my comfort zone for this movie.  I'm not overly fond of the cast, I hate stupid comedies, there aren't any female characters (aside from a pretty awesome Emma Watson but she has a small role), and the premise is pretty redonkulous. But Mike was in need of a brainless comedy that night so I obliged.

Surprisingly, this film works. Every actor plays a version of themselves for the ultimate form of parody and the obvious references to other post-apocalyptic movies are done with a loving hand. It's definitely rated R though and its humor will appeal to a 13-year-old boy (as well as the adult version), so you are duly warned.

The Heat (Redbox)

I grew up on a bunch of buddy cop movies, like Lethal Weapon, Men in Black, Rush Hour, even Turner & Hooch and K-9. Having been a cop in the military, Mike also loves Hot Fuzz and The Other Guys. 

The minute I heard about The Heat, I was all for it. Finally, a buddy cop movie with women! And two of the best female comedians out there - Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. I really wanted to see this in the theater to support it but just never had the time. 

The Heat absolutely delivers! There's slapstick, hilarious exchanges between Bullock and McCarthy, and real friendship and growth between the characters. 

There's a scene where McCarthy's character can't get out of car because of close parking and once she does, she starts slamming the door in rage and muffled curses. Because I have never done anything like that before (ahem), I was in stitches. There's also a moment where Bullock gives a double bird to a room full of male supervisors that was unexpected and epic.

More importantly, The Heat shows women as competent professions despite their flaws. Or maybe because of their flaws. Either way, we need more characterizations that show women just like men - as humans first.

Check out what we watched in December! 

A Month of Movies - October Edition

Hello! <waves> My name is Jennie and I'm a cinephile. Hi Jennie!

I am a tried and true movie enthusiastic. It is one of my simple pleasures, like a good book, a cup of tea, a long hot shower. Films have always fascinated me and a good narrative can satisfy the soul and leave you nourished.

My taste in movies is about as varied as they come. To be honest, the only genres I discriminate against are horror, Westerns, and war movies. When I'm in the mood to be entertained, I look for thrillers, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, action, and comedy. I'm not afraid of a good period piece nor subtitles. I'll try any film that's experimental or independent in nature, even if I only end up appreciating the director's intent to do something different. I am a sap for older movies of any kind and I routinely pay attention to Oscar buzz.

That being said, movies can be an expensive habit. They're definitely an optional expense, filed away under "luxury," yet life is too short to feel deprived. I also have to consider that I earn income from this love when I teach film courses. I can genuinely say it's good professional development to watch movies! :) 

With that in mind, I try to balance my adoration of the silver screen with a few frugal rules:

• We rarely go to the theater. That used to make me a little sad, but anymore, there's little I need to see immediately when it's released. It helps that even matinee prices for two people will run us $15!  If I'm considering a trip to the cinema, I always ask is it necessary to see this film on the big screen? Will I lose part of the viewing experience if I watch it at home on a display it wasn't originally sized for? Generally the answer is no, and accordingly, the only film we've seen in the theater this year is We're the Millers (which was hilarious and worth every penny!). However, Catching Fire, the second Hunger Games movie, is going to be released soon. This is definitely a movie I want to see in the theater, on a big screen, surrounded by other people.
  
  
• We have the premium Netflix plan and I don't care. Yes, I pay $20 a month to get streaming and two-at-a-time DVDs, but we generally watch enough to make it worth it. I love that I can easily find older films, documentaries, foreign movies, and independent flicks that you can't find anywhere else. Plus, when I'm teaching, it's invaluable to make sure I have my movie for class in hand reliably!
  
  
• Redbox is a devilish option. It looks so cheap, right, at $1.30 a movie, but you always have to do the math of how many DVDs you've grabbed and how many nights you'll keep them. I have way overpaid on Redbox before because I simply forgot to return them or I didn't feel like making the extra trip to the grocery store to take them back <forehead smack>. If I'm going to be tempted by The Box, I make sure to commit to one DVD at a time and for only one night.
  
  
• Family Video is thankfully on the other side of town for us.  I literally have to go out of my way to rent there (and return), so it's easier to avoid. Doesn't mean that I don't splurge there once in a while. I do love the feeling of going into a store and physically perusing the selections, but I always make sure to factor in the hidden costs of gas and my time to go there.
  
  

 
October was a good month for movie watching. It helps that the temperatures are falling and our weekend schedules have slowed down.  Here's what we saw:

Disney Memories (Netflix)

Thank you Netflix for finally getting Disney to cave and make their movies available! Growing up in the 90s, I was a Disney junkie and was enthralled with their animation. I LOVE that there are films I can now watch that I haven't seen in years! 

<does the happy dance>

We often watch a kid's movie when A) one of us is feeling under the weather or B) after a stressful day. Atlantis (2001) was fun to watch because I hadn't seen it since it came out and Mike barely remembered it. The plot wasn't amazing, but the ensemble characters were funny and both of us were impressed with the animation. I wonder if the CGI was so advanced at the time that people didn't know how to appreciate it.

Treasure Planet (2002) neither one of us had seen, and let me tell you, I was blown away! How is this not a Disney favorite?!  Clever way to adapt Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, excellent voice acting, and a solid story. The split between traditional animation and CGI is so well done, this film does not look like it was made a decade ago.

Mulan (1998) was one I watched on my own. I remember even my high school self was enamored of the more feminist portrayal of a Disney heroine and my appreciation hasn't waned. Eddie Murphy as the dragon Mushu is still priceless.

The Emporer's New Groove (2000) is hands down one of my favorite Disney films and when Mike confessed he'd never seen it, well, I had to remedy that! Seriously, this movie has only gotten funnier over time. We were busting up as if we were at a comedy show. The story and characters are super quirkier. If you need to be put in a good mood, put this one on!

Spring Breakers and The Bling Ring (Redbox)

Remember what I said about experimental movies? Perhaps because I've seen so many films, it's easy for me to predict plots and even lines if a story has been done before. I'm not trying to be picky or snobbish, but it does take a little to impress me anymore, particularly when there's such a dearth of originality in the studio system at present.

Spring Breakers is a crazy film. First of all, I have no idea how they got a R rating. There are so many close ups of boobs, crotch shots, sex scenes, course language, and violence. If you can't take the objectification of the female body, swearing, and video game-esque crime sprees, avoid this. 

I, however, was mesmerized by the whole thing (despite even my discomfort with the level of nudity and I have a pretty high tolerance for graphic content. Hello male gaze!). It's not a story I've ever seen before and the style of cinematography ensures you can't look away.  

James Franco, who plays an islander thug, is utterly transformed in this role. His performance had me hooked, otherwise I might have turned this off. He's not an actor I normally care for (and maybe I'm jealous because he's so frickin' smart), but he certainly is a tour de force and it's none the clear than in this film.

In the same vein of young kids gone wild, I gave The Bling Ring a try. The premise sounded interesting: based on the true story of teens who robbed celebrities. What I forgot is that this is a Sofia Coppola film and I absolutely detest her work. I would love to support a female director, but her movies bore me to death. Lost in Translation I turned off and I had to sit through Marie Antoinette in the theater but it tried my patience sorely. 

The Bling Ring was no different. It's like you're a fly on the wall, but you're not party to anything actually interesting. I abandoned this within 20 minutes. That being said, Emma Watson was terrific as a Valley Girl.Too bad all of the characters were played so convincingly that their shallowness drove me away! Ah, the perils of good acting ...

Identity Thief (Redbox)

I've been wanting to see this film since it came out! I skipped it in the theaters and patiently waited as it was always rented out at Redbox for months on end. It was just the type of goofball comedy that I enjoy, with plenty of physical humor, hijinks theatrics, and over-the-top characters. Melissa McCartney is hilarious and I've enjoyed watching her ever since she stole the show in Bridesmaids (in fact, she was the only part of that film I liked).  Jason Bateman is also a great straight man in any comedy (loved Horrible Bosses!).

There's nothing intelligent about this film, it has its slow and dramatic moments like any other modern comedy, but it is fun and lighthearted. I also really liked the resolution, which I won't spoil for you, but only say that it took the high road another film would have skipped.

K-9 (VHS)

That's right, we not only have VHS tapes still, but a working player! Judge me if you want, but I bought a ton of great movies in early college out of the $5 Walmart bin and see no reason to spend more money to upgrade them. Once the VHS player kicks the bucket, that might be a different story, haha.

Anyways, it's insane this movie was made in 1989 -- makes me feel old! I watched it often with my dad growing up, but Mike hadn't seen it. It's still a cute story and we had some good laughs, though the look is very dated. And when you're in the right mood, you can't go wrong with an animal movie.  Maybe we'll find Homeward Bound or Turner & Hooch next ;)

I Was a Male Bride (Netflix)

Taking a step into the past (1949 to be specific), we watched this great Howard Hawks film one Saturday morning. Older movies, even ones in a fiction setting, are still a look into our past. This movie is definitely a romantic comedy, but we still were chuckling.  

Cary Grant is also one of my favorite actors. I will watch anything with him in it. Even his trademark accent is played for laughs in this film -- he's supposed to be a French officer and there's zero attempt to sound Parisian!

The General (The Englert Theater)

Oh boy, let me tell you what a treat this was! I went way over our entertainment budget for this, but sometimes you've got to splurge. It also helped it was around our (dating) anniversary and we needed a special night out. I will admit we spent $45 on tickets, but while it makes me cringe slightly, I keep reminding myself this is what we save money for, so we can make memories without worrying about the budget. 

The Englert Theater is a real theater house in Iowa City, some 25 miles south of us. They have an amazing roster of acts that come through, but I've honestly only been there to see movies! What they offer is a unique experience you can't replicate anywhere else -- a movie showing accompanied by a live performance of its score!

A few years back, I had the supreme pleasure of watching The Wizard of Oz accompanied by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. I was enraptured by the whole thing as live music elevates the whole viewing experience beyond anything you could imagine (it was also a sold-out crowd, which was really cool too).  

It also can't be stressed enough that you need to see some of these classic films on a properly-sized screen. I've only ever seen The Wizard of Oz on a home television set, but put it on a two-story screen and you understand why Technicolor was such an amazing advancement! Anyways, ever since then I've had my eye out for similar opportunities.

Last year, while Mike was deployed, I watched Alloy Orchestra perform its own score for Metropolis (1927), a German silent-era film that I'd never seen but is always referred to as being a seminal work. Wow oh wow, was it ever a great performance! Alloy is a three-man ensemble and they truly have a knack for capturing the mood of a film using a host of traditional instruments and unlikely objects. You need to check these guys out!

So when I saw that Alloy was coming back to play along with The General (1926), I knew I had to drag Mike along with me. I'd also never seen a Buster Keaton film before, and as a film teacher, I thought it was a good excuse to education myself :)

While not as impressive as the Metropolis performance, The General was still a great accompaniment (to be fair, completely different styles of movies and thus scores). Keaton is truly all he is heralded as - a comedic genius whose stunt work will make your jaw drop. I can't wait to explore more of his films!


Check out what we watched in November!