Day 334

movie: Lawless
starring: Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce
genre: Drama, Bio-pic, Crime
year: 2012
format; Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Three brothers running a moonshine business during the 1930's prohibition, have to deal with a crocked cop as well as a few gangsters who want a cut

This is based on the book  The Wettest Country in the World by  Matt Bondurant.

I was excited for this for one reason, Tom Hardy. (I think I'm the only person who really liked his Star Trek character)

The violence is minimal considering the topic, and the film is very much about the characters.
Guy Pearce is brilliant as this creepy cop who has mysophobia (fear of germs, oh yeah I broke out the dictionary) to the point that I was thinking that would be his character's undoing...

I was disappointed Gary Oldman had little to do in this film. I was expecting him to have a larger role.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Never underestimate the strength of the human heart. You're usually much stronger then you think you are.

What that movie inspired me to do Nov 29th

The Ninth Gate Project... continued

Do you remember, I talked about trying to make a copy of the Ninth Gate book? (here)

I've stumbled on some websites that have some great how-to instructions on making your own prop copy like in the movie.

Well, seems it's much easier then it looks.  I'm not even going to show the mess I have.  And the only reason I'm mentioning it is because I mentioned the project few months ago to begin with.
I promised an update, good or bad or otherwise, so here's the update.

You need some talent for this or you know the crafting gods to bless you with some motor skills other then being able to make coffee.
Seems, I have nether talent for crafts or decent motor skills for anything other then stirring drinks.

But, I will hand you the website link to the guy who inspired me to try.  The Ninth Gate to the Kingdom of Shadows Tutorial 

This dude knows what he's doing unlike myself.

 

Day 333

movie: Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
starring: Mathias Melloul, Valerie Maes
genre: Drama,
year: 2012
format: online

plot: A boy is caught masturbating in class and it starts a domino effect with the way his family expresses their own sexuality

Okay, I had seen a few reviews on this, and they vary from one extreme to the other on how sexual this film is from people saying there really isn't much in there to see, to people saying it's straight up porn.

Well, they are both sort of right. 

The opening scene is a graphic sex scene of a girl masturbating on extreme close up and then it cuts to the one of the main character, only you don't see him doing it. Just the facial expressions. And the plot of the story sort of gets lost, which seems to be that sex is natural and healthy at any age.  And I say it gets lost because there are so many sex scenes, all of which are done with the female characters doing a bit more then faking it and all the male characters are out of frame.

I think the worst part of this is that it's sort of bland. The dialogue is weak, the plot thin and it can't make up it's mind if it wants to be a serious movie or a porn film

what do i think i learned from this film?
Nothing, I learned nothing

Day 332

movie:ParaNorman
starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick
genre: Comedy, Cartoon
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video on Demand

plot: A boy who sees ghosts, is charged with the job of keeping a 300 year old curse from destroying the town

Zombies, witches and ghosts. In cartoon form. 
It started off with the feel of an animated version of Monster Squad meets Hocus Pocus, but quickly became a mess.

It's going to be one of those films you see on tv every year at Hallowe'en, like Nightmare Before Christmas did for years.  I think I would have like this story better if the creators had by passed the cartoon and made it as a live action film.

I will give it credit for the "boyfriend joke" at the end. There is a running sub-plot through the film where the older sister falls for the jock and can't understand why he's not going for her, then he says "you'll love my boyfriend"  Not too long ago they would have had either the two get together or the joke would have been about a girlfriend not boyfriend. Proves that audiences are given more credit now then even five years ago.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Believe the curse, it's most likely true

Day 331

movie: The Bad Mother's  Handbook
starring: Catherine Tate, Robert Pattinson
genre: Comedy, Drama,
year: 2007
format: online

plot: A woman's life if uprooted when she finds out that she is adopted and that her teen daughter is pregnant all in the same day.

This is a made for tv movie based on the book of the same name

Okay, I will admit, I watched this for one reason it's an early Pattinson film. As in his work pre-twilight.  Basically, the trailer and the poster lie.  He's got maybe ten minutes on screen in this whole film, and maybe about three lines. But, as you can see he's got top billing and the trailer is cut with almost all his footage. Which makes me think it was re-released after Twilight simply to cash in. 

The movie isn't even really about the teenaged daughter as much as it is Tate's character, of the self absorbed mom.

what do i think i learned from this film?
History tends to repeat itself

Day 330

movie: Peace, Love and Misunderstanding
starring: Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener
genre: Drama, Comedy
year: 2011/1012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: when a stressed out lawyer is asked for a divorce by her husband, she packs up her two teenaged kids and heads to her mother's in Woodstock for a few weeks.

This is one of those "odd couple" type films.  Fonda plays the hippy goddess with a believability second to none. (compared to her roles in films like Monster-in-Law and Georgia Rule)

The story is spread out over the four main characters, three women and one man- the grandmother, mother, daughter and son- exposing their vulnerabilities when it comes to believing they should be in a relationship.
The son is experiencing his first romance through the use of his video camera, while the daughter is coming to a compromise between her ideal belief and the reality that's available.
And the mother and grandmother are learning how to give each other the space to make their own mistakes.

Bit of a warning, the drug use in this film is almost like a character in itself. Which is handled in a realistic and endearing way.   yes I said endearing while describing pot.

what do i think i learned from this film?
A relationship only has value to you if you yourself let it have value.

Coming Attractions for 2013

Just a short list of a few films I'm aware of that will be released in the new year.


*All release dates are for Canada and the U.S.*

Hitchcock (aka Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho) Nov 23rd 2012 (that was a limited and film festival release, with a January 10th 2013 as a wider release)

Gangster Squad- January 11th 2013

Broken City- January 18th 2013

Last Stand- January 18th 2013

On the Road- January 18th 2013

Parker- January 25th 2013

Bullet to the Head- February 1st 2013

Warm Bodies - February 1st 2013

Identity Thief- February 8th 2013

Beautiful Creatures - February  13th 2013

Jack the Giant Slayer- March 1st 2013

Admission- March 8th 2013

Carrie- March 15th 2013

The Heat- April 5th 2013

The Evil Dead- April 12th 2013

Pain and Gain- April 26th 2013

Iron Man 3- May 3rd 2013

Star Trek into Darkness- May 17th 2013

Man of Steel -June 14th 2013

Monsters University- June 21st 2013

The Lone Ranger- July 3rd 2013

Red 2- August 2nd 2013

Mortal Instruments City of Bones- August 23rd 2013

I, Frankenstein- September 13th 2013

The World's End-  October 25th 2013

Thor 2 Dark World- November 8th 2013

Hunger Games 2 Catching Fire- November 22nd 2013

The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug- December 13th 2013

And we all know that's not even the tip of it for the year.   I think I'm looking forward to Iron Man 3, and Star Trek into Darkness the most.
Will be interesting to see how the remakes of Carrie and Evil Dead are handled.

Day 329

movie: Christmas with the Kranks
starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis
genre: Comedy
year: 2004
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: When a couple learn their grown daughter is going to be out of the country for the holidays, they decide to skip the traditional christmas and go on a vacation, but when she comes home last minute, they scramble to make it seem like every year.

I actually like the first half of this, then got sort of bored when the "scramble" started. Where the majority of the comedy was suppose to be and it turned into a traditional style holiday film.
It is suppose to be one of those feel good morally up lifting endings, but it just played out like every Disney film and Hallmark Sunday night movie you see going into December 25th.

I've actually seen people in real life act that psycho when it comes to what the people in their neighbourhoods do for certain holidays, and thought the bullying and amount of busy-bodying a few of the characters had done was little too realistic.
Honestly, I was really hoping that the lead characters were going to stick to their guns, then the typical giving in, in the second half of the film just put me off.

The ham was funny. Who would have thought a canned ham could steal the show?

what do i think i learned from this film?
Always have a back up plan

Day 328

movie: Alter Egos
starring:Kris Lemche, Joey Kern
genre:  Comedy
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A superhero who is having doubts about being one, is called to a small motel to help with a mission. Soon, he finds himself wondering if it's all worth it in the end, as a plot to frame him emerges.

I have to say, I might not have even noticed this one other then the fact Kris Lemche is the lead.  I love everything I've seen the Canadian actor in.
This is also from the same team that did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead (Day 35)

This is one of those films that at first seems like a nice mindless waste of time, but ends up feeling like you just watched a short stage play about the value of self esteem.

It sort of deals with the idea of what do you do when you're special in a world where everyone is special.  It makes a comment about how labels are just that, a label; that just because it describes what you do doesn't mean it makes who you are.

The lead character, like hundreds of other people, has a power, but he's not really comfortable being a hero, he's more comfortable being an artist. (there are a few wrestlers right now reading this laughing their arses off at me for loving this film)
And brings up the topic in more then one form about what it is people really want to be known for.

what do i think i learned from this film?
At any time someone can be a hero, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to deal with just being you.

Day 327

movie: Harry Potter 6 The Half Blood Prince
starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Rickman
genre: Fantasy
year: 2009
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Harry discovers a copy of the magic text book with handwritten notes by a former student, and begins to become interested in knowing more about the boy.

This is based on the 6th book in the series.

This is where the characters really start to "grow up", as they are put into more adult situations.
Personally, I could have done with less of the relationships and more of the magic.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Nothing is ever black and white

Day 326

movie: The Decoy Bride
starring: David Tennant, Kelly Macdonald
genre: Comedy, Romance,
year:2011
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A movie star and her author boyfriend have tried to get married a few times only to have the press ruin the wedding. On a trip to Scotland, they try one more time, only this time the publicity manager hires a stand in bride to throw the press off the trail.

This is one of those really sweet stories that plays up on the location, which is to die for by the way, as much as it does the actual romance.
There is no big twist it's all formulaic in that you have two people who are wrong for each other in a relationship and they meet two other people who are perfect for them and are thrown together with them throughout the film and then end up with the new people.
We've seen it a million times over in the course of romantic comedy history, but there is something about this one that is just that much sweeter.  

what do i think i learned from this film?
When you stop looking for the thing you want, it usually pops up in your life.

Over a coffee Nov 22nd

It's the morning after... breaking dawn (for me anyways) and I'm thinking about the next big thing.

Few days ago, on another blog for another random topic, I threw my thoughts out there as to what the next big thing will be movie wise for 2013.

I'm thinking in lines of the websites like GetGlue, that promote movies, and the magazines who's main income are the interviews and photo spreads of movie stars now that Twilight is over, what are they going to promote?

My thoughts,  Star Trek Into Darkness.  aka Star Trek the reboot episode 2  which is at this point slated for a May 17th 2013 release.

The other option right now seems to be the new Superman movie.  But, I'm thinking there is just more opportunities with Star Trek.

From Vampires and Werewolves to Vulcans and Klingons... seems like a natural transition.

Day 325

movie: Twilight 5 Breaking Dawn part 2
starring; Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart
genre: Action
year: 2012
format: Cinema

plot: Bella and Edward's daughter is seen by another vampire, and accused of being an immortal child which causes the beginning of a war between the clans and the Volturi.

Okay, yeah I said few days ago I wasn't going to cover any more vampire films before the end of the year.  Well, I actually said I wasn't going to cover any more after this one, cause I wasn't sure I was going to cover this one... yeah that's a run on sentence.
BUT, I just got back from seeing this at the cinema and I have to say, if you only ever see one of the Twilight movies, this is the one to pick.
Since this is still at the cinema as I write this, and I don't want to be tempted to give spoilers, I will say that it has some nice touches.
The credits, both opening an closing are very different style wise from the other films, and this one has the entire cast covered in the credits.  And I mean ENTIRE cast, from all 5 movies.  So they run close to 5 minutes on their own.

And this is not for kids!  We open with a vampire attack and then go into a sex scene. It's like all the vampire kills were saved for this installment. The werewolves are a bit on the thin side, but the plot does stick to the other clans this time around.

The character of Renesmee is a dhampir, which is always nice to see brought into mythos.  As well as all the the clans having a "magickal ability", which lends to a few folklores that say if you are a witch in life you will be a vampire in death.  I always love to see real folklores being weaved into fictional stories.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Some parents should have their heads smashed together- which has nothing to do with the film itself but my ranting on the fact that the cinema screening room was filled with kids under the age of 8 who just should not have been allowed in.

Things are not always as they first appear, and everyone has something special about them that will in time revel itself.  The force is always with you

Day 324

movie: The Expendables 2
starring: Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone
genre: Action
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A group of ex military/CIA guys are brought together to retrieve a set of blueprints, but during a hostage situation, they loose one of their own men. Soon, the mission turns to one of revenge.

This is a straight up - shoot'em up. With little dialogue.  The bit of dialogue that it does have is gut splitting one liners.  Like Bruce Willis telling Arnold Schwarzenegger  that he's been back enough and it's his turn to be back.

The plot is a bit on the thin side, but what it lacks in logic -such as a scene where they are all running from a mob of gunfire and suddenly they are in a plane with no explanation as to how or when- it makes up for in bullets.

Bullets and Chuck Norris.

what do i think i learned from this film?
I have literally been sitting here for five minutes running a blank on what I might have learned serious or silly, all I can think of is Jason Statham didn't have a large a role as I had hoped. And who might be cast for the very rumoured female version.

Day 323

movie: Star Trek 3 Search for Spock
starring: William Shatner, Christopher Lloyd
genre: Sci-Fi
year: 1984
format: online

plot: Captain Kirk learns that Spock's coffin landed on the planet Genesis and promises Spock's father he'll return the body.  The crew soon learns that he's still alive and while they are trying to save him, they run into a Klingon warship.

This is one of those movies that everyone has seen a million times.

It's a film about doing what's right even when it's going to destroy your own way of life. Of how people connect even when they believe they are on opposite sides of the situation.

what do i think i learned from this film?
tachDaq maghom  (we will meet in the cocktail lounge)

it's the only thing I ever managed to learn in Klingon.

Day 322

movie: Daddy Day Care
starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin
genre: Comedy
year: 2003
format: TV EDIT

plot: Two out of work corporate businessmen decide to open their own day care center after seeing the lack of choices available in their neighbourhood, and end up having to prove themselves over and over again to the competition

This was one of those last minute choices while I was flipping channels.  Surprisingly, it ended up being a lot funnier then I was thinking it would be.
In the tradition of Mr. Mom, it's a series of misfited mistakes that proves when you have no other choice, a dad can handle the day to day.

I wasn't too sure what to expect given most Eddie Murphy movies I've seen over the decades have been thin on script and high on the f-word, but this was witty, funny and even sweet.  Even though this was a tv edit, I don't think it was missing any of the core plot.

I loved the addition of the Steve Zahn character with his depth of nerd-culture.  He played it in a way that even though it was cliche, it didn't feel it. 

what do i think i learned from this film?
Be honest with what it is you are doing, honest to those around you and to yourself, and you never know who it is that might end up missing you when you're gone.

Quote of the night

I have no idea why this quote popped into my head, but here it is.  From the movie Big Money Hustlas from 2000

Catus Sac -"Did somebody order a steak out there?" (as he's looking at SugerBear with a broken piece of wood in his leg) "Chair, chair  please. This is going to hurt. Would you like some squash with that steak? Bang Bang." (he jumps from the top rope into a splash on SugerBear who has removed the broken wood and has it as a weapon) Oh a stake through the heart, that's the second time this week"

From the scene near the end when they are in the hide out, in the wrestling ring.

ooppps

Okay, I think I just screwed up the whole blog.
I just did a post, for "Shrek Forever After"  which is Day 321,  and I posted it as Day 221,  and had to repost it.

Day 221 is "Jesus Henry Christ"  and was done back on July 22

Hopefully, everything is okay.    Sorry for anyone who was in the middle of reading it when I reposted.

Day 321

movie: Shrek Forever After
starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy
genre: Cartoon,
year: 2010
format; TV EDIT

plot: Shrek is unhappy with the routine of being married with kids, and makes a deal to trade one day of his current life for one day of his life before all that happened.  But it ends up sending him into an alternate world where the Ogres are hunted and Fiona never met him

Short on plot really. I get that it's a cartoon, and it's meant to be all about the visuals, but still it didn't live up to some of the other cartoons I've seen in the last few months.
I had a difficult time getting into this one, simply because it was on tv and there was a house full of company.

I don't think it can be a stand alone film, as there were references to the previous movies, and since I have not seen any of the others, it made it that much harder to pay attention to. The only reference point I have is from having seen Puss in Boots few months back. (Day 89)

what do i think i learned from this film?
Always read the fine print

Over coffee Nov 16th

Okay, I'm down to just over a month left with the one movie a day for the year challenge.
This is where it's going to get tough.   Seriously,  picking through movies now, to see what I haven't already done to this point in the year.
Even tougher once I say what I'm about to.

No more vampire movies for the rest of the year.

Yeah, you just read that right.  Maybe just one more next week, maybe not.  I'm totally planning on going after the weekend to see the final Twilight movie, but just not sure I'm going to use it for the challenge.

And you might be wondering why would I waste a movie specially this close to the end of the whole thing?

Because, I've got a few ideas for 2013.  Which has to do with vampire movies.

I'll be finalizing everything in a few weeks time. Just sort of getting stuff in order now for when the new year starts.

Till later...

Day 320

movie: Macbeth
starring: Sam Worthington, Lachy Hulme,
genre: Drama, Crime
year: 2006
format: online

plot: A member of the mob goes on a killing spree to make a prophecy about himself becoming the head of the mob come true

Okay, this is the Shakespeare story in a modern format.  And I have to say, unlike  Romeo and Juliet from 1996,  this one actually works.  It works and it makes sense.

Sam Worthington plays Macbeth like a rockstar on steroids. You believe that he is a man falling into his own fear.

It could have been called magick murder and madness, because that's what this comes down to.
I've always avoided Macbeth, simply because everyone and their dog's grandmother have always made comments to me about how it must be my favourite.  This was the first time I've bothered to pay attention to the story since I was in grade 8.   And pairing the story with the setting it was, puts the original play in new light.

It's about betrayal, greed and self delusion.  Macbeth betrays everyone, his mob family, his wife, his business partners. All because he's been told he'll rise to power. Because of the way the prophecy is worded, he ends up believing he's a god and that nothing or no one could ever hurt him, and that's his biggest downfall. He believes his own hype.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Greed is never going to keep you afloat.

Day 319

movie: Last Will and Testament
starring: Jonathan Bate, Charles Beauclerk
genre: Documentary
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: This is a documentary on the subject of who is Shakespeare really?

I would consider this a companion piece to the movie Anonymous (Day 70)  All the footage used in this actually comes from the movie Anonymous, which is spliced between the interviews with the historians and experts.

Many points are brought up that led to the idea that the man known as having written the works of Shakespeare was just a figure head. And that the man who indeed wrote all the plays and sonnets was unable to put his real name to the works.

what do i think i learned from this film?
The plot thickens

Day 318

movie: The Watch
starring: Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller
genre: Comedy
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: After a member of their neighbourhood is killed, one guy decides to start a neighbourhood watch group to help catch the killer as the police have not done so. Three guys all volunteer for different reasons, and on their first night out, they discover an alien has landed down the road.

Okay, this seems to be what I would call guy-lit. It's filled with penis jokes but still somehow less crude then you would expect.

The alien is very typical of what you would expect to see in an Alien film, but it works. (yeah got tongue tied just typing that) There is also a nod to E.T. midway in this movie.

There is something about Jonah Hill that just screams comedy. The few movies I've seen him in, he's nailed the comedic timing with all his costars, making for very natural seeming duos.  

what do i think i learned from this film?
Aliens are like zombies you've got to shot them in the head... so to speak.

Day 317

movie: The Living Daylights
starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo
genre: Action, Drama
year: 1987
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Bond is asked to help a member of the KGB to leave Czechoslovakia. When they find out it's a set up, Bond is then sent to Afghanistan, where he manages to stop a drug lord from selling millions of dollars in opium.

I found this to be fairly funny.  The oneliners are witty and Dalton's delivery of them slices through the drama of the film.
This is the first of only two of the Bond movies for actor Timothy Dalton.

I noticed that one of the end scenes, where Bond and his female lead are in the plane with the jeep was almost identical to the scene in Die Another Day (Day 299) I suppose that after twenty movies they had to start recycling scenes.  Die Another Day, I mean.

what do i think i learned from this film?
The bad guys in all action films seem to want to have a nuclear war.

Day 316

movie: The Campaign
starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis
genre: Comedy
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Two corporate guys want to sell a state to China, and decide to hand pick the new congressman. Soon, the guy they've chosen finds himself in a nasty battle with the current congressman who has always run unchallenged.

This was one of those really stupid films that you know frat boys will love and that will most likely end up having a string of bad sequels.
The plot is thin, the comedy crude, and overall I was disappointed.


what do i think i learned from this film?
I have to stop torturing myself with crappy Will Ferrell movies.

Quote of the Day

From the 1995 modern version of Jane Austen's Emma (yes it really is a version of Emma) I thought I would do a quote from the movie Clueless

Amber: Mrs. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose.

Dionne:  There goes your social life

From the scene when they are all outside for gym class playing tennis.

Day 315

movie: The Amazing Spider-Man
starring: Rhys Ifans, Andrew Garfield
genre: Drama, Adventure
year: 2012
format: Shaw Video On Demand

plot: Peter Parker is left one night at his aunt and uncles after his parent's house is robbed. Years later he learns that his parents were running from someone, who may have caused their deaths. And he meets a former co-worker of his dad's, a Doctor Connors. Connors is working on a way to splice human and animal dna.  Parker is bitten and becomes Spider-Man, while Connors becomes something else.

This has got to be my favourite of the Spider-Man films.  The casting was perfect, and this Peter Parker was by far more of what I remember from the cartoons/comics. (okay I admit, I watched more of the cartoons then I ever did reading of the books)

I love Rhys Ifans in everything I've ever seen him in, so for me he was bonus.  This was a well paced and smartly written story.  I know that there are many "alternate versions" of the spider man world, but this is by far -for me- more interesting then the one used in the previous films.
I just wish that they had included the J.Jonah Jameson.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Sometimes you have to walk away from someone in order to protect them. 

Day 314

movie:Scream 4
starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette
genre: Horror
year: 2011
format:Shaw Video On Demand

plot: A decade after the events of the first set of killings, Sydney, Gail and Dewey have to deal with yet another copycat killer, this time it's a lot closer to home.

This is suppose to be the beginning of the next trilogy in the series. Given the body count, I'm not too sure how.

It's technically a remake.

This time, the killings are centered around Sydney's younger cousin. The genre of horror movies is still the center of the plot, but it takes a few u-turns in the set up, leaving you scratching your head on if you're watching a Scream film or a spoof of the Scream films.

One of the main plot devices is the idea that everything is live on the internet, or at lest internet bound, compared to when the original killings happened in the timeline of the first film. Things are instant and people have come to expect it that way.  Therefore, many of the "rules" that made the first movie famous no longer apply.

what do i think i learned from this film?
There really are no rules in a world that has done everything already...again.

Over Coffee Nov 9th

Do movie clubs really work?

Here's the thing, I've been slugging along with the book club now off and on for the last few years. It's given me more headaches then it seems to be worth.
The few times it did work, was when the group got together to watch the movie version of the books.

I'm seeing a lot of bloggers talking about how their book club started watching the movie versions and ended up becoming straight up movie clubs.

So, if you're thinking this might be a cool idea and you live in the Thunder Bay area, let me know, sign up for the movie group I started with Cineplex and we'll see a few movies and chat about them.

Thunder Bay Unofficial Movie  Group

Day 313

movie: The Hours
starring: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman
genre; Drama
year: 2002
format; DVD

plot: Following the lives of three women- writer Virginia Woolf, housewife Laura Brown who's reading her book and editor Clarissa Vaughan.  The three live in different decades but are all drawn together through the book "Mrs. Dalloway" and depression.

This is based on the novel "The Hours" which is a retelling of the original book Mrs. Dalloway.

This follows the lives of each women through the course of one full day which is the bases of Mrs Dalloway.
The 1940's housewife is the midpoint of the film, as she is the one reading the novel and ends up being connected to the characters in the 2000's.

This is a film that deals with the topics of depression, inspiration and feeling like you're not your own.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Depression can be the underlining issue of so many other things. The emptiness, the loneliness, the feeling of disconnection and chaos, can seem like it's a weight.
As an artistic person, quiet and peace sometimes kills the spirit of creativity, and only the noise of chaos can bring it back around.  There really is a very fine line between genius and madness.
Sometimes your life is just not your own.

Day 312

movie: Scream 3
starring: Courteney Cox, Parker Posey
genre: Horror
year: 2000
format: online

plot: The movie Stab 3 is in production, and soon Sydney and the others find themselves in the middle of yet another round of copy cat killings. This time, the cast of the Stab movie who are playing Sydney, Gail and Dewey, are being killed as a warning.

This is done as a film within a film, and a story within a story within a story.

Confusing to talk about, but as a movie makes total sense.
I liked that fact that they used the popularity of the first two films, to spoof themselves in a way but still taking it serious.   The ending of this film undoes so much of the mythos created in the first movie. Truly ending the first trilogy. (as we know part four started the second round of what is rumoured to be another trilogy)

The core cast swings a little with the addition of Parker Posey playing an actress who is suppose to be playing "Gail Weathers" in the Stab 3 film.  I thought that was the most brilliant move anyone in the business has done in awhile, as her character works along side the "original Gail Weathers" being played by Courteney Cox.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Rules are made to be broken.

Day 311

movie: Jane Eyre
starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender
genre: Drama
year: 2011
format: DVD

plot: a young girl is turned out by her family and grows up in a boarding school. When she is old enough, she gets a job as a Governess and ends up falling in love with the man she works for.  But their wedding is disrupted when she learns he's already married.

This is based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte.

Chick flick cry fest for me here. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite stories, a plan girl who's lived a lonely life wins the heart of the charming and highly sought after man.  It's the ultimate romance.

I think this could be considered another version of the beauty and the beast idea.  It's a story about strength, faith and values.
At the core of it, Jane Eyre is a story about women standing up for themselves at a time when it was nearly impossible for a woman to have a voice.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Keep the faith and always stick to your values no matter what someone else might off you. Never surrender

Day 310

movie: Stand By Me
starring: Corey Feldman, River Phoenix
genre: Drama
year: 1986
format: TV EDIT

plot: 4 boys learn about a dead body from their older brothers and decide to spend a few days tracking it down so they could see it.  At the same time, their brothers are on their own way to collect up the body for the reward. 

This is based on the story called "The Body"  by Stephen King from his collections Different Seasons. 

The story is about four boys who are all dealing with their own traumas, one is mourning the death of his brother, one is dealing with his father having had a mental breakdown, one is trying his best to improve his status and the last boy is just trying to be noticed.

It's about the bonds that we form when we're young and how even the best of intentions can lead to a not so best outcome.

what do i think i learned from this film?
Innocence is so easily lost and the purer moments are ones to hang onto. 

Day 309

movie: Pride and Prejudice
starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen
genre: Drama
year: 2005
format: DVD

plot: Elizabeth and her sisters are all trying to get husbands. Jane the oldest, is in love with Mr. Bingley, one of the richest men in the area, but his sister Caroline is doing everything she can to keep them apart. Meanwhile, Lydia Bennet gets herself into trouble for running away with Mr. Wickham, and ruins the chances of her sisters finding respectable husbands.

Based on the classic novel by Jane Austen.

I have to admit, this is my ultimate favourite film version of P/P.  The pacing is good, and the scenery is amazing, as are the costumes and the score.
By now, everyone knows the classic story, of love misunderstood and the scandal of status.

You find hints of abuse in the story of Lydia, which some would say they saw coming a mile away with her actions in the beginning of the story.
The character of Mr. Collins being so much of a brown-noser that he doesn't even realize that everyone around him mocks him. You find yourself both sorry for him and wanting to punch him at the same time. 

what do i think i learned from this film?
Love knows no boundaries. It is the single most honest feeling in the world, no matter how it arrives or what you think it will love like when it does, it has a mind and wave all it's own.

Day 308

movie: The Outsiders
starring: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon
genre: Drama
year: 1983
format: TV EDIT

plot: Two teenagers end up on the run after they accidentally kill another kid during a fight. While on the run, they help to save a group of school kids from a burning building.

This is based on the novel.

A classic on so many levels, and the movie that launched the careers of all the cast members. ( Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane )

I've heard others complain about how it really doesn't go anywhere and it's a slow pace. But I always found that part of it's charm.
It's a film about the hopelessness the kids feel from their social status in the 1960's, and the truthful emotions they feel.  Everything from disgust, fear, boredom, to low self esteem and even embarrassment for their coming from the poor side of town.

what do i think i learned from this film?
You have to always believe in yourself, no matter what.  Always trust that you can be who you want to be, and not to let the limitations of your current situation get in the way of your dreams.

Day 307

movie: Baby Boom
starring: Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard
genre: Comedy
year: 1987
format: TV EDIT

plot:A woman in a high stress corporate job finds herself the sudden guardian of a new baby after her cousin dies.  The lifestyle change takes her out of the job she loves and the city she loves, and into a country cottage. 

Classic chick flick film.  It gave millions of women in the late 1980s a sense of power, and permission to really go for it all.

It's a straight up romantic comedy, and a reflection of the era it was made in. From the clothes to the attitude.
Like many movies in the 1980s/1990s it also spawned a tv show.

what do i think i learned from this film?
You can have it all, you just have to blur the view of how you think "all" looks