Day 14

I know I didn't post yesterday, but as usual, I was really busy. It's almost passover here, which means that when we're not frantically cleaning every inch or our house, we're cooking everything in sight. Busy busy busy. But never fear, I'm still watching my movies, and I'm still going to blog about them. Like I'm doing right now:


Day 14: Together


Two weeks into the project, and I've seen my first foreign language film. Together is a Swedish movie set in Sweden in the 1970's. The plot centers around the unconventional lives of a group of friends and relatives living together in a commune. I'm not sure how Netflix knew to recommend this movie to me, but I'm glad that the monkey-bots that run the site suggested it. The movie has lots of different elements in it, many of which are favorite for me. It's got GLBT characters, unconventional families, counter-culture and of course comedic misunderstandings. There's a lot going on in the movie, but the main plot centers around the character of Elisabeth, who leaves her abusive husband and brings her kids to live with her brother in his commune, called Together (Tillsammans in Swedish). Once there she meets some very unusual and possibly crazy people, like Anna, her ex-husband Lasse, and his best friend Klas, among others. I normally don't feel the need to provide any warnings for people regarding movies, since I believe that's what ratings are for. But this is a special case. Since this isn't an American movie, it doesn't come with a nice tidy letter rating, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you that it's at least an R rated picture. I say that only because this movie contains male and female nudity of the full frontal variety.

Despite the unexpected nudity, the movie was great. It was funny and interesting to watch. I gave it a solid ★★★.


If you're not too put off by the fact that this movie has subtitles, check out the trailer:




And if you've actually already seen it, I'd really love to know what you thought of it! Share your thoughts and opinions here with me in the comments!

Day 13

It's almost midnight, and I just got back from skating, so I'm freakin' tired. But I need to get myself caught up on these posts, so here I am. Aren't you glad? No? Well you should be. So there! (I know you can't see, but I'm sticking my tongue out at you, because I am apparently very immature) And now I'm rambling. So uh, here we go:


Day 13: Zombieland


What can I say about Zombieland? Can I say that it was really freakin' funny? Can I say that it had lots of undead zombie gore? Can I say that I loved every minute of it? Yes, yes and yes. When I first saw the trailers all I can remember thinking is: A zombie comedy staring Woody Harrelson? Count me in!" And you know what? It was great! In a post apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, you don't need brute strength or mean cunning to survive, all you need are rules. And Columbus has an entire list of them. You follow the rules, you survive. The movie had me laughing almost the entire time, the main characters were brutal but lovable. And the plot was solidly funny. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes to laugh at their scary movies.

While it's not quite up the standard set by the epic zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland managed to earn itself a solid ★★★. I'd see it again.


And if you want to see some of the undead guts and blood for yourself, check out the trailer:




As always, if you've seen this movie (or any of the others I've been blogging about) please share your thoughts with me here in the comments!

Day 12

Yeah I know, I haven't exactly been sticking to my two updates a day schedule. But I've been really busy, I swear! I've been dealing with school and bills and cleaning and the frickin' holiday (which is quickly approaching) and on top of everything else I've been writing a script. So uh, yeah, busy. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten my project, so:


Day 12: Exit Through the Gift Shop


I thought it was high time I watched a documentary for this little project of mine, and Exit Through the Gift Shop had been sitting in my queue for a looong time. So what is it, you ask? It's about street art, rather it's a documentary about making a documentary about street art. Confused yet? Well, once upon a time there was a gentleman named Thierry Guetta, he liked to film things. A lot of things. He eventually got involved with some prominent street artists and decided to make a documentary about them. In the process he became a street artist himself (under the pseudonym of Mr. Brainwash), and his documentary kind of took on a life of it's own. Still confused? Yeah well, I think it's supposed to be at least a little bit confusing. The movie follows Thierry's explorations into the world of street art and introduces you to some of the biggest names in the businesses, like Invader, Shepard Fairey and the most famous of these underground artists, Banksy.

As strange as it was, I really loved this film. It has a comedic element to it, and obviously there's art, lots and lots of art. I gave it ★★★★, and they were all well deserved.


If you'd like to see some of the madness for yourself, check out this nifty trailer I found for you:




If by some chance you've actually seen this movie, please please please share your thoughts with me! I'd love to know what you guys thought of it!

Day 11

I can't believe it's already Wednesday, the week's not even half way through and I'm already waaay behind in all of the things that I need to get done. This seems to be a chronic problem with me. On the side, I'm almost caught up with these little posts. According to my calculations (I love saying that, it makes me feel smart) on Friday I should be both watching my 15th movie, and putting up my 15th post! Yay. So, let's get to it, shall we:


Day 11: The Kids Are All Right


This is another of those movies that I had been meaning to see for a while now. I saw trailers for it last summer and I remember saying to my boyfriend, "we're going to see that the minute it's in theaters..." Yeah, like that happened. But it was well worth the wait. The story is about the two teenage children of lesbian parents reaching out to their sperm-donor father, and the very unusual family they all make. I've overheard a few people say that this movie was made just to show that gay people can be parents too, and it does that, but it's about a lot more. It's about family, and what exactly makes up a family. It's about parenthood, and relationships, and teenagers and being someone's child. It's about how people who love each other can come together to create something more than they ever could have imagined. But I'm rambling.

I loved this movie enough to give it ★★★★★ (the 4th movie this month to earn all those shiny little stars!).


If you'd like to take a look for yourself, I found the trailer for you:




I'd love to know what you guys thought about the movie if you've seen it. Or even if you haven't seen it. Share your thoughts with me here in the comments, okay? Okay, thanks!

Day 10

I've got a lot of things that I need to get done today. One of them is a second blog post on my movie project, so that I can get myself caught up in the next few days. So lucky you, you get to read two posts in one day. Yeah you do. And here it is:


Day 10: Monsters


This movie provides a slight to the standard creature feature. It's set six years after a space probe carrying alien life forms crash lands in Mexico. The creatures invade Northern Mexico and the United States is desperately trying to keep them out. The story is about a journalist who must accompany a young woman on her journey back in to America. I really really loved this movie. It's about more than just creatures, or aliens, in my opinion at least, it's about the natural order, and learning to live in strange circumstances. There's a lot of subtext to the movie. You really can't watch it and not think about illegal aliens and U.S. immigration policies.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic movie, I gave it ★★★★.


I don't think my review is really doing this film justice, so please, check out the trailer for yourself:




I had never heard of this movie before I dug it up on Netflix, but if you happened to have seen it, please share your thoughts with me here in the comments!

Day 9

I honestly didn't intend this when I started this little project, but Saturdays seem to be my day to watch Ryan Reynolds movies. I just happened to see one of his movies on my first Saturday and I just happened to watch one this past Saturday as well:


Day 9: Chaos Theory


Watching this movie only reaffirmed my belief that Ryan Reynolds is a phenomenal actor. He can play a wide variety of roles while remaining his adorably charming self. Chaos Theory is about how the smallest details can affect our lives in very big ways. Ryan Reynolds plays Frank Allen who is chronically over-organized. In an attempt to give him a little extra time one morning his wife intends to change the clock to give him 10 extra minutes, but instead makes him 10 minutes late. The movie's about timing, and family, and a little bit of chaos. Netflix classifies it as a 'Romantic Drama' but it definitely has its funny moments.

I would give Chaos Theory ★★★★★, and that's not just because I'm in love with its star. The movie really is phenomenal, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks their life could use a little chaos.


But, if you want to see for yourself, here's the trailer:




As always, please share your thoughts and opinions here with me in the comments! Thank you for reading!

Day 8

Okay, I'm slowly slowly catching up on these posts. I figure that if I can post two today (Monday), two tomorrow (Tuesday), and two on Wednesday, then I should be all caught up on Thursday! Yay for me! So look forward to another post sometime tonight, but for now:


Day 8: Anger Management


I was having a discussion about Adam Sandler with a friend of mine the other day. I was talking about how much I loved his earlier movies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, and she told me that I had to see Anger Management . Well I saw it, and honestly, I was disappointed. Sure it had it's moments, but it was no where near as funny as I was lead to believe it would be. The story is about an ordinary man who has trouble standing up for himself. Because of a mix-up on an airplane he ends up sentenced to anger management training with a real whack job of a therapist. The whole thing is very overdone, and not all that funny. I can't tell if that's because Adam Sandler's not quite as funny as he used to be, or if my sense of humor has matured somewhat since the 90's.

Either way, I would only give Anger Management ★★, and I don't think I'd want to watch it again any time soon.


But if you'd like to judge it for yourself, here's the trailer:




If you liked this movie, or if you thought it was kinda boring like I did, please please please share your thoughts with me in the comments!

Day 7

I'm way behind on these little reviews, so you're probably going to be seeing more than one a day until I can catch myself up. It shouldn't take more than a few days, unless I get lazy again (which is always a possibility with me).


Day 7: Pandorum

  
I'm going to start off by saying that Sci-Fi really isn't my genre of choice. But Netflix seemed to think that I would like this movie, and they were right! Pandorum is set in the future, some unknown time after the year 2174. Basically, we've used up all of the resources on planet Earth, and a small section of the population has been sent off to colonize a new planet called Tanis. The movie begins with two crew members waking up from 'hyper-sleep' to an apparently deserted ship. The entire movie deals with them trying to discover exactly what has gone wrong with their mission. Despite my lack of affection for science fiction, this movie really impressed me. There's action, suspense, a bit of romance and just enough guts and gore to keep me entertained. It's 1 part Sci-Fi epic, 1 part disaster flick, and 1 part psychological thriller.

I gave Pandorum ★★★, and I might even see it again if someone wanted to watch it with me.


If you'd like to check it out for yourself, here's the trailer:




Please share your thoughts and opinions on this movie with me here in the comments! Thanks!

Day 6

Arg! I'm getting really behind. I've just been so busy this month. I've been reading The Human Stain for English and working on physics homework and writing a script on top of it, so you know, busy. (Did I mention that we're on this whole spring cleaning kick around here? Yeah...) Anyway...


Day 6: It's Kind of A Funny Story


First of all, I freakin' loved this movie. I wanted to see it from the time I saw the first trailers for it. While I did love Zach Galifianakis' performance, I saw this movie mostly for Keir Gilchrist (because I am totally obsessed with him in The United States of Tara). The movie's about a young man who can't deal with the stresses of his life and so, accidentally checks himself into a psych ward. The people that he meets there and the experiences that he has help him learn to cope with his life and not stress out so much. The story is heartwarming and hilarious at the same time. It struck me as a very funny, modern day version of Girl, Interrupted.

I gave it ★★★★★ (Like I've said before, I'm a terrible critic, but this movie really is something very special).


If you don't believe me (or even if you do) check out the trailer for yourself:




And if you've already seen it, please please please share your thoughts and opinions with me in the comments!


P.S. Yes, I am fully aware that this movie is based on a book, and I fully intend to read it!

Day 5

I know I'm a little behind with these, but I've been swamped with school, so just stick with me okay? I promise that I'll post about every movie I'm seeing this month. The posts may be late, but rest assured that I am indeed watching a movie every single day. For example:


Day 5: The Comedy of Terrors


I liked this movie. It was recommended to be by a friend after I had gone to see Arsenic and Old Lace at the Redford Theatre . I mentioned that I loved Peter Lorre and she said "You've seen Comedy of Terrors, haven't you?" I had not, but I'm glad I've seen it now! Peter Lorre and Vincent Price star (alongside Boris Karloff) as the owners of a funeral business that's seen better days. So they decide that the best way to pick up some business is to off their clients themselves. As expected, hilarity ensues.

I enjoyed this film a lot, and I give it ★★★


If you'd like to judge for yourself, just check out the trailer:




As always, if you've seen this masterpiece of comedic terror, please share your thoughts with me in the comments!


P.S. If you don't like waiting for my blog posts to find out about how my Movie-A-Day project is going, you can always follow me on Twitter.

Day 4

You might have noticed a few changes around here. I'm messing around with formats and templates and trying to find something that really works for me. I'm still playing with the settings and the html, so you'll probably see a lot more changes soon. But I can't let that get in the way of my super exciting Movie-A-Day project.


Day 4: Barton Fink


This... is a strange movie. But really, what else can you expect from the Coen brothers? I told a friend of mine that I was watching the movie, she asked what it was about, I told her "I'm not really sure yet."
I think it's about stories. The stories that happen to people, the stories that people tell, and the stories that people don't tell. On a very basic level this story is about a playwright from New York who moves to Los Angeles to write scripts for motion pictures. The movie is also about heads, in a strange sort of way. But I don't know if I can say too much about that without giving things away.
I gave Barton Fink ★★★★, but that's probably because I like strange movies.


If you'd like to know if this is your kind of moive, check out the trailer:




And of course, if you've already seen Barton Fink, please please please share your thoughts with me in the comments!

Day 3

So far my movie-a-day project has been going well. I didn't have a lot of time today, so I watched one of the shorter films sitting in my NetFlix queue, an old (and I mean old) black and white horror flick.


Day 3: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari


I have to say, this movie wasn't quite as awesome as I thought it would be. It had been sitting in my queue for a long time, and I suppose that over that time I kind of built the movie up in my mind to be some epic of silent horror. Don't get me wrong, it was a good movie, just not nearly as creepy or chill-inducing as I was expecting. The story is basically about a traveling mystic who terrorizes a small town with the help of an enslaved somnambulist named Cesare. Like I've said, the movie is silent and therefore obviously in black and white. The scenery and backgrounds are done in a very interesting style. The characters are pretty interesting and the story's got a great, and very creepy ending.

Overall, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a ★★★ movie, and a piece of cinematic history well worth watching.


It's an old movie, but I managed to dig up a trailer of sorts that you can check out. It does have some spoilers, so beware:

Day 2

Two posts in one day, aren't you people lucky? Yeah ya are. Anyway, this 'watching a movie every day' thing is turning out to be a lot easier than I thought. See normally, I don't really watch movies all the way through in one sitting. I'm the type of person who will start watching a movie, give up after 10 minutes and come back to it 3 months later just to give up after another 10 minutes.

Yeah.

But by making my movie watching into a project, I feel responsible, I feel obligated to finish the movies in time. And I'm enjoying it! Who knew watching a movie all the way through could be so much fun? (Yeah, I know I'm special)


Day 2: Definitely, Maybe


This is another movie that I've been meaning to see for a really long time. I remember when I first saw the trailers, I told myself that I'd go see it in theaters but uh, that never happened. And so as soon as I got NetFlix, I put it into my DVD queue, along with about 50 other movies. But I'm glad I finally got around to seeing it.

Ryan Reynolds is one of my favorite actors (not just because he's gorgeous, though he is). I think he's very talented, if not a bit predictable. He does always seem to play the same charming characters, but that's something I like about him. He plays the role of a father very well, and some of the scenes with him and his daughter really broke my heart.

Overall I'd give Definitely, Maybe ★★★★ I really loved it, even though it made me cry.


And since I didn't actually tell you anything about the plot of the movie, check out the trailer:




If you've seen this movie, I'd love to know what you thought of it! Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Movie-A-Day

In honor of Script Frenzy I've decided that I'm going to try to watch a different movie every day this month. I thought it'd be a great way to get inspired to write my very own script!


I started my project yesterday, when I had some free time between classes. (I'm so glad I've got access to streaming movies on NetFlix) So, without further ado...


Day 1: The World's Fastest Indian


This movie had been sitting in my NetFlix queue for a looong time. It was recommended to me by a friend over a year ago. I had some time yesterday, so I finally sat down and watched it, and I'm so glad I did.

The movie was heartwarming and inspiring (just what I wanted for this little project) not to mention beautifully put together.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro a sweet little old man from New Zealand who dreams of going to America to race his 40+ year old motorcycle at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The movie is about Burt, and his bike, but it's also about his journey and all of the people he meets along the way.

I personally give this movie ★★★★★ (but I'm really a terrible critic, I tend to love everything).


If it sounds interesting, check out the trailer:




And if you've already seen the movie, I'd love to know what you thought of it! Please share your thoughts in the comments.