Midnight Movie at 43?

I've been going to midnight movie premieres for a very long time. But, I tell you what, once I hit 40 years old, I started rethinking that whole idea! For some reason, I continue to push myself to be one of the first to see the latest movies. I just HAD to see the latest in the Twilight Saga last night. Of course, now I'm smarter with age -- I've learned to at least take the next day off from work.

The pictures here are Erin, Matt, Rick, and me at the 12:41 a.m. showing of "Eclipse" at Tinseltown in Louisville. There were at least a few more folks our age at this one than at the midnight showings of the first two Twilight movies, but the majority of attenders were still teenage girls.

Movies I've Seen This Past Week

Kathy's Movies This Week

Right to the Point Movie Reviews #3

Movies Reviewed
1. Love in the Time of Cholera
2. Enchanted
3. Beowulf

Theater Crowd
1. Love in the Time of Cholera -- 6 females, including me
2. Enchanted -- approximately 1/3 of the theater filled with a wide variety of movie goers
3. Beowulf -- full theater, more men than women, wearing bizarre glasses

Origin
1. Love in the Time of Cholera -- modern literary tome
2. Enchanted -- fairy tales
3. Beowulf -- ancient epic tale

Plot
1. Love in the Time of Cholera -- Boy falls in love with girl; Girl marries someone else; Boy waits more than 50 years for girl; Happy ending
2. Enchanted -- Boy falls in love with girl; Girl banished by evil stepmother; Boy and girl find true love; Happy ending
3. Beowulf -- Boy falls in love with queen; Boy battles various monsters; Boy wins queen; Unhappy ending

Quotes
1. Love in the Time of Cholera -- Dr. Urbino: "A man should have two wives: one to love and one to sew on his buttons."
2. Enchanted -- Robert: "You're not going to sing, are you?"
3. Beowulf -- Beowulf: "They say you have a monster. They say your lands are cursed. I am Beowulf, and I will kill your monster."

Recommendations
1. Love in the Time of Cholera -- girls only - definite chick flick
2. Enchanted -- great date movie; fun and lighthearted
3. Beowulf -- guys would see it again and again

Right to the Point Movie Reviews #2

We saw Evan Almighty three weeks before its opening at a special preview. We, and the rest of the audience, LOVED the movie. It got a round of applause at the end. Wholesome, clean, pro-family, overt Biblical references. A "must see!"

1408, starring one of my favorite actors, John Cusack, is an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller. John Cusack pretty much IS 1408. The majority of the movie is a soliloquy. Cusack's character is trapped in Room 1408 which is supposedly haunted so badly that no one in the last 85 years or so has left the room alive. Is the room really haunted or is the whole thing in his mind? See this fabulous summer thriller and decide for yourself!

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a kid-friendly, true to the comics movie. Personally I prefer super heroes who have secret identities, but I did enjoy some of the humor derived from how the main characters dealt with the paparazzi. The villian (Dr. Doom) is fantastically evil, and the super heroes (Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, and The Thing) are appropriately kind-hearted and wholesome.

Right to the Point Movie Reviews

The Illusionist - Highly Recommended

Wonderfully intriguing story line with a superb cast (Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell--always a great bad guy!). Kept me hooked from the beginning to the surprising ending twist. Nominated for an Academy Award (cinematography). Described as "drama/suspense/romance/thriller" at Internet Movie Database. Indeed it is all of these!


The Prestige - Highly Recommended

Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Andy Serkis (Golem from Lord of the Rings), and David Bowie (in a surprising role), make this movie one of the best suspense/mysteries I've seen recently. The opening line uttered by Michael Caine: "Are you watching closely?" sets the stage for a twist and turn Victorian era rivalry between master illusionists. Like the other movie about magicians that came out about the same time (The Illusionist), this one is perfectly cast. Nominated for two Oscars: Art Direction and Cinematography.


Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan - NOT RECOMMENDED

Obscene. Crude. Stopped watching less than half way through. I cannot believe that this movie has made the money it has and has become so popular. The movie is a sad commentary on the tastes and morality of today's movie-going public.


Norbit - NOT RECOMMENDED

Obscene. Crude. Heck, just read the above review of Borat


Ghost Rider - Highly Recommended

This movie has all the elements that I look for in entertainment: a super hero, justice, romance, action, Nicolas Cage. I cannot imagine another actor pulling off the role of Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider. Nicolas Cage gives the role the right amount of edge, depth and humor to make the character one with whom the audience can identify. I like it when the devil gets his due. Ghost Rider provides that and more.

The Fountain - a movie review

The best part of seeing The Fountain was the $4.00 Pepsi fountain drink I bought. And I HATE Pepsi.

Casino Royale - a movie review

I just returned from the Shelbyville Great Escape Movie Theater after seeing what I believe to be the best of all the James Bond movies, Casino Royale. Based on the first Ian Fleming book published in 1953, this most recent Bond movie lets us in on the beginning of Bond's career as a 007 agent. This Bond is rougher than the James Bonds we've come to know over the past 40 years in films. Daniel Craig plays the lethal agent with the perfect blend of toughness and charm. He's a real man with real scars. The scrapes he finds himself in are much more believable than the sometimes laughable escapades of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. His baby blue eyes can melt the heart of any woman, but they can stare down an evil nemesis, too.

I enjoyed the love story in Casino Royale. James Bond is usually on the fast track when it comes to women, but in this movie he is a one woman man. And the woman (Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green) is not some bimbo "Bond girl." Vesper Lynd is a British Treasury official who spars easily with James and stands her ground when faced with several opportune romantic moments. Love indeed blossoms and is put to a weighty test.

Of some note: the opening sequence doesn't feature nude women in silouette as in previous Bond films. I definitely like this "non-womanizing" aspect of James Bond.

I must admit that I went to see Casino Royale with my heart firmly in the Pierce Brosnan camp, knowing that this unknown-to-me actor, Daniel Craig, could never fill the shoes that Pierce so suavely and handsomely did. But, I walked out of the theater realizing that Daniel Craig is the new and improved and much more real Bond than any before him. I hope he stays around for a whole new round of Bond thrillers.

Through Thick and Thin

This past weekend I saw two great movies about very different kinds of families: I Am Sam and Little Miss Sunshine. Both movies promote the positive family value of "sticking together through thick and thin," but in quite different ways. Although I would recommend I Am Sam for most audiences (I saw the edited for TV version -- original has some language in it, I believe), I would be cautious in recommending Little Miss Sunshine to anyone I don't know.

The language in Little Miss Sunshine is quite offensive at times, and some of the subject matter is very adult (homosexuality, pornography), BUT the end result (spoiler alert!) is that the family sticks together to overcome the many obstacles facing them as individuals and as a whole. Divorce is not an option for the parents, leaving someone out of the everyday life of the family is not an option, and turning backs on troubled family members is not an option. The belief of the family that the main character, Olive, can win the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant, despite the fact that she is obviously NOT the typical pageant contestant, is heartwarming. Olive has such a great sense of self-esteem that has been fostered by the members of her family.

In I Am Sam, the main character, Sam, (played superbly by Sean Penn) is a mentally challenged father trying to raise his normally developing seven-year old. The court system thinks Sam is not fit to raise his daughter, but the overwhelming love that Sam and his daughter share for each other overcomes even the skeptical social workers and court system. Others around them learn great truths about themselves and their families through the whole process.

Sticking with your family through thick and thin--a great lesson from two creative movies.