movie review — the break-up

Your chance to say no to this movie has likely come and gone long ago, but in case it hasn’t, heed this warning. The Break-Up is terrible dreck. I should have known that. I mean, I’m no Vince Vaughn fan, and the premise is nothing new. But the previews made it look mildly funny, which it wasn’t.

You also have to sit through long and uncomfortable scenes in which the two main characters who are/were dating fight and make fools of themselves in front of other people. And the fights are very realistic. It’s almost as uncomfortable to watch a couple fight on TV as it is in real life. Not entertaining. The only remotely redeeming feature of this movie is that Jason Bateman made an appearance (as well as Peter Billingsly from A Christmas Story. I didn’t recognize him though; John had to point him out.)But a minor character can’t save a bad movie.

So to recap The Break-Up: The jokes? Not funny. The script? Blah. The ending? TERRIBLE! A satisfying ending might have redeemed the movie slightly, but you don’t even get closure with this movie. Stay far away from this movie. Unless it’s too late for you, in which case, why didn’t you warn me?!!!

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in paradise

Did I say that Karate Kid was the best movie ever? Well, that was before I saw Paradise, Hawaiian Style. This movie has picturesque Hawaiian background, beautiful people frolicking about in bathing suits, romance, hijinks, a fist fight, superfluous use of cheesy songs, and…Elvis. Top THAT Karate Kid!

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top movies from my childhood

I’m listing my childhood favorite movies, too. Aren’t there those movies that are so dear to your heart, that no matter how many other movies you see, none can top the ones from your childhood? Me too.

The top five:

Swiss Family Robinson

I love, love, love this movie. Who doesn’t? Tight-knit family, daring adventures, wild animals, marauding pirates, handsome brothers, and they live in a TREEHOUSE! I wanted that treehouse so bad it hurt. Then all my dreams came true when I toured a reasonable facsimile at Disneyland. And then my dreams were shattered when they turned Swiss Family Treehouse into Tarzan’s Treehouse. What the …?!!!

Candleshoe

A girl from the streets pretends to be the long-lost granddaughter of an eccentric old woman so that she can search for the treasure hidden somewhere in the mansion. (I’m a sucker for movies about hidden treasure.) But then she starts to fall in love with the motley family she planned to steal from, and that’s when it gets good. Disney and Jodie Foster at their best! I will always have a place in my heart for this movie.

The Goonies

At the time that I saw this movie, it seemed like the most amazing, most adventure-filled, funniest, and scariest movie I had ever seen. My parents were in Las Vegas when my siblings and I watched this, and I was truly scared! The Fratellis were frightening (especially Sloth!), the gang was so funny, and their underground adventure and search for pirate treasure is every kid’s dream. And also I was in love with Sean Astin.

The Neverending Story

Back in the days of cassette tapes and VHS, my parents rented this movie for us while they went out on a date. My brother, sister, and I watched it and fell in love. We loved it so much that we had to have it for our very own. So what did we do? We got out our tape recorder, put it up next to the TV as the movie replayed, and recorded the whole movie onto cassette tape. Did we ever listen to that tape? I think only once, but it makes me smile at how ardent our love was for that movie. I believe that tape is still around somewhere.

The Karate Kid

My sister and I used to play that the Kobra Kai gang was chasing us. Also, my sister was the sensei of the karate dojo while I ran the knitting class (“This is a karate dojo, not a knitting class!” – Why did my sis get to do karate while I knitted?!!) Like I said in a previous entry (and I stand by this), I don’t know if you can make a movie better than the Karate Kid – action, romance, character-building, comedy, suspense, and catching flies with chopsticks. What other movie has all that?!

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think about it

The Karate Kid. Has a better movie ever been made? I dare you to think of one.

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new york doll

Before I post anything else, I have to say this:

I just saw the most amazing movie this weekend. It’s called New York Doll, and it blew me away.

The film is a documentary that centers around Arthur “Killer” Kane, a founding member of the influential band the New York Dolls, but this is not a movie about a glam-rock band. The band broke up a few short years after its inception, and Kane struggled to find his niche in life, eventually joining the LDS church, but this is not a film about religion. This is a film about the beauty and humanity of one man.

If you have the chance, see this film! I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Right now it’s only available in the NYC, LA, SLC, and Phoenix areas, though it is expanding to other areas soon. If you live in AZ, it’s showing at Harkins Centerpoint in Tempe. Go see this movie. And then tell me what you think.

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freaks and geeks

This morning I put my hair in two buns on my head Princess Leia style (though mine are the size of deer poop and hers are more like a cow pie). And it’s opening night of Star Wars Episode III, which we are attending this evening. No, I am not a freak. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I am picturing us standing in line tonight with all the other SW fanatics who will undoubtedly be dressed up (or is that just last night’s showing?) and I see myself FITTING RIGHT IN. Not good. What have I done?

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