New in Theaters!

A lot of family’s have a holiday tradition of going to the movies, and with the Oscar contenders and big franchise pictures coming out, it’s certainly a fun time to hit the theaters.  Here’s what’s new:

The Coen Brothers decided to put their stamp on True Grit, with an emphasis on the book, over the John Wayne vehicle.  Here, Jeff Bridges plays the tough and whiskey soaked U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn, helping a stubborn young woman track down her father’s murderer.  I found it dry (see my review, below).  But, Hailee Steinfeld is terrific in her first film!  True Grit is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence including disturbing images.


The Fockers are back.  Really.  And, they’re raking in receipts, hand over fist.  Why?  This time, Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro as the family patriarch) wants to appoint a successor.  His son-in-law, male nurse Greg Focker, wants to show him he has what it takes.  Little Fockers is rated PG-13 for mature sexual humor throughout, language and some drug content.


One of the movies I really want to see, this week, is The King’s Speech.  This is definitely an Oscar contender.  It’s Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter in a taken-from-true story about England’s King George VI.  He quite unexpectedly ascended to the throne, and seemed ill-equipped to deal with the public aspect of ruling.  Rush plays the unconventional speech therapist who tries to help him conquer his stutter.  The King’s Speech is rated R for some language.

A growing question in Hollywood has to be:  Is Jack Black capable of carrying a movie, as a leading man?  Let me know what you think, if you see Gulliver’s Travels.  They’ve updated the story, here.  He’s playing a travel writer who takes an assignment in Bermuda, but ends up on the island of Liliput.  And, you know there’s a size issue.  Jason Segel, Emily Blunt and Amanda Peet are along for the ride.  Gulliver’s Travels is rated PG for brief rude humor, mild language and action.

Jim Carrey is reportedly a tour de force in I Love You, Phillip Morris.  Yet, people continue to find him very confusing.  In some hands, this would be a very serious movie, but Jim is so talented as that crazy manic man, it threatens to go into that weird, dark Jim Carrey place, which can also be very funny.  He’s Steven Russell, a happily married man and cop.  But, a car accident causes him to re-assess his life, and do a 180 on his lawfulness, and even his sexuality.  Ewan MacGregor plays Phillip Morris, the title character and a man Russell meets in prison.  I Love You, Phillip Morris is rated R for sexual content including strong dialogue, and language.

 

Movie Review: True Grit

When I heard another Coen Brothers movie was coming out, in time for Christmas, I was excited.  When I heard they were working with Jeff Bridges again, I was ecstatic.  Then, I heard they were re-making True Grit, and I was like, “Why??”  Their films are so original and creative, why are they going to re-tread a classic?  Since then, I’ve read that they liked the story and wanted to be true to the book.  They didn’t want people to draw parallels to the John Wayne film.

Hrm…  Well, I’m old enough to have seen the John Wayne True Grit in the theater.  That may be the last time I’ve seen it, start to finish.  And, this version still felt to me very much the same.  There’s a spunky young girl (played here, with perfection, by first timer Hailee Steinfeld), there’s a goofily pompous Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) and a boozy old bounty hunter (Jeff Bridges).  There is not much Coen Brothers, as you know them from, say, Fargo, The Big Lebowski or even A Serious Man.  There’s humor, some, but it’s all from the book, I think.  It’s the humor you get from three vastly different personalities on a road trip together.  I found True Grit very grim.  The cinematography is wonderful.  You can almost feel the grit in your teeth, from watching desolate dustbowl landscapes.  This is the story of a 14 year old girl who wants to kill a man.  The performances are outstanding.  It’s a good script.  I appreciated the movie, I just can’t say that I liked it.  And, there’s something that happens near the end that upsets me a lot.  About halfway through the film, I remembered how much it upset me the first time, and I watched the rest of it, hoping they changed that part.  They didn’t.  True Grit is good.  I just didn’t see the point.  I give it a 7 out of 10.

 

The True Grit Girl!!

One of the big Christmas movies is True Grit, from the Coen Brothers.  They’re back with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, in a re-telling that’s true to the book, rather than the John Wayne film.  The star who steals the screen is Hailee Steinfeld, 13 when they shot it, as Mattie Ross, the tough talking girl who wrangles Rooster Cogburn into tracking her father’s killer.

The camera spends so much time in close ups on her face, during the film.  She’s just perfect, even in the way she speaks.  I got to talk to Hailee about how she won the part, what her family thinks of the movie and more about her first big screen job.  She seems to be so self-assured and wise for 14 years old!  I think this is just the start of a very bright future in pictures for Hailee!  You can listen to our conversation about True Grit, with Daune on Demand, right online, or download to your device and listen to the podcast later.  It’s about 6 minutes long.  I just had to ask why she didn’t ad lib a scene and steal a kiss from Matt Damon.  I think she liked that!

 

New to See on DVD!

We’re already trying to map out some of the movies we’re going to watch together, this weekend.  I’m hoping for one or two on DVD in my stocking.  And, we always rent a blockbuster for Christmas Day.  We will probably watch Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole!

Salt – Good, fun, action flick, with Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent forced to go on the run, after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.  Liev Schreiber is chasing her, among others. 

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – Michael Douglas is back, as Gordon Gecko, now disgraced and just out of prison.  Shia LaBeouf is the young Wall Street trader who asks Gecko to help warn Wall Street about impending failures.

The Heavy – A hit man learns someone has been hired to hit HIM.  It’s pro against a crooked cop.  Gary Stretch, Stephen Rea and Shannyn Sossamon star.

Devil – Chris Messina is among a group of people trapped in an elevator who gradually realize the devil is among them.  This movie was billed as an M Night Shyamalan film, but it was just his story, not his direction.

Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus – Here’s Gary Stretch again, starring with Jaleel White (!) in a creature feature.

Step Up 3 – Who ever thought the Step Up franchise would be such a thing?  This time around, a tight-knit group of New York City street dancers teams up with a college kid to go against the world’s best hip hop dancers.  It’s a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives FOREVER!   WHOOOOO! 

Easy A – Emma Stone is nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance!  She’s a clean-cut high school student who decides to use the school’s rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.  Penn Badgley and Amanda Bynes star.

The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: Best of Mayberry
Billy the Exterminator Season 1 and Season 2
‘Caprica’ Season 1.5
‘Family Guy’ It’s a Trap
Futurama – Season 5
Gens Simmons: Family Jewels The Complete 4th Season and The Complete 5th Season
Gilmore Girls – Complete Seasons 1 and 2
The Guild – Season 4
Once an Eagle (miniseries) Blu-Ray
The Secret Life of the American Teenager Volume 5
Sesame Street – Old School Volumes 1 and 2
The Virginian The Complete 2nd Season: Collector’s Tin

New to Netflix Watch Instantly (thanks to tvsquad.com for the info):

‘Torchwood’ Seasons 1 and 2
‘The Garfield Show’
‘Hotel Babylon ‘Seasons 2 and 3
‘Party Down’ Season 2
‘Primeval’ Seasons 1, 2 and 3
‘Robin Hood’ Seasons 1 and 2
‘Saturday Night Live’ Seasons 21-25
‘Skins’ (UK) Volumes 1 and 2
‘Top Gear’ Series 10

Gingerbread – Not Just for Holiday Gluttony!

We are always looking for fun new things to do, as a family.  And, I have to admit, I have never been to the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Winter Show.  But, this is a fun holiday tradition for a lot of families, and it looks so fun!  We are going to go!

This is one of the main reasons!  I have to see this in person.  This is a bi-plane made out of gingerbread!!!  Can you believe how beautiful and creative it is??  My friend, Maria, from Raun Hairdressers and Day Spa in Willoughby, made it.  She won second prize in the Botanical Garden’s annual gingerbread contest.  She went to Winter Show, last year, saw the contest entries and thought, “I could do that!”  And this is her first creation!!  Can you believe it?  Anyway, they have the gingerbread, but also, we’re talking about a botanical garden, here, so they have tons of trees and plants with beautiful holiday decorations.  They have the oval in the back covered with ice for skating, hot chocolate, and it just truly sounds like a winter wonderland!  The Cleveland Botanical Garden Winter Show is open through January 3. 

 

Don’t Forget to Gift Your Pet!

As long as we’re talking about pets, let’s talk about Christmas and pets.  Rule #1:  Even though I just got a cat for the family, pets should never be given as gifts.  This is something my whole family knew about, and I’d been considering for a long period of time.  No pet should be a surprise. 

But, you CAN surprise your pet!  With some fun treats!  We normally will fill their stockings with high end canned food.  The cat is pretty easy.  She likes cat nip and has a fish shaped stocking.  (Not sure what the new one will like, but we’ll find out!  See below).  The dog, on the other hand will do anything for a treat.  You’re looking at a picture of one of his faves, Nutty Squirrels!!  They are from a new place on Detroit Road in Avon, called Doggie Luv Bakery.  So cute.  Just don’t let your pet have too many treats, this weekend, or you might end up with a Christmas surprise to clean up!!  🙂

 

Don't Forget to Gift Your Pet!

As long as we’re talking about pets, let’s talk about Christmas and pets.  Rule #1:  Even though I just got a cat for the family, pets should never be given as gifts.  This is something my whole family knew about, and I’d been considering for a long period of time.  No pet should be a surprise. 

But, you CAN surprise your pet!  With some fun treats!  We normally will fill their stockings with high end canned food.  The cat is pretty easy.  She likes cat nip and has a fish shaped stocking.  (Not sure what the new one will like, but we’ll find out!  See below).  The dog, on the other hand will do anything for a treat.  You’re looking at a picture of one of his faves, Nutty Squirrels!!  They are from a new place on Detroit Road in Avon, called Doggie Luv Bakery.  So cute.  Just don’t let your pet have too many treats, this weekend, or you might end up with a Christmas surprise to clean up!!  🙂

 

Introducing the Newest Member of My Family!

It was just… time.  I had two old lady cats who died, two years ago, one week apart.  One was 21, the other was 22.  I’ve been missing them.  A few months ago, I started looking at petfinder.org.  I reached out a few times to inquire about a cat, and even filled out applications, but the cat was either not available or the group never got back to me about her.  ( I don’t get that at ALL, by the way! )  Friday night, I was working late.  My family was all in Niagara Falls, and I was feeling low.  So, I decided to look at kitties again, and I saw… her.

Isn’t she beautiful??  She was at Parma Animal Shelter, and Michelle and the rest of the staff there couldn’t have been more helpful and more excited that their Jeana was going to get a forever home.  Mind you, she’s not 100% happy in this picture, because I’m trying to get her picture, and my dog is behind me, and she’s in a new place with weird smells, but she’ll settle in!  She’s very smart, too.  She spent her first night at my husband’s feet, while he was on the computer, warming up to the person who was least excited about the prospect of another cat.  He’s quite taken with her.  We’re going to be like the Royals and live with her a little while before we definitely settle on a name, but I am so happy to have a new little life in our house for Christmas.  She is sweet, and dainty, and very soft.  My present to us!!!

New in Theaters This Weekend!

All the awards show hopefuls are showing themselves!  This is a great weekend to go to the movies!


I was quite surprised at the number of Golden Globe nominations for The Fighter.  I liked the movie a lot.  But, I didn’t think Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams were all that fantastical.  The roles just weren’t that demanding.  On the other hand, Christian Bale is mind-blowingly good.  The Fighter is the story of half-brothers Dickie Eklund and Micky Ward, born to boxing in Lowell, Mass.  Dickie’s had his chance, now it’s Micky’s turn, but he’s got to get out from under his brother’s shadow and his mother’s influence.  The Fighter is an excellent inspirational sports movie (see my review, below).  David O Russell directs in a gritty docu-drama style.  The language and 80s hair are wicked bad.  The Fighter is rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality.
 

Darren Aronofsky was supposed to direct The Fighter.  Instead, we have a trippy tale of what one is willing to do for art, centering on the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and her rival.  Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star.  I have friends who have seen this film and are dying for me to see it too, because they aren’t sure what happened!  They need to talk about it.  So, bring a friend, and check out Black Swan.  It’s rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use.

I’d say all the geek boys would be at Black Swan this weekend, to check out the amorous scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, except they’ll all be at Tron: Legacy, instead.  Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund star in this story of virtual-world workers who need to take down the Master Control Program.  I saw the original and must admit I didn’t get it at all.  I don’t think I’m in the demo.  It’s worth noting, though, that one of the screenwriters is Eddie Kitsis, who wrote some of my favorite episodes of Lost.  Tron: Legacy is rated PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language.

From James L. Brooks, who brought us Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets, we have the agreeable cast of Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson.  Reese is a woman feeling like she needs to settle down, but does she choose the corporate guy in crisis or the dull baseball player?  How Do You Know is rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.


Friends, you’ve seen the trailer.  Do I really need to tell you what I think about Yogi Bear?  Here’s what I really think… WHY????  Dan Aykroyd is the voice of Yogi.  Justin Timberlake is BooBoo.  Poor Tom Cavanagh is Ranger Smith.  It’s the story of a documentary filmmaker in Jellystone Park who, invariably, runs into the bears and Ranger.  Yogi Bear is rated PG for some mild rude humor.

 

 

Movie Review: The Fighter

This is what you need to know.  I love inspirational sports movies.  It’s my second favorite genre of film.  I’m a sucker for Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Miracle.  And, the great thing about these stories is that they’re based on things that happened in real life!

It sounds like Mark Wahlberg has been trying to get The Fighter made for over a decade.  He was made to play Micky Ward, a nice kid from Lowell, Mass with a promising boxing career.  He’s being held back, and at the same time held up, by his family.  And, he’s fighting to get out from under the shadow cast by his big brother, who went toe to toe with Sugar Ray Leonard.  Christian Bale is a tour de force as the deluded and self-destructive Dickie Eklund.  I think it’s worth seeing The Fighter for his performance, alone.  But, I enjoyed the entire film.  It took me back, to the early days of HBO, when only the richest kids I knew had it at their house.  And, we would get together to watch the boxing and the big events, like their groundbreaking mini-series.  It took me back to crazy big 80s hair and clothes.  And, it reminded me of the wild dynamics of huge Catholic families I grew up with.  David O. Russell landed the directing job on the Wahlberg project and gives us a gritty docu-style drama.  There are laughs.  The language is rough.  And, there are painful, cringeworthy scenes.  I found the highs and lows of Micky’s career fascinating, even if he’s a little dull, himself.  I’ve seen some criticism of Wahlberg’s work here, but I would say he’s being Micky.  Kids growing up with bigger than life characters already in the family tend to be a little low key.  I saw this in a packed theater, and everyone in the crowd was with Micky every punch he gave and every punch he took, in his fights.  When the audience is that on board with the main character, you know you’ve got a winner.  I give The Fighter a 9 out of 10.