Bedtime Stories

Who:  Amber, Jonathan, MIL & FIL
What:  Bedtime Stories
Where:  Sullivan 6 - the only movie theater near Jonathan's home town (it's only about 30 miles away)
Why:  It looked cute (plus, there wasn't much choice)

This movie was really cute!  The previews kind-of give away the basic premise.  Adam Sandler (Skeeter) is babysitting his niece and nephew for 5 days.  His dad used to tell him awesome bedtime stories, so he decides to keep the tradition alive.

He tells them one story, and the next day it comes to life!  I'm sure we've all seen the 'raining gumballs' scene.  I figured all the stories would come to life unrealistically (like - it was actually raining gumballs), but it was actually 100% realistic, which I really appreciated.  I like a good old fashioned relatively realistic movie.  It actually wasn't raining gumballs, but a gumball truck has crashed (on an overhang bridge), so gum was falling out of the truck onto Adam Sandler below (although he thought it was some kind of magic).

When he realizes his stories are coming to life, he tries to tell stories that will help out him with his dead end job, and help out his niece and nephew.  Unfortunately, the kids just want a funny story, so they always end up with Skeeter not getting 100 million dollars, but he gets stuck in the rain instead.

In true Adam Sandler form, you'll see a cameo from Nick Swardsen, Rob Schneider, the QB from Water Boy, and more of his buddies.

I highly recommend this movie!  It works for adults and kids alike.

A Miser Brother's Christmas

Who:  Amber
What:  A Miser Brother's Christmas
Where:  @ home on ABC Family
Why:  I was curious

This new holiday special was ... just ok.  Everybody remembers the Heat Miser and Snow Miser from the '70s classic.  "I'm Mr. Snow Miser ... I'm Mr. 10 below ..."  I think it was "Santa Claus is Coming to Town?"

I was really excited b/c the original Misers were super cool.  I think they were super cool because they were so random, and only in the original Christmas special for about 10 minutes.  An entire hour devoted to them ... not so much.  And this was nominated for an Annie award!  Yowsers!

What was cool about it was the animation.  I'm assuming it was not clay-mation (like it was in the 70s), but CGI.  But they made the characters look just like the clay-mation.  Their mouth's had those lines around them, and they were a little herky jerky.

The story is a 'tale as old as time'.  Santa hurts his back (it was sabotage!) and the Miser Brothers must stop fighting to take over for him for this year.  Can they stop fighting, make some decent toys and get them delivered in time?  What about the Wind Miser-guy who sabotaged Santa's sleigh.  He's got a serious Santa complex.  Will he ruin Christmas??

Santa Jr.

Who:  Amber
What:  Santa Jr.
Where:  @ home on ABC Family
Why:  Why not!

The Christmas bandit is on the loose, but the cops have him!  Or do they?  He's dressed like Santa, and he's inside a strangers house.  But he appears to be unloading toys from a sack, not putting toys IN the sack?

None the less, the cops bring him and put him in front of a judge.  Susan, a nice public defender (Lauren Holly) puts her address down on the forms, in order to keep "Santa" out of jail.  It works, although "Santa" is now on house arrest, and is stuck at Susan's house.

"Santa" is actually Kris ... Kris Kringle ... Jr.  He's Santa's son.  And he wasn't stealing toys, he was delivering toys.  Since he's not very good at it yet, he was starting Christmas delivery early.

In typical Holiday/Romantic/Comedy, Susan doesn't really like Christmas and Kris, along with the help of 2 police officers teach her a thing or two.  There's a decorating montage, etc, etc.

The real Christmas bandit is caught, and Santa Jr. is free to deliver toys!  Hip, hip, horray!

Did I mention the actor who plays Santa Jr. is really hot?!?

Muppet Christmas Carol

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Muppet Christmas Carol
Where:  on DVD
Why:  We love Muppets!

This Christmas special is a classic!  It's the same old story of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, but Muppets play all the characters, except Ebenezer Scrooge.  He's played by Michael Kane.  I don't know what it is about Michael Kane, but I really feel bad for him.  He's an angry old Scrooge, but he's so alone, and so lonely (and pretty old).  I always have a big lump in my throat when I see him, sitting in the dark, eating his cheese and crackers all alone.

Anyways - Scrooge's loyal and underpaid assistant is Kermit the frog.  Mrs. Cracket (Kermit's wife) is Miss Piggy.  Tiny Tim is that little frog - Kermit's nephew ... and I forgot his name.  Grrrr!  Oh, Robin, that's it!  Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat (who is hilarious!) are the narrators.

Scrooge is visited first by the ghost of Christmas past - played by a freaky looking CGI 5 year old.  It's not a Muppet either, just an odd little girl.

The ghost of Christmas present is played by a new Muppet - a giant red haired fellow.  Unlike the little girl, this Muppet is adorable!

The ghost of Christmas future is just a 8' tall black hooded guy.  There's also a giant Muppet spider who is quite disturbing.

Throw in a bunch of original songs, and a host of townspeople who are random Muppets, and you've got yourself a classic!

Jack Frost

Who:  Amber
What:  Jack Frost
Where:  @ home off cable
Why:  I'm getting in the Christmas spirit!

Jack Frost (yes, that's his real name)(Michael Keaton) is a musician, and a family man.  The problem is, sometimes his music takes over, and he doesn't show up at his kid's events.  This makes the kid mad, especially when he promises to come his hockey games.

Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve, Jack gets in a car accident and dies.

Fast forward to the following Christmas Eve.  Mrs. Frost (Kelly - what's her name - John Travolta's wife) and the boy are doing ok.  But they miss their father terribly, and it's almost Christmas.

The kid makes a snowman, and he comes to life - as Jack!  Once the kid gets over his shock that his dad has come back to "life", they have some wild adventures together.  They go snowboarding, they practice some hockey moves, and they try to hide that fact that this snowman is 'alive'.

Unfortunately, this year, a heat wave is coming for Christmas.  All the snow will be melted really soon.  So the son and the snowman hop on a truck to take dad up to the mountains, where the snow never melts!  This plan can't fail ... can it?!?

Well, trust me, it's a family Christmas movie, so it has a happy ending.

The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics

Who: Bill
What: The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics
Where: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Why: It's a new documentary about the Disney Studios

When one thinks of “Disney”, it is quite natural to think of cartoon or animated movie. But throughout its history, the Disney Studios have also put out an impressive lineup of exclusively live action features, beginning with the True-Live Adventure short Seal Island in 1948 and the full-length Treasure Island in 1950. Before that, Walt Disney and his staff would occasionally combine animation with live action, often with impressive results (early examples include the 1920’s Alice comedy shorts and 1945’s The Three Cabelleros). So why the diversion into live action? Well, they cost less to make because they can be filmed quicker than an animated movie, and when done well, they can earn a lot of money in box office revenue. However, Walt insisted on a Quality film, rather than a Quantity output each year. As a result, many if not most of the live-action films he produced have become cinema classics that continue to entertain new generations.

Think of some of the best films made by Disney which include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Old Yeller (1957), The Shaggy Dog (1959), Swiss Family Robinson and Pollyanna (both in 1960), The Parent Trap (1961), The Love Bug (1969), The Apple Dumpling Gang and Escape to Witch Mountain (both in 1975), Freaky Friday (1976) and many more. Even those classics well-remembered for their animated sequences -- Mary Poppins (1964), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Pete’s Dragon (1977)-- mostly utilized live actors. The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics focuses on Walt’s sometimes overlooked achievements in full live action production, featuring interviews with the people that also made it possible. Narrated by Angela Lansbury, the interviewees are a who's who of Disney film stars including Dick Van Dyke, Kurt Russell, Dean Jones, Tim Conway, Hayley Mills, James MacArthur, Glynis Johns, Nancy Olson, Tommy Kirk, Kim Richards, Kevin Corcoran and more. Also adding perspective are Disney film historian Leonard Maltin, director Ken Annakin, author Bob Thomas, filmmaker Leslie Iwerks (and her father Don Iwerks) and Roy Edward Disney as well as others. The documentary is being presented throughout December 2008 as Turner Classic Movies showcases 26 Disney live action features each Sunday of the month.

Produced, written and directed by Peter Fitzgerald, The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics offers insightful commentary and an abundance of clips from the movies being discussed. Much ground is covered in the almost 90-minute program, but there is also lots left unsaid (perhaps awaiting a potential DVD release) particularly when it came to the post-Walt era leading up Michael Eisner’s arrival in 1984. Throughout the 1970’s there was strong reluctance to tamper with the traditional Disney “formula” of wholesome family entertainment. While there were some good if not a few excellent live-action movies, the all-too real social upheaval of the times made Disney live-action films look old-fashioned. The resistance to even try something a little different resulted in increased malaise and mediocrity with each passing year. This really began to change with the 1979 release of the big budget PG-rated film The Black Hole.

Any fan of Disney movies is encouraged to watch the documentary and to look for TCM’s showings of many of these Disney live action classics-- as the channel proudly proclaims, uncut and commercial-free.

Yes Man

Who:  Amber
What:  Yes Man
Where:  AMC Pleasure Island
Why:  I didn't want to see Bolt again

This movie was REALLY funny.  If you enjoy the 'classic' Jim Carray movies (like Liar Liar and all his "I make funny faces" movies), then you'll love this flick.

Carl (Jim Carray) is a "no" man.  He got divorced 3 years ago, and he's in a real funk.  He's stuck in his same job, and all he does is watch movies alone at home (he likes the movie Saw - you go Carl!).  He runs into an old acquaintance who forces him to going to a "YES" convention.  A guru tells him to say 'yes' to everything.  Carl starts saying yes to everything (and I mean EVERYTHING), and his life really turns around.

His 'yes' adventures lead him to meet a hot chick, he has fun with his friends staying up all night, he learns hot to fly a small airplane, he has a mail order bride, learns to play the guitar, etc ...

I don't really want to ruin any of the plot points, b/c it's all really funny.  You know the hot chick is going to get mad at him and all that stuff, but it's pretty funny (and not so 'out there' as you might expect) what ends up happening.

I highly recommend this movie! 

Halloween H20

Who:  Amber
What:  Halloween H20
Where:  @ home off cable
Why:  Happy Halloween!

Here's a great holiday classic huh?  Actually, I watched it the day after Halloween, and I'm finally movie yak-ing about it.

This is a great horror movie simply because Jamie Lee Curtis is in it.  

If you are unfamiliar with the original Halloween movie, it came out in 1978.  An unknown actress named Jamie Lee Curtis was the main star (as a teenager).  She is babysitting on Halloween, and all her friends are brutally murdered by Michael Myers, who happens to be Jamie Lee's brother.  

So big KUDOS for Jamie Lee Curtis to come back to the franchise 20 years later that originally made her a star!  You don't see Jennifer Aniston coming back to do any Leprechaun movies or Johnny Depp coming back to Nightmare on Elm Street (although, I think they killed him off).

Flashback 20 years later (this movie came out in 1998).  Jamie Lee (Laurie Strode) has a 17 year old son.  She is the head master of a luxury high school, where the kids live in dorms, and the entire high school has a fence around it.  Laurie is still freaked out by her brother Michael Myers.  She knows he will eventually hunt her down and find her.  Her son (Josh Hartnett - possibly one of his first movies) knows Laurie is messed up in the head b/c of all her horrible past.  He tries to help her, but it's getting old.  He's getting annoyed and tells her to, "get over it already!"

Unfortunately, this is the year Michael tracks Laurie down.  99% of the school is on a trip, but Laurie, her son, his girlfriend (Michelle Williams), 2 other slutty kids, and a school counselor are all at the school.  You know the slutty kids are easy kills ... but who else will die?

Will Laurie finally face Michael and kill him once and for all?  Or will Michael finally get what he's been after for 20 years, to kill his other sister?

Saw

Who:  Amber & Jaclyn
What:  Saw
Where:  @ Jaclyn's house
Why:  I made her watch it

I'm not sure how much Jaclyn (who also writes for Movie Yak) enjoyed Saw (she was a first timer.  I think I'm about a 6-timer!), but I absolutely love it!  I actually found it in the Walmart $5 bin the following day and finally bought it.

This is not your typical horror movie.  This movie really goes into some big time character development for every single character.  So you really know their back story, and you actually care about them.  It's also not a crazy, psycho super-power killer.

"Jigsaw" is just a regular guy (or girl - we have no clue who it is), who chooses people who take life for granted (drug addicts, people cheating on their spouses, etc.).  He sets up elaborate (almost unreal) traps for them.  If they can get out of the trap, they walk away unharmed.  Well, honestly, they are usually harmed and bleeding a little bit.  If they can't get out of the trap, the trap will kill them.

Dr. Gordon (Cary Elways - a cutie!) and Adam (one of the writers of the movie too) wake up from being knocked unconscious in a super gross bathroom.  They are chained by the ankle to the wall.  The game/trap is the Dr. Gordon has to kill Adam before 6pm.  If not, his family will die.  So it's a pretty tough game for Adam - he has to wait to die!  While Dr. Gordon and Adam try to figure out what's going on, they get to talking and figure out how they are connected to one another.  Jigsaw has left clues and props hidden around the room, to help them play the game.

One of the props are 2 saws.  Are they meant to saw thru the chains ... or saw thru something else?  (Ewwwww!)

During this time there are flashbacks to Adam and Dr. Gordon's lives.  We also see 2 cops (Danny Glover and another guy) who have been trying to capture Jigsaw for about 6 months now.  We also see some super gross victims of Jigsaw's games, who lost their 'games'.

I can't recommend this movie enough!  It's about 30% horror, 50% thriller and 20% drama.

And the ending is INSANE!  You will never, in a million years guess what happens!!!  And I truly mean that - it's nuts!  And, yes, there has been Saw 2, 3, 4 and 5.  And they are making Saw 6, and I believe Saw 7.  Saw 2, 3 and 4 are actually pretty decent movies.  But don't let all these other Saws scare you away.  The original movie is 1000X better than the sequels.  I highly recommend it!  I think it's in my "Top 5 favorite movies of all time" list, and that's really saying something.

Kung Fu Panda

Who:  Amber, Jonathan & Jonathan's family
What:  Kung Fu Panda
Where:  @ the in-law's house
Why:  Jonathan bought it on Black Friday

Jonathan normally has a semi prejudice for non-Disney/Pixar animated movies, so I'm surprised he bought this movie (granted, it was only $9) before we've even seen it!  I think the barrage of marketing finally pulled him in.  Plus that fact that is made tons of money this summer made me believe it was a "decent" movie.

This flick was 'ok'.  But it was your typical animated movie.  It was funny for the kids, and it tried to be funny for adults.  It had way to much childish chatter.  Plus all the A list celebrity voices ... totally unnecessary!  I mean, Angelina Jolie?  There were 2 female characters, and I knew she was a voice in the movie (b/c The Soup made fun of her), but I couldn't pick her out!  Why even pay her all that money to lend her voice.  I wish there were more oriental sounding voices.  This movie was supposed to be based in China.

Ok - on to the plot:  The Dragon Warrior is about to be picked for the first time in China's history.  Po, the fat, noodle-loving Panda (Jack Black) is too late to watch the ceremony.  He managed to light a chair on fire with a firecracker and blast himself right into the middle of the ceremony.  He gets picked on accident!  Oops - I didn't see that coming!

Of course, all the real kung-fu animals (who have been training all their lives to be the Dragon Warrior) are annoyed.  As Jonathan said, "and hilarity will ensue ..."

Did I mention an evil kung-fu warrior has escaped from prison?  This evil warrior wants to be the Dragon Warrior!  Oh no, Po, the fat Panda will have to fight him!  I can't imagine what will happen next ...

It was a cute movie.  I'm glad Jonathan bought it for only $9.  I kind-of hope he decides to sell it on ebay ... after I watch all the special features.

1408

Who: LaRelle
What: 1408
Where: my living room on the new HDTV
Why: because I can

So I got this movie on Netflix because it was recommended to me based on my obsession with scary movies.
That being said.....this movie is not scary. It is based on a short story by Stephen King. But really it seemed like more of a joke than a horror movie to me.
It stars John Cusack, which is fantastic....but unlike most of his other movies, his hilarious sister Joan was unfortunately not in it. Which might have made it more entertaining.
John Cusack plays a author who is known for writing books such as "Top 10 Scariest Hotels", "Top 10 Most Haunted Towns", etc, etc, etc......even though he doesn't really believe in any kind of supernatural phenomenoen.
He learns about this hotel in New York that is suppose to have one room that is extremely haunted....you guessed it...room 1408.
Samuel L. Jackson plays the hotel manager who is determined to convince Cusack's character to change his mind about staying in that room. Since the hotel had opened there had been several dozen deaths in that room and according to Jackson's character, the room was just plain "evil".
So needless to say Cusack decides to stay which then leads to his adventures in the room. It just really gets kind of weird. And confusing. You are never really sure what is going on.
And then they throw in the whole "sentimental" side where you learn the side story about how Cusack had left his wife after their little girl had died. And that somehow gets intertwined with all the "scary" stuff going on.
So I'd say don't waste your time....especially if you are looking for a scary movie. The only thing that would be scary to me is if this movie ever actually got any good reviews.

Bolt

Who:  Amber, Jonathan & Jonathan's entire family
What:  Bolt
Where:  Sullivan 6 - tiny theater in Missour-A
Why:  It's Disney!

I also saw Bolt over the Thanksgiving weekend, and I loved it!  I had heard other people say, "meh - it was ok", but I think it was better than ok.  I, on the other hand, highly recommend it!

I was afraid it would be a cheesy "we're traveling across the country" montage.  Thankfully, there was a montage, but it was insanely cute.

Ok, I'm getting off track.  Bolt is Penny's dog.  Although Penny is no ordinary kid, she's a TV star in an action-style TV show.  But Bolt is the REAL super hero of the show.  Thanks to TV magic, he can 'bend' metal, his eyes are lasers, he can jump super far and run super fast.  Bolt believes he can actually do these things - b/c he never EVER leaves the set.  He never gets to be a real dog.  He always honestly thinks Penny is in grave danger, and he relishes his opportunity to save her each week.

Well, when Bolt gets off the set for the first time, and ends up in NYC (long story), and a wise cracking ally cat has to set him straight.  After a while, Bolt does realize he has no super powers, but actually enjoys being a real dog.  Who knew sticking your face out of a car door was totally awesome!?!?

It's Disney, so you know Bolt will make it back to Penny in LA, but he has some wild and funny adventures along the way.

Best line (by the hamster), "I'll go get a ladder."

Bolt

Who: Myself, Sister, Brother-in-law, Niece, Nephew
What: Bolt
Where: Regal - The Loop
Why: Had to see latest Disney movie and we were sick of eating Turkey

Cute movie. Cute story. The story of a dog named Bolt who thinks he is a super-dog with super powers. He is a part of a TV show filmed in Hollywood and his person, a girl named Penny, is his top priority to protect from the evil people. He never leaves the set or sees anything in real life so he has no idea that he is actually just a normal dog. He escapes one day from the set and through a series of events ends up in New York and learns the truth. He meets up with some other funny characters and tries to make his way back to his person learning valuable lessons along the way.

This is another fine example of great art and a strong story from Pixar. I felt like it was very much geared toward small children and less focused on adults. Not a bad thing but certainly different than the other Pixar-Disney movies. It was enjoyable and my 6 year old nephew couldn't take his eyes off the screen. Miley Cyrus and John Travolta gave very believable performances. The Cat and Hampster characters got most of the laughs and the actors who voiced them were memorable but not necessarily well known. This movie will be a great addition to the Disney family of movies.

Australia

Who: Jaclyn
What: Australia
Where: AMC West Oaks (In the ghetto....)
Why: Hugh Jackman, hello?!

Let me preface this post by saying, this movie would have been a hell of a lot better if it had more Jackman and less Kidman.

This movie takes place during WWII when Australia was attacked by the Japanese after they attacked Pearl Harbor.

Drover (Hugh Jackman) is a stock-man and has to embark on one of the biggest cattle drives he's ever done when Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), who has just inherited her husband's cattle ranch convinces him that they need to shake up the current beef monopoly in Australia... the Carney Cattle Company.

There is of course evil afoot when Carney and his people find out what Sarah is trying to do. She also finds out that one of the people who previously worked for her husband was also responsible for his death.

The kid in the movie steals the show. I'm not one for children normally but he was cute, though at times a bit cheesy. It was funny how he affectionately refers to Sarah as "Mrs. Boss".

It was a LOOOOONG movie. It probably could have been shortened, but it was still good. It looks like Nicole Kidman had some lip work done before filming. They drove me nuts through the whole movie because they just looked...off. And would it have killed the director to give Hugh a few more shirtless scenes? I think not.

Twilight

Who: Jaclyn
What: Twilight
Where: AMC Pleasure Island
Why: Needed to see what the hype was about.

This movie apparently was a best selling novel before it became a movie (I don't know, I never learned how to read and I live under a rock).

It's a story about a vampire family, the Cullens and a girl named Bella. Bella goes to stay with her dad while her mom and her new man go to spring training for his baseball team. When she gets to her new school, she ends up getting Edward Cullen as her lab partner.

Convinced he hates her, she becomes somewhat consumed with finding out what his deal is, and she finds out more than she bargained for....he's a vampire - duh.

Also, everyone at this new school is SUPER nice to Bella and not in a fake "we're really going to stab you in the back" way either. Which is SOOO not how life happens.

I liked it, but I liked it more once it was over. I'm not trying to be sarcastic...but if have you ever seen a movie where after it was over, you had time to reflect and wanted to see it again, you'll understand. The acting by Kristen Stewart (Bella) was pretty awful. I don't know if it was the character she was playing or just that she can't act.

I heard a lot of people were in an uproar about the lead characters they cast in this movie but I guess all book nuts will have an opinion about what they envisioned. Overall, I suppose it was an ok movie, but I still don't see what everyone was poopin' their pants about.

The Ruins

Who: Jaclyn
What: The Ruins
Where: @ Home
Why: Didn't want to bother seeing it in the theater

The Ruins is about two couples of spring breakers in Mexico who are having a grand old time until a creepy (in my opinion) German guy asks if they want to go to a site where his brother is excavating.

The crazy kids, being up for adventure decide to go. When they get to the site, which turns out to be a Mayan temple, there are some local yokels that come out of the woods and start screaming at the tourists in a language they can't understand.

Something bad happens then, but I won't give it away. The kids retreat up the temple and worse things start to happen from there. Hallucinations, chaos and tons of bloodshed.

Overall, not bad for a rental, but glad I didn't waste time in the theater. I hear the book is better.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Who:  Amber, Jonathan and my MIL
What:  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Where:  Pay Per View
Why:  MIL picked

This movie was super cute!  I didn't want it to end.  What happens to the girls next?!?  I must know!!!

Although, how old are these girls?  And where do their unlimited funds come from?  Everybody is flying to Turkey, to Greece, Alabama, etc.  I want to be in the sisterhood!

This story leaves off 2 years after the first one (I think).  The girls are home from their first summer of 4 different colleges.  Carmen (America Fererra) is the only one really trying to keep the pants ritual together.  The other girls just aren't into it anymore.  Everything is changing ...

This movie has a lot going on.  It could really be 4 movies in 1.  Tibby is living in NYC going to film school.  Carmen goes to New Hampshire to work backstage in a play (but get's the lead - who could've guessed?).  Bridgette is off to Turkey on an archeology camp scholorship thingy.  And Lena is taking summer school classes somewhere (I can't remember - somewhere in the North East b/c she's close to NYC).

Of course, crazy stuff happens to all 4 girls.  Tibby might be pregnant.  Bridgette rediscovers a long lost grandmother.  Carmen gets the lead in a play (did I ruin it for you?!?).  Lena discovers that her boyfriend from Greece is all sudden married!

Tears ensue ... and everybody ends up happy in the end.