Redbox Roundup

When isn't a movie weekend a smashing idea?  One of my semi-new favorite things in life is Redbox.  New releases for $1.  You can't beat it.  (Especially in a recession.  Am I right?)  Last Sunday I had a mini-marathon, as I was woefully behind on some movies I'd been jonesing to watch.

First up was Hereafter.

Did this one pass you by?  That's a shame because it's really interesting.  Matt Damon is the biggest name in the cast, but there are lots of great performances.  Plus, it has twin brothers.  And they're British.  I'm a twin, so I'm always intrigued by stories like this.  It's not a very fast-moving story, but that's ok.  Not everything has to have Furious in the title.

Then we have this one.

Oh, Natalie.  You just chewed up every piece of that scenery, didn't you?  But I liked it.  I guess it was sort of a bummer to have seen most of the pivotal clips on awards shows and whatnot, but the overall tone of the film was unlike anything I'd ever watched.  I was rooting for Nina, but I sort of knew how things would end.

I rounded out the film fest with The Social Network.  And I know some of you may disagree with me, but I could not get on board with this movie.  I think that the Oscar buzz was way overrated and not deserved.  It just seemed like a movie of the week to me, and Jesse Eisenberg seemed completely one-dimensional.  I hung on for about an hour and then had to cut and run.  At that point, I did not really care what happened.  Facebook is still around.  Fin.

If you're not familiar with Redbox, it's time to get that way.  $1/night is super cheap and legal.  You can find one here.

Misnomer

It's funny how GQ can be so polarizing to me.  In one article, they'll gripe that $6 is too much for a lip balm, and on the next page they'll tout a $400 shirt.  That's probably more than I spend on all clothes I wear in a year--including shoes. 

Anywho, imagine my surprise when I glanced the latest cover:

Back?  Where did he go?  Since The Hangover, I'd go so far as to say that Zach G. has been damn-near ubiquitous.  Due Date.  Dinner for Schmucks.  Up in the Air.  SNL. 

Can I get an amen?

Also, mini-rant: The Hangover was a funny (definitely R-rated) movie.  Why couldn't we leave it at that?  Why did they have to do a sequel?  The obvious answer is the money.  But wasn't it somewhat refreshing to watch that comedy way back in 2009 and actually laugh? 

Of course I have not seen the sequel and can't speak to how funny it may or may not be.  But look at the movies in the last, oh, I don't know...ten years.  They're either fairly terrible remakes or comic book movies.  That's why I blog about movies such as Rabbit Hole and Away We Go and even Kramer vs. Kramer.

What are some of your favorites?

Down the Rabbit Hole

If you have not yet seen Rabbit Hole, it's time to hit up a Redbox.  It's a dollar.  And it's awesome. 

Granted, this is not the feel-good movie of the year--quite the opposite, actually.  But to say that the cast is wonderful is a major understatement.  Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, and Sandra Oh are the central players, and they all turn in performances that are aptly described as layered and moving.

The story centers around a middle-aged married couple whose son is killed in an accident a few months before.  We get to see how they continue to grieve in their own ways, and I found that this movie put a few new ideas in my brain.  I definitely recommend giving this one a spin.

Let's All Go to the Lobby...

...and then promptly back to our seats to revisit some classics, especially after seeing these reimagined movie posters on the unfortunately named EveryGuyed.  I love the simplicity and the graphic punch, and even for the few movies in this lineup that I haven't seen, I know exactly what they're getting at.  Yes, I just ended a sentence with a preposition.

I first saw these linked from Valet and then again over at Manifold Destiny, but that won't stop me from posting here.

And I Don't Love You Anymore...

...so says weary Joanna Kramer to workaholic husband Ted.

In my quest to (slowly but surely) catch all of those movies that I've only heard about for years, I recently recorded Kramer vs. Kramer from a movie channel.  Have you seen it?  It's Dustin Hoffman versus Meryl Streep in a divorce case for their son Billy. 

This movie came out in 1979, which was a time when divorce was just picking up steam in America.  I don't want to say too much about the plot, for fear of getting over-excited and ruining it.  Honestly, it's not as epic as I had anticipated, but on second thought, that's a good thing.  

Although my own child-of-divorce story is not much like Billy's, I could definitely relate.  The director steered it toward the more believable.  Also smart.  Plus, it takes place in New York, and it's great to see that sort of late 70s urban style. 

Both of the stars won Oscars and Golden Globes for their roles, and the movie itself won Best Picture at the Oscars in 1980.  I highly recommend catching this movie the next time you get a chance.  It made me laugh at times and cry a little bit, too, I'm not ashamed to say. 

I'm Not Gonna Be Ignored, Dan!

Have you seen this movie? If not, then you should.

I was only 4 when it premiered, but I've always heard so much about it. Then, just a few weeks ago, Michael Douglas and Glenn Close were on a pre-Oscar special. Curiosity? Piqued.

A quick search through the channel guide turned up a listing on Encore or some free movie channel, and I recorded it. Whoa. It's definitely rated R. But it's also a stellar performance by Glenn Close. She plays this lonely lady who becomes obsessed after a one-night stand.

I had already seen the famous clips and heard about the ending (which I won't spoil, in case you haven't), but it didn't matter. I was glued to the TV. It took none other than Cher in Moonstruck to beat Ms. Close to the Oscar that year. Hmm...maybe I should search that one, too.

Do you ever run across movies you heard about as a child and later watched as an adult? I recently watched Norma Rae, as well, and it was excellent.

Just In Time

The first day of fall is only a few days away, but it has felt like 500 days of summer. Ok, I exaggerate a bit, but a good segue is hard to find.

As I've mentioned before, going to Maiden Alley Cinema is one of my favorite things to do. Yesterday my pal Ann Marie and I headed out and watched this movie, which is correctly billed as not a love story. It follows the relationship of Tom and Summer, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, who happen to meet at work and start dating.

There's a cool storytelling device that switches up the timeline throughout the movie, and it alternates between some very funny and very sobering parts. The soundtrack and costumes are also quite good, which never hurts a movie's chances with me. That's the sugar. Here's the medicine.

It was sort of annoying that certain characters act the way they do, but I feel like it does approximate real life. This was irritating, even though it may have been the intention of the filmmakers. And I hope that Ms. Deschanel evolves as an actress very soon. She seems to play roughly the same quirky character in every movie of hers (that I've seen).

This is still one to watch, though. I have not seen a movie quite like it before, and I recommend catching this at least once.

Just Go Already!

I just got home from watching Away We Go, and all I can say is just go and watch it. It was totally worth the hour-plus drive to Maiden Alley Cinema in Paducah (Kentucky). The cast is top-notch; I can't even begin to name all of the wonderfully talented actors, aside from the headliners. Maya Rudolph plays drama as well and as easily as the comedy we all know and love from SNL, and John Krasinski is definitely not just a re-heated version of Jim. These characters go on a journey that changes their lives forever, and my only complaint was that the movie had to end after about 90 minutes.

How rare is it that you can find a movie that will make you laugh out loud one minute and want to shed a few tears in earnest in the next, all over a flippin' awesome soundtrack?! These don't come along very often, and I recommend seeing it at all costs...although $4.50 with a student discount (shhhhh...) was worth every penny and then some. Even if it's not in your town, put it on your mental list for Netflix or the local video store or library for when it hits DVD. You won't be sorry. (Sidenote: It's pretty language-heavy, for those who may, for some reason, think of watching it with parents, ultra-conservative relatives, or Quakers.)