Pyles of Clutter

Movie madness

It's been our tradition for the last few years, to go to a movie on Christmas day.  Usually, we pick a movie that everyone can go see, and invite all of the extended family as well to see it with us.  My side of the family are prolific movie goers, so when an invitation is extended, I can generally count on the Ellis and Downs family to represent and show up. 

That being said, we went to two different movies over the holiday weeks.  At Thanksgiving, we went to the Muppet Movie.  (Remember, I have a 9 year old to please.)  I think several people in the family were skeptical that this movie could, or would, capture their attention.  But it did not disappoint!  It was a little slow at the beginning, but I especially loved when they did the muppet variety show again.  Love, love, love the muppets.  Everyone was satisfied.

We obviously didn't go to a movie on Christmas Day this year, it being Sunday, but the day after, we invited all to go to the Sherlock Holmes movie.  Now let it be said, we did not take Tessa to see this movie.  The intensity factor would have probably put her over the edge, so she was at G&G Pyle's to spend the night.  That left the rest of us to go to whatever movie we wanted, instead of War Horse like we were planning.  (Although it's also PG-13!)  Um, can I say that I liked this one even better than the first one!?  It was fantastic, and I can't wait to see how long they keep going with this series of movies.  Well done!

But the best movie we watched over the holidays, were the home movies that we drug out of the dust bunnies.  We watched about 3 hours worth of movies, girls dancing, boys and sports, some funny family times, and some secretly shot, unintended for viewing, movies that were shot by the one of the boys, who shall remain nameless.  (cough, tyson, cough)  Let us just say that Tyson may have a future in stop action animation.  ;)

Friday fun!

Movie Review--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Last night, Terry and I went to Smaller Town to watch the movie "Benjamin Button".  It was here in our town, but we never could make it here, our schedules have been nuts.  So it left our theater but luckily went just 20 miles away to the next town, so we went to see it there. 

First let me caution you that it is 3 hours long!  Yes, three hours.  One of the good things about watching it at Smaller Town is that they had a little intermission.  It gave me the chance to go to the bathroom without missing anything.  Nice. 

Having said that, I loved this movie!  What a great premise!  I love that his body goes in reverse, but his mind goes forward.  I don't think I'm spoiling anything here by saying that.  That's pretty much on the trailer.  The whole movie is just about how having his body be old, but his mind be young affects his life, and how he "grows up" while growing young.  It is really an interesting story. 

Now Lilly went and saw it with a friend of hers, and they didn't love it.  They thought it was weird, and way too long.  They felt a lot of it could be cut out.  Not so on my part.  You needed to see everyone of those parts so you could understand how he becomes who he is. 

Terry also loved it.  He loves those kind of timeline stories, that take you through years of time.  And this one takes you through 90 years of time.  That's a long time. 

It was good to go see a movie again, and it was good to go on a date with my hubby again, and it was good to go to the theater of my childhood again. 

Last night, all good.

Old time Disney

Do you remember, back in the day, when Disney used to make rated G real life movies?  The Apple Dumpling Game, Escape to Witch Mountain, The Parent Trap.  Oh yes people!  That is my new movie phase!

First, I started with

No Deposit, No Return.  I went on a little Don Knotts kick.  I remember loving this movie as a kid, so I rented it again.  On second time through, I didn't find it as funny as I remember, but I still liked it.  The story is about two bad luck crooks, one of whom can open any safe.  They need money to keep their legitimate business open, when it falls on hard times.  But instead of getting money out of the safe, they end up with two kids.  They try to ransom the kids, and that is where the fun begins.  Fun.

So after that I watched this:

The Incredible Mr. Limpet.  This isn't a Disney movie, but it is funny, nonetheless.  Henry Limpet loves fish and before he knows it, he turns into a fish.  This was the first time I saw animation with real life.  It is a pretty fun movie.  I remember it from my childhood and it was great the second time around as well.  It is a great movie.  Rent it!

Next, I rented:

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.  Oh, young Kurt Russell.  So much fun!  I love this kind of humor.  It is really simple, and even sometimes, stupid, but still so fun.  It's nice to watch something that is clean, with no ulterior motive other than to entertain.  I love that.  The story goes that Dexter Riley is at Medford college and he is in an accident that implants his brain with all the information from a computer.  All is good until he starts spouting out information about illegal gaming rooms.   That's when the fun ensues.  Oh people.  Really.  Rent this one, and with it:

The sequel, Now You See Him, Now You Don't.  Dexter Riley through an unfortunate incident, invents a formula that allows things to be invisible, including people.  The bad guy, superbly played by Cesar Romero, steals the formula to use for nefarious reasons.  Really, another great see. 

Of course, follow this one up with this gem:

The Strongest Man In The World.  Again, the gang at Medford College has another unfortunate accident in the science lab that causes super human strength.  Can I just say that young Kurt Russell is a pretty cute guy?  Rent all three, sit down with a bowl of popcorn, and a glass of kool aid, invite your kids, grandkids, neighbor kids down the street, to come and enjoy some good old fashion fun.  It's not deep.  It's not smart.  It's just simple, pure, fun comedy. 

Try it. 

Movie gluttony

I've been in a bit of a weird movie mood lately.  I had my John Wayne spree.  And then I went on to an Elvis Presley phase.  Now I have to say, I love me some good Elvis Presley.  I've seen quite a few.  Really, if you've seen one, you've seen them all.  I usually just look for the songs I like, and rent that one.  First I rented:

Speedway.  I rented another one earlier that was a lot like it, but I can't remember the name of it.  I won't bore you with the plot, suffice to say that it was the normal thing, Elvis is annoyed with beautiful girl, but still attracted to her.  He has some problem that needs to be solved and needs the help of the beautiful girl.  Elvis gets the girl in the end.  Usually there is some sidekick.  That's the deal. 

Speedway is much the same as the rest of the movies and so, didn't disappoint.  After this I rented:

Girls, girls, girls.  Ugh.  This was the most obnoxious of them all.  After he gets the girl, he still talks about (sings about) other beautiful girls.  Ugh.  THis is one that I just don't think I will ever watch again. 

And thus, the Elvis phase.

And on to the Barbara Streisand phase.  Now, let me say that I'm not much of a Streisand fan.  There are few movies with her in them that I like, one of them is:

Hello Dolly!  This is a great classic movie.  As much as I like Streisand in this movie, I really love Michael Crawford, and Walter Matthau.  The dance scenes are divine.  Just some good fun.

After that, I rented this:

Funny Girl.  Well.  I'm not sure if I liked this one or not.  Certainly there were parts that I did like, but most of it, I found a little tiresome.  I found it extremely hiliarious to see the part where Streisand is supposedly dancing a ballet dance.  Oh funny.  Also, now I know that's where the song, "People.  People who need people...."  comes from.  And I was sad that they didn't get back together in the end.  And you know, they never hardly mention the baby after the first initial having a baby part.  Weird.  Still, I've seen it now.  Good for me.  Should I see the sequel?  Funny Lady?

I'll let you know next week about my next phase.  Your going to like it.

**Update:  I was totally unaware that Funny Girl was about a real person!  Goodness.  I'll be renting a movie with the real Fanny Brice in it soon!

Movie Review--John Wayne

Now you may say what ever you want, but I love John Wayne.  Here is someone that always stands for the right.  You always knew what he thought because he would just tell you.  He always saved the innocent from the predatory bad guy.  I love John Wayne.  I think my dad is a lot like John Wayne.  A hard shell with a soft inside. 

And so my review is of two John Wayne movies that I rented from Netflix. 

I like this movie for two reasons:

1.  John Wayne wins, of course. 

2.  Because the "sons" of Katie Elder, while not very attentive to her in life, still show their love and respect for her, and their father, in death.  Any movie with that much respect for motherhood has to be good, right?

I also love seeing Dean Martin as a cowboy.  Really, in my opinion, he is just too smooth to really pass as a true, rough and tough, cowboy, but still he is entertaining.  I also love the fact that several of the actors in this movie are stars from other shows, such as Dennis Hopper.  He plays the snively son of the villian.  He does well at it. 

The second movie is:

 

This is one of the last movies made by John Wayne, filmed in 1971.  You can see in the film, that he is getting old here, and doesn't have the greatest of health.  In this film, two of the actors are played by John Wayne's own sons.  How would you like to live up to that?  Yikes.  This film is about family also.  The bad guys kidnap Big Jake's grandson and he aims to get him back.  I never did figure out though, why Big Jake leaves his family several years before though.  Does anyone know?  Well, anyway.  It's another John Wayne movie and the good guy wins.  Pet Peeve:  In the final fight scene, Big Jake's great friend and companion, Sam, is killed by a wicked man with a machete.  After the fight is over, and the good guys have won, they are all smiles and happy.  I'm like, what!?  Does no one remember that the Indian is over there hacked to death?  Brother.

I have to say though, these are not my favorite John Wayne movies.  My top three movies are:

~The Quiet Man

~McLintock

~The Cowboys

What's your favorite John Wayne movie?  Do you have one?  Let me know!

Movie Review: Ratatouille

Oh My Goodness.  What to say.

Well, first, this is a really fun story about following your dreams, not letting anyone tell you what you can and can't do, and finding solutions to problems that seem insurmountable.  I thought the animations were really good too, and the scenes of Paris, while not as good as Michelle's, were still great to look at.  And the jokes were pretty funny.

Now the con side.  The "bad" guy gets the hero drunk.  The hero is the illegitimate son of the owner of the restaurant, who has died with no heir.  Therefore, if he can prove he is his son, then he can inherit the restaurant.  While my four year old didn't get all that, my eleven year old did.  And explaining to her what that all meant was neither fun, nor in my mind, completely necessary at this time of her life.  I wasn't really happy with that. 

So am I happy I took the girls?  Yea.  I think so.  They loved the movie and we all laughed at all the jokes.  Do I wish they had done some things differently?  Yes!  Definitely.  I was disappointed by the things I have described.  Just be aware that some of those watching this movie are going to be asking some questions about some very "worldly" things. 

And that's my review. 

Movie Review: Surf's Up

Tess, Terry and I went to go see this movie.  It is a computer animation film, with a new premise, filmed like it is a reality tv, with interviews of the characters and such.  I found the new approach interesting, and I didn't feel like it detracted from the movie.  Novel. 

The story is really good and the characters are funny.  Cody and Lani, the hero and heroine are cute, but the Geek, and Chicken Joe are hiliarious.  I laughed right out loud several times.  I also enjoyed the soundtrack to it. 

I give this movie two thumbs up.  Go see it!

Movie Review: Ocean's Thirteen

Can I just tell you that I love, love, love Ocean's Eleven!  Truly!  Not only are the most beautiful people (and good actors) in that movie, but I love the plot as well.  Maybe I shouldn't, I mean, they are thieves, and it is what they do for a living.  But I did!  And I loved it. 

And then....

They released Ocean's Twelve.  I did not love Ocean's Twelve.  First off, I was confused, which is a common occurence, but still...I was confused.  Then, I really did not like the whole Julia Roberts, playing Julia Roberts, with Bruce Willis playing himself.  Yikes.  I just feel like that treats me like I'm stupid and would believe that, and frankly, I wouldn't.

So...I had some real mixed emotions about Ocean's Thirteen.  I didn't see much in the way of advertising, (I know! Where was I?!) so I didn't know much of the plot.  I went in blind!  But I came away delighted!  I love this movie!  I felt like they went back to the beginning, and it was fantastic.  I loved how we got to see more of the personalities of the other parts of the gang, and that we got to enjoy Danny and Rusty's relationship a little more.  I fell in love with Matt Damon's nose, and was pleasantly surprised with all the twists and turns.  I actually went to see this movie on the Saturday after I went to see Pirates (see review below) and so I was refreshed and in love with the movies again.  Go see it!  You'll love it!

Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean 3

ZZZZZZZZ

That is what I thought of this movie!  If I could sleep through the 45 minute long fight scene, I probably would have!  The movie is 2 hours and 45 minutes long, and it really should have been just 2 hours.  So boring!  On top of that, I was soooo confused!  Every time the weird Calypso lady talked, I became more and more confused.  AHHHH!  Bored and confused!  Not a good combination!

SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!

So did anyone get what they were talking about when she was telling Will that there would be a price to pay for the release of his father?  Bootstrap is so weird too, I didn't understand if he was so far lost that he doesn't remember Will, and when he is talking to Elizabeth...weird.  Also, I didn't understand the whole letting Calypso free thing, and did she help them with the water, or was that her way of trying to hurt them?  And did anyone else think that the crab thing was really weird, and completely irrelevant to the story?  I was totally bummed by the end, where Will has to become the new captain of the Flying Dutchmen, and I mean, really, lets Elizabeth keep his heart.  So absurd.  I know, I know, the whole thing is fantasy, but still.  And the way that Beckett dies, I was so unsatisfied with that.  Who knows if he is really dead, we don't see him die, just the boat blow up.  And.  And, I hate when they set up a sequel with the ending of the movie.  And they did just that.  Again. 

Ah well.  I did get dinner and a movie with my favorite guy out of it.  That is all I really needed. 

Just rent the movie. 

Movie Review: Shrek 3

Tess and I had nothing to do Monday afternoon, so we went to see Shrek 3.

I love the movies!  Just reminding you.

I liked this movie, but comparing it to the last two, it wasn't as good to me.  I liked the moral in it, I thought it had some funny stuff in it, I just didn't love it.  It wasn't AS funny.  Did Tess love it?  Yes.  But she wasn't riveted.  She spent a lot of time on telling me about the popcorn and the pop, and why we should have both, because if you just have one, well, it just doesn't work because if you have no pop then the popcorn makes you thirsty, and if you just have pop, you don't get to eat anything.  Or something like that.  I have to just say, if there's nothing else to do, then definitely go see it.  If you have something else to do, just rent the movie. 

And that's my review.