Hope Springs: A Mini Review

Last week I sat down to watch Hope Springs with Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep.  I went into the film knowing I wasn't the target demographic for the movie, except for my life-long love of both actors.  The film is about an older couple whose relationship isn't doing well and they go see a therapist (played by Steve Carell).  Well, the script of the film was mediocre, the title of the film lazy, the cinematography was okay, Tommy Lee was solid, and Steve Carell played the part he always plays when he isn't in Anchorman.  But Meryl?  Meryl was amazing as always.  She's in-arguably (really, I think Daniel Day Lewis would agree) the best actor alive and she elevated the role of the frustrated housewife.  But as far as watching it?  If you are a Meryl Streep fan, then yes, go watch this film.

Hope Springs

Dance, Sam, Dance!

Somehow I neglected to share this last week, but well, this video has aged well (kind of like a fine wine or cheese) in my head.  Here's a video of the actor Sam Rockwell dancing in various movies.  Mr. Rockwell's most well-known role is in the "Ironman" movies, but he's done quite a few Indy films that are great cinema.

In my opinion, he's one of the most talented actors of his "generation,"  but whether or not you agree with that-we both could probably agree.......that Mr. Rockwell likes to get his groove on and will probably put a smile on your face!

I am...

Yes, it's Glenn Close, but you've got to admit she looks a little Victor Garber pictured above.

Papa B.’s Favorite Movies

My dad is my guest blogger today. He's a big film buff especially of World War II era films but watches a lot of other films too. Anyway, he sent me an article from Deseret News listing the five movies you must see.

My Dad:

Last week I saw an article in the "Deseret News" about their favorite movies and like most lists they list them in order which movies they prefer. I do not know how people can make a list and say this is my favorite movies listing them in order. I have many movies in which I think are my favorite. I was talking to my daughter about those movies and she asked me to come up with a list from the Top 100 from Filmsite.org the article referred and a synopsis about each movie.

Below is a list of my favorite movies, but not in order of which ones I think are the best. I think that is impossible to classify which is the best movie of all the millions of movies made:

1. "To Hell and Back" with Audie Murphy The true WWII story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. Based on the autobiography of Audie Murphy who stars as himself in the film.

2. "It Happened One Night"with Claudett Corbert and Clark Gable The story centers around an heiress, played by Colbert who runs out on her father when he won't allow her to marry the man she wants. She is attempting to get from Miami to New York where she will meet her husband to be. Gable plays a newspaper man who follows her and promises to help her. Not knowing he is after her story for a scoop, she agrees. Of course they fall in love while on the road which produces two very famous scenes. The walls of Jericho, where Gable divides their beds by a blanket was considered very daring at the time. The other famous scene, the leg is mightier then the thumb, is while they are hitchhiking where Colbert gets to show not only her shapely legs, but her comedic skills to perfection. Gables undressing scene is something not be be missed for any Gable fan!

3. "Forrest Gump" with Tom Hanks Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise. Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny, eludes him.

4. "A League of Their Own" Directed by Penny Marshall. Starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna. Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry.

5. Hoosiers Directed by David Anspaugh. Starrin

g Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper. A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship.

6. "Patton" with George C. Scott Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Starring George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Morgan Paull. The World War II phase of the controversial American general's career is depicted.

7. "To Kill a Mocking Bird" Directed by Robert Mulligan. Starring Gregory Peck, Frank Overton, Brock Peters. Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice.

8. "North West by North West" Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason. A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country ...

9. "Mr. Roberts" Directed by John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy. Starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell. Comedy-drama about life on a not particularly important ship of the US Navy during WW2.

10. "Since you went away" with Claudett Corbert The film was produced by David O. Selznick and attempts to capture a typical American home and how the family is impacted by the head, Mr. Hilton going off to war. Colbert plays Mrs. Hilton who is mother to two teenager daughters played by Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple.

11. "The Fighting Sullivans" Directed by Lloyd Bacon. Starring Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond. The Fighting Sullivans (1944). This story is about five brothers who grew up Waterloo, Iowa and joined the navy right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

12. "Drums along the Mohawk" Directed by John Ford. Starring Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, John Carradine. Before the Revolutionary War farmer Martin brings bride Magdelana the Mohawk Valley where they are burned out by Indians..

13. "So Proudly we Hail" Directed by Mark Sandrich. Starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake. A group of nurses returning from the war in the Phillippines recall their experiences in combat and in love.

14. "Three Came Home" Directed by Jean Negulesco. Starring Claudette Colbert, Sessue Hayakawa, Patric Knowles. The true story of Agnes Newton Keith's imprisonment in several Japanese prisoner-of-war camps from 1941 to the end of WWII...

15. "Mc Clintock" Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne. Cattle baron George Washington McLintock fights his wife, his daughter, and political land-grabbers, finally "taming" them all.

Me: I'd agree with the films on this list I've seen but there's a few I'm not sure if I've watched before (12, 13, and 14). Claudette Colbert? Looks like she's a favorite on the favorite list.

*Seven Things I'm Grateful for today:

1) Eucalyptus

2)Not one, but two humidifiers.

3) Figuring out what my body needs to get over this bronchitis/sinus infection which meant I let myself drink a gallon of milk in three days by myself. What do I think about that? Moo.

4) Kind friends and people in my church congregation.

5) A tithing settlement where I never actually declared my tithing. Instead, I got a great analogy likening my ward (church congregation) to an African herd of animals---which was kind of awesome.

*I turn 34 in a little over a month-so every day before the big day I'm making a list of things I'm grateful for....not to remind you constantly of my birthday, but so I'll be in the proper mindset of getting older. Or more likely, once I turn 34 I'll be so happy not to make this list anymore, that I won't think much about the birthday. :)

Today--25 years ago

True Grit

When I heard "True Grit" was being remade, I was skeptical. But then I heard that the Coen brothers were at the helm with Jeff Bridges as the John Wayne character, and I changed my mind. Now, I'm looking forward to this film:

Sean Penn as an aging rocker?

Via Slash Films

Review: Scott Pilgrim

I attended a screening of Scott Pilgrim vs the World last week and.....I liked it. Now, this film isn't for everyone, it's probably going to be pretty polarizing and I think people will either love or hate Scott Pilgrim and his quest (there's a cute Link reference at the first of the film) to defeat the Seven Evil Exes of his current girlfriend.

First, if you haven't figured it out, this is a comic book film with Michael Cera as the super hero. In fact, the new Captain America (Chris Evans) and the latest Superman (Brandon Routh) are in this film. While it's unlike most comic book movies, the above casting is more than a coincidence, I'm guessing it's probably partly a nod to the fact this film is a comic book film.

Second, the film has a TON of references to old school Nintendo and even Atari games. Even if you didn't own an original Nintendo (me) and consider yourself much of a gamer (me), you'll still get many of these references if you're between 25-40. I'm guessing before the week is out, some video game geek will post on their blog ALL of the video game references to this game.

That being said, this film would fall flat if it wasn't well done. This film is well done. The script is hilarious. You'll be laughing at this film at least every couple of minutes. Also, I mentioned above that Michael Cera is a comic Book "hero." That point alone is hilarious.

As far as the acting goes, overall, the movie is well-done. The seven evil exes are pretty great. A couple fall a little flat, but not enough that it's detrimental to the show. Brandon Routh's character is great as is Chris Evans. The supporting cast? Kieran Culkin is a highlight and many of the laughs revolve around him as Scott's gay roommate. Anna Kendrick as Scott's sister has some great laughs, as does a couple of the band members (Johnny Simmons and Kim Pine). Scott's love interest Knives Chau is a highlight of the film. She acts well and steals nearly every scene she's in. The only disappointment in the cast was Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona Flowers. She looks kick-grass, and I found myself wanting her hair, but her acting falls flat.

As far as Michael Cera goes? Last Summer I found myself really sick of Michael Cera. He plays the same character over and over and it was getting really old. However, even for this die hard Arrested Development fan, I found myself really surprised by Michael Cera's acting chops in this role. Granted, he's playing the same character yet again, but he does it really, really well. He breathes life in a character that could be so one dimensional, and yet somehow is hilarious. There's several moments that really stood out to me (One of the very first scenes with his band when he's talking about what he does with his girl friend), another scene where his girl-friend tells him about the exes and he's fixated on the fact he has a girlfriend who will make out on him and not the battle itself) and just the little things.

Anyway, go see this film if any of the above appeals to you. I did think the comic-book action subtitles got a little old, but overall, this film is great.

Even though this film failed at the box office, I tell ya-this is still going to be a cult classic, and a generation-defining film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgOLmjhxVVU

Bill, Is That You?

Gallery 1988 in LA recently did a show highlighting art devoted to Ghostbusters, Goonies and Gremlins. My favorite? This wood doll of Bill Murray's character Peter Venkman.

Via /Film

From the Internets: Catch-up Version

Here's just a random group of stuff I found online that amused me:

1) On today, the day that Lindsey Lohan reported to jail, the following image was released for Lohan's new film, "Machete" .
2) Selleck-Waterfall-Sandwich:Several months ago, a website featuring photoshopped pictures of Tom Selleck with a sandwich amongst a backdrop of a waterfall was all the rage for about 5 minutes. Here's my favorite so far. Via http://selleckwaterfallsandwich.tumblr.com/

3) Mothers Marrying off their Adult Single Children

There's now a website for everything. A mother who is obsessed getting her single son married set up a website where mothers can set up their kids. I foresee a Mormon version in less than 6 months. I foresee my mom talking about doing this half-jokingly for myself and my baby brother.

Good Point

Werner Herzog Reads "Where's Waldo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvWh6PMi9Ek

Beloved

Last night, Kelli and I decided to watch one of our Netflix movies. We chose "The Merry Gentleman" with Michael Keaton. As I put the movie in, I glanced at the summary which reads,

"Kelly Macdonald stars as a young wife who escapes an abusive marriage to begin a new life on her own. But when she finds herself a witness to a murder, she develops an unusual bond with a glum hit man. Beloved actor Michael Keaton makes his directorial debut with this quirky drama from a script by Ron Lazzeretti. The film premiered at the famed Sundance Film Festival in 2008."

Needless to say, we both honed in on the words, "Beloved actor Michael Keaton." We both decided that Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Paul Newman are beloved. Michael Keaton? Then one of us joked that it meant Beloved in a Toni Morrison kind of way. Or maybe Michael Keaton wrote the blurb?

Hi There!

Rather than recap the past year or talk about my goals for 2010, here's a short cartoon from Pixar. Ever wonder what happened to George and Al from "Up?" The cartoon ties up some loose ends.

Movie Match-Up

I ended up red-boxing a couple of films this weekend. Both were "Chick-flicks" and both deserved mediocre reviews. Although I didn't feel like I wasted my time (I was knitting), I couldn't decide which film I liked better, so here's the run down.
The films are, "My life in Ruins" starring Nia Vardalos and "New in Town" with Renee Zellweger

Supporting Men: Both films had a well-known actor in a pivotal supporting cast. "My Life" had Richard Dreyfuss as the "funny guy," while "New in Town" had J.K. Simmons as the ornery, caustic plant supervisor. Although Dreyfuss was much warmer, he was actually kind of annoying. I'm racking my brain to think of when Dreyfuss made a film I really liked. I think it's been years. J.K. Simmons rocks the Minnesota accent, and well-isn't annoying.

Winner: "New in Town."

Chemistry: Many couples in romantic couples hook up and you wonder, huh, why did these two get together? In fact, this is probably one of the toughest things in casting a romantic movie (not that I've ever done it) and writing the script. You need two people that you'd actually see together. A lot of "My Life" was the bus driver (Alexis) oogling over Vardalos. However, I'm not sure if they are actually that plausible. Connick and Zellweger however? They fit. There's not fireworks, but they are more like a comfortable pair of shoes. Now, would a vp of a major corporation and a labor union rep actually hook up? Who knows, but it more or less works.

Winner: New in Town

Leading Guy: Okay, Chemistry and leading guy are different categories. We've got Harry Connick Jr (who unfortunately doesn't sing in this film) and Alexis Georgoulis. Alexis is hot, he's really hot, but well, he's got a little Fabianesque look that's a little offputting. Connick is a favorite from way back, he's got a beard which becomes him, he's written into the script as a southerner (guess he couldn't do the Minnesotan accent so well), and well, it's Connick.

Winner: New in Town

Locale: Okay this one is easy. "My Life in Ruins" is set in Greece. "New in Town" is set in Minnesota. In Winter. Um, I'm sure Minnesota is awesome, but I'm going to have to go with "My Life in Ruins."
Winner: My Life in Ruins

Looks like Renee and Harry take it with "New in Town." But um, set your expectations low, and you might enjoy the film!

Jeremiah Johnson

This afternoon I told two of my co-workers I finally sat down and watched "Jeremiah Johnson." One of them said, "Isn't it the best western without Indians?" Then he stopped, when I just looked at him, and he said "Oh yeah, well it's different than John Wayne Movies.
Jeremiah Johnson, a 1972 film based on a true story about a man who came to the Rockies Mountains to become a mountain man. He's inept at first, but through the help of a couple of friends, but learns the ropes of making a living from the Mountains. A series of tragic events changed the tone of the film which I didn't entirely like. However, all in all, the film was one I'm glad I finally sat down to watch.
Filmed entirely in Utah, the film is gorgeous. I cracked up a little at one scene that had to be filmed at the shores of Deer Creek Reservoir (you can see where the Heber Creeper Railroad line is), not far from the Highway. Part of the opening scene is filmed just below the Flaming Gorge Down which was fun to see.

Coraline

In the mood for a freaky, creepy little tale? Have I one for you. I'm almost thinking I have the tolerance of a 9 year old for these kind of movies, but Coraline was creepy. Don't let that stop you from watching it however-the tale of a little girl who discovers another family with buttons for eyes who wants her is enchanting, breathtaking at times, and even kind of funny. The animation is phenomenal and the voice acting is solid. After watching "Phoebe in Wonderland" recently, and now this-Dakota Fanning is fast becoming a favorite child star. She does a great job voicing Coraline. The ending is intense-you know how it ends, but there's still a few moments where you jump. Or at least I did.

Wordless

MacGruber v. Viewmaster: The Movie

Val Kilmer and Ryan Phillippe in talks for 'MacGruber'
by Jeff Labrecque
Saturday Night Live's MacGruber is about to explode on the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Forte's recurring sketch parody about an easily distracted MacGyver-type has Ryan Phillippe and Val Kilmer in its sights for a full-length adaptation. Phillippe would play an Army colonel who recruits the jaded MacGruber (Forte) for a mission to stop a nuclear-armed villain, conceivably played by Kilmer. Kristin Wiig will reprise her supporting role, Lorne Michaels will producer, and Jorma Taccone, who helmed most of the skits on SNL, will direct.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/07/macgruber-film-takes-shape-with-val-kilmer-and-ryan-phillippe.html

I'm a little skeptical, but if anyone could play the villain, in the Macgruber movie, it would have to be Val Kilmer. He's hilarious. If you doubt me, watch "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," sometime.

View Master Movie:

I thought somebody was pulling my leg when I read about View Master: The Movie. However, apparently, it's a real project. Seriously, the project is being funded by DreamWorks and will be an action/adventure movies around the toy? Who knows?

I'm still skeptical that this will ever make it to the big screen.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/View-Master-The-Movie-13820.html

Land of the Lost----

Ok, this trailer has been around for a while, and yeah the movie looks dumb, but Will Ferrell getting chased by a dinosaur? Makes my heart skip a beat.

Will I see this one? Yes.

"Greatest Earthquake Ever!!"