movie: Meet the Parents
starring:Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller
genre: Comedy
year: 2000
format: Netflix Canada
plot: Wanting to ask his girlfriend to marry him, an average guy ends up in a string of unlucky events while visiting her family for a weekend, during her sister's wedding.
This is a loosely based remake of the 1992 movie.
This is sort of an off kilter buddy comedy, with all the chemistry between De Niro and Stiller. The father being a CIA agent, seems at times over the top but still manages to make perfect sense, in proportion to the rest of the storyline. It's one of those every thing that could go wrong will, films. From the lawn getting flooded by a bad sewer drain, to loosing the family pet, to disfiguring the bride.
I got the impression the core of this was about perception. The idea that the dad is a human lie detector is brought up constantly, as the leads are put through these over the top awkward moments of telling the truth. As well as the character of the ex-boyfriend; played by Owen Wilson, who seems to need to constantly try to impress everyone. There is also this running gag of how everyone seems to be looking down their noses at the fact the Stiller character is a nurse. They keep trying to push him into becoming a doctor, making cracks about him not having gone that route.
what did I learn? it's time to give us a movie without Stiller and Wilson connected at the hip
Friday, March 4, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
year 5 day 92
movie: Goats
starring: David Duchovny, Graham Phillips
genre:Comedy, Drama
year: 2012
format: Netflix Canada
plot: A 15 year old on the brink of starting a new school, has to deal with his dysfunctional family.
Based on the book
You've got a new age style mom, a pot smoking hippy, a supper yuppie dad and a confused kid. The parents are the picture of a typical divorced couple, each blaming the other for what went wrong in their relationship, and a kid stuck in the middle not knowing what to believe.
There wasn't anything really new in this. It sort of half sets up the idea in the first few scenes that the Duchovny character is the kid's step dad, but that's quickly scratched out, as the mom has a boyfriend. Who, as it turns out is a golddigger and only with her for her bank account.
This is like a giant game of tug-a-war between the two parents. If the goats, of which there are two, are meant to have been a metaphor, I didn't get it. The goats are in fact pets, that the Duchovny character is trying to train to do something that is never fully explained.
The lead character played by Phillips, ends up going to a private school and doing his best to navigate this new environment, and finds himself seeing his life mirrored in that of his new roommate. Both are dealing with parents who are more than emotionally distant.
what did I learn? We can't escape our emotions or our expectations even when we know better.
starring: David Duchovny, Graham Phillips
genre:Comedy, Drama
year: 2012
format: Netflix Canada
plot: A 15 year old on the brink of starting a new school, has to deal with his dysfunctional family.
Based on the book
You've got a new age style mom, a pot smoking hippy, a supper yuppie dad and a confused kid. The parents are the picture of a typical divorced couple, each blaming the other for what went wrong in their relationship, and a kid stuck in the middle not knowing what to believe.
There wasn't anything really new in this. It sort of half sets up the idea in the first few scenes that the Duchovny character is the kid's step dad, but that's quickly scratched out, as the mom has a boyfriend. Who, as it turns out is a golddigger and only with her for her bank account.
This is like a giant game of tug-a-war between the two parents. If the goats, of which there are two, are meant to have been a metaphor, I didn't get it. The goats are in fact pets, that the Duchovny character is trying to train to do something that is never fully explained.
The lead character played by Phillips, ends up going to a private school and doing his best to navigate this new environment, and finds himself seeing his life mirrored in that of his new roommate. Both are dealing with parents who are more than emotionally distant.
what did I learn? We can't escape our emotions or our expectations even when we know better.
March Night Bleeds Announcement
March's book selection - I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
movie selection - Omega Man starring Charlton Heston
Watch the movie, read the book, and blog about it. The blog post must be current (March 2016),
with a link back to this post and let me know by commenting if you have, with the link to it.
If the movie or book or both, inspired you to cook/bake/craft something, then add that to your post.
Deadline is the last Sunday of the month - March 27th 2016
As always, if you're in the Thunder Bay area and would like to be part of the physical book club, let me know.
I would actually like to start doing a "round up" for Night Bleeds the All Vampire book/movie Club much in the same way Food n Flix is done. So anyone who comments with their post link, I'll be adding to a round up the next day.
movie selection - Omega Man starring Charlton Heston
Watch the movie, read the book, and blog about it. The blog post must be current (March 2016),
with a link back to this post and let me know by commenting if you have, with the link to it.
If the movie or book or both, inspired you to cook/bake/craft something, then add that to your post.
Deadline is the last Sunday of the month - March 27th 2016
As always, if you're in the Thunder Bay area and would like to be part of the physical book club, let me know.
I would actually like to start doing a "round up" for Night Bleeds the All Vampire book/movie Club much in the same way Food n Flix is done. So anyone who comments with their post link, I'll be adding to a round up the next day.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
year 5 day 91
movie: Prime
starring: Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman
genre:Romance, Drama, Comedy
year;2005
format:Netflix Canada
plot: A therapist learns that her 30something patient is dating her 20something son, and finds herself caught in the middle.
This starts off sort of innocently, the lead character is freshly divorced, and expresses her heartbreak to her therapist and that she's met this much younger guy. The therapist tells her she should go for it and convinces her the 14 year age difference doesn't matter. Soon, she learns it's her own son that her patient is dating. The therapist then removes herself from the situation torn between what she believes is right for her patient and wrong for her own family, the biggest issue not being the age difference but the religious one.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone. This film slaps it all out there. Two of the biggest dating worries. How okay is it to get into a serious relationship with someone much younger/older then yourself, and how serious should you take the difference in spiritual believes into account?
The humour comes when we see the lead male hanging around with his buddies who are petty when it comes to dumping women after one date, and in the Streep character's uncomfortableness with hearing about her son's sex life and not being able to say anything about it.
As the couple grow, both as a couple and just within themselves, they end up relying less and less on their best friends and more on their own gut feelings.
Thurman's character is the only one who seems to be really juggling the fact she's dating a man 14 years younger than herself. Where as the idea that he's Jewish and she's not, doesn't seem to even be a question in her mind. But it's the only issue for his entire family.
What each gets out of the relationship, is a way to face what they really want in life. For her it's a family, and for him it's to be able to follow his dream career. She gives him the strength to paint for a living, and he gives her the chance to realize she needs to feel like she belongs to something bigger than herself.
What did I learn? Sometimes love really isn't enough.
starring: Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman
genre:Romance, Drama, Comedy
year;2005
format:Netflix Canada
plot: A therapist learns that her 30something patient is dating her 20something son, and finds herself caught in the middle.
This starts off sort of innocently, the lead character is freshly divorced, and expresses her heartbreak to her therapist and that she's met this much younger guy. The therapist tells her she should go for it and convinces her the 14 year age difference doesn't matter. Soon, she learns it's her own son that her patient is dating. The therapist then removes herself from the situation torn between what she believes is right for her patient and wrong for her own family, the biggest issue not being the age difference but the religious one.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone. This film slaps it all out there. Two of the biggest dating worries. How okay is it to get into a serious relationship with someone much younger/older then yourself, and how serious should you take the difference in spiritual believes into account?
The humour comes when we see the lead male hanging around with his buddies who are petty when it comes to dumping women after one date, and in the Streep character's uncomfortableness with hearing about her son's sex life and not being able to say anything about it.
As the couple grow, both as a couple and just within themselves, they end up relying less and less on their best friends and more on their own gut feelings.
Thurman's character is the only one who seems to be really juggling the fact she's dating a man 14 years younger than herself. Where as the idea that he's Jewish and she's not, doesn't seem to even be a question in her mind. But it's the only issue for his entire family.
What each gets out of the relationship, is a way to face what they really want in life. For her it's a family, and for him it's to be able to follow his dream career. She gives him the strength to paint for a living, and he gives her the chance to realize she needs to feel like she belongs to something bigger than herself.
What did I learn? Sometimes love really isn't enough.
The Nosferatu Adventures s10 p5
The Nosferatu Adventures
page 253, chapter 253
Out of Time
"You want me to go to a strip club?" Matilda said biting her nails. The familiar began shifting her weight from one foot to the other in near panic.
"I need you to help Edward." our heroine said calmly as the two females waited for Rufus to finish helping The Seer get dressed.
"That's what I've been doing all this time. It's the only reason I'm here." the middle aged female said pacing around in circles, her eyes now wide as she glanced at the grimoire under glass. If only Edward knew the real importance that collectible had. She shook her head, wringing her hands.
"His sidhe side is starving him. He needs to feed, and we both know...look at me please...we both know that means sexual energy." our heroine could feel the tension flowing off the familiar in buckets.
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because I have to deal with the neighbours" she gestured first to the dead guy still slumped in the doorway of the bedroom, then to the wall that separated the two apartments.
"Why can't Rufus do this on his own?" she nearly stomped her foot in all the excitement.
"You really want me to answer that." our heroine sighed rubbing her temples. "You shouldn't even need to be there more then ten minutes. The energy will be heavy in the air, he basically just needs to breath it in. This way, he feeds and no one dies. The whole reason Loki locked him in the apartment was because he was leaving too many drained bodies." They both turned when they heard someone clear their throat, to see Rufus standing there his head bowed slightly, The Seer beside him. Edward was dressed in simply jeans and a plaid button up shirt, his dark curly hair washed and combed. He seemed quiet as he brought his still mittened hand to his face to scratch his nose. Too quiet.
"What do you want me to do about these?" Rufus asked gesturing to the mittens. "He refuses to take them off."
"You sedated him?" our heroine asked crossing the room towards them reaching for the knitted obstructions. But Edward pulled his hands away from her hiding them behind his back. Sniffing, our heroine's nose twitched at the fresh scent of the laundry detergent. The Seer was wearing real clothes, not ones he'd magick misted for himself. It was a nuisance she herself would need to get used to once again if she continued dating Arthur. "You didn't answer my question."
Rufus said nothing as he let out a troubled sigh, reaching into his coat pocket pulling out a small bottle. "Cold medication. Nothing serious. I needed to calm him down, and in case you haven't noticed, we don't have fairy dust in this reality."
"Your eyes are the wrong colour." Edward mumbled as he tried to undo the top two buttons on his shirt, but failed because of the mittens. "Pretty eyes just wrong."
"What colour should my eyes be?" our heroine asked as she reached over to help him, her own slim pale fingers grazing the edge of his collarbone sending a silent chill through her.
"White. They should be white like you don't have any eyes at all." he instinctively placed his right hand on her elbow, the woolen mitten too warm against her skin. Rufus's eyes went wide as he all but bounced up and down having to control himself, wanting to re-button Edward's shirt. Our heroine made a sound that was almost a snort of laughter as she told them to be back in the hour. Edward rubbed his mitten over his face yawning as he turned first towards the front door of the apartment, before Rufus grabbed him by the shoulders spinning him around.
"We're taking the back door." he said quietly tilting his head towards the whole in the wall.
Seven Hours Later...
The police station was buzzing with activity as Detective Arthur Holmwood arrived back at work. Dropping his jacket at his desk, he made his way down the hallway to the small vending machine getting himself a coffee as Jim slamming his shoulder into the machine. "Did you catch any gremlins last night? Or maybe the abominable snowman?" Jim said flicking his fingers at Arthur. "Undercover?"
"What?" Arthur asked into his coffee as he burned his mouth.
"Your hair. Are you going undercover or something? You can't tell me that you went grey overnight?"
"Haha very funny." Arthur began to roll his eyes at what he was assuming was another practical joke when he caught a glimpse of himself in the surface of the vending machine. Putting the coffee cup down on the nearest desk, Arthur ran into the men's room checking himself in the mirror, Jim hot on his heels. "That's impossible. Okay what did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Jim remarked crossing his arms leaning against the sink. "I know you're stressed out about that case with the animal attacks..."
"This has nothing to do with stress. My hair was fine an hour ago."
"You must have done something." Jim snarked as he turned leaving his partner with this new mystery. He didn't return to his desk, instead Detective Jim continued on down the hallway to the stair and shimmered into nothing.
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Are we still sure Arthur is just a human?)
page 253, chapter 253
Out of Time
"You want me to go to a strip club?" Matilda said biting her nails. The familiar began shifting her weight from one foot to the other in near panic.
"I need you to help Edward." our heroine said calmly as the two females waited for Rufus to finish helping The Seer get dressed.
"That's what I've been doing all this time. It's the only reason I'm here." the middle aged female said pacing around in circles, her eyes now wide as she glanced at the grimoire under glass. If only Edward knew the real importance that collectible had. She shook her head, wringing her hands.
"His sidhe side is starving him. He needs to feed, and we both know...look at me please...we both know that means sexual energy." our heroine could feel the tension flowing off the familiar in buckets.
"Why can't you do it?"
"Because I have to deal with the neighbours" she gestured first to the dead guy still slumped in the doorway of the bedroom, then to the wall that separated the two apartments.
"Why can't Rufus do this on his own?" she nearly stomped her foot in all the excitement.
"You really want me to answer that." our heroine sighed rubbing her temples. "You shouldn't even need to be there more then ten minutes. The energy will be heavy in the air, he basically just needs to breath it in. This way, he feeds and no one dies. The whole reason Loki locked him in the apartment was because he was leaving too many drained bodies." They both turned when they heard someone clear their throat, to see Rufus standing there his head bowed slightly, The Seer beside him. Edward was dressed in simply jeans and a plaid button up shirt, his dark curly hair washed and combed. He seemed quiet as he brought his still mittened hand to his face to scratch his nose. Too quiet.
"What do you want me to do about these?" Rufus asked gesturing to the mittens. "He refuses to take them off."
"You sedated him?" our heroine asked crossing the room towards them reaching for the knitted obstructions. But Edward pulled his hands away from her hiding them behind his back. Sniffing, our heroine's nose twitched at the fresh scent of the laundry detergent. The Seer was wearing real clothes, not ones he'd magick misted for himself. It was a nuisance she herself would need to get used to once again if she continued dating Arthur. "You didn't answer my question."
Rufus said nothing as he let out a troubled sigh, reaching into his coat pocket pulling out a small bottle. "Cold medication. Nothing serious. I needed to calm him down, and in case you haven't noticed, we don't have fairy dust in this reality."
"Your eyes are the wrong colour." Edward mumbled as he tried to undo the top two buttons on his shirt, but failed because of the mittens. "Pretty eyes just wrong."
"What colour should my eyes be?" our heroine asked as she reached over to help him, her own slim pale fingers grazing the edge of his collarbone sending a silent chill through her.
"White. They should be white like you don't have any eyes at all." he instinctively placed his right hand on her elbow, the woolen mitten too warm against her skin. Rufus's eyes went wide as he all but bounced up and down having to control himself, wanting to re-button Edward's shirt. Our heroine made a sound that was almost a snort of laughter as she told them to be back in the hour. Edward rubbed his mitten over his face yawning as he turned first towards the front door of the apartment, before Rufus grabbed him by the shoulders spinning him around.
"We're taking the back door." he said quietly tilting his head towards the whole in the wall.
Seven Hours Later...
The police station was buzzing with activity as Detective Arthur Holmwood arrived back at work. Dropping his jacket at his desk, he made his way down the hallway to the small vending machine getting himself a coffee as Jim slamming his shoulder into the machine. "Did you catch any gremlins last night? Or maybe the abominable snowman?" Jim said flicking his fingers at Arthur. "Undercover?"
"What?" Arthur asked into his coffee as he burned his mouth.
"Your hair. Are you going undercover or something? You can't tell me that you went grey overnight?"
"Haha very funny." Arthur began to roll his eyes at what he was assuming was another practical joke when he caught a glimpse of himself in the surface of the vending machine. Putting the coffee cup down on the nearest desk, Arthur ran into the men's room checking himself in the mirror, Jim hot on his heels. "That's impossible. Okay what did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Jim remarked crossing his arms leaning against the sink. "I know you're stressed out about that case with the animal attacks..."
"This has nothing to do with stress. My hair was fine an hour ago."
"You must have done something." Jim snarked as he turned leaving his partner with this new mystery. He didn't return to his desk, instead Detective Jim continued on down the hallway to the stair and shimmered into nothing.
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Are we still sure Arthur is just a human?)
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
year 5 day 90
movie: The Voices
starring:Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton
genre:Crime, Drama
year:2014
format: Netflix Canada
plot: A mentally unstable man kills three women after his cat tells him to.
It's packaged as a comedy, but the subject matter is disturbing. Here's a guy who has a history of mental illness in his family, who's suppose to be on medication for it himself, and has a nearly childlike view of the world. He's tossed into everyday adult situations that cause him to loose his grip on the world around him. Which is shown by the state of his apartment, in his eyes it's a spotless large area, but through the eyes of others it is filthy with dog poop, and blood splattered.
The first murder is by design, an accident. While driving at night, he and his date are hit by a deer, and he believes the best solution is to put the animal down. This terrifies his date who runs from the car, and falls over a tree root. When he catches up to her, still holding the hunting knife, he falls over the same root, falls on top of her the knife plunging into her stomach. He later views her as sleeping beauty in the forest surrounded by cartoon butterflies and daisies. This leads him to keeping her skull in the fridge. The other murders are to keep people from finding out about him.
I dont' think I've ever seen a Ryan Reynolds film that I didn't like. he manages to be able to take any sort of character, be it a walking cartoon or a man with schizophrenia, and make them very believable and enjoyable.
There is a scene where he's got his psychiatrist held hostage, and she tells him that on some level every human hears "voices" telling them they are worthless or to steal, but that not everyone needs to act on them. This seems to trigger something in the character where he decides to stop what he's doing and to face up to it all. It gives him the only real bit of normality for a few moments, something he's been looking for the whole film.
what did I learn? This was a heavy movie. If it had been packaged as a straight up thriller it wouldn't have worked.
starring:Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton
genre:Crime, Drama
year:2014
format: Netflix Canada
plot: A mentally unstable man kills three women after his cat tells him to.
It's packaged as a comedy, but the subject matter is disturbing. Here's a guy who has a history of mental illness in his family, who's suppose to be on medication for it himself, and has a nearly childlike view of the world. He's tossed into everyday adult situations that cause him to loose his grip on the world around him. Which is shown by the state of his apartment, in his eyes it's a spotless large area, but through the eyes of others it is filthy with dog poop, and blood splattered.
The first murder is by design, an accident. While driving at night, he and his date are hit by a deer, and he believes the best solution is to put the animal down. This terrifies his date who runs from the car, and falls over a tree root. When he catches up to her, still holding the hunting knife, he falls over the same root, falls on top of her the knife plunging into her stomach. He later views her as sleeping beauty in the forest surrounded by cartoon butterflies and daisies. This leads him to keeping her skull in the fridge. The other murders are to keep people from finding out about him.
I dont' think I've ever seen a Ryan Reynolds film that I didn't like. he manages to be able to take any sort of character, be it a walking cartoon or a man with schizophrenia, and make them very believable and enjoyable.
There is a scene where he's got his psychiatrist held hostage, and she tells him that on some level every human hears "voices" telling them they are worthless or to steal, but that not everyone needs to act on them. This seems to trigger something in the character where he decides to stop what he's doing and to face up to it all. It gives him the only real bit of normality for a few moments, something he's been looking for the whole film.
what did I learn? This was a heavy movie. If it had been packaged as a straight up thriller it wouldn't have worked.
Coffee Talk March 1st 2016
My lovely Spudguns! it's the beginning of the month, and that means, time for the shout out for this month's Food n Flix host. March's selection is A Walk in the Clouds, and is being hosted by Wendy A Day in the Life on the Farm.
And since I'm here, just a little reminder that Night Bleeds :All Vampire Movie/Book Club, is doing the combo of I Am Legend (book) and Omega Man (movie) this month. Which I'll do the official announcement post for in a day or two.
In the meantime, I'll be back in a few hours with today's movie of the day. And now...coffee.
And since I'm here, just a little reminder that Night Bleeds :All Vampire Movie/Book Club, is doing the combo of I Am Legend (book) and Omega Man (movie) this month. Which I'll do the official announcement post for in a day or two.
In the meantime, I'll be back in a few hours with today's movie of the day. And now...coffee.
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