Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

Just want to say hope everyone has a safe New Year. 

Let's all go to the lobby now and get ourselves something to drink while we wait for the Feature Presentation.


See you all in 2012!

Day 29

Movie: Love at First Bite
Starring: George Hamilton, Arte Johnson
Genre: Comedy,
Year: 1979
Format: DVD


Plot: Dracula is forced out of the castle and decides to move to New York and find the woman of his dreams; a hip New York model.

This film has some of the funniest one liners like "I'm not even a bat anymore just a big black chicken"
Arte Johnson does an impression of Dwight Frye's laugh from his version of Renfield to perfection.

This is one of those movies that is rooted in the generation and decade it was made in, there is no mistaking this as anything but a 1970's film.  There are cameos from cast members of the old television show The Jeffersons, and much of the jokes reference the disco era. 


What do I think I learned from this film?

No matter how famous you might be, at the end of the night you have to be able to just be you.  And you have to know for sure if you're dealing with a vampire or a werewolf otherwise don't bring the silver bullets to the club.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Day 28

Movie: Psycho Beach Party
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Nicholas Brendon
Genre: Comedy,
Year: 2000
Format: VHS


Plot: A bunch of murders have started to happen at the beach, making everyone in the neighbourhood a suspect.

The main element is the beach blanket movies of the 1960's, but it's balanced out with the style of both campy horror-slasher films from the 1970's and older films that remind you of Vertigo and Rear Window from the Hitchcock era.
Amy Adams  plays the beach siren, a role you rarely see her in which works perfectly with Nicholas Brendon's Starcat - a spoof on the character from Gidget {Moondoggie played by James Darren}

Based on a stage play from the 1980's,  this movie covers all the eras.
It also throws back to the sexploitation films of the 1960's/1970's as well.

What do I think I learned from this film?
No one is normal, and when you try to pretend you are you're only fooling yourself. And any chance you have to insert a bunch of guys in Lucha-Libre masks for no real reason is cool.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Day 27

Movie: Bride of Frankenstein
Starring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Comedy,
Year: 1935
Format: online


Plot: The monster is still alive and now has knowledge.  Meanwhile, Frankenstein's college professor has returned and wants him to help him to create a perfect woman.

I don't know if it was ever meant to have comedic elements in it or if it's just the fact the movie is 77 years old; but there are moments that you can't help but laugh at the downright ridiculousness of it. Like the smoking scene and the people under glass. 

For a movie that has become part of such an iconic moment -where Frankenstein screams that she's alive and then the removing of the bandages from the Bride- the rest of the movie is almost forgotten in it's length.  At a bare 84minutes, it seems to rehash it's own plot more then a few times making it feel much longer.

One bright star in this is Dwight Frye who plays one of the grave robbers. He's buried under blonde hair and make-up but there's no mistaking the wide eyed bugeater from Dracula.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Never to judge a book by it's cover.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Day 26

Movie: Interview
Starring: Sienna Miller, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Drama
Year: 2007
Format: DVD


Plot: A political reporter is sent to interview a movie star that he knows little about. After feeling insulted, Katja leaves the interview only to cause the taxi Pierre is in to have an accident.  She then takes him back to her loft to finish the interview.

This is the English remake of a Dutch film from 2003.

The whole time I kept thinking, why is this guy still hanging around after she's bandaged up his cuts? 
It's a weird cat and mouse game of who can outsmart the other.  The character of Pierre comes across as a creepy drunk, seesawing back and forth between concerned father type and leering old guy.

The whole film expect for the first five minutes is them in a room together, the only interruption being a cell phone that constantly rings.   I have no idea if this was originally a stage play but that is the feeling you get from watching this. 

What do I think I learned from this film?
When you're famous can you really live outside of the spotlight even for a few hours?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Day 25

Movie: Othello
Starring: Laurence Fishbourne, Kenneth Branach
Genre: Drama, Action, Romance,
Year:1995
Format: VHS


Plot:Othello has just been married in secret to Desdemona, and as he goes to set up a peace talk; Iago who is jealous has started to put into motion a plot to destroy them both.

Love, Lust, Betrayal. As all great dramas have a combination of these topics. 
It's also one of the most powerful stories I've ever come across.

You would almost think it should not be called "Othello"  but "Iago" for he seems to be in 95% of the movie, more scenes then even the title character seems to have.
I do however, love the way Iago breaks down the 4th wall and talks to the audience as he unfolds his plans.


What do I think I learned from this film?
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and always remember that love is mightier then a sword but weaker then a whisper. 

Monday, December 26, 2011

Day 24

Movie: Restoration
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Grant
Genre: Drama, Historical,
Year: 1995
Format: VHS



Plot: A young doctor is ordered to the court of King Charles II to save his dog. Once he's gained favour, he then becomes the pawn in the King's next big scheme; which is to marry him off to his own mistress.  From there, Merivel makes a mistake that sends him out of favour and back into the life he was living before hand.

Set during the 1660's, at the height of the plague, we watch as the lead Robert Merivel goes from spoiled to responsible.  He losses nearly everyone that matters most to him.  And with one act of kindness, he has his station in the court returned.

It shows a balance between the decadence of the court {and youth} and the responsibility of the commoners {and reaching adulthood} that everyone must face and choose at some point in their life.  The lead character has to learn what truly matters to him by trail and error, in this case by the extreme of loosing loved ones.

what do I think I learned from this film?
You can only play a fool for so long then you have to just have the blind faith to know you're where you're suppose to be in life.  

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Day 23

Movie: Heathers
Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater
Genre:Black-Comedy
Year:1988
Format: DVD


Plot: Veronica is part of the popular girls at school, all who are named Heather expect herself.  She falls for the new boy at school who at first seems like every other rebel.  Soon, their discontent turns into murder.

This film was considered very controversial when it first came out, and given the subject matter of suicide and murder it's no wonder.
Even though, this is done as a comedy drawing a spotlight on the  way teenagers treat each other; it still has a solid message of the need to stand up to bullies and respect who you really are.

Slater is so striking in this film with his trenchcoat and jet black hair that you can't help but want to fall for his psycho-tendencies. You keep thinking there is a redeemable quality to him but in the end there just isn't.

What do I think I learned from this film?
If you can live through high school then you're stronger then you think.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Day 22

Movie: Hamlet
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Bill Murray
Genre: Drama
Year: 2000
Format: tv edit


Plot: Hamlet is being haunted by his father's ghost. He needs to expose the fact his uncle is the killer but is unable to. At the same time, his own relationships are falling apart

This is an updated version of the classic story of Hamlet, set in a modern time and introduces the idea that they are a corporation.  

What I saw was a television edit that had been cut for time and content.   The base stories of Hamlet and Ophelia were still in tact, as were the main plot of his mother marrying his uncle and the madness it causes for Hamlet. 
I felt like the first half hour was dry and a bit misjointed, but I'm going to put that down to it having been edited for television; as the movie started to feel more intuned and tighter after that half hour mark. 
I liked the idea that in almost every scene there were mirrors or windows of some kind, and in most of Hamlet's scenes the news was on showing a war happening or a scene from a movie that was particularly violent.   It helped to express his distress. 

What do I think I learned from this film?
All rumours have a dash of truth to them, and passion doesn't play by any rules.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Day 21

Movie: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Starring: Gary Oldman, Tim Roth
Genre: Comedy
Year: 1990
Format: online


Plot: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been summons to Demark by the king to help figure out what is making Hamlet so depressed.  When they fail to do so, they are ordered to take him to England.  But neither of them remembers why or how they got involved.

Rosencrantz represents instinct in this film, and Guildenstern logic.
Their interaction with the rest of the court happens only through their original scenes from the play Hamlet, thus confusing both the two characters and sometimes the movie viewers.
This is shown more then once when they leave a room and end up returning to the same spot, thinking they have gone in circles but it's clear that time has past.

It to me has to do with loyalty and trust.  Hamlet  no longer believes that he can trust the people he loves to be honest.



What do I think I learned from this film?
This movie is one big question about time and reality.  What you see is not always the truth of the matter, and sometimes not always what you get.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Day 20

Movie: Ninth Gate
Starring: Johnny Depp, Frank Langella
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Drama,
Year: 1999
Format: DVD


Plot: Corso is a book dealer who is hired to track down two of three copies of a book dating over 300 years old. While he's trekking across Europe tracking down the books, a cult of devil worshipers are following him, leaving a trail of dead bodies. Can he find the truth before anyone else gets killed?

Based on the book The Club Dumas, this is one of Johnny Depp's best work.  A dark fable that feels like it could have been a Hitchcock film it's so rich with subliminal horror. Roman Polanski, who is famous for the movie Rosemary's Baby co-wrote the screenplay.
This is one of those movies that has you doubting everything while sneaking in many layers of clues which has the viewer left putting together the puzzle along with the lead character.  

The artwork done for the book's drawings alone are worth seeing this movie for.
Because of the timing of it's release, it got lost in the shuffle with so many other end of the world/the devil made me do it movies, that if it had been released a year earlier or later it might have reached a larger audience.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Everything and everyone has a destiny that they must follow and fulfill, even when they might not believe the path they are on.  This is one of those films that makes you want to travel into this dark world, to believe along side the character that the seedier side of life can have an enlightening reward. And you have to enter into the extreme with a pure heart or greed will swallow you.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Day 19

Movie: Possession
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart
Genre: Drama, Romance,
Year: 2002
Format: DVD



Plot: Two researchers both working on biographies of famous poets from the 1800's, find themselves working together to uncover a possible affair between the two poets.

This is a lovely story about four people who come together because they all had a love for writing.   Two in the Victorian era, two in the modern age.
This brings up the topic of commitment, and how real love can catch a person off guard. It also shows an overly romantic view of romance itself.

Both the poets -Ash and Christabel- are in other relationships when they first meet. At first, they try to keep their relationship as just friends but soon find themselves in a heated affair.  One that blurs the lines for all involved.
I find myself coming back to this movie for the fact their love was so honest. 

What do I think I learned from this film?
Passion can arrive like a storm cloud and leave in it's wake as much damage as it does joy.  And love letters never go out of style.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Day 18

Movie: Steel Magnolias
Starring: Dolly Parton, Sally Field
Genre: Drama,
Year: 1989
Format:DVD


Plot: Following the lives of a group of friends in a beauty shop as they deal with love, marriage, births and deaths; over the course of about two years.

Based on a stage play, which was based on a true story.

This film is a tear jerker in all senses of the word.  I almost didn't make it through to the ending because I was crying about midway.
This is one of the most powerful movies I can say I've ever seen. The idea that a group of women could be that close for so long throughout so much baffles my mind.
It's an honest film that sneaks up on you.  The dialog is funny even in the most dramatic of moments that helps to lend a nice realism to the characters.

There is one scene where Shirley MacLane's character is talking to Olivia DuKakis's character while in the grocery store that unlocks a softer side to the harshness you see throughout the rest of the film.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Strength is in truth. And no matter how bad it gets, if you can talk about it, you can get through it.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Day 17

Movie: Scream Blacula Scream
Starring: Pam Grier, William Marshall
Genre: Horror, Xploitation,
Year: 1973
Format: online



Plot: Blacula has risen from his grave thanks to a voodoo ritual. After turning half a town into vampires, he discovers a Priestess who might have the power to cure him.

This is the sequel to Blacula  I'm not sure if it's a vampire movie that has voodoo {vodun} in it or a voodoo movie that has a few vampires in it?  It's almost like it had a split personality. 
Honestly not sure what to think of it other then for the genre -xploitation film- it was good.  I see where the comments twenty years later came from on Vampire in Brooklyn being a semi-remake.

The ending left a lot to be desired, as it is open with my guess that you are to both draw your own conclusions and they must have thought there would be another sequel.


What do I think I learned from this film?
Always have faith in the unknown even when it scares the life out of you.  You can never dismiss folklore and legends because everything has a grain of truth in it.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Day 16

Movie: Fright Night {remake}
Starring: Colin Farrell, Toni Collette
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Year: 2011
Format: DVD


Plot: Charlie Brewster believes that the recent rash of murders in the neighbourhood are because of his new neighbour who just moved in next door. Worst, he knows that Jerry is killing because he's a vampire.  It's up to him and Peter Vincent a local goth actor to stop him.

This is one of those times when a remake is as good as the original.  The story itself has been given a complete re-working, but still manages to stay loyal to the soul of the 1985 original.

My favourite character from the original 1985 version is Peter Vincent- fearless vampire killer, {in that version he was an actor who played a vampire killer on late night tv}  who in this version is a stage magician living in Las Vegas.  I have to admit, when I first heard about the fact they were changing the character so much I was horrified.  But, with the modern version, it makes sense. It fits the framework and mythos perfectly.
Fans of the original will get a kick out of the cameo by Chris Sarandon who played the vampire Jerry in the 1985 version.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Never turn your back on your real friends even when they are screaming about crazy stuff, cause they might be your best defense. Always be careful who you invite into your house.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Day 15

Movie: Fright Night 2
Starring: William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall
Genre: Horror, Comedy,
Year: 1988
Format: VHS


Plot: Charlie is in college and dealing with the memories from three years before, when his neighbour, Jerry,  had killed his girlfriend and best friend.  Now, the killer's sister is out for revenge, the only trouble is that both Jerry and his sister are vampires. Charlie, his new girlfriend Alex and their friend Peter Vincent have one chance to save their town.

The set for the apartment that the character Peter Vincent has, is itself a vampire fan's dream come true.  The displays of vampire posters and tools {almost all the posters in the movie are for "fake" films the character of Vincent starred in} makes you feel like you are in the house of a former movie star.

FN2, is not as dark as the original movie was,  as it has a more stylized pop-culture approach; but still manages to keep enough of the horror.

What do I think I learned from this film?
When you think about something enough, you draw it to you. You have to face your responsibilities head on, and if it sounds completely crazy then it's most likely the best answer.  And some vampires like to go bowling for leftovers.

Friday, December 16, 2011

2nd Intermission


This is the second "Intermission" on the blog.

I am going to be doing a few vampire movies over the next couple of days.  So I thought I would give a short list of my top 5 favourite vampire films. 
  1. Lost Boys  {1987}
  2. Bram Stoker's Dracula {1992}
  3. Interview with the Vampire {1994}
  4. Fright Night {1985}
  5. To Die For -Dracula a Love Story {1989}
 It's a genre all its own, and one that I love to dig into.

Day 14

Movie: The Last Days of Disco
Starring: Chloe Sevigny, Chris Eigeman,
Genre: Comedy, Drama,
Year: 1998
Format: VHS


Plot: A group of friends find themselves spending their nights hanging out in a club in the heart of New York during the early 1980's.

This is the third film in the Whit Stillman trilogy.  But the time line plants it before the first and second films.

We see the two lead females as the classic frenemies, only one doesn't even realize she's in this sort of friendship until it's too late and her best friend has stolen her boyfriend.

One of my favourite sub-themes in the film, is the essay-ish breakdowns of the Disney cartoons by the leads. {how Bambi is connected to the early environmental movement, how Lady and the Tramp instills in girls the idea of falling for the bad boy }
The film frames up how the transition from college to real world can be an eye opener for so many who think they know who they are and what they want; but haven't figured it out yet. 


What do I think I learned from this film?
It's very easy to fall into social traps when looking to establish your own identity. Being part of the pack can only take you so far. And sometimes a conflict of interest can be a blessing in disguise.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Day 13

Movie: Party Monster
Starring: Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin
Genre:True Crime, Drama, Bio-pic,
Year: 2003
Format: online


Plot: James St. James tells the story about how one of his closest friends falls into drug addiction and desperation to the point of murdering one of their roommates. All while trying to become the most famous underground ravers.

This was disturbing on a few levels but I was unable to keep my eyes off of it. Based on the true-life crime that happened in the 1980's of a famous drug dealer by his best/worst client; Party Monster {originally the book was called Disco Bloodbath} is a mix of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Studio 54.
I'm really not too sure if the film was trying to show the horrible affects that drugs can lead to or if it was memorializing the last of the disco era?

I actually remember watching some of the original Club Kids on talk shows in the late 1980's and early 1990's, the outrageousness of their clothes made them seem like fashion icons more then anything else. Too bad all this was underneath.

What do I think I learned from this film?
A good story is always that, and the old cliche of there is no such thing as bad press rings like an echo of gold.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Day 12

Movie: Heartburn
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance,
Year: 1986
Format: online


Plot: Rachel, a food writer, Mark a journalist; meet at a friend's wedding and have a quick romance themselves getting married and have a daughter.  Soon Rachel learns that she's both pregnant again and that Mark is having an affair.

This is based on Nora Ephron's semi-autobiographical novel.

I found this to be repetitive as far as giving a second change to someone who's cheated.  I know this is based on a true story, but it just seems like so many romantic comedies are about going back to someone who cheats.
The fact in an early scene not only does she have second thoughts about the wedding to begin with but that his two best friends warn her he's a cheater should have been the end of the whole romance.

What do I think I learned from the film?
Always follow your gut even when you don't want to hear what it needs to tell you.   Second chances are not always a good idea.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Day 11

Movie: Marie Antoinette
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Judy Davis
Genre: Bio-pic, Drama,
Year: 2006
Format: Online



Plot: Follows the rise and fall of the French Dauphin Louis XVI and his child bride Marie Antoinette

This plays out more like a rock video from the 1980's then it does a bio-pic. This is greatly due to the fact that the soundtrack uses pop music instead of the usual classical that you would expect for a period piece.
You start off thinking of Antoinette as a spoiled brat but soon find yourself admiring her for her creativity.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Friendship is sometimes found in the last place you'd think to look.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Day 10

Movie: Practical Magic
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Fantasy
Year: 1998
Format: DVD




Plot: Two sisters living in a small fishing town have to deal with centuries of fear because their family comes from a line of witches. Sally, who thought she'd managed to find some peace and start to fit in now finds herself a widow. While Gilly is dealing with the ghost of an abusive ex.

One of the bravest stories about love I have ever come across. This is indeed a story about a family and the strength they have for each other.  The fact the characters are witches is a secondary element to the fact they are women living with heartbreak.

This is a different kind of love story, one where the leads have to learn to fall in love with themselves and their traditions. 

What do I think I learned from this film?
Never fear falling in love and always believe that the person you're meant to be with will show up just when they are suppose to.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Day 9

Movie: Mystic Pizza
Starring: Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor
Genre: Comedy, Drama,
Year: 1988
Format: VHS


Plot: Three girls who worked their way through high school in a pizza shop, find themselves at crossroads in their lives. One is afraid to get married, one is trying to fit in with the locals and one is having an affair with a married man.

This is classic 80's preppy vs wrong side of the tracks. Like so many of the teen -romantic comedies of that decade, it centers on falling for someone opposite of the leads.  Good girls with Bad boys. Unlike others of it's genre, it's not a feel good film at all.  I almost get the feeling that it missed it's mark, falling too far between the cracks of comedy and dark drama.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Love is never as easy as a paint by numbers.  Sometimes you've got to risk loosing your heart in order to feel anything at all.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Day 8

Movie: Mr. Mom
Starring: Michael Keaton, Terri Garr
Genre: Comedy,
Year: 1983
Format: VHS


Plot: Jack has just lost his job, while his wife Carol has just gone back to work after being off for the last few years with the kids.  He has to suddenly learn how to run the household, take care of the kids, accept that his wife is doing better then he had been at work and keep the lusty neighbour away.

This movie, to say the lest, was decades before it's time.  The whole reason it worked so well when it did was the fact that this sort of arrangement was unheard of thirty years ago.  Not only did it help to cement the idea that it's okay to switch up the gender roles like this, but it also launched a genre of Mr. Mom styled movies {The Pacifier, Daddy Daycare, Are we there yet? }

It also incorporated the soap opera The Young and the Restless, helping to show both the length of time he's been off work and his slow decline into depression.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Sometimes you have to see yourself at your worst before you can see yourself at your best.  Never take for granted what you have now as it might all be turned inside out before you can say "Irve clean up in aisle seven" and Never feed a baby chilli

Friday, December 9, 2011

Day 7

Movie: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Starring: Bill Hadar, Bruce Campbell
Genre: Family, comedy,
Year: 2009
Format: online



Plot:Flint lives in the town of Swallow Falls which is known only as the sardine capital of the world. Since the rest of the world has stopped buying sardines in the amounts they used to, the town has been eating nothing but sardines for the last few years. Flint, being an inventor and scientist; decides to make a machine that can turn water into food.  The town is surprised when it works, and soon the town is in the news for the fact food falls from the sky.  But because the weather can not be controlled, the machine starts to affect the rest of the world causing storms of food.  Can Flint and his friends, a weather girl, her camera man, and a talking monkey have to stop it, only it's become alive. 


I've got to admit, I've been skeptical about seeing this film.  I spotted a few comments about it on a few food bloggers' blogs giving it great reviews, and decided to watch it.  I saw it online in 2D, and found it's special effects translated fine.

What do I think I learned from this film?
To always believe in yourself no matter what anyone else tells you or tries to make you think. And every so often you have to kick back with a G-rated family film to remind you who you are. 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Day 6

Movie: Barcelona
Starring: Taylor Nichols, Chris Eigeman
Genre: Comedy, Drama,
Year: 1994
Format: VHS


Plot: Two cousins living in Barcelona find themselves butting heads while trying to figure out if they want to stay with their current overseas romances. 

There is a scene where the two cousins, Fred and Ted, are having a conversation about dating beautiful girls vs plain girls. Ted believes it's best to stay away from beautiful girls because following your hormones can lead to horrible outcomes.

This is the second of the Whit Stillman trilogy of films.  Both Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols co-starred in the first one Metropolitan but only Eigeman continued on to co-star in the third installment, The Last Days of Disco; in which Nichols had a small cameo.

The trilogy itself is an interesting story that is nonlinear, planting Barcelona somewhere near the actual end of the 1980's after the events of both Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco, but cris-crosses that storyline by having actor Chris Eigeman playing a completely different characters in all three films. 


What do I think I learned from this film?
It's very easy to misjudge others because of the media that we are given outside of the situation. Communication is something that is subject to the understanding of the person and not always the way it's suppose to come across.
It also asks the question of do we want something/someone because we actually want it/them or because it looks shinny belonging to someone else?

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Intermission


Well, this was to be the header banner for the blog, but just doesn't really work with it.

I am hoping to turn this into more then just a short review on the films every day,  I'm hoping to make this an adventure of sorts.  Thou, I have no clue at this moment in time on how to do that so please, stand by.

And no, I have no intentions of staying anonymous, {for those of you who landed here by searching movies and not from my other blogs} I just at this moment have no decent photos of myself, at lest nothing from the last two years. That is something I hope to change soon too.

For anyone who is wondering,  I have so far this week been watching the movies around supper time and writing them up to have so that I can post them in the mornings.  So the movie I watched today will be posted in the morning.

Till later

Day 5

Movie: Tortilla Soup
Starring: Hector Elizondo, Elizabeth Pena
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Year: 2001
Format: online


Plot: A widower chef finds himself still living with his three adult daughters years longer then intended.  His best friend dies leaving him wondering about the way he and his family are living their lives. One daughter is working in a business she hates, another is afraid to love and the youngest is afraid to be herself.  Somewhere between the Sunday dinners that they have together, each one of them has to make a choice to stay in the unhappiness for each other or move out for themselves.

I thought the food was a star on it's own.  Having all the major story plots happen around food, whether it was the family dinner table, or the women and their boyfriends sharing dinners in the men's apartments, gave it a sense of reality. 

What do I think I learned from this film?
Food really does bind a family together, even when you have just begun to know each other.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Day 4

Movie: Cast a Deadly Spell
Starring: Fred Ward, Julianna Moore
Genre: Film Noir, Cop-drama, Horror-Fantasy, Comedy
Year: 1991
Format: online


Plot: Lovecraft is a detective in LA in the 1940's, and living in a world where magic is as common as breathing.  He's managed to hold out from using.  One of the richest men in the city hires him to locate a lost book - the Necronomicon - and along the way, has to deal with his former lover and her mob boss boyfriend.

This was done at the height of the Lovecraft craze back in the early 1990's with magic being used in this movie as a metaphor for addiction.
I loved the little nod to Ray Bradbury in this as well, giving one of the other detectives his name.
This also stars David Warner, who besides being a regular star of horror films, has become a familiar face in the Lovecraft genre over the years.


What do I think I learned from this film?
Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean it's a good idea.  Then again, addiction has more forms then we could ever think.  Oh and of course, it's never wise to piss off the Cthulhu with a fake virgin.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Day 3

Movie: Pit and the Pendulum
Starring: Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs
Genre: Horror, Drama,
Year: 1991 {Rereleased in 2011}
Format: DVD


Plot: Set during the Spanish Inquisition, a priest uses his power of influence to strip a wealthy family of their money and desecrating the body of their ancestor.
A young couple in the village are caught up in the mob of people at the execution of one of the family members, with the wife Marie becoming the object of the priest's desire. He then imprisons her for being a witch.

Henriksen is one of the greatest actors around, and with just the tilt of his head can deliver a creepiness that stays with you for hours.
The film plays out in a bunch of ways exposing how desire and greed can over take anyone and that words of duress are sometimes more believable then actions.
 This film is an exercise in both fear and karma.

I am not sure if it was just where I have the re-released edition, but the production seemed a lot glossier then what I remembered other Full Moon films to have been.

What do I think I learned from this film?
Fear is a great motivation for everyone as is lust, making us agree sometimes to the worst. And that no matter how you dress them up, a straight man will do anything to get a woman naked.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Day 2

Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean 4 on Stranger Tides
Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy,
Year: 2011
Format: DVD


Plot: Captain Jack Sparrow is once again trying to get back his ship. This time, he finds out he's being impersonated by a former lover.  Angelica Teach is trying to get together a crew to sail her and her father Blackbeard in search of the fountain of youth.

I found this movie to be a bit on the long side.  I wasn't at all thrilled with the subplot of the mermaids. It made it feel like it should have been a separate movie in itself from the main plot. It started off with the promise of being my favourite of the series, but by the time the mermaids rang up I was almost bored.




What do I think I learned from this film?
You're reputation is all you have so you better make it a good one, or at lest be good at the fact you've got a bad one.
And when you get to the point of being infamously famous, you will have to deal with all sorts of rumours.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Day 1

Movie:    Julie/Julia
Starring:  Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
Genre:  biopic, comedic-drama
Year:  2009
Format: DVD

Plot: Julie Powell is about to turn 30. After seeing how fabulous the lives of her group of friends are, she realizes she needs something more in her own and is inspired by the life of Julia Child.  This prompts her to cook her way through  Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Child and blog about it in the course of one year.
This is inter cut with the parallel story of how Julia Child came to write the now famed cookbook, after finding herself questioning what to do after leaving her own job.

The film has become something of a cult classic in just two short years since it's release.
I love the fact that the two lives are drawn together through food as well as the other main life changing issues {both move because of their husbands' jobs, both are about to turn a major birthday, both are writers -Child uses writing to get to the food side of herself and Powell uses food to get to the writing side of herself}

What do I think I learned from this film?
It set in me a craving for new challenges, helped to introduce me to a larger food world then I was currently part of, and made me realize that everyone no matter what status they might have in life is never that far removed from anyone else.
It might take a few extra steps to find your passion but when you do put all you have into it.