Checking the 1001 listology list last night I realized that they updated the list to 2009. When telling John he groaned and said that we'll never get through the list.
Fear not, Dear Husband, we've seen 40 % of the movies in 2009 (Some are from 2008, the last update stopped at Slumdog Millionare) so we don't have many left.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil! (2008) - What the crap is this movie?
Let the Right One In (2008) - John and my sister say it and said it sucked
The Hurt Locker (2008) - Sounds familar, but isn't ringing a bell
An Education (2009) - nope
The Hangover (2009) - Funniest movie EVER!!!!!!
Precious (2009) - Didn't care to see, but now it looks like I have to
Avatar (2009) - Freaking awesome
Fish Tank (2009) - No idea what this is
White Ribbon (2009) - ????
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - A must see!!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Goldfinger
Goldfinger
Released: September 17, 1964
Released: September 17, 1964
- Director: Guy Hamilton
- Leading Characters: Sean Connery (James Bond), Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) and Honor Blackman(Pussy Galore)
- Action/Thriller
- Rated PG
- #415 on list
Bond is back and his next mission takes him to Fort Knox, where Auric Goldfinger and his henchman are planning to raid Fort Knox and obliterate the world economy. To save the world once again, Bond will need to become friends with Goldfinger, dodge killer hats and avoid Goldfinger's personal pilot, the sexy Pussy Galore. She might not have feelings for Bond, but will 007 help her change her mind? *Taken from IMBD.
We have never seen nor had any desire to see any James Bond movies so I don't know if it's good or bad that our mail list sent this.
This movie has so many flaws and insults toward the female gender that it was just laughable.
I guess women can die if there whole body is covered with paint and no breath spot is left, cars explode just because they went off the road and girls just surrender under a kiss.
Looked I summed up the movie for you in one paragraph!
I love Sean Connery and it was nice to see a young Sean Connery, but even he couldn't pull this film to glory.
This movie didn't make me want to see any more James Bond movies.
I really liked the theme song, it's catchy, John hated it with a passion.
2 out of 5 stars.
La Vie en Rose
Released: February 14, 2007
- Director: Olivier Dahan
- Leading Characters: Marion Cotillard (Edith Piaf), Sylvie Testud (Momone) and Pascal Greggory (Louis Barrier)
- Biography/Drama
- Rated PG 13
- #1054 on list
A look at the life of the Little Sparrow, Édith Piaf (1915-1963). Her mother is an alcoholic street singer, her father a circus performer, her paternal grandmother a madam. During childhood she lives with each of them. At 20, she's a street singer discovered by a club owner who's soon murdered, coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls, and then quickly famous. Constant companions are alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of her love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, "Non, je ne regrette rien." The back and forth nature of the narrative suggests the patterns of memory and association. *Taken from IMDB.
In the beginning of our project John went through our 1001 book he'd read off the title and I'd look them up on Netflix to add to either instant or mail list. This is one that was added to our list during that time and we just barely watched it since it was going to be taken off instant. I really wish we would have watched it sooner, I didn't give it the credit it deserved just looking at the title. Shame, shame of me. This movie is fantastic!
The story is a little confusing at first since the movie jumps all over Edith's life and isn't in chronological order, also it's in French with English subtitles, but once you get past all that and enveloped into the story you forget about all of that.
I had never heard of Edith Piaf and I found that refreshing unlike most singer biography movies (Walk the Line, good movie, but I knew what was going to happen) and I fell in love with her very tragic life.
Marion Cotillard does a fantastic job playing Edith and no one would have been as good as her, she is one of only five actors to have won an Academy Award for a part spoken mainly in a foreign language.
This movie really touched me and I put it on my amazon wish list the second it ended. You must watch this movie and even better, own it.
I give it a big 5 out of 5 stars.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Top Gun
Released: May 16, 1986
Director: Tony Scott
Leading Characters: Tom Cruise (Maverick), Kelly McGillis (Charlie), Val Kilmer (Iceman)
Action/Drama
Rated PG
#754 on list
The macho students of an elite US Flying school for advanced fighter pilots compete to be best in the class, and one romances the teacher. *taken from IMDB
I hadn't seen Top Gun before I watched it last night, could be because it came out a year before I was born and not my cup of tea at all. With it being on the list and expiring from Netflix instant download in a few days we were forced to watch it.
The first half hour into it I looked over at John and said, "I'm bored." He replied, "Me too." which shocked me since he really does like these types of movies.
I never really became unbored.
The navy jargon was way over my head and it's not because I'm stupid, it's just too over the top for the normal citizen. They were talking about flight plans and naughty things Tom cruise did when flying the jet and I was thinking, "he did something wrong?"
While reading the trivia on IMBD I found this out: The call sign 'Ghostrider' that Maverick uses for his plane was the name of a real F-14 squadron (VF-142), and a model of a Tomcat from that squadron can be seen behind Sundown in the shot where Maverick tells Slider he stinks.
I couldn't figure out why Tom Cruise kept saying Ghostrider because his call name is Maverick, now I understand.
The most joy I got out of the movie was making fun of their song selection. The songs themselves were great, but instead of picking a new song for a new scene they'd just replay a song. I think I heard "Highway to the Danger Zone!" 7 times. When a new song came on I'd exclaim, "Oh! Almost a full soundtrack!"
Meg Ryan is in for a few glimpses and she's fantastic. "Goose! Take me to bed or loose me forever!" I wish she was in the movie longer, then maybe it would have been better. In fact, if the movie was made today it would probably be better and easier to follow the flying.
I could live my whole life without seeing Top Gun ever again, but I guess it's the movie that really started Tom Cruise's career.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars because at least it entertained me enough to finish it.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Psycho
Released: August 25, 1960
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Leading Characters: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates), Janet Leigh (Marion Crane), Vera Miles (Lila Crane)
Horror/Thriller
Not Rated
#363 on list
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where twitchy manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother. The place seems quirky but fine … until Marion decides to take a shower.
*taken from Netflix
I had seen this movie before but John hadn't and I knew that it'd be one he'd like. Too bad he figured out the twist before the end, I hate that he does that!
This is a movie I recommend to everyone, it really pulls you in and doesn't let you go! Just make sure you get this version and not the one they remade in the 80's with Vince Vaughn. It's the exact same movie but the older actors are better, the movie doesn't need color to be good.
The movie is based on a novel by Robert Bloch, Hitchcock bought all the copies he could find so that the ending would stay a secret. It was Hitchcock's last black and white film and even though color was available he went the non-color route because he thought that color would be too gory. As a funny side note, it's the first movie to feature a toilet on screen. The writer made the toilet a necessity so it couldn't be removed.
Hitchcock was very serious about keeping the secret of this movie. All theaters had to agree that they would keep people out after the movie started and cast and crew had to agree not to tell anyone about the movie.
With all this secrecy going on you have to see the movie!
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Exorcist
Released: December 26, 1973
- Director: William Friedkin
- Leading Characters: Linda Blair-Regan, Ellen Bustyn-Chris MacNeil, Jason Miller-Father Damien Karras
- Horror/Thriller
- Rated R: strong language and disturbing images
- #571 on list
*Taken from Netflix
The first major blockbuster in horror movie history, this film had a exerted a powerful influence on the subsequent development of the genre. Never before had a horror film been the subject of so much pre-release hype, so much gossip about post-production strife, so much speculation as to why people of all ages would stand in line for hours to watch something reputed to induce fits of vomiting, fainting, even temporary psychosis. The cultural impact of The Exorcist can hardly be overestimated. It challenged existing regulations specifying what was acceptable the show on the big screen. The film stole U.S. newspaper headlines away from the ongoing Watergate scandal, at least for a while, lead to a detectable increase in a number of "real life" spiritual possessions reported, and, as one critic wrote, "established...disgust as mas entertainment for a large audience." *taken from 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - 5th Anniversary Edition by Steven Jay Schneider
The movie was good, not great. I don't quite understand where all the hype over the film came from. Maybe I am just biased because I am so used to today's typical horror film with crazy special effects and very realistic make-up, the photo we are all so used to seeing of the young demon possessed girl with sickly green skin and sores all over her face, to me, almost seemed comical. The story was good with the mother trying all she can to find out what's wrong with her daughter, going from doctors to shrinks to priest who tell her to go back to the doctors. All the while there is the police lieutenant constantly in the back ground. Over all definitely worth watching for all those horror film fans, though I doubt you'll be scared. 3 out of 5 stars.
*Written by John
The Birds
Released: May 30, 1963
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Leading Characters: Tippi Hendren - Melanie Daniels, Rod Taylor - Mitch Brenner, Jessica Tandy - Lydia Brenner, Veronica Cartwright - Cathy Brenner
- Horror/Thriller
- PG-13 for violence, gore and frightening/intense scense
- #396 on list
As horror movies go I did not find this a horror, but maybe back in the day this was scary stuff! Even though I wasn't quivering in fear, I did find it a good movie.
There are some slow parts and some overkill acting but that is made up for by some great scenes. One of our favorite scenes is when Melanie is waiting outside Cathy's school. She sits down on a bench with the jungle gym behind her. A grow lands on the gym as the camera pans back to Melanie, after a few seconds it pans back to the gym and you see a few more birds have landed. Back and forth this panning goes until the camera rests on Melanie for an incredibly long amount of time, so long that you're dying to see that blasted jungle gym. Once the camera makes it back to the gym you think, "hmmm, maybe I didn't want to see that gym..." when you see that the whole thing is covered by crows .
Another great scene is showing the town from above after a small fire, then the birds start coming back. This scene was made by the makers marking out on the ground of the stage where the cast could walk. All the places outside of the tape where then blacked out after filming and the town was painted in place. It looked so real that John and I didn't know that it was painted until we watched the special features after the movie.
Some interesting fact about the movie:
There is no musical score for the movie, fearing that the music would be too much with the mixture of bird calls and screams.
The climatic scene was so physically and emotionally tolling for Tippi Herdren that it put her in the hospital for a week and some of her scenes were filmed by her double.
The Birds is voted the 7th scariest film of all time by Channel 5 and The Times in 2006.
I do have to say that we didn't like how the movie ended. I thought there was going to be at least another 30 minutes when the scene blacked out and the ending titles started to roll. You never find out why the birds attached or how they all ended up in such a small town.
But all in all we rate it 3.5 stars out of 5.
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