Sue's World

An Out-of-the-Ordinary Evening

It's Wednesday.  At 5pm my husband asked me if I wanted to watch a movie at home.  I said "yes" and we picked Sherlock Holmes.  We both liked it.  Now it's 7pm and the tri-tip and artichokes I'd planned would take a good 45 minutes to prepare.  Chi-Chis, he suggested.  Mmmm...rigatoni with meat sauce and yummy sourdough rolls and a glass of Pinot Noir.  Now that's a special treat!

Summer Movies

Since we got satellite earlier this year, I've been recording movies and have slowly but surely been getting through them.  Last weekend I watched the first 10 minutes of 'Evita' and nearly didn't watch more.  I already cried in that 10 minutes but that was partly because Kathy's dad had died less than 10 days before that.  But I did.  And I got hooked.  I am not at all a Madonna fan and, frankly, don't like her.  My prejudice aside, I was thrilled with the performances, the songs, the lyrics, the music, the scenes...everything!  The songs are still in my head and I've already put the soundtrack on my Amazon wish list. 

Another movie that got a thumb's up out of me was 'The Devil Wears Prada'.  I was a little depressed after it since the movie centers around a person's career that invaded the character's whole life.  Hmmm...art imitates life.  I did a lot of thinking after that and had to calm myself. 

The fact that I can't remember anything else that I've seen either means I have amnesia or that I didn't love or hate the others. 

We Saw "300"

I've seen billboards for "300" all over town but really didn't know much about the film.  I like action films so I thought "Why not?". 

So after a delicious Oggie's calzone and a tasty Hefeweizen, my husband and I marched over to the theater.  Rather than a flowery reviews, here's a list of what I liked and what I didn't:

Liked: story, acting, entertainment value, battle scenes, the overall premise of fighting for what you believe in, how much action was packed in

Didn't Like:  the girl in slow-mo floating with her dress mysteriously falling off, CGI creatures (they were well-done but moved things into the realm of fantasy), the slow-mo beheadings (reminded me too much of the real-life terrorists though the movie version wasn't barbaric), wondering throughout the movie what the "blood" bill came out to be

Seriously, I liked the film and would see it again.  The benefits FAR outweigh the negatives.  Some of the scenes are pretty artsy (slow-mo) but after the film ended I saw the value in how everything came together and really had an appreciation for the stunning backgrounds and the intensity. 

There are plenty of folks who shouldn't see the film including children.  There are a couple of scenes that haunt my thoughts but it's because they're so real. 

Night At The Museum

We saw this movie last night.  I liked it a lot more than hubby did.  With one exception, I took it for face value and just laughed along with it.  It's good entertainment for a wide audience and it keeps you laughing throughout the movie.  It's good for kids and good for adults.  The special effects were amazing and I was entertained. 

Talladega Nights

The other day a group from work went to go see Talladega Nights.  I admit I was excited.  Yea, that says something about me.  Whatever.  I realize it's a completely different experience going with my hubby versus co-workers.  Obviously, he and I go see movies that we're both interested in.  It killed me not to be able to lean over and giggle with him.  It was fun nonetheless and a fun way to spend a workday afternoon. 

I know I'll be seeing it again.  And thankfully I haven't been driven to blurt things out to my other half.  But I know he and I will have fun seeing it. 

The Da Vinci Con

I'm amazed at the gullibility of so many folks.  The fact that we have to be worried about the message the Da Vinci code sends out is odd and frightening.  So a single piece of fiction suddenly is taken as fact?  When people saw Godzilla, did they really believe the giant monster was roaming around the earth?  Has anyone purchased tickets to a Quidditch match or looked for Mordor on a globe? 

So why do so many people believe what's in the Da Vinci code?  It's astounding and ridiculous.  It shows how badly some people are looking for ways to get around the truth. 

No Mission Impossible III For Me

I'm continuing my trend of boycotting films associated with certain of Hollywood's "finest".  Tom Cruise is the latest on the list.  I don't want a single dime of our hard-earned money to go to this nut job. 

I loved the first two movies and this one's killing me, but I'm standing firm.  These egomaniacs need to realize that they're not gods and the way they choose to live (or waste) their lives will have an impact on their audience. 

Hopefully this also sends a message to the head-honchos at the movie studios.  Pay your actors to act and that's that. 

More Serenity Please

Okay...so it's been almost 24 hours since we saw it.   And I want to see it again.  For those familiar with Firefly, you'll be treated to some inside jokes or things that have additional meaning.  For those who aren't, it's just plainly and simply a good movie.

The theater was about 1/3 full.  My guess is that this is a sleeper.  Next week theaters will be packed.  So it was fun to see it with a healthy group without having someone behind me kicking the back of my seat or talking on their cell phone.

My husband's right knee is likely bruised today.  I did a fair amount of nail biting, fist clenching, knee grabbing and retreating to a near-fetal position.  Lots of tension, lots of action, lots of humor and a few surprises.

No spoilers here, though I'm dying to recall some of the cool stuff.  Keep small kids away.  There's hardly any cursing (maybe once?), but there's plenty more that little ones should not see. 

I've already checked Amazon (like a dolt) to see when the DVD will be released.  Yea, it's a tad soon for that, but a girl can hope, can't she?

Serenity...Calm Before The Storm

Okay, so Serenity opened today.  I think the countdown to our seeing it stands at 2 1/2 hours.  I'm not counting though.  Really.  Okay, it's really 2 hours 32 minutes. 

I adore the series Firefly.  And each week we've been teased with a scene from Serenity.  I confess I haven't really put them all together.  I'm still enjoying watching the weekly episodes unfold. 

I don't recall the last time I saw a movie.  Maybe it was Star Wars, maybe not.  There's so much crap out there I've been saving my pennies for something worthwhile.

Am I a Firefly geek?  Mmmm...not sure.  I'm married to one, though.  Good thing too.  Last week with 10 minutes to go in the episode, our cable went out.  WHAT???  DVD to the rescue:  I had given him the DVD series for his birthday.  Saved!

So I thought I'd just do a quick post before the movie while I'm excited.  2 hours...29 minutes.  I am hoping the theater will be crowded enough but not too crowded.  It's always great to see a really cool movie with a big audience who oohs and aahs and laughs and grunts at the same things. 

September Movies I Want To See

We haven't been to the movies lately; not much of interest.  Two this month, though, change that.  I definitely want to see "Corpse Bride" and "Serenity".

"Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my favorite movies.  Tim Burton and Danny Elfman paired up to make this gem.  So when I saw the preview for "Corpse Bride", I knew I'd have to see it.

We've been watching Firefly, a great Sci-Fi series that didn't make it past its first season.  But now comes "Serenity".  That opens the 30th; can't wait!