"Something there that wasn't there before..."

Yes, I listen to a lot of Disney music so it makes sense that I randomly title things with lyrics. (Beauty and the Beast's "Something There," if you prefer not to Google it.)

Anyway, you may have noticed something new to the right. Even above my profile is a link to the website of Victoria Stilwell, host of It's Me or the Dog. This woman is amazing. Her methods of dog training are entirely positive and are very effective. Some people swear by the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan, but the whole "alpha dog" idea is outdated. You won't see Victoria use the alpha hold or use shock collars, electric fences, and so forth. Those are quick fixes that don't really address why the dog is acting a certain way. Her methods are extraordinarily effective. We're starting to use some of them with the dogs and she's also inspired me to work with the dogs on different skills like agility and search/rescue in order to stimulate their natural skills.

I don't know anyone who doesn't have some sort of issue with their dogs, whether it be door dashing, barking, hyperactivity, separation anxiety, going potty in the house, chewing, etc., which is why I posted this link. Check it out, watch the show, and learn something about dogs. She can help establish a really positive relationship with your dog and if you follow her suggestions, greatly improve the quality of life for dogs. 

I love Ellen.

It's funny that my last post was a picture from Finding Nemo of her character Dory.

I tuned into Ellen when I got home from work today. She had a couple on for a special game segment. They have two kids, one of which is just 6 months old and the other is 3. The husband lost his job, their house foreclosed, they lived on credit cards until those were maxed out, their savings was cleaned out, and they've been living with friends. She kept surprising the wife with more money (I think they had the husband in on the secret). She ended up giving them $20,000. I can only imagine how stressful it's been for them and what an absolute relief it is now.

I admit it. I cried when she put her in the money machine (called "Gold Digger") and she got $2K, then handed her $3K tied with a red bow. After the commercial, I cried when she gave her $5K so they could have first and last month's rent for an apartment. I cried more when she gave her $10K to pay off their credit card debt because she said they needed to start fresh.

Ellen is awesome. Love her.

500 Days of Summer

It's been awhile since I've done a movie review!

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

I wasn't really sure what to expect out of this Indy. It's been hit or miss lately, mainly miss. My reaction? I liked it, I really really liked it. It was offbeat, funny, honest, a little sad, a little hopeful.

I haven't seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt in much besides 10 Things I Hate About You and Third Rock from the Sun. I would say he's in transition from having that boyish look to being able to pull off more dramatic roles. This one helped. A lot. He was a great protagonist and I use that particular word because he reminds me of the type of stories and books I heard a lot about in my writing workshops. He reminds me a bit of a Holden Caulfield type character, not so much in the subject matter, but because the movie let you into his mind. There's a narrator throughout that makes the story third person really, but it's from his character's perspective.

As the narrator tells us at the beginning, this is not a love story. It's story about love. Personally, I would call it a human emotion story and it's completely relatable.

Zooey Deschanel is great as her quirky self and if I'm not mistaken, she got a big boost for her singing career on the soundtrack. The role seemed to come naturally to her and she's very likeable.

I also liked how the director pieced the movie together. It was clever and not jarring in the least even though the scenes didn't come in chronological order. It added to the cleverness. The writing was also very well done. All around an enjoyable movie to watch. Under-rated I would say, or at least, under-publicized. It's one of those little gem of a movies that you have to stumble upon.

Rating: A

It's not one I'd watch all the time, but I'd watch it a few more times and enjoy it just as much.

Yes, a 30 second ad can make us cry.

The Hubs pointed out this commercial to me last week. We both agree it makes us misty-eyed every. single. time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-hleR27U78

My "comfort" movies.

So everyone has their idea of comfort food. For me, it involves a whole lot of carbs...or beige on my plate. For example, my ultimate Cracker Barrel meal (if I'm not opting for breakfast) involves chicken fried chicken w/ white country gravy, a double order of hashbrown casserole, and mashed potatoes (of course also w/ white country gravy). (If I feel enough guilt to add an actual vegetable on my plate, I'll get green beans or carrots instead of the second order of hashbrown casserole, but I regret it if they give me a cheap portion of casserole.) It's enough to have me grumbling like a bear shot in the butt with a tranquilizer dart, but I'll go into my food-induced coma with a happy little smile on my face. Why must the best food in the world be horrible for you?

Anyways, in thinking about my hospital bag, I've mentioned the recommendation to bring movies to have on in the background while I'm in labor. Well, I have my list of "comfort" movies.

In no particular order:

Finding Nemo--"That's a big butt." It's cute, it's light, it has Ellen DeGeneres being all sorts of funny. Plus being based in the ocean sends a cool wave over me. I love the ocean, love scuba diving, love all of it...not to mention that this is one of the best Disney movies of all time.

When Harry Met Sally--It's a classic romantic comedy. It's witty. I grew up loving the sarcasm of Billy Crystal. It's in the bag.

Pirates of the Caribbean--Two words: Jack Sparrow. One of the best character performances of an actor ever. I've seen the three movies enough that I know the dialogue so it doesn't matter if I miss any of it while wandering the halls.

Mrs. Doubtfire--Yes, the furriest actor in Hollywood is being invited into my hospital room with my favorite comedic performance of his. It's funny, it has heart, and it features both a scene of Robin Williams lighting his boobs on fire and chucking an orange at Pierce Brosnan's head.

Where the Heart Is--I don't know why, but this movie tends to be one of my go-to movies when I'm sick.

Only You--I admit it, I have a soft spot for Robert Downey, Jr. I just think he's adorable. The pairing of him with Marisa Tomei was great in this movie too. Plus there's Bonnie Hunt to add in her humor as the best friend type. The setting of Italy is a nice escape too.

Return to Me--Speaking of Italy...and Bonnie Hunt, this is such a sweet movie that manages to be happy and sad at the same time. I love the relationship with the animals in the movie too--the American Bulldog Mel (Actually named Petey in real life) is the reason I started looking into the breed and how I ended up with Gracie. (It was really a coincidence that she ended up being named Gracie, which is the name of Minnie Driver's character in the movie.) If you haven't seen the movie, it's really well-done.

So no big Oscar-contenders on my list, but they're movies that I can cozy up with or still laugh along with even after watching them a few dozen times. Also, if you're looking for a good movie, these are some of my favs.

"Mr. Hillard, do you find yourself humorous?"

"No. There was a time when I found myself funny, but today you have proven me wrong. Thank you."

Mrs. Doubtfire is being added to my hospital bag list. Seriously, I can just imagine being mid-contraction hearing "It was a run-by fruiting!" and cracking up.

Bringing some DVDs was actually recommended to us both during our hospital tour and by our lamaze instructor. I've been trying to come up with good movies to bring along. Movies I've seen a lot that are funny and/or are movies that are comforting when I'm sick. Mrs. Doubtfire is just the perfect Robin Williams performance in my mind. I'd bring his stand-up routine, Live on Broadway, but it's far less family-friendly. (It also wasn't a great idea to watch after just having all four impacted wisdom teeth removed. I had to turn to something that didn't make my cheeks hurt so much.)

Joining Mr. Williams in the hospital bag will likely be Ellen Degeneres as Dory in Finding Nemo, Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, Captain Jack Sparrow (that would be the Pirates series to those living under a rock), and a couple others. I'm going to peruse the huge cases of DVDs collected by the Hubs and remind myself what else we have. Several of my all-time favorites I unfortunately only have on VHS at the moment, but I'll see what else I can come up with.

Now, I think I have our hospital bag pack list pretty well set. Some things are already packed. I definitely want a few comfort items, but otherwise I'm more minimalist minded. That said, I wonder how anyone can go in without looking like they're moving in. The Boppy, which we've been told multiple times is a must-bring, alone would take up a substantial amount of the bag. As a result (and not wanting to look as though I have the luggage entourage of the Queen of England), I think I'll opt to use our rolling suitcase with expandable zippers. My friend Carrie advised us to take as much from the hospital as we can get can get so I figure we'll have plenty of room to stuff in all the soothies, diapers, and other freebies they give us.

It's still a little surreal. I remember visiting Hunter and Ashley in the hospital the day after our niece Morgan was born and Hunter sounded so goofy (and sleep-deprived) asking the nurse if she was really letting them leave with Morgan. I can't remember his exact words. It was mixed in with his tales of "his labor." Anyways, I guess it's sort of that way. I mean, it's so surreal to go into the hospital after carrying around this little person for 9 months (it's actually 10 total, but who's counting?) and when you leave, you have an outside baby. They're real. Right now, I'm definitely aware of her with her kicks and flips, but she's in her own little world in there. There's not the same type of interaction. She seems more protected in my tummy. When we leave the hospital, she's there for us to see 24/7. We'll get to see all her activity. We'll get to hold her.

It's just...I don't know...what's an accurate word for it?

Anyways, I think I might toss some more stuff in the hospital bag tonight on my way to change into jammies and on my way back to veg on the couch to watch some hockey. If you have any movie ideas or ideas for iPod playlists (besides the standard Enya-esque stuff), let me know!

Top 10 Favorite Christmas Movies

10. The Family Man-Though it wouldn't make my list of favorite movies in general, it's perfect for this time of year. Tea Leoni manages to be likeable (Brady and I have a hard time seeing past her role in Spanglish) and Nicolas Cage plays his part well as a rich bachelor who lives for his work, but finds himself waking up to the life he could have had if he hadn't moved away from his college girlfriend to pursue a job opportunity. This life involves living in New Jersey, a minivan, and two kids. The little girl who plays his daughter is absolutely adorable and also look for Don Cheadle in the role of his "guardian angel."


9. The Preacher's Wife-Who can really resist the smile of Denzel Washington? Yeah, not me. He's just so endearing. Anyways, this movie has a preacher who tries to help everyone at the end of his rope. Finances at his church are looking grim, his marriage could use some attention, and he's simply lost his spark in life. Enter Dudley, the smiley Denzel Washington. Also stars Whitney Houston (prior to her fuzzy days of yelling "Bobby!"), Gregory Hines, and narrated partially by the little boy who plays Whitney Houston's son, who competes with Denzel in the cuteness department. Whitney's feisty mom is a good addition to the movie as well.


8. Home Alone--Christmas just isn't complete without hearing the little theme song from this movie. I also saw this about 14 times in the theatre the year it came out, we listened to the CD for years to come. Yeeeah, it's practically in my DNA to like this movie.
7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--A must. Enough said.

6. Love Actually--This movie both depresses you and gives you a feeling of hope. It's a pretty impressive cast, including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Kiera Knightley, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, and Colin Firth. The intertwining storylines are all well-developed and are interesting how the characters connect to each other.

5. Prancer-Another childhood staple. Yet another cute kid in the main role. Jessi recently lost her mom and her dad is facing hard times trying to keep the family farm afloat yet she tries to keep the Christmas spirit alive in her household, though her beliefs are seen as juvenile to her dad and brother. When she comes across a reindeer she is convinced is Santa's own Prancer, she decides to nurse him back to health. Sam Elliott is a perfect fit as her dad. The last 10 minutes make me cry every. single. time.

4. One Magic Christmas-A lesser-known Christmas movie, but a total gem if you haven't seen it. Mary Steenburgen (AKA: Ted Danson's wife) plays Ginny, a mom of two who is pretty bitter about the whole spirit of Christmas. She even makes statements to crush her young daughter's belief in Santa. Her husband, a good-hearted guy, just lost his job and they're being forced out of the humble little company home where they were living. Things are looking pretty grim financially. An angel named Gideon comes to visit her daughter, a total cutie, to tell her that he is going to try to show her mom the true meaning of Christmas and what's really important in life. Even though this movie is from the 80s, it still rings true today. If you haven't seen it, try to watch it sometime this season.

3. The Family Stone-One of my newest Christmas favorites. Another great ensemble cast. I especially love Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Craig T. Nelson in their roles. Despite the fact that this movie was marketed more as a comedy, there is a serious (and sad) undertone. I still love it. It has such an authentic family and home for the holidays feel. Just a warning: You will cry. Hopefully you'll have some good laughs through it though.

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas-The classic 30 minute cartoon. Love. From the growing evil grin of the grinch to him slithering around gathering up all the holiday decorations to his heart growing so big it broke the heart measuring scale. It's perfect. By far, my favorite Seuss story.

1. It's a Wonderful Life-What else? No, you won't find "You're gonna shoot your eye out!" at the top of my list. (I never knew that movie existed until TBS started showing it for 3 days straight anyway.) No, I shall stick with the ultimate Christmas classic. Another story of always doing the right thing, but still feeling like you're down on your luck. It definitely illustrates how we need to really look at our lives and see how fortunate we really are. I think I appreciate this movie more each year.

Honorable mention for this list goes to: While You Were Sleeping starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. It takes place during the holidays, but it's not a typical Christmas movie. The family dynamics is absolutely hilarious...the grandmother is particularly funny. The dad from Everybody Loves Raymond is also a part of this ensemble cast. A totally enjoyable and charming movie from start to finish.

You should be watching "Castle."

Last year, Castle premiered on ABC. We thought we'd give it a try. The lead actor was in Firefly, which Brady liked. He also played the adorable doctor in Waitress, which I liked. It's now in its second season and we haven't missed an episode. DVR definitely helps with that.

Here's why you should be watching it:

1. Great writers. The story-lines have clever twists and witty dialogue. Since the main character is a writer, I thought it was appropriate that, first and foremost, I'd give credit where credit is due.

2. Nathan Fillion. He's hilarious and endearing. I think in real life he's a very funny guy and his wit definitely comes through in this role. It seems very natural for him.

3. Stana Katic, better known as "Beckett." She's feisty and keeps Castle on his toes...and vice versa.

4. Character chemistry. The dynamics between the main characters is interesting and believable. They did well casting, that's for sure.

If you like who-done-it mysteries, give Castle a try. It's on Monday nights at 9 on ABC. (Check your local times.)

Movie Monday...a day late

Rental reviews:

Revolutionary Road-I was interested to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunited since their epic Titanic pairing. The setting for their characters changed quite a bit even though the time frame is about the same, from a luxury oceanliner to a picturesque suburb. Winslet plays the role of an aspiring actress turned housewife and DiCaprio works a trainride away at a job that he hates. They're not very happy in their marriage--he's more than just flirtatious with some of the young women in the office and she's regretting the life they've chosen for themselves. She longs for the carefree and wild people they once were so she starts planning a new adventure for their family. There are complications that arise, however, and they are at odds with each other about what their future holds.

I was surprised to see Kathy Bates join the Titanic reunion, but she is very good in her role. Overall, the acting was very well done. Both main actors are wonderful at the multi-layered emotions. One review of this film said it was somewhat like American Beauty, but without the laughing moments. This is very true. There are true to life fights and overall, it's a cold, hard look at a marriage crumbling. This definitely isn't a movie you'd want to watch on a whim. Prepare yourself for a tragic film. You didn't go into Titanic thinking there would be a disembarkment party complete with streamers and balloons. Expect drama, expect to feel uncomfortable, expect to have the movie end and not really be able to say much.

I will say that while I think Kate Winslet is a remarkable actress, I don't care much for some of her movie choices recently. Little Children had a similar feel to this one, as her character being a depressed housewife and mother. The Reader was just downright depressing. She really does commit to her character and there's no questioning her acting ability. Perhaps this is the type of movie she needs to do to accentuate that, but my goodness, I miss her gumption in The Holiday and at least she laughed in Sense & Sensibility and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I don't think I've seen her even crack a smile in the last few movies she's been in.


He's Just Not That Into You-While this movie was an ensemble cast, there were two story lines that carries the movie through. Primarily it's the story with Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Alex (Justin Long), but Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck certainly step it up about 2/3rds of thee way through. It follows the connecting lives of a couples and some singletons hoping for couplehood. It serves a few messages--if someone doesn't seem interested, they probably aren't, if it doesn't fit, don't force it, and every relationship is different. A lot of the movie also showed the complexity of loving someone and having them love someone else instead.

It's a completely watchable and relatable romantic comedy, not terribly deep, but it made some good points. One such point made me adjust my mentality if Brady and I have a daughter. I'll definitely think twice if she is ever picked on by a boy to tell her that it's because he likes her. This movie pointed out how completely backwards that is. That plants the seed in her head that any guy who treats her like crap in her life just does that because he really likes her, but doesn't know how to show it. Um, I don't think so.

Like I said, the story between Gigi and Alex and their developing friendship as he clues her into the message behind the title of the movie is the most endearing part. The pair is so stinkin' adorable.

This is a perfect movie for a date night or if you're looking for something fairly light in subject matter. I would and will watch it again.

Transsiberian-I had no idea what to expect from this movie. Brady had added it to our rental queue and we finally got around to watching it. The movie follows a couple after they complete a sister-city charity program in China when they decide to take a train all the way across Russia. They're already dealing with problems in their marriage since happy go-lucky husband Woody Harrelson can't seem to tame former-nomad wife Emily Mortimer into settling down and starting a family. These issues are complicated when they make friends with a young couple aboard the train whose behavior seems a bit suspicious. The story takes an intense turn when dear ol' Woody Harrelson goes missing.

The scenery of Transsiberian really adds to the isolated feel of the movie. The tagline of this movie says "You can't escape your lies," but I prefer "Don't talk to strangers."

The movie starts a little slow, but the tension picks up about halfway through, well-acted by all, and an effective ending. Brady did come up with a twist that, had it been used, would have been a major mind trip, but I did like what they decided to do with the storyline.

Now Playing Reviews:

Terminator Salvation-The fact that I enjoyed this movie lowered the wife brownie points I got for volunteering to see this movie in the first place, but oh well. I should preface by saying that I did not see any of the previous Terminator movies. I got my Cliff Notes version during the previews.

It was what I expected in that it was very loud (though there was a verry young baby in the theatre who tolerated it) and action-packed. Honestly, the robots scare me. Perhaps it's the red eyes. With my quick briefing of the characters beforehand, I was able to follow the story, though I was more taken in by the death row inmate turned "human" robot than John Connors. I definitely think seeing the other movies in the whole saga would help. Had I not known more of the backstory going in, I might have been lost.

The graphics were impressive and overall, I'd say this movie was well-done. Would I have seen it if it hadn't been for my dear husband itching to see it? No, but I did get pulled into it.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

We saw this after Terminator Salvation. I suppose it was to serve as a reward if I made it through all the explosions and creepy robots. We went from a theatre packed full of adults to a theatre packed full of kids, who provided some really funny commentary.
Our trusty museum nightguard has abandoned his post and taken on the world of infomercials, marketing his inventions in the same manner as Billy Mays. Minus the Just for Men beard. He returns to find out that the museum is going in a different direction, using holograms in place of wax figures and most of the characters he's grown to love are being shipped to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. He gets a call from mini cowboy, Owen Wilson, newly relocated to Washington that they are under attack. Larry travels to the museum and has to pose as a night guard there to gain access to the archives, where his buddies are being stored. This begins a night of Larry trying to gain back control from just one of Hank Azaria's characters in this movie--Kahmunrah, who wants the magical tablet that brings everyone to life to use for his own power trip.
There's a lot more characters in this movie compared to the first, simply because of the sheer size of the Smithsonian, including Napoleon, Al Capone, the Jonas Brothers as a trio of flying cherubs, and a whole bunch of Albert Einstein bobbleheads. Amelia Earhart, played by Amy Adams leads the pack. The comedy in the movie seemed to be more or less aimed at kids and it was a little disappointing in that they had a lot of material to work with. I actually didn't care for Hank Azaria's main role as Kahmunrah. It was a little tired by the end of the movie. I also kind of thought he didn't do dear ol' Honest Abe justice. It seemed like all the characters took themselves seriously as the historical figure they portrayed except him. They generally depicted one of our greatest Presidents as kind of an airhead actually.
The other disappointment was the logistics of the story. Yes, the premise is that wax and plastic comes to life, but the fact that Larry, no longer an employee at the Museum of Natural History, is given full uninterrupted access after it closed. Other things just didn't quite add up. It was still entertaining, but paled in comparison to the first.

To think, I used to wonder...

what the fuss was all about with Twilight. I mean, people were obsessed. It's a dude in pale makeup and lipstick and bushman eyebrows, people. Seriously.

Then I saw it.

And I understood...and nearly cried when the DVD was not burnable. Not really. I would neeeever do that--Cry over it or actually do the DVD burning.

I'll eventually buy it so no need to cry and I have people for that ;)

I did, however, understand the fascination with Edward. There's just something endearing about him.

When I heard there was a change in the wind for the second movie/book (I haven't cracked one of the books yet, but figure I might down the road) where Edward leaves and Bella starts dating Jacob, I have to admit, I was disappointed. I didn't really warm up to him in the first movie and the long hair thing just doesn't do anything for me.

Then I saw this today. The official trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avJNq7Xi5X4

His hair is cut and he is suddenly big, strong protector man--er--wolf.

Rawr.

I believe I'll be heading to the theatres with all the addicts opening week. I might even start on the books. I could use some summer reading :)

Movie Monday

I was challenged by mi mama to find some good movies for her so here are the first few. You may notice that none of them are new releases, but they're movies (all except one I think) that she hasn't seen, but that I could watch over and over:



Monster-in-Law--This one's fresh in my mind because TBS showed it every night this weekend, but commercial-free is always better. They eliminate scenes in order to squeeze it into their timeframe too. Okay, now this one isn't going to win any of the actors Oscar nods, but it's really entertaining and it still makes me laugh. "Don't you just love being girlfriends?" Wanda Sykes has a small role, but she's hilarious and balances out Jane Fonda.

I am very lucky not to have a mom or mother-in-law who is in anyway like Jane Fonda's character by the way :)






The Holiday--This romantic comedy has an ensemble cast, which works well together. Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz trade houses for Christmas and it follows each as they find themselves in very different surroundings than what they're used to. I won't lie, I tend to favor the story-line with Kate Winslet, who I related to more than Cameron Diaz, but both are good stories and I liked the movie trailer thoughts of Diaz's character (who is a movie exec). Brady and I both agree that Jack Black was great in this movie and that he needs to do more movies like it (or even drama). Overall, it's a somewhat dramatic sweet romantic comedy. Oh and look for the Dustin Hoffman cameo :)

The Thomas Crown Affair--A remake of the 1960s flick of the same title, this updated version stars Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. It's a sexy cat and mouse game with a backdrop of the fine art world. The plot is cleverly constructed and fun to watch. I actually watched this movie twice in writing a paper for my art history class. My only complaints were that perhaps they went a little far with Rene Russo being seductive (makeup, clothes, etc.) and that Denis Leary was under-utilized. You hardly know the poor guy's there and if you've seen Rescue Me or heard any of his stand-up, you know he has lots of...personality :)

Hitch--Alex Hitchens, or "Hitch," is a date doctor of sorts who coaches guys who don't have the social skills to talk to the women of their dreams. The client in question is Kevin James, who is adorably awkward as always. In the meantime, Hitch meets potentially the woman of his dreams, but suddenly the guy who thought he had it all figured out women-wise finds himself literally falling all over himself trying to impress her. Kevin James is great--Brady and I love his dancing skills, which we proudly imitated at our wedding reception. "Q-tip, Q-tip, throw it away..." The object of his affection is played by Amber Valleta, a fairly unknown, but likeable character. It's a light-hearted comedy and if nothing else, you can learn some spiffy new dance moves :)

Fracture--"Which one of these is not like the others?" :) Well, this movie is not a comedy...or at least not in the traditional sense and it's certainly not romantic. It is, however, very clever. It stars Sir Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling (from The Notebook, which is romantic, though terribly and unforgivably sad). So, a man shoots his wife and confesses to the cops. Open and shut case, right? Think again. This is what Gosling's character, a promising attorney with one foot in the DA's office and one foot in his swanky new office at an elite law firm, discovers when he's assigned to prosecute Hopkins.

Hopkins' character is Hannibal Lechter-ish...cool, calm, and collected regardless of the situation, very intelligent, and great with the mind games. He's really entertaining to watch. The match-up of Hopkins and Gosling is great.

Movies that should have a warning sticker

Bride Wars--This was an impulse rental on my Friday off. I wanted a movie I hadn't seen before that I could watch while eating my yummy hummus lunch after a busy morning of grocery shopping and options were limited at Redbox. I had a free rental code so I figured "what the heck?" My advice to anyone renting this movie is to take it for what it is and have low expectations. Ignore your inner voice telling you how unrealistic the whole concept is and asking why on earth these two girls were so obsessed from the time they were little girls that they absolutely had to have their weddings in June at the Plaza in NYC. I'm no expert on the cost of weddings in NYC, but I can imagine it's more than most people's mortgage. ANYways, silence that little voice inside you and you might get a few chuckles out of the movie. It really wasn't as bad as I anticipated, which doesn't say a lot as I anticipated total utter disaster. Think Gigli.

That said, Kate Hudson played the role of the obsessive and jealous bride-to-be very well and Anne Hathaway is likeable, though they couldn't really decide if she was the doormat for everyone in her life or the closet party girl. They have fairly good chemistry as BFFs turned Bridezillas.

Now, I don't use the phrase "chick flick" much because I know many guys who enjoy romantic comedies, but this is not a romantic comedy. It's really meant for girls only. Honestly, there really isn't anything in it to appeal to guys in the least aside from Anne Hathaway scantily dressed dancing at the bachelorette party and swinging on a rope. ::Cue Scooby Doo ears on any guys that actually read this "Huuuuuh?!"::

Dear "24" Writers,

First off, let me thank you profusely for not dragging Audrey back into the storyline for this season. I must say that this season is a vast improvement over the questionable Season 6 and is one of the best I'd say of the series, however, I have a few grievances.

1. Tony. I was honestly happy to see him this season, though the circumstances surrounding his almost-death is a bit far-fetched. That aside, I really felt like he was going to redeem himself. This yo-yo pattern of him being good, then bad, then good, now bad, is getting annoying. Pick a side. On top of this, his lifeless expressions and raspy voice reminiscent of Christian Bale as Batman is wearing down my patience for him. Please kill him off the show once and for all. I cringe to think of him making a revengeful reappearance in the next and final season.

2. Kim. Why oh why must Kim even come back and now that she's kind of, sort of back, why why why would you have her once again be kidnapped to use against Jack?

3. Renee. I know the whole idea is to completely isolate Jack so that would leave him without a permanent love interest, but she is a dynamic character who's actually likeable, unlike Terry or Audrey. Please don't kill her off.

4. Larry. That was uncalled for. He was just starting to not play by the book so much and I was finally starting to like him. Sure, it eliminated one-third of the love triangle, but still. Not cool.

5. Bill. Oh, poor Bill. It was definitely a way for Renee to see that when you cut Jack, he does bleed, but that was just sad. Seriously.

6. Please stop having poor Jack seizing on the ground. It bothers me.

I believe that covers my main grievances. I do think there are several things I was happy to see happen this season. For instance, thank you very much for not killing the poor guy being set up for the bio-weapon bomb. I understand that given the fact that no one is safe from being killed and that often involves innocent bystanders, I was quite relieved to see him make it out alive and be reunited with his brother.

Despite the above mentioned grievances, I do understand that "24" isn't all puppies and unicorns, and I do appreciate the fact that it's probably one of the most well-made shows on TV. Keep up the good work and please make the months of being Jack-less until next season worth it in the end.

Sincerely,

Twinks, loyal "24" watcher since 2006

Movie Monday

The hubs and I are pretty big movie buffs, thanks a great deal to the ingenius Redbox phenomenon and my work offering discount movie passes. So I've established Movie Monday, where I'll post some of my favorites for your consideration for rentals. I think I might also do a Friday Flicks specifically for movies worthy of being seen in the theatre. If you're stuck on picking a movie to rent, here are some suggestions:

Taken--Liam Neeson easily ranks up there with Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne with his ability to kick any and everyone's...butts. Seriously. Now, that said. Some of the subject matter is disturbing, it's definitely not a movie you'd watch with your kids...older teenagers would hopefully take away from it the life lesson to never lie to your parents, but I'd be leery of any younger teens/children watching it. Lots of action, nothing particularly gory. This comes out tomorrow on DVD!

(Oh and because it was bothering me the whole movie--the daughter was the blonde girl on Lost from the first couple seasons...she was kind of prissy, was there on the island with her brother.)


Iron Man--Throw away most of what you know about superhero movies and see this. Robert Downey, Jr. is hilarious (in his understated sarcastic way) and he literally made the movie great. The most "innappropriate" stuff for kids--violence, more "mature" content, etc. is pretty much all within the first 15 minutes. There's some action/violence throughout--it's a superhero movie after all--but I kind of felt like the first part of the movie was a little more gritty I guess than the rest of it. Still, probably not a good one to watch with the kiddos. When we saw this in the theatre, we had a mom and her probably 7-year-old son leave within 10 minutes. This is not a Spiderman type superhero movie. It's not nearly as dark as Dark Knight, but it does have an edge.

I was soo happy to see Robert Downey, Jr. back in movies. I'll just try to forget Tropic Thunder ever happened.

Last Chance Harvey--I'm a little biased on this one because I adore Dustin Hoffman (whether he's counting down to Wapner or practicing the art of capoeira as Gaylord Focker's dad) and Emma Thompson is one of those flawless actresses who can handle both dry humor or break down sobbing emotional acting (Sense & Sensibility). If you saw Before Sunrise/Before Sunset, it's a similar concept, but in the context of a middle-aged pair still trying to figure life out. Hoffman and Thompson have great chemistry and it's really an honest, though humorous movie.

Hotel for Dogs--This would be my family pick. Admittedly, Brady and I did a 2-for-1 double feature one weekend...shh, don't tell Harkins. We make up for it with our loyalty otherwise. First we saw Yes Man, then this was starting at exactly the perfect time to walk right in to the opening credits. This was a very cute movie of this brother and sister who are trying to deal with living in foster care while secretly establishing a pretty spiffy dog hotel for homeless dogs that would otherwise end up at the pound. The issue of animal control and so many dogs needing homes really gets to me--both Brady and I teared up at some of the scenes. I really like the fact that it pointed out to people that there are so many wonderful dogs in shelters needing homes and it didn't pinpoint one breed, as to cause a sudden demand that would end with many additional dogs ending up in shelters because people don't understand how one breed can be fitting for one person, but not another. They just think they're cute. For example, Budaj is part Husky. Huskies love to jump and dig, but we knew this going in, so when he started jumping and digging, it wasn't a surprise to us and we were prepared to work with him on it.

Anyways, back to the movie...it was really well-done. I liked Don Cheadle, he was kind of an unexpected surprise and the girl in it actually is Julia Roberts' niece. If you love dogs, you'll like this movie.

The Lucky Ones--This was one of those movies that I didn't really know what to expect. The movie cover sort of interested me and I saw it on the Redbox machine several times before deciding to rent it. We were pleasantly surprised by this movie. It tells the story of three soldiers, all in different places in their lives, who return to the states (1 is getting out of the Army, 2 are coming back for a month-long break) and have to deal with re-adjusting to civilian life, changes that happened with their friends/family while they were gone, and trying to cope with what they've experienced during war. The unlikely trio, including Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, and Michael Pena (you might know if as the FBI rookie in Shooter) were really great in their roles. It's not a gritty, in your face sort of political movie (like Stop-Loss for example)...it just simply tells their experiences. It was a very enjoyable movie to watch and definitely added more credibility for Rachel McAdams, who's come a long way from Mean Girls and who I find very likeable and seems to have a long career ahead of her.

3 Movies to Avoid:

Untraceable--I very much like the main actors in this movie, including Diane Lane and Colin Hanks (Tom Hanks' son), however, this movie was really disturbing. The general premise is that the "killer" chooses a victim and an absolutely horrific way for them to die. He posts a video on his website and the more visitors the website gets, the faster the person is killed. What really creeped me about this method is that something like this could so easily happen. People are desensitized by TV and the internet as to what's real and what's not. I could see people logging onto such a website out of pure curiosity. While I like a good cat and mouse type movie, this crossed the line for me into the horror category...and that genre I am not a fan of.

Lakeview Terrace--We rented this one for free so I can't complain too much, but I just didn't think it was executed very well. I didn't have the highest expectations of this movie. The entire movie had Samuel L. Jackson seriously pissed off at the couple who just moved in, though we don't know why except he has a problem with the wife being black, the husband being white. His character is beyond obnoxious and even when we find out the reason for his behavior, it still doesn't seem justified in the least bit. The only thing I got out of this movie is a list of things that would seriously annoy a neighbor.

The Reader--Holy depressing movie, Batman! I will preface this brief review by saying that I think Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes are wonderful actors, both deserving of Oscar wins. Now, Kate Winslet did win an Oscar for this role, but my honest opinion is that she was much more deserving of an Academy Award for one of her other roles and I don't think the acting she did in this movie warranted such an award. She played the role well, but I kind of get the impression she was nominated and won because she showed a lot of nudity. I hate to say it, but it seems like artsy nudity=award nominations. It's clear from the beginning that this movie won't have a feel good, happy ending, but it's definitely not one I'd see again.