Friday Night Date Night

For the new year, Hubs and I decided we needed to spend more time together not on our laptops, or watching crap TV whilst on our laptops. Hence, Friday Night Date Night has been born.

Not surprisingly, not because I'm lazy, just that bad, it's taken me how many weeks now into the new year to relay that these FNDN's have mostly consisted of movie nights. From borrowed movies to crap in our collection, to multiple trips to Redbox, we've started to not only spend our Friday's watching movies, but over one memorable weekend, spent every single day watching films back-to-back.

While I would like to review every single film we've seen so far this year, I will admit I would be damn lucky if I remembered every single one. First, we re-watched [Hubs hadn't seen it yet, but I had] Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement. I adore this man's films. He is like a fine wine; his work gets better with age. Sweet and poignant, the film tells of a woman determined to find out what happened to her love during WWI France.  I was determined right along with her. Her high jinx, her intuition, the characters she met. Beautiful.

Our second week was not nearly as beautiful, poignant, or well, a decent film. Hubs made me watch The Ice Pirates. Contrary to it's brilliant name, it was not a gay porno that took place in the Arctic.

I would have preferred the gay porn. I know I would have had a better night if we watched that, that's for sure.

The third week lead us to our first experience with Redbox. Crazy Stupid Love was a film I'd been wanting to see for awhile now, so I took immediate advantage. I know, nothing like being late to the party. I loved the dynamic between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's characters. Even Ryan's and Steve Carrell's. So multi-layered, the frequent hilarity only added another dimension instead of detracting from it as so often happens in romantic comedy's.

Other films we've watch on our FNDN's which often turned into Saturday nights and additional Sunday afternoons after our beloved Packers lost in the playoffs included Warrior, Contagion, Hangover II, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Bunraku, Super 8, True Grit, Bridesmaids [because Hubs hadn't seen it yet], and The Debt.

Bunraku put me to sleep, though I think if I had been in the right mood for it, I would have liked it.

Hangover II and Bridesmaids were watched back-to-back the night before I spent a weekend wedding dress shopping for my sister. It was a fun night. I liked the darkness of Hangover II compared to the first one, and Bridesmaids is just a hoot all around.

HPDH2 was a let down. I was expecting it to let me down, and it didn't disappoint. Hubs, who has never read any of the books, had no  idea what the hell was going on most of the time, whilst I was too upset over the lack of continuity, the slow-pacing, the world's worst editing job and the completely obvious lack of care Yates gave to any part of making this an enjoyable experience. I shouldn't have snorted or rolled my eyes so much for what should have been a tear-jerker.

Warrior was ok. It had Tom Hardy shirtless, and that was the only reason I bothered picking it up. Don't judge me.

True Grit and The Debt are standing out as my favorites along with Super 8. S8 because I'm a geek like that, True Grit because the John Wayne version is one of my favorite films of all time, and for a re-make this version right up there next to it for being that well done, and The Debt because... Well, The Debt was just good. All around fine acting, a believable premise and denouement, and characters I cared about. My heart was utterly breaking for Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington. Utterly, utterly in tears.

And last, but certainly not least, I did not mind the deadly epic Contagion showcased for the simple reason Gwyneth Paltrow was the first victim. There was a certain je ne sais quoi in watching her die and knowing this horrible disease spreading like that was all her fault.

Marvelous.

Immortality Slain

When I say I'm taking an hiatus, I meant it! For reasons I won't go in to, I forgot I had a Blogger only to be reminded again. Life has been incredibly too busy to truly spend any amount of time on films mostly because, I made one.

Yes, you heard that right. I. Made. A. Film.

Well, technically, I'm co-producing it, and really, I only snagged that title because when my friend Dan asked for feedback, he got feedback. I can be incredibly verbose when it comes to feedback as anyone who reads my every day journal (and not this artsy-fartsy one. Not that I think I have readers here to begin with. le sigh) can attest, and he let me have at his script like he was sharing his crayons and he didn't mind if the colors went outside the lines.

I've been working with Dan on his short films since last December, and when the opportunity arose to help with his feature, I grasped it with both hands. I'll let you know when it's released in the U.K.

In the meantime, my life hasn't all been about "What life is like in a specific area of a country I've never been to, doing things I've never done, with equipment I can't even recognize but look! Porn makes an appearance because they're boys and their horny and it's a coming of age flick that's right up there with my heartstrings".  I have seen a few movies lately, and in keeping with this, my long left lonely film blog, let me recap a bit on my past year of film:

Jean-Pierre Jeunet - My friend Jason introduced me to this French film-maker, and I've spent the past few months making grabby hands at his films. Delicatessen, Amelie, The City of Lost Children, A Very Long Engagement. Each unique in their own way. Each breath-taking in their story, their simplicity, their color, and their joie de vivre. 


OSS 117 - Yes, I was most definitely on a French kick this year. Jean Dujardin and his OSS 117 parodies were the highlight of my summer with Cairo: Nest of Spies, the original, taking much precedence and love over Lost in Rio. I think I was mostly spoiled in the first as the latter felt too forced at times. I eagerly await Dujardin's turn in The Artist with his Cairo co-star Bérénice Bejo, thought I highly doubt it will play in my area. As it is currently on the short list for Oscar consideration this year (I know! And it's FRENCH!), I would assume the six theatres it is currently playing in the U.S. are all in Los Angeles County. Life. Is not fair.

Random Action Movie Take 5,370,392 - As you can probably guess, the majority of my actual theatre experience this year consisted of one action movie after another, almost all entirely in the Superhero/Science Fiction Genre.  The Green Lantern, Thor, Caption America. If it had a cape and/or a mask, I probably saw it. I probably then immediately forgot it as they were all almost entirely forgettable. I should have listened to Edna - no capes! The notable exception to that remark iss for X-Men: First Class. James McAvoy is someone I have always held in high regard so to see his take on such an iconic character, as well as being introduced to the fabulousness of Michael Fassbender... I eagerly await and desperately hope they are able to play opposite one another once again. Ideally without January Jones anywhere near the picture.

A few stand-outs from the past year include:

Harry Potter DHp1 - As a confirmed Potter-aholic for the last decade, as you can imagine, I didn't miss this film. I wish I had. I won't go in to my now memorized rant on how Yates has destroyed this series of books for me with his inadequate representation, badly written interpretations all while propagating the worst acting I've seen from an entire generation in one film ... well, I'll just say I did not see DHp2 and leave it at that. Some things do not prove to get any better with age.

I know, I'm still amazed I haven't seen it. I'm even more amazed I have no plans to concerning I know people that actually worked on the bloody films.

Tron: Legacy - For a sequel set, and created, decades after the original, I was highly impressed. One of the few movies that warranted a 3D ticket price, the depth created during the race scene... that alone makes me go back for more.

Immortals - The most recent film I've seen I can honestly say it was only yesterday. I can also honestly say I only saw it because Husband wanted to see it, and Henry Cavill was Mostly Shirtless the entire film. I'm married, not blind! Considering how low my expectations were upon entering, I was slightly surprised I left not minding if I see it again, and not because of the flesh display. More than once I had to turn away from the all too violent realism within the fight scenes. For me, that means something.

Bridesmaids - By far the funniest film I've seen since the original The Hangover, Bridesmaids was set in my home state of Wisconsin. When the film was first released, I was hesitant to see it as I'm not one of those 'OMG, Let's go see something FUNNY' type of people. That, and I was mostly broke and Hubs didn't want to see it, so I ended up waiting for a girls night out with a friend after it hit the local theatre for a whopping $1 a showing. Best dollar I've ever spent at the movies.

So all in all, my film experiences for the last year have included French films watched repeatedly, and action films I'll mostly not miss. Considering my future film experiences will include watching Wrath of the Titans (because Dan worked on it) and Superman: Man of Steel (because Jason did), I can only hope I can talk Hubs in to some sort of drama, or Jason's wife in to another girls night at the cheap theatre. It's my hope that Like Crazy is somewhere in my future.

Hiatus

I'm taking a break with this for awhile because life has been incredibly hectic. Not that I've been posting much of anything on here anyway. lol I will say I haven't seen  a movie I've hated recently so at least there is that. :) I adored "A Team" more than I should admit, and I loved "Inception" enough I'm trying to find a time to see it again.

Okay, I could have lived without "Get Him to the Greek." I am ever so much not a fan of Russell Brand and Jonah Hill together. Separately, yes. Together, not so much. Sorry.

Sherlock Holmes

I never, ever thought I would like this movie, and I not only did I like it, I really enjoyed it. I went in not expecting that, but to see the quite often stuffy Holmes played obviously-on-something with a Watson who tries to stay away, but like a kitten can't keep the curiousity at bay, this modern re-take was like a breathe of fresh air. I've read the stories. I've imagined other takes on them. I do believe Holmes is quite mad! But besides all that, here are my top three reasons why I liked this movie:

1. The camaraderie and comedic timing between Robert Downey Jr., and Jude Law. Their fast paced witty repartee left the film clipping along nicely. Intermixed with just enough action sequences to keep it interesting while not distracting from the plot, one was left with the feeling that it was all meant to be that way, that their life was really that boring yet exciting. If only we could all have lives like that.

2. The costumes. As a former (okay, still am for the right price) costume designer, I have a very critical eye for costumes, detail, and authenticity towards the time period. My biggest fear going into this was the possibility that it wouldn't be justtttttt right in some way. A film is completely ruined for me if the details, the grittiness, the textures amidst all the layers aren't there for me. Something as simple as the wrong accessory will throw me off and out of the story. Sherlock Holmes did not do that for me. Silently throughout the film, I mentally kept a running commentary on every new look, "Oh, I've done that. Look at that waistcoat. Is that a Gibson collar? Those ruffles are such a pain to make. Good job." With the noticable exception of the fabric choices made on the majority of Rachel McAdams dresses, I was in costumer heaven. Flat satin in Victorian England? Really? BORing.

3. Denouement with possibility for a sequel. Usually I hate films that end with "we know this is going to be a money maker, let's end it with something so blatantly obvious we can make a sequel out of it." While introducing the deviltry behind the character of Moriarty at the end of the film could come across this way, if you know the story of Sherlock Holmes at all, you wondered where he was at the beginning, realized he wasn't playing in this film about half way through, yet didn't realize till the end that this criminal mastermind was there all along. The silent character. The man behind the curtain. He orchestrated McAdams' Irene Adler into a life of fear, left Holmes and Watson clueless, and yet we never saw his face.

Brilliant.

I want to see his face.

The Hangover and People's Choice

Okay, I'll admit it. I saw this movie months ago and just forgot to blog about it. Regardless, I just wanted to mention it quick because I'm in the midst of voting for People's Choice and it reminded me how much I loved this film. I'm not a big fan of slapstick comedies a la Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller. Usually those just make me cringe and go, "ew, no." So when Hubby really wanted to see this film back in August, I was hesitant to go.

Have I never enjoyed being proven more wrong in my life! Not only was this movie funny, it had a plot, a purpose, and a denouement that made sense. Just like every other comedy, you know it was all going to turn out okay in the end, but unlike every other comedy, you didn't know how they were going to get there. Heck, they didn't know either, and that was the beauty behind this film. You knew the gags and slapstick inherent in a drunken night out would be arriving at some point. You knew they did all those things too embarrassing to watch. But unlike every other film of this genre, it did not shove the slapstick inherent in drunken frivolity in your face. Like actually recovering from a hangover, we got to watch along with as the men went through those drunken photos no one ever remembers taking.

Never have I stayed to enjoy a set of credits so much. Never have I cringed, cried, oh'ed, and ah'ed so much at them with tears of laughter running down my face. Slapstick is okay in small doses. It makes the schtick that much more funnier when paired with believability like that.

I don't know if The Hangover is up for any People's Choice Awards, but I'm a member so I'm going to vote for them if I can. I just hope it's out on DVD before Christmas. I so want this in my stocking. *hint hint*

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I will freely admit that right up front. I own all seven books from both Bloomsbury and Scholastic. I deliberately flew through London on a trip to Europe specifically so I could buy the Blooomsbury adult cover editions. It took two years, but I did manage to get all of them via Heathrow airport bookstores. And yes, I own all the companion books including the fairy tales. I know. I'm a dork.

Having said all that, I'm also a realist, a pragmatist, and easily pissed off. Last fall when Warner Brothers announced they were moving the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November of 2008 to July 2009, the world reacted. In a time of business failures, bank closures, and recession, one way for a person to escape was to go to the movies. Warner Brothers never gave a reasonable explanation for the delay, at least none that consumers believed. Some believed it was due to Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the franchise, and his naked performance in Equus on Broadway. Others, that the movie wasn't finished and they needed the extra time to prepare. But in the end the only viable excuse 99% of the world believed was that the WB did it for the money. It was/is aimed towards the teenage market. Kids are in school in November and not in July. You do the math.

Okay, so the WB delayed the release for money. I get that. I don't like it, but I get it. Times are tough right now, but when you have a confirmed blockbuster, 6th in a series of devoted worshipping fans, it's not like people aren't going to see it no matter when it's released. Delaying it specifically for the higher summer audience revenue was just a slap in the face to a world faced with imminent job losses and their impending highest-unemployment-rates-in-decades headlines.

If anything, the WB only hurt themselves by delaying the release. Why? Because some fans, such as myself, remembered the feelings of betrayal at the WB's money grubbing greed. I had lost my job last year, and for the month of November was traveling an hour each way for only part time employment. Yet, I would have willingly taken a day off work to catch a midnight showing of my favorite fantasy series of all time, no matter how far behind it would have set me in my bills.

Did I do that in July? No. Did I really, really want to? Yes. But I figured if I was made to wait that long for the film, it wouldn't hurt me any to wait one more week. I would be damned before I gave them any more opening weekend box office numbers. I'm proud to say I know plenty of other people who felt the same thing.

I'd like to exclaim here how much I loved the movie. I would like to also sit here and expound upon how much I hated it. Because really, it was a case of both. As a book to film translation, I've read fan-fictions with better plots that still stuck to the canon facts. I'll never forgive the WB, David Yates, Steve Kloves and anyone else that made the decision to let Harry be unpetrified during the climatic scene on the Astronomy Tower. Part of Harry's innocence rely's on the fact that he never has a choice in what happens to him. By giving him a choice during the most pivotal moment of the film, his personality is drastically changed. He may as well have said the fatal words himself. As far as I'm concerned, the movie is no longer anywhere near canon compliant.

As for what I liked? Well.... for a mindless bit of fluffy entertainment, I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I'm taking off 1.5 for the whole additional Burrow scene that didn't need to replace things that should have been there and every scene with Ginny Weasley in it. That added moment of them in the Room of Requirement? Yeah, that was one of the most painful moments I have ever watched on screen. I physically cringed in the theater it was so embarrassing.

I take that back. 3 out of 5. Just thinking about it makes me gag. The best part about the entire film was how you could tell Yates thinks Harry and Draco were meant to be together. At least, I'm hoping that's why every Harry and Ginny moment had no chemistry whatsoever with Harry having the most sour, relieved (it's over!) expression on his face. See, even Daniel knows that relationship screams incestuous Oedipal complex. Besides, there were too many poignant, passionate moments between Harry and Draco for Harry/Ginny to be plausible. They're young. They're confused. And like every other young crushing couple, somebodies pigtails need to be pulled. Maybe Draco will start growing out his hair...

I would see the seventh book on film just to see how that non-canon compliant bit of fiction plays out. But not until movie eight is released. I don't watch works-in-progress.

A Comparison: Wolverine vs. Star Trek

Hubby and I went and saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine last weekend and Star Trek this weekend. I'd say don't bother with Wolverine, but Hugh Jackman is always worth watching however mediocre the script. Unfortunately, that was the only thing I liked about it. I thought they made a mockery of the character, the storytelling, the background, and even Scott! It was as if they were attempting to add in too many "origin" elements with other characters and didn't know how to blend them into one two hour film nor into the other films previously released.

On the other hand, Star Trek blended the early beginnings of the characters so well, it was impossible to imagine them otherwise. And since the whole film was nothing but one big alternate universe, that says something! With director J.J. Abrams, the film is given a highly saturated feel, keeping the same basic elements as the original series, but letting all those lights that blink in the control panels have their say. It made for wonderful cinematography and beauty in a world previously shown as being quite sterile and bland to the eye.

I won't go much into the script for Star Trek except to say that they have left themselves wide open to new adventures for Kirk, the Enterprise, and the rest of the crew. I was never so excited after watching this film, and I cannot remember the last time I wanted to immediately turn around and watch a movie again. If I had not been with my in-law's I probably would have attempted to talk my husband into it. But alas, it was Mother's Day, and while my 65 year old mother-in-law wanted to see the movie, it was getting late.

Maybe I can talk my husband into seeing it with me again next weekend.