Merry Christmas - Shitter Was Full!

Wishing all of our fellow movie geeks a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Don't forget to check out some of the Christmas Day movie releases and let us know what you think!

Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Parental Guidance

Tine and Lainie at the mooooooovies! Coming soon!

Throwback Thursdays - Home Alone

This week's edition of Throwback Thursdays is a classic holiday favourite of mine. It's one of a few Christmas movies I absolutely HAVE to watch every year. It reminds me of my childhood and it's also a John Hughes film. So any way you slice it, it's one of my ultimate faves.

Home Alone
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern
Released: 1990
Box Office: $533,800,000 (Worldwide)
Throwback Release

" When Kevin's Family Left For Vacation, They Forgot One Minor Detail: Kevin. But Don't Worry... He Cooks. He Cleans. He Kicks Some Butt." Man-o-man does that tagline say it all. Classic 90s tagline.

Home Alone stars Macaulay Culkin (in his first starring role) as Kevin McCallister, an eight year old boy who is mistakenly left home alone when his family heads to Paris, France, for Christmas. After getting into the normal hi jinks of a young boy home alone, Kevin finds himself defending his family's home against two inept burglars (Pesci and Stern).

I remember seeing this film as a child, and absolutely loving it. I still do. One of a few "must watch" Christmas films for me. I still laugh at the same jokes and can't help but smile at the end when everything works out. It's a perfect blend of cheesy Christmas movie, feel good family movie and comedy. And it's this perfect blend that has made the movie one of the most well known and successful Christmas films of all time.

The film premise is simple: Kevin McCallister (Culkin) is struggling with being the youngest and therefore in his mind, the ignored son of a large family. The family, along with their cousins and aunt and uncle, are all heading on a holiday trip to Paris and mistakenly leave Kevin home alone. We then watch two sides of the storyline: Kevin having to learn to live on his own and take care of himself while also learning that his house is about to be robbed by two petty criminals, and Kate McCallister (Catherine O'Hara) trying to get back to Kevin and struggling to find a way home.

The genius of this film is the quick wit, holiday cheer and heart. It's not easy to make a decent Christmas film, let alone one that can withstand the years (this film, believe it or not is 22 years old). John Hughes (the mastermind behind films such as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Vacation (and the entire series including Christmas Vacation), Breakfast Club and Uncle Buck), wrote this film, working his magic in creating this story and wonderful, likable characters. He has a talent for creating comedic story lines that have a lot of heart and he does it again with this film.

Final Verdict: See it. Definitely a Christmas movie but can be watched at any time of the year. It will be sure to put a smile on your face and hopefully, bring back some memories of your childhood Christmases.

Skyfall or Where the Hell Have You Been?

Skyfall
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Javier Bardem
New Release Review

Skyfall is the third installment in the Daniel Craig era of the Bond Franchise. There was a lot of buzz around the release of this film as not only was it said to revitalize a lackluster Bond stint by Craig, it was also set to be released during Bond's 50th anniversary (in film). 

I was a little skeptical about this film; mainly because Quantum of Solace was so bad. But once I saw the trailer, I decided I had to see no matter what. Simply because Judi Dench stated in one scene: "Where the hell have you been". For those of you who are non-Simpsons fans, check out this clip from a hilarious episode featuring U2 and you'll see why that simple line made me want to see the film.

Two other things solidified my decision to see this film: Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes (aka Voldemort). It's funny how certain actors can sway your decision with seeing their films. But if you have seen any of Bardem or Fiennes' previous work, you would be compelled to see anything they were in as well.

Skyfall pays homage to old Bond films in many ways throughout its two hour-plus length. With the opening credits, the return to the Bond character as the "pure luck" type of hero and the simplicity of the weapons used by Bond. (Especially in that final battle scene that reeked of Home Alone. I half expected Craig to whip out the blueprint plans of his house and show all the ways he would protect it). Taking the high-tech gadgets away from Bond returned him to the character that made him so likeable with fans in the first place. 

The film starts off with Bond and fellow agent Eve, chasing a mercenary, who has stolen a hard drive containing information of undercover agents who have been placed in terrorist organizations. The chase takes Bond and the mercenary onto a train, and while fighting on top of the train, Eve accidentally shoots Bond, causing him to fall into the river below, allowing the mercenary to escape. Bond is presumed dead.

M (Dench) is pressured by Gareth Mallory (Fiennes) to retire and receives a threatening message via computer taunting her past misdeeds. Shortly after, an explosion destroys MI6 headquarters, killing several employees. Bond, who used his presumed death as a means of retirement, learns of the explosion and returns to London. He fails several physical tests, but M approves his return to the field. He begins to "follow the breadcrumbs", as he does in every Bond film, until he comes face to face with the main antagonist, Raoul Silvia (Bardem).

The acting in this film is completely on-point. Craig has completely established himself as "Bond". It was hard to see him as the character, especially since the character is usually remembered as being portrayed by Sean Connery or Roger Moore. In this film, I really believed that Craig was "Bond". Dench is phenomenal (though it's hard to think of a role in which she was anything but phenomenal) and is able to convey so much emotion with just a simple look. That's true acting talent. Fiennes was a great addition as Mallory and balanced out Dench's seriousness with a little lightheartedness.

Bardem hands down stole the show in this film. He was everything you want in a villain - he was terrifying, creepy, and maniacal. He was absolutely capitvating - any time he was on screen, you couldn't help but be drawn to him. He was the perfect antagonist for this film.

Final Verdict: See it. Even if you're not a Bond fan, you will enjoy this movie. It's a perfect mix of an action, thriller and dramatic story. The acting definitely helps carry this heavy storyline and the return to the simplicity of the "Bond" character (stripped down of his many gadgets that we have seen in the past two films) creates a successful film overall.

Rotten Tomatoes 

Trailer Tuesdays - After Earth

Two weeks of sci-fi movie trailers! Seems like we are gearing up for quite the summer of movies!

By special request from Tony, check out this trailer for Will Smith's upcoming sci-fi film called After Earth.

I'm pretty amazed at movies these days. Lots of big production/CGI/special effects going into more films than usual. The bar has definitely been raised - especially from Smith's first trip to the sci-fi genre, 1996's Independence Day. 

Smith has some sci-fi-clout behind his name; he has successfully starred in the hit films, Men In Black (and its sequels 2 and 3), I Am Legend, I, Robot, and the aforementioned Independence Day. With that being said, there's a high chance that he will have another sci-fi hit on his hands with After Earth.

A quick synopsis of the film, gathered from this trailer and the tentative IMDB.com page, Smith and real life youngest son, Jaden Smith, play a father and son who crash-land on an unfamiliar and long since abandoned, planet earth. As Smith's character is unable to leave their craft (from what can only be assumed as a diabilitating injury), it's up to the younger Smith's character to find a way off the planet.

Graphics look superb. Storyline seems decent (they haven't said much which leads me to believe that there is more to this story than meets the eye). And M. Night Shyamalan is the director. Now, he is not the writer of the film, but even so, we can be guaranteed some sort of twist in this film, as that is his trademark movie-making style.

I love the fact that this film pairs the Smith father and son duo again (last and first scene together in 2006's The Pursuit of Happyness. It also serves as a way for Smith to "pass the torch" of the action hero role to his young son. Though Smith still has some action genre film role years left in him (seriously, does he ever age?) and Jaden Smith is still relatively young (he's only 13), I'm sure we can expect a few more action-packed films from Will Smith in the near future. (Check out his IMDB.com page - there are already announcements for sequels for I, Robot, Hancock, and Bad Boys).

I'm looking forward to adding this one to the summer 2013 movie list.

Check out the wikipedia page here or the official movie page here.

The Hobbit: Going on an Adventure!

In case you missed it, Peter Jackson is returning to Middle Earth with the story of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Movie Geek Christine (that's me!) had the amazingly awesome experience of visiting the set for Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand.

My husband and I rented a car and drove to Matamata from Hamilton. I'd already input the address into the GPS and things were going great. Until the GPS said "you've arrived at your destination". This is what we saw:

Sheep. And fields. And sheep. Not even a driveway or a sign or anything. Just farmland.

We assumed we'd driven past the cafe where the tour departs from so we turned around and drove back the way we came. Nope, we definitely didn't pass it.

We turned around again and decided to just go into the city of Matamata and wait for the shuttle bus that will take us to the farm. As we're driving, we see....

We made it!

For a while (early 2000s) this is what Hobbiton looked like:

An empty shell. In fact, the Lord of the Rings production company was going to remove any trace of the set from the farm but due to weather they couldn't complete the work. Promising to return in 6 months, Hobbiton sat like this. Meanwhile, the Alexander family who owned the farm started getting requests to view the set and the rest is history. And it's a good thing, too, because when it came time to start filming The Hobbit, the set was still preserved and somewhat decorated too. This time, reconstruction was done with more durable materials so the set could remain an attraction for decades. Decorations and props were left to create a truly remarkable experience for visitors and fans alike.

Without further ado,  here are some photos from my visit to Middle Earth.

Playing For Keeps

Playing For Keeps

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Starring: Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Dennis Quaid, and Catherine Zeta-Jones

New Release Review

Playing For Keeps is the story of retired soccer player George (Butler) who is trying to reconnect with his 10 year old son, Lewis (Noah Lomax), by coaching his soccer team. George has had a string of unsuccessful business ventures and is hoping to become a sports broadcaster. However, he keeps getting distracted by some attractive soccer moms who are pursuing him with great interest!

I want to say up front that I won tickets to see this movie. It isn't one I would have usually gone to see but I was pleasantly surprised. Playing For Keeps isn't your typical romantic comedy and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. It's about a man trying to have a real father-son relationship and he's learning how to be a parent through learning how to be an adult. 

Unfortunately there are some laughs to be had at the soccer-mom's expense: mostly at how desperate or transparent they are in their attraction to George. I understand that the soccer moms are there to show how the younger George would have handled groupies but it's sad that there wasn't a decent part for a woman. They're all defined by their relationship to George: ex-wife, desperate mom, lonely mom, sophisticated mom...you get the idea. It took away from my enjoyment of the movie a little, but the actresses played their parts so well considering what they were given. Jessica Biel as Stacie, George's ex-wife, is a particular stand out for me because she played a regular person so well. Stacie is a mom (we don't hear about her working outside the home) and she is very down-to-earth so Biel gives her just enough emotion to be interesting and sympathetic without being overly dramatic. 

Overall I enjoyed Playing For Keeps. It's just a nice story. There is conflict without the over-the-top drama that seems to be all the rage. I was actually worried at one point that it would turn into an episode of Real Housewives of Virginia but thankfully it didn't happen. There are enough laughs to sustain the comedy classification and enough romance to fit that category too, but there is a third element: restraint. The story doesn't try to out-do itself in the third act, which ultimately gives the audience a satisfactory ending without being too on the nose. 

Trailer Tuesdays - Oblivion

A late post, but a post nonetheless. Came across this trailer on the IMDb home page. It's an upcoming sci-fi film called, Oblivion. Check out the trailer:

I have to say, I am not impressed with the casting of Tom Cruise in this role. Do the big wigs at Universal not remember War of the Worlds? Cruise can barely carry a serious movie these days let alone a sci-fi film. Unlike regular movie critics and fans, sci-fi critics/fans are very passionate and will not tolerate insolence (insert Dr. Evil voice over here). *Side note: Cruise is the Hollywood's highest paid actor. Really? REALLY? I guess there's no accounting for taste*

I could barely get through the first chunk of this trailer. I just cannot take Cruise seriously. He has become an awful actor, and hasn't put out a decent film since 2004's Collateral. He is very one dimensional and for a film like this, you have to show a little more range than that of say, Mission: Impossible 10 (okay, so there is no 10th film in the Mission: Impossible series but there has been way too many and a 5th installment in the franchise has recently been announced. Shudders). *Another side note: Cruise did have an unexpectedly funny cameo role in 2008's Tropic Thunder*

Honestly, didn't pay too much attention to the first minute of this trailer because it seemed very "been there, done that". But then something amazing happened; Morgan Freeman appeared. And with that simple appearance, he might have saved the film. Things started getting a bit more interesting; the film becomes more of a "it's not what it seems" type film which is right up Christine and I's alley. We love a good conspiracy theory or film with a twist (surprising) ending. Maybe this film will accomplish that. But for now, it's not making a movie list. Need more information before we can make an informed decision on this one.

For more information on this film, check out the Wikipedia page here.

Trailer Tuesdays - Now You See Me

It's Trailer Tuesdays! Since I haven't been to the movies in a while (just over two weeks - YEEESH) I found this trailer on IMDB.com.

It's for the upcoming 2013 film, Now You See Me. Check it out!

Okay, I'm going to be honest. I was intrigued by this film as soon as I heard Morgan Freeman's voice. The fact that it is about magic made my inner-Harry-Potter-geek jump with joy.

Now You See Me is an upcoming film with a decent cast save for Jesse Eisenberg who I just can't seem to understand as an actor. To me, he is the male equivalent of Kristen Stewart: no appeal whatsoever and a total lack of emotional range. However, the rest of the cast is pretty stellar: Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, Dave Franco (who just about stole the show in the 21 Jump Street reboot earlier this year), Common, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, and Freeman. I am hoping that this cast will aid in making this film successful and not be a clever disguise for a weak and messy storyline (think this year's Rock of Ages).

The film's storyline features a group of magicians who perform high-tech shows, and manage to pull off an elaborate heist of robbing a bank on another continent. An FBI agent (Ruffalo) sets off to make the magicians pay for these crimes and seeks the help of a famed magic debunker (Freeman) to help him in his quest. And so begins a battle between the magicians and the FBI where nothing is what is seems and the line between illusion and reality becomes a blur.

Now You See Me is director Louis Leterrier's sixth film and although he doesn't have the longest resume in the business, he has had some successful action films (The Transporter, Unleashed, and The Incredible Hulk - the 2008 film, not 2003 disaster). I will even forgive him for the utter mess that was The Clash of the Titans as it wasn't all his fault.

The film is set to be released on June 7, 2013 which will be a great addition to the 2013 Summer Movie List. Looking forward to it.

For more information on Now You See Me, check out the film's website and the Wikipedia page.