Fifteen Years and Revisiting An Old Friend Named Harry

I am 29-years-old and I just got sorted into House Hufflepuff. You might be thinking that I'm arriving at Hogwarts about 18 years too late, and you would be right, but apparently there are no age limits for starting at the most famous wizarding school in the world! Traveling by way of platform 9 3/4 was a tad awkward though, especially when all these little wizards were asking what class I would be teaching. No matter, I am forever young at heart, and I will be starting school just in time to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the movie based on Hogwarts most famous alumnus.

Alas, that all only happened in my elaborate imagination. Yet there is one real fact to pull out of that perfect illusion - today marks 15 years since the release of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Light up a ballroom full of candles, throw on your best dress robes (the more ruffles the better), and raise your glass of butterbeer – it's time to celebrate!

After all this time what Harry Potter fan (aka most humans) doesn't still wish they could be whisked away to Hogwarts? That may not ever become a reality, but being able to be sorted into a Hogwarts house on fantasy supporting websites, like Pottermore, or visiting a theme park, like The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, makes us all able to actually experience a smidge of what J.K. Rowling wrote about so profoundly.

With all the years that have gone by, I’m not the only “adult” (age is only a number, not a state of mind) that spent their childhood, teens, and then college years addicted to reading about Harry's adventures and watching the subsequent film versions. Patiently waiting for each new book to be released and instantly consuming every page became part of our growing up. I barely remember what the world was like before the phrase, "he who shall not be named" became universally known as the term for a specific evil doer. If memory serves correctly, pre-Potter pop-culture involved a lot of TGIF and Urkel.

That first generation of young Potter readers and viewers have aged quite a bit more since the last book and movie was released (boy, don't I know it). Even being a huge fan, I hadn't read the books or watched any of the movies in many years. With that in mind, I had recently started to wonder if my generations collective love of these stories would carry over into this thing called being an adult. There was only one way to find out.

With a special tip of my pointy black hat in honor of the anniversary, I settled in recently for a viewing of The Sorcerer's Stone. Surprisingly, even though I knew all the twists of the plot, it felt like I was watching the movie with fresh eyes. It is nice to know that after repeated viewings there can still be excitement in watching Harry find out that he is a wizard. I actually got a huge smile on my face as he walked into Diagon Alley for the first time.You can marvel in all the sights along with Harry as if you too would soon be getting your new wand from Ollivanders.

The movie is perfectly crafted with the hopes that viewers will always get lost in the idea and possibility connected to the mysteries of this magical world. Overall, aside from some silly looking CGI (as in, every time people are flying on brooms), the movie holds up completely. Part of me felt like I may have enjoyed it even more than when I first saw the movie, back when my biggest problem was dealing with getting movie snacks, like the essence of stickiness known as caramel apple suckers, stuck in my braces. Could this continued positive reaction partly be due to childhood nostalgia combined with longingly watching treasured actors who have now since passed on? (RIP Alan Rickman.) Or is it just a fact that the movie will always be fun to watch? All of the above can be the only answer.

After watching just one of the movies I was full on buzzed with Harry Potter fever. It was like I was fourteen and hopped up on nothing but Fun-Dip all over again. (Yeah, I have basically been a giant ball of sugar my whole life. No regrets.) It only made sense then to continue on to the next logical step of this re-awakened obsession - marathon through reading the series. Some of the earlier books I have not picked up since I was 11, the same age as those first years taking their initial trip to Hogwarts. So far I'm only through Goblet Of Fire, but I have been enjoying every page, proving, once again, that there is no age limit for a classic tale.

All of those out there who were full on grown-ups and enjoyed the books when they were originally released (my dad included) already knew that there was wide appeal to Rowling's creation. Now it will just take us all to keep these books with us as we continue to grow older. Not just to read to our (hypothetical) children, but to proudly carry out in public and defend their right as good novels, not just kids books.

I now know that each time you visit any part of the series you can get a whole different experience. That is the true test of a well crafted story. When you're a child you can be charmed by the magic and the idea of an interesting world outside of our own, in your teens you can relate to the drama of friendships and relationships (plus, the magic), and as you grow up you can connect to the lives of the Hogwarts students, having already lived through much of what they experienced (only with less Quidditch). And you can still appreciate the magic! The idea of having a wand will be cool until the day I die. As an adult you can also read more into the plight of the older characters who are trying to protect students or their children. Those adult characters, much like us grown-ups in the real world, have the tenacity to keep waking up every morning knowing the truth that there is a world full of evil among all the good.

After taking on more life experiences the struggle of Harry and his friends can actually be more relatable as well, especially when it comes to the pain of loss. I had never personally experienced death when I had first picked up the books. Now after coping with my mother's death, I definitely feel Harry's pain and suffering, as if I too have a permanent lighting bolt scar. He lost his whole family, but still powered on. He is the boy who lived. Rowling did a fine job of incorporating life changing lessons that can equally empower the young and the young at heart.

Rowling may not have been the first to mentally transport an entire population through her art, but she just continued a great literary and cinematic tradition. From Narnia to Middle Earth and Tatooine to Hogwarts, it seems like once in a generation an artist breaks out to create a new complete world that absorbs the masses and makes us all look at our own existence in a different way. And, guess what, she's not done yet.

With what appears to be boundless creativity, Rowling has continued to expand the Potter universe. On November 18th, fittingly very close to the release date of the first movie, Rowling will make her screenwriting debut with a new adventure - Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

The action has moved across the pond to America and transported the story back in time to 1927, years before the future of Harry Potter was known. It follows Newt Scamander (author of the Fantastic Beasts text book used by all first year students in The Sorcerers Stone) as he makes a pit stop in NYC while traveling the world looking for magical creatures. Knowing Rowling, this new branch of the wizarding world will be just as complex and fascinating as everything else she has already written.

Fifteen years ago, Harry Potter mania was just kicking up with the release of the first movie. Who knew all this time later the same fan base would be ramping up to enjoy a new set of stories and, at the same time, still love the original tales just as strongly.

Other authors have created entirely different worlds with just their words, but Rowling has taken this tradition to a whole other level that still continues to impact our culture. The new film series will be five movies, which ties Rowling up for years to come. Although, who knows what exactly her brain will be cooking up fifteen more years from now.

I'll tell you where I'll be by then - settling in for another read through of the Harry Potter series and popping in a copy of Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone (or likely streaming it through my eyeball, because it will be the future).

Time goes by, but, at least for my generation, it looks like some interests will never change.

Until next time. 

What In The HE (Double Hockey Sticks) Happened?

Thanks to "Watchathon" on Comcast, many 2015 movies were available to be streamed for free last week.

It's always grand to watch movies that you actually have been dying to see, but it was also a fantastic time, without having to waste actual money renting them, to check out those flicks that got terrible reviews. Bless you Comcast.

When something is deemed god-awful by a large chunk of the population, don't your senses start tingling with anticipation and questioning, "Well, HOW bad is it?"

Although, even when a movie stinks up the rating system over at Rotten Tomatoes, I've always been open to the possibility of a movie proving critics wrong. On a regular basis I'm bewitched with love over a flick that no one else cared for (Safe Haven is ringing a bell). However, that doesn't always happen.

Sometimes a movie is such a mess that almost universally people exclaim, "What the F!", or the more child friendly phrase used as the title to this post.

These are the kinds of movies that completely fell of the rails from beginning to end - arguments with writers/directors might have caused a rift which ended up impacting the script or the studios could have insisted on cutting scenes and re-editing the final product. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. When a bunch of creative minds come together it can create magic, but it often also leads to the demise of an entire product.

Two movies that came out in 2015 seemed to have it all figured out. Both movies feature solid casts, one had masterful digital effects, and the other had a prestige writer/director. So, what made the final released product of Aloha (19% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Pixels (17%) a total mess? You'd have to see both to actually believe the level of disaster.

Let's start with the movie that I turned on about an hour after finishing up watching Spotlight for the second time - that would be the Adam Sandler non-fun romp that is Pixels. Just to be clear - I watched the 2015 Best Picture winner, pretty much directly followed by this six time Razzie nominee. That's really a way to get clarity on well executed vs. ill conceived storytelling.


On the outside Pixels looks like a promising idea for the world we are currently living in that is obsessed with tech and video games. You may have also guessed that it's a fun spoof on all those end of the world action movies that keep coming out, right? Those ideas sound like a wonderful taking off point for a flick that an entire family of all ages could check out.

And that's exactly how the movie begins - back in 1982 with some kid video game wizards plugging all of their change into the machines at an arcade. Then after a moment of fun nostalgia, we are transported, with a thud of drastically cut editing, into the present where these children have now grown up to be Adam Sandler and Kevin James (whose professions are a "Geek Squad" type home technology installer and THE PRESIDENT of the USA, respectively).

Right off the bat, Sandler appears to be having a bummer of a time. His boy like charm and charisma from his past films seems to have been left behind. If Sandler is not even having fun with this movie, how is anyone watching it supposed to rise above that emotional level? Once that vibe from Sandler is introduced, everything about this turns into complete nonsense.

The concept that aliens intercepted a time capsule containing video games and they have created video game characters to use to attack Earth, could have been amusing, but something happened between idea and execution that made this movie totally fail.

Arguably the most important part of a movie, the script, is not thought out well. Characters talk through all the action in dull fashion instead of showing what is happening, the plot entirely jumps around without explaining what is going on, and worst of all, half of the time, a talented cast of people are just sitting and giving reaction shots to whatever "alien attack" they are supposed to be seeing on TV.

The hilarious Jane Krakowski is totally wasted and barely given a line as basic "silent arm candy First Lady" to Kevin James and the "romantic" interactions between Sandler and the lead female character, played by Michelle Monaghan, are painful to sit through. Really though, everyone besides Sandler, is playing to the wacky romp of a movie that this was supposed to be. Sean Bean, Josh Gad, and Peter Dinklage showed up to play, giving it their all, and made it somewhat palatable to sit through. They each went full campy and over the top, which is exactly what the all around vibe should have been.

Maybe all the money for fixing the incoherent dialogue and nonsensical plot progression went to the visual effects? At least that all looked fantastic.

On one side of a weekend's watching experience we have a movie that could have been neat, and on the other, we have a movie that should never have been made. Those hacked Sony e-mails don't lie.


See, that trailer makes it seem like there is a coherent story. Don't be fooled. People should have said no. Money should never have been exchanged. Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, and Alec Baldwin should have just taken a vacation in Hawaii instead. Hey, maybe that's exactly why this movie got made...

Much apologies to American filmmaking treasure Cameron Crowe. The negative reception of this movie has already dragged him through piles of sludge, so there really is no need for another voice to echo the same negativity. And yet, I'm too baffled to just let Aloha go by without voicing concerns.

Aloha is the most confusing movie I've even laid eyes on. Not since Gigli have I walked away from a movie wondering, "what was that even about?" If you asked me right now to explain the story, you'd have to come meet me in person so I could draw pictures and use excessive hand motions. (You might need to give me a minute break though - I'm awfully tired after having just given a 15-minute talking performance describing the three episodes of Nashville that my brother missed.)

Well, here I'll give it a go anyway. You see Bradley Cooper is going to Hawaii to help with blessing a gate (?). He flies there on a military plane, because he either is still in the military or used to be, and he used to date Rachel McAdams, but might be interested in Emma Stone. Then there's a whole dilemma with a satellite...never mind.

Sorry, I'll at least try to explain the movie watching experience.

At the very beginning, Bradley Cooper's character starts a long, fast paced, voice over monologue - one of those monologues that fans of Crowe's movies are familiar with. Within a minute of Cooper talking I literally (and I do mean the actual definition of literally) had no idea what was going on. The words and pictures were zooming by and I just kept telling myself it will be all sorted out soon. "This will make sense eventually", I said to myself, as I rocked back and forth in pure maddening confusion. But no, it never did make sense.

Even now looking back, I'm not totally sure what Cooper's job was, which is a HUGE part of the plot, and I still question how some of the characters were connected to each other. Cooper might have in the past worked for Alec Baldwin, but then again, I'm not totally sure. Just as much plot could be understood if the dialogue had been in a foreign language. It's not a good sign if a drama about modern day people  (not aliens) dealing with relationships and professions goes completely over the head of a viewing audience.

Overall, there is one baffling question - what about this story made an incredible writer like Cameron Crowe say, "I just have to write about that!"? This is currently boggling my mind.

Then there's the whole issue of Emma Stone playing a woman whose father is half Asian/half Hawaiian. Crowe has said that this character is based on a person he knows and I get that she's not supposed to look like her background, but it is a dicey casting decision to make, especially when Hollywood is getting so much flack for "white-washing" roles. The internet has since exploded with criticism. That controversy was just the spoiled icing on the cake for this movie that, honestly, never stood a chance.

It's impossible for someone to always get it right, even for a director like Crowe who has struggled in more recent years, but has created many treasured American classics (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Say Anything). No one likes to see talented people falter either, yet sometimes that creative magic just doesn't come together and it's okay. For Aloha and Pixels we ask, "what happened?", but we all learn from our mistakes, don't we? 

Until next time.

For Your Consideration: Spooky Movie Edition

There is something particularity jarring about a child screaming. The majority of modern horror movies don’t understand that a scare can come from something that simple. 

Thrilling audiences by channeling those old fashioned, more commonplace fears has seen a resurgence in supernatural chillers like the The Conjuring and Paranormal Activity. More often though, horror movies tend to be about outlandish murder and torture. Most notably, "show me the blood!" was the key to the popular Saw and Hostel enterprises, and just this year in The Purge and You're Next.

Let's bring back more of those subtle scares! One way to start would be to check out a movie from 1961, based on Henry James' story, The Turn Of The Screw. It may be missing all the blood and guts we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in our favorite flicks around All Hallows Eve, but sometimes all it takes to send a chill up your spine is an eerie house and the unsettling sounds of a terrified child. In consideration for your new spooky favorite – The Innocents. Beware, after just one viewing, windows at night will become something to avoid.

In fact, the chilling tone is set within the first frame.  For 45 seconds, the screen is black and all that can be heard is the haunting voice of a singing child. Slowly, the blackness fades to the closeup of a panic stricken face, the star of this picture in fact, Deborah Kerr, who is quietly praying. It's a simple movie equation that religion + supernatural  = terror! (See also: The Exorcist) That's right, only a few minutes into a movie and you may already be leveled with fear, but keep watching.

Kerr plays Miss Giddens, a governess, who, after the dark opening, we find as she happily accepts her first position taking care of children in a country estate. These orphans have been left as the charges to a man more interested in remaining a bachelor, so he requests to be left completely alone and entirely hands off their care. Miss Giddens is unaware that the man's carelessness has unknowingly already caused harm.

All is well traveling out in the wide open country, with a towering mansion off in the distance, but not upon closer inspection. Within minutes of Miss Giddens' arrival in the massive garden surrounding the house, a soft voice calling out a girl’s name can be heard, so quietly both Miss Giddens, who looks perplexed, and the viewers wonder if anything was heard at all.

Quite suddenly, a joyous young girl runs up out of nowhere, who ends up having the same name of the voice we just (thought) we heard. There is no time wasted for the supernatural elements to begin. From the first minute on the property, anyone would want to jump in the screen and make Deborah Kerr run in the opposite direction.

Instead she heads into the massive household that is large enough to hold many secrets, but is bewitching to her, as she grew up under meager circumstances, so, she happily bounces through each of the magnificent rooms. Nothing odd to find here...yet.


Everything remains well until several days later, the girl is joined by her brother who has gotten expelled from his boarding school. It is the first of many mysterious circumstances.

Once the two siblings are joined together, odd events begin to torture Miss Giddens; she see's a woman in black hovering across the lake, a shadowy male figure on top of a bell tower, and a woman restlessly pacing the hallways. Unexplainable events happening around every corner definitely turns a normal game of hide and seek into 10 nerve wracking minutes for both Miss Giddens and the audience watching it unfold.

Kerr, who is most well known for The King and I, is far from her character who dances the night away in Siam. She spends the entire time on screen doing the demanding job of balancing the face of a joyful teacher with that of abject terror - she becomes a governess who is scared of the children she is looking after. More emphasis is put on the latter emotion as the history of a past governess and groundskeeper are revealed. These were two people the children cared for with an extra special affinity.

Those children are terrifying enough, but then there is the entire spooky atmosphere enhanced by the director, Jack Clayton. Dramatic camera angles, quick cuts, and intense close-ups on the actors faces makes the already unearthly story feel even more abstract and unreal.

Filmed in black and white, older scary movies are inherently creepy as it is, just in how that type of film makes shadowed corners seem especially dark. With that element already in place, each scene is constructed to get the audience to react with quick cuts to mysterious figures coming out of those shadows and adding terror to a scene with a toy clown in the attic. You know a story has reeled you in when every single instant in a movie, even a toy, makes you want to hide under the covers.

Besides the wonderful performances by the entire cast and all the creative, mind-bending filming techniques, what really makes this flick a  must see, and incredibly memorable, is the ambiguous nature of the story.  The additional assumptions that arise from this ambiguity, which will be different based on each person's interpretation, could be (for some) much more frightening than the obvious fear caused by a haunting.

Halloween is next week, so anyone looking for a new movie  to add to their spook-fest that will deliver more spine chilling moments than a traditional slasher flick,  look no further than The Innocents. Three days later, after seeing it for the first time, and I can still hear the slight scream of a child rattling in my ears.

Don't Stop Believin' In...Tom Cruise?

                                             
                      (Cruise actually brings it - best musical performance)


We've all the been there. The movie that you jokingly added to your Netflix Queue, with a, "oh yeah, this will be great to make fun of later", but never thought you would actually watch, has slowly but surely, month after month, crept up all the way to number two, without you even noticing.

Then that upsetting day comes. You sent back a movie and forgot to update your list. Later that morning an e-mail pings in your Inbox declaring that Rock Of Ages was just sent out and it will arrive on Wednesday. Cue your inner Liz Lemon - blerg indeed.

Now that it has been sent, there is no other choice but to watch it. I'm not wasting a movie rental afterall!

That is where my dilemma of a Sunday began. Coffee with Zeta Jones in a Pepto-Bismol, Jackie-O wannabee skirt suit, dancing for her life to, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", if you ask me, is a little too much to take first thing in the morning.

While it may not have been by choice, and was a little shaky all the way through, I found much to be amused by:

1) I have a theory that Rock Of Ages is a prequel to Burlesque. Julianne Hough's character could easily be Christina Aguilera's mother/aunt from the 80's who was just trying to get her big break. They both came from Iowa or Oklahoma (one of those) and trekked out to LA, they both wear jean jackets, they both sing, they're blondes...it's really all right there.

2) The unsung hero is the wardrobe of Mary J. Blige. Playing the owner of a strip club in LA, Blige is essentially pure glamor every moment she is on screen. So many sparkly jump suits. Side Note: This is not sarcasm - her clothes are actually perfection and made watching this completely worthwhile.

3) I get that this is a self mockery/satirical homage or something, but enough with all the cliches! Write something better than, I got mugged and a job was dropped at my feet 30 seconds after arriving in LA. All the lead actors (cough. Hough and that main dude) just really aren't selling it. Smaller bits by Alec Baldwin, Will Forte, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, and this random guy from Rolling Stone on a telephone, were, on the other hand, quite hilarious.

4) I really struggle, but must admit that Tom Cruise is cool in this. His singing voice perfectly gets that high pitch tone, which really screams 80's rock. Plus, like usual, he really committed to the dazed rock star role, making you believe he was trying to take the story to a higher level that was better than what was written. Though - ass-less chaps? No Tom, put that away, my eyes...my eyes.

5) Keep bringing the Broadway musicals to the big screen! More, more, even if they aren't that great, I want more!


Seeking out a great movie to watch? This isn't it, but if it gets sent to you by accident, go ahead and give it a shot.

Boy vs Man

One is nominated for an Oscar, where the other, to put it nicely, tanked at Cannes.

One is getting acclaim and buzz based on a tender story, and the other has gotten notoriety all because of a little urine.

They both have paper in their title, but nothing else will ever tie these two films together. Well, except for the paragraph that is unfolding in front of you...

Maybe I shouldn't even think of phrasing them together, but both were seen by these eyes in the same week, the idea sparked, so here we go!

Paperman

Any Pixar fanatic knows their tradition of showing a short piece before the feature film - some even being  better than the main show.

Disney, who just happens to own Pixar, are apparently branching out the idea of playing a short before their other films, as audiences who checked out Wreck It Ralph back in November were treated to the endearing short, Paperman.

Its superb blend of classic animation and computer graphics, with an imaginative story and jubilant score,  will make you feel like you are watching your old favorite Disney tale and something unique all in the same instant. The "Paperman" also has quite the resemblance to John Krasinski, which even in cartoon land, is always a good thing.

Currently it is up for Best Animated Short Film at this years Academy Awards, and with any luck, a win will only continue to solidify Disney as being the greatest source of tugging at heartstrings.

Thanks to the internet, the full length version is currently available to watch for free on Hulu. See it Here!

The Paperboy

Lee Daniels' follow-up to Precious (based on the novel Push by Sapphire. How I have missed saying that!) was built around high expectations.

A star packed cast filming a controversial movie from an acclaimed director all screamed Oscar bait. The result (minus Kidman's several award nominations) is quite the opposite.

Coming out of Cannes, it was the movie where Nicole Kidman pee'd on Zach Efron. It's definitely not a good sign if that is all people are talking about.

While the movie is a mess in every sense of the word, it is also quite brilliant, shocking, horrifying, and enjoyable. All these mixed emotions in one film has left many critics to proclaim that,  "it's so bad, it's good", or even notch it up as a camp classic.

Where the script gets really off kilter and when the direction gets extra strange, the excellent casting saves the film. Two actors specifically are perfectly put to work reminding the world that they are versatile and can now forever escape from bad rom-com hell.

One is John Cusack, who is truly frightening (and awesome) as an inmate charged with murder. The other is Matthew McConaughey, who, in one unusual movie after the next, is having one of the best couple years of his entire career.

To top it off Nicole Kidman, who hasn't played this nut-so since 1995's To Die For, steals almost every scene in her daring role as a trashy, aging, southern belle, and Zach Efron goes beyond eye-candy (though, it has to be said that he should always play characters who live in warm climates...) to show some true acting depth. He may have a career outside of that singing and dancing afterall.

When actors are truly great at what they do, they can play anyone, and if they can turn a movie that might be un-watchable into something interesting, I say that alone deserves some sort of award.

As much that can be said, The Paperboy has to be seen to be believed.

Listing: 100 Things

[Grauman's Chinese Theater - stop on College Grad Road Trip 2009]

Ive seen this floating around the blog world a lot lately; 100 things all about movies. Writers are compiling a mega-list that detail all those personal stories surrounding watching and appreciating movies throughout their years.

Many of these lists I've perused are deeply fascinating, with each person giving their own spin. Of course I just had to throw my hat in the ring as well, since I always love a good list.

What follows is 100 Movie Facts about myself, and don't worry this took several weeks to pull together - I would be worried about my own health if I sat and wrote this just now.

Some think, how can you list a 100 facts? And I say, only 100? This list will be complete and there will still be more to say.

So, sit back, scroll threw a chunk, come back for more, and then create your own!



1) The last movie to blow me away (movie themed pun intended) was Take Shelter.

2) There is nothing more I'd rather do on a stormy day than sit and watch
a movie marathon (hopefully themed).

3) The movie I've seen the most times: The Scream Trilogy. All middle school sleepovers = Scream.

4) Kate Winslet is my favorite. Especially in, Sense & Sensibility, Little Children, and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind...

5) At the beach in Montauk, a house crumbles as a man's memory is in the final stages of being erased-that is my all time most beloved movie scene. Heartbreaking, lovely, and genius.

6) Since elementary school, I've had a special place in my heart for Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. The love will never fade...



7) Edward Scissorhands still makes me laugh and cry.

8) Juliette Binoche is flat out gorgeous - I don't think that about many ladies, but she is simply mesmerizing, I could watch her in anything.

9) Dan In Real Life is criminally underrated.

10) In a dream world Thomas Newman would be the composer of my life: his scores literally make my day feel better. I could listen to this all day:





11)  Streep is a straight up baller.



12) "Donna and The Dynamos" will one day inspire showstopping Halloween costumes.

13) There is nothing better, and equally frustrating than an ambiguous ending.

14) Going to the movie theater is always an event that lifts my spirits.

15) After seeing the glorious Titanic 3D in the theater it pains me to imagine watching it on a smaller screen ever again, but it pains me even more with the thought that I would no longer stop to watch the "Irish Party In Third Class" scene every time it plays on cable. "So you want to go to a real Party?" Always Leo, always.

16) Jurassic Park is my first memory of going to the movie theater - I was in 1st grade, and it was when our legendary Mt Baker theater still played first run movies as well as plays/musicals/concerts.

17) Movies that hold a special place in my heart because I remember seeing them at our local Drive-In as a kid: Hocus Pocus, Snow White, Contact, The Lost World, Gone In 60 Seconds, Dinosaurs, American Pie:2 and Rush Hour:2 (what a great double feature).

18) Merryweather, the blue rubenesque fairy from Sleepy Beauty, brings me much amusement. She zaps cookies out of thin air with her wand for crying out loud!

19) The opening and ending of Beauty and The Beast turns me into an emotional woman.

20) The music in a movie can make a bad movie good and vice versa.

21) My love for James Dean started with my Grandma.



22) Grandma is a huge classic film fan - we have plans to attend the TCM festival in LA together. Next year? Or they have a cruise!

23) I have a ridiculous crush on Jason Schwartzman - and every flick he has been in (... and his music...and TV shows).

24) At some point (soon!) I will have officially seen every movie ever to win the Best Picture. Already thinking about the next movie mission ahead...

25) I adore the campy/spooky Tim Burton, but he needs to bring back his original material.

26) Danny Elfman is a musical genius.



I Can't Live Without The Soundtrack From...  


27) About A Boy



28) Hairspray

29) Into The Wild 

30) Harold and Maude

31) Dan In Real Life

32) Once 

33) That Thing You Do 



34) Stand By Me must be watched every summer.



35) Quotes from Mean Girls work for everything. Boo, you whore!

36) Who isn't obsessed with all the colors that make up a Wes Anderson movie?

37) Ultimate old-Hollywood stars: Greer Garson and Clark Gable.

38) Seeing The Graduate for the first time in High School changed the way I watched movies - passive enjoyment to diligent and critical appreciator.

39)  I still wish John Cusack was in everything.



Top 5 Reasons I Cherish High Fidelity:  



40) Cusack (goes without saying)

41) Kathleen Turner Overdrive/ Final performance scene.

42) The guy owns a friggin' record store!

43) All the lists.

44) Quotables: "To me, making a tape is like writing a letter. There's a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. You've got to kick off with a corker, to hold the attention , and then you've got to up it a notch, or cool it a notch, and you can't have white music and black music together, unless the white music sounds like black music, and you can't have two tracks by the same artist side by side, unless you've done the whole thing in pairs and...oh, there are loads of rules."



45) The single shot car chase scene in Raising Arizona was first shown to me when I was a kid. My dad thought it was hilarious, and so do I.

46) The Coen Brothers are the epitome of American films at their best.

47) It's not okay that an average person could only count with a couple fingers the female directors they know by name.

48) Always an appreciator of the vivid visual feast of a Sophia Coppola movie.

49) Little Miss Sunshine is in the running for best entire cast of a movie in the last decade.

50) Kurt Cobain's half brother was the clerk at the video store by my house while I was growing up.

51) Bette Davis is a staple in my family - Whatever Happened To Baby Jane was often performed live during my childhood.

52) Sweeping epics play to the true romantic that I am.

53) I am, basically, Bridget Jones.

54) The only midnight showing of a  movie I have gone to was for Sex & The City. Judgements welcome-we had a blast.

55) "Top That!"   - Not Halloween without Teen Witch.

56) The Station Agent - Watch it, adore it.

57) It always makes me happy to see Patricia Clarkson pop up in a movie.

58) The same goes for Stanley Tucci. Love that guy.

59) I walked into a party once where thirty out of their minds people were sitting around a TV chanting "TUCCI! TUCCI!" - Obviously, Shall We Dance was on, and this sight made my life.

60) Ewan McGregor is a real triple threat (singer, accent, dreamy)... and a fantastic actor - how can he lose?



61) It is impossible to choose between Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, and The Breakfast Club.

62) I've been writing movie reviews since middle school - somehow my friend and I convinced our teacher that movie reviews demonstrated high quality writing, and we got credit in school for them. We definitely submitted one about Ready To Rumble. I have always had high brow taste.

63) Working for a magazine is the only job I have ever wanted - after seeing Almost Famous the desire grew to exorbitant heights.

64) For some reason depressing movies tend to be some of the best - cue The Hours. It is beautiful and horribly sad, and I can't stop watching it!

65) I love You Can Count On Me, and continue to watch everything that Laura Linney makes.

66) It is not a Winona Ryder movie unless her character is the narrator.

67) Murials Wedding gets funnier and sadder (oh, the mom!) every time I watch it, which is often. ABBA!



Shout outs:

68) Toni Collette!

69) Emma Thompson!



70) I have a lamp shade that I covered with movie ticket stubs.

71) I'm glad that I was too young too see American Beauty when it came out, so all that hype didn't ruin it for me.

72) It has been tested, often, that I can name a movie that is playing on TV, even if I have never actually seen it before. People think I'm crazy.

73) Although they are terrible/unfunny movies...the pure cuddliness of Theodore could lead me to watch parts of those live action Alvin & The Chipmunks movies (even Chipwrecked). I do not exaggerate when I say I would sit through that mess just to see something like this happen-I would laugh till my stomach hurt, and it would be worth it.


I can't live without the score from...

74) Amelie

75) The Village



76) Chocolat

77) Edward Scissorhands

78) Legends Of The Fall



79) Little Women

80) Beginners



81) The Hours



82) Leo Dicap has evolved into one of the greatest actors of today, and it all started with some really good hair. 90's Leo hair, just think about how good that was.

83) Catherine Zeta Jones makes me physically ill. Just typing her name...

84) Not always a Woody Allen fan, The Purple Rose Of Cairo, Manhattan, as well as Hannah and Her Sisters have become classics in my eye.

85) Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine are the classiest of broads.

86)  On a daily basis I get overwhelmed with all the things I want to read about movies/pop culture and still catch up on current world events. There is never enough time!

87) Two Words: Jake Ryan.

88) Fantastic soundtracks can be paired with a bad movie - case in point Elizabethtown.

89) Mark Ruffalo - talented + extra dreamy. Always a good thing.



90) Great movies leave me thinking for days.

91) Hollywood love started before I was born - I was nearly named Natalie or Audrey, after Wood or Hepburn.

92) I practically live for The Oscars, but I still think they get it wrong a lot.

93) Why are people still trying to make Blake Lively happen?

94) My DVD collection is somewhat classy, but my personal VHS collection from Middle School is where it's at - those gems range from American Beauty (two tapes!) to Fools Rush In to my prized copy of How To Make An American Quilt.

95) When I was fourteen I had a poster of Hugh Grant on my wall - seriously, it was a gift.

96) For lack of better words, RDJ is hot and funny - enough said.



97) When the trailers for Step Brothers came out I was adamantly against it - now the end (at the "F'ing Catalina Wine Mixer!") is one of my top movie scenes of all time. Never not funny. Andrea Bocelli for the win!

98) Anything featuring William H. Macy will be watched no questions asked.

99) "Well, the little guy was kinda funny-lookin'."

100) If there were no limits to wishes I would want to have a real WALL-E.





That's all folks. I feel it adequately sums up my random taste in movies; I go classy and trashy.

If you had 100 things to say about movies, what would that list look like?

Living The Dream

Some of us watch Sesame Street, and one of us grew up to be a red fluffy monster on Sesame Street.

Watching the documentary Being Elmo over the weekend, I couldn't help but be completely swept up in the life of Kevin Clash; a man who rose from an amateur puppeteer, to being the arm and talent behind one of the world's most beloved characters-none other than Elmo.

His story is funny and fascinating at first, especially in seeing how young Clash's passion began. He even constructed an incredible Monkey puppet out of his dads coats as a child!

Then we get to the box-of-tissues weep worthy fest that is Elmo's almighty effect on the people of the world. He's a puppet, yet even I would lose my mind if Elmo glided into a room, and I'll probably be crying all week about the images of sick children cuddling with Elmo.

What is so magnetic about a single puppet? "He is love", as Clash so effortlessly puts it.

Clash is a true story of success. Sure, he is financially successful, but more critical, he achieved his most desired dream. Being inspired by the life of Clash, led to the procurement of a little list-one made up of movies involving characters who also set out in their life to grab hold of their ultimate dream profession, and life.

There may be other professions other than writing , but this lady writer can't see past that, so here is a somewhat biased list, yet inspiring none the less. For all you writers out there, this one is for you.

The Help

[Source]

One aspiring writer and a town of under appreciated maids in the south end up assisting  each other in seeking out one goal; being heard. They whole hardheartedly succeed in a time and place that every day told them they couldn't.

Miss Potter

Beatrix Potter went against her time and place in society (and some people thinking she was a little nutty) to paint and create a timeless world which continues to charm children, and will for the ages.

Becoming Jane

[Source]

Another lady, Jane Austen, fought to pursue her passion for storytelling in a field dominated by men, and in a world that just wanted her to settle down. Well, F that, she said (possibly more proper than that), and created most ladies ideal for a classic romance.

Julia

Playwright and author Lillian Hellman crafted a story true to life portraying her troubles and eventual success in the writing world. The film, based on the short story, eventually spins off into a mysterious tale of a friendship struggling through a dangerous situation in Nazi Germany, though, it is this circumstance where Hellman forms one of her most memorable pieces of writing.

Finding Neverland

JM Barry would have done just fine and survived comfortably with his initial success as a playwright. People always liked his work, but he wanted to craft something better. He is only a legend because of befriending and becoming inspired by one family, and will always be remembered for a boy who didn't want to grow up and a place called Neverland. 

Julie and Julia

[Source]

Julie, a writer seeking inspiration, looks to the story of one aspiring chef; Julia Child. Their tale bridges time and countries, but their struggles and objectives are the same, and they both end up getting what they really desire.

Christmas Carols

From big screen to small screen, and played by the likes of Muppets, Magoo, Murray and...Spelling, A Christmas Carol has been redone, it seems, more than any other tale. On IMDB, exact matches for the title tally to 27 different movies alone, and that doesn't even include those that have altered the title.

This Dickens story of redemption is the essence of our holiday spirit, so even with the endless adaptations, each one brings its own little bits of flair.

Some find Scrooge in a modern day world or animated, and others burst off the screen with brillant musical numbers. Lets take a spin though some of those penny pinching Scrooges, past, present, and future (mystical prediction-there will be even more recreations):

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Out of all the literal movie versions of the book, no cozy kid stuff, this one from 1951 is the one I grew up with, so to me, Alastair Sim is Ebenezer Scrooge.

Truly terrifying in sections, (endless nightmares caused by the unsettled souls with clanging chains outside his window!) this Scrooge is more villainous than the rest, and by the end has the most joyous (near psychotic) coming to his senses that can not be topped by any other.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Fozzy, Kermie, Miss Piggy, and all the rest of the gang join Michael Cain with a take on this classic in the fantastical way The Muppets do best.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol brings back the fondest memories of childhood; and most importantly, our families Christmas Tape.

Much like the fated Mix-Tapes of the days of yore (middle school), featuring music taped directly off the radio, the VHS Christmas Tape, I hear,  was a staple to many families. Mostly, it consisted of the greatest hits of Christmas specials/cartoons featured on TV, which was conveniently recorded for yearly viewing pleasure. 

Mr. Magoo was just one of the gems on our tape, but Charlie Brown Christmas and The Snowman (also, ridiculous old commercials!)  were other essentials.

Scrooged 

As Christmas movies go, Scrooged is strange and twisted, though quite hilarious, and a change of pace for the season. 

Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a Scrooge-like television executive, who must endure, like many cold-hearted folks before him, the ghosts of past, present, and future-hilarity ensues.

A Carol Christmas

The enormity of television adaptations of A Christmas Carol (including the timeless classic starring Vanessa Williams and Kathy Griffin, A Diva's Christmas Carol) can be summed up with two word; Tori Spelling.

Nothing brings the holiday cheer to my face more than watching Spelling, as a bitchy actress/talk show host raise hell to all the underlings in her life. Even better is that Spelling's character, Carol, is supposed to be a brilliant actress, but for some reason is never shown acting... I wonder why?

This has become a necessary element to Christmas in my house, and with William Shatner AND Gary Coleman as two of the spirits, you can guess why.

Priceless. Classic. Nothing is better.



Ultimately, there is honestly too many versions to count; what adaptations are your favorite?

With a face like that....

While the musical lovin' kids on The Glee Project were belting their souls out last Sunday, there was something picking at my brain that I just couldn't shake.

Every time Ellis, the spunky girl with the jazzy voice, came onto the screen, it would hit me; where else have I seen that face? [Have no idea what I'm talking about? Check out her Youtube channel]

For several nights, I tossed and turned in turmoil, and finally, as if within a dream, it came to me at work today: Ellis and Richie, one of the most crucial film characters in history, are long lost fraternal twins!

For those that have been watching The Glee Project, you're welcome-all your minds can finally be put to rest. It's still kind of freaking me out. TWINS, I tell you!




Is it mean to compare a girl, with the looks of a boy? First, of all no-it's an honor to be associated with anything Teen Witch (Blake Lively was lucky to be born into that royal family).

Plus, Richie is rad and they share the same hilarious and crazy mannerisms. It's ultimately more crushing to the actor who plays Richie, as he has the twinge of femininity, with that rounded face and long eyelashes, that really causes the similarities. Or is it just the hair?

It was sad to see Ellis get shown the door last week. None of the rest of those kids seem to have as much flair!

Keep up that talent Ellis, but don't let any witches near you-it is possible that you will bust out into a full on rap sequence.