the movie mommy

My Aspie Angel

2010-10-23T17:59:00.002-04:00

I picked up the expression "Aspie Angel" from an Autism/Asperger's support group I joined. People with Asperger's Syndrome are referred to as Aspie's. My son, Bill, has Asperger's Syndrome. He is beautiful, sweet and brilliant. Everyone adores him. He is not like other kids - normal kids, that are referred to as Neuro Typical or NT. He is not NT. He is unique. True, all children are unique and special but a child with Asperger's is not only that but they see the entire world as a unique place and through their unique eyes. Asperger's Syndrome is on the Autistic Spectrum but carries it's own special markers.
Recently, I attended a conference with Temple Grandin, a brilliant inventor and author with Autism/Asperger's that was recently featured in an HBO film and Tony Attwood, the leading expert in Asperger's Syndrome. There were over 1400 people in attendance - parents, teachers, mental health professionals and adult Aspies. It was an emotional journey. I found myself interviewing an adult Aspie and telling him my fears of what lies ahead for my son. I also spoke to a woman with a 3 year old boy that she feared had Autism. I told that between about 2 1/2 and 6 were the worst times for us and that things would get better. I told her how well Bill was doing now but that the road was very hard and that she could do it if I did. I felt strange doling out advice but I felt I had too.
There were parents with children older than my son and they shared their experiences. I felt hope in myself.
While Temple Grandin was finishing up her speech, I snuck out so I could be in line for her to sign her book. Standing at one of the book dealers I spotted a white haired man giving autographs. It was Tony Attwood. The man I drove 6 hours to see. He was autographing a book for the book dealer. I stood next to him and thanked him for being there. I told him how far I came and he commented he came all the way from Australia to be there. I thanked him. I asked him if he had time to sign books later. He said he didn't know but would sign one for me. I pulled my book out of my backpack and he signed it. As I handed him the book I started to cry. I told him that I thought he wrote his book, "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome", about my son. He was very gracious.
I didn't think my son was classic Autistic as he was first diagnosed. Some things didn't fit in to that diagnosis. Yes, he was high functioning but not exactly. Something was different about him. Something about his socializing, speaking and moving was not all autism. Dr. Attwood's book described Bill exactly - as unique and as unique as everyone with Asperger's Syndrome is.
Temple Grandin said, "If it wasn't for people like me, all you socialites would still be sitting around in caves talking to each other." To love an Aspie is to get that quote. In the opinion Ms. Grandin and Dr. Attwood there would be no silicone valley, inventors, engineers, spelling bee winners, actors, directors, animators or geeks without the wonderful world of Aspergers. Maybe not true for all but Dr. Attwood referred to the "Antique's Roadshow" as "spot the Aspie." For those of us that love and know an Aspie those comments are funny. The obsession with a subject, attention to detail and awkward social skills fit many we know in those professions. You can giggle out loud now, if you want.
Dr. Attwood also said there was cure for Autism! Put the person with Autism or Asperger's in their room and close the door. When they are in their room alone they do not have Autism! Once again, feel free to giggle, if you understand.
People ask me when I knew something was "wrong" with Bill. I never thought it was vaccines, birth issues, etc. I have a video of him in an exersaucer at 6 months old just bouncing and bouncing for an hour straight. Could have been then. When he didn't talk at 18 months, 20 months, 24 months or 2 1/2 years old. Could have been then too. His diagnosis was when he was almost 5. It was heartbreaking. I refused to give up on him. When was 3 or 4 and was just so terrible I didn't want to look at him - I did not want to give up. He was beautiful, sweet and smart. I knew he was really in there somewhere.
BUT now I have a renewed sense of hope from this conference. I learned that Aspies are probably the ones that are okay and the rest of us NTs just have to catch up. Maybe they are the next step in our evolution. In a world that has replaced real social lives with social networking. Maybe that is true.
Bill is 6 1/2. He is in 1st grade and the sky is the limit. If I read this to him, he would ask what the limit of the sky is. That is why I love him.

Despicable Me (guest reviewer!)

2010-07-11T16:09:00.001-04:00

Despicable Me is being reviewed by a guest reviewer - the Super Mommy! The Movie Mommy thanks the Super Mommy for this timely review.

I recently read a review of Marmaduke that bemoaned the fact there’s nothing really new under the sun when it comes to kids’ movies. And after seeing my share of sweet but uninspired kids’ movies this summer, I was inclined to agree. That is, until we saw Despicable Me. Here’s a kids’ movie that’s not only warm and funny, but original too!

Steve Carrell (of The Office and Horton Hears a Who) voices the lead character, Gru, a “super-villain” who lives in an awesomely scary-looking house sandwiched amid the cookie-cutter houses of suburbia, with a host of “minions.” Gru’s minions are the cutest animated characters since Wall-e, and they bring a lot of personality and humor to the film. Gru’s fearsome facade masks a sad upbringing at the hands of a singularly unsupportive mother (voiced by, of all people, Julie Andrews). Like any misbehaving child, Gru hatches ever-escalating “evil” exploits to win his mother’s approval and attention.

When a younger, competing super-villain (Vector, voiced by Jason Segel) steels Gru’s thunder by pulling off the heist of the century – swiping the Great Pyramid of Giza – Gru decides it’s time to pull out all the stops and show up this newbie by … wait for it … stealing the moon. While plotting his greatest exploit yet, Gru turns away from his door three cute-as-heck little orphan girls who are out selling cookies to raise money for their orphanage. Turns out, however, the tykes are integral to his moon plans – Vector has a sweet tooth and the girls are Gru’s ticket into his competitor’s inner sanctum, where Gru plans to steal a shrink ray essential to his plot. While Gru sees the girls as his ticket to successfully stealing the moon, the tots – Margo, Edith and Agnes – have other plans, namely to turn Gru from “superbad” into “superdad.”

Carrell, Segal, Andrews and the actresses who voice the three girls (Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher) do a great job conveying all the humor and emotion the storyline demands. And the animation is on a par with Pixar’s best – character facial expressions, in particular, are masterfully executed.

Like any good children’s movie, Despicable Me has plenty of cute characters, a heart of gold, ample laughs for adults and kids (including a hilarious fart joke), and an important message to convey about the nature of family and love. Parents will relate to Gru’s struggle to accept his transformation from the super villain that he always thought he was (Who were you before you had kids?) into a responsible, nurturing parent. And everyone will be charmed by the girls’ moxie and the minions’ cuteness.

But it’s the creative plot that really gives the film its originality, and sets a stage for all those familiar kids’ film elements to play out in a new, fun and exciting way. How can an evil – “despicable” – character like Gru turn into a father for three little orphan girls who desperately want one?

Maybe Gru, like many of us who always thought of ourselves as improbable parents, isn’t quite so “despicable” – or inept – as he thinks he is.

MMMM1/2 M's (out of 5)

ECLIPSE (the only review you need to read!)

2010-07-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

On a lovely Friday morning I hit the early showing of Eclipse. The phenomenon that is the Twilight saga is not without merit. The books are just...well...okay. The movies, so far, have improved upon Stephanie Meyer's work. I attribute this to the fact that she did not write the screenplays. Moving on to the movie! (Note: I am not going to go into who the characters are, etc. I am going to assume you have some inkling of the story so far.)

Eclipse: The Twilight saga, by definition meaning long heroic story, continues with this third installment. I loved it! The writing and definitely directing have all improved in this movie. And, well, the saga continues...
Eclipse picks up where New Moon (which I also liked) left off. Edward proposed to Bella, Jacob Black is a werewolf (as is all the studs in his tribe) and Victoria is on the lose still looking to have Bella for lunch. Things are pretty much the same at the start Eclipse. Bella wants to become a vampire so she can stay with Edward forever and his condition is that they get married. She, of course, sees the only reason a recent high school graduate gets married is because she is knocked up. There is a very funny scene with Bella's father, Charlie, as she asks him about the merits of marriage. He starts to have the "talk" with her about sex and she is not into it. Little scenes like this in the movie I find to make the characters seem real. The thing I like about the Twilight movies are that they make the teenagers seem like teenagers - at least to me. They are not stereotypical teenagers but just kids. That is refreshing! Their biggest worry should be the prom and graduation. Bella on the other hand has a lot more to deal with, like knowing vampires and werewolves, but those teenage things still are at play.
Some nice things that are in the book and the movie are the backgrounds of some of the Cullen family like Jasper and Rosalie. As well as some stories of the Quileute tribe on the history of the shape shifting wolves (basically they are not werewolves in the traditional sense) and their early encounters with "the cold ones."
On the horizon there is trouble as someone is creating a "new born" vampire army that will be bent on Bella's destruction. There is a little visit from the Volturi and an uneasy truce between the Cullen's and the werewolves to protect the town of Forks and Bella. There are some great werewolf/vampire fight scenes at the climactic battle that is very satisfying for the guys in the audience (of which there are few!).
Part of this wonderful vampire action might be in part to it's director, David Slade, who also directed Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night. I consider 30 Day of Night to be quintessential vampire movie viewing (also reviewed on this blog). His direction says a lot about this movie. Not only his ability to direct action and gore but to have the individuals react with believable emotion.
I did think that the Eclipse book was the weakest of the series and really could have been one big book with Breaking Dawn (that is why I am not impressed by her writing...she is not concise enough). I hope that Slade directs the next one and brings his magic!
There is always the question asked of which camp or team I am with - Jacob or Edward? I will make this easy - Dr. Cullen! He is more my age and, after all, he's a doctor.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Rental Reviews!

2010-06-22T14:39:00.002-04:00

I am a bit behind but the following will review The Wolfman, Invictus, From Paris With Love, Horsemen and The Princess & The Frog. Feel free to comment!

The Wolfman: I am not exactly sure what this yawner was supposed to do. Was it a tribute movie? Re-telling? Re-make? Or Mess? I will go with the later - a mess. Most people are familiar with Lon Chaney, Jr.'s original 1941 version of The Wolf Man. It has been what all others have been based on. A version that brought to the American collective psyche the curse of being a werewolf. The werewolf lore has been in everything from Wolf to Underworld to the Twilight series and back again. The full moon makes all of us just want to howl...it's natural.
What is not natural is this boring movie that is supposed to retell the lore of the werewolf. Much like the 1941 original there are mysterious Gypsies, wild eyed townspeople with pitchforks and damsels in danger.
Benecio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins almost look embarrased as they trudge there way through this movie. The changing into the werewolf is no great special effects and then to have them look like the l941 version almost looks silly. It worked for that movie but not for a modern take on it.
Predictable and plodding I was sorry that this movie could have gone in many interesting directions but didn't. And a small scene in the beginning with Max Von Sydow tells us nothing but we longed for him back on the screen.
Rent the original and the many good werewolf movies that have come since. The fact that Lon Chaney, Jr. was a suffering soul his entire life will make the original more poignant by far.
YAWN. (No M's)

Invictus: Clint Eastwood does it again as he directs this powerhouse of movie. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are brilliant as two men who have different motivations on winning the world rugby cup for the new country of South Africa.
Some Americans do not remember what apartheid is and that is a shame or what a man like Nelson Mandela meant to an entire nation. Some in South Africa saw him as a terrorist and others a patriot (as those often go hand in hand, depending on the side you are on). If you need a refresher on those difficult times then I recommend it before watching this movie BUT it is not necessary for the enjoyment.
Mandela (Freeman) as the newly elected president of South Africa wishes to ease tensions and bring a truly divided country together. He is not out to win a popularity contest with his own party or the party before his. He wishes for a unified South Africa. He realizes that sport can do that. He focuses on the South African rugby team. This team was very popular among South Africa's whites but not blacks. The black South Africans saw the team as a symbol of the old regime. Mandela saw it as an opportunity to have all sides cheering for a common win - a world cup. He enlists the help of the team's captain, played by Damon, and puts him in motion to make it happen.
An inspiring movie that will have you cheering in the end and believing that maybe we can all make some kind of peace in the world.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

From Paris With Love: I enjoyed this movie in the same way I enjoyed The Long Kiss Goodnight. Clever script and lots of action with a great cast encourages you to just sit back and enjoy the ride. The previews made me in now way interested. John Travolta with a goatee and bald? No thanks! But I am so glad my husband got this. We watched it several times and even kept it an extra night.
A thriller with an incredible body count, you must watch and listen as you are taken for a ride, literally and figuratively, and you don't know who to trust or even what the truth is. Travolta is some kind of government agent that is to train a new guy, Jonathon Rhys Meyers, in how it works. Travolta's character lets the the new guy in a bit at a time, just enough to confuse him and draw us in.
Great fun and is worth the rent.
MMM 1/2 M (out of 5 Ms)

Horsemen: Dennis Quaid is what I like to call a "reliable" actor. He has done a few duds but the guy works at his craft and works hard. I have seen about 3 movies in the past 3 months he has been in. I am eagerly awaiting his Jeff Bridges moment at the Oscars. It won't be with this movie but he has been creating an abundant and varied body of work that this can fit into.
Quaid plays a dental forensic police specialist that is first called into a case because there were teeth found at what appears to be a murder scene with cryptic messages in blood written around. He begins to work on it but doesn't think anything of it until more bodies start turning up. Then it becomes an obsession.
Through his research he realizes that the murders are related to the story in the book of Revelations of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. There are many twists and turns and you will probably figure it out but it is a nice little thriller. Then end could have been tidied up better but it works.
I will warn you that it is pretty gruesome.
MM 1/2 Ms (out of 5 Ms)

The Princess & The Frog: This is a fun animated movie that takes a new twist on an old story. It is cute yet will keep the interest of any adult that has to sit down with their princess to watch it. The music is catchy and you be on the edge of your seat (with your kids) as you wonder if the good guys will prevail. This is Disney...so you know how that goes. Not the best animated movie of the year but worth watching and buying for your own princess to enjoy - over and over!
MMM 1/2Ms (out of 5 M's)

Quickie Reviews

2010-06-11T18:58:00.003-04:00

Just some quick reviews of some recent rentals:

Shutter Island: Don't waste your time or brain power trying to figure out this poor excuse for a thriller. You will figure it out in the first 5 minutes and spend the rest of the movie trying to get to the point. And wonder why you are continuing to watch it. Good actors wasted in the Martin Scorsese flop.

The Tooth Fairy: The Rock delivers in this fun for the whole family movie. Somewhat predictable but with enough fun surprises to keep you happy. I recommend buying this for the whole gang. Surprisingly clever and creative. You will all want to watch it again!

The Road: Great performances but a bummer, as a father and son fight for survival in a post apocalyptic not-so-distant future. Viggo Mortensen devours the screen with this award worthy performance. I thought it was too much of a bummer to recommend it for everyone. Check with me first to see if I think it is for you.

Edge of Darkness: Nothing wrong with Mel Gibson showing all his age and wrinkles in this vigilante thriller. No one and nothing is as it seems as Gibson's character searches for the killer of his daughter. Corporate greed and the evil face of government makes for a good conspiracy as well. The bad guys under estimate Gibson's character as some schlub city detective but it is canny intuition as a cop that gives him the edge. Nicely done.

Sex and The City 2

2010-06-06T17:47:00.002-04:00

The following review is by The Beauty Alchemist, famous for her fashion and make up advice and has a fantastic blog: www.thebeautyalchemist.blogspot.com.

Sex and The City 2 was eagerly awaited by the shows many fans all Spring. Last week it finally hit theaters. I've been a fan of the show from the beginning. For me it was all about it being located in NYC and the fashion. Yes, the friendships resonated too. I've been friends with my oldest/dearest friends since high school or earlier , so those bonds I know and love. We weren't too much like those girls( my fashion obsessed-ness aside) but they sure are /were fun to watch.

The racy parts, the silliness, often flew right by me as I was waiting to see what new piece of jewelry Carrie would wear each week. I was also an Aiden fan. Big often annoyed me. He didn't deserve Carrie then and always seemed a bit patronizing to her. Aiden was free, easy and less a larger than life, too stuck on himself boyfriend like Big. Big grew up in the last movie and was a far more enjoyble presence in this installment. He gets a little of his ways handed back to him and that may be a good thing. Aiden shows up in the new film and tempting as he is, by this point we know where Carrie should be. She, on the other hand, isn't quite as sure.

The sequel mostly is very much about those friendships. The deep ties that as Samantha says, are never broken . " We are soulmates ". The friends are the ones who listen, who get each other tipsy to make unburdening oneself easier , who take care of middle of the night emergencies and who sometimes have to tell each other to stand down.

The movie also though, is about marriage. What is a good marriage, what is right in a marriage and how do you keep the "sparkle" years later when the TV comes into the bedroom instead of the title's Sex. These looks at marriage , Carrie and Big especially, are not done for jokes or camp, but serious and thoughful . They make you laugh, because if you know a man, then you will get it and shake your head knowingly, but they aren't "funny". Carrie and Big have been married 2 years and like all couples have settled into their life , changed some and are also still trying to figure some things out.

The camp comes in the desert scenes. It's mostly funny but there did come a point when Samantha's lewd jokes hit a saturation point for me. Everyone in the audience , though, laughed every time.

Some reviewers have hit at this movie because in our economic times it is portraying such excess, when few have that these days. Yes, that's true. It's excess to the max and frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. It's escapism. I can't book a 5 star resort for a week or have my dearly wanted Lady Dior bag, but that doesn't make me enjoy the film any less. 10 years ago, did I have more disposable income, yes. Did I have the money for a Dior bag, still no. So some things change, some stay the same. I love seeing the fashion, the decadence on screen. Isn't that what movies are for ? Besides, Carrie ends up finding the cutest shoes in the souk in for a whole $ 20.00 . " $ 20.00 ? For shoes ?" from the woman who made Manolo Blahnik a household name.

The other reviewer complaint is the depiction of muslim women in one scene where a group of ayaba clad ladies lead Carrie & Co. into a back room and show them their full on designer wares under their robes. Many feel this is just a sad excuse for a scene and demeaning to the Muslims . Now I cannot quote anything and am far from an expert here but I do recall reading an article on Dubai when it first became the big deal of ultra riche locations and interviewed were many local women who while they could not wear designers clothes on the outside, carried the most expensive handbags , wore the chic-est shoes and were all for shopping the western designer stores. So without an actual women living there telling us her experiences, I am not sure any of us can make solid pronouncements here. Now, the scenes were Samantha flaunts herself in the souk, well I agree, that was too much. No matter your feelings towards a countries ways, you have to respect them when traveling there just as you would expect American ways to be honored here. This is one place the movie went awry.

You don't have to have seen the series or the previous movie to enjoy it, but it might help to have some background. They do a nice little montage of what's happened to the ladies years previous to get fans new and old up to speed.

Sex and The City 2 is a overall a romp and the ultimate chick flick. Do not even think about taking your guy to see this. Fun and a perfect weekend wind down with a best friend or 2 which is exactly how what I did. I left the theater smiling and fighting the urge to go shopping.

Good Gore!

2010-05-26T19:19:00.005-04:00

I don't go for modern horror - no Saw, Ring or I know what you did last summer - do it for me. I was never really into Jason or Freddy that much either. But horror done right is horror done right and Legion and Daybreakers are good spooky fun. And available to rent!

Daybreakers takes place in a not so distant future where a "virus" has turned most of the population on Earth into vampires. Things were fine as long as there was plenty of blood donors, so to speak, around. When a blood crisis occurs it turns this otherwise civilized world on end (oil anyone?). I do mean "civilized." Other than the fact that everyone is a vampire - things hum along like they do now. Daybreakers has a clever story, bloody effects and a reliable cast of actors including Ethan Hawke and Sam Neill (a personal fav!). This story could have been just some gorefest but it is clever and well thought out. The vampire story has been told and re-told but when a different take is taken - it's a treat.
I will tell you there is a good amount of blood, bloodletting, eviscerating, feeding and blood curteling screams. If you are used to that kind of stuff and don't wince then you are going to be fine. If you are squeamish, I can't recommend this unless you can keep that at bay. That is too bad because it is a great movie!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)
ps. Other vampire movies that are outside the usual vampire box - 30 Days of Night and Let The Right One In. Both movies have been reviewed on this blog. Also, available to rent.

Legion appeals to me because I am interested in all kinds of religious mythos movies. I will watch any kind of TV, movie or documentary about the holy grail, the stigmata, shrouds, etc. I have always found that stuff fascinating! So, watching a movie about angels bent on the destruction of human kind and one angel who won't let that happen is right up my alley.
Legion follows the angel Gabriel as he casts himself out of heaven and cuts off his wings, to protect a young pregnant waitress at a desert truck stop. Of course, the truck stop is in the middle of a deserted desert. The waitresses unborn child is apparently going to restore God's hope in mankind. There are other folks in the restaurant as well - the owner, his son (in love with the waitress), a couple traveling with their obnoxious teenage daughter, the cook and a young man who is just passing by. The fun in this kind of thing is always guessing who is going to be knocked off first in some horrific way! And this movie does not disappoint! Dennis Quaid, as the restaurant owner and Paul Bettany, as Gabriel, lead the cast through lots of zombies, gore and high body count. This movie could have been corny but really has enough to keep it from going there. It is often predictable but has a few surprises. And wait until you see how the angels use their wings as weapons. It's wicked. Once again - not for the faint of heart or stomach.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

SHREK Forever After

2010-05-23T18:26:00.002-04:00

I was not on board with the first two Shrek movies. I didn't think they were all that and in fact, I thought the first one paled in comparison to the real brilliant animated film of Monsters Inc., released the same year. In spite of my low opinion on the wildly popular green giant - I watched the second one and then with great delight watched the third one. Shrek the Third redeemed the series for me. I know some folks that didn't warm up to it but I think you would have to be a parent to understand Shrek's anxiety of being a new parent and the baby humor that ensued. I wondered - could they do it again? A resounding - "yes!"
Shrek Forever After is great fun! Michael Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas are back to lend their voices to the leading cast. Like the other Shrek movies there is humor in it for kids and definitly for adults to enjoy. And much like the third installment it deals with parenthood. In Forever After, everyday life is the same for Shrek: babies waking him up, feeding them, changing diapers and being interrupted every time he wants time to himself. Ah, parenthood! Shrek misses his old life as a scary Ogre and makes a deal that would change his life and everyone elses. Shrek finds himself the George Bailey of Far Far Away and at first, it is fun being scary again but then misses his family. No one knows him - not Donkey, Puss or Fiona. Shrek must figure out a way to make things right.
Alternate universe plots are always fun! Who doesn't like Spock with a beard? Red head Olivia? Well...anyway...with an alternate world a filmmaker can really have some fun with the familiar characters.
Shrek Forever After is a real treat. Go see it, laugh and feel good afterwards. I took my 4 1/2 year old daughter who wondered why I was laughing so hard at some of the scenes. Maybe when she is a Mommy she'll understand.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Iron Man 2 Reviewed by The Movie Sith

2010-05-11T18:13:00.002-04:00

Iron Man II (No Spoilers here)

As sequels go, IM2 really delivered for me. This can be directly attributed to the return of the director and most of the cast, one replacement and three notable additions.

Cast - It's difficult to ignore the talent level Marvel Studios has pooled into this franchise. The performances are top notch. Cheadle is more than adequate in Howard's shoes, adding to the "buddy" feel of the relationship. All the chemistries were in sync, Downey Jr. is good with everyone. Rourke, Rockwell and Johannson all pull their weight.

Plot - While I miss the impact of the "newness," these characters have a lot to say and they get the job done. Ultimately the protagonist's challenges balance out, reminding me in Stark's world of corporate plight is as real as the physical and internal struggles he faces. Make no mistake...this film is no Dark Knight. The comedic moments make up most of the finest exchanges and are delivered flawlessly. For the younger audience the pace may lag around the half-way point but there was no "filler," the script was very tight.

Have fun with Iron Man II. It's one more stone in the monument Marvel is building as they bring their Mightiest Heroes to life.

3 out of 4 stars

The movie mommy humbly thanks the Movie Sith for his review. The Lord of Comics and Master of Artistic Novelty is welcome to review on this blog anytime!

Sherlock Holmes

2010-05-02T08:18:00.003-04:00

In order for me to write this review I must give you some background on the character and you will see why I am trashing this crappy movie.
Sherlock Holmes is a well loved literary character dating back to short stories that began in 1887 and written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes appeared in 56 short stories and 4 full length books. In 1887 they were published in a magazine and the readers looked forward to the exploits of Holmes. The interesting thing about the Holmes' stories is that they were set in the period they were written. Sherlock Holmes was brilliant, a drug addict, recluse and scared his land lady on more than one occasion with his strange goings on in his flat. He also had one of the first recorded Bro-mances* with his faithful friend, Dr. John Watson. No sidekick was more loyal to his friend or put up with as much but Dr. Watson was no fool. Dr. Watson was himself a decorated war veteran and well known physician. During the course of the stories, Watson went from being a housemate to Holmes to having his own established practice and getting married. Watson is a key figure in all the Holmes' adventures because he narrates all the stories from his point of view. Watson's view of Holmes' strange and brilliant behavior is what brings a human angle to an otherwise unlikeable man like Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was above all an English gentleman. This something that may be lost on someone today but to carry oneself and to be recognized as a gentlemen in those times was key to success. Holmes had clients that were royalty and often well to do and that would not have been the case for the character of Holmes in the new Sherlock Holmes movie.
Sherlock Holmes: Robert Downey, Jr. was wise to follow up his Iron Man success with another big movie. His big comeback was important and it is always important to keep that momentum going. I guess is the movie. But I think this movie is a total dog. True, I am a literary Sherlock Holmes fan but I am willing to watch different portrayals and there have been some brilliant ones, such as, Frank Langella and Jeremy Brett. This version of Holmes is so far off the mark that it should have been called something else. True, this Holmes does have the powers of observation but with the attitude of a frat boy, not a gentleman. I would rather watch the Mentalist with Simon Baker on Thursday nights. Baker's character is easily a modern day Sherlock Holmes and truly pays homage to a gift of figuring people out just from observing them.
The plot of Sherlock Holmes is so muddled that I can't even describe it. Something about secret societies, black magic and even a toss in of Dr. Moriarty (Holmes nemesis) as a tease. A sequel is in the works - I don't know why. That was like having a sequel of Steve Martin's Pink Panther (which they did!) - totally a waste.
I don't want to you think my review is totally biased because I am a Holmes fan of the first order. I am okay with changing up. J. J. Abrams took a huge undertaking of keeping true to Star Trek lore yet adding his own slant to it and brilliantly. I was willing to give it a chance as I was with Superman Returns. Like Superman and Captain Kirk, some characters deserve respect. If you are not going to do that - change the name of the character. The former Mr. Madonna (Guy Ritchie) has not impressed me with this outing.
You don't have to be a big reader to get into Holmes. If you want to see the most true portrayal of Sherlock Holmes then get the BBC series of the same name with Jeremy Brett. There is also a filmed stage version with Frank Langella which is also very good.
Don't waste you time with this rubbish.
BOMB! (No M's)
*Bro-mance: Describes the complicated love and affection shared between two straight males. They are so close that they seem like a couple. (Urban Dictionary)

Avatar

2010-04-25T08:56:00.002-04:00

I am sure that almost everyone reading this review has already seen Avatar but if you haven't you might find this useful and if you have - I welcome your opinion.
Avatar: I didn't get to see Avatar in the movies. And after awhile it had this E.T. effect on me. I didn't see E.T. in the movies because of the insanity over it. It was kind of a turn off. I was sorry I didn't see E.T. in the movie theater and I am sorry I didn't see Avatar as well.
Avatar is not at all what I expected. Just in case you missed it - an avatar is a genetically grown body of the indigenous people of this far away planet. The trick is that this avatar is genetically linked to the human gene donor. Ala the Matrix, the humans are cerebrally linked to their respective avatars so they can go among the natives and try and negotiate with them. That would be to negotiate the natives off of their land so that greedy corporate types can mine some special ore that lies beneath. One of the humans decides that the natives are right to defend their lands and so the story goes. The story is sometimes familiar and a super huge message that Americans know so well. The natives of the planet, Pandora, seem familiar as they have a deep connection to all living things and refer to themselves as the "people." Indigenous people of the Americas know all to well this story. They too were the "people" and thier connection to mother earth was as a strong a bond as the people of Pandora. The U.S. will have to carry that burden of embarrassment forever and in my opinion, deservedly. Too bad there were no avatars when the Spanish, English and French arrived on North America.
James Cameron's story even has the humans on Pandora building schools to teach the People english. Sounds familiar? The advantage of the People in this case is that they are like 10 feet tall and can crush a human very easily. The evil humans do have weapons of stupid destruction and are not afraid to use them.
Avatar goes between the expected typical movie stuff to the deep suffering of it's lead character, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation). Worthington as well as Sigorney Weaver do well with the human element of Avatar (the only humans you root for) and make it well worth watching. It was hard to get used to the animated world of Avatar. I thought it would be distracting and sometimes it was. I still knew it was animation and not people I was watching. Not that I can't be drawn into animated story and characters it was just...weird. Hard to explain.
I did find myself cheering at the end, getting misty and fully enjoying this movie. I can see why it was nominated for movie of the year. But big spectacle, in my opinion, does not a winner make. (I didn't think Braveheart should have won for that reason. Good movie but a big movie was what made it a winner. )
You can watch Avatar with the entire family. Enjoy!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)
So far I have seen every Oscar nominated movie from last year except Precious. When I ask people if Precious was a good movie the reply is that it is a "hard" movie to watch. They can't really seem to put "good" in with that. When I do see it, eventually, I will post a review. But right now I am not into watching "hard" to watch movies.
And my winner for best movie is...next blog post will talk about that.

Rental Reviews!

2010-04-23T16:42:00.002-04:00

Today I am reviewing The Blind Side and The Lovely Bones. I am afraid that all my reviews will come about a month after the movie is released to video because I do Redbox. The commie movie execs and other large retailers don't like the fact that Redbox won't gouge the video viewing public, so are holding back new releases at least a month. Next week will be Sherlock Holmes!

The Blind Side: Best movie of the year? Nah. Feel good movie of the year? Sure. The fact that this movie was nominated at the Oscars makes me look for why it should have been. It was certainly better than District 9 and Hurt Locker. As you know may know, my opinion of a good movie involves the progression of some kind of plot and caring about the characters. I don't ask a lot from a movie.
The Blind Side does not disappoint in my criteria of enjoyable movie watching! Based on a true story of, current NFL player, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), this is his rise from living on the streets to finding family, football and success in what appears to be a heartless world. Sandra Bullock plays the rich socialite that takes the teenager into her home. This is Memphis, Tennessee and even though they don't show how hard it was for him to fit into a white upper class private school, it does not deter from the enjoyment of the movie. This is a feel good movie after all.
But because it doesn't show the prejudice he surely encountered as well as how hard it must have been on the other two children in the household that attend the school - I found it slightly lacking. This is not a meaty movie or even a message movie - just, dare I say it again, feel good movie.
Virtual unknown Quinton Aaron, plays the big young man with heart and an honest portrayal. He doesn't say much but when he does say it - you believe him. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for this performance. I admit it is her best performance to date. Little Sandra is all grown up and acting. But an Oscar? Not for this one performance. She will need a body of work (ala Jeff Bridges) to really get the respect she is working for in Hollywood.
I enjoyed this movie and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
MMM M1/2's (out of 5)
Other feel good movies I suggest: The Last Mimzy and The Astronaut Farmer.

The Lovely Bones: I always find it a shame to waste real talent on a movie especially the talents of Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Michael Imperioli and Susan Saradon. But this movie has done it!
Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) directed this plodding tale of a murdered girl that is stuck in the afterlife and slips in and out of the real life. Setting this movie in the 1970s was a good idea because it did drag out the murder investigation. There were no profilers, DNA testing or a missing children's database. I think that was clever and we know Mark Wahlberg wears (or doesn't!) the 70s well. That is where any creativity ends.
M. Night Shyamalan it ain't although it is trying hard to be through suspense. It also isn't What Dreams May Come, a brilliant movie about the afterlife (but have several boxes of tissues handy and be feeling emotionally strong).
I can't recommend this movie even with the cast.
M (for the cast) (out of 5 Ms)

TV Review: Fringe

2010-04-18T17:57:00.002-04:00

Fringe is one of those shows that creeps up on you. I am a Bones fan and have been seeing commercials for the following show, Fringe, for a couple years now. Never really gave it much thought. In 2008 when the show premiered, I would usually switch over to CSI after Bones and then watch Eleventh Hour. Fringe looked kind of X-Files-ish but with more action and with watching Eleventh Hour, I thought I would get enough of the "out there" factor. I thought Eleventh Hour would be more cerebral and that is what I was looking for. Eleventh Hour only last 18 episodes and I was disappointed to see it go. I had overheard some chatter at work about Fringe but never really got hooked on it. Until...
While watching the most recent cliffhanger of Bones, in February, I stuck around and watched Fringe. WOW! Why on Earth did I wait this long to watch this show? Just one episode of this show had me hooked. I had a slight idea of some of the working relationships of the characters by just bits and pieces of episodes I may have seen but it was enough to be completely sucked into the episode and the series. Hard to believe that one episode could do that but then again, the master, J. J. Abrams is one of those responsible for this show. Never a Lost fan but certainly a Star Trek fan, Abrams has won me over.
Fringe is like X-Files but they have a budget and are not hidden in the basement of the FBI building. Really, the only thing that makes them alike is the fact that there are strange things going on around here and someone has to get to the bottom of it. The twist is they are under the Department of Homeland Security which probably makes the freak-squad able to move more freely around and into freaky business of citizens.
The series centers around three characters an FBI agent - Olivia Dunham, a scientist - Dr. Walter Bishop and his son, Peter Bishop, who works as an FBI advisor. The dynamics between the three is interesting and really come to a head in the first episode that I watched. Since I haven't watched the show since the beginning I cannot comment on how they all came to work together but I'll catch up on that later.
The writing, editing and camera work is excellent. The actors are the kind you have seen before but can't put your finger on it. Anna Tory (Olivia Dunham) has probably the smallest resume with some small and large TV time but no big roles (much like Emily Deschanel of Bones). Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop) is probably more familiar as he has worked steadily and did teenage TV and movie roles including Dawson's Creek and Scream 2. John Noble (Dr. Walter Bishop) should be the most familiar to viewers although you may not recognize him because he has done many character roles, most notably the very creepy Denethor in The Lord of The Rings: Return of The King. All of them working actors that seem to have fallen into a good thing - good for us.
It is not too late to start watching Fringe. I see a long life ahead of it and I plan on sticking around until the end.
Fringe is on Thursday nights at 9pm EST on Fox (after Bones). See local listings for exact time and day in your area.

Hurt Locker: The Poem

2010-04-14T18:51:00.002-04:00

I have had many debates over the movie The Hurt Locker. A good movie but in my opinion not Oscar worthy. Below is the poem of the same name. And it is more profound, deep and penetrating than the movie could ever hope to be.

The Hurt Locker

Nothing but the hurt left here.
Nothing but bullets and pain
and the bled out slumping
and all the fucks and goddamns
and Jesus Christs of the wounded.
Nothing left here but the hurt.
Believe it when you see it.
Believe it when a 12-year-old
rolls a grenade into the room.
Or when a sniper punches a hole
deep into someone’s skull.
Believe it when four men
step from a taxicab in Mosulto shower the street in brass
and fire. Open the hurt locker
and see what there is of knives
and teeth. Open the hurt locker and learn
how rough men come hunting for souls.

- Brian Turner

Return of the movie mommy!

2010-04-14T06:02:00.002-04:00

Dear blog readers,
The movie mommy is BACK! Yes, after a loooong winter and hiatus, I have returned to do my duty as your movie, video, TV, music, sports, kid advice and general overblown know-it-all that you have come to know and love!
I had a tough fall, to say the least, and that is why I took a break. Deaths in the family, work, school and my son starting school put some stressors on my life that all came together in the fall. It took a while to get my head back together but after many video rentals (Red Box, baby!!!) and the dismal Oscars - I decided I was once again needed!
I rent a lot of movie and therefore most of my reviews will be from rentals. I will do my best to make them timely. The next movie I plan on seeing at the movies will be Iron Man 2 (yes!!!!) and that should kick off the summer movie season nicely.
Hang in there and watch for my posts!
Thanks for reading in the past and thanks for reading in the future!
hugs and kisses,
the movie mommy

Taking a Break

2009-09-26T13:03:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends and Fans of the movie mommy,
I will be taking a short break from my blogging. Life has, inevitably, caught up with me. School, kids, husband, work, drama, etc. has taken its toll and I am afraid that toll is on this blog.
I will return with reviews, on occasion, but not as often as I used to. I need to get some things under control here at home.
I can recommend 9 and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - all day long.
Please check this blog and when you see activity that is less than a month apart...you will know I am active again.
Keep checking in...I will post when I can. There are some movies coming out this fall I want to see.
Stay in touch!
Love,
the movie mommy
xoxoxo

Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-23T08:06:00.002-04:00

I will admit - I am not a fan. I am not a Quentin Tarantino fan. But the wacky previews for this movie and the excitement of my co-workers over this release inspired me to go see it.
I guess I never got Tarantino. I saw Pulp Fiction *yawn* and part of the Kill Bill series *whatever* and was not impressed. I guess I was waiting for something to happen. I think I have found it.
Inglourious Basterds is a movie that has several feels to it. Tarantino's inspirations for his film style is always obvious and in this movie even more so. The opening of this movie segues from Spaghetti Western to Unforgiven very seamlessly and sets up the movie as going from cheesy to quality in just a conversation. He also draws on old war movies and elements of the foreign cinema. The movie is in 3 languages and some segments have no English in them at all (be warned if you don't like subtitles) which leads to the foreign cinema feel.
The movie is broken into chapters where we meet the various characters and, in Tarantino style, we know that these characters will somehow intersect later in the movie. In the second chapter we actually meet the Inglourious Basterds lead by Brad Pitt, who is having much to good a time, as the leader of the Basterds - the previews for this movie give much of that away. But you should know that the Basterds are only one part of the movie. There are much more interesting characters like the Nazi Jew hunter played by Cannes Film Festival winner Christoph Waltz. Waltz is an absolute delight to watch as he maneuvers flawlessly through all 3 languages and in his even speaking tone invokes terror into whomever he is speaking to - he even makes his fellow Nazi's uncomfortable. Waltz's career has been 99% German cinema but I now have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of him.
Unlike Pulp Fiction which seemed to linger and plod along too long on a character's exploits, Basterds moves through each chapter with skill and agility. When each chapter is over you will be wondering when you will see another chapter about those characters.
Another stand out is Melanie Laurent as the French Jew who has been in hiding as a cinema owner in Paris since Waltz's character killed her family 3 years earlier. Her life intersects with the Nazi, the Basterds and even the Fuhrer as the movie comes to a climax.
I have to confess, this is big, I did not see the end of the movie! I know, I know, I should have not even written the review but I had to anyway.
I watched it up until the final chapter when all the elements were coming together and I got a call from my daughter's school that her ears hurt and she was crying.
I did read the ending and it was not what I expected. But that is Tarantino. I might have to change my mind about his movies...nah.
But I do recommend this one.
MMM1/2M (out of 5 M's)

Harry Potter

2009-07-20T19:10:00.002-04:00

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince is a fans only movie. If you have never seen any of the Harry Potter movies and suddenly decide to see what the fuss is about...this is not the movie to start with. Don't get me wrong - the movie is terrific! But you need to be following the story. AND it would help if you reviewed the last movie, The Order of the Phoenix, before seeing this one.
Once again the movie can stand on it's own for someone who has not read the book but just barely. You know the movie mommy rule about movies made from books - the movie has to be enjoyed without reading the book. Since I did read the books it is hard to separate myself from that BUT it has been a while since I read The Half Blood Prince and much of the narrative seemed new to me.
I would call this movie the Empire Strikes Back of the Harry Potter movies. If you saw Empire in the movies and felt that pang in your stomach of, "WHAT?!?!" when it ended, that is, with no real ending to speak of. What about Han frozen in carbonite? What about Darth Vader being Luke's father? WTF?! Well, we didn't have that last acronym back then but you get the point.
However, if you read the books, The Half Blood Prince is kind of anti-climactic. You know what happens next! Dumbledore? Harry and Ginny? Raging hormones? Ron and Hermione? Snape? Malfoy? WTF?! Well, you get the point!
This movie has all the darkness you expect plus some things you have been looking forward to seeing. Like we finally see the Weasley twin's joke shop and more cool places in Hogwarts. The set designers like to keep Hogwarts changing and that is fine with me. Plus, a great Quiddith match, wand duels, dark magic, a new teacher and excellent effects.
No, I am not going to go into the plot because you will have to go and enjoy!
As a fan of the books, you will want to read the final book again after watching this movie. As a fan of the movies - you are just going to have to wait until the next movie (which I heard will actually be two movies) to finish the final story for you.
You are just going to have to live with that Empire feeling in your stomach.
MMMM1/2Ms (out of 5 M's)

Transformers 2

2009-07-04T07:51:00.002-04:00

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: I don't ask a lot from a movie. I like to leave my brain at the door and be entertained. BUT I don't need the film maker to assume I did leave my brain at the door and make a movie that is well...brainless.
This movie suffers from the same problem the first Transformers movie did - The Transformers are more interesting and well thought out characters than the flesh and blood ones.
Shia LaBeouf had some obvious potential in The Greatest Game Ever Played but has since squandered any talent in material such as this and the last Indiana Jones installment. I know it isn't easy talking to a character that isn't there (special effects) but at least give it some effort. The rest of the cast are well known and reliable character actors but seem to wince their way through this lame material.
The Transformer thing never gets old, I have to admit. I totally dig those guys going from cars, planes and truck to being big bad ass robots. Maybe that is a problem as well. I would rather see a movie of just the Transformers doing their thing. It is certainly more entertaining than anything else in the movie.
In any case, Transformers 2 follows our hero, Sam, off to college where he has some post-pubescent antics and finds out he has acquired some kind of special knowledge and now the bad guy robots, Decepticons, are after it. I can't believe it would be hard to find what is in this guy's brain, anything extra would stand out. Yawn. The military now has a special unit that is dedicated to finding these Decepticons, since the last movie, and end up bumbling through a major city and tearing it up a bit. The unit is shut down and the good robots, Autobots, are mothballed. Of course, the Decepticons stir things up and our Autobots are called on again. Big battle scenes, etc. There are some references to some old time Autobots and shows pictures of them as model T's and bi-planes. I really thought they were going to resurrect some of those. Now, that would have been cool but not to be. Please hurry up and end this 2 and half hour movie!
Another problem I have with this movie, which I also had with the first one, are the amount of US military casualties. Maybe it is because we are at war and maybe it is because much of the military bloodletting is in the desert scenes of this movie but I find it disturbing. Sure the scene with a Decepticon crashing through the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt is a stunning effect but it is also hard to watch. The ship sinks with all hands lost. We see people and planes sinking to the bottom of the ocean. I heard that kids in my son's class at school (4 and 5 year olds) were talking about seeing this movie. I cannot imagine how they felt watching a ship, much like one of their parents could be on, being destroyed. I know, I know, in most sci fi movies, such as Independence Day, the military is being obliterated left and right but something about the way this movie goes about it is different. At least for me. It also shows the military being heroic but we know this already.
This movie is not for kids. I don't want to sound like a fuddy duddy but there is some cursing (by parental types), drug references (once again by a parent) and even a reference to "cherry popping" (by a parent!). They could have called this movie, "Parents Behaving Badly."
The movie suffers on many levels and that includes - Who is the intended audience?
Yes, I am being harsh. I know it's only comic book sci fi stuff BUT after movies such as Iron Man and most recently Terminator Salvation and Star Trek - we, the fans, want more. Maybe that is my problem, the last movie I saw was Star Trek and was superior quality for sci fi and well, any movie. My suggestion is see if Star Trek is still playing and go see that.
MM (out of 5 M's) because the Transformer effects are so cool.

The Graduate

2009-06-06T11:45:00.003-04:00

Last night about 30 children marched in their white caps and gowns to collect their diplomas and graduated...from preschool. Perhaps it is not the most monumental event in their lives. I would say it is more monumental for the parents.
My son graduated.
He did not stand still, sit still or do anything else still. He used his diploma like a sword with a girl next to him. When the music didn't come on for their little number they were doing, my son decided it was time for entertainment. He stood in the back doing his own thing, which whatever it was, had him ending up in a ball on the stage. The teacher kept coming over and picking him up off the floor. The guy sitting behind me commented to his wife, "Look at that kid up there! He's a riot! He doesn't care that there is no music. He is just doing it anyway." I turned around and asked which kid they were referring to and they pointed out my son. I said, sheepishly, that was my son. And they thought he was great. I was surprised. They didn't see a little boy out of control. They saw a kid...being a kid.
My husband was mortified that my son wasn't doing what he was supposed to and sulked about it afterwards. He was proud but didn't know what happened. The teachers all told him how wonderfully our son did. I pointed out that most of the kids were rammy and not behaving. My son was the one that a teacher had to hold the hand of all the time. He has some energy. He also has autism spectrum disorder.
I thought my son did wonderfully at graduation, not just for his challenges, but compared to his peers. Most people don't know there is anything wrong with him. And for the most part, I don't think so either.
He is beautiful and smart and I watched him graduate. I was so proud!
He starts kindergarten in the fall and the world of mainstream academics. Yikes! He will be put in the cookie cutter pipeline and start his journey through school. That anyone comes out unscathed would be amazing. I hope he maintains some of his uniqueness.
He is already ahead of his peers, I feel, in regards to many things. He can count to 100 and can ad complex amounts. He can build things from the picture directions (I can hardly do that) and knows how a calendar works. He can write all his letters upper case and lower. I think he is gifted.
He does his own dance, marches to a different drummer and sees the world in his own sweet way. He dances in 3/4 time, 5/4 time and probably a Samba now and then. He is a big boy and sees the world with all it's wonder - intact.
And so, my son graduated. And as I looked at him up on stage I wondered what he would look like in 13 years graduating from high school. Will he still use his diploma as a sword, dance to his own music, see the world with wonder and stretch his arms out to his side and say, "Look at me!"?
I sure hope so.

Terminator Salvation Review

2009-05-22T19:39:00.002-04:00

The Terminator series of movies has always seemed to find itself in a time travel conundrum. Is each movie moving forward or moving back? Because the first Terminator machine was sent back in time from the future by John Connor - whom we meet in subsequent movies but isn't even born yet in Terminator (1984) but sends his father back in time to save his own mother from the Terminator. Hmmmm...and so begs the question: Is Terminator Salvation a prequel or sequel? The way it ties all the movies together - it is both.
Terminator (1984) was a sci fi movie that bordered horror (like Alien). And the violence in the movie was extreme, for it's day. There were no super special effects, as computer graphics were in the infant stage. With the debut of Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) we see the incredible groundbreaking special effects that became what people wanted from all movies, as well as good old fashioned action and John Connor. Let's not forget mega-blockbuster movie. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines(2003) goes back to the budget of the first movie but gives us more of John Connor and how his future came to be. Yes, more John Connor. It seems from the first Terminator movie, when we first see John Connor standing in the post-apocalyptic landscape, we want more! We want a movie about John Connor and future he sent the Terminators from. And, of course, more Terminators.
Well, we got our movie!
In Terminator Salvation we see a lot of John Connor (Christian Bale). He is the voice of human resistance against the Terminators, machines and Skynet. He is just another soldier at this point but we know from the other movies, and he knows, he will be the future leaderof the human race. John Connor's character is in a strange position of knowing the past and future at the same time. He listens to tapes his mother made him and she explains the things about himself that she learned from his father, whom he sent from the future - in his own future. In any case, John Connor is leading a fight against the machines and the resistance is going to make a big move against Skynet but Connor sees something isn't right about what is happening. Little known Australian actor Sam Worthington makes a stunning debut in this movie. He plays, as we know from the previews, a Terminator that doesn't know he is a Terminator. This puts his character in an interesting position to help or hurt John Connor.
I won't give much more away except that the special effects and story will be a treat for any Terminator series fans out there. And it does bring the story arch full circle - as a prequel and sequel.
The only thing that surprised me about this movie was all the fire power the humans had. They even had jets and a submarine. I guess I expected the humans to be a little more low tech. But not at all detracting from the movie. Humans kicking Terminator butt is always fun.
I recommend this movie! It IS a big screener, so please go see it at the movies.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

STAR TREK

2009-05-08T22:59:00.002-04:00

Star Trek is, in a word, GREAT! Okay, end of review. Just kidding! About the end of review part.
I am sure there are some Star Trek purists out there who are just looking for something to poo poo on about this movie. I really couldn't find anything.
I have to admit, it took me a bit to get used to it all...new Kirk, Spock, etc. But you will find yourself more than pleasantly surprised with how the movie unfolds. I was looking for more of the morality play that the usual Star Trek episode would bring - Gene Roddenberry's trademark. But there was enough story and action to cover anything I was expecting the movie to be.
I really can't say much about the movie with out giving away the whole thing. The beginning seems strained and searching for where the movie is heading but that is like that for a reason and you just gotta hang in there to find out.
We meet Kirk and Spock as children and then as young men both searching for where they belong. The rest of the crew is introduced and we are happy when the entire "family" is together. The actors do a good job with some of the biggest and hardest shoes to fill. And you will find out why Zachary Quinto had the hardest job and had to look the most like his character of Spock. Everyone knows that Leonard Nimoy is in this movie but I was surprised by how much he was in the movie and how his pivotal role is. That is all I will say about that!
I look forward to perhaps a director's cut because I have a feeling there was quite a bit cut out. I find it hard to believe that Winona Ryder would appear only in age make up as Spock's mother. We will have to wait and see.
The action is terrific and effects are right on. And there is more than a nod to the original Star Trek series to give tribute and well, accept the torch that has been passed to them. Leonard Nimoy appearing in this movie is indeed an endorsement and a torch passing.
When the cast of Star Trek: Next Generation made their first movie there was a tie in with the original series. Kirk and Picard even met, have an exchange and even fight the bad guy together. Not the best Star Trek movie but it was the end of the original series being the headliners. Leonard Nimoy had a large part in a two part Next Generation episode and even James "Scotty" Doohan appeared in an different episode (DeForest "Bones" Kelley also appeared in the Next Generation pilot but that was forgettable).
I am a die hard Trekkie and I accept that fact that in order for the Star Trek franchise to survive into another generation it must be taken over by another generation.
I look forward to the next movie!
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Wolverine

2009-05-04T19:27:00.002-04:00

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: The title of this movie implies there will be other "Origins" movies but to tell you the truth, I am not really interested in any of the other mutants origins. We learn that most develop their mutant powers as adolescents. But in the first X-Men movie we meet Logan/Wolverine and he is intriguing because he does not know his own past and he is a man with mutant powers that has also been tampered with. We don't know by whom. There is some information given in the second X-Men movie but not enough to satisfy Logan or the audience.
Wolverine is supposed to answer those questions - who is Wolverine and how and why did he get experimented on?
The movie opens with us meeting young Logan and his older brother and after an unfortunate claw incident go on the run together. We see them going on the run together through time and through every major conflict up through Vietnam. This is when it is discovered that the brothers both have healing abilities and appear to be immortal. Oh, Logan's claws are not metal, they are long spiny bones - actually kind of gross looking. Logan's brother, Victor, has vampire like teeth and his already long fingernails grow into claws. After working in black ops for the government with other mutants, Logan has had enough and wants a "normal" life. Little does he know that the same nefarious government agency that used him for black ops also has other designs on mutants. Logan agrees to an experiment that will give him limitless killing powers. He wants to this to kill Victor because Victor has been doing some bad things (can't give it all away!). After Logan has his skeleton fused with metal he decides he doesn't want to be in the service of the government and just wants to hunt Victor. He finds some unpleasant things out along the way and has his eyes opened to what is happening to other mutants. I don't want to give it all away because I want you to see this movie. By the way, Victor is Sabertooth (for those of you in the know).
There are some unnecessary killing of some civilians and some unfortunate killing of some mutants we get to know and that are played by decent actors. That is what I would say are any faults to this movie.
I don't know anything about who all the mutants were in the movie and anything about the origins of X-Men characters from the comic books. I just know about the X-Men trilogy and what is introduced by those characters. Keep that in mind when I say that I really enjoyed this movie. And no, it wasn't just because Hugh Jackman has some naked butt scenes (it doesn't hurt).
What I was looking for in this movie was a worthy prequel to a perfectly established franchise. Remember the disappointment we all had with The Phantom Menace? I really didn't want to see that again with this movie. AND I didn't!
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Liev Schreiber as Sabertooth definitely make this movie. Talented or at least name actors were not always in sci-fi or fantasy movies but with the dawn of 1987's Batman, the Spiderman trilogy, Men in Black, X-Men trilogy, The Hulk and Iron Man, these ARE the kinds of movies that, what I call, real actors are going for. Jackman and Schrieber are excellent actors and they certainly chew up the scenery with their acting in what is seemingly an effects driven movie.
Great fun and worth the price of admission!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

The Wrestler

2009-04-26T12:54:00.002-04:00

The Wrestler is not what I expected or what other people had said about it. I think it is one of those movies that is really something different to everyone. I know that is vague but I think this movie will hit you differently depending on your experiences in life. One could say that about any movie but this movie has some elements that work on emotions that are raw - much like the wrestler himself.
Mickey Rourke does do an amazing and impressive job of playing an aging professional wrestler who still works the wrestling circuit. He used to be as big as Hulk Hogan but not works in the semi-pro, small arena or high gym shows. I would disagree with someone who would say his character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, was "washed up." I don't think the movie portrays that. He doesn't wrestle because he needs the money. A washed up wrestler would be a character like in the 1962 classic Requiem for a Heavyweight who has to become something ridiculous to make the money. The Ram doesn't see himself as ridiculous. The young wrestlers he meets respect him because he is an old pro they grew up with and can learn from. They all clap for him when he comes into the dressing room.
After going through a bypass operation, The Ram must hang it up or risk his own life in the ring. He wonders what he is going to do and at the suggestion of a stripper he frequents (Marisa Tomei in a total throw away and useless part), he decides to try and reconcile with his estranged daughter. He tries but screws it up. He also tries having a regular job and a possible relationship with the stripper but he can't.
He can only do one thing and that is wrestle. I don't find much about the movie depressing. Here is the The Ram and he loves to wrestle. If you have never heard the sound of applause for your performance then you won't get why he has to keep doing it. Applause is the most intoxicating and addictive drug there is. In the ring he is not some old dude that used to be famous - he still is famous and still The Ram that gets the cheers. The Ram looks for love in all the wrong places - except in the ring. There he finds the purist love of all and people who love him for who he really is - the wrestler.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

Double Features

2009-04-10T09:14:00.003-04:00

I have put together in this post some fun combinations of movies. You could watch one on Friday night and one on Saturday or have the traditional double feature. I find my combinations compliment each other nicely. I have some comedy with drama and even animation paired with live action and even some remakes. You have probably already seen some of the older films but consider a re-viewing with my match. Of course, these choices depend on the genre of movie you like. I will leave it up to you in which order you watch them. Happy viewing!

Cars (2006) and Talladega Nights (2006)

Galaxy Quest (1999) and Trekkies (1997)

Cutting Edge (1992) and Blades of Glory (2007)

Emma (1996) and Clueless (1995)

Twilight (2008) and Lost Boys (1987)

Any Given Sunday (1999) and The Replacements (2000)

The Princess Bride (1987) and Enchanted (2007)

Soapdish (1991) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Nim's Island (2008) and The Last Mimzy (2007)

Bridget Jones Diary (2001) and About A Boy (2002)

Sunshine (2007) and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (2007)

Ironman (2008) and Superman Returns (2006)

Spiderman (2002) and Batman (1989)

Open Range (2003) and Tombstone (1993)

Manhunter (1986) and Red Dragon (2002)

There are some genres I am not familiar with like horror/gore and the recent crop of comedy parody movies (like Scary Movie). If you have some suggestions to add to this list - let me know!

Vampire Rentals

2009-04-04T09:51:00.003-04:00

Let the Right One In: This Norwegian import is being heralded as the "best vampire movie ever!" and I have to agree it is one of the most creative uses of the vampire legend I have ever seen.
It falls into the "best" category because it is not your classic vampire tale. The fact the vampire in question is a little girl brings the creep factor way up.
The story focuses on a very blond boy named Oskar and a strange dark haired girl named Eli that moves into his apartment complex. The fact that the windows are boarded over and he only sees her at night makes it evident that she is the vampire of the movie. Oskar is an often bullied boy who dreams and even practices how he would enact his revenge but doesn't appear to act on it. When he befriends Eli it seems to boost his confidence. It doesn't matter that she is barefoot out in the snow or that she smells bad - a girl is interested in him. Eli stays in the apartment while her apparent caregiver goes on the hunt for her to bring back blood. This is wise because a vampire in town would cause unwanted attention. However her care giver's growing carelessness with is blood letting has already drawn suspicion. I cannot go into much detail other than that because it would give away too much of the movie.
Just a note on the title: Anyone that knows vampire lore knows what the title means - when you invite a vampire in, you are willingly inviting in the danger.
To your average American audience this movie would no doubt seem to be filmed in a cheesy manner and the dubbing is atrocious. I normally like to watch any foreign film in it's original version. I watched it in the English dub and the original Norwegian. If you can handle subtitles go with the Norwegian. This isn't stellar acting but any acting is removed by the English dubbing. I also suggest watching it twice. And it will bring it together for you even more.
The quiet and stark nature of the movie will make you feel uncomfortable and suitably spooked.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Twilight: Chick flick alert! Yes, this is one for the ladies. My husband did like it but admitted he can see why the guys I work with were not that impressed.
Twilight is based on a wildly popular (among tween and teen girls) series of books about a vampire high school hunk named Edward Cullen. I have not read the books so I don't know if any of the other characters are even in the books.
The movie is about a teenage girl, Bella, that moves in with her dad, the local sheriff, after her mom goes on the road with her new husband, a minor league baseball player. She moves from sunny Phoenix to middle of nowhere Forks, Washington. This only adds to some of her misery. She doesn't have it that bad - she is eagerly welcomed to her new high school and has the attention of all the popular boys. Her sights get set on a seriously dark and brooding young man named Edward Cullen. He is the foster child of a local doctor, who has several adopted kids that are coupled off with each other. The other kids in the school think that is weird and it definitely could have been a story line full of twisted perverted avenues which isn't part of this story but would have made it interesting. He looks longingly at her and she is just determined to find out why he is so weird around her. After several instances she figures out that he is indeed a vampire and so are the rest of the Cullens.
The movie had so many interesting ways to go. For example there is an Indian reservation nearby and there is a legend about the Indians, who are descended from wolves, and the strange clan (possibly the Cullens) that make a truce. The clan is not to hunt for anything on their land and they will keep their strange hunting practices a secret from the "pale faces." To see the Native Americans and Cullens interact would have also made and interesting story line as well. Instead a group of bad vampires are introduced (they look like members of the Black Eyed Peas) and from there the movie just becomes a save the human girlfriend story.
The movie is surprisingly well acted and does not rely on over stereotyping the teenagers, Native Americans or the other adults in the movie. Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella, brings a wonderful maturity to a role that could have been a throw away in a teenage movie. At 19 she has a good resume of movies and will soon be starring as rocker Joan Jett. I say keep an eye on this one!
I really liked this movie and watched it twice. The reason I call this a chick flick is because it is about romance and not sex. Lots of longing looks, almost kissing, etc. Sigh!
Oh, and the soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in a while.
MMM1/2M (out of 5 M's)

Other vampire favorites!

Lost Boys (1987): Hands down the best teenage vampire movie ever! If you have never seen it...you are way out of the loop. Totally 80's, funny and vamp camp!

Blade (1998): Hard to beat Wesley Snipes as the original "day walker," a vampire hybrid that hunts vampires just for fun. Lots of teeth and blood.

Underworld (2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2004): Fun and brainless gore that will keep you entertained. Vampires vs. Werewolves...how can that not be fun? Oh, I guess you wanted acting.

Shadow of the Vampire (2000): Turn creep meter way up! Mixed reviews but I liked it. Fun for film buffs who know the first vampire movie, Nosferatu.

Dracula (1979): Frank Langella was, in my opinion, the first actor to make a vampire sexy! It might look a tad dated to an audience today but still one of my favs. And any vampire movie that makes you pull the night time covers up over your neck for months, is a great vampire movie!

Dracula (1931): This is the one that started it all folks. The movie that put the cape, accent, Renfield and anything else we dream up at Halloween to mean a "vampire." Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula brings it all home. No other movie on this list should be seen without seeing this one first. AND Martin Landau's tribute (and Oscar winning) performance as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood will bring even more of an appreciation to the master of fright.

Nosferatu (1922): Grainy, black & white, silent but scary, this movie has the most frightening physical appearance of the old blood sucker. This movie is the inspiration for all vampire movies and lore. Watch it with all the lights out and clutch your popcorn.

Sweet dreams!

Am I Worth It?

2009-03-22T09:46:00.002-04:00

This blog entry was first posted in February 2008. We must never forget.

"Dear Lord, lest I continue my complacent way, help me to remember that somewhere, somehow out there a man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must ask and answer, 'Am I worth dying for?'" - A wartime prayer by Eleanor Roosevelt

When this Global War on Terrorism started the front page of every paper in America would have news of a soldier dying. Now, try and find it. Go ahead. Leaf through your paper and see if you can find their names. If it was someone that lived or graduated high school in your newspaper's readership area, then yes, you will find it on the front page. "Local Soldier Dies."
I live near a major Navy base that employs young men that do the most dangerous job in the Navy. The are Navy SEALS. Even among those of us that are also in the Navy - they stand out. They carry themselves differently, look differently and are respected differently. They are respected greatly. Because of this, the front page news is that someone that served on my base was killed. They are from this base which makes them from here. In the past month we lost three SEALS. Two of them were Chiefs. All under 30 years old. I might have known them. Seen them at the bowling alley with their family, the commissary (grocery store) or in line at the personnel department getting an ID card. It didn't hit really hard until last week.
Last Friday, a dreary drizzly day, I saw a sign that said "SEAL Memorial." I thought it was a memorial service at the Chapel. It was more than that - it was a funeral. I drove by the base Chapel on my way to work out at the gym and I saw something I will never forget. Even now I tear up at the thought.
There in front of the Chapel was a hearse and behind the hearse were eight Navy Chiefs lined up on either side of the gurney for the casket. They stood there in the steady rain, waiting. They were wearing their dress blues which looks like a black double breasted suit with a white shirt and black tie. They wore their white dress hats with black brims. In the rain. On the sleeves of their jackets were their rating badges (rank insignia patch) and they were gold. To wear gold means they have over 12 years of good conduct. On their sleeves were the gold hash marks indicating years of service. Most of them had over 4 hash marks (16 years of service). They stood in the rain doing what SEALS do. The job that no one else wants to do. The hard job.
Navy SEALS don't see the signs that say, "Bring Our Troops Home!" and think the signs refer to them. For the SEAL it's about the mission. Everyone in the Navy has a mission. But not like the SEALS. They train, eat, drink, live and die the mission. They are totally focused and doing a job. They volunteered to be SEALS and went through the hardest training the military has to offer. Most don't make through the training. Those that do - wanted it more.
Last week three Navy SEALS were remembered for their final mission. And there will be more.
We need to remember them and remain worthy.

Watchmen

2009-03-13T18:31:00.003-04:00

The question that keeps cropping up in the movie Watchmen is "Who watches the Watchmen?" To the average viewer it might be, "Who watches the Watchmen movie?" I can see why that question might come up.
Watchmen is based solely on the 12 issue comic book series (put in one volume as a graphic novel). This isn't like Spiderman, Superman, Hulk or Iron Man that you can enjoy without ever having read the comic - those heroes are part of a collective cultural consciousness. Watchmen is not like one of those hero series of which we know so much. Watchmen was a comic epic of a complicated, violent, sexual, apocalyptic nature - something that, up to the point it was published, was never seen in comics before. Watchmen is what started such a series being called a "graphic novel." Movies like Constantine, From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and V for Vendetta were also of this graphic novel vein. The last three mentioned were from the creator of the Watchmen.
Unlike Spidey, it seemed impossible to comic readers that such an ambitious project of Watchmen being brought to screen could even be done. It's not just the complicated, intertwined and, dare I say, convoluted story, it was also the effects. You see there is this bright blue atomic dude named Dr. Manhattan that elaborately moves around through time and space.
Back to the movie.
Watchmen takes place in 1985 in an alternate reality. Nixon is on his third term as President and we won the Vietnam war, just to name a few odd things that are out of place in this time line. We learn through the opening credits and flashbacks that there were two groups of costume heroes (not with super powers, per se, but vigilantes) that have existed. One group, known as the Minutemen, were around in the 1940s. The second group of costume vigilantes was in the 1970s and was known as the Watchmen. One character is in both groups, the Comedian. The death of the Comedian is what drives the story. We find out that the Minutemen, through personal circumstances and cultural changes, was disbanded on their own but the Watchmen was disbanded by the government. One Watchmen, Rorschach, has never given up his mask. He figures that someone is killing off costume vigilantes and decides to warn them all. Through this we find out what they are all doing after the masks came off. There is also this odd character of Dr. Manhattan, or John, that keeps cropping up. He is pivotal to the story. He once was human but through an experiment gone wrong he is transformed into something else. Something that defies time, space and reality. There is the threat of nuclear war looming in the news during this story as well. Nixon and the USSR are poised for war and the Watchmen are left wondering what they can still do to save the world.
This movie is completely based on the comic. The story board for this movie was the comic, as was the script. It would have been too much to film the entire graphic novel. But if you are a fan, there is enough of the story to keep you delighted.
I am not sure about those that have not.
As I said earlier, you can go see Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings without reading the books.
Normally, I can say that kind of thing with certainty about most movies based on books that I have seen (read the book or not). But in the case of Watchmen, I can't. It is movie mommy policy that any movie made from a book must stand on it's own.
My husband saw Watchmen and liked it. There was enough violence, sex, fight scenes, gore and special effects to keep him interested.
I feel I can only recommend this movie to people that have either read the comic/graphic novel, really dig any kind of superhero movie, pulp fiction story telling or off the norm stuff like V for Vendetta. Or just want to fly their movie freak flag.
By the way, the soundtrack kicks total butt!
MMM (3 Ms out of 5 Ms) based on the normal movie mommy criteria.
MMMM1/2M (4.5 Ms out of 5 Ms) for a movie based on a comic/graphic novel that I have read.

Entertainment with Oscar!

2009-02-23T21:19:00.003-04:00

Finally! An Oscar show that was actually entertaining! I am sure there were some of you out there that were stunned by Hugh Jackman bursting into song and dance and good song and very good dance at that.
Sure, we have had the comics. Some good, some bad and some just tired. BUT this year there was something different. I watched the pre-show stuff and they talked about making these Oscars a tribute to old time Hollywood and with the musical numbers it was right on.
Hugh Jackman has been hosting the Tony awards for several years now and I am glad that Hollywood has picked up on the fact that the audience doesn't need to see year after year of mindless comedy. Entertainment is back!
Hugh Jackman tore up the stage with high energy dance numbers and his singing, though it was good, was not the highlight of his routines. He is a hoofer at heart!
I also liked the way the Oscar ceremony presented the acting awards. Instead of having one presenter, they had 5 winners from the past in that category each introduce the nominee and congratulate the winner. I thought that was classy.
I hadn't seen any of the movies nominated but I was glad Slumdog Millionaire won. It looks like a wonderful inspiring movie and after last year's highly violent winner, it was nice to see a movie that makes people smile - win.
I look forward to seeing Hugh Jackman back next year. Truth be told, I am looking forward to seeing Hugh Jackman anytime!

My Son has Autism

2009-02-16T19:25:00.003-04:00

My son was diagnosed last month with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (or ASD) and ADHD. Basically, Autistic. It took a lot for me to write these words on this blog. An obviously private family matter that I have basically outed for the cyberworld to see. I would rather just tell everyone than not...then it is found out and it looks like I am hiding something...ashamed...embarrased. But, you see, that is not the case.
My son is smart, beautiful, funny, clever and one of the two greatest loves of my life. To me he is perfect in every way.
He has done everything at his own pace - crawled, walked, talked, etc. And he never wanted much help. Now, he doesn't have much of a choice. We're helping him.
I should have been more alert to things but I wasn't. I can't go back. Only go forward.
We are starting to get him help and when he starts kindergarten in the fall we hope is where he should be. Intellectually he is ahead of the game...we just have some other stuff to work on.
If you don't know what it is, really, join the club. I have learned a lot and learned I am definitely not alone.
I could use all the support I can get at this point.
My son has Autism and he is perfect.

TV Sucks

2009-02-07T08:46:00.002-04:00

And so another mid-season TV restructuring (before February sweeps) brings the axe to another show. Most shows that are axed are crap. But not one, not Pushing Daisies.
Pushing Daisies was, shall we say, and acquired taste. It wasn't conventional in any way. The bright colors, quirky characters, the script, the quips and brilliant acting made me want to stick with this show from the beginning.
For those that came in last: Ned learned at an early age that if he touched something dead it would come back to life. Unfortunately, this meant something or someone else had to die in it's place. He discovered he had a two minute window of bringing someone back before someone else had to die. Then he could touch the same person again and they would die. Following, so far? Ned's childhood sweetheart, Chuck, is murdered on a cruise ship. Ned finds out, goes to the funeral and brings her back to life. The catch is that he can't touch her again, ever, or she will die again. Meanwhile, a private eye is using Ned's talent to find out from murder victims who killed them and then collecting the rewards from the grieving families. There are spinster aunts of Chuck, a crazy waitress in love with Ned and all this activity is centered around Ned's restaurant, "The Pie Hole." What's not to love? I would giggle every time I saw the marque of the restaurant.
The story lines were crazy and right out of the mind of someone like Tim Burton.
This magical show had some of the best actors in the biz and for my money were the only ones that could pull off such a wild concept show.
I am sure some stellar piece of television artistry is what did the show in like some mindless reality show. I feel the main suspect was the writers' strike and afterwards, lack of support from the network. When Pushing Daisies premiered in the fall of 2007, it was preceded by a huge advertising campaign including full length trailers in the movie theaters. When it returned in the fall of 2008 it arrived without a peep. I think the network did a disservice by not having a "re-launch" (as The Beauty Alchemist would say). Another big media blitz would have helped.
I now mourn my show. There was absolutely nothing like it on TV. The only thing that comes close would be Ugly Betty and I am sure that show is not long for TV either.
Bring on the reality shows by all means! We need more celebrity cat fight! Are you smarter than a Senator! Survivor Toledo! Real World: Richmond! Amazing Strolls!
I am sorry that Pushing Daisies was smarter than 99% of the viewing audience. Well, not really sorry because it was a bright light in TV blight - for a moment.
Mediocrity reigns on TV...as it always has.

Gran Torino is a Smart, Funny Ride

2009-01-29T20:53:00.002-04:00

The following review is by the Super Mommy,

a regular contributor to the movie mommy blog!

Clint Eastwood still has it. If you have any doubt that the man who originated the concept of the action hero with his “Dirty Harry” movies can still cut the mustard, go see “Gran Torino.” Eastwood is writing the book on what it means to be an elder statesman of action films – by gracefully aging his way into roles that showcase his heroic skills without being ridiculous, that are intelligent but not preachy, thought-provoking but still a thrill-ride of excitement and humor.
In “Gran Torino,” a VERY old-looking Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, an unrepentant bigot who is incensed at the degeneration he sees taking place around him as poverty, immigrants and drug-dealers move into his once-bucolic, middle-class suburban Michigan neighborhood. A former Ford factory worker and Korean War vet, Walt lives alone after the death of his wife, with a dog, lots of beer and his classic Gran Torino as his only comforts. His family – two sons, two trophy wives and three spoiled grandchildren – are distant, disinterested and just waiting for the old man to kick the bucket so they can get their hands on what few possessions he has left.
Haunted by memories of the war, isolated from anyone who really cares about him, Walt is understandably abrasive and verbally abusive to almost anyone who tries to reach out to him, including the young Catholic priest who ministered to Walt’s wife in her final days. But at heart, Kowalski is a man who believes in right and wrong, and he reluctantly finds himself drawn into the lives of his Hmong neighbors when he sees them trying to valiantly face down evil within their community.
With Eastwood as director and star, I expected great drama, some excitement and enough action to keep me in my seat. I was surprised by the amount of humor laced throughout “Gran Torino.” Yes, it’s a great thrill ride and some intense drama, but it’s also funny as hell. Most of the humor is racially motivated, but it works because it reveals the absurdity of racism without making Walt look like a fool. I actually laughed more during this movie than when I watched “Pineapple Express.”
While the supporting cast does a credible job, Eastwood is really the star of the show and it’s his performance that makes it work. He proves he can still be a hard-ass with heart, an anti-hero who is noble and heroic to the core, in spite of himself. You may think you know were “Gran Torino” is going, but the twist at the end (although somewhat predictable) will still feel gratifying and right.
After all these years, Eastwood is still awesome. Gran Torino is a ride well worth taking!
MMMMM (and I wish I could give it more!) out of 5 M's

The movie mommy thanks the Super Mommy for,

once again, writing a super review!

Defiance

2009-01-20T14:53:00.002-04:00

Defiance: I went to see Defiance on opening day at the first show of the day. This was not on purpose it just worked out that we had a free afternoon at our disposal. The interesting thing about seeing the movie at this time was the audience. There were a few couples and a small group but there was also a very elderly man with a cane (by himself), some other very elderly couples and young men and women who were obviously Jewish (I recognized this by their apparel). Not a big crowd at the movies but one I took note of considering the subject of the movie.
Defiance follows a group of Jewish resistance fighters, lead by two brothers Tuvia (Daniel Craig) and Zus (Liev Schreiber), and the community they built in the forests of Russia during WW II. The Nazis invaded Russia with a vengeance and held nothing back when it came to it's attack on the common people. The Jewish fighters were made by neccesity as these were not men of violence and made up of mostly Jewish farmers but the majority of the community was made up of educators, intellectuals, students, aristocrats and tradesmen. As Zus put it - they are protecting people that would not let them touch their daughters with their "dirty hands." But a time of war against an entire people - the Jewish people seemed to negate any propriety and instead the need for survival was paramount.
The movie is remarkable in the sense that you get to see Jews fighting. Normally, Jews are portrayed as passive, as they line up to be slaughtered. Apparently, this was not the case and there was a need for this story to be told. The movie is based on a true story that was not known by all the descendants of those that hid in the woods (for over three years). But they didn't just hide they literally built a new community and kept their traditions.
Being a Theological Studies major, I have studied the Old Testament and I feel that gave me some insight into the struggle and decisions these people had to make. They were bound by their religious beliefs and the need to survive. And, as it is pointed out in the movie, to maintain their humanity and not become like their enemy.
I am not telling you much about the movie because you need to go see it. The cast is excellent and is the best performances of Craig and Schreiber to date.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Valkyrie

2009-01-03T09:19:00.002-04:00

Valkyrie: Often times I have a seen a movie with an all star cast that falls flat (Silverado to name just one) and that is a true waste of talent and resources. You will be happy to know that Valkyrie is not one of them! Tom Cruise leads a true all star (I should say all acting cast) including Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branaugh, Terrance Stamp and Eddie Izzard through this fascinating true story.
Valkyrie is the name given to a set of orders that would go into effect if the Chancellor (Hitler) were killed. The order mobilizes the reserve army and the SS to secure Berlin and end any impending civil unrest. After several failed attempts to assassinate Hitler, the anti-Hitler movement enlists Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg. Stauffenburg is introduced as an outspoken officer in a war that he knows Germany will lose. He comes up with the idea of re-writing Valkyrie to exclude the SS. This frees up Stauffenburg and his cohorts to blame the SS for Hitler's death and therefore gain control of the reserve army and the central government.
Even though it is a true story and we know that Stauffenburg and his crew were not successful (Hitler killed himself 9 months after the Valkyrie story takes place), you will still be glued to the screen waiting to see how they plan on pulling it off and how close they came to succeeding.
It is hard to root for somewhere wearing a Nazi uniform but I suppose that one of the points is that not all Germans were Nazi's. That much is certain. The group that Stauffenburg is enlisted into is not only high ranking military officers but elder statesmen that just couldn't stomach what Hitler was doing and violence was the only option they were left with. Eliminate Hitler and make peace with the allies.
One actor that has a small part but seems to really stand out in a movie is the German actor Thomas Kretschmann(he is the field commander of the reserve army) who has appeared in Next, King Kong, The Pianist, U-571 and Blade II. His resume is made, for the most part, of German and foreign films. His is not well known to American audiences and that is a shame. He brings a screen presence to the screen similar to that of Paul Henried (Casablanca) - suave and intense.
Even if you are not a Tom Cruise fan (I have trouble finding any these days), you cannot deny he often makes great movie choices and churns out some quality work. Like him or not, he can carry this kind of movie easily. Don't let him keep you from seeing this movie.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Face to Face

2008-12-27T13:33:00.002-04:00

I have arrived in the 21st century...again. I am on facebook!
I had heard of facebook but thought it was just another meeting place like myspace. I find myspace hard to maneuver through and I still haven't figured out how to ad my profile picture. Facebook is easy to use and I have found many people I know on it - friends, relatives, classmates, etc. Now I am encouraging all my friends to join up!
Even my husband is on facebook! I know, several of you just fainted. My husband doesn't even know how to use a computer, mouse, email, any of it. I have to say that I will maintain that one...like I do his email. That's cool. He has found possible relatives in France and that has peaked his interest.
So, to those of you that are not on facebook yet - what are you waiting for?
Many thanks to Don Miguel for telling me to get on it!

To be Grateful at Christmas

2008-12-24T19:30:00.003-04:00

Today was a good Christmas Eve day. I got to spend the day with my husband, we went to lunch (turned out to be free as a customer appreciation day) and some fun last minute purchases. Unfortunately, this day brought a sad purchase. Sympathy cards. Four.
It does seem surreal to be filling out Sympathy cards on Christmas Eve. A night the star appeared in the east and led wisemen and shepherds to meet the Savior. But that is what I have been doing.
In between my filling out the cards is the joyful sound of my children waiting for Santa, helping their father put up lights (yes, still putting them up) and the singing of carols.
And I fill out another card.
The news of these deaths of family and friends of family seemed to be just to much. It was to much with just one this time of year. But not as bad a blow as to the family that had to deliver such news.
Today, in a Christmas card, came the news of the death of the son of friends in NJ. He was 18 and killed in a car accident on November 29th. I sobbed when I read the card and found the memorial card inside. I didn't know him. He was the son of my husband's friends from high school but he still kept in touch. They came to our wedding. But it just hit me in the heart. Maybe because I am a mother.
A couple weeks ago, while unpacking boxes of decorations, their card from last year fell out of a box (I save cards with the decorations for years). It was a funny card and inside was a lovely picture of their son and daughter. Every year we get a card with a picture and have watched them grow.
I am not writing this to make you sad. But to pass on what was said in their card this year after saying how beautiful our children are:
"Please give them each and extra hug & 'I love you' at night."
I will.
I am grateful.

Joy To The World!

2008-12-20T14:09:00.003-04:00

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever." 2 Samuel 7:16

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:8-14

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 21:29

"Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 3:18

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:1-2

"Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;" John F. Wade

Many blessings and a joyful holiday
from the movie mommy's home to your home!

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-12-13T11:24:00.002-04:00

The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of those movies that coulda been but turned out not to be. I guess I thought that this re-make with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly would be the intelligent science fiction that the 1951 original had been. I just figure that if you are going to use the exact same title, character names and even robot of the original that there might be some inkling of the original left.
Maybe I am not being fair.
The story of both films is about an alien named Klaatu that comes to Earth, with a wicked cool robot, to find out if our violent species is worth saving. Klaatu is shot upon exiting the space craft, the robot defends him, Klaatu stops the robot from destroying all the soldiers, Klaatu escapes the hospital and meets a human woman and her son and learns about humanity. Well, this is where the similarity ends.
In this new version, Klaatu is interested in saving the Earth not humans per se. The Earth is a valuable commodity because it can sustain life and if we aren't going to take care of it - then we don't deserve it. Reeves is very good in this deadpan roll with very few words (personally, I think these are the best roles for him) and gets his message across with some good special effects. Connelly plays a scientist that is brought in, with a dozen other scientists, to figure out what is heading toward Earth, where it came from and then what does the alien want. I really would have liked to seen more science in the science fiction. She isn't sure about Klaatu but helps him escape and then drives him around as he decides the fate of Earth. He decides humans should be destroyed and through some contrived scene staging decides they are.
This movie offers nothing new with special effects, story or acting.
There was a great scene with Reeves and John Cleese that should have been expanded and maybe is on the cutting room floor. Once again cut the intelligent and keep the corny.
Oh, did I mention it was corny? Flat, typical characters that single mindedly see Klaatu as a threat which leads to "FIRE all missiles!"
It is hard to compare it to the original that was sending a message of impending self destruction of the human race. 1951 was a time of atom bombs, bomb shelters and fear of commies. The message was as clear then as it is now - humanity needs to unite before we destroy each other. Klaatu's message was also clear that he could do the job for us.
There are different types of science fiction in my book. There is what I call the "cerebral" type of Gattaca and Sunshine. The "popcorn" type of Independence Day and Armageddon. Then there is the "blended" type of iRobot, Artificial Intelligence and The Island. The blended science fiction can be the most satisfying for your thinking and action parts of the brain. There is a good story, message and some good action (maybe more than some action).
There are plans to remake the blended classics of Fahrenheit 451 and Logan's Run (I thought The Island had that covered). I really hope they get it right or change the titles.
The Day the Earth Stood Still could have been a great blend. The message was there and could have been presented in many different ways. The acting could have been there - I blame the casting and directing. The special effects were nothing new. Groundbreaking is what this movie needed.
Those that know the movie mommy, know that I am not out to see award winning cinema every time I watch a movie but I expect some satisfaction.
I am afraid I cannot recommend this movie to plunk down up to $10 on. Maybe a matinee or the $1 theater would do.
MM (out of 5 M's)

Favorite Christmas Movies!

2008-11-28T07:45:00.002-04:00

The annual movie mommy Christmas movie posting is here! It would probably help if I looked at last year's posting...nah. If I don't remember, neither do you!

Love Actually (2003): If you haven't seen Love Actually yet, I don't know what you are waiting for! This movie not only has an all star cast BUT an all talent cast including Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy and well...many more. This who's who of British cinema doesn't really have to rely on the full talents of the actors as each superbly written vignette about love, loss, love and family tell their own story. It is a true gift to yourself to just sit and enjoy this movie.

The Holiday (2006): The unlikely combination of Jack Black, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz make for a delightful movie about two women on a search for a change in their lives during the holidays and do! Winslet and Diaz play two women at opposite ends of the world (but not in their love lives) who decide to swap houses for the holidays. With a stellar supporting cast this charming movie will be a more than pleasant surprise.

Elf (2003): Whether you like Will Ferrell or not - this movie is so much fun and such a delight that you will forget he is in it! I think it is important to point out the director - Jon Favreau, who is also an actor that has appeared in funny supporting parts as in Swingers, The Replacements and Somethings Gotta Give seems to give him a good pace for adding comic timing to his directing. He also directed Iron Man and Zathura and his humor and pace is seen there as well. I don't know if Will Ferrell is the kind of actor that needs a heavy handed director to keep his shtick in line but it works for this movie. Buddy the Elf (Ferrell) was raised by Elves in the North Pole but figures out that he doesn't fit in. After finding out he had human parents and his father is still alive - he heads to the Big Apple. A fish out of water story can always be fun and is taken full advantage of in this movie. A great cast to support Ferrell doesn't hurt either. Take a chance on this movie and I promise, by the end, you will have found your own Christmas spirit!

Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Only the original captures the simple innocence of the belief or non-belief in Santa Claus. I am sure everyone reading this has seen this movie - if you haven't seen it in a while, time to see it again. This movie never loses it's magic - black and white or "colorized" it is still a treat. Is the Macy's Santa really Santa? Young Natalie Wood would like to know! At the time 20th Century Fox used it's "stable of stars" to make this movie with Maureen O'Hara and John Payne who were known for more serious movies. But in a post-war America, it was time for some belief...in something. If your children have never seen this version now is the time!

Scrooged (1988): I wasn't a fan of this movie when I was younger but over the past couple years I have come to appreciate it's unbelievably cynical "Scrooge" as only Bill Murray can play him. Bill Murray plays a TV executive who is producing a live TV version of A Christmas Carol. It is ironic that someone with zero Christmas spirit is producing this show. Of course, he is visiting by the three spirits and learns what Scrooge learned. If you are like me - give it re-watch and you will catch some things you didn't before.

Merry Christmas from the movie mommy!

DVD Review

2008-11-26T07:53:00.002-04:00

Nim's Island: Normally, when you hear "a movie the entire family will enjoy" you think - kids' movie or even chick movie. Nim's Island really is a movie that everyone will enjoy - if they don't...you should consider why you are friends with them!
The tag line for this movie is "Be the hero of your own story" and that is very true!
The title character is played by Abigail Breslin (brilliant in Little Miss Sunshine) as a child raised on a tropical island with her marine biologist father (played by the ultra-hunky Gerard Butler) . They love the fact they live away from the world and can enjoy their island. A series of events leaves Nim alone on the island with invaders on their way and her only way to communicate is through the internet. She receives an email (on her shared email account with her father) addressed to her father from the famous adventure author Alex Rover. Nim is a huge fan and is happy to answer questions from the author about research for the next book.
Adventure ensues for Nim, Dad and Alex Rover. And without revealing to much it has enough adventure, romance and kid appeal that, really, the entire family or an adult looking for a good movie can enjoy.
You will be surprised and delighted by the cast and how the story comes together and ends.
I put this one up there with The Last Mimzy as surprisingly wonderful and and leaving the viewer feeling warm inside - that lasts for days.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

James Bond - The Movie Review

2008-11-16T13:09:00.003-04:00

Quantum of Solace: This is hands down one of the best James Bond movies EVER! I mean really! I consider myself the big screen expert on James Bond (see my post below this one) and my expert opinion says - Go see this movie!
Daniel Craig bring James Bond to a new level. Forget Jason Bourne or the Transporter movies - Bond can take them all on. Craig isn't just another pretty face or bod. He is an actor who brings a level of depth and down right humanity to the part with a dash of cynical humor. He is also evenly matched to Dame Judi Dench as M. Don't look for Q or his gadgets in this movie. There isn't even Miss Money Penny. And no Aston Martin. There are plenty of the usual 007 stunts to keep every action fan happy, don't worry. And as usual, the opening sequence has a wild one.
Bond is up to his usual super spy antics but M is worried that he will go out for revenge because of the death of his main squeeze from the last movie. Don't worry if you didn't see it. I saw it and I had trouble keeping track of who the players were...but that didn't matter. There is also a young woman that is on the trail of revenge as well. She is a cool customer whom Bond runs into along the way and inadvertently leads him to who he was looking for. They make a good team.
Bond's revenge is not for who you or M thinks it is. And that makes for an interesting character study on the relationships of the main characters.
There is no doubt that this 007 is for a new generation. Don't get me wrong, Pierce Brosnan was definitely part of my generation's wish list for Bond. But I don't get hung up on that (after all there have been 10 Doctor Who's). The character has to evolve and grow with the times. In the old days the bad guys were Commies of all kinds. Now, the enemy isn't so easy to recognize and loyalty seems easier to buy.
Go see this movie, even if you have never seen a James Bond movie. You will be left wanting more.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

The Streak

2008-11-09T20:33:00.002-04:00

I have a secret. It involves a spy. A debonair, slick, well dressed spy, who is often shaken, not stirred. Yes, I have had a relationship with James Bond since 1973. I was young then but old enough to know that I had to have more.
In 1973 my father took me to see Live and Let Die at the Margate Twin. I was 6 years old and I had never seen anything like it. I recall commenting that I had never been so frightened in my entire life. I think it had to do with voodoo, witch doctors and wild special effects - on the big screen. Maybe it was a little much for a small child - but it didn't end there.
Since then, I have seen every James Bond movie AT the movies. Yes, it's only the big screen for me and James. My Dad usually took me and when I moved out on my own I would go many times by myself. Nothing would keep us apart.
Yes, Roger Moore was my first. And they say that you never forget your first Bond - he is usually the favorite carried through life. Sorry Sean Connery fans. But he never did it for me. I even liked the short lived Bond of Timothy Dalton. I think he should have had more chances. But then again - Pierce Brosnan - schwing! Remington Steele fans waited, for what seemed like forever, for him to be Bond. The part seemed a sure fit. Alas, some relationships are not made to last forever.
Now, I have a new Bond in my life - Daniel Craig - SCHWING! Okay, okay, there are hormones involved (You know how to make a hormone right?). Yes, hunkiness has come to the character. I welcome the change. Don't get me wrong - I dig debonair and someone who looks good in a tux but there is nothing wrong with looking good in a tight swimsuit!
My love for Bond movies transcends good looks and schwingability. There is no other series like it. And I feel no other streak like it. Sure, maybe you saw all the Friday the 13th movies at the movies (begs the question of - why?) but to each his/her own. But I have NEVER met anyone with my streak.
It's a small thing. But I think about all that has happened to me in the past 35 years and well...I don't see anything else that consistent in it.
And yes, I will walk across a room, stop and turn - pretending to shoot. Like the beginning of a 007 movie.

VOTE!

2008-11-02T15:01:00.002-04:00

It's your right.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
— Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1870)

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
— Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any
primary or other election . . . shall not be denied or abridged . . . by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
— Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964)

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of age.
— Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971)

Rays of Hope

2008-10-25T11:52:00.002-04:00

There is nothing better than when your favorite sports team is in a championship! In the Tampa Bay area we had some droughts. Then we won the the Superbowl in 2002 and the Arena Football championship. Then we won the Stanley Cup in 2004. These teams were thought to be out of any running for any kind of championship and often looked like the were playing for the other team. We've put that to an end.
Now it is time for the Tampa Bay Rays (formerly the Devil Rays) to get some!
Baseball in the Tampa Bay area, up until 1998, was reserved for Spring training of other MLB teams. The St. Louis Cardinals were in St. Petersburg for years. The Yankees train in Tampa. The Phillies in Clearwater and so on. We knew baseball. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and others of fame stayed in the area. Baseball star watching was a popular sport in town.
In 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays debuted to a sold out and enthusiastic home crowd!
(Just in case you don't know - the term "Tampa Bay" refers to the entire geographic area of 4 major cities and many small towns in and around the area.)
The Devil Rays started out in the basement and have been scratching and scraping their way up from the bottom ever since. Attendance dwindled. Heads hung low.
And now after 10 years in the league - they are in the World Series. Not only IN the World Series but BEAT the Yankees and the Red Sox to get there!
In the past there would be Yankees fans at Devil Rays games...they outnumbered the home team fans. There would be more cheering when a Yankee did something great then the Devil Rays (who never did anything great). Not for lack of trying. We had Jose Canseco a known DH but he was a dud. They got Joe Piniella to get the team rolling but no go.
This season the stands have been full. Baseball is back!
Apparently the Devil Rays just needed some faith. This season the Devil in the name was dropped and a new logo was developed. There might be something to that because when the Buccaneers changed their colors and logo they started having winning seasons. Coincidence?
Sport, if nothing else, is about superstition with luck and dash of fate.
The Rays are one of the youngest teams in the league (in regard to the age of the players) that seems to just enjoy playing the game. No, they aren't used to winning and maybe that makes the taste of it all the more sweeter.
I don't know what will happen when this series is over. If the Rays win there will be fireworks and horns blowing till 5am the next day. If they lose the fans will still meet them at the airport. That's the kind of sports town "Tampa Bay" is.
We know how to lose and keep playing.
And we know the taste of victory and how to relish it.
And sometimes it is...how you play the game.

Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2008-10-05T09:50:00.004-04:00

A new season is here! Finally! After the writer's strike and a long summer (bright spot being The Closer) it is time to kick back and enjoy this season's fare.
I am glad that my old favorites have returned - Criminal Minds, Pushing Daisies, Ugly Betty, Ghost Whisperer (guilty pleasure!) and NCIS (I still hope for improvement).

I have decided to try out a few new shows as well:

Bones : This isn't exactly a new show but it is new to me. Having been on USA network since 2005 it has a steady following of viewers and I can see why. Starring Emily Deschanel (who has a decent sized body of work but only in small parts) and David Boreanaz (known to many viewers as the hunky sensitive vampire, Angel) as an odd couple solving cases for the FBI. Bones is the nickname of Deschanel's character because she is a forensic anthropologist who studies bones and what they can tell her. Boreanaz's character is an FBI agent who sees how she can help him solve cases. This could be a typical formula series but USA network has shown us through Monk, House, Psych and Dead Zone that they are far from formula. Bones follows these two investigators as well as the rest of her team and the FBI gang. There are many characters that get woven into each story (much like CSI) that creates more of an ensemble feel. There is sexual chemistry but it is not forced - it seems natural and the viewer isn't left waiting for these two to "get together." We can wait. They are very good developing characters. If you are looking for something different in your viewing - give Bones a chance.

The Mentalist : I can only hope that actor Simon Baker (you may remember him as the cad in The Devil Wears Prada) can carry this show on his own as the title character because the rest of the cast is lacking. Baker plays a former TV psychic who now works as a private investigator helping the police solve cases. He admits he was never a psychic but uses his keen powers of observation to solve the crimes (ala Sherlock Holmes). Baker is charming, witty and a pleasure to watch as he effortlessly cruises through each case. That cannot be said for his co-star Robin Tunney, who in spite of a large resume of TV and movies, falls flat. She is supposed to be this tough cop who puts up with his tricks. She is either mis-cast, mis-directed, badly written, a weak actress or all of the above. What they need is a tougher woman! There are many great examples of strong women on TV and she is not one of them. There is also this terrible excuse for sexual tension. It's not there! The rest of the cast is okay but the show needs work. Keep Baker and re-work the rest of the show and it will be a winner. It is worth watching for Baker and that's it.

I eagerly await the premiere of Eleventh Hour this week! I hope it is worth the wait.

Enjoying Life's Moments

2008-09-27T13:49:00.002-04:00

I could have titled this posting, "Enjoying Life's Small Moments," but since I have been blessed with my children - there are no small moments.
Yes, I am majoring in Theology but that is not why I chose "blessed" to described my children in my life. I chose that word because a blessing is a great gift from God, the Father, the Creator or whatever you want to call Him/Her. My children are the greatest gift and event that has ever happened to me. They are beautiful and full of wonder and questions about the world around them.
Occasionally it makes me sad to have to answer a future question like, "Why does Bill get to play football? I want to play to!" Do I really have to explain it is for boys? True some girls do play...but not in the NFL. Not that that is the hardest question I will ever get but she is starting to say she wants to play football.
They also have questions of joy for me like my son asking, "Mommy, where is God? I don't see him?" This came after I explained who God was and that he was often way up in the sky. He did later look out the window and exclaim that he did see God (don't doubt it).
Some moments I hope to remember for the rest of my life and I am sure will always bring a smile like the other night...
My daughter is potty training and the other night had a victory. As a reward we all had m&m's and danced to a boom box in the living room. My children each wrapped a blanket around their waist. Trinity said she was a princess and twirled around (like princesses do) and my son said he was the King and proceeded to dance regally. They danced with such joy! I had to dance as well! I was about to turn off the radio when "Young Americans" by David Bowie came on. A great tune. We just kept dancing by twirling, jumping and falling on the floor. The laughter was infectious. I thought, as I watched the delight of my children, that I never want to forget this moment.
Someday I might be blue and all I have to do is think of my "wild bunch," "angels," and "thing 1 and thing 2, "young Americans" and I will not be able to stop smiling.

New Review!!!

2008-09-11T17:26:00.003-04:00

The following reviews are by the Super Mommy. A regular contributor to this blog!

Babylon AD
Since he first stole the show in Boiler Room, I’ve believed Vin Diesel was like pizza. Even “bad” Vin was “good” Vin. Until I saw Babylon AD, that is. Vin, baby, WHAT were you thinking?

OK, in all fairness, the sorry state of this movie probably isn’t Vin’s fault. Not totally, at least. I think blame more fully falls on whoever produced this mess and felt they could do it without the benefit of a screenwriter. That’s really the only explanation I can come up with for the near-total lack of discernable, trackable plot.

In theory, the film trails Diesel’s character, Toorop (no one ever explains the weird name, but then so much goes unexplained in this flick) a mercenary for hire who is inexplicably living in Russia in the near future. Russian mobster Gorsky (French film legend Gerard Depardieu) hires Toorop to smuggle a just-post-pubescent girl (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh) from their convent in the frozen north to New York City. No, it’s never explained what Gorsky’s interest is in all this. Are you seeing a pattern here? Along the way, there are a few explosions, a lot of dead bodies killed in singularly uncreative ways, a submarine, a female super preacher who looks a lot like George W. Bush in drag, artificial intelligence, and not one, but two (count ‘em – TWO) immaculate conceptions.

If that all seems confusing and aimless when you read it here … well, it looks that way on the screen too. The movie limps along for the first hour, and then it’s as if the writer and director realized they had just another 30 minutes to play with and they were frantic to wrap up the story, even if the ending made no sense at all. What little plot there is just falls apart and the last 30 minutes are confusing snippets of storyline that just don’t follow sensible from the 60 minutes that preceded them.

Babylon AD is 90 minutes of missed opportunities, huge plot holes and wasted performances by otherwise good actors. Going back to my original pizza analogy, this is a big, greasy slice of stupid and not even Vin can make it worth sitting through.

Rating: M (and only because Vin is in it)

Vin that’s Worth Watching – on DVD

Vin Diesel is probably one of his generation’s most under-rated, poorly type-cast actors. Here are a few gems that will remind you that Vin’s not just a great action star, he’s a great actor as well:

Pitch Black
Pitch Black is just pitch-perfect in every way, from the CGI aliens who are creepy as heck, to the creative story of a band of travelers stranded on a planet about to plunge into eternal night, to Diesel’s stellar performance as Riddick Bowe. Not only are there great supporting cast performances (Wings Hauser and Radha Mitchell are both awesome), and special effects, the movie actually has a message. Pitch Black is not just a story of survival hard-won by a badass criminal. It’s a story of personal redemption.
Rating: MMMMM

Boiler Room
Vin has a supporting role in this Giovanni Ribisi vehicle about fraudulent stock traders, but his personality just jumps off the screen in every scene he’s in. Guys, it’s worth watching for the hot cars. Ladies, it’s worth watching because Vin flashes that melt-your-panties smile of his throughout the movie.
MMM

Fast and Furious
No one plays the bad boy with the bulging biceps and a good heart as well as Vin Diesel. Again, he’s in a supporting role but when this film first came out it was pretty much universally agreed by critics and fans alike that Vin OWNED this movie. All you really need to know about the plot is that it involves fast cars, spectacular chase scenes and a great get-away by Diesel’s not-so-bad badass character.
MMM

The Iron Giant
What’s that? You didn’t know Diesel had a role in this sweet children’s film about a young boy who befriends an extra-terrestrial robot stranded on Earth? Yes, it’s an animated movie for kids, but it’s got an exciting story and a great message. AND it’s got Vin as the voice of the robot. This one makes my list because it proves Vin’s acting prowess. He carries the store and imbues his character with life using his voice alone –without the power of his sexy smile and great bod.
MMMM

And NO, I did not forget XXX. It doesn’t qualify for my list of great Vin vehicles because it’s missing an essential element of Diesel’s best roles – deep development of a flawed character who ultimately turns out to be more noble than he thought he could be.

Many thanks to the Super Mommy for the above reviews! Once again, she helps keep this blog afloat!

Where is the movie mommy?

2008-09-11T06:28:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, I have disappeared for a few weeks.
Well...I've been busy!
School, work, family, school, school, school...
I will be back...very soon! Hang in there and don't stop checking my posts!
Thanks!

Et Tu Bejing?

2008-08-25T20:07:00.002-04:00

When I was heavily competing in Martial Arts tournaments I noticed a troubling thing...women's competition being shoved, pushed and man-handled out of the way for the men to compete. Most men judging these tournaments were Black Belts and were waiting themselves to compete. Black Belt men's competition is what everyone wanted to see. Notice I said "men's." True, women Black Belts did judge as well and had to leave their posts to compete. Then there was the problem of getting enough Black Belt men to judge us - our peers. They did so, begrudgingly. While watching us, their eyes were always sliding over to the other rings to watch their own students. By the time I was done competing, 15 years later, it was a little better. At least all women of all ranks weren't lumped together as they had been the past.
Then we come to the Olympics. I did expect more. The brutal facts appear to be that the viewing public doesn't want to see women's basketball, beach volleyball or swimming in prime time. That's PRIME time. If they do, they should say so. Sure, there were a few re-viewings of the women winning beach volleyball BUT the men's finals were actually being played in US prime time.
When did you find out the women won the gold in basketball? Did you know that? I saw it as a foot note in my sports section (the worst sports section I have ever seen). Did you know a woman won the gold in Judo? How about sailing? Fencing? These are all United States women! Yes, Yes, the women's gymnastics is on prime time. But isn't that a "girl's" sport? I hate to put it that way but men don't mind seeing girls in leotards...in prime time. Long live Title IX!
Do guys want to see a woman all sweaty and doing Judo? Maybe not. But I think it is something our girls and young women need to see - in prime time.

Get Over It!

2008-08-16T10:30:00.002-04:00

Okay, this is for you: You, who still have election bumper stickers from 2004 on your car...IT'S OVER!
If your guy lost - get over it! If your guy won - stop gloating!
That goes for the rest of you with "save the whales," "world peace," "pro-life/choice," "free china," "girl power," "amnesty international," "support the troops," etc.
PLEASE stop clinging to your outdated idealistic sentimental ways! It's the 21st century!
How about, "support better pre-natal care," "vaccinate your children," "stay married," "stop being selfish and donate blood," or "start thinking." I'm not that clever but I tried.
And for God's sake, take those stupid fish off your car! If you really are a Christian - you would certainly drive that way.

Mamma Mia!

2008-08-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

GUEST REVIEWER! The Super Mommy is back!!!

If you loved Abba, then you’ll adore Mamma Mia! If you’re saying “Who’s Abba?” it’s time to discover the musically multi-layered, lyrically enlightened talents of one of the ‘70s most revered – or reviled – pop groups, and this movie is just the vehicle for your voyage of discovery!

The movie version of the hit Broadway musical boasts an all-star cast, including the too-talented-to-be-totally-human Meryl Streep, and a trio of yummilicious guys - Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard. Streep portrays Donna Sheridan, an aging former flower child who runs a run-down hotel on a tiny Greek isle. Bubbly, buxom and seemingly carefree on the surface – Donna hides a sexy secret. Twenty years ago, after then-boyfriend Sam (Brosnan) broke her heart by returning to England to marry someone else, she slept with two other guys within days of his departure from their Greek hideaway. Donna doesn’t know who sired her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfreid) – Sam, Bill (Skarsgard) or Harry (Firth).

What’s more, she’s never told Sophie anything about her dad. On the eve of her wedding, Sophie dreams of walking down the aisle on her father’s arm. When she discovers Donna’s diary from 20 years ago, she takes matters into her own hands and secretly invites her three potential fathers to attend her wedding. When all three show up, hilarity, some heartbreak and, of course, outrageously great music ensue.

Usually, if I love a song I really only love it from the original artist. I’m not a “cover” gal. But writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd brilliantly work Abba’s greatest hits into the story. The performers – including a true “Greek chorus” - infuse each number with a rich breadth of emotion based on the context of the story.

All your favorite Abba hits are here – from “Does Your Mother Know (That You’re Out)” and “Dancing Queen” to “I Have a Dream” and “Money, Money, Money.” Standout moments include a funny and tender rendering of “Chiquitita” by Christine Baranski and Julie Waters, Streep’s deeply poignant delivery of “Slipping Through My Fingers” as she helps Sophie get dressed for her wedding and a high-energy performance of “Does Your Mother Know” by Baranski and ensemble.

The runaway moment of the movie, however, has to be when Streep belts out “The Winner Takes it All” in response to Sam’s overtures of reconciliation. She literally sent chills down my spine. Rumor has it that Streep recorded the number in Stockholm and nailed it in a single take.

Mamma Mia! is a feel-good movie that delivers big-time on fun, over-the-top great performances and music that will make you want to dance down the theater aisle. I’ll be buying the soundtrack for sure – even though Brosnan (for whom I have harbored a deep and abiding lust for 20 years) can’t sing his way out of a paper bag.

Totally Abba junkie alert: Keep your eyes peeled for cameos by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus – the writing half of the original Swedish quartet.

Highly recommended!

MMMM (out of 5 Ms)

The movie mommy thanks The Super Mommy

for helping keep up with movie reviews!

I Want My Mummy!

2008-08-05T16:08:00.002-04:00

The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emperor (The Mummy 3): Any fan of The Mummy series will enjoy this movie! I am such a fan! The first Mummy movie was not expected to be such a huge hit, even the actors thought it was a risky project. Instead it catapulted careers and spawned two more installments and a spin-off. My favorite of the series is still The Mummy from 1999. If you have not seen it yet, then see that before seeing this one.
The Mummy 3 is full of action and fun - just as you would expect from the series. Jet Li plays the title character and it shows a great deal of history of his character. It is so interesting that you really want to see a movie about his character! It showed him conquering China and building the Great Wall but he wanted to conquer death as well. Also, introduced in this segment is a sorceress played by Michele Yoeh, you also want to see more of her. The movie focuses on the discovery of the Emperor and his army appearing as statues buried deep underground (like the famous Chinese terracotta army that was found in 1974). Our heroes and their son get involved with the unfortunate reviving of the Emperor and the fact that his army will be invincible if it leaves the Great Wall of China. Brendan Frasier leads the O'Connell clan with his usual wit and charm. His wife, Evelyn, is not played in the this movie by the lovely and talented Rachel Weisz. Instead she is replaced by Maria Bello who doesn't appear to have had any significant movie roles. She lacks the chemistry with Frasier that he had with Weisz. We do find out in the beginning of the movie that that is the problem that Rick and Evelyn have. They are bored. This movie picks up in 1946, after the war, when they had apparently been spies for the British government. They miss the excitement they used to share and jump at an opportunity to go to China on a mission for their government. There they run into their son, Alex (who looks to old to be their son), who just so happened to be in China because he quit school to dig up this Emperor. Well, the Emperor has his 1946 henchmen who want to raise the Emperor from the dead and give glory back to China.
There are lots of intertwining plots and characters and you can tell a lot must have been left on the cutting room floor. And even though I loved this movie - I feel more could have been cut. More Jet Li, less Rick and Evy family drama. Jet Li and Michele Yoeh are great. Li doesn't speak any English in the movie (neither did Imoteph) but Yoeh does by the end (she turns out to get some satisfying screen time). There is also some classic Chinese butt whopin'. And as I said, I would have loved to have seen an entire movie about the Dragon Emperor...but maybe that will be another spin-off.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

The Vacation Mommy

2008-07-31T15:11:00.003-04:00

The movie mommy has hit the road with the family for a summer vacation! We have only taken one long vacation with the kids before this and that was trying (March 2008) but the kids are older and better trained - or maybe we are.

We always take little weekenders but this was THE big trip. The kind of travelling tradition we will always have. Overall it has been a good trip. We had the trip to the ER but other than that, uneventful. We travelled about 7 hours the first day and arrived at my Dad's. The kids loved the beach and their uncle whom they now call "Dude." We went to the boardwalk until well after dark and the children loved the boardwalk rides. Even my son who never liked a ride that moved - a big breakthrough for him. After a weekend at "the shore" we headed to the Adirondack mountains and our family lakeside cabin or camp, as they call them up here. The kids are having a blast. They have been boating, on a train ride and today we took a ride on a paddle boat - something I first did as a baby (same boat). My son has been swimming off our dock with glee. His smile is wide and he is proud of himself - another breakthrough event for him.

This vacation has been good for our family. Our short trips have prepared us for this long one. We know what we need and don't need. The kids are at an age where they can really enjoy family activities with us.

These are just some ramblings I decided to write...in between my crushing amount of online work I have to do for school.

We head in the direction of home on in a couple days - and we are exhausted. A good vacation should always need you ready for another one!

New Reviews!

2008-07-11T06:04:00.003-04:00

The following reviews are by the Super Mommy, special guest reviewer!

Wall*E
The Movie Mommy can attest to the fact that the Super Mommy is almost always able to find something to complain about. So imagine how shocked she was when I told her I couldn’t find a single thing to criticize about Wall*E, Pixar’s latest animated offering. From start to finish, the movie is just a gem – arguably the best the studio has put out in a string of excellent movies.

Wall*E predicts a distant future that we can easily imagine evolving out of Earth’s current environmental and social issues. Humans have literally trashed the planet and abandoned the debris-choked world for life on a luxurious starliner created by a Big Brother-style corporation. Before splitting for the stars, however, people left behind an army of robots to clean things up and prepare the Earth for eventual repopulation. Several hundred years later, all the robots have broken down. The only one left is Wall*E, an adorable little ‘bot who bears a striking resemblance to the main character in Short Circuit. Somehow, Wall*E has developed a personality and now spends his days compacting trash, playing with the only living thing left on the planet – a roach – watching a videotape of “Hello Dolly” and pining for companionship.

When another robot – this one a sleek, flying, laser-blasting Princes Leia-like character – arrives on Earth, Wall*E sees a chance to end his yearning and make a friend. Wall*E and Eve do become friends, and their bond takes the little robot on an adventure from the trash-choked cities of Earth all the way to the distant starliner that bears the last remnants of the human race. Inactivity and freedom from Earth’s gravity have turned humans into a race of sluggish, fat, sedentary creatures that seem like they would be ill-prepared for the challenge of repopulating their home world.

You could say Wall*E is a cautionary tale of the future our world faces if humans don’t clean up their act. You could interpret the film as a profound statement on the transcendent power of a simple touch. You could even view it as a story of redemption on a truly grand scale. But more than anything else, Wall*E is just good, clean fun – with a message. Kids will enjoy the animation, cuteness and slapstick moments. Adults will feel uplifted by the movie’s more grown-up themes.

Don’t wait for this to come out on DVD. Go see it in the theater. The sound effects are awesome (the first 30 minutes are dialogue-free yet brilliantly communicate the characters and situations), the animation is top-notch and the characters will win your heart.

MMMMM (out of 5)

The Walker
Almost every time I see Woody Harrelson in a movie I think to myself he was a sorry replacement for Coach and he hasn’t gotten much better with experience. But I have to give credit where credit is due; Harrelson shines in this psychological thriller set in the dirty social underbelly of Washington, D.C. Harrelson portrays Carter Page III, the son of a well-respected and long dead politician who never quite manages to live up to his father’s legacy. In his own way, “Car” is as much a mover and shaker as his father was. Carter is a “walker,” a socially adroit gay man who “walks” the wealthy, beautiful wives of Washington, D.C. politicians from fund-raiser to dinner to canasta game. When one of his canasta partners (Kristin Scott Thomas as a singularly self-centered wife of a powerful senator) finds her secret lover brutally murdered Carter’s loyalty is tested. He covers for his friend and is drawn into an ever-twisting plot that points an accusing finger all the way to Capitol Hill.

Harrelson is brilliant as the deeply insecure yet outwardly polished Carter. A stellar supporting cast includes Lilly Tomlin as the passive-aggressive, manipulative wife of a behind-the-scenes power broker adroitly played by Ned Beatty (who seems to be channeling Karl Rove). Wilhem DaFoe is the well-intentioned and powerful senator who seems oblivious to the indiscretions of his wife (Thomas). And Lauren Bacall steals every scene she’s in as the grand dame of Washington socialites – and perhaps the only true friend Carter has in the city.

The story is complex and compelling and Harrelson is a lot of fun to watch. Highly recommended for an evening of adult DVD-watching.

MMM (out of 5)

The above reviews were by the Super Mommy! Many thanks from the movie mommy and her readers.

The Student Mommy

2008-07-04T08:42:00.002-04:00

The movie mommy has been silent of late because of school. I am now in the process of getting my Master's Degree and it is all consuming. I work full time, mommy full time and wife full time. Even though I am only taking 2 online classes...it is ALOT more work than I expected. 26 hours of video lectures, 5 book reports and 4 textbooks of reading. There are also discussion panels and group projects. ALL in 8 weeks! Like I said, more than I expected.
Basically, I am not going to see another movie until my classes are over in August. Next semester I plan on just one class and I am hoping that will free me up a bit to continue my movie watching.
I will be squeezing in The Closer, which begins it's new season this month but that will probably be it. I don't know what I would do if this was during the regular TV season...TiVo?
I am just letting everyone know that I will be doing some posts but not about any new movies. I have a guest reviewer, The Super Mommy, that will doing most of the reviews. She sees a new movie a week and is a regular renter of the latest releases. So, be expecting some good stuff on here.
Back to the studies!

Guest Reviewer!

2008-06-28T16:29:00.002-04:00

The following review is by the Super Mommy:

OK, first let me say that The Happening is NOT as bad as you’ve likely read. Yes, I read all the reviews that basically said M. Night Shyamalan has lost his mind and finally produced the stinker that will sink his career. You know, the ones that said The Happening is not only HIS worst movie, but one of the worst movies ever. (I tend to think those reviewers never saw Gigli or Message in a Bottle and so don’t really have a good basis of comparison for saying a movie sucks.)
I went to see The Happening anyway because … well it’s M. Night Shyamalan and I’ve seen every one of his flicks on the big screen since The Sixth Sense. There are millions of worshippers like me who will go see this movie just because it’s … M. Night Shyamalan. And therein, I think, lays the heart of the problem. If anyone else had made this movie, I don’t think critics and the public would be bashing it quite so viciously.
In brief, the movie revolves around a phenomenon – a “happening” – that is inducing people to commit suicide in some very grisly ways (hence the R-rating, the only one of Shyamalan’s movies to get the rating). Elliott (Mark Wahlberg), a Philadelphia high school science teacher, goes on a spiritual journey – and physical jaunt through the Pennsylvania countryside – to keep his loved ones safe while trying to discover the cause of the phenomenon.
This movie is definitely worth seeing. It’s got a thought-provoking ecological message, a lot to say about human nature in times of crisis, and some very good performances from Wahlberg and John Legiuzamo (one of my favorite under-rated actors). And pay attention to Betty Buckley – who arrives late in the movie.
You’ve probably heard the story is dull, and I can understand how many people would think so. There are no explosions, no high-speed car chases, no profanity, no nudity and – frankly – not that much gore. How in the world Shyamalan thought he could make a summer movie without at least ONE of those blockbuster elements is truly bewildering to me. He’s not guilty of making a bad movie; he’s guilty of seriously misreading what Americans want in a summer blockbuster.
The Happening is a thinking movie, as are ALL of Shyamalan’s films. Like all his work, the movie is built on an underlying message and you have to pay attention to glean what that message is. Unlike his previous films, however, there is no punch at the end, no “Ah-HA!” moment when it all comes together. We’ve come to expect that from Shyamalan – from the revelation of Bruce Willis’ life-challenged status at the end of The Sixth Sense to the true nature of the community in The Village. That payoff isn’t present in The Happening, and critics and fans are crucifying him for it.
If The Happening truly fails as a movie – and I don’t think it does – it’s because the writer/director overestimated the maturity of his audience. After five successful films, he thought his audience had grown up enough to NOT need that final bonk over the head that sums up his movie’s message and delivers a final adrenaline spike. Apparently, he was wrong.

The above review was by the Super Mommy. The Super Mommy is an experienced movie goer, writer, mommy, reviewer and regular contributor to the movie mommy blog.

Separate Lives

2008-06-22T07:48:00.002-04:00

With my daughter in preschool and my son in summer day camp I have come to the realization that I don't know how they are spending their days. Seems silly doesn't it? But in the past they were in small day care home environments with only a few other children (sometimes they were the only children). I would get reports on cute things they did or new things they said or experienced. Now that they are among the masses I don't get such reports. Only that they, "Had a good day."
I have to admit that I feel like an "empty nester." Once again - silly notion. But there they are...off on their own having conversations, meeting other people, even going places...without me! I have no idea what they are doing! Silly.
I worry about them but have be confident that they are being well taken care of and will know what to do and how to act. The wish of every parent to be sure...until their child is well into adulthood.
It's a little scary that I don't have total control over their lives or know how they are being taken care of. Will someone be there to cut up his pizza? Do they know she doesn't like apples?
They come home with songs and sayings that I have never said to them. And scraped knees. They also give the standard answer on how their day was, "Okay." I ask them what they did and sometimes they tell me and sometimes they don't. I really have to pry to get any real response.
They are growing up before my eyes and when I drop them off...I wonder...what are they going to do, see, say, hear and experience. I will never know.
I just have to let go...a little.

Indiana Jones

2008-06-04T13:55:00.002-04:00

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: If you can get over Harrison Ford looking like the Crypt Keeper, the references to the past Indy movies and the other worldly nature of the plot...then you can enjoy this movie. Of course Indy is gonna look old, I know it's set 20 years since the last movie. Now that we are in the 1950s there is also a new enemy...exit Nazis and enter Ruskies. The Russians are in search of artifacts that can give them an advantage...even an alien advantage over their capitalistic enemies.
I liked this movie but if you are not a fan then I don't think you will. It's basically made for fans. There are all the references to the old movies and even bringing back Karen Allen's character from the first Indy movie. There some predictable plot lines that come up involving Shia LeBeouf (least impressive role I've seen him in) that we didn't need...well, we didn't need his character at all. I don't think him being in the movie will be appealing enough for young movie goers to really go for this movie.
There is action! Good old fashioned Indians Jones action! Whips, knives, guns, vehicles, snakes, quicksand, bugs, waterfalls, booby traps...you know the usual stuff we come to expect from this type of movie. In that aspect - it will not disappoint!
The whole crystal skull thing is pretty cool and some parts of that mythos I would have liked to have seen more of but they spent so much time on set up that they didn't leave much for the actual meat & potatoes of the movie...then they rush to the ending - which was interesting.
I won't give too much away about the movie because I still recommend it.
If you are a fan - go see it! You should have seen it already! I liked it. I'm a fan.
MMM1/2M (out of 5 M's)

Classic Movie Corner

2008-05-27T21:27:00.002-04:00

This is a new series of articles in which I will recommend a classic movie. And I mean classic! If you haven't seen these then you are missing out on what has been borrowed from to make today's great movies. It had to start somewhere and these movies are it!

One of my favorite movies is Now, Voyager (1942, Warner Bros.). Starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains (both of Casablanca fame) this movie was made at a time when actors, even what we would call super stars of today, made over twenty movies a year. Each studio, in a sense, owned the actors that worked for them. They weren't making "blockbusters" just entertainment. Bette Davis had to lobby the studio to get the part (hard to believe) and won it. It is said that she had never thrown herself into a part more and this is evident in her Oscar nominated performance as Charlotte Vale a frumpy spinster Aunt who is driven from her home by an oppressive mother and dissolving confidence and into the care of Dr. Jaquith (Rains) who tries to keep her from total breakdown by therapy and being out of her otherwise emotionally destructive environment.
After her therapy, Charlotte decides to embark, by herself, on a cruise to South America. She has totally transformed herself from absolute frump to stunning beauty (I normally wouldn't call Davis a stunning beauty). I am not a costume person but her ensembles are stunning. On the cruise she meets a group of travellers including Jerry Durrance (Henreid) whose natural friendly charm and good looks grab Charlotte's attention. Jerry notices, not a transformed frump, but a lovely woman. He is fascinated by her distance and mystery. They open up to each other and fall in love. Not in the same sense we have in movies today. There is kissing, clutching, holding...all accompanied by Max Steiner's Oscar winning score...who needs sex scenes? The sizzling scenes between the two stars are enough.
After the cruise, it is back to reality. For Charlotte it is back to face her mother and for Jerry it is back to face the problems at home that include a troubled teenage girl. Charlotte tries to go home and is brilliant the way she faces down her mother, over and over again. Charlotte is even courted by a doctor that never noticed her before even though he had been at the house for dinner parties many times. The dialogue has you glued to every scene in which Charlotte explains very carefully to her mother why she does what she does. After one such fight, her mother has a fall and then eventually a heart attack. Charlotte is filled with guilt and escapes to Dr. Jaquith's sanatorium. There she meets Tina. A teenage girl that reminds Charlotte of herself. She discovers that Tina is Jerry's daughter and decides to take an interest in her. By today's standards of viewing this might seem strange but the innocence of the times do not make it sinister at all. Charlotte helps the girl out of love for Jerry, at first, and then by her genuine love for the girl. Charlotte and Tina are victorious in their transformations and receiving love - from Jerry.
Jerry and Charlotte bump into each other various times during the film, after the cruise, and you will be on the edge of your seat waiting for them to embrace. But Jerry is still married and Charlotte has her morals. We know...that romance is not dead.
And even in the end after agreeing that they shouldn't be romantically involved...all Jerry can say is, "Shall we have a cigarette on it?" And as he lights both cigarettes in his mouth and hands one to her, she says, "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon... we have the stars."
They don't make like that anymore.

Shock Value

2008-05-23T12:29:00.002-04:00

Okay, what's the deal with network television shows just having to have a big shocker of season ender that includes someone being killed or appearing to be? Sure, you want someone to tune in during the fall but does someone have to be blown away to have that happen? I think the writers' strike was that the writers were struck in the head with something. I mean this is the best they can do? The networks are, with good reason, nervous about keeping viewers. The strike obliterated some shows and put some on hold until the fall - with the networks hoping to regain the viewers. But I find their way of luring us back to our current favorites is just plain unimaginative. These used to be called "cliffhangers" but in this case...they more than jumped off.
Four of the shows I watch regularly had one of these endings.
CSI: Miami ended with David Caruso shot and looking kind of lifeless. We know he won't make the NYPD Blue mistake again - he'll be back. Sunglasses and over-acting.
CSI (Vegas) ended with Warrick being graphically shot in the neck while sitting in his car. I mean unnecessarily graphic. He's sitting in the car and a dirty cop (non one knows he's dirty) is talking to him and we see him shoot Warrick in the neck (we are watching from the driver's side window). We can see the exit wound! He sits in the seat gurgling and coughing with blood coming out his neck...then he's dead! True that actor was leaving anyway and everyone knew it...but really...they had to do it like that? He just had a nice meal with his friends and you see everyone exit the cafe smiling about what a good time they had. Then you see that?! Bang!!! That's the ending Soprano fans wanted to see...not CSI.
NCIS ended with the Director, Jennie Sheppard, being blown away in a big gun battle. Her death was a little more of her taking some bad guys with her...but still...why? She is dying of some degenerative disease and wants to go out on her terms while protecting some government secret. She basically lays in wait for the bad guys. Not that graphic an ending...you see from the outside a huge gun battle that is happening inside the diner. Jennie is seen laying in blood...ALOT of blood. CBS had been saying for months someone would not survive until next season. I could have thought of a few more characters she could have taken with her. The show is weakly written...but I still watch it. Abby and Ducky are worth it.
Criminal Minds is a never miss favorite BUT even they had to stoop to the someone dies ending! You don't know who it is...at least not until the fall. The team is hunting down some homegrown terrorists and they realize they are possibly being targeted. So, what do they do...all leave the various murder scenes alone. You see four of the main characters getting into a different big black government SUV (music is swelling - screen split into four shots) then BAM!!! One of them is blown to kingdom come! We don't know who! Tune in this fall! Lame. This is the only show that has me interested in tuning in next season. With protest.
When J.R. was shot on Dallas, that was one of the most shocking events on TV. No one got shot at the end of a season back then. At the time it was brilliant. I guess now, writers feel we are so desensitized to violence (and we are) that they feel we need gurgling blood from a favorite character's neck to keep us interested. I really don't need to see that.
Babylon 5 had one of my favorite cliffhangers that had the main character jumping into a deep abyss with a space ship full of nuclear explosives homing in on his signal...he disappeared into the darkness with the ship (bright white) coming straight out of space and following him...then BOOM! Fade to black. Everyone I knew who watched that episode screamed out loud with disbelief and horror. You know we tuned in the next season!
Star Trek: The Next Generation was one of the only TV shows the really knew how to do a cliffhanger, a great one, season after season. Klingon civil war, time traveling aliens (Data's head!), Tasha Yar as a Romulan...and the ultimate...Picard as a Borg! C'mon! You can't beat that! If you can't remember the quintessential cliffhanger image...just remember one of the best lines on TV...
"Resistance is futile...Number One..."
Stay tuned...

Iron Man

2008-05-17T07:34:00.002-04:00

I work with complete comic book fans. I would say more than fans...I would say true believers that know every story line and incarnation of every super hero there ever was. And when Iron Man came out they told me it was the best adaptation of a comic book hero they had ever seen. With that being said - I had to see this movie. I should mention that I am not a comic book person. My knowledge of the comic book super heroes is from cartoons, live action TV shows and movies. I don't base my opinion on whether or not the movie is true to the comic (with the exception of the Phantom which I loyally read in the paper every day and was a great movie). I just love an entertaining movie.
Iron Man delivers! And a franchise is born!
Iron Man is not for someone that just wants to see complete action and effects. Iron Man is what I would call a thinking person's action movie. Robert Downey Jr. (BRILLIANT!!!) plays the flawed main character - Tony Stark, a womanizing boozer, who develops high tech weapons for the military and owns the company. Stark is in Afghanistan giving a preview to the military of one of his weapons when he captured by militants and kept captive for months. The captures want him to use their stockpile of weapons (his weapons - which makes him wonder how they got them) to make a missile. But instead Stark makes his first Iron Man suit and his own artificial heart. After his ordeal Stark is a changed man who is obsessed with his Iron Man concept and improving it. This is most of the movie - the character development. I won't go into much more...since you are going to see this movie!
Downey is a joy to watch on screen and you cheer for this talented actor's big comeback to the big screen. He is a naturally funny guy, he brings the same kind of warmth and playing off the irony of things that Michael Keaton did as Bruce Wayne. Be a serious hero but realize that the whole concept can appear a bit absurd to the outsider.
Side note: As a movie watcher it is interesting to see the history of who our bad guys are in hero movies...it was the Nazis, then Russians or Chinese (Communists in general), rouge Russians/Eastern Europe and now middle easterners...basically whoever we envision at the time as the worst possible enemy we could have and do have. Usually for super heroes it is a mad scientist or brilliant criminal mind...
Iron Man is much like Batman in the fact that he doesn't possess any real super powers (other than his heart generator that runs his suit). He wasn't born with powers or fall into a vat of toxic waste. He has a mission and toys to get it done. I like movies that focus on the development of characters as long as it is done right. I really wasn't crazy about the last Batman movie - at least not as crazy about it as other fans. I think it spent way to long on the character's personal journey and you know what? I really don't care! We already know what Bruce Wayne's motivation was...I didn't need to see him in his full training sessions. That is why there didn't need to be three Star Wars prequels - one and half would have been fine, thank you. Back to the movie...
Iron Man basically rocks! And comic book fans MUST sit through all the credits until the end (like X-Men 3) and you will see a glimpse into the future of this franchise and give the comic book folks a thrill. With a good supporting cast including Jeff Bridges and Terrance Howard this movie will leave you ready to rock out...Black Sabbath style.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T22:18:00.005-04:00

I have been meaning to write this entry for a long time and Mother's Day has inspired me.
There are lots of inspired tales about being a mother that I could comment on but I would like to focus on something I have been thinking about for...2 years, 7 months and 5 days...that I am the mother of a girl.
I don't know if man feels this intense pressure of being the example of manhood he sets for his son. Being a parent is hard enough. I can tell you that I feel, as my daughter never takes her eyes off me, that I have the monumental responsibility of being the representative of the human female to my daughter.
She stands in the doorway of the bathroom watching me get ready in the morning. She sees me put in my earrings and asks if she can have earrings too and hands me my shoes. What is she thinking? That she wants to me?
They say that babies aren't born with a sense of gender and that is something we put on them. That may be true for the most part. My son calls my daughter, "he," and "him." But it seems my daughter knows she is a girl or at least that she and I share some of the same physical characteristics. She knows she is a girl. She loves pink, princesses and baby dolls - those that know me know I never encouraged this. It just evolved. She just evolves...on her own.
She wants to go on every ride at Busch Garden's. Even the ones that I am too big for and she has to go on alone. She is not afraid. She is my daughter. Could I have instilled this lack of fear?
She is the youngest in the house yet she makes her voice known. If you don't hear her at first, don't worry, you will.
What did the mothers of Hillary Clinton, Billie Jean King, Katie Couric or Admiral Grace Hopper think their daughters would be up to in life? What kind of women were they to encourage their daughters to be successful? Am I that mother?
My daughter is adorable and beautiful. And not just on the outside. I can see her beauty shining through her from deep within. A 2 year old with deep soul?
I will return to my first thoughts...that she looks to me to be the example of womanhood. Me! Me? I was worried having a girl. Who was I kidding? My fear of having a girl was that I would have be the example. Of course, my son looks to me as an example but not in the same exact way. A boy will always be a boy but a girl will be a woman. My little woman.
She is kind and gentle to her "baby." Could be a baby doll or stuffed animal. She hugs it, kisses it, puts it to bed and I have even heard her sing to her baby...what I sing to her, "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," by the Four Seasons. Am I her role model?
She is an independent girl. She is stubborn and is at odds with her father - as they share some of the same temperament. She is my angel.
I think she is here in the world to teach me something.
One day, a few months ago, I asked her a series of questions, as she sat on my lap and I rubbed her hair...
"I wonder what you will be? Will you do great things?"
"No."
"Will you cure cancer?"
"No."
"Will you be President?"
"No."
"Will you be famous?"
"No."
"Will you be a great woman?"
"No."
"Will you love your mommy?"
"YES!"
That's my girl!

Juno: The Review

2008-05-01T12:50:00.002-04:00

I have overheard people say, "Juno? Isn't that the pregnant teen movie? Uh, I'll skip it." Probably the same people who thought Little Miss Sunshine was about a girl in a beauty pageant. It's okay with me if they want to miss a gem in this year's movie garbage pile. Actually, if you are one of those people that prefer to be cinematically stunted...then you don't have to continue reading this review. For the rest of you keen movie watchers...
Juno was just what I needed. I was so hoping it was good. I was having a crappy day and didn't need to be disappointed like I was by the rest of the Oscar nominated movies (exception being Michael Clayton). I knew Juno was about a pregnant teenager and her wit in the previews was enough to spark my interest. The script and the cast make this movie a delight. Ellen Page (X-Men 3, Hard Candy) is brilliant as the title character. She is a 16 year old girl who has sex with her best friend once and well...it only takes once. Her boyfriend/best friend is kind of an awkward semi-jock geek who is smitten with her and who no one else thinks "had it in him" to get someone pregnant. These aren't bad kids from bad homes - the stigma. Juno's parents take it as well as anyone can. The father (J.K. Simmons) is disappointed and her step-mother goes right to work on a prenatal care plan. The whole school knows and Juno doesn't care. She's pregnant - it'll speak for itself. She is already somewhat mature (and seems more mature than some of the adults we meet) and grows even more through her pregnancy (no pun intended). With the supporting cast of Justin Bateman and Jennifer Garner (so much potential!) this movie can do no wrong.
Jason Reitman, who also wrote and directed Thank You For Smoking, makes this movie about an uncomfortable subject...more comfortable with his frank speaking characters who are human and doing the best they can with it.
It's hard to say if this movie was better than Michael Clayton. It certainly beats out any other nominated movies from last year. This is a hard movie to peg. It would be like putting Little Miss Sunshine or Thank You For Smoking in a genre. Comedy? Drama? Like Juno, these movies fall into their own category - that would be brilliant.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Guest Reviewer!

2008-04-27T07:19:00.002-04:00

The following review of The Mist is by the Super Mommy.

I like a happy ending as much as the next gal. That said, I’m not one of those people who MUST have a happy ending, who can’t appreciate an ending that is ironic instead of positive, or that is downright unhappy but appropriate. I tell you this so you’ll understand that it’s really unusual for me to have a visceral negative reaction to the ending of a movie. The Mist, however, has an ending that just ruined the movie for me. Director Frank Darabont also wrote the screenplay adapting Stephen King’s popular novella of the same name. Thomas Janes (one of my favorite under-rated actors) plays Dave Drayton, an artist living with his wife and young son in (where else) Castle Rock, Maine. The trouble begins when Dave and his son, Billy, are grocery shopping in town and a man runs into the store, bleeding from the nose and crying out that “There’s something in the mist.” And then the mist rolls in and all hell breaks loose.
For nearly two hours this made-for-TV movie was on its way to ranking among my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It had everything you want in a creepy horror flick – compelling characters, decent dialogue, scary as heck monsters rendered in excellent CGI, believable conflicts among the characters and incisive commentary on the human condition. Forget the fact that Thomas Janes is stellar, or that Oscar winner Marcia Gaye Harden tears up the scenery as the apocalypse-predicting village Bible-thumper. It doesn’t matter that over the course of the film you are inexorably moved to care deeply about these characters. Because they’re going to get screwed, royally, by the end of the movie – and so are you. The Mist has the ONLY kind of ending I really hate – an unhappy ending that’s obviously done for gratuitous shock value and that doesn’t flow naturally from the two hours that preceded it. When an ending seems to serve no other purpose than to let life take a big, ugly, stinky crap on the protagonist, then it’s an ending that serves no purpose.
Don’t see this movie. SPOILER WARNING: (Don’t read this next sentence if you still think you want to see this dismal debacle.)
If you are a parent, you will lose sleep over how this movie ends. I sure did.

All reviews in this blog are by the movie mommy unless otherwise noted.

April Rentals

2008-04-21T10:33:00.003-04:00

There Will Be Blood: There will be a waste of time...there will be boring...there will be 2 hours of my life I won't get back. Sorry, to be so harsh but when a movie is nominated for an Oscar and the lead actor wins...I just expect ALOT more from a movie. Daniel Day Lewis, basically, is a one man show in this movie about a success obsessed oil man from the beginnings of oil's importance in this country. Lewis pulls it off and does present an excellent performance but it is not enough for me to tell you to watch this plodding, dark, boring film. Best Picture nominee? What are the Academy members thinking?
M (out of 5 M's) - just for Lewis' performance.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story: The problem I had with this movie is that it wasn't what I expected - in a bad way. I thought that with a multi-talented actor like John C. Reilly that I was going to see something more like Taladega Nights, probably better. A fun send up of the music industry with some hints of Walk The Line. Instead it was a total parody of Walk The Line. Don't get me wrong...I have no problem with the art form of the parody. After all, SNL and the Abrahams brothers (Airplane!, Hot Shots!, etc.) have done very well off them. But those were funny. I have to admit I am not into Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, etc. You really have to have seen all the movies they are making fun because of the lack of creativity and originality involved. Same thing with Walk Hard. If you saw Walk The Line (which I did) then you might find some of the stuff amusing. My husband laughed at the slap stick physical comedy and some gross bits. But I found my mind wandering waiting for something new. I did giggle at one part - when Cox returns home to make things right with his Dad and finds him quietly singing, "The wrong boy died..." Like I said, you have to be there to find the stuff funny. As much as my friends don't like Will Ferrell, they have to admit that his stuff is original. He pokes fun at different industries like Nascar, figure skating and TV news but he does it with is own fresh, pushing the edge of decorum, irreverent and often sick fashion. I was expecting the same from Walk Hard. I have to say that the music in Walk Hard was impressive. If the movie was as original and funny as the songs...this movie might have worked for me.
M (out of 5 M's)

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising: Based on a series of children's books this movie was a pleasant surprise compared to my recent disappointing rentals. Nothing real new here: On a boy's birthday (his 13th) he finds out he is destined to save the world from an ancient darkness that threatens it...oh, and finds out he has magic powers. The nice pace and honest acting make this movie enjoyable for the sci-fi/fantasy fan. It doesn't give everything away but instead counts on some intelligence of it's viewers to pick some things out. It is slow in the beginning as we meet this boy's family and see he is a frustrated teen in a very big family in a country that is not his own (they are American's living in a small village in England). But stay with it as this story unfolds and develops into a cascading climax. I recommend it as something fresh and original...something I yearned to see these days.
MMM1/2M (out of 5 M's)

Becoming Jane: Anne Hathaway plays 20 year old Jane Austin as she learns about love and is frustrated by being a woman in the time she lives in. I think Hathaway is a charming actress who does a great job in this okay vehicle. I love Jane Austin. Gimme Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice and Emma any day and I am happy. The movie tries to show how Austin was inspired by the people she knew and how she incorporated them into her stories. It also tries to be a romance but I feel that fell flat. I would rather has seen a movie about her later years and how she tried to get published in a world where a woman that was independent was a disappointment to her family, a woman could not inherit wealth or earn her own. A movie like that (or like Miss Potter, see "Movie Time!" from July 14th blog posting) I feel would have done Austin more justice than seeing her frustrated in love. I think if you want to know Jane Austin then read her books and/or see the movies based on them. I can recommend a few!
MM (out of 5 M's)

Available as a Rental:
My Boy Jack: Caught this last night on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre and was so glad I did! The film follows the story of Jack Kipling, the son of the famous author Rudyard Kipling whose works(Jungle Book, The Man Who Would Be King, Gunga Din, etc.) were (and remain) wildly popular during his lifetime. Rudyard Kipling (David Haig, who also wrote and directed) is a strong proponent to England entering WWI and makes inflammatory speech's to the same (even though the King asks him not to). At the same time Jack Kipling (Daniel Radcliffe, yes, Harry Pottter) is trying every avenue available to join the military. Because of his class and status he needs to be an officer and because of his poor eyesight (without glasses) he is refused at every turn. War is finally declared and every young man in the UK is ready to go fight. Rudyard Kipling uses his influence (he works for the military propaganda office) to get young Jack into the Army. He is only 17. It is a sad fact that almost an entire generation was lost during this most ferocious war and the Kipling family is not without it's pain at the news of Jack's status of missing in action. The second half of the story is about the search for news of Jack. Caroline Kipling (Kim Cattrall), Jack's mother, will stop at nothing to find out if her son is alive, including contacting the Red Cross and interviewing damaged soldiers that were at the battle that day. Beautifully filmed and and acted. Available as a rental.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Reviews Are In

2008-03-23T10:50:00.002-04:00

Sorry for my absence! I had a vacation and lots of catching up to do.

I have to start out my reviews with some can't miss TV. You must tune in every Sunday night to HBO and watch the John Adams mini-series. Besides Paul Giamatti's brilliant performance, to see the birth of our nation in all it's beauty and tragedy makes it educational as well. A country needs to know what it is fighting for when it says it is "fighting for freedom around the world." It is important to know the real pains and politics of freedom's birth in this country first.

Once : Give this movie a chance! I watched this movie with my husband and another couple and the other couple left half way through. Maybe I would have as well if I hadn't seen the show stopping performance at the Academy Awards of the winning song "Falling Slowly" sung by the movie's two leads - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. I was so impressed by the song that I began listening to the soundtrack at work (thanks to a co-worker that had it). I'm hooked!

I think we are so visually stunned by movies like Transformers and No Country For Old Men that we don't want to spend some time just watching a quiet movie that is more than long music video. Once is low budget but sweet and follows the journey of a musician who goes from performing on the street to a studio, at the behest of young woman, who hears his brilliance and heartache that he belts out in every tune. There is A LOT of music - be prepared. I already loved the music so I enjoyed seeing it performed by the stars and by Hansard's real band The Frames. Don't look for biting dialogue and big effects. Just enjoy these regular folks doing what they love.

MMMM (out of 5 M's)

30 Days of Night : I am not a horror movie type at all but this one looked good and seemed to have some credibility with Josh Hartnett in the leading roll. Based on a graphic novel series, this movie delivers. It delivers the story, the gore and the jump out of your skin effect you want from a good scary movie.

The film is about an Alaskan town that is as far north as you can get in the US and every year they have 30 days without sunshine. Hmmm...let's see...who do you think would love a town with no sunlight and humans...you guessed it - Vampires. Our vampires at lead there by a Renfield type character who prepares the town by burning cell phones and murdering sled dogs. The population of the town drops significantly during the 30 days because some folks just can't take the darkness and fly out. Slowly, but surely, the town gets cut off from the rest of world and with no power...the are in the dark. After a nice build up and incredibly gory scene of vampires run amok, we see a few stragglers trying to sneak around town and wait out the 30 days. Good acting and story really make this movie worthwhile.

MMM1/2M (of 5)

No Country For Old Men : Motion Picture of the Year? I don't know about the merit of that because I haven't seen all the others but it is a good movie. It would help to already be familiar with the Coen brothers' work like Fargo, Intolerable Cruelty, Miller's Crossing, O Brother, Where Art Thou, Bad Santa and Raising Arizona - to name a few. Nothing about this writing, directing, producing (and so on) of this team is predictable. This movie is no exception.

No Country For Old Men is a carefully woven tale of a few good guys, lots of bad guys and even more worse guys. The cast is first rate with Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Oscar winner Javier Bardem and many familiar actors in supporting roles. The strange fates of the leads and spurts of dialogue will keep you wanting to watch until the end - even though you know it cannot end well for most of those involved. I don't think this movie is for everyone.

MMM (of 5)

Michael Clayton : This movie will not disappoint. I still have a few Oscar nominated movies to see but I think this was better than the winner. George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton (Oscar winner for her role in this movie) are brilliant in this story of those that are in the most hated profession in the world - Lawyers. Tom Wilkinson delivers a truly award winning performance as a top corporate lawyer who goes over the edge and George Clooney, as Michael Clayton, who has to clean up the fall out. Michael Clayton is basically a "janitor." He goes in to clean up messes left by other lawyers, firms, companies and situations. No one is really sure what it is he does...but he gets it done. The beginning of the movie (the first 10 minutes) will keep you wondering that you may have missed something but you will find out what it was as the movie progresses. All your questions will be answered. This movie is filled with surprises and isn't just some kind of lawyer drama - it has real intrigue and suspense.

MMMM (of 5)

Am I Worth It?

2008-02-27T13:20:00.003-04:00

When there's Nothing on...

2008-02-15T15:14:00.002-04:00

The movie mommy's guide to surviving the TV writers' strike and the aftermath.

"250 channels and nothing on." Truer words have not been spoken until this writers' strike and it will be a month before anything new comes on now that it is over. In general it is hard to find something worthy of a few nightly hours of your life. I have several favorite shows I adore but otherwise the TV can be relagated to being the "idiot box."
Since the strike it has been tedious. Even my favorite shows are airing episodes I have already seen - several times. And movie rentals are also lacking - except for an incredible bright spot like Sunshine and the suprising Eastern Promises. Let's face it...something needs to be done.
By calendar and coincidence TV is not a total loss this month! Here's why...
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is showing it's month long salute to the Oscar's. Everyday it pays tribute to an Oscar category by showing movies that have been either nominated for or won that award. Gems like It Happened One Night, The Quiet Man, Roman Holiday, Hello Dolly!, On Golden Pond, Some Like It Hot, Stalag 17, The Dirty Dozen, Gone With the Wind and Poltergiest to name a few. It Happened One Night was especially enjoyable to watch. My husband had never seen it and I was afraid it would be too old and corny for him. But the physical comedy and constant witty banter is enough to make anyone have a belly laugh. It is an often immitated but never duplicated classic that has rarely been topped in the romantic comedy genre (as it is now known). Any one of the above named movies are enough to make you forget that there was anything else worth tuning into. Check TV Guide for more.
Believe it or not, HBO is actually showing some great stuff! HBO is usually worthless with the exception of the sports related news programming and live boxing. In the past month HBO has been showing A Good Year, ALL the Star Wars movies, The Devil Wears Prada, The Lake House, Hollywoodland, Superman Returns, American Beauty, King Kong (recent), The Sentinal, The Last Mimsy, V for Vendetta, Take The Lead and Dreamgirls to name a few. Some of those might also be to your taste. I can recommend all of them. And there are others that I am not into but you may not have seen.
Between TCM and HBO, I really haven't had to do much renting. Because there actually IS something on tonight!

Potty Mouth

2008-01-20T11:52:00.000-04:00

This isn't just an entry about finally successfully potty training my 3 years, 10 month old son...it's about what I have learned as a parent and person. I feel the way that someone learns and problem solves is the true insight into a person and who they are. In this case - the potential of who they will be.
I consider myself to be a natural teacher. I feel that I can teach anything I know to someone else and better than it was taught to me. My confidence was unwavering...until I had to work on potty training my son.
There is undue pressure on all parents to have their child potty trained in order to go to school or be moved up into the next level at daycare. It is an incredible pressure that just can't be understood until you have gone through it. Your entire worth as a parent becomes potty training. Failure means your child won't be ready for school on time, be left behind by his peers and be left behind FOREVER! Okay, a little dramatic but it becomes a crazy sense of urgency to get this natural process of growing up complete.
I never worried about potty training til my son was about 2 1/2 and then I realized I had better start reading up on this. We had a little potty in the bathroom of our house since my son was 1. He would sit on it, rarely. I thought, hey, I can do this. I mean how hard can it be? I know how to use a toilet. Everyone I know uses one successfully. I was ready to hit it head on. I bought a book "How to Potty Train your Child in just One day." It's a great book. Really talks to parents about all the pressures we are put under to get our children potty trained by a certain age. I followed the procedure in the book exactly. I really thought my son was ready. He wasn't. That attempt was about a year ago. I had little success and lots of laundry. I felt defeated. I was so confident that I could teach him.
Various other events took place to thwart my efforts. I went active duty in the Navy and I was separated from my children (on and off...mostly off) for about 6 months. Anyone who watched/babysat my children swore they would have him trained in a week. Yeah, right.
And it goes without saying that there is TONS of advice from people who don't have kids or those that do and claim there child was potty trained a year old. Yeah, right.
My son, being who he is, does things at his own pace. He crawled at 11 months, walked at 14 months and spoke (more than his native Klingon) at 3 years old. He is not on any one's schedule but his own. I know that about him. He is a creature of habit. My mother called him mini-"Monk" (after the OCD TV detective of the same name) at an early age. Things had to be just so. If not, this lead to great tantrums and we would never know why (he couldn't communicate in English clearly enough). He likes to know how things work and he likes a procedure. I don't think I took these things into consideration when initially training him. I just thought - he's getting trained darn it!
A few months ago he started going to a home daycare where there is a boy a few months younger than him that is also going through potty training. This sense of friendly competition and encouragement had caused my son to turn a corner.
My son had been dry in the morning for over a month and through is naps. A sign a child is ready for potty training. He had been using the potty at the home daycare during the day (to urinate only). Rarely at home and he was still in pull ups. About a week ago my son came home and said he needed a "clean diaper." He insisted. I knew why. There was one part of bathroom business he didn't want to do in the potty. Once I put the pull up on him - he did what he had to do. That's when I decided - anyone old enough to ask for a clean diaper is old enough to use the potty. The next morning I put him in underwear and he hasn't been in a pull up since. Dry all night and day. He does everything in the potty now. No wet accidents and rarely any of the other kind.
My son will do things at his own pace. I should have remembered that. And I think I forget that like any other human being he has a will of his own. I need to keep this in mind as I teach him the other things he must know to move successfully through an uncertain, often unforgiving yet filled with possibilities world we live in.
Needless to say we are all extremely proud of him. Almost giddy with delight. He is also proud. This was not the impossible task that it seemed to be - just 2 weeks ago. It was part of being a parent and a child.
And suddenly, my son appears to be older. He is tall and lean and carries himself like a child and not a toddler. A little man.

Pushing Daisies

2008-01-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

There are not many shows on TV that I consider "must see TV." I have written about most of them like The Closer and Criminal Minds. My new favorite (since it's debut in the fall) is Pushing Daisies.
Pushing Daisies is a hard show to describe...smart writing, slick acting, comedy, romance and oddness...all blend with technicolor sets to create an indescribable TV experience. Really, I can't describe. I could try but it sounds to weird to work.
Our hero, Ned, discovered at a young age that he could bring things back to life by just touching them. And can return them to dead by touching them again. The hitch is that he has to make them dead again within 2 minutes or something or someone else will die in it's place. None of this is explained.
Ned owns a pie restaurant, The Pie Hole, in which he serves pie and conducts business with his private detective buddy (who knits when he is stressed). Their business is that Ned touches murder victims, finds out who killed them and collects the reward money. Until one fateful day a murder victim is Ned's childhood sweetheart, Chuck, whom he touches and brings back to life. He leaves her that way. They are madly in love but can't touch each other. Chuck was raised by her Aunts (retired synchronized swimming stars) who don't know she was brought back to life.
There are way out plot lines, fast dead pan dialogue and an excellent cast led by Lee Pace and Anna Friel and supported by such veteran actors as Chi McBride, Ellen Greene and Swoozie Kurtz. There is much more the show than what I have described because you just have to see it to believe it.
This program wins my vote for every award shows' "best new television series" and "best comedy series of the year."
This is a visual taste sensation that is not to be missed on Wednesday nights. Bon appetite.

Viva La Long Johns!

2008-01-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

I'm cold. And I am going to continue complaining about it being cold...until it is warm. I shake my fist bitterly at the sky as I brace myself against face biting snow flurries and strong winds off the water. I'm cold.
With that being said, I am challenged by being a cold weather mommy. I never had to worry about coats, gloves, hats, boots, etc. I lived in Florida for 10 years and my son spent the first 3 years of his life in shorts and t-shirts. But now we live in Virginia - where it is cold.
I am challenged by things that seem silly like, getting a toddler in a car seat with a big winter coat, being late because of said bundling and making sure the kids are warm enough or not too warm. I never watched the weather forecast so much in my life. It's like every day I am expecting a hurricane (pretty much that is all we worry about in Florida). I watch and wonder about: Do I put them in a turtleneck or long sleeve t-shirt? And will the temperature drop 20 degrees as soon as it gets dark? (which is when I pick them up). I also think about running them out to the car with no coat - to make it easier to buckle them in or do I worry about them sweating under those coats? We won't even get into the allergies, ear infections, runny noses, coughs and pneumonia that all this winter weather has brought us.
The cold weather is a small concern on the grand scheme of things but something the movie mommy never had to worry about before. As for myself...I wear long johns. Yup, nothing fancy. No silk ones for me - just the usual waffle pattern ones. I wear them to work under my uniform, much to the amusement of my co-workers. And in an office with no heat - I have the last laugh.

Movie Reviews

2008-01-02T17:55:00.000-04:00

AT THE MOVIES:

National Treasure - Book of Secrets: I loved the last National Treasure movie. So, if you are like me - you will love this one as well. Nicholas Cage and company go on another treasure hunt with secrets hidden in things like the desk in the Oval office and a desk in Buckingham Palace. This of course means Cage has to get access to these locations. He also has to get information out of a book that only the President of the United States has access to or knows about - the "book of secrets." This book contains stuff like Area 51 information and JFK assination facts. The reason our heroes are on this quest is to clear the name of Cage's character's ancestor who is accused of helping James Wilkes Booth assinate President Lincoln. This keeps everyone very busy and eventually leads to Native American treasure that was supposed to help the Confederates during the Civil War. The story gets a little convoluted but is great fun from beginning to end.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Enchanted: This sweetheart of a movie is sure to be fun for everyone in the entire family or even if you don't bring them...you will still enjoy it! The premise is kind of silly but not unique - a cartoon character is transformed into real person in NYC. The thing about this fish out of water scenario is the fact that Disney is not afraid to poke fun at itself. Our heroine assumes everyone is as nice as they are in her fairytale world and that leads to a reality check while at the same time making harsh citizens of the live action world soften up a bit. There are some great tunes as our gal is not afraid to just break into song and enough humor to make adults laugh. This is not really a kids movie - maybe kids over the age of 10 but there is some humor they might not get. Bring your suspension of disbelief with you and you will leave feeling good and...like singing a happy song.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

ON VIDEO:

Stardust: This was a fun movies that fans of The Princess Bride, Ella Enchanted and other fun fantastical movies should enjoy. The knowledge that an unknown world is beyond a stone fence in England is to much for a young man to ignore and he decides to tempt fate and venture accross. The result of this short journey will lead his own son and a fallen star on an adventure that involves witches, kings, ghosts and pirates. Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfieffer are standouts and are appearing to have a great time of it. Just enjoy.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

The Waitress: The fact that the only "star" in this movie is Kerri Russell should be a strong indication of lameness...but I read the box for the movie and it used words like "sassy" and "comedy." It was also supposed to leave me "inspired." Well, after induring this movie for 2 hours - I found myself hardpressed to find any of these items. Russell plays a young woman that works at a pie shop and gets pregnant by her very abusive husband. She ends up having an affair with her married obstetrian. There are some amusing things that happen in this movie like the fact that everytime she feels a strong emotion she thinks up a pie to go along with it, "the baby is keeping me up all night pie," "I hate my husband pie," etc. In the end Russell's character does have an epiphany after having the baby - which is good. But inspired? Sassy? Comedy? Nope. I guess I was really expecting those things. If they said "drama" then I wouldn't have been waiting for it to be funny. And Kerri Russell cannot carry a movie at all.
M (out of 5 M's)

Land of the Blind: Two hours of my life I won't get back. This total dog isn't worth the space in this blog to mention. Ralph Finnes and Donald Sutherland are totally wasted in this weird movie.
Zero M's

I Am Legend

2007-12-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

I Am Legend is some good sci fi filmaking and is based on the book by the same name that came out in 1954. There have been other adaptations of the book including the trippy movie Omega Man with Charlton Heston and a graphic novel. Basically, been there, seen that. Will Smith plays Robert Neville an Army scientist trying to find a cure to a pandemic that has infected, seemingly, the entire world. The results of the infection is that those infected display vampire like tendencies...drinking blood, long teeth, sensitivity to sunlight, etc. The disease was caused by a cure for Cancer, unlike other adaptations that blame some kind of germ warfare. Smith does an excellent job portraying a man that is dealing with an incredibly bleak future for himself and the world. He goes to day to with his routine (and his dog) of hunting for food, renting videos and most importantly broadcasting his message on the radio of where survivors can meet him. He has done this for 3 years. The vampires are wonderfully freaky with CGI distorted faces Ala The Mummy. Our first glimpse of the creepy dark dwellers is when Smith follows his dog, reluctantly, into a dark building. There is definite suspense building when all you see is the light mounted on his gun searching through the darkness. Then we see them- a group of them standing in a circle with their heads bowed. All we really see is the pale backs and bald heads. It's enough for everyone in the theatre to yell, "Run!" In some ways it would have been okay for the baddies to just stay in the shadows like that but when they do decide to descend upon him in the darkness it is not disappointing - they are very scary.
As I said in the beginning, we've seen some of this before...a little 28 Days Later with a dash of Children of Men and Lifeforce. And the scenes of the abandoned and grown over New York City is way cool. However, I think there was some stuff left on the cutting room floor that could have fleshed this movie out a little. For instance, Emma Thompson has what appears to be a cameo as the creator of a cure for Cancer and only through Smith watching recorded news programs do we find out the cure's role in what has happened. Even then it isn't clear. I feel Thompson must have had a larger role. It also isn't clear what Smith's character's role was in the disease. He seems to have a singular goal to find the cure and even sends away his family at the beginning of the outbreak in order to stay in New York City (ground zero of the illness) and continue his research. We see a brief glimpse of a Time Magazine cover that has his picture and "Our Savior" under it. What did we miss? Did Thompson and Smith have a scene together? True, a good filmmaker wants to give his audience some credit for being able to figure things out...this was a little to much. And we know with all the money they spend on effects and sets - that is what has to make it on the screen.
I did like this movie, it was good but it wasn't great. Will Smith gives great depth to his character and really makes this movie worth watching. I think this movie could have been great if it was a little longer. I hope when it comes out on video they have a "director's cut" that includes some things that just have to be there somewhere to have the movie really take hold of the viewer.
Rating: MMM (out of 5 M's)

Finally Excited About Christmas

2007-12-07T14:42:00.000-04:00

Nothing can be more annoying to the mother of an infant, baby or toddler than someone saying, "Is he excited about Christmas?!" What 8 month old isn't?! Duh! Parents out there understand what I am talking about. At my son's first Christmas, he was more interested in playing in the pile of wrapping paper. His second Christmas, he was more interested in laughing when someone broke wind. At his third Christmas, he actually got the fact that unwrapping a box meant something was inside for him. Now, he is almost 4 years old and is excited!
NOW, you can ask me!
He knows that Santa will come and bring him presents - he asks every morning if this is the day. He likes to watch the Christmas specials - his favorite, right now, is the original animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have to start him out with the classics and it is so cute to hear him singing along. He loves to hear me sing Christmas songs and insists that the tree be plugged in every morning - like I need the encouragement. He loves the lighted train that is in our front yard and opening the drawers in the train Advent calendar we have. He is just starting to get that it is only one drawer a day. He loves driving around and looking at Christmas light displays. He is excited.
The great thing now is that my daughter (just turned 2 years old) is also excited about Christmas! I know it's because of my son's excitement. I don't know if she understands about getting presents...but she will get that figured out soon enough. She can't say "Santa" - instead she just points and says, "Ho, ho, ho!" (in an incredibly adorable little voice). She likes the lights on the tree and in the yard. She knows something different is going on around here...and it's happy.
Christmas really does take on new meaning when you have children and that new meaning has finally happened to me.
I always loved Christmas but now it seems, "Christmas means a little bit more..."

The movie mommy strikes Back!

2007-11-21T20:44:00.000-04:00

Finally...the movie mommy has rented some movies!

Ocean's 13: I rarely see a movie that I could own and watch over and over but this is one of those movies! Hard to believe coming from me...I found Ocean's 11 and 12 to be a waste of 4 hours of my life I am never going to get back. But there is just something about this movie that hits the nail on the head...at least for me. I did a full review of this movie when I saw it at the movies (you can look through my blog for it) and I like it even more now. George, Brad, Matt and Co. are not just doing a switcheroo big time heist for themselves...this is motivated by giving someone their comeuppance. That someone is a casino scumbag played by Al Pacino - a nice addition to the already established characters. Ellen Barkin is also part of the action and seemingly enjoying her role as the "cougar" assistant to Pacino. You might need to see it again and again and each time you will catch something different.
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Shrek 3: This is another one I saw at the movies and feel really blows away it's predecessor. I really never thought the Shrek movies were all that - this one finally lives up to the hype. I am probably the only one that feels that way. Shrek fans I have talked to were disappointed. Since I wasn't expecting much...I was pleasantly surprised. Much of the humor probably appeals to me because I am a parent. Shrek finds out he is going to be a father and there are some humorous scenes involving his anxiety over it, including a nightmare about baby Shreks - everywhere. I also like anything that has to do with the Arthurian legend and they did a fun take on it. Give this one a chance!
Must Rent.
MMMM

We Are Marshall: This movie begins with an unbelievably tragic event (I might as well tell you and spare you the shock...and it was a true event) of a plane carrying the entire Marshall University football team, coaching staff and prominent boosters all dying in a plane crash outside of the University's town - 75 people in all. The town is small enough that everyone in the town lost someone or knew someone that died. It is mentioned that the prominent boosters were the town's doctors and lawyers and that 28 children lost both parents. This leads the University to vote to close down the football program. When the news is broken to the 4 players that did not make the trip with the team, one team member decides there must be a team. After the player rallies support, the University president (played by one of my favorites, David Strathairn) goes on a search for a coach. No one wants to do it. There is the assistant coach, who gave up his seat on the plane, haunted by the event and he cannot bring himself to take the head coaching job. Even the town is still divided about having a team and it being a painful reminder of what they have lost. Mathew McConaughey plays the coach that wants to fill those shoes. The rest of the movie pretty formulatic and we have seen it before. The problem I have with the movie is that McConaughey's facial ticks and gestures (I suppose trying to be like the real coach) are distracting and actually take away from his performance. Rent if you have lots of tissues handy and just like football movies in general.
MM

Others to consider renting:
The Flying Scotsman - MMM
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer - MMM1/2M
Hairspray - MMMM

The New Fab Four

2007-11-09T18:55:00.000-04:00

Okay...so, I went to a Wiggles concert. If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about...don't feel bad. I never heard of them until I had children and found out the Wiggles were the biggest money making act in the world in 2005 (including CD, DVD, concert ticket and merchandise sales). They are HUGE. And I got the see them in concert. They have also been around for almost 15 years. Most children know them from their TV show or DVDs.
Without going into a large amount of detail...the Wiggles are four men from Australia that are musicians who also majored in early childhood education. I was turned on to them when my son was an infant. I was pretty impressed. The tunes are catchy and the foursome have a way with communicating with the children that is their own. The children really respond. I credit the Wiggles with teaching my son to dance and communicate...he was a late talker but could ask for a banana by rubbing his hands together (like in one of their songs about a smashed banana) at an early age.
There are three original Wiggles and earlier this year had to replace the fourth with an understudy (fans might know him as Professor Sing-A-Lotta-Song-A). A great choice. In concert they all get the job done.
On to the concert...
I have to admit that even I was excited when the Wiggles appeared on stage. I found my self whooping it up like I was seeing a rock concert - all the parents were. I mean I know all the songs as well as I know the songs from my favorite rock group and after seeing them on TV for over 3 years...I'm a fan. The toddlers in the audience were a mix between being mesmerized (like my daughter) and immediately dancing and singing (like my son).
After a few songs my son did get overwhelmed and had to leave the show for a while. He doesn't like crowds and I think the excitement and screaming were to much for him.
The Wiggles had very few special effects and a simple stage but lots of energy, dancers and all familiar faces. The Wiggles were joined by Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus (in large costumes) and every one's favorite pirate, Captain Feathersword. They performed all their hits including Fruit Salad, Rock-a-Bye Your Bear, Look Both Ways, Here Comes a Bear, Play Your Guitar with Murray, Shake Your Hips with Wags the Dog and Hot Potato. Yes, I know all those songs and all the words! My children especially liked the version of Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep on His Pirate Ship (Quack, Quack, Cockadoodledoo). By this time my daughter had really gotten into the show and was dancing up a storm. And my son was back in the party. The parents were amused by them going into the Can't Touch This riff and at the right place shouted, "Can't Quack this!" and shuffled across the floor in duck suites like MC Hammer.
The Wiggles had a great time on stage and the audience could easily pick up on that. They put as much or more into a show as any top performers that I have ever seen.
If you have small children and have been dreading seeing the Wiggles in concert...don't.
The BEST part of the whole experience was watching my children (song after song) dancing and singing. That's why every parent was there.

What A Little Moonlight Can't Do...

2007-10-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

To say, "been there, done that..." in regards to the new TV show Moonlight would be more than redundant. Most viewers will think it is like the show Angel (1999-2004), the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin off, about a vampire that is also a private eye. I didn't think that because I wasn't into the whole Buffy/Angel scene.
I say, "been there, done that" because of a show called Forever Knight (1989-1996). Forever Knight follows the evening activities of police Detective Nick Knight (Geraint Wyn Davies), an 800 year old vampire, who resides in a Toronto, Canada and drives a 1950s convertible Caddy. The episodes featured him solving crimes, on the night shift, with his partner (played by veteran actor John Kapelos) and avoiding the bad influence of the vampire underworld lead by, another veteran actor, Nigel Bennett. There is also Natalie, the night morgue worker, who lusts after our vampire hero - she knows he's a vampire. He of course cannot let himself love her because he's a vampire...yeah, yeah, we know the rest. There were many flashbacks during every episode, ala Highlander, but it never really got old because of how long his life spanned. An interesting episode is when you got to see how the head vampire was turned...just before the erupting of Pompeii. There is also a cool vampire club in town where Nick has to go on occasion to find a vampire that has been making trouble. Forever Knight was never actually on any network. At that time networks like USA and TNT were not in the major TV episode market. Instead it was on one of the big 3, after the news, on what they called "Crime time after Prime time." They also showed a wonderfully decadent show called Silk Stalkings (a fluffy Miami Vice type show). Basically, if you were up late...you may have seen an episode of Forever Knight.
This brings us to Moonlight. And here is a rundown of the originality...or lack there of. Moonlight follows the story of a private detective named Mick St. John - who was made a vampire in the 1950s and drives a 1960s Mercedes. Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin grumbles his lines, in his best American accent, through some pretty lame episodes (so far). He bounces his troubles off a vampire friend and you do see other vampires around Los Angles including ones that clean up after sloppy vampire activity. Mick also has someone he wishes he could be with and that is a young police detective whom he saved when she was a young girl. In the second episode of the season he tells her the truth about himself. I really don't know where the show is going to go at this point. I mean, the really can't do the whole flashback thing because...well...the guy only has about 80 years to flashback into. And there really isn't an interesting supporting cast. I have watched a couple episodes so far...I might stick with...but then again...I might not.
If you are into this kind of thing...rent episodes of Forever Knight.

Welcome Home

2007-10-07T20:09:00.001-04:00

The movie mommy has dropped the ball lately when it comes to movie reviews...I know. But I have a good excuse...I have been moving.
I have moved a lot in the past 6 months...house to house...house to apartment...and now, in a week, apartment to home. Not just a house but a home. Everyone's definition of home is different. Some people think of home as being where they grew up, where their parents live, where they lived the longest, where they raised their own family, where they last lived or where they live now. There are countless more, I am sure. Mine is...where I can finally stay and not have to move again, for a long time. A place with my husband and children are waiting for me when I come home from work. A place that I can decorate anyway I want for the holidays. Those are just a few of my definitions of home. A home can be allusive for some people. Take my office and my desk - or lack there of. A home away of home...as it were.
Ever since I arrived at my office I have not had a desk of my own. I have been sharing desks with people. I refer to it as "hot desking." That is a term borrowed from shipboard living - an expression called "hot racking." That is when you have to share a bed (rack) with someone else. You go to work, someone else sleeps in your bed - can be several someones in a row. The bed is still warm from the other person when you go to get in it, thus the term "hot racking." Ew...I know.
Every time someone, in my office, went out for a few hours I would unplug their computer, plug in mine and use their phone. Sometimes even a few minutes. They understood. But sometimes when the office was full...I was stuck. I really do need a computer to do my job. Especially, since I am new and have a lot less busy work than my co-workers.
Last week my own desk dream came true. It's an old desk and will be replaced by a new one in a couple months...but to me it is my very own. Some of my co-workers think my desk arrangement and use of space is claustrophobic. I am in a corner, facing a wall and behind me is the back of a high walled cubicle. I have a computer and a phone. I call it my cave. And it is my cave and basically, I am the only one that has to like it.
Like a home.
As for my actual home...my new home...it won't be a home until next week when my family comes. After all...home is where the heart is.

Genesis Turns It On Again

2007-09-20T19:45:00.000-04:00

When the Genesis show in Philly opened with the instrumental Behind the Lines/Duke's End from the Trick of the Tail album, I knew this would be a real fan's concert. Not that I don't like the Invisible Touch album or the "Mama" album, I love them, it's just that...everyone else knows those albums as well. I wanted to hear stuff that I have never heard them play in concert (I saw them twice in 1987) or thought they never would. They did not disappoint - even though they didn't play anything from the Abacab album. No biggie.
They, of course, rocked the place with Turn it on Again, Land of Confusion, Invisible Touch, Mama and Tonight, Tonight, Tonight. They also added some newer fan favs like In the Glow of the Night/Domino, Hold on My Heart, Throwing it All Away, as well as, other favs (that are not mine) like I Can't Dance and No Son of Mine.
The songs that surprised me were songs like Home by the Sea AND Second Home by the Sea - that was a treat. There were more to come!
Now, there were some clunky moments...like the crappy graphics on the screen behind them and the fact that the band doesn't have any new dance moves or new clever things to say. We've heard it all before...even the curse word during Invisible Touch. These things did not take away from the concert at all. I'm just being picky.
The real ultimate fan treat of the concert was the old stuff and instrumentals! When Phil Collins got behind the drums (where he spent half the concert) and sang Follow You, Follow Me - it was nostalgic and wonderful - I got goosebumps. Then when they rocked out with The Cage and went into the instrumentals of The Cinema Show and Duke's Travels it was incredible! They also did the instrumentals of Los Endos, Afterglow and Firth of Fifth. There was a wild drum solo and duet with looooong time Genesis tour/session drummer Chester Thompson.
Songs like Ripples and I Know What I Like had the fans singing full voice. Real fans that is. My attitude was - if you don't know these songs you shouldn't be here! I know that is harsh but I think for the most part...they were true fans. I know this, from the encore of Carpet Crawlers that had the crowd swaying along and singing like in some sort of trance.
This concert was a treat for the movie mommy on many levels.
Dinner at a place I would never go with kids: $40. Gas in truck for short trip to NJ: $50. Concert Ticket: $96.
Hanging with friends and family before the show: priceless.

The Closer

2007-09-09T08:48:00.000-04:00

I have only a few television shows that I just have to see. Shows that while I watch them there must be peace and quiet. Children have to be in bed, chores must be done, cell phones are off, I have to be in my pajamas and I am ready to treat myself with The Closer. Even during the commercials, I am a serious viewer - no channel surfing. Don't even think about. I don't want to miss one delectable morsel of my one hour treat.
TNT advertises that The Closer is the highest rated show on cable. And so does TV Guide. Funny, since I only know one other person that watches it regularly. I ask co-workers and family if they watch it and I haven't found anyone yet. Their (and your) loss. It is a show that only comes on when the regular shows take their scheduled breaks - in the summer and somewhere around the holidays. New programming in the abyss of re-runs.
The Closer, in a word, is brilliant. TV Guide described it best when they said the formula of, "Unexpected moments of comedy, plucked heartstrings and a dash of gore - is working." It is really hard to describe. It's as if Lenny Brisco (from Law & Order) wrote a TV show. There are the wisecracks galore, over the top characters, wildly twisted plots and LAPD Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson played by Kyra Sedgwick.
You are asking yourself, "Who is she again?" She is and has been a working actress for over 25 years in television and films such as Born on the Fourth of July, Phenomenon, Heart & Souls and The Woodsman. All very different movies and very different characters. She is also a well educated and smart person. Smart enough to know that after rejecting even reading the script for The Closer, to listen to her husband, Kevin Bacon, and give the script a chance.
I am so glad she did! She is joined by such veteran actors as J.K. Simmons, Anthony John Denison, G.W. Bailey, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz and Robert Gossett. You may not know their names but they have very familiar faces and are the back bone of the LAPD's Priority Homicide Division. Chief Johnson directs these folks and works through their unique personalities and gets the job done. Catches the bad guy.
Her methods were unsettling for her team at first...they resisted but after seeing how she gets the suspects to confess (hence she is the closer)...they know she knows what she is doing. Johnson is the new Columbo. She has her catch phrases and that bag. She will come into the interview room with a suspect and start digging through this big tote bag she carries everywhere. It confuses the suspect and with her blond hair and deep southern drawl, they think she isn't that smart. That is their fatal error.
Never underestimate her. Or what this show will come up with next!
Watch The Closer and you will be a convert...but you will have to wait until the new season starts this winter. The season just ended. Sigh.

Something Wonderful

2007-08-20T20:47:00.000-04:00

I have been experiencing something wonderful lately: I talk on the phone with my son. That might not seem like something stellar but to me it is. My son is 3 1/2 and when I first started this blog my son was just saying a few words and stringing very few together. Now, just like everyone warned me, he won't stop talking! I don't mind at all. I talk to him every night (we are currently living in different states because of my job) on the phone and he tells me about his day:
Me: Hi, Bill!
Little Bill: Hi, Mommy!
Me: Tell me about your day.
LB: Woke up...had cereal...go car with Daddy...go car with Bee Bee...Taco Bell...naptime...go park...have tee-too (pizza)...have ice cream...bubble bath...get pajamas on...bedtime.
Me: Goodnight, Bill.
LB: Goodnight, Mommy.
Sigh...The conversations do vary at times. Sometimes he just has me on the phone while he plays and when I ask to put Daddy on the phone he says, "No! Talk Mommy you me!"
I love talking to my little man. He can even say, "I love you."

For Babylonians Only

2007-08-02T19:14:00.000-04:00

When it comes to Babylon 5 there are those that are fans and those that never saw and episode. It's not like Star Trek which is a show that everyone has at least seen one episode or at least know what it is. Probably because of it's longevity in the collective human pop cultural consciousness. Babylon 5 ran for five seasons and then just disappeared. There haven't been re-runs. Yet, the fans remain. Babylon 5 is like Farscape or Stargate SG-1, the fans just sit back and enjoy. It's sort of like being in on a joke that only you and your buddies are in on. And we are okay with that.
The latest Babylon 5 DVD is Babylon 5: The Lost Tales. It's terrific. The story behind the straight to DVD release is that these were stories that the series creator, J. Michael Straczynski, had been working on when the series was cancelled. Some B5 fans consider JMS to be "the one" or "great maker"...okay, you have to have watched the show to get that one. But you can probably get the idea. There are two "episodes" on this one DVD. The first episode centers around a Catholic Priest that is called to the Babylon 5 station at the behest of it's captain, Colonel Lockley. There is a man on board the station that appears to be a victim of demonic possession. Lockley carefully brings this to the Priest. She can't believe she is even asking for his help. In the end the demon puts a moral question to the Priest and we really don't know what choice he will make until the very end. The conversations between the Priest, Lockley and the demon are fascinating.
In the second episode the President of the Interstellar Alliance, John Sheridan, returns to Babylon 5 for the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Alliance. The return to station is bitter-sweet for Sheridan. He was once the captain of B5 and now returns for a celebration in his honor. A lot happened on the station when he was there and he comments that some was wonderful and some very painful. He gives an interview to a CNN type reporter (played by Teryl Rothery, nod to Stargate SG-1). It's interesting because it is a very dark room and there is no back ground music. It is almost like watching a play...more on that in a second. Along the way his transport picks up young Molari Prince that is third in line to the thrown. Sheridan gets a glimpse of the future, through a dream like state, and learns that this young Prince could cause the destruction of Earth...in 50 years. Now Sheridan has a moral dilemma, kill the Prince and save Earth or let him live and take those chances.
The interesting thing about these episodes is that there are only 2-3 characters in each scene. Each scene is like a scene from a play. There are not a lot of special effects (but the ones that are there are very cool!) just the characters devouring the scripts and working through each morality play. If there are more episodes done like this...I would love them. Of course, I would love more episodes of any kind but these are exceptionally well done.
Alas, my favorite character of the series does not appear in these episodes, G'kar, played by the late Andreas Katsulas. An actor who, through all that makeup, could leave the viewer speechless. Words are words when they are just spoken but to be spoken by G'kar...they were poetry.
"If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth... for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light... pure and unblemished... not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe - God looks astonishingly like we do - or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us."

Licensed to Recruit

2007-07-25T17:18:00.000-04:00

As I finish up my final week of Recruiter school, I look back at the times I have had and the times that are to come. Because we are in our last week of school, we have a great deal of confidence, like being seniors in high school. We can see our exit...just ahead.
There are 13 of us (considered a very small class) receiving our Recruiter badge or "cookie" as it is known in the field...or "rookie cookie" as ours will be known - at first. The badge is about the size of a half dollar coin and is emblazoned with the seal of the Navy and the words Navy Recruiter. After 5 weeks of some excellent training - we feel we have definitely earned it.
It has been an amazing experience for me at this point in my career and life.
First, I have been immersed in to the Active Duty Navy life. Having been a Reservist for 8 years, I had never been to a Navy school or been actively participating with so many of my Active Duty counter parts. Needless to say, I am older than just about everyone, not just in the class but probably the entire building (there are always students rotating in and out of the 5 week program). With that in mind, I prided myself in being able to finish our 1.5 mile run ahead of other students.
Secondly, I discovered how un-hip I am. Shocking as that may seem to those that know me - it's true. My pop culture references (and jokes) are not in the same framework as my classmates. I am dated. My classmates on average are probably 25 years old. So, with that being said...I was pretty clueless. It was painfully obvious that I was un-hip and I didn't mind poking fun at myself by making references to taking Centrum Silver and drinking Ensure (I don't do either!). Thankfully there is Star Wars which seems to be a reference across the generations. But in the end, I was told I needed to see the movie Boondock Saints and the Dave Chappelle Show (season 1 & 2). I guess if you don't know what I am talking about...sorry...you are un-hip too.
Lastly, it was fun to see the future of not just recruiting but of the Navy and ultimately our society. These are sharp and well trained young people that are confident at their jobs and their mission. I know they will all be great Recruiters and when they are done recruiting they will head back out to the Fleet. I do wish them well.
On Friday I fly back home and on Monday I report to my Recruiting Station (office). I will start the first day of the rest of my career. I am nervous but feel I have been prepared the best way the Navy can.
The rest is up to me.
Stand by.

Mimzy Whimzy

2007-07-24T08:39:00.000-04:00

There are very few movies out there that strike that childlike chord with me. I don't mean nostalgic like watching the original Superman. I mean that somehow make you transform, as you are watching it, into a child. You have wonder, hope and a feeling that maybe, just maybe, there is a bit of magic in the world. Two movies that do that for me are Flight of the Navigator (1986) and Batteries Not Included (1987). These movies may seem dated and even corny but there is something about them. The Last Mimzy is now one of these movies in my book.
Mimzy is a stuffed rabbit found by boy and his little sister as they are playing on the beach. Life isn't horrible for these children. There father is a workaholic but they do have a nice vacation home on the beach. They are just ordinary. When they find Mimzy and some other strange artifacts on the beach something starts to happen to them. Mimzy attaches herself to the little girl with whom she communicates through a quiet purring sound and the boy is fascinated with a shard of colored glass. At first it's just childlike chatting and curiosity but then both children develop unusual abilities that include telepathy, increased intelligence and talking to insects. There is also the curious picture in a copy of Alice in Wonderland. The picture shows the real Alice holding what appears to be a stuffed rabbit and it looks just like Mimzy. Coincidence? It will keep you wondering. The children's abilities draw attention to them from the spacey science teacher who thinks the children are some kind of reincarnations of Tibetan Lamas, to the Department of Homeland Security who don't know what to think of them. The truth about why Mimzy is there does come out and then the race is on to return Mimzy to where she came from in time to save her own life and the lives of those that sent her.
By the end of the movie you will look in the mirror and see yourself or rather your inner child. And maybe, like me, you will find yourself on ebay bidding on a Mimzy. You will have to have one. Because you will miss your inner child...and your Mimzy.

Movie Time!

2007-07-14T09:26:00.000-04:00

I have finally gotten to the movies and caught up on some rentals. I won't write lengthy reviews...except for maybe the second one:

In Theaters:

Sneak Peak!
Hairspray: Went to a sneak preview of Hairspray. I had no intention of all of seeing it. I loved the original non-musical movie and every time I saw John Travolta as a woman in the commercials made me want to puke. I was so glad I saw it. Maybe because I am a bit blue being away from home or maybe because of the passion of youth displayed in this film...I found it to be an absolute delight! The young actors in this film embraced every aspect of singing and dancing and bringing this story to vibrant life. John Travolta didn't ad anything to the picture and in fact took the audience away from his co-stars. Every time he appeared on screen there was a giggle and when he was singing and dancing it was a distraction. This movie does not need his gimmick - it can stand on it's own. The story of the chubby girl who wants to dance on the popular local dance show is timeless. And her victory over the nay-sayers and racists that existed in 1962 make you want to stand up and cheer. You have to really like a lot of singing and dancing! Lots of fun!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix: I have to first say that this is my least favorite book of the Harry Potter series and it is also the first of the real thick ones. It is sort of like the middle story of a trilogy. Not really moving along the plot but setting up for further adventures. I got bored with the book. The MOVIE however, has nothing boring at all happening in it! It is a wild ride start to finish. Be warned...it is dark. Readers of the books know that they do get darker. When a student died at the end of the last movie - that was a signal that things weren't going to be all fun and games anymore at Hogwarts. I have noticed that people say that each movie is better than the next, including this one. I think because the characters are older and dealing with more adult topics...these aren't children anymore and they don't want to be treated like children. The characters have to face real life, death and dangerous situations.
The movie did an excellent job of simmering down this thick book into the movie. Like the other movies, it covers all the things that a book fan wants to see BUT won't leave a non-reader of the books in the dark. Harry is a teenager and all the things that go with it. Daniel Radcliffe does an excellent acting job in this movie as he has to display a wide range of emotions while having to deal with all the special effects around him. You get a sense of Harry as a real person. Radcliffe has most of the acting and screen time in this movie and I think he has improved greatly because of having to work closely with such actors as Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman as well as the other well known actors who might carry only small parts in this movie. Harry has to face such things as facing ridicule from his peers, harsh treatment by teachers and nightmares he can't escape...just another day for a high school student, right? I won't go into the plot of the movie - just go see it on the big screen!
MMMMM (out of 5 M's)

Transformers: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/life/entertainment/news-article.aspx?storyid=85600
Okay, maybe this is cheating but this reviewer hit the nail right on the head. And pretty much said exactly what I was going to say...only better. One note: It is worth seeing on the big screen if you are a big effects fan.
MM 1/2M (out of 5 M's)

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: I might be a bit late on this review as this movie is probably out of the theater by now! I was surprised they did another Fantastic Four movie. The last one got mediocre reviews and didn't even peak in the rental market...maybe it did better overseas. I liked the first movie - it was fun. I also like superheroes fleshed out on the big screen. This movie follows our four genetically mutated superheroes as they go through their daily life of being heroes. There is no secret identity...everyone knows who they are and they have trouble doing the simplest thing, like getting married. They have gadgets, costumes and their superhero lab - everything they would need except normal lives. The movie could have been boring but the special effects and humor keep the movie alive and enjoyable. The Silver Surfer is very cool! I would have rather seen an entire movie about his inception. He is an alien that searches the universe, for his "master," for planets that can be literally consumed. Earth is now the target and well, there is nothing that can be done about it. I think it will be very worthwhile renting and is something the whole family can enjoy.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

Ocean's 13: Okay, so I am late on this one as well! It's probably out of the movies or down at the dollar theater. Well, go see it! I admit, I am not a fan of the Ocean movies. They are clever but not impressive. This movie is the best of the three. I saw it on a whim because I arrived at a theater and it was the only thing playing at that time. I am glad I did!
Ocean and his gang decide to not just do a heist but a sting. One of the original 11 is cheated out of his dream casino by a nasty casino owner played by Al Pacino. His friends decide that the casino owner and the casino are going to get what is coming to them. With this they have to enlist the help of their old nemesis played by Andy Garcia. I can't go into to much or I will give away the clever sting and impressive style of the gang. I might actually go see this again...it's playing at the $2 theater on base.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

Shrek The Third: I am not a Shrek fan. Don't get the appeal, etc. BUT I did like this one! I have talked to several Shrek fans that feel this one is a disappointment. I didn't feel that way at all. I think this one was the best of the three. It has less gross humor and more real plot and emotion. I know...it's animated but there can still be plot and emotion. I guess because I am a parent and the plot has to do with Shrek being a parent and facing what that means. Instead of sticking to fairy tale references and characters, this movie introduces the King Arthur legend and characters. Shrek must go on a search for the heir to the thrown who turns out to be a geeky teenager named Arthur Pendragon. Meanwhile back in Far Far Away, the humiliated Charming decides that he and other fairy tale characters, that have been put in a bad light, should unite and take over the kingdom. A fun romp. Definitely put on your list of rentals!
MMM (out of 5 M's)

Rentals:
(Okay, you have read enough...some very quick ones!)

Astronaut Farmer: Heartwarming and fun! Something you can watch with your parents, grandparents and children. A must rent that will leave you hugging and happy!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Miss Potter: The story of beloved children's author Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit) and how she got published and fell in love. Charming and sometimes magical - it does have a very sad part that if you can get past it...you will enjoy the rest of the movie. *Box of tissues alert.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

A Good Year: Russell Crowe...Russell Crowe...Russell Crowe in French wine country...what more can I say! Okay, there is a more universal appeal than that. Russell Crowe plays a bastard of a stock broker from London who inherits his Uncle's estate in France. At first he is just interested in selling it until he gets there and gets flooded with the memories of a happy childhood and who he used to be. Did I mention Russell Crowe?
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Bridge to Tarabithia: This movie is good but sad. A pre-teen boy who is bullied at school makes friends with an odd new girl who opens his eyes to his imagination. His home and school life are unhappy but in the end does find happiness in the most important place...his heart. *Box of tissues alert.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

The Mov-ing Mommy

2007-06-30T09:40:00.000-04:00

The movie mommy is tired. No recent reviews...the website is hurtin', I know. But I have been very busy. Just briefly...
I am now wearing the "cloth of the Nation" and I am going to school in Florida for the next 5 weeks.
I have had a busy couple of months. We moved from Florida to Virginia, got an apartment, got in my new job and now, as I said, I am back in Florida. It's hard to get used to but this is the life of someone serving their country.
It is something the family has to get used to as well. Long seperations and odd schedules are often common.
I don't complain though. This is not a complaint. I love the Navy. I love being active duty. The sailors in my class are young but worldy. They talk about stupid stuff they did as "young" sailors but now with 5 (or so) years in - they have learned better. Most are under 30 and most of those are under 25. They don't know about some things in life yet but are not stupid. I have learned the Navy is particular about who they take. And those that slip by don't make it out of bootcamp or through their first enlistment. When they do get out of the Navy they will have a leg up on their peers for sure.
One thing this does is give me hope for the future. I am a bit older than most of them and I have to have faith that these are the folks that can help make a better future. I suppose every generation thinks that of the next.
I suppose I got off the subject a bit. But that is what I am doing these days and why you haven't seen much from me on my blog.
I hope to catch a couple movies today and subsequent weekends that I am here at school.
More later!

More Movies

2007-06-16T12:14:00.000-04:00

In Theaters:

Spiderman 3: Okay, so I was the last person on the planet to see this at the movies! I know! But I finally did! It was worth the wait. I enjoyed this movie for the same reasons that some people thought the movie was lagging: Peter Parker being human and not Spiderman. I enjoy Tobey McGuire's performance because he really brings something to the part of Peter Parker. I feel that way about all actors that need to play the hero without the mask. Parker, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, David Banner...are not just the alter-ego's of the hero...they ARE the hero. They aren't some split personality (okay, the Hulk is) but are the same exact guy in a hero suit (or CGI'd). The important character IS the human being. When these characters are in a comic book that may not be so, but if you are going to flesh one out...they really need to be fleshed out. That is why Michael Keaton did so well at the part of Bruce Wayne and better than any since. Not because he was the first to revive the character but because of the way he portrayed him. A human with all that entails. Peter Parker is also a person that wears a suit and when the suit becomes corrupted and therefore Peter himself...we see the dark side of, not just of Spidey, but of a person. McGuire plays the dark side of Peter with such glee (as does Topher Grace as a competing photographer later on) that you have to giggle. And I believe that was his intent. That is until you miss the old Peter and want him back. As far as the MJ/romance story line goes...yawn. That has always been a yawn for me. But it's there to motivate our hero. If you haven't seen this yet...go ahead and enjoy.
MMMM (out of 5 Ms)

On Video:

The Good German: Set in Berlin immediately after WWII, this is a strange film that was supposed to be made in the style of movies from the 1940s. It's filmed in black and white with stock footage edited in and has a Max Steiner rip off of a score...but falls flat or more like a bomb...a dud. It isn't totally period. Tobey McGuire (him again!) is completely wasted in this movie as an Army con-artist that is supposed to be George Clooney's character's driver. There are several narrations going on by many of the characters that it gets confusing (like Sin City). There was also a certain amount of sex, violence and profanity that makes it very un-period. I don't know what the filmmakers where trying to make here. Don't bother trying to figure it out.
Zero Ms

Letters from Iwo Jima: If you only want to rent one of Clint Eastwood's movies on this subject...rent this one. This movie follows one Japanese soldier as he prepares for the invasion of the Americans on this tiny island. The Japanese are outnumbered by probably 100 to 1 but they prepare and have the attitude that the number doesn't matter...much. This is sacred Japanese land and will be defended to the last man. Some soldiers feel stronger about this than others but they are all there to do their duty. The story is told by not only the characters but also, as the title implies, the letters they write home. Ken Watanabe (Last Samurai) plays the Japanese Army General (American educated) that is to lead this hopeless defense. He tries to apply his vast amount of strategic knowledge to this but deep down knows that he cannot hold the island. The soldiers fight on while trying to maintain the sense of honor that they came with. The terrain is difficult, hot and there is a lack of proper food, water and sanitation. By the time the Americans arrive...the Japanese have almost defeated themselves. This movie is 95% in Japanese but it won't bother you at all. You will find yourself just listening to the language and watching the acting...even if you don't read the subtitles, you will know what is going on. Must rent.
MMMM

Pan's Labyrinth: This movie is all you have heard it to be and more. Well worthy of the awards and accolades. This sad fantastical tale, set in Spain, follows young Ofelia through a tragic world that is so horrible that it seems that part of her life is the fantasy. Ofelia is taken by her pregnant mother to live with her step-father an Army Captain during the Spanish Revolution. He brings them to his headquarters on the front line so he can be there when his child, presumed to be a boy, is born - with no regard for the health of the mother. He is cruel and sadistic man and we see this through his treatment of his staff, prisoners and even Ofelia. He is basically insane. We sort of know what is going to happen...that at some point Ofelia is going to be left alone with this bastard. In the mean time she wanders into a garden and down through an opening in the ground, lead by a fairy she met along the way, where she meets a faun. The faun tells her that she is really a princess that must return with him to her home. She must first complete 3 tasks exactly as he asks her. She encounters some real terrors along the way and the make-up effects are stunning. At no point in the movie are we told or lead to believe that she is really imagining any of this or that this isn't real. The movie is not for children but the message is simple. One must follow orders, do what they are told and obey or bad things will and always do happen. The movie is sad and dark but in the end the Captain gets his comeuppance and Ofelia is believed to be happy. In Spanish with English subtitles.
MMMM

New Reviews!

2007-05-30T20:24:00.000-04:00

At The Movies:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Pirates 3): There has been an unsubstantiated rumor that I don't like the Pirate movies. This is not true. I guess I don't get what the fuss is about. Let me say now...that I LIKED Pirates 3...really I did! The last hour and a half is some the best special effects I have ever seen. You know the kind of effects that don't make you feel like you are watching effects. You aren't sitting there saying, "Nice effects," instead you are saying, "WILD!" One minute you are sitting there and the next minute you feel like you are the only one watching the movie in a swirl of action. Now that I love! For that...I take my hat off to this movie. AND during those effects are REAL pirate action. Finally, after 2 movies, pirates doing stuff pirates should do. Y'know swashbuckling and swinging from ship to ship with canons blasting away. All this during the stunning special effects.
That is where my kind comments end. And I would like to add that I am not the only one that doesn't see these movies as a big deal. I told my brother I saw this movie and he said, "Was it as lame as the other ones?" And someone at work said, "Did it suck?" In fact, after asking around...I haven't found the huge legions fans. The consensus being because these movies can't make up their minds (and real lack of pirate action). When Pirates 1 came out we expected...well...the ride. You don't take your name from one of the most loved rides at Disney and not make it as fun as the ride. Pirates 1 was a huge success partly because of Johnny Depp's over the top performance and I stand by my opinion that anyone could have played that part (I think Johnny Depp is a brilliant actor). Pirates 2 just started to get weird and ended way somber.
Viewing Pirates 3 I got confused. I felt like I really missed something in the last movie or two. I thought maybe it was explained how Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) came back to life at the end of Pirates 2 and I missed it. There he was traipsing through Pirates 3 and nothing is explained of this til half way through the movie. Also, I missed how the Davy Jones' locker thing was like some kind of limbo. We meet up with Jack Sparrow (Depp) on a ship manned by...himself, many of himself. It was pretty trippy, really. I am not going to give away the plot of Pirates 3 (not that I can...a co-worker and I confused the whole office because we couldn't get the story straight) but I will say that the supporting cast of Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy and Stellan Skarsgard (Hunt for Red October) were the real acting stars of this movie.
Back to how the movie can't make up it's mind...the beginning of Pirates 3 starts with mass hangings to prove what a bastard the bad guy is. Like we don't know this. A child is hanged before we even see the title. I was pretty shocked. If these were not going to be fun movies they should have changed the name.
MM 1/2M (out of 5 M's)

On Video:

Music & Lyrics: Love Hugh. Love Drew. Nuff said. Okay, I'll go on with the review! This movie got luke warm reviews and I just don't know why. Of course it would help...if they got it. People who will enjoy this movie the most are people that know 80's pop culture, especially music. The movie follows the present career of an 80's has-been. He was part of a pop music duo called, Pop! One member of the band went on to become very famous and the other...well, who cares? The movie is clever how it doesn't hide the fact that they are making fun of Wham! and those of us that were there for those times appreciate that humor. Hugh Grant plays the other guy from the duo that now plays Busch Gardens and Knoxberry Farm performing all those old hits to his graying fans. He makes no apologies for it...he knows what he is. He then is offered this opportunity to write a song for the current pop diva and she wants it yesterday. Enter Drew Barrymore, who comes in to water his plants and instead plants lyrics in his head. The pair work feverishly on a song for the diva and the rest is just fun to watch. I loved this film! Fun, nostalgic and with a great cast. Hugh Grant did all his own singing and the dancing was impressive. The filmmakers must have been inspired by his dance scene in Love Actually. Sit back and enjoy this one.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

The following review is by the Super Mommy (guest reviewer):

The Fountain: Sometimes a great actor can rescue an otherwise unwatchable movie. Sometimes the sheer on-screen chemistry and passion of a leading couple can make a viewer overlook the short-comings of an unclear story line or befuddled director. Hugh Jackman's and Rachel Weisz's performances in The Fountain are almost one of those times. But not quite.
The always yummy Jackman pulls out all the stops in this movie to remind us that before he was Wolverine, bouncing around in a black leather jumpsuit and fake claws, he was a real actor. Jackman portrays Tom, a scientist desperately trying to defeat death before it steals away his beloved wife, Izzy. And Weisz, always watchable, is simply radiant as Izzy, who is slowly dying from an untreatable brain tumor. Unfortunately, you will have to watch a good 30 to 40 minutes of the movie before you are able to glean this essential, underlying plot. That's because mixed up in the modern-day scenes of Tom and Izzy are images of Jackman as a bald mystic traveling through space in a huge bubble containing nothing but him and a dead tree; and Jackman as a Spanish conquistador and Weisz as the Spanish queen who sends him off to the jungles of Central America in search of the Tree of Life.
This is a movie that could have been good if the director and/or writers were less concerned with achieving a Kubrick-like obscurity and mysticism, and more interested in giving the audience a plot they can follow. At the end - totally unforeseeable and impossible to spoil for you - the viewer is left with the feeling that the movie is still somehow incomplete. Or that you missed something. Which is a shame considering the obvious passion both the lead actors poured into their roles.
In the end, The Fountain leaves the viewer high and dry, thirsting for a satisfying - and understandable - resolution.

The movie mommy concurs with the Super Mommy on the review of The Fountain. Not only is it a waste of time but a waste of two of my favorite actors. I am afraid I couldn't really review The Fountain...I only got about 10 minutes into it.

A Case For Criminal Minds

2007-05-21T19:25:00.000-04:00

There are lots of shows on television that have a large fan following like, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Heroes, 24, Desperate Housewives, all the CSI shows and all the Law & Order shows. Some also have a small but very loyal following like Numbers, Ghost Wisperer, Crossing Jordan, Boston Legal and House. Some of the aforementioned are very good shows and some I even watch on a regular basis. Then there is hands down the best television show on the air...possibly one of the best shows to ever be on the air: Criminal Minds. Never watched it? Your loss and I will tell you why.
Criminal Minds follows a team of FBI agents from the BAU, Behavioral Analysis Unit, in Quantico. They go around the country to try and solve cases that have local authorities stumped. Most are seriel killers, kidnappers and other crazies that if you knew were out there...you wouldn't go out there. They don't collect evidence, clean up crime scenes, work in the crime lab or even go to the morgue. They review the evidence and reports from the crime scenes and put together a profile of who they should be looking for. It takes a certain kind of mind to be trained to do this kind of work. Something that a person already has a talent for. This is what makes the team members different and the characters' flawed and human.
The team is lead by the stoic Agent Hotchner, played brilliantly by Thomas Gibson and advised by Jason Gideon, played by the ever talented Mandy Patinkin. Patinkin was the reason I started watching the show. A fixture on Broadway and the creator of many coveted roles (ex. Che in Evita), it was a pleasure to see him turn to TV. He had a small role in a Law & Order episode a few years ago and was unforgettable. TV needed a show for him.
Gibson on the other hand is known to some TV viewers from the sitcom Dharma & Greg in which he played a very square lawyer married to a very free spirited daughter of hippies. I never watched that show until I saw him in Criminal Minds and wondered how he could pull of a sitcom. Well, he is a natural straight man.
The rest of the team is made up of virtual TV unknowns and they flesh out the parts with a real human element. Not human like on Law & Order SVU, with characters roughing up suspects and marriages falling apart. And not obligatory affairs like on the CSI shows. There is that kind of character drama and then there is the character drama of just working through the story and not knowing if they are going to solve it or not. Sometimes they seem impossible. Sometimes the characters think they are impossible.
There is the brilliant but young Dr. Spencer Reed, the press conference face, of the pretty - AJ Cook and the computer geek that gets all the info anyone can ever need from any data base on Earth - Garcia. These characters bring with them all their baggage but are forced to leave it at the door. Not always easy and they are quickly forgiven for bringing any with them. There is no shouting about "keeping personal feelings out of it," "being to close to a case," etc. The personal feelings are what makes them able to do their jobs.
The writing and directing are also a credit to the show that doesn't rely on many formula plots or sensationalism.
On the last episode of the season, Hotchner's boss was trying to tell him that there needed to be a change in leadership at the BAU - basically him leaving. He proceeded to look around her office and profile her. She was livid. He asked her if she knew, why he knew, that she favored her middle son over the others. She said she didn't. And before walking out the door he said, "Because I am good at what I do."
Yes, indeed. See you next season on CBS.
The second best show on Television will be starting on June 18th on TNT and that would be The Closer.

Rental Rewind

2007-05-17T20:47:00.001-04:00

Since, the movie mommy is not viewing as many rentals as she used to (hazard of becoming the moving mommy)...here are some movies that you may not have seen in a while or may have never seen, in that case - add them to your list.
Funny, romantic, thoughtful and just fun:
The Wedding Singer, Love Actually, What A Girl Wants, The Legend of Baggar Vance, The Devil Wears Prada, 13 Going On 30, Connie & Carla, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, About A Boy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Elf, Ella Enchanted, The Replacements, Ever After and The Princess Bride.
Action, adventure and sci fi:
Soldier, 13th Warrior, Independence Day, Ronin, The Eraser, The Peacemaker, The One, The Mummy, Stargate, Behind Enemy Lines, Men In Black, XMen, Superman Returns, Star Trek: First Contact, Open Range, Outland, The Italian Job and Mercury Rising.

A Gem in Tampa

2007-05-11T17:57:00.000-04:00

For those of you in the greater Tampa Bay area, you may or may not know about the jewel of the City - The Tampa Theatre. Even if you don't live in Tampa, as a fellow movie fan, you need to check out their website http://www.tampatheatre.org.
Opening in 1926, the theatre provided many, many years of entertainment to Tampa. The ceiling of the theatre boasts stars that twinkle and the lobby has over 200,000 pieces of tile. In the 60s and 70s though it fell on harder times and eventually closed. With the possibility of the wrecking ball looming, the City of Tampa bought this classic for $1 and it is now maintained mostly by donations. When AMC did their "Movie Palace Memories" movie series they premiered it from the Tampa Theatre. There are not many like her left in the country and the experience is unique. The theatre features art films, festivals, foreign films, classic films and concerts. I don't know anyplace else that you can sit enjoy such performers as George Thorogood, Johnny Lang, Lindsey Buckingham and Annie Lennox (to name just a few) in such stunning locale. I also don't know anyplace else where an organist comes up through the stage while playing the organ. And when the lights go down and the ceiling twinkles...I get goosebumps!
For more info on the history and architect of this gem go to their website.
If you are in town...
Summer Classic Movie Series The Summer Classic Movie Series schedule is set with the addition of a second silent film screening with the legendary Rosa Rio! You won't want to miss seeing these films in the grand setting they were meant for. All films are on Sundays at 3pm.
May 27: Beach Blanket Bingo, June 3: Silent Film Special Event - Silent Clowns Comedy Shorts, June 10: Rope, June 17: Top Hat, June 24: The Thin Man, July 1: Pal Joey, July 8: Touch of Evil, July 15: Gone With the Wind, July 22: The Great Gatsby, July 29: A Hard Day's Night, August 5: Blazing Saddles, August 12: Casablanca, August 19: Bedknobs & Broomsticks, August 26: Silent Film Special Event: Thief of Baghdad.

Confirm or Deny

2007-05-05T16:12:00.000-04:00

I just got this link and want to know what my readers think:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20037541_25,00.html
It is the link to Entertainment Weekly's top 25 Sci-Fi moments from the last 25 years.
They did a pretty decent job. I think there was a HUGE error for not including the Stargate franchise. Especially, Stargate SG-1. I mean it's been on for 10 seasons!
Never saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...but is it sci-fi? And Lost?
You be the judge!
IF you want to geek out in a major way...check out www.memory-alpha.org.

Star Wars Fan Films

2007-04-17T19:27:00.000-04:00

Fan Films have existed since there has been a fan with a visual recording device. They have been filmed in 8mm, super 8, VHS or digital. Great directors all started out making, basically, fan films of their favorite show or movie. Doing their own take on it. These aren't just silly spoofs like on Saturday Night Live ("Get a life!"). These can be really quality products...that poke fun at, yet pay tribute to their favorites.
The Star Wars universe has spawned tens of thousands of these fan films. Everything from kitchen utensils to action figures and animation to movie quality special effects. I would like to talk about my two favorites.
My first favorite is probably one of the first ones I had really taken notice of. In about 1997, I was at a science fiction convention (geek alert!) and saw a video playing behind a booth. I watched it over and over. It was the fan film classic, Troops. I was amazed. Was this for real? The vendor didn't have any copies to sell. But the next time I hit a convention, about a year later, I hunted it down. It's a poor copy and probably not legal but I didn't/don't care. I love it! Troops is a take off on Cops. It follows Imperial Storm Troopers on their daily patrol on the planet of Tatooine (for those who came in late, it's Luke/Anakin Skywalker's home planet). On patrol they meet all sorts of characters including Jawas, who may be selling stolen droids and Owen & Beru, local farmers who often have domestic problems. It is really like Cops! The beginning (using the "Bad Boys" song) and the way they handle the characters. For example, when interviewing the Jawas, they ask one of them who's droids are they selling and the Jawa chirps his response. The trooper says, "Oh, these are your cousin's droids. Is this your cousin...uh-huh..." The Storm Troopers have a Fargo-like accent which makes it even funnier. The effects are remarkable, especially for the time. You can view Troops at youtube.com or theforce.net. There is rumor of a Troops 2. I can't wait!
My second favorite is a very well known fan film called Star Wars Gangsta Rap Special Edition. It is a fall down laughing film! You can view it youtube.com but I suggest you go to http://www.atomfilms.com/film/gangsta_rap_se.jsp for the best copy of it. You don't want to miss a single word and you may (and will want to) watch it several times. This is an animated film that is reminiscent of jap-anime. It is very hard describe but you will find yourself quoting it, "We got deathstar..." and "Yoda, why you gotta be a player hater," while imagining the Star War's characters frontin' and maxin' like rappers. It has been out a while and has had almost 6 million views just on the Atom Films website. Thanks to my brother who kept bugging me to watch it.
View these films with a healthy sense of humor!

Mommy & Daddy Dayz

2007-04-05T19:12:00.001-04:00

There is something important that parents...especially new parents...need to do and that is to reconnect. The best way to reconnect and enjoy each other is to have a day set aside for just the two of you.
With the arrival of a baby there is a lot of stress, time and energy directed toward the baby and new family unit. Mom and Dad are riding this wave that the baby is creating in their lives. And there is a new dimension in the parent's relationship that includes some new things to argue about. Even if you have an otherwise idyllic marriage this new arrival is going to throw a wrench into it. And you are both exhausted - all the time.
Time to take a day off from it all (once a month, if you can) and have a "Mommy/Daddy Day." Send the baby/babies off to the sitter/daycare/school as usual and then call in sick. Or you could plan a vacation day around it or do it on a weekend. Even if you are a stay at home/work at home parent and the baby is there ALL the time - get someone to watch the little one and DON'T feel guilty about it!
The best way to do this is not to tell anyone else you are going to do it - need to know basis. Don't answer the cell phone and hit the road.
We like to go out to breakfast and/or lunch and then hit Busch Gardens. We have also taken motorcycle rides out to the beach and had lunch overlooking the Gulf. We have done an early day activity and then taken a nap or just laid in bed and watched a movie.
Don't take the day to go over bills, paperwork, do housework, homework or yardwork (unless those things are what bring you unending joy!). Just take a day for yourselves.
You've earned it! (And your marriage will thank you!)

New Reviews!

2007-04-05T09:23:00.000-04:00

Guest reviewer: The Super Mommy

Rentals:
Children of Men works as a good old-fashioned Sci-Fi thriller (think Blade Runner or Outland). But it's also very insightful social commentary as well. It's set in the very near future in a world we can actually see taking root around us right now. Mass infertility has struck every woman on the planet. No child has been born on Earth for more than 18 years. Stripped of the hope for the future that children personify, humanity has basically collapsed. Chaos reigns everywhere, except, it seems for Great Britain. The government has cracked down on all illegal aliens. Basically, anyone not born in Britain is considered a fugitive - "fugee" - and detained in Warsaw Ghetto-like camps. It's a crime to question the government and punishable by death to avoid fertility testing.
The story is also one of redemption. In his most layered performance to date, Clive Owen plays a washed up bureaucrat whose own child died long before the infertility epidemic. His character evolves from a man so deeply in the depths of despair that he cares for nothing, to a hero who sees and seizes upon hope for the future for himself and for all humanity. Michael Caine also turns in a scene-stealing performance as Owens' pot-cultivating, philosophy spouting friend. The ending is classically bitter-sweet. HIGHLY recommended.

The Marine: I don't remember seeing any trailers for this so I suspect it was direct to DVD. Probably because it's pretty low-budget. The movie stars a pro-wrestler whose name I've already forgotten. He plays a Marine who's forcibly discharged after he disobeys a direct order in favor of actually doing some good and saving some of his brothers in arms. He goes home to a dead-end security guard job and a drop-dead gorgeous wife who adores him. It's all downhill from there. The pair get mixed up with a crew of vicious, psychotic diamond thieves through a series of totally unbelievable circumstances. The movie has the marine hunting the baddies, who've kidnapped his wife, through some lovely South Carolina lowland swamp.
The guy from Terminator 2 plays the lead bad guy and he has some good moments, most notably when someone cracks that the marine is "like that dude from Terminator." Other than that, though, it's a mishmash of explosions, chase scenes and gruesome fights. Dishonorably discharge this dog from your DVD player.

In Theatres:
The Shooter was typical post-Marky Mark fare - lots of explosions, a few scantily clad buxom gals and Mark Wahlberg being his bad ass self. Not a whole lot of depth or thinking material here, even though the director seems to be trying to make a political statement. Ned Beatty delivers a chilling performance as Montana senator - a thinly-veiled Dick Cheney reference. On the other hand, though, there are lots of fun explosions, some interesting marksmanship and creative chase scenes. I think most guys will like it. Definitely DVD fare, though. Not worth the $9.50 for big screen consumption.

The Premonition was a predictable, been-there, done-that dog. Sandra Bullock plays a housewife whose husband is killed in a car accident on Thursday. She wakes up the next day and it's not Friday, but Tuesday, before he died. She begins living the last week of his life with the days in total disorder. The film revolves around her attempts to make sense of the situation and save his life. This movie isn't the first one to have its character living out of sync with the rest of the world in terms of time flow. Memento and The Jacket, however, did it much, much better. I'd recommend renting this on DVD, but only if both of those flicks were already out at the video store. And you didn't have any laundry to do.

TV Episodes Can Be Mini-Movies

2007-04-03T08:39:00.000-04:00

If you have Blockbuster.com or Netflix you have to unique opportunity to watch episodes of your favorite TV shows without having to buy a whole season. This is fun because you can watch some great two part episodes (often season cliff hangers) like mini-movies.
Even if you haven't seen some shows for a while, you can still enjoy a good hour and half of it - free of commercials. I have to admit that my suggestions are all sci-fi shows...but fun stuff and you don't have to be following the show closely to enjoy (I know this because my husband watches these with me and hasn't followed these shows closely, if at all). Be warned that because some of them are season cliffhangers that you will have to get two separate discs and they both may not be available.

Star Trek: Voyager: End Game: Season 7 (last disc has both episodes): Voyager's final episode of the entire series! I believe the best of the mini-movies. It features messing around with the timeline AND the Borg queen. Yeah, I know she was killed off in a Star Trek movie...but there are many timelines and they ARE Borg. Alice Krige reprises her movie role as Her Slimy-ness and really makes this episode a treat.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: All Good Things: Season 7 (last disc has both episodes): This is another final episode of a great series. Another timeline mind bender with Captain Picard traveling through time and he is the only one that is aware of it. This episode also features John Delancie as Q who is always a fun and unpredictable character. A stellar episode to end a stellar series.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Best of Both Worlds: Season 3 (last disc) and Season 4 (first disc): Picard as a Borg. Gotta love that! Captain Picard is captured and turned into a Borg and in the process destroys most of Star Fleet. This season really turned the tide for this otherwise struggling series. Characters got fleshed out and plots became more daring. As a result of this encounter with the Borg, Picard's character gains an insight into himself and haunts him for the rest of series and into the films. Great stuff!
Other great Next Generation two parters also include Redemption (Klingons) and Unification (Spock returns!!).

Babylon 5: In The Beginning (made for TV movie): Okay, I'm cheating, this was already a movie but the best of the B5 movies. This movie was produced by TNT who took over the syndication rights part way through the 5 year run of the series. This movie is actually a prequel to the entire series taking place just before the war with the Mimbari that almost lead to the extermination of humanity. This is really for a fan although there was enough action and plot to keep my husband interested (he never saw B5 in his life).

Babylon 5: War Without End: Season 3 (episodes 16 & 17): I like this one because it takes a departure from the rest of the season - of course it does matter to the entire plot line of the entire 5 year series (as all the episodes do). This episode follows the original Captain of B5, Jeffrey Sinclair (now a Ranger), Captain Sheridan and Delenn (and company) as they travel through a time rift to Babylon 4 to mess with the timeline. There is a character named Zathros who may be one of the best sci-fi characters ever created. Great stuff for a fan of show!

Star Trek: Deep Space 9: Emissary: Season 1 (disc 1): This is the feature length pilot episode of DS9. Probably the best episode of the entire series. I am afraid the series did lose interest for me over it's run but this pilot can stand alone. Captain Sisko is to take over command of a dilapidated old space station that has been taken over by Star Fleet. Not a high profile command by any means and Sisko is fine with that. Sisko is trying to escape his demons of the death of his wife in a battle with the Borg (with Locutus/Picard in charge). There turns out to be a wormhole next to this station and now the real estate is very popular. Sisko goes through a very life altering experience that maybe we could all learn from.