Movie Review: The Boxtrolls

After a fun weekend at a family wedding in Ojai, my parents offered to keep my little man Eli there with them for a few days.

It's been nice (even though I really, really miss my guy!) to have some one-on-one time with my almost-9-year old, Sophia.

We've gone out to breakfast a couple times, gone shopping, planned out and chosen all the party supplies for her upcoming birthday tea party, and this afternoon, I surprised her with a trip to the movies, and dinner and ice cream after, since my hubby had to work late.

After her homework was all done, I suggested we put our cozy jammie pants on, because I had a surprise for her. We NEVER go to movies during the week, unless we're on some sort of break from school, so she was surprised when we pulled into the theater's parking lot.





 

She's been begging to see The Boxtrolls since she saw the first trailers a few months ago, and honestly I've been pretty antsy to see it myself.

The Boxtrolls comes from the same studio (Laika) that made one of my all time favorites, Coraline, as well as Paranorman, and it took YEARS to make. The story was fun, and original, there was a great message of acceptance and not judging someone before you know them, and the animation was AMAZING! Plus I LOVE anything Steampunk, and there were Steampunk elements all throughout this one. It was happy times!

I'd recommend The Boxtrolls, which is rated PG, for kids first grade and up. There are some somewhat scary elements, mostly having to do with the villain, who is allergic to cheese, eats it anyway, and has major, kind of gross, reactions to it, all the way up until the end. There is also some peril, to the point where Sophia, who is pretty emotional anyway, was crying, for fear that characters had died.

I give The Boxtrolls a B+.

Mommy and Me Movie Review: Maleficent

As the school year comes to an end this week for the schools in our area, summer movie time is just beginning!

My daughter, Sophia, and I decided to get a head start on our summer movie viewing yesterday afternoon, after a day of shopping and lunch together, when I surprised her with a trip to see Disney's Maleficent.

We both LOVED it!

Angelina Jolie is breathtaking and perfect as Maleficent, and the special effects, sets, and makeup are beyond amazing. The rest of the cast does a phenomenal job, too. And how cute is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter Vivienne as toddler-Aurora?! Adorable!

There are a few "holes" in the script, I thought, where things didn't just flow, seemed like they were added as an afterthought, or felt a bit rushed, but I loved that it was a twist on the story of Sleeping Beauty that we all know so well, similar to what Wicked did for the Wizard of Oz story.

 Sophia, who is 8 years old, wrote her own review too, which included tidbits like "Maleficent is a fairy that is human size. She has wings that drag on the ground. Maleficent can not be next to iron. She has a crow that she can turn into animals that are bird like..." and then she goes on to give away the whole movie, so I won't print it here, so as not to spoil it for everyone.

But she gives it an A.

 

 

There are some pretty dark and violent moments (for a PG rated film), so I would recommend Maleficent to kids ages 7 or 8 and up, but there were kids in the theater much younger than that had no problem with the somewhat scary elements, so just use your own judgement, as you obviously know your kids better than I. Overall I give it a B+.

So if you combine our ratings, we give it an A-. Not bad Disney. Not bad at all.

And, just for the record, we'd totally see it again.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

Cap is back yo!

 

In the sequel to Captain America, Steve Rogers is trying to figure out who he is and how life works now that he's living in the 21st Century, all while trying to fight a new (well, new-ish... but I don't want to give anything away.) enemy, The Winter Soldier. Oh, and Nazi-like organization Hydra isn't gone either.

 

I really liked this movie. So much so, that I saw it twice this weekend.

 

I wouldn't say it was as good as the first, because it's hard for any sequel to be as good as it's predecessor (unless we're talking about The Godfather Part II. That was just as good as the first. But Pat III was terrible.). But it was definitely worth seeing. Twice even! 

 

And it doesn't hurt that Chris Evans is Captain America, and Sebastian Stan (aka Jefferson/The Mad Hatter from Once Upon a Time) is The Winter Soldier. And Scarlett Johanson, though not my favorite in real life, is really good as Natasha/The Black Widow.

 

And please don't be one of those people who leave as soon as the credits start rolling. This is a Marvel movie after all. And there is ALWAYS more, at both the end of the animated credits (which might just have alluded to a possible Avengers/X-Men crossover!! Yay!!) and again at the end of the longer credit roll.

 

 

 

 

As with any sequel, definitely see the first one before you see this.

 

Though it's rated PG-13 for violence and some mild language, I recommend Captain America: The Winter Soldier for kids 10 and up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To All the Twilight Haters and the Twihards alike.

Over the past few years, there has been much love, and more recently much hate, towards The Twilight Saga, created by Stephenie Meyer.

I began as one of those who really liked Twilight, and it's following sequels. I read the books. I saw the movies. (Though I'll be the first to admit New Moon was the WORST of these books, and movies. It was just awful, and I even thought that in the midst of my really liking this series.)

Then I reread the first book, and realized:

"I'm just not that into you anymore."

Sorry Twilight Saga. You have some major flaws, like a not-so-strong female protagonist, and a somewhat controlling (and sparkly) male protagonist.

But still, even now, I don't HATE these books. There is no reason for me to HATE them. Dislike them, even very strongly dislike them, yes. Disagree with the way characters behave? Sure. But full on HATE? That's a strong word.

And I have to admit, it kind of makes me sad, and slightly upset, to see all the Twilight bashing around the interwebs these days, even though I don't necessarily "like" these books anymore.

And my biggest reason for disliking the haters:

These books got so many people to actually READ.

These books, as bad as they might be, looking back on them now, were a "gateway drug", if you will, for many people who don't read much, or even at all, to get into books and find their love of reading. And that is a beautiful thing.

Not since the Harry Potter books, had anything been this popular. So many people jumped right onto this bandwagon, and were happy to do so. It not only got people reading, but writing. Especially fanfiction. The most famous Twihard fanfic, of course, being the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.(Which, as terribly written as that is, STILL got people to read. Reading is never a bad thing people!)

But now, since the books have been picked apart to death, saying you actually like them is like a death sentence to your social life. Or at least your book club social life. If you like Twilight, you will be judged.

And I don't think that's fair.

In fact, it really verges on bullying.

Even Stephenie Meyer has said she no longer wants to talk about Twilight, and that it's not a happy place to be for her. People have picked it apart to the point that the person who created it, and should be proud to have had her stories published, feels bad about her work.

No one should be made to feel bad for liking something, whether it's Twilight, or some other fandom, or artsy things, or certain cars, or reality TV, or ANYTHING.

We are desperately trying to get this message through to our children every day, and yet, as adults, we do it all the time, to each other.

Why do we feel we have any right to tell someone they can't like something just because we don't like that thing?

So my message to all you Twihards: Don't let the Twihaters get you down!

If everyone else hates what makes you happy, the thing that you love (Twilight or otherwise), don't give them a second thought. Just love the crap out of it. And be happy doing it.

Movie Review: Divergent

Let's just start out by saying that movies are NEVER EVER as good as the books on which they are based. Actually, I can think of one movie I liked better than the book, and that was The Notebook. But that is the only one. And believe me, I've read a ton of books that have been made into movies. It has taken my a l o n g time to teach myself to separate movies from the books they are based on, as if they are two completely different forms of entertainment with the same base story lines. But it has made for much more enjoyable movie-going experiences. And I truly love going to the movies. (So much so, that right out of high school, I set a goal for myself to see at least one movie a week for a year. I way surpassed the 52 movies in my goal, and saw over 80 movies, in the theater alone, that year. This was obviously before kids and any kind of actual bills I had to pay...)

That being said, I can honestly say I did really enjoy Divergent. The script worked for anyone who had not read the books beforehand (which is a big deal when seeing a book-based movie), and the acting was good. And Four (played by Theo James a.k.a. Mr. Pamuk a.k.a. the guy who died in Mary's bed in the first season Downton Abbey. Yes. That guy.) is quite the looker, with a voice like honey to my ears...

Ah-hum. moving on...

But of course, because I have read the book series (more than once even...) I definitely found some major differences. They're things that, if you have not read the books, will not be a big deal, as the story still flows fine (for the first movie at least...) and I'm sure at least one omitted scene had to do with keeping the rating a mild PG-13 as opposed to an R rating for goriness. Also, I've heard so many fans say they think author Veronica Roth must be so upset with what they've changed... Um, you guys. She was a producer on the movie. She had a say in what got changed, and may have even done the changes herself to fit her vision, yet keep it within the time and rating restraints. (And Bonus: Did anyone else see her cameo? She was the first Dauntless out on the rooftop in the zip-lining scene!)

So here are where some spoilers might be starting. Don't read ahead if you don't want to know! You've been warned...

Major difference #1: Where the heck was Edward? The whole getting-his-eye-stabbed-out-with-a-butter-knife scene was a big part of Divergent, and why Tris hated and feared Peter (played by Miles Teller, who, in the movie, is definitely mean, but nowhere near as evil-cruel as in the book) so much. Edward practically did not exist in this movie, which makes me really wonder what they'll do for the second movie in this series, Insurgent, which will start filming next month, and, according to it's IMDB page, is due to be released March 20, 2015. Edward kind of has a big part in the rest of the story, as a factionless leader.

#2: It was never established that Will and Christina are actually dating, which will make it SO much harder for Tris to tell Christina that she killed Will when the Dauntless were under the serum attack, which in turn makes Christina kinda hate Tris for a bit there.

#3: So this isn't that big of a deal, I know, but Tris's mom doesn't sneak in to the loading dock area to warn her she's in danger. She comes to parents night at the Dauntless, and Tris realizes her mom used to be Dauntless when she tells her to try the chocolate cake, because it's delicious, after she tells Tris to be careful in a dauntless hallway, hidden from the view of the cameras.

#4: Jeanine and the Erudites (that sounds like a band name, doesn't it?) were not in the control room while Four was controlling the serum simulation (while under the simulation himself) and therefor was never "serumed" by Tris and Four to stop it. Four shuts it down on his own, after he breaks out of his serum-induced trance thanks to his love for Tris.

OK, those are all the spoilers I'm including... for now.

Like I said above, I really did like this movie. Enough that I would even see it again. It may not be as well done as the Hunger Games movies, but it was still an entertaining story and a great way to escape life for a couple hours.

I'd recommend Divergent to mature upper elementary aged kids, so maybe 11 or 12 and up, due to violence and some adult situations.

For Your Consideration: The 2014 Academy Awards (Part 2)

 

I must say, this year's Academy Awards ceremony was seriously one of the best shows in years! And really, that all has to do with Ellen hosting again. She kept it light, entertaining, and fun, despite the show going on for so long (which, let's face it, happens every year, folks, so why is no one used to it by now?). None of her jokes fell flat, and her dry humor was perfect for the night (especially her joke about Liza Minnelli being the best impersonator she's seen... "Well done, Sir."). Plus there was no awkward, chemistry-less co-hosting (like with James Franco and Anne Hathaway), or songs about boobs (Seth MacFarlane).

 

As far as winners, there weren't really any upsets or shockers, although I wasn't completely expecting Matthew McConaughey's win (I was rooting for Bruce Dern, and almost expecting Leo, actually).

 

Also. Gravity! Wow! It took so many more than I was expecting, including winning best director over 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen, who was my pick.

But I was so glad Lupita Nyong'o won. Her performance in 12 Years a Slave was just heart wrenching and raw and so, so great.

Lupita Nyong'o... she's so darn adorable!

The Winners: Best Actor Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Best Actress Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Best Supporting Actress Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave), Best Supporting Actor Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club).

 

 

 This photo (that just so happened to break Twitter!!) is seriously my favorite of the whole night. Everyone just looks so happy to be there. You can tell everyone was having fun, unlike past years, where everyone just seems so uptight. And how cute is Lupita Nyong'o's brother, who wasn't afraid of being right up in there with all these celebrities?!



Best selfie of the night!

Selfies were definitely the biggest trend of the evening...

JGL and Emma Watson...


One of the best highlights: Ellen ordered pizza for the crowd. I bet the delivery guy (who owns the pizza shop with his brother) had no idea he would be serving all these A-Listers when he woke up that morning. Lucky guy. And what a boost for his business! (Plus, the $1000 tip was probably nice!)

Nothing like A-Listers passing out pizza and paper plates at the Oscars!



Harrison Ford, who, according to Jared Leto who was sitting nearby, dropped his pizza all own his shirt while eating it...

Jennifer Lawrence enjoying her slice. I love that she loves food.

 

Pizza-eating movie stars. Very glamorous indeed.

The night's photobombs were awesome indeed. I love that this is a thing right now, like what famous person will try to upstage another famous person at some fancy event.

Benedict Cumberbatch was my favorite. He was in at least four of the nominated films of the night, yet he doesn't take himself too seriously at all. I just love him. So. Much.




Benedict Cumberbombing U2. Seriously my favorite photobomb of the night!

Jessica Biel Being photobombed by Anne Hathaway

Lupita Nyong'o photobombing Jared Leto.

The 75th anniversary tribute to The Wizard of OZ was also very well done. Having Judy Garlands three children (Lorna Luft , Joey Luft, and the great diva herself Liza Minnelli) in the audience was a sweet touch, and Pink did a fantastic job with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Plus, Ellen as Glinda. For the win.

Ellen as Glinda the Good Witch for the 75th anniversary tribute to "The Wizard of Oz".

  The musical performances were so well done this year. Pharrell Williams' "Happy" was just that. Such a fun, dance-inducing performance.



Pharrell singing "Happy", and dancing with Lupita Nyong'o and Meryl Streep.

But seriously John Travolta. The least he could have done is learn how to say Idina Menzel's name. Really with the Adele Dazeem??!! Just wow!

John Travolta. Completely flubbing Idina Menzel's name as “Adele Dazeem"... really buddy?! Maybe his hair plugs are affecting his thought process?

The In Memoriam was very touching, though they did leave out Johnathan Winters, Dennis Farina and Corey Monteith, among others.

But Bette Midler's performance was just beautiful. And can I say, I REALLY hope I look as good as her at her age. Heck, I don't look as good as her now!

Divine Miss M

 All in all it was a great, entertaining show. Can't wait until next year! And maybe 2015 will finally be Leo's year?







For Your Consideration: The 2014 Academy Awards!! (Part 1)

Awards Season is almost to an end, with the biggest awards yet to be given: The Oscars!

This is my most favorite of all the awards shows, and I have to say that I'm very much looking forward to it this year (just like every year!).

There is some really amazing competition this year too.

Here's the list of contenders. And my thoughts on who might be taking that shiny man home (I'll put an asterisk by my choice for who I think should win. And there could be more than one asterisk per category. Because I can.)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS 2014, COMPLETE LIST

Best Picture:

American Hustle* (This could take it, just because of it's popularity.)

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska
 
 Philomena

12 Years a Slave* (Factoring in acting, directing, writing, cinematography, costumes/makeup, and score,  I think this is all around the best film nominated this year.)

The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Supporting Actor:

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper, American Hustle

Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave *(Fassbender is fantastically horrible as an extremely abusive plantation owner.)

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club * (Leto give an amazing performance as a transgendered woman and is completely unrecognizable.)

Best Supporting Actress:

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle *(J-Law is my second choice, but I have a feeling she'll win it. She was great, as usual, but as much as I love her, I think Lupita Nyong'o really should win.)

Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave * (Newbie Lupita Nyong'o was beyond amazing in this. She deserves to win. Hands down.)

Julia Roberts, August: Osage County **(If I had a third choice, it would be Julia Roberts. I've never seen her like she was in this role. If the competition wasn't so strong she'd get it for sure, but sadly for her, she's up against some amazing performances this year.)

June Squibb, Nebraska 

Best Director:

David O. Russell, American Hustle

Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Alexander Payne, Nebraska

Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave *(He just really deserves this one. What a performance!)

Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor: (This is such a hard category. Really, they all deserve it.)

Christian Bale, American Hustle 

Bruce Dern, Nebraska *(I'm just going with Bruce Dern as a close second though because , well, he's Bruce Dern!)

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave *  (He really was amazing as a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery.)

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Actress: (Possibly the hardest category. Can't they all win?)

Amy Adams, American Hustle

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine * (I have not seen this, but according to those who have, she was better than Meryl Streep. I didn't know that was possible!)

Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Judi Dench, Philomena

Meryl Streep, August: Osage County * (Holy Moly!! This crazy pill popping lady! Just fantastic!)

Best Original Screenplay:

American Hustle

Blue Jasmine

Dallas Buyers Club

Her* (Just so different than anything I've seen in a long time.)

Nebraska

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Before Midnight

Captain Phillips

Philomena

12 Years a Slave*
The Wolf Of Wall Street
 
Best Animated Feature:

The Croods

Despicable Me 2* (My second choice, because it was also very well done.)

Ernest & Celestine

Frozen* (Just really well done, Disney.)

The Wind Rises

Best Foreign Feature: (I can't give my opinion here, because I haven't seen any of these films.)

The Broken Circle Breakdown, Belgium

The Great Beauty, Italy

The Hunt, Denmark

The Missing Picture, Cambodia

Omar, Palestine

Best Visual Effects: (Really, it's between everything but The Lone Ranger. Not that it wasn't entertaining, I just don't think the visual effects were on the same level as the other nominees in this category.)

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*

Iron Man 3

The Lone Ranger

Star Trek Into Darkness

Best Cinematography:

The Grandmaster

Gravity

Inside Llewyn Davis * (The Coen Brothers. Their films are always gorgeous.)

Nebraska * (B&W. Need I say more?)

Prisoners 

Best Costume Design: (Total toss up... the costuming was great in all of these films.)

American Hustle*

The Grandmaster

The Great Gatsby*

The Invisible Woman

12 Years a Slave *
 

SNUB ALERT: Where is The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug in this category?

 

Best Documentary Feature: (I can't give my opinion here, because I have seen none of these films...)

The Act of Killing

Cutie and the Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet from Stardom

Best Documentary Short: (I can't give my opinion here, because I have seen none of these films either...)

CaveDigger

Facing Fear

Karama Has No Walls

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Prisoner Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

Best Film Editing: (It's another toss up... )

American Hustle*

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

12 Years a Slave*

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Dallas Buyers Club *

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa * (Who would have thought the Jackass guys would ever be nominated for an Oscar?! I kinda just want to see what they'd do if they win.)

The Lone Ranger

SNUB ALERT: Where is The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug in this category as well?

Best Music (Original Score):

The Book Thief

Gravity

Her

Philomena

Saving Mr. Banks* (Because the music behind the music behind Mary Poppins. That's why.)

Best Music (Original Song):

"Alone Yet Not Alone" from Alone Yet Not Alone

 "Happy" from  Despicable Me 2

"Let It Go" from Frozen * (Incredible lyrics + Idina Menzel's voice. Done.)

“The Moon Song”  from Her

"Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom* (Um... it's U2. It has a pretty good chance, too, I suppose...)


So... who do you think will take home Oscar this year?

 

Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

 

 

"Everything is awesome!! Everything is cool when you're part of a team! Everything is awesome... when you're living for the dream!!!"

 

 

Yes, that song WILL be stuck in your head after watching this movie.

 

We went to see The LEGO Movie a couple weeks ago when our friends from Oregon were visiting. It was their daughter's 7th birthday, and she LOVES Legos, so what better way to celebrate than a trip to Legoland (which is only about 10 minutes from our house), and The Lego Movie the next day.

 

This movie is about an ordinary Lego construction man named Emmet, who is mistaken for a MasterBuilder, trying to save his Lego world from "The Kragle" with the help of his new-found friends Wyldstyle, Unikitty, and, of course, Batman. 

 

It was pretty cute, with good messages throughout. Plus, it's always nice to have a kids movie adults can enjoy too.

 

It's rated PG for some mild violence and mild adult humor (which goes right above the kids heads, really) but other than that, I say this is great for kids of all ages, especially if they're into Legos.

 

If you're interested in seeing how the movie was made, check out this video!

 

 

Movie Review: Swingers

 

 

 Many people tell me I'm a film buff, though I don't consider myself one, simply because there are way too many amazing films I have never seen. Films that you must see in order to be labeled a "film buff". Films like Scarface and The African Queen. I'm a failure in that sense...

My all time favorite movie, though, is a little low-budget indie flick from 1996 called Swingers, directed by Doug Liman.

 

I have no idea why I love this movie so much. But I do. It's not a blockbuster, it's only somewhat original, and not overly artistic. But there's just something so honest and funny about the writing and acting. Plus it has some of the best quotes and one-liners. Ever.

 

"You're so money and you don't even know it."

 

"Vegas Baby! VEGAS!!"

 

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please. Any scotch will do, as long as it's not a blend, of course. Single malt, Glen Livet, Glen Galley, perhaps, any Glen."

 

"Like F-in' House of Pain was gonna do anything?"

 

"I'm gonna make his head bleed for super fan number 99 over here." 

 

Just to throw out a few...

 

I think Jon Favreau's main character, Mikey, is the epitome of what it was like to be a recently-single struggling actor in L.A. in the '90's. Also, this is one of Vince Vaughn's first major movie roles, and the chemistry between him and Jon Favreau, who also wrote (and almost directed) the film, is just fantastic.

 

And don't even get me started on the soundtrack.

 

Dean Martin.

George Jones.

Heart.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Tony Bennett.

Roger Miller.

Bobby Darin.

 

I'm pretty sure most of this films tiny budget (which was only something, like $200K... crazy low-budget!) was spent on music. And it was worth every penny that I'm sure those actors and production assistants didn't get paid. Without this selection of music, I just don't think Swingers would have been what it was, and still is, to it's biggest fans.

 

Rated R for strong language and sexual situations, I suggest Swingers for early high-school and up.

 

 

If you're as big a fan as I am, then I highly suggest this article on the making of Swingers.

 

 

 

Come to the Geek Side! We Have Cookies!

Growing up, my nickname from my best friends' older sisters was Geek Megan. It was never my favorite, mostly because growing up in the 90's, being a geek was never a good thing.

 

Now that I'm a grown up, or, you know, trying to be, I have embraced the geek way of life. Being geeky isn't a bad thing. Everyone has something they're a geek about, whether it's shopping, make-up, reality TV, or the "classic" geek things like sci-fi and fantasy and comic books. My geekiness happens to come in the forms of books, TV, and movies... and the occasional celebri-stalking on Twitter.

I love all things Disney.

I love all things Steampunk.

I love British television.

I LOVE movies.

I LOVE to read.

I'm slightly obsessed with the Oscars. I find David Tennant more than slightly attractive. I kind of want to be friends with Joss Whedon.

And don't even get me started on Harry Potter.

I'm proud to be a geek mom. I hope my kidlets can learn to embrace the things they love that they are geeky about. With parents like my husband and I (He's also a fellow geek. Probably more so than me... the guy runs D&D games for cryin' out loud!) it's bound to happen.

And it shall be glorious!