Countdown to Christmas

I think I may have old taste because my favorite movies for Christmas are black and white. But we'll start with some of the other must see during the holidays:

#10

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Cartoon. Although, I do love the Jim Carrey one, I am an original fan.

#9

Home Alone

I have never seen the others. This one is perfect for Christmas because of the ending. I wish all families could be together at Christmas time. 

#8

The Family Stone

An amazing cast and story centered around Christmas and a liberal mother. It makes me laugh and cry and feel embarrassed. Oh. how I love that! And Luke Wilson.

#7

Met Me In St. Louis

This one's pretty obvious. I have to watch this one with my sister Margie though. She makes me miss her if I watch this so I won't without her by my side!

#6

The Santa Claus

Great film about family that makes me envy families.

#5

Borrowed Hearts

I have watched this every year, growing up, with my mom and I still watch it every year. It's a little cheesy, but I love it. And it's a love story. Hard to beat that.

#4

Gift of Love

This is an older movie with Marie Osmund when she was like 18. I love it so much. It's one movie that makes it feel like Christmas and reminds me of my brother. I miss him so much. He was in the stage version of this and did amazing!

#3

Lemon Drop Kid

If you haven't heard of this movie, don't feel bad it's a Bob Hope movie. It does have one of the best Christmas songs of all times in it though called "Silver Bells".

#2 

Miracle on 34th Street 

I know there are other versions but really there is only one true one. You could remake this movie with some great actors and young child stars but no one could imitate the perfection of Natalie Woods as a young girl too smart for Santa, to a girl who loved trusted and believed in others.

#1 

It's a Wonderful Life

I will fight anyone who doesn't have this on their list. And if they haven't seen it, educate them. Now it may be black and white and slightly dated but the lesson and morale of this movie will outlive us all. And I love the ending so much it gets me every year.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward men.

Merry Christmas

The Man in the Iron Mask

Recommendation: 

Watch The Man in the Iron Mask!

Review:

The acting was nothing special to begin with, as it was slightly slow moving,

but as the characters began to take shape and the story was in full force,

lead Leonardo DiCaprio did not disappoint. The three musketeers were fabulous.

The character of King Louis actually made me yell out "GAG!" Probably why I should only watch movies at home. This also showed me how great of acting Leo did to make me hate him. 

As the twin Philip I was so delighted at his humbleness and sweet ignorance that was so believable I began to want to fight to make him king as well. 

When someone has two roles in one film I get really picky with how they differ. I cheered at Leo's depiction of a stuck up "ordained of God" selfish king, as well as a childlike kind man who wanted to serve his country with no claim of his right to do so.  

The first time you see Philip without the mask and cleaned up he asks one question. 

Why was this done to me?

With out an answer he thanked one of the men that freed him. 

The reunion of Philip and Queen mother was a moment that should not be missed. 

Philip compared the crown and being king as another prison. 

He knew with lying and deceit it really was. 

He asked the three musketeers: Why should I? (pretend to be king)

Answer from Athos: "To be in the service of something greater."

Historical accuracy: (for movies based on true stories.)

They threw in twist after twist in this fictional story. What I love about it is that there really was a Man in the Iron Mask but his identity is still a mystery today. 

Moral: 

Learning who we are can help us live up to our family's name or at the very least our own. 

Learning who our ancestors were or our parents character can help us discover why we are who we are. 

I love that I used family names for my son, he can live up to be the kind of man they were or he can make a name for himself. 

Symbols: 

Symbolism was not missed in the premonition of the mask when King Louis puts it over his face!

The thrown when Philip dressed as King Louis sits on the thrown taking his place. 

The roses from the Queen Mother's love.

Swords in a circle "All for one, one for all."

Favorite quotes:

"I fight for the belief that every man can be better."

"Something about my face had to be hidden."

"The greatest mystery of all is who we truly are."

"You have the chance to be king. If you have the heart."

"To serve a king worthy of the crown."

"Love me like your son."

New feature I wanted to start: is the hubby-love-meter, 

if my husband loves a movie or finds it interesting he will stay awake. 

If not well, I have to turn the volume up to cover his snores. 

Hubby-love-meter:

This movie got a Complete!

(He stayed awake the whole time.)

(I do not own the rights to these photos.)

Yes, I know I did two Leonardo DiCaprio movies in a row. 

What about it?

Romeo + Juliet

First 10 minutes I wanted to turn this off. Good thing I have a rule that you can't say anything about a movie if you don't watch the whole thing. People on Netflix drive me crazy cause they're all like "I had to turn this off worst movie ever." (Not about this movie.) And I just think to myself, "How do you know it was the worst if you didn't finish it?" Ok enough about my principles.

Moral:
I wanted to start on this because the Moral of Romeo and Juliet is patience. I am a lover of this story but it always gets me because I wish they had just taken a little bit of time. Now I understand, who wants to wait for their life to begin with their love? I hated being engaged because it was a delay to the start of my life! Patience is hard but waiting a little while can mean you get a greater reward. I saved myself for marriage so I know waiting is hard.

Leonardo Dicaprio surprised me to no end. His reciting of Shakespearian verse was great and I was so gladly surprised. His speech at the beginning made me want to cry! "Here's more to do with hate, but more with love: Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create!" It's my favorite line these days. Can I just say, see this movie just for Leo's speeches and the make out scenes.

Clare Danes, she was a lot better than I remember when I was little. She may have had some rocky parts but she really did make Juliet her own. Her speech about Romeo after Tybalt was chilling.

Mercutio: Harold Perrineau had some brilliant moments in his speeches I wonder if the direction had been different he would've been a better Mercutio.

I did like that they had some visionary omens with the tomb. Loved it. I wasn't surprised when I learned that the director also directed Moulin Rouge. Baz Luhrmann went a little crazy but at least it got better through out the movie. The gang things couldn't been done differently.

2nd Moral:
The only thing I know about Suicide is that it hurts those around the person. For this story though it was to teach the families the price of HATE. Death of a loved one can make others evaluate their lives and they can learn from lives lost. Death in general is like this. The end made my heart ache.

He holds her hands she stirs. He gets the vile out of his pocket, she opens her eyes. He swallows the poison as her hand touches his cheek. He grabs her hand and his eyes bug out and his muscles convulse.
I couldn't believe it! She watched him die. If I watched my husband die I'm sure I would want to die.

Real emotion, thanks to the direction and the acting.

The Green Lantern

I honestly don't know much about this comic but I knew it had a lot of back story which is why it's not as huge as other superhero movies. My husband even made the observation that this movie wasn't as advertised as Iron Man.

I understand they had to go into the back story but the flow to the story line of Hal Johnson (Ryan Renolds) was made less important. There was a horrible scene change from Hal saying he couldn't do something to him just doing it. But other than the too quick turn around, this movie was thrilling in 3D and I recommend seeing it even if not in 3D.

I loved when Hal's character tried to disguise his voice to the girl he knew but he sounded so ridiculous we all laughed but it was great because they did it on purpose. (I hope.) Not everyone can pull off a Batman voice. (In fact, Christian Bale may be the only one.)

Moral:
Colors have meanings which is true. There have been studies about how colors bring about emotion and this movie brings some of that to light. Green is the color of "will" which is the power the green lanterns use. Yellow is the color of "fear" which is what the adversary uses. We must have the will to overcome fear. (Corny but true.)

Favorite lines:
You don't have to be with out fear you have to over come fear. (something like that)
(I agree that you have to overcome fear. There is a saying, Faith and fear cannot exist together.)

I have seen what fear can do, once we go down that path we can't go back.
(Hal understood that fear was the greater enemy than those that use fear.) Hasn't someone said that? Oh yeah, "Nothing is to fear, but fear itself." Thank you Teddy.

X-Men First Class

If this movie was made around the time the first X-Men movie came out it would've flopped harder than a fat guy off the high dive. But with the way society is these days and how we are becoming more excepting (or should be becoming) of everyone no matter how "different" or "normal" they are, this movie is FANTASTIC. Unlike the other movies the moral undertone of acceptance was more of the focus.

The Magneto and Professor X dynamic was a surprising harmony even when they disagreed. Charles and Erik were almost friends. I loved how Charles respected Erik's opinion even when he knew better. 

Moral:

Be proud of you how you are. Don't let others make you feel like a "mutant". We are born the way we are, but we also choose for ourselves to become better. 

GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's worth the ticket price and more.

Aren't we all in want of acceptance?  

Arthur

Russell Brand has never been on my favorite people list. He usually has been on my least favorite. He did marry Katy Perry which made me like him more. Despite my dislike I thought he was a funny person when he is rarely clean enough to listen to. My husband wanted to see this for his birthday and I thought it looked hilarious.

What do other critics hate about witty, well rounded movies? I guess Arthur got rotten tomatoes, but I would give it an 8 out of 10.

It was fast pasted, witty, hilarious. The music was fantastic. I loved Jennifer Garner as Susan. Helen Mirren is on my favorite actresses and thank goodness for her talent in the film. She brought balance to the over exaggerated Russell Brand's take on his character. Arthur had some predictable moments but thankfully there was depth that surprised. Helen Mirren's confession shocked me.

Moral:
Family can make a difference in each other's life. But when your real family is stupid, some have to find others to replace their family and may be lucky to do so. Having someone to believe in you, can make anything possible. Everyone wants to feel loved.

Old New:
I watched the original Arthur on Netflix instant. I wish I could un-see it. Although being able to re-watch the new one will make up for it. So watch the old one then see the new one. Liza Minnelli was fantastic as usual. I loved that they made Hobson a women played by Helen Mirren in the new one. The old one had it's moments of humor but not as many. The old had the line "I was in the neighborhood. It took me 2 busses 3 cab and a train to get in the neighborhood but what the hell?" The new one had so many lines it's hard to think of just one.

"Can you remove the half naked business woman from the bottom of my bed?"

"I am grown-up."(Turns on solar system above his bed.) "Don't let that undermine what I just said."

Rango

It was so funny throughout the movie even though it had a more involved plot than most animated movies. It is more of a teen/adult movie than a kid one, which was a nice surprise. Being from Arizona I liked that it was set in the desert and it made for some interesting metaphors. Like the water I found was kinda like knowledge. "Control the water and control everything." Same goes for knowledge. With that control is a responsibility. I just wish those that controlled the "water" would share it with the rest of us!!!

Getting back on subject. Favorite lines from the film:

No man can walk out of his own story.

We each see what we need to see.

Everyone needs something to believe in.

I was surprised that a cartoon could make that much sense philosophy wise. I have to admit it was a relief that not all animators just want to make cool effects, they actually want to make a difference. One reason I fell in love with movies is I feel that they have the power to change lives. Yes, I know that sounds corny. Deal with it.

Moral of the movie:
We learn who we are when we face ourselves. No matter how ugly that truth is, we can and need to find it. Only then can we get on the path to changing it.

Go see this one. I totally thought it was worth the ticket. Unlike some movies. (Knight and Day) Can I get a refund? Or an Amen? (sorry it's too late. I'm going on tangents)

Easy A

Rated PG-13 and the only real reason was some language. I actually found it to be humorous and witty. It made me think and the vocabulary for a teenage movie was surprising. I wish more movies would actually require thought and the use of a dictionary, but this movie restored some faith in writers.

Moral
The plot was actually morally thought provoking as well. The question she asks the priest. Is it worse to lie about doing something wrong for a good cause? Or for doing that wrong thing? I believe her initial lie was justified. I believe that's the lesser sin. It did get out of hand when she became "open for business" like she said in the movie. I also hope it made girls think about how much sex really can effect your life. Even when you lie about having it.

Religious
Christian people being portrayed as that judgmental, critical and the runners of the school was way exaggerated. I went to a school with a higher than average Christian rate and we were not the rulers of the school. Also, I have met many Christians of all separate sects and they are some of the least judgmental. I wish the extremist weren't in the film but it made the lead realize her error and that was great.

Can you tell I loved Easy A? I did. I own it. It mentioned some 80's movies I hadn't seen yet and I watch a lot of those so it was fun to learn of new ones. Say Anything wasn't anything special except for the scene mentioned in Easy A. But what I love is Easy A reminded me of John Hughes films. It had a classic question and will probably stand the test of time for it's unique characters. Add to the mix parents that were real with their kids and didn't lie to their daughter about their own mistakes and you have a movie with substance. More parents should be honest about sex and the repercussions that follow it. To say there is no consequence is ludicrous. Amen.

Plays and Movies

Plays that are movies are no longer plays but that's a formality. A play made into a movie misses so much of the play. (Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is the exception.) The theatre experience is missing, and I think that is especially important to a play. If you love plays you should support local theatre. (Ok, stepping off my soap box.)

I did such a thing the other day. I went and saw Much Ado About Nothing, Desert Rose Theatre made it their own. I had to rethink movie plays. Some are just so far from how I feel about live theatre.  The connection to the art is strained. Play writes are in my mind more brilliant than screen play writers because they have to write around a stage and space is limited. The show I saw used every bit of stage and never lost it's imagery because of it. The director Katherine Stewart understood the importance of less is more in her staging and it paid off.

My advice, go see plays. Don't just watch the movie version. It's like watching the movie instead of reading the book. Tsk. Tsk. I will save that post for another day. My point: Theatre is better. (Obviously, good theatre companies are a must.)

A Classic Beginning

I wanted to start this blog because I have a unique outlook of movies. Or at least, I wish there were critics who did. I have seen my fair share of movies, but I have also not seen that many. I don't usually see Rated R and sometimes even PG-13 are dumb to me. The reason being, I believe movies should be great without adding sex, nudity, profanity, or strong violence. Not to say I won't watch a movie with any of those elements, I mean it's almost impossible not to. But my reviews will reflect my distaste for mature content. They also focus on finding something in a movie some may overlook. I find I look for the subtle good. No matter the fame of a film.        

Think back on some classics you have seen. Out of the ones which are not war related movies, did they have the elements I mentioned? If so, I might not consider it a classic. But I love recommendations of movies! I have certain trusted people, that if they say I should see a movie I watch it right away. I also know movie retards, that I ask for their opinion of a movie, so I know which to avoid like the plague. Critics are one of the latter that I depend on to tell me what movies they say are "awful". More times than not, they are wrong. 

I am a lover of movies and T.V.  I hope I can share that with you while sharing with the world how I see them, how they effect me. and how they change the world. (Pour on the sap!)