Movie Week

I like to go to the movies. Certainly I could wait for movies to come out on DVD, and for some I do. I really love my N.etf.lix subscription. But I love the big screen & the ambiance of the theater more. Yes, I could get a big screen & surround sound...However, until you read about me winning the lottery and building a house with a home theater, I guess I will go to the movies.

I've recently started going to the theater that has independent films. So much for only spending $5.00 on a movie. About 2 weeks ago I went to see Ci.ty Is.land. It was funny! This movie was about a family & the secrets that they kept from each other. I kept looking at And.y Ga.rcia and thinking he was Ro.bert Din.ero.

This week I saw Mother and Child. The lives of 3 women & their desire for a/their child, relationship with their mother or lack of relationship with their mother & how this formed their personality. Not sure if that sentence makes my point, but if you see the movie hopefully then it will make sense. However, if you need a well written clear review by a professional look here.

I think I will have to go to that theater on the weekend, because on the weekdays I get caught in rush hour traffic. Which is only tolerable if..ah it's intolerable at least to me.

Movie Weekend

I saw "Just Wright" yesterday. Even though many of the people that I am close to think the story has been done many times before. I like Queen Latifah & love Common, so I had to see it.

I really enjoyed the movie. There was a scene or 2 that made me tear up. I'm sure if you saw the movie you're thinking, huh? I'm pretty sure no one else got teary during those scenes. It happened in the scenes with her father. It made me think of my dad especially in a scene where she and her father were painting. I flashed back to helping my father paint our house one summer.

But personal memories aside if you like 'boy meets girl' movie. This is the movie to see.

Movies, Movies, Movies!

Over the past 2 weeks I have gone to the movies to see. a) Everybody's Fine, b) Up in the Air, c) Did you here about the Morgans? & d) Armored.

Why these movies? There really are quite a few more that I want to see. I guess they each had an actor I like for one reason or another, well, one of the movies...I just really needed to see black people after those choices. LOL Actually, I knew about Armored before the others, but I saw trailers and added them to my list. I didn't realize that Sam Elliott was in 2 movies until I saw them. He's another actor that I enjoy seeing.

If it wasn't for the $5 matinee before noon...I wouldn't go so much. But I need to make sure that when I go to another theater that isn't my normal stop. I should know the matinee price & hours. Also theaters don't advertise when they change prices or times for the bargain matinee so I guess I should check often.
a) I liked the trailers & and I am a fan of R. De Niro. The movie was ok. It's your normal holiday family with issues movie. Just the kind of mix that I like funny moments, serious moments & happy moments. The entertainment that I needed.

b) Another movie that after seeing the trailers & the lead actor, I just had to watch. I thought that the fact that some of the people used in the firing scenes had actually been fired recently was interesting. It also doesn't totally follow the “Hollywood” formula. I enjoyed it, it won't be a classic in my book. I am sure that there is someone more deserving of an award for best actor, but I'm not voting so what I think doesn't matter.

c) c)Well, obviously Mr. Grant is in this one...I must have wanted to see a romantic comedy. Guy does something stupid, guy loses girl, girl & guy work it out, guy gets girl in the end. No, I didn't ruin the ending for you. You know the formula...But I liked the movie. And Sarah outside of New York city was funny.

d) Diversity in the cast. Oh boy! I don't think that it was entirely believable but it was entertaining and a good movie overall. Bad guys never prosper & the hero does. :-)

Really an Award?

I saw the movie "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" the Saturday that it opened in Atlanta. I typically don't do reviews, because I am afraid I'll give something away. And I also don't feel that I write well enough to do reviews. I think I tweeted that Monique did an amazing job. I almost tweeted that Mariah won't win any awards, but she did ok. However, I decided to be nice. Her role was important, but she didn't have as much screen time as some of the other characters.

But when I saw this article I had to write something. I really do not know much about the award, but if it is for someone new to acting, well Gabby Sidibe should win it. Or if it is only for a new actor in a supporting role then any one of her classmates should get an award. And Paula Patton as Ms. Rains had a more significant role than MC as Mrs. Weiss, and did a good job.

What did MC do that was so amazing? Should she get an award because she didn't wear makeup? Oh maybe because she wore drab clothes? It seems to me whenever someone praises her performance they stop just short of saying she did a Plain Jane so well. The role was definitely more noteworthy than her previous role, but please wait until she does something more signifcant before giving her an award.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What was I doing at 10:30 this morning? One of my favorite things, I went to a movie...yes I know it's early, but that is the only time that the matinee only costs $5.00.

I went to see "This Christmas" and I enjoyed it. It was centered around a family for the holidays and the secrets that some of the family members had. It had its comedic moments without the "slapstick buffoonery"that so many comedies have. Although the girl fight in the rain...well, I guess that was for the men. LOL The dramatic scenes about each of the characters made the movie complete. I must say Regina King did a great job, and she has me "thinking" about working out...but with first I have a big dinner to eat. :-)

I read a few critics comments about the movie that weren't very favorable about it. However, after seeing the movie, I realized that he mis-stated some of the information. He gets paid for being a critic, you would think he could get info about the story right.

This Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for being able to go to the movies, and later enjoy a great meal later with family and friends. I have a lot to be thankful about. I hope you enjoy your holiday!

More Thoughts

on a recent movie that I have seen. Go..ne B.ab..y Gone

There were some typical hollywood moments and outcomes in this movie. However, it really surprised me. Morgan Freeman did an amazing job as the police captain (not surprising.) Who would think Ben Affleck would do such a good job writing & directing this. I think I read a review that it was his directorial debut. But he did direct another movie.

I never really do a synopsis of the movie because I am afraid of giving something away. The trailer of course shows that it is about a private detective that helps investigate the kidnapping of a toddler. Even though he doesn't have experience in that type of case, family members hire him because the local people won't cooperate with the police.

One of the lines in the movie that I remember (not sure I am quoting it exactly right) "Murder is a sin...it depends on who you do it to."

That statement for me is the key to at least one of the moral dilemmas in this film. (I think that in an overview of the film it has another tagline, but I focused on that one.) I watch so many movies that I tend to know how it will end before the 1st or second scene is over. This one surprised me. The moral dilemmas that this presents tears relationships apart, and I think is a very good discussion point for those that like to debate or at least have an interesting conversation.

I hope that if you watch the movie, you will let me know what you think.

What's Good?

If anybody is still around to read my blog, you may know that I like to watch movies. I wil start with two tha I watched one a few weeks ago when it 1st came out, and one today on DVD.

Why 2 you ask? Well, because a reporter compared the 2 when interviewing Tyl..er Per. ry. OK you guessed it the 1st one is "Why did I G.et Mar. rie.d" I went to see it the Friday that it came out...matinee of course.

I enjoyed it. Why? Well, because all the men in it looked GOOD! Umm the sheriff, oh yeah, the movie. I think it covered many of the personalities that one might find in a group of 8 or so people. And in Tyle.r Per..ry fashion, he had humor mixed with the moments that had eyes watering, and the conclusion with a message.

I think the can be a catalyst for some great discussions about communication, relationships and honesty or lack of honesty. In my opinion the best performances were of Sheila, Mike & Angela. So if you haven't seen it, you will have to in order to know who the actors are that played those characters.

The second movie is one that I watched because one or two reporters, critics compared it to (what some call a classic) "The Big Chill." The comparison was because they are both in the comedy/drama genre? oh yes about collge friends getting together. Hmmm ok, whatever.

I have to admit that since I was at home, the second movie didn't have my full attention at some points, so I did get some of the characters confused once or twice. But what did I really like about movie 2 you ask? What might make me watch it again? The sound track. There were quite a few Motown classics in it from the Temptations, to Smokey Robinson, to Aretha Franklin, and one of the songs my dad & I used to sing together...sit down please, you may not believe this one. "Jeremiah was a Bull Frog" ok the real title is "Joy to the World" but just so you realize we weren't singing Christmas Carols. LOL I know all the words...Didn't understand them then..now I realize why my mom was so irritated with us when we sang it, but it was fun.

"...never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine
and he always had some mighty fine wine.

Joy to the world... Ok flash back is over. :-)

4 Bucks

I went to a matinee today, and I only paid...well you can figure that out. But I had to go at 10am, OK, so maybe I am crazy.

But the theater was nice & empty. There were a few other people, and a nice looking couple that was probably in their 60's. Which was good for me, because I was feeling a little silly about rushing to a movie about..."stepping". So I wasn't the oldest one there. LOL

I went to see "St.o.mp the Ya.rd." Hmm, let me see if I can tell you about it without giving telling too much.

I enjoyed it. Of course, it had the "love" story, and the "hard/bad luck" component to it as well. The main character DJ comes to Atlanta to attend Truth University after his brother was murdered. It centers around him and the 2 fraternities that compete for him, and always compete against each other in a major step show.

I think the love story between DJ & April is sweet as well as the one between DJ's Aunt & Uncle.

There are many underlying conflicts in the story. Educated vs. Blue collar; ghetto vs. non-ghetto (sorry I couldn't think of an appropriate antonym); old-school vs. new school. But I don't think that distracted me from the main story-line. I was a little annoyed with some of the close-ups during the step/dance competitions. There were a few great shirtless scenes for the ladies :-).

If you are interested in step shows, dancing and fraternity life, this might be the movie for you.