DVD Review – Chaplin

Lately I’ve been on a “classic” movie kick. So, to expand my “classics” library (and to feed my crush on Robert Downey Jr.) I watched “Chaplin.” I know little about the real Chaplin except the obvious, that he was undoubtedly one of the most influential physical comedians of early film and that he preferred silent movies to “talkies.” “Chaplin” was made in 1992, and is synonymous with the Iron Man actor, which peeked my interest in it. “Chaplin” had me stop everything and received my full attention - it’s that good. Based on Chaplin’s real autobiography and with an incredible line up of actors (including Chaplin’s own daughter Geraldine Chaplin portraying Chaplin’s mother), it’s a movie made with all the necessary aspects of great movie making.

Pros:

- The Narrative – Told mostly in flashback while Chaplin (Downey) is refining his autobiography with fictional editor played by Anthony Hopkins, he reminisces about everything from being a small child and his first experience performing, to working with his brother, to Vaudeville, to moving to America. The flashback storytelling is effective because it provides an opportunity to bring the audience back to “real time” with Chaplin’s running commentary on his life.

- The Entire Cast – I know I do this a lot, but it really impresses me when such a long list of well established actors come together for one project. So here’s the amazing line up that made “Chaplin”: Robert Downey Jr, Moira Kelly, Geraldine Chaplin, Dan Aykroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Penelope Ann Miller, Marisa Tomei, Nancy Travis, James Woods, Diane Lane, Kevin Dunn, Milla Jovovich, David Duchovny, and Michael A. Goorjian!



- The Visuals – Although the movie was released in 1992, the creators did a remarkable job of recreating the 1910’s, 20’s and 30’s. They show us what movie studios looked like, what the trains were like and (my favorite) the clothes!

- Robert Downey Jr. – You can’t have a Pros list about this movie without mentioning its star. I don’t think you can mention RDJ without mentioning this movie. Anyone can pull off a “Neo” or the fast driving, cliché spouting drift enthusiast, but to portray a real person is the true test of an actor and their capabilities.

Cons:
- Old Chaplin – The movie goes between present time and Chaplin’s memories. While in present time, the makeup and voice used to portray the famous man are not very subtle or realistic, but more distracting than anything else.

- Unnecessary Nudity – Adding to my list of movie pet peeves is nakedness that isn’t necessary. The beginning of the movie shows Chaplin working in a Vaudeville theater and he helps his co-performers, women, zip up. The door to their dressing room is wide open so the women are seen in all their…I’m not sure “glory” is the right word.



Summary:
“Chaplin” is a well-put together picture that helps those of us who may not be familiar with the innovative movie maker – more familiar with his influence and dedication to the industry. “Chaplin” is a movie that can be appreciated for many different things: the writing, its pace, production quality and, of course, the acting. For me, only seeing it recently, it’s a diamond in the rough during a time of sequels and explosions as the boring norm. It’s a biopic that showcases the hard work of one of the movie industries’ leading men portrayed by one of the modern movie industries leading men.

What did you think about “Chaplin?” Is it Robert Downey Jr.’s best film? His best performance? Is the movie even appealing these days since Chaplin’s (the man) hey days were over quite some time ago?

"Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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Wrapping Up “Lost” Season 5

Well the official count down to the end of the best TV show is on. The fifth season of “Lost” ended this past Wednesday with an explosive finale that unveiled a host of new information and created more questions – as per the usual Lost way. The sixth season was decided a few years ago to be the last, so the producers and writers have 17 episodes to fill in A LOT of missing pieces. The producers promised more answers instead of questions this season – and they held up their end of the bargain. So let’s flashback on Season 5 to some of the top time spinning “Lost” questions that we now have answers to (sigh of relief) as well as some of the best moments!

Questions that Now Have Answers

Question 1 - Season 5 was all about getting the Losties back to the island and uncovering why they needed to go back. One of the biggest mysteries presented at the beginning of season 5 was HOW were the survivors going to get back to their island. In episode 6 “316” we learn that the Oceanic 6 must board Ajira Airways Flight 316 and recreate as much of the original flight as possible including dead Locke representing both himself and Jack’s father, Hurley carrying a guitar, which, I think, represents Charlie, and the pilot who was SUPPOSED to be flying Oceanic Flight 815. And it works!

Question 2 – The island moved?! That’s right, and in the very first episode of Season 5 “Because You Left” we learn what the consequences of Ben pushing the donkey wheel really are. Juliet, Sawyer, Locke, Daniel, Miles, Charlotte and additional Losties and Freighter folk see a bright light then start skipping through history at random.

Question 3 – How did Locke die? In the episode "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" the Season 4 cliff hanger – Locke in a coffin – is resolved. After what can definitely be considered a bad day, Locke tries to kill himself, but is interrupted by Ben, who gets important information out of Locke and subsequently kills him.




Question 4 – Who is Jacob? For a while now we’ve been hearing of this Jacob. I don’t know about you, but I thought that Jacob was using Christian Shephard’s body as a way to move, speak, etc. But we found out that, like Ben, we’ve never actually seen him before – until the season finale.

Question 5 – How does Eloise Hawking, Daniel Faraday’s mother, know so much about traveling to and from the island? – in “Jughead” we are introduced to Ellie (a.k.a. Eloise Hawking) as being an Other in 1956 when Daniel, Charlotte and Miles are captured by them and brought to the site of a hydrogen bomb.

Key Moments

– “This Place is Death” – Convinced he needs to leave the island, die and bring the Oceanic 6 back, Locke turns the same time warping donkey wheel that Ben turned (the only difference – Locke does it with a compound fracture to the leg and sees Jack’s dead father who asks Locke to tell his son “hello” for him).

– “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham” – After multiple failed attempts at trying to get the Oceanic 6 back to the island, learning his former love is dead, getting contradictory information from both Ben and Widmore, Locke attempts to hang himself. He’s interrupted by Ben, who talks him down only to murder him a few minutes later.

– “He’s Our You” – One of the most surprising moments in the season occurs after an innocent meeting between Young Ben and Sayid. Forming a quick bond, so Young Ben thinks, Young Ben unlocks Sayid from a cage so that they can escape the Dharma camp together. But while running away, Sayid acts on what he thinks is his reason for coming back to the Island – he shoots Young Ben in the chest.

– “The Lie” – Although this moment didn’t really have a large effect on the show’s story, it was a great way to express the loveable character that is Hurley. In “The Lie” the Oceanic 6 have been off the island for only a little while and pure hearted Hurley is distraught about having to lie about his life there. In one breath, Hurley unveils everything to his mother - who believes him.

- “The Incident” – While discussing whether or not to detonate a hydrogen bomb and reset history Jack and Sawyer get into a brutal fight including a well timed, comical yet bad ass leg kick to the groin.

What were some of your favorite moments from this season? What questions are you looking forward to being answered in the show’s final season?

"Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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Summer 2009 Movie Preview

The summer is the best season for movies! Films have even moved their debut dates in order to be a part of this steamy time of year. And with the economy still as sticky as a movie theater floor in August, cinema execs are anxious to see what the summer of ’09 will bring. Here are 6 films to sit in the a.c. and enjoy this summer…

June

June 5th – Away We Go – I saw this trailer during “Adventureland” and promptly (and semi legibly) scribbled down the release date so I wouldn’t forget. This “road trip” comedy starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph is about a couple having their first child who travel from friend to family member in order to find a place they can call home for their new little one. The ensemble cast is impregnated with our favorite character actors including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels, and Catherine O'Hara just to name a few. This dramedy is sure to be chocked full of outlandish parenting advice, touching moments and lots of laughs.

June 24th – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Summer is a time when the industry likes to pump out sequels and 2009 is no exception. Just from the trailer “Transformers 2” looks promising with more action, total destruction, CG galore and an intriguing back story. Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf – who was in a car accident and seriously injured his left hand during the time he was making the movie) learns more about the history of the giant robots wreaking havoc worldwide in countries like Egypt, Paris and the US. I’ve also read that there is some IMAX footage, which only adds more excitement to the eye popping special effects.

July

July 1st – Public Enemies – If I was a movie exec and you pitched this film to me all you would have to say is “Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.” “Sold! Where do I sign?!” That’s how easily I'd agree. As an added bonus, this movie is directed by the hugely successful Michael Mann (‘Collateral,’ ‘Ali,’ ‘The Insider,’ ‘Heat,’ and ‘The Last of the Mohicans’). “Enemies” is a crime drama about infamous, depression era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp) and the clean cut FBI agent on Dillinger’s tale Melvin Purvis (Bale). With behind the scenes accounts that Bale was in character 24/7 and that Depp was as giddy as a school girl at the opportunity to handle Dillinger’s actual brief case – this film is producing expectations of being the only summer hit that will be remembered at Oscar time.

July 15th – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – This shouldn’t be on the summer ’09 list, but the head honchos who made “Prince” wanted to move the film to the summer for financial reasons. The latest installment of the JK Rowling series is ready to be showcased on the big screen. A darker story yet focusing on the origins of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with a number of memory type flashback sequences that hold a lot of information for Harry. We also get a little more love in our favorite Hogwarts’ students lives (but I won’t tell you who in case you haven’t read the book).

August

August 21st - Inglourious Basterds – Yes, that’s spelled correctly. The latest movie by Quentin Tarantino starring Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, B.J. Novak and Cloris Leachman – is a movie with two stories combined. The first revolves around some Jewish-American soldiers out to take down a group of Nazis. The second revolves around a young Jewish woman who witnessed the death of her family and plots to avenge them while working at a movie theater. How do these two stories relate? The movie theater is the key (oh the irony).

August 28th – The Boat That Rocked – About a week ago I’d never heard of this movie, but then the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly landed in my mailbox and all I had to do was read the cast for this summer film to catch my attention. “Rocked” stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”), Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, January Jones (“Mad Men”), Rhys Darby (“Yes Man”), Jack Davenport (the “Pirates” series), Nick Frost (“Hot Fuzz”), Rhys Ifans (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), Kirsty Mather (“Mamma Mia”), and Tom Wisdom (“300”). I mean…wow! What a line up! AND it’s directed by the man who gave us “Love Actually” – Richard Curtis.

What summer movies are you looking forward to? Can’t wait to see the ones mentioned above?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra
So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.
http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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DVD Review – “Twilight”

Summit Entertainment’s hit vampire flick “Twilight” is now on DVD. The film, based on the best selling series by Stephenie Meyer, in the theaters grossed over $376 million Worldwide (and had the 4th largest opening weekend gross for 2008) according to Box Office Mojo. But how does the DVD compare to the excitement theater goers felt? My only request for the next film (New Moon in theaters November 20, 2009) when it's available on DVD is bloopers!

Let’s uncover its secrets of “Twilight” on DVD…

If you buy the DVD from Target you get the 3 disk special edition (yippy!). The movie (of course) in addition to a “Special Features” and a “Bonus Features” DVD. Here are some of the highlights from the extra two disks:

- The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen: This is one of my favorite features mostly because of the interviews with some of the key characters. The interviews are interspersed with footage from when the movie was being filmed and features commentary from a lot of the crew - everyone from the director to the special effects person to the casting director to screen writers to the author herself. As a movie geek I love learning how a film was made, so this Bonus Feature is particularly interesting to me, but even for non-geeks it gives outsiders a very in-depth but not too technical look into a hit film (and if you are a fan of the books you’ll love this section because throughout are the actors discussing how they develop and interpret their characters and situations – very interesting!).

- If you’re a fan of the books then you’ll love what’s on the third DVD from Target. An interview with the humble author Stephenie Meyer. She discusses everything from how she came up with the idea for Twilight to the mythology within the series to her first fan letter to becoming a New York Times best selling author. It’s sweet to hear how she perceives the world she’s created within this series.

- Becoming Edward – Want to know what actor Robert Pattinson thinks about his character – the perfect and pained Edward Cullen? Find out this and a lot more about the very talented British actor in a feature titled “Becoming Edward.”

- Becoming Bella – If you’ve ever wanted the description of an award winning actor listen to the movie director, screen writer and author talk about Bella’s Kristen Stewart. Stewart talks to the cameras about who Bella is and how complicated she is. She repeats “I didn’t know what I was getting into until after I had signed up to do the film.”

- Piano Concert – A tasty treat also on the third disk is Pattinson playing “Bella’s Lullaby” on the piano. Creative camera angles make the concert a delight to watch as the soothing melody is played out by the actor/musician. It gives new meaning to “tickling the ivories” to watch Pattinson play.

What are your favorite bonus features from the Twilight DVD?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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Movie Review – "Stardust"

What a wonderful discovery this movie was. Having placed it on my NetFlix list on a whim, I was pleasantly surprised when my friends chimed up and all said they thought favorably of the film when I mentioned it. It’s creative, funny and attractive to watch. Staring Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro, and Michelle Pfeiffer - it's a film about one man’s adventure after he crosses the wall.

Pros:

- Creativity – Think of all the different types of fairy tales. Now picture the best parts of each story and smoosh them together into one legend. "Stardust" is kinda like that – witches, ghosts, love, challenges, lessons learned, etc.

- It’s Funny – I will admit that I completely underestimated this movie in regards to its humor. It’s very witty. It’s not gut busting hilarious, but it’s a level of humor adults will enjoy (and appreciate).

- The Acting – Minus the British accents from Danes and Pfeiffer, the performances are interesting, keeping your attention and having you wanting to learn more about them. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more from England’s own Charlie Cox (look for him in “1939” also staring Bill Nighy and Julie Christie).

- The Soundtrack – It reminds me of “Pirates of the Caribbean” which is great because they both create an epic feel. The epic, tough, life altering journey for a movie’s hero.

- It’s Kinda Gross – I like that it doesn’t sugar coat or pan away some of the gruesome death sequences yet doesn't have blood squirting every where either.

- Robert De Niro - He's just a given, but I didn't want to post a review without mentioning him. I think you should rent this movie just to see Jake La Motta as you have never seen him before (hehe).

Cons:

- There’s a Lot Going On – There are … (thinking…counting) 4, I think, stories going on. Nope, I think it's 5. And the main story, Tristan (Cox) trying to bring home a fallen star (Danes), gets very complicated (otherwise it would be a very short film, right?) and goes off on many tangents (a.k.a. adventures).

- The British Accents – Danes’ accent is distracting, but if you can put that out of your mind (and ears) the rest of her acting is great!

- A Little Predictable – I bet you can guess the ending if you haven’t seen the movie. Although I did get a little scared that the happily ever after wasn’t going to happen, but that quickly passed (as I had predicted).

Summary:
Check out “Stardust” I bet you’d be surprised by the quality of this film. I regret not seeing it in the movie theater because the scenery and CG would have been enhanced by the theater’s technology. It’s funny and beautifully shot. It suites it’s running time and will leave you smiling. Just pretend that Claire Danes doesn’t have an accent and you have a grade “A” movie on your hands (or in your DVD player as it were).

What did you think of the movie? Did you see it in the theater? Danes’ accent, did it bug you as much as it did me?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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DVD Review – Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Is there a musician or band out there that’s really weird but that you and a few select friends really love? Have an ex that keeps playing games with you? Did you meet someone unexpectedly while out enjoying that weird musician/band at the same venue as the ex? If you answered “Yes” then you will definitely be able to relate to “Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.” If you liked Juno you’d probably like N & N – done in the same style and with some of the same cast. The perfect way to summarize this movie comes from critic Roger Ebert, “It sort of ambles along, with two nice people at the center of a human scavenger hunt.”

Pros:

- Unique – N & N borrows some from other teen flicks, but it isn’t really cliché until the end. I admire movies I feel like I haven’t seen (even though I probably wouldn’t see it again).

- The Cast – the young actors that dash back and forth across the streets of NY are a talented young and promising group. Michael Cera – from Juno is loveable and funny without being outlandishly funny. Kat Dennings – who is fairly unknown is wonderful! She’s naturally quirky and nice. Ari Graynor – is HILARIOUS as the drunk friend, we will definitely being seeing more from her.

- The Cast As a Whole – The movie is full of well acted, semi non archetype characters that seem to be an accurate representative of the current youth.- The setting – Running around New York City at night looks like a lot of fun (and totally safe!). It’s a beautiful location and easy to see why so many films are shot there.

Cons:

- It Drags – It’s slow. I did a couple of other things while watching the movie and didn’t miss anything.

- Michael Cera – He’s good, but I want to see him do something else before I deem him a reason to see a movie.

- Mom & Dad – Non-existent in the movie. No one gets a call from their folks wondering where there are all night. My parents would have at least wanted a check in if I was going to be out late.

- No Mystery – From the second we see Nick and Norah meet we don’t doubt these two will end up together. No mystery = a little predictable.

Summary:

I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I’m picky about my teen movies because I feel like it’s difficult to make a good movie that really represents who teenagers are without perpetuating the usual characters, situations, etc. Plus it does have a fun sound track and you can’t beat NYC at night. N & N is fun, but a little slow, but creative too. Interesting mix just like the music.

Did you go out and buy the soundtrack after seeing this film? What did you think of the movie? Creative, cliché, boring?

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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Is the Economy Hurting Your Social Life?

I’m a twenty something, single participant in the U.S. economy. Recently, though, I find that due to the current times I am restricted in many aspects of life that shouldn’t have restrictions. I don’t know about you, but this recession is affecting my living situation (beyond foreclosures), my love life and the fun things I do to de-stress!

Living Situation - First I feel like I’m lucky because I don’t own a home right now. I recently moved out of my parent’s house. The only way I could afford this was because a friend cut me a good deal. That was a year ago and now rent is going up and I’d like to live on my own. But I can’t. Rent is a pretty penny and if it were just rent that cut into my bank account each month, I might be ok, but then there’s water, electric, cable, Internet, phone, etc. I think it’s crazy that I have a college degree and can’t afford my own apartment to rent.

Love life – Being 26 and single can be fun, but hard economic times do not inspire romance. I stopped my subscription to eHarmony (the $50 a month would be better spent on things like…food). My friends and I don’t go out as much which limits the opportunities to meet new people. I have been trying things like going to the local bookstore or café on a Friday or Saturday night, but they are deserted because no one is spending money on items like lattes and magazines. The gym is a no go too, because the cost just doesn’t work into my budget (and sweating doesn’t exactly put me in the mood for love).

Fun & De-stressing - I’ve recently discovered ATVing, but money has certainly flattened the tire on this hobby. Gas for the car, the ATV rentals (which are hard to find on the East Coast) so then there’s the hotel stay, food, etc, etc. Even simple activities like going to the movies. I LOVE the movies. Half my blog is about movies, but I’ve cut back because ticket prices have gone up and my paychecks haven’t.

One of the aspects of daily life that’s become more prevalent is the fact that it’s difficult to just go and buy something. Now there’s more planning and saving involved for things, simple things like say…a bike! Bikes aren’t the most expensive items in the world, but one has to plan and save to even consider putting a $100 down on a single item where as before I feel like it was easier to just go out, get a Schwinn and enjoy the day.

How has the economy impacted your daily life? Have you had to change or limit the things you do? Does it affect your social life, the things you do to de-stress? Any advice?

Thanks for reading!

“Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels.” – Frank Sinatra

So may the prayers, tranquilizers and JD be with you and see you next time.

http://moviesworketc.blogspot.com/

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