Annie

Leaping Lizards!

Annie is probably one of my favorite musical films. I really enjoyed the original version from 1982, and if I can remember correctly, the 1999 remake was not terrible either.

This is such an uplifting movie, it is a great one to watch if you are ever feeling down. I absolutely love the message of it about how things may suck right now, but there is always tomorrow and eventually things will brighten up. This message is spelled out perfectly in the famous song "Tomorrow" sung by little Annie.  I also love how orphan Annie finds the positive in all the negatives. She is thankful for the little she has rather than sad about what she lacks. If only we could all be a little more like Annie, I'm sure we'd be happier in general.

MIB

I decided to watch Men in Black thinking that it must be good since there was a couple of sequels. I realized that my logic was flawed after thinking about all of the bad movies that ended up getting sequels. Big Mama's House and Dumb and Dumberer for example. Some of the big blockbusters are terrible movies. It often comes down to advertising and how much hype they can create before the movie comes out. But I wouldn't say that MIB was a completely terrible movie, it just wasn't a great movie.

Men in Black was not as horrendous as some movies, but I will admit, it was not my cup of tea. I can see why some people would like the movie. I love Will Smith and all, but occasionally his humor is a little too over-the-top for me. I guess I have a very particular taste in humor.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Learning about different cultures has always been a passion of mine. The various Asian cultures have caught my attention long ago. There is just something about their uniqueness compared to the American culture that intrigues me. Back in high school, I read the book Memoirs of a Geisha and was drawn into the world of a young Japanese girl around the time of World War II. The story enthralled me with the intricate details of the life of a geisha and the rituals they perform. The author painted a wonderful picture in my head with the descriptions of the beautiful silk kimonos and the elegant performances. I was so intrigued that I desperately wanted to watch the movie, and I am pretty sure I did. But that was ages ago and I wanted to be brought back to Kyoto, Japan during the 1940s.

The movie did not fail to grasp my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the more traditional Japanese culture before the Americans had a significant influence. The story was portrayed wonderfully, but as usual, I enjoyed the book more. But I was still inspired by little Chiyo's story of overcoming the devastation of losing her entire family and having her whole world turned upside-down. She managed to create a life for herself despite all the obstacles thrown in her way. This just shows that anyone can overcome the downfalls that may come in life.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

After watching a series of movies with a lot of brutality in them, I wanted to watch something more light-hearted and up-lifting. Breakfast at Tiffany's seemed like a less gruesome choice to watch this time around.

Photo Credit: Imdb

I've always heard of how fabulous Audrey Hepburn was and have seen pictures showcasing her beauty. But after watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, I truly understand why so many were fascination with her. She was absolutely stunning! Her voice was soft and delicate, it just added to her charm.

As far as the movie goes, I felt it was an enjoyable one. I did get a little frustrated with Audrey's character, Holly Golightly, though. She was such a gold digger! She was so afraid of finding true love, that she was willing to marry anyone who had money. And Paul Varjak, the struggling writer who falls madly in love with Holly, has such patients, I don't understand how he could stand it! Talk about being friend zoned! But I was happy that in the end, Paul stood up to Holly and called her shenanigans and she finally came to her senses. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's  was a good choice for lightening my mood.  

Se7en

Photo credit: Wikipedia

After watching American Psycho, I was in the mood to watch another serial killer crime movie. However, this time, the movie was from the perspective of the "good guys." Seven follows Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), a new transfer, and the soon-to-retire Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) on their quest to find a sadistic serial killer. The serial killer justifies his crimes by claiming to be setting an example for the world by not ignoring people's sins. Each of his victims represents one of the seven deadly sins--gluttony, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and wrath.

I was thought Seven was an interesting film that is slightly different than the stereotypical crime thrillers. It was much slower in developing the story line and was not jammed-pack with action sequences like most movies in the genre. However, I felt that this did not subtract from the movie. Was it my favorite crime thriller? No, but I still found it intriguing.

On a slightly different note, it was quite obvious that this movie was from the 90s. Not only were the cars boxier, but the computers were big chunky desktops and the detectives had actual "paperwork" to do. It always amuses me seeing older movies with old technology. It's also somewhat awe-inspiring to see how far we have come technologically in a small span of time.

American Psycho

After watching this movie, I cannot honestly say that I enjoyed it. I have seen graphic movies with lots of gore before; that wasn't what bothered me. I can't quite put my finger on what really disturbed me. Maybe it was the main character's complete apathy, utter cruelty, and sociopathic ways. The movie was just not as thrilling as I had hoped it would be.

However, I have to admit that Christian Bale did a fantastic job portraying the psychopathic Patrick Bateman. He was superb, maybe even a little too convincing. I was also a bit surprised to find that Reese Witherspoon and Willem Dafoe had roles in the film.

On a slightly different note, Bateman briefly mentions Ed Gein, a psychotic killer from Wisconsin. Gein's story actually inspired many famous characters in popular culture, including Norman Bates from Psycho, Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Jame Gumb from The Silence of the Lambs. Just a little random fact that American Psycho made me remember.

The Boondock Saints

"And shepards we shall be.

For thee, my Lord, for thee.

Power hath descended forth

from Thy hand, that our feet

may swiftly carry out Thy command.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee

and teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In Nomine Patris, et Filii,

et Spiritus Sancti."

 

 



This is probably the most popular quote from The Boondock Saints. It is the prayer brothers Connor and Murphey say before they shoot their target.

I have seen The Boondock Saints probably 50 times. It is my mom's favorite movie, and possibly one of my top 10 favorites. It is a movie about these two brothers who after a chance encounter with a few members of the Russian mafia decide to take matters into their own hands and clean up the streets of Boston by killing members of the various mobs that terrorize the city.

The idea of this type of vigil anti is a controversal one. On the one hand, the guys are taking care of things that the law cannot due to copious amounts of red tape. They are, in a sense, protecting the people of Boston by dwindling down the number of mobsters. On the other hand, they are acting as judge and jurry by executing the bad guys. The movie definately shows both sides to this debate, but lightens the mood with well placed humor.

I think this movie is pretty darn good, especially considering the tiny budget it had and the fact that some big name actors took a pay reduction to do it. Willem Dafoe  ( the Green Goblin from Spiderman 3), Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead), Billy Connolly (from many, many movies), and Sean Patrick Flannery (The Dead Zone) all played major rolls in the movie.