I’ll admit, I love having so many interesting films available directly to my home. And with my new laptop, it’s even easier to watch a movie whenever I want–such a luxury! But there are a good number of films that just beg to be seen in a theater, where the shared experience is part of what makes it special. A friend of mine who recently saw The Muppets in the theaters said she started singing along with “Rainbow Connection” during the movie and found herself mildly embarrassed–until she realized that most of the other people in the theater were singing along too! Try getting that same experience at home. [Spoiler alert: you just can't.] I will say that I’ve trained myself to avoid the concessions almost every time I go, and I do limit the number of movies we see as a family, simply because the kids always want popcorn. Concessions for five cost more than the tickets! But I often make popcorn when we all watch movies at home, or sometimes I’ll even plan an entire meal around a DVD or a Netflix streaming option. You make your choices, I guess.

One thing remains certain, though: despite declining sales at the multiplex, we still love our movies. Sadly, we even love the movies that are honestly just terrible, but that’s another post.

In the meantime, you can check out the Cinema Blend article featuring Roger Ebert right here.

It was the finale of “Life On Mars” that left me with a few…not necessarily questions, just Things To Ponder. I wondered about Sam and Annie in 2009 — did the scene in the television actually happen, or what that more of a dream-within-a-dream? I wondered about Sam and Gene and the true nature of their relationship, wanting now to go back and watch all of the scenes they had together, knowing that it was just another facet of Sam’s demons in his past. I wondered about Annie’s promotion in 1973 — could it have simply been a mirror of her actual professional position, or was there more meaning behind it? Could it have been Gene’s way of acknowledging that Annie was an equal to Sam, and the One who was “good enough” for him?

And then there was the shoe in the final scene. What the hell was that about? It was just weird enough to make me wonder, “well, did THAT just happen?” Could it be that the final scene of the series might not have been reality either?

And that’s what brought me around to Source Code, a movie I promised to review in more depth at “some later date”. I actually had every intention of watching it again before writing a longer post about it, but I find that my memory zooms in on the ending, just like after watching “Life On Mars”. The journey that Stevens/Sean takes during the course of the movie prompts a different set of wonderings; even though the timeline he relives is in the past, he makes his home there and eventually embraces it as his actual home. Sam Tyler himself came very close to this, as well. And even though both of these stories are well-written and nicely sewn-up, I can’t help but ask the same question in either of those cases….

“What happened next?”

I’ve come to realize that my taste in movies and television is more than just a penchant for complex stories. Much like the characters I’m writing about now, I can allow myself to spend a little extra time inside these characters’ stories, asking questions that don’t necessarily NEED answers in order for me to feel satisfied at the stories’ conclusions, but COULD be answered in any number of ways. I can explore abstract concepts in a somewhat more concrete way, by taking an existing (though fictional) situation and extrapolating out from there. It’s like trying to visualize the idea of a million stars, made easier by examining the magnitude of a million pennies. What happened to Sean after Stevens’ body ceased to function? HOW did it happen? Was it his imagination? His soul? A collective experience of souls? Was it purgatory? Heaven?

And does it happen to us?

After watching “Life On Mars” I find myself re-examining the difference between waking and dreaming states, and asking myself — as I do sometimes — are we sure that what we believe is Real…is? And while I’m sure the questions I roll around in my mind would drive some other people absolutely nuts, those questions are the very core of my love of the arts–literature, film, music. Every time I feel myself slipping into one of those “altered states” I have to wonder if maybe I’m finally achieving the true reality. Or maybe I’m just escaping the noise and distractions of our collective reality. Or both.

Suffice to say I won’t be watching the Matrix movies again anytime soon.

So I finally got around to watching Barton Fink, which I’m pretty sure was recommended to me by Netflix if that gives you any indication of my viewing habits. I finally remembered where I had originally heard of John Turturro (as Shooter in Secret Window), and only realized halfway through that this was a Coen brothers film. That should have tipped me off right there.

Besides being unnaturally distracted by the presence of mosquitos — as well as various other weird plot “holes” — I found myself surfing the web looking for any analyses of this movie that might still be easily found. I was not disappointed. Going along with my recent post about how films are better examined than criticized, I’d like to share with you a wonderful blog post about this film from a couple of years ago. And then I think I’m going to go to bed and hope *not* to remember my dreams! Well done, Coen brothers.

Seriously?

I just saw Cars 2 with my family, and we unanimously enjoyed it. Obviously a continuing story doesn’t have the same kind of feel as when you meet new characters for the first time. The bloom is a bit off the rose, so to speak. And the high-action spy-themed storyline is obviously geared more toward kids than the nostalgia-themed original. But it’s really fantastic to look at, the characters stay true to themselves (it’s primarily the Lightning-and-Mater show, withs only smaller appearances by the other “ensemble” characters), and the story was really fun to follow. My only concern, as a parent, was the amount of weapon-based violence at play, which some might find unsuitable for very small children. There’s also a bit less music used throughout, but that’s more a reflection of the faster pace of the story. After all, we’re not in Radiator Springs any more. But all-in-all, it was really fun to watch, and all of us — including my five-year-old and my teenager — had a great time.

In remembering the bad reviews Cars 2 has received, I have to wonder if this really is the future of movie reviews–where films are no longer discussed regarding their entertainment value but are simply dismissed as failures because they’re not perfect enough or important enough. I would much prefer to read intelligent reviews where the writer simply speaks from his or her own experience, rather than simply telling people not to see something just because they themselves didn’t like it. Granted, I generally love movies, so I almost always have something good to say about what I watch. But when I see something I didn’t enjoy, I at least try to explain what it was that *I* didn’t like, and why. For example, I have a thing where I may avoid a movie if I don’t like other characters an actor has portrayed–or vice versa. It’s why I can’t bring myself to see Green Lantern but I went to Pirates 4 without thinking twice. But that’s simply my perspective, and I own it.

In one of the reviews I read about Cars 2, the writer wrote about how horribly Mater was treating people simply because he was a dumb truck and didn’t know better, and how Lightning failed by not calling out his friend. But if you’re someone who has kids or has at least worked with kids, you know an underdog when you see one. Mater is just a kid, as he always is, trying to do his best and not meaning to mess things up. And Lightning gets mad because Mater wasn’t living up to his expectations, but later realizes he in fact was wrong–and willfully so. It’s all a matter of perspective, and I think Pixar had the kid perspective in mind, as they should have.

The bottom line is, perhaps movies would do better to be “examined” rather than “criticized” — and the critics who examine movies should lighten up a little and think outside their own heads once in a while. To quote a fictional critic, “the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.” In the meantime, go watch a movie, and have fun!

I have to admit, the impetus of my prolonged absence was due to switching from movies to television. I am an avid fan of LOST, and the month of May was filled with many hours devoted to the end of this amazing series. I actually thought about coming over here a couple of times to blog about the series, but I am a purist and decided against “polluting” a blog about movies with lengthy posts about television. Suffice to say, LOST was a truly groundbreaking series, and if you didn’t catch it the first time around, you really should pick it up on DVD.

So what have I been watching lately? For the most part, I’ve either been revisiting old favorites or trying out new movies that really weren’t terribly blog-worthy. I did enjoy spending my anniversary watching Roxanne with my husband; I really believe that is Steve Martin’s finest performance. And I plan on re-watching The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp; I first watched an “edited for tv” version which I’m convinced lost something in the process. And eventually I will get around to giving Toy Story 3 its due review–”wow” is really all I can say right now. But I currently have a couple of other irons in the fire that need to cool down a bit before I can revisit this blog in earnest, so I hope I can indulge your collective patience for just a bit longer.

In the meantime, perhaps you’ll indulge me in answering a question of mine in the “Comments” section below: what movie are you most excited to see this summer? Or have you already seen it? I for one cannot wait to see Inception–and I don’t have too much longer to wait! What’s on your summer viewing list?

This evening I was finally able to indulge in a film that represents the ultimate movie-going experience for me. I am very much a lover of fiction, and the farther the journey I can take, the more I enjoy it. It is with this in mind that I offer my review of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

It seems to me that this is a film which many, many people heard about (having the distinction of being the film which Heath Ledger was shooting before he died) but not many people have seen. In the major theater chains in my area, the film not only didn’t garner the limited Christmas release, but when it did arrive in late January it stayed for perhaps a week or maybe two before being replaced by some assuredly trivial piece of tripe. (Not that I’m bitter.) But thankfully the folks at the Art Theatre in Champaign had the good taste to show the film this weekend, which was especially wonderful because a home viewing simply doesn’t do justice to this visual spectacle.

I will go on record as stating that I have long been a fan of Terry Gilliam, primarily through my love of Monty Python. It’s true, his perspective on life does take just a bit of getting used to, and it’s also true that his particular style of storytelling is not the most popular or widely accepted here in the US. However, if you find yourself unfamiliar with Mr. Gilliam, Imaginarium is quite possibly a rather “safe” movie with which to start. Your mind will be stretched, no doubt, but not snapped. And although I did wonder at one point what someone like Tim Burton might have done with this movie, I am overall absolutely certain that Mr. Gilliam is the only one who could have told this tale.

As in all of my reviews, I will not delve too deeply into the plot; I leave such things to Wikipedia articles and themoviespoiler.com if you truly wish to have the storyline pieces told to you. However, I will say that I felt truly immersed in the sideshow experience from beginning to end. I was as captivated watching the film as the audience members on the screen were entranced by the carnival. There’s something about the way this story was told that gave me permission to simply sit in wonder and take in the view. This is why I go to the movies.

Visually, this movie was nothing short of stunning. Musically, the ambience was well-created and easily sustained. And the casting was truly brilliant. Certainly I wish Heath Ledger had lived long enough to complete the film himself, but this movie actually provided the unique opportunity to salvage a tragedy and still produce something incredible. I daresay that no other movie could have managed this task, and this is a tribute to everyone who worked on the project.

Suffice to say, if you’ve heard that Imaginarium was just a weird movie or something that wasn’t easily understood, or if you passed on it for whatever reason, I urge you to reconsider and give it a try. I myself look forward to repeat viewings of what is sure to become one of my all-time favorite movies.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of visiting the Imaginarium for yourself, it will soon be released on DVD and Blu-ray. You can pre-order it through my Amazon aStore.

Never let it be said that I only blog about movies I like. I do enjoy movies immensely, and so I do go into every one prepared to love it. Why wouldn’t you? Plus, I’ll admit, I’m pretty much a sucker for M. Night Shyamalan – intriguiging stories that are edgy and kind of creepy, and the promise (usually!) of a twist ending? Yep, I’m going.

The trailer for The Happening was wonderfully compelling, and I once again fell victim to watching a movie because I wanted to see if it wrote itself the way *I* would write it. Actually, more to the point, if I can’t come up with a decent ending (read: explanation), I’m all the more intrigued. Incidentally, this is why I was so anxious to see Nicolas Cage’s Knowing, which ended up tanking in a very similar way to The Happening. But I digress….

Unfortunately, the movie itself gave no real direction to the very interesting premise. We simply observed the phenomenon, and we watched the characters simply observe the phenomenon. There really was very little curiosity as to what was going on; it was all about getting away and hiding. The “facts” as we knew them were intermittently and randomly suspended for the purpose of advancing what little plot there actually was, which I suppose only exacerbated the lack of what I would have expected to be honest and “real” reactions to the situation at hand. And the acting itself was honestly terrible, with the possible exception of John Leguizamo, who should have been given more screen time. There was NO chemistry between Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel; in rewatching various trailers I noticed that even in their brief scenes together it was not at all obvious that they were supposed to be romantically linked. It didn’t improve in the actual film. In fact, their characters were so flat and uninteresting overall that quite frankly I wouldn’t have cared if they lived or died. Not exactly the best way to drum up empathy. But that’s okay, because I also didn’t get a satisfying explanation as to what caused the whole “happening” in the first place. But gee, they did set up the end for a possible sequel! Score! (end sarcasm)

About the only thing this movie managed to do for me was engage my (admittedly sensitive) “freak out” mechanism. In spite of the very disappointing story and the lackluster performances, I still found myself feeling terribly apprehensive at even the slightest breeze and searching the road for dead bodies on the way home. I wonder, though, if that was more of a leftover reaction to the very interesting and engaging trailer which had hooked my attention in the first place, rather than the actual movie itself. Check out the trailer for yourself and perhaps you’ll see what I mean.

If you’re still curious, like I was, at least you can get this movie as a cheap DVD rental instead of paying good money in the theaters. As for me, I think I’m going to go watch The Sixth Sense again.

M. Night did make some good movies, after all. Check them out at my Amazon aStore!

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It really pains me to give a low rating to a film starring Anthony Hopkins, but with Hearts in Atlantis, I’m afraid I must. As a constant reader of Stephen King, I must protest that this film does absolutely no justice to the book. None. Not that I’m surprised, as this is frequently what happens to King’s fantastic writings, particularly in recent offerings. At least this movie can stand on its own and be a heartwarming story, instead of turning into what could only be described as a craptastic movie. (Remember It? Yeah, I didn’t think so.)

Don’t get me wrong; the acting itself was wonderful. The kid who played Bobby was nearly as good as Sir Hopkins, whom I believe is incapable of bad acting. The relationship-building between man and boy was done well. And yes, I admit I shed a tear at the end. But the ending in particular is so vastly different from the book as to betray the entire concept of the novel. I will never understand the penchant filmmakers have to take a perfectly good story and fundamentally change it in its retelling. After all, if the book was a good enough subject to inspire a movie, isn’t it good enough to retell properly? I understand that, given King’s particular style of writing, it’s rather difficult for that to transfer well to another medium. However, I don’t believe that was the issue here. I think instead it was screenwriter William Goldman’s intent for this film to play less like Misery and more like The Princess Bride.

And so, I will remain a defender of both the superb acting skills of Sir Anthony Hopkins and also the incredibly unique writing style of Mr. Stephen King. Enjoy the film if you like. Just don’t read the book first.

Check out my Amazon aStore for more books and film adaptations from Stephen King!