Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Movie: Crazy Stupid Love
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
Released: July 29, 20011



Hoot Rating: I give this movie a One Hoot rating.

Summary sans Spoilers:  Steve Carell plays Cal, your average married man who is comfortable with his marriage to wife Emily, played by Julian Moore. He is comfortable, she is bored and asks for a divorce. Brokenhearted, Cal starts to spend his evenings at a bar where night, after night he watches the handsome, ladies man Jacob, played by Ryan Gosling, take home girl, after girl. Tired of seeing Cal's pathetic self every night, Jacob tells him that he can teach him his tricks to getting women in bed. Cal goes along with it and gets completely transformed, wardrobe wise at least, and starts having his own sexual conquests. While Cal turns into Jacob, Jacob turns into Cal when he falls in love with Hannah, played by Emma Stone. Over time, and with the help of his son, Cal discovers that he has only ever loved his wife and wants her back. What ensues is just a representation of the complications on love and the difficulties of relationships. Basically, people do crazy and stupid things when they are in love.

The Critical Eye: To be honest, I have to say I had really high hopes for this film. I am sad to say that I was most unfortunately disappointed. I expected it to be sweet with some sad moments, but  that it would end happily and reinforce my belief in true love, even if just for a little bit once it was over. Instead, I sat through a movie that was very slow to start and poorly constructed plot-wise. It felt much longer than the two hours it actually is because of how slow the beginning was. It is clear that Crazy, Stupid, Love was trying to accomplish the very same seamless story transitions of an ensemble cast that the film Love Actually was able to do quite successfully. Crazy, Stupid, Love, however failed in this effort just like another similar and disappointing movie, Valentine's Day. Perhaps Crazy, Stupid, Love feels so slow in the beginning because it focuses too much on the "picking up a girl at a bar" scenes. I felt we needed to see more scenes between Cal & Emily and Jacob & Hannah. There was really only one good scene with Jacob & Hannah and I think it would have done the movie good to show their relationship develop a little more. As for scenes with Cal and Emily, we just needed more scenes that show how well they know each other. Emily is much too cold in the scenes they do have together. I also found myself quite disturbed by the story-lines of the babysitter and the son. They were just somewhat inappropriate and added to the slow pace. The movie does gain strength in the end, however with a hilarious twist. As for the acting, Steve Carell does a marvelous job, as always, at playing pathetically funny. He has the perfect face for it. Julianne Moore was...well, Julianne Moore. There just wasn't much there. Ryan Gosling definitely gave this movie delightful sex appeal and he had wonderful chemistry with Emma Stone, who was as wonderful as ever with her clumsy sarcasm and intelligent strength.

The Bottom Line: There were, maybe, three really good scenes. For the most part it focused a little bit too much on lust rather than love for a PG-13 movie. It does attempt to send a sweet message but I do not really feel that was accomplished. Basically, if you want a Steve Carell comedy, pick something else. This is more of a Dan in Real Life kind of thing. If you want an achingly beautiful love story like The Notebook, pick something else. If you want a cliche romantic comedy with brilliant wit and sarcasm like Easy A, pick something else. If you just want to see Ryan Gosling shirtless and sexy, this is the movie for you.

Classic Movie Monday: The Lady Vanishes

Title: The Lady Vanishes
Stars: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year: 1938
Black & White

Summary: Iris Henderson's last vacation with her girlfriends before her walk down the aisle ends her days of freedom is about to come to a close. Before she boards the train on her way back to her groom, she is hit on the head by a falling flowerpot which was pushed off its ledge intentionally. As her friends worry about her injury, the old lady she met the night before promises to look after Iris on the train so they bid Iris' friends farewell. Once they've boarded the train, they decide to have some tea to soothe Iris' headache. As Iris and the old lady dine the pair chat and the old lady reveals herself to be Miss Froy, a retired governess. They finish their tea and make their way back to their compartment where there is also an Italian family and a German lady. Iris falls asleep only to wake up and see Miss Froy is gone. She asks the rest of the people in the compartment where her friend has gone but they all claim that Miss Froy never existed. Not believing them, Iris begins a frantic search for her friend with the help of the charming Gilbert who seems to be the only one who believes her, much to Iris' annoyance. What ensues is a roller coaster ride of Iris' sanity as she goes from being convinced she is crazy to being absolutely certain of a conspiracy. There is a little romance and comedy thrown in there, too, as we meet various interesting characters on the train.

Director/Production: This is one of Hitchcock's British films which, to me, just seem to have more charm. It is much more simple than his later work but that does not mean he doesn't have a few tricks up his sleeve with this one. He uses trick shots to make things look far more menacing than they are. It has all of the best of his technique as well as he bits of humor.

The Stars: This film stars Margaret Lockwood as Iris and Michael Redgrave as Gilbert. Margaret Lockwood has a strong screen presence despite being the damsel in distress. She plays the role of Iris with strength and determination. I don't have much more to say about her because all of my focus is on Michael Redgrave's Gilbert. Handsome and tall (so very, very tall), Redgrave is the best part of this movie. His character never lacks in the humor department and without him, there would be no romance in the movie. You might recognize the name Redgrave, and yes he is Vanessa's father. For me, he is the best part of this movie.

Why Should You Watch This? This is absolutely my favorite Hitchcock movie (I might have said that about Rear Window, but this one is my true favorite). It shows his genius better than any other of his films and encapsulates every one of his best tricks. "This Lady Vanishes" shows his talent even better than any of his later work, which was done with far more resources at his disposal. It has all the suspense that Hitchcock is famous for as well as all the romance he managed to squeeze into just about every movie he made. Another reason this film is so special to me is because it just has a certain charm to it that comes from the model village and trains used in the opening shots. It is a reminder of how far film making has come. I also feel like the lack of the more technical elements allows you to focus more on the character development. The characters here are so unique and charming that it is fitting that they are the focus.

I love this movie so much and hope that you will do the same. I hope you watch this and come to enjoy it as much as I do. I also hope you can forgive the fact that this is classic movie Monday on Thursday. This one is probably not one you could find at Blockbuster, but you most certainly can get it on Netflix. However, because it is an older film, copyright ownership does not really apply to it anymore so you can watch the full thing on YouTube without fear of it being taken down. Let me know what you think and, as always, happy watching!

Here is the first YouTube video of it, just to get you started. The rest is up on YouTube.

New Posts Soon!

My apologies are long overdue for the fact that I have not posted anything new in a timely manner. This is just me letting you know that I completely intend to do a new post tomorrow! It might be a "Classic Movie Monday" on Thursday, but it will be something! In the meantime let me just say, this summer's movies have been a bit disappointing. I will most likely write a review of the Green Lantern (better late than never) and how it made me feel. I will also probably do another list of movie moments. All of this will be coming in the next four days.

Greatest Movie Romances of All Time (Top Five)

I am a sucker for movie romances. Well-constructed romances pull at my heart strings and I hold them as shining examples of what love is (even though I shouldn't because it will probably lead to disappointment). Regardless, here is a list of movie romances that I find to be the most true, the deepest, the purest, the most epic and heart aching.

5.)  Lady and the Tramp from Disney's animated picture Lady and the Tramp.

Simple and sweet, this children's movie romance lives on through the popular spaghetti eating scene. Couples all over try to imitate this animated perfection with the one they love most. Also making this romance one to remember is the class difference. This film shows, through dog breed and upbringing, that wealth doesn't matter when it comes to love. He protects her and she appreciates him even though the others in their crowds do not think they belong with each other. They make each other better, which is exactly what we all should get out of our relationships. She shows him that not all humans are cruel and he shows her a world she didn't know existed.

4.) George Baily and Mary from It's a Wonderful Life.

George always dreamed of traveling the world and escaping Bedford Falls. Mary only ever dreamed of George. This romance shows that the most important things in life are the people we love and the people that love us in return. It also gives hope to girls who love a guy who doesn't even realize it. One of the sweetest moments in this film is when a young Mary whispers to a young George: "Is this the ear you can't hear on? George Baily, I'll love you till the day I die!" She wishes with all her heart that George just might one day return her feelings. Her wish comes true and in the end he finally realizes he has everything he wants as long as he is with her. She brings happiness to his life that is much deserved due to his endless supply of selflessness.

3.) Noah and Allie from The Notebook.

This relationship is the perfect example of undying passion and uncontrolable love. Noah and Allie love each other desperately, but Allie's family want's better for her. Due to some manipulation by her mother, the two are separated. Each tries to move on with their life but can't stop thinking about the other. Allie finds a man that she knows she should be with but she loves Noah more. This not only shows the struggle of loving two people and having to choose the one you truly belong with but it shows the power of love through the nursing home scenes. He loves her so much he is willing to go through the pain of her forgetting him again just to have her remember him for one brief moment. Most passionately, their love has the power to to see them through the very end together. This is the kind of undying love that everyone should have the pleasure of knowing. It leaves me sobbing every time I watch it.

2.) Scarlett and Rhett from Gone With the Wind.

This romance is perfectly epic. There are few people that belong together as much as Scarlett and Rhett belong together. They are so similar. Both are very stubborn and strong. They go after what they want regardless of the consequences. This relationship has passion and lust but it also shows that sometimes we are blind even to our own feelings. Sometimes you can think you love someone with all of your might, only to find out that they are not who you want at all. From Scarlett and Rhett we also learn that the ones that love us can only take so much and wait so long before they give up on us and all the heart ache of unrequited love--but even when it seems hopeless we should never give up. Fight for love with all that you have and just maybe you will get everything you are looking for and more. Most importantly: Know what is truly in your heart.

1.) Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blithe from The Anne of Green Gables Trilogy

I don't know how well known this movie series is (it is Canadian made and I think it was made for television) but Anne and Gilbert's relationship is beautiful. It begins when they are just kids. Their relationship at that point, however, is a love-hate relationship: Gil would love to be friends and Anne hates that he called her carrots. She holds on to a grudge for far too long. She never knows quite how to talk to him or explain things to him but he is always trying to get in her good graces. When they grow up and finally become friendly, Gil is ready to marry Anne and he loves her but she is afraid of change. This fear also lead her to tell Gil that she will never marry, but Gilbert thinks she is just in love with someone else. As a result we see the extent of his love for her and his pain with what I think is one of the greatest lines of all time: "I hope he breaks your heart. Whoever he is." Change is a common fear that can keep us from being with the ones we love and it can even cause us to hurt the ones we love. Anne also shows us that pride can get in the way of love sometimes and if we do not toss that pride aside when we get a chance, we could miss our opportunity for good. Anne thinks she has realized it too late but love prevails.


All of these on-screen romances make my heart flutter and keep me hoping that some day I will fall in love. They also teach us a thing or two about finding love and keeping it. What do you think of these romances?

Classic Movie Monday: Gone With The Wind

Title: Gone With The Wind
Stars: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable
Director: Victor Fleming
Year: 1939
Technicolor



Summary: So, I was planning on saving this one for later on but I just couldn't wait. It is one of my absolute favorites and it is truly epic for a number of reasons. This falls into the category of romance, drama, war, and there is even a bit of suspense. I am sure most of you are familiar with it but here is a summary anyway. In this film, Vivien Leigh plays the infamous Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett is a member of the wealthy, high-society and is able to capture the heart of any man she digs her claws into. She toys with a number of men but she is only in love with one: Ashley Wilkes. The only problem with that is he is engaged. She is quite content playing her game but once she sees that Ashley is not going to give in to her, she goes after other men to make him jealous. Then, when the civil war breaks out, Scarlett has even more obstacles in her way and she agrees to marry a man she does not love before he goes off to war. As the war rages, Scarlett does everything and anything to keep her family's plantation, the beloved Tara, safe. What we see is a ruthless woman's struggle to survive during the civil war and the war of love. Oh, and let's not forget Rhett Butler, played by the oh, so sexy and suave Clark Gable. Rhett is one of the many men Scarlett tries to get wrapped around her little finger. He is different from the others, though. He plays her right back and she is drawn to him, yet still insistent that she is in love with the married Ashley. In this film, there is so much at stake for Scarlett but she fights hard for what she loves: Tara, Ashley...and Rhett?

The Stars: Playing the take-control main character is Vivien Leigh. Ms. Leigh had been an actress in England before this role and was dating actor Laurence Olivier. When he traveled to California to do Wuthering Heights, Leigh followed him. She had already become interested in the role of Scarlett after reading the script. The rest is history. Leigh, unknown in the U.S. beat out many actresses for the part of Scarlett. A part that had to be played just right or the fans of the book would not be pleased. This is the role that jump started her career.

Playing the dashing, smoldering Rhett Butler was Clark Gable. He was already a star, having been in many successful movies. He had the luxury to pick and choose his work. Gable was not really enthusiastic to do this film, for several reasons. He did not like doing period films and he did not do accents. Nonetheless, Gable got the part of Rhett Butler and wonderfully performed it accent-free. Seeing him in this role makes it seem impossible that anyone else was even considered.

The Characters: When David O. Selznick made up his mind to make the bestselling novel into a film, he knew that for success, it was important that it was done right. Those in love with the book are in love with the characters. Most important was Scarlett. People either love or hate her, but she is the type of character that doesn't care about that. She fights for what she wants, or thinks she wants. She will do anything--right or wrong--to get what her heart desires. She is vein and selfish but also strong. It is her strength that makes her a lovable character and everything she does with that strength that makes her so hate worthy. This film is heavy in romance, yet it is difficult to tell if Scarlett is truly capable of love of anything but Tara.

Rhett is the next most important character. If you love the book, you are in love with Rhett. He is the male equivalent of Scarlett. Attractive, strong, morally questionable and selfish. He, however, is very capable of love. His love for Scarlett is passionate but he guards his heart against her because he knows her better than anyone else and he knows just how she could hurt him. he also knows of her misplaced passion and obsession with winning the heart of Ashley.

Why Should You Watch This? Gone With The Wind is at the top of many movie lists of greatest movies of all time. It was groundbreaking in it's day for it's use of color and the burning of Atlanta. That scene alone is worth watching the whole movie for. The film also captures the struggle of the times and the costumes and sets are impeccable.

I love this movie. It is full of emotion and romance. I will warn you that it is a bit long. It runs just under four hours but it is worth the time. There is not a slow moment in the entire film. I really hope that if you have not seen this you will watch it. I think everyone should see it at least once. Let me know what you think and happy watching!

More than Bridesmaids

Movie Title: Bridesmaides
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Released: May 13, 2011


Hoot Rating: I give this movie the rating A Heck of a Hoot. The movie follows Annie (played by the talented Kristen Wiig), a failed baker whose bakery business went under, as she tries to be a supportive Maid of Honor for her best friend, Lillian. All the while, Annie's own life is falling apart. At first, she is overjoyed by her best friend since childhood's good news and is ready to be there for Lillian, even though she is stuck in a sex-only relationship with her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. All seems to be going well with the wedding until Annie meets Whitney, who turns out to be a new best friend of Lillian. An immature I'm-a-better-friend-than-you competition ensues with each trying to outdo the other and prove that they know Lillian best. Annie takes the blows a little harder than Whitney because her life keeps getting worse and worse due to her financial situation--a struggle Whitney doesn't have in her perfect, rich life. As the plot develops, slowly a gap emerges between Annie and Lillian's friendship. Her relationship with Lillian is not the only one to suffer. She snuffs a potentially successful relationship with a police officer, Rhodes, that she meets when he pulls her over because her break lights being out. He brings some happiness to her life until he tries to encourage her to start baking again--a sensitive subject for her. She pushes him away, hurting him as a result. Annie's problems seem to be numerous and unfair, but just maybe she has the power to make her life better--something she starts to believe that after a pep talk from a dynamic character in the film and fellow bride's maid.

The Critical Eye: I have to say, I was delightfully surprised by this movie. When I first saw the previews for this movie, I was torn. I love Kristen Wiig on SNL, but it looked like just another romantic comedy about a wedding and the humor looked like it would just be gross. I finally decided to see it when I looked up some information on it and found that Kristen Wiig co-wrote the screenplay. I feel this movie further shows just how talented Kristen Wiig is. Whoever said that women cannot write comedy has obviously not read or seen anything by the women that come out of SNL. This movie is proof that women can write comedy and write good comedy. I do feel like the movie starts out a little unsettling. It shows Annie having sex with her jerky ex-boyfriend. Yeah, it successfully shows that the couple are not a match, and there is actually not a lot of nudity in this scene but I think it was a bit of a crutch. It seems like something a writer writes into a script when they want to break people's preconceptions of it. With this it seems that she knew people would assume that a woman would do something more tame, but I think the movie could have stood on it's own without opening that way and it still could have broken those preconceptions. But, that is just me being picky. The rest of the film is wonderful. It has the right balance of humor and character development. I found myself relating to Annie. The situation is something that I am sure many people have struggled with. I know sometimes I have felt like I was losing my friends to other friends. It also carries a good message in the end that we cannot blame our lousy lives on others. We have control over our choices and can fight for what we want. This movie is also different from other wedding romantic comedies because it focuses mostly on Annie and her struggles. The wedding is just one small, humorous part of it.

The Bottom Line: If you do not like romantic comedies, do not see this, because no matter how much I think this movie is worth seeing, it is a romantic comedy. If you do not like movies with bathroom humor, I would say you probably will not like this movie, but you could just look away during that scene (it is in the preview). Overall, this was full of laughs and really develops the relationships. I think it is very worth seeing.

Classic Movie Monday: Sabrina

Title: Sabrina
Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart
Director: Billy Wilder
Year: 1954
Black & White



Summary: You might be familiar with this story line because, much like many wonderful, classic movies, it has been remade. The main character is Sabrina Fairchild. She lives above the garage of an extensive estate with her father, a chauffeur for the rich Larrabee family. All her life Sabrina has harbored a crush for the youngest Larrabee, David. This crush has worried those who care about Sabrina most. She is sent away to Paris to attend cooking school and maybe fall out of love with David, who doesn't even know she exists. As she is away, David is all she can think of at first, but then she begins to grow and thrive. She returns home more stylish than ever and finally attracts the attention of David, who she happily goes back to being infatuated with. A relationship with a chauffeur's daughter is not exactly what the Larrabee family has in mind for David, so the oldest Larrabee brother, Linus, works on breaking the two apart. Linus appears to be a heartless business man who is feared by many. With this kind of personality, Linus should be able to easily break the pair up. Linus attempts to woo Sabrina and it works. The only problem, though, is that Linus could end up being wooed, too.

The Stars: Audrey Hepburn plays Sabrina in this classic romance. Known for her style, she played many iconic roles including roles in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and Funny Face.Opposite her is Humphrey Bogart who plays Linus Larrabee. He was known best for his role in Casablanca and other dramatic roles. This unlikely pair make the romance so much sweeter.

Why Should You Watch This? This is a classic romance that is full of wonderful surprises. It is not much of a comedy, as there is more drama with this romance than humor. There is good character development between the main characters and you can really see the relationship between Linus and Sabrina grow. You also see Linus' growth because of his association with Sabrina. A bit of advice, though, would be to try to ignore the age gap. Don't get caught up in the fact that Linus is much, much older than Sabrina and just enjoy the relationship.

Hopefully you enjoy this film and let me know what you think! Also, if you would like, after watching the original, watch the remake and compare them. Happy watching!

Classic Movie Monday: Top Hat

Title: Top Hat
Stars: Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire...
Music By: Irving Berlin
Genre: Hollywood Musical
Year: 1935
Black & White



Summary: This is a classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Musical. Fred Astaire plays song and dance man and bachelor Jerry Travers. Late one night in his producer's hotel room, Travers, naturally, starts to dance. His tapping wakes the sleeping Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers). When Dale goes up to the room to request silence for her sweet dreams, Jerry becomes infatuated. Dale plays hard to get, though. They run in to each other again and hit it off, but then a case of mistaken identity leads Dale to believe that Jerry is a married man. He does not know that she think so, and he continues to pursue her. He hot and cold behavior baffles him, but he is in love. This confusion, however, could prove detrimental to Jerry's hopes.

The Stars: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers did ten movies together. The pair were known for their elegant song and dance numbers. The brains behind all of it, though, was Fred Astaire. He was a work-a-holic and perfectionist. He was singing and dancing since a very young age, starting out in his family's act on stage. He is still considered one of the greatest dancers of all time and there is not a list of best musicals that does not include Fred Astaire. Ginger Rogers...she's nothing special.

Why Should You Watch This? Musicals are some of the most happy films in existence, particularly the Hollywood Musical. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals stick to a very specific formula, so you know what you are going to get is pure happiness. The music is by Irving Berlin, one of my favorites, and the dances are magnificently choreographed. The plot is a little bit contrived, but if you just go with it, it is quite fun and entertaining. It is one of my favorite Fred Astaire musicals.

I hope you enjoy this film, too. I love Fred Astaire, if you could not already tell. He is wonderful to watch dance and his acting is just right for this comedic story. Let me know what you think!

Classic Movie Mondays: Bringing Up Baby

Title: Bringing Up Baby
Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant
Director: Howard Hawks
Genre: Screwball Comedy
Year: 1938
Black & White

Summary: In this screwball comedy Cary Grant stars as Dr. David Huxley, a paleontologist who is one bone away from finishing a dinosaur for his museum and soon to be married to assistant Alice Swallow. He is also hoping to get a one million dollar donation for his museum from a client of Alexander Peabody's. He is enjoying a golf game with Mr. Peabody, trying to put his best foot forward, when things start to go wrong. A woman, Susan Vance played by Katharine Hepburn, hits his ball. He runs after her and tries to explain her mistake, but she will not understand it and talks in circles bringing much frustration to Huxley. He gets his ball back and heads back to the game only to see Susan take his car. From that point on, Susan and David seem to keep running into each other and mishap after mishap occurs. Eventually, David is forced to work with Susan because of a leopard named Baby. On his wedding day, David assists Susan in transporting Baby to her Aunt's country house, quite frantically to his dismay, but not hers--she has her own agenda in keeping him busy on the day he is to be married. The situation continues to decline for David when he makes a bad impression on Susan's Aunt Elizabeth, who just so happens to Mr. Peabody's client interested in making the donation to the museum--but David has a plan to not let this ruin the museums chances, as long as Aunt Elizabeth does not know his real name. So, thanks to Susan, David becomes Mr. Bone. Susan continues to lead David on a wild leopard chase that ultimately leads to a very odd situation.

The Stars: Katharine Hepburn made her comedic debut in this film. Before this, her experience was basically dramatic acting. Many of her films, including the now classic and loved Bringing Up Baby, did not do well in the box office, earning her the label 'box office poison.' She continued with comedy though and redeemed her career with the second film she did with Cary Grant, called The Philadelphia Story. Cary Grant, best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock also did extensive dramatic acting , but he is best in his comedic roles as well. The two together made three delightful movies that are super enjoyable.

Why Should You Watch This? This is a hilarious romantic comedy. It is full of mishaps that some find frustrating, but each one is brilliant. There are a lot of good, memorable lines and Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grand work well together. The beginning starts out slow, but things pick up once you understand the character of Susan and see what she is trying. It really shows a woman in control because she really is the driving force for the plot. The supporting cast is also wonderful. I think this is a good classic comedy to watch because it is representational of a lot of what was going on in Hollywood at the time with it's style. As I was typing the summary, I realized what I never had before--there is a lot of sexual imagery in the story that is subtle. That was just the movies way of working around the strict Production Code which controlled the amount of sexuality in films to keep them clean and pure. Many movies tried to work around this code and they got quite creative, as this plot shows.

Once again, I hope you enjoy this film and let me know what you think! This is one of my personal favorites and I love Katherine Hepburn with Cary Grant and recomment The Philadelphia Story, and Holiday, too.

Classic Movie Mondays: Rear Window

Title: Rear Window
Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Year: 1954
In Color

Summary: "Rear Window" is a classic Hitchcock suspense film about a photographer, L. B. Jefferies (James Stewart), who is confined to a wheelchair for weeks due to an accident. He is cared for by a nurse, Stella, played by Thelma Ritter and by his girlfriend who wants nothing more than to settle down with him, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly). Due to the extensive confinement, Jeff finds a not so common hobby in spying on the neighbors. He gets their schedules down to a 't'. He is warned against it numerous times by Stella and Lisa, but he continues to allow his peeping to occupy his time. Finally, he becomes convinced that one of his neighbors has killed his wife. He explains his theory to Lisa, Stella and a friend, Detective Doyle, but all of them insist that this is just a side effect of the heat and his confinement. But is his imagination just running away with him or is it possible that a killer is in the neighborhood?

The Stars: In this brilliant masterpiece directed by the king of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart stars as L. B. Jeffries, a thrill seeking photographer. James Stewart worked with Hitchcock several times and even if you have not seen many classics, you might know him as George Baily from "It's a Wonderful Life," which is a Christmas classic that is played on television every year around Christmas, several times. James Stewart was known for his boy scout persona and 'awe shucks' charm. He is suited for this role because he brings to life the idea of an average guy thrust into a situation most people think will never happen to them. Also starring in this film is the beautiful princess, Grace Kelly. I am not sure that you will really know her from anything, but she brings elegant sex appeal to every role she plays. She also does not allow herself to be the typical stereotype of women this is too often portrayed in older films. She shows a brilliance in her roles and was also a favorite of Hitchcock's.

The Director: It is a shame that some people do not know who Alfred Hitchcock is anymore. He was a master of suspense. He knew how to keep the audience on their toes and had a specific vision for every film he brought to live. At one point, he was one of the most recognizable directors because he made a cameo appearance in every one of his movies. His most recognizable work would be "Psycho," a Halloween classic that you may have seen. His movies are able to capture suspense in ways that many modern directors have yet to achieve.

Why should you watch this? This is my absolute favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie, and I am a fan of of Hitchcock. I have seen almost all of his films. Many of my friends do not even know who he is and that is just a shame. If you like suspense, you will love this. There is something for everyone in this film. There is suspense and Grace Kelly for the guys and suspense, romance, and James Stewart for the girls. I love James Stewart and he is a delight in this role as is Grace Kelly, who is gorgeous and has a fabulous wardrobe in this film. Once again I would says this film is not too dated, yet it is older than my first Classic Movie Monday pick. It is, however, still in color (a am working my way to black and white, though, so get ready). You should also watch it to see if you can spot Hitchcock's cameo appearance. It is quite fun to try and spot him, just make sure you know what he looks like, first.

I hope you enjoy this movie, so let me know!

Classic Movie Mondays: The Odd Couple

Title: The Odd Couple
Stars: Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon
Director: Gene Saks
Genre: Comedy
Year: 1968
In Color


Summary: "The Odd Couple" is a comedy about two friends, Oscar (Walter Matthau) and Felix (Jack Lemmon). Oscar is divorced and hosts a poker night every week for some friends. One poker nigh his best friend, Felix, does not show up and Oscar gets a phone call from Felix's wife saying they are getting a divorce and that Felix said he was going to kill himself. When Felix arrives at the poker night, Oscar tries to cheer him up and offers him shelter. They move in together because Felix has nowhere else to go. This sets things up for them to be the odd couple and conflict ensues between the Oscar the slob and Felix the neat freak. This is a touching comedy about friendship full of comedic goodness and touching moments.

The Stars: You might know Walter Matthau as the grumpy Mr. Wilson from "Dennis the Menace," but he has had a variety of different roles, including some dramatic roles. His dramatic acting is what makes him so good at comedic roles because of his deadpan delivery. Jack Lemmon might be familiar to you because of "Tuesdays with Morrie." He also has comedic and dramatic roles and plays the pathetic, sympathetic, nervous type very well. I find him to be quite lovable.

Why should you watch this? I just recently discovered this movie and fell in love with it. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon work well together and it is full of intelligent comedy. It is not full of cheap comedic attempts. Instead, the characters a funny without being aware that they are funny. I am starting out easy for you, so this is in color and not as dated as some other classic movies. It also has some actors that I think you would be more familiar with. I hope you choose to watch this and let me know what you think.

Happy Watching!

Don't know where to find it? If you have Netflix, it is available to watch instantly, or you might be able to find it at Blockbuster or your local Library.

Introducing: Classic Movie Mondays

It has been brought to my attention that fewer and fewer people are taking it upon themselves to watch classic movies. By "classic movies," I don't mean the movies that people go watch in the theater and say, "that's going to be a classic." I mean old movies. The movies that inspired modern filmmakers and those that started it all. That includes black and white movies. I feel very passionate about this. I have known many people that just will not watch black and white movies. I know some readers of this will probably feel that way, so I just want to express my feelings on this subject. I think it is unfair to exclude an entire collection of films simply because they are not in color. Believe it or not, color was not always an option just like HD was not always an option. It took a lot of work to perfect it. Just because a movie is not in color does not mean that it is not good. They are worth watching and after time, you don't even notice it anymore. I have seen so many black and white films that I have to check the DVD case to remind myself if it is color or black and white. I also feel that when films are black and white, they allow you to focus more on character development and on the story. If you can learn to appreciate this, then you can open your world up to a whole lot of wonderful films.

For some, black and white is not the problem. Some people just do not know where to begin with classic movies because they don't know what actors are good or what movies are worth seeing. This is why I decided to create Classic Movie Mondays. I will (hopefully) lead you in the right direction. Like with modern movies, you have to find the actors you like, because not everyone will like the same actors. I am a huge fan of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, James Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn, but not everyone is going to like these same actors. Because of this, I will try to get a good variety of movies.

Here is how Classic Movie Mondays will work:

Each Monday I will do a post about a Classic Movie. I will give you basic information on the movie, a summary, why I like it and a bit of information about the stars and director. I will also let you know if it is in black and white or color, because some will be in color. Hopefully, it will be enough information for you to decide if you want to watch it or not. If you choose to watch it, let me know how much you liked it and why, or let me know if you did not like it and why. I hope this will encourage more people to watch classic movies and come to love them the way I do.

(Not Little) Red Riding Hood

Movie Title: Red Riding Hood
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Released: March 11, 2011


Hoot Rating: I give this film One Hoot. It is classified as a horror film, but I never really felt like it was one either time I saw it. The film was mostly a fantasy-romance flick. It was enjoyable and it did keep me guessing as to who the wolf was till the very end which kept me intrigued. Some of the acting was a little laughable on the supporting end as well as some of the plot. Some of it was just a bit of a stretch. I do think it is worth seeing, but don't expect it to be the best movie you've seen in a long time or to be very traditional when it comes to the story.

The Critical Eye: "Red Riding Hood' is not the fairytale you were read as a kid. It takes the usual cautionary story and turns it into a romance. Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie, who lives in a small village that lives in fear of the wolf. This fear is so strong the villagers sacrifice their best animals to it in order to stay safe from its wrath. This however, does not seem to worry Valerie, who is more focused on her love affair with Peter (Shilo Fernandez), who she is in love with but cannot be with because she is to marry Henry (Max Irons). As Valerie is frolicking in the woods with Peter, the Wolf defies the village's agreement and kills someone close to Valerie. This causes the village priest to seek the help of Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), who is an expert at hunting werewolves. Before he arrives, the villagers go do some wolf hunting of their own and are lead to believe they were victorious when they have only killed a normal wolf. Father Solomon arrives and tells them they have made a mistake, but they ignore his warnings and celebrate anyway. When they learn they are still in danger, they turn all power over to Father Solomon, who conducts a Salem Witch Trial-esque hunt. He informs the village that the wolf could be anyone, even those you are closest to. This makes Valerie suspicious of everyone and even places Valerie in danger herself.

"Red Riding Hood" is, overall, an entertaining movie. Although it focuses on the forbidden romance between Valerie and Peter, it does provide suspense about who the wolf is. We get the sense that Valerie knows it is someone close to her and therefor she is conflicted throughout the movie as to who to trust and love. It is directed by the same woman who directed "Twilight," so that says something about the movie. The camerawork is better in this than in "Twilight," though. I had a similar feel as "Twilight" which could be attributed to the soundtrack. The special effects are good (minus one obvious puppet wolf head) and there is little gore, which is good for some people and disappointing for others. There are some humorous parts, whether they were intentional or not is hard to say. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward, until the ending, which I find problematic in terms of Valerie's emotions, but I won't get into it because I would have to spoil the ending. I would say, though, that the end leaves room for sequels, if they choose to go the saga route.

The Bottom Line: The movie is entertaining, but if you want 'can't sleep for weeks' horror and 'pee your pants' thrills, that is not what you are going to get. It is more so a movie about relationships and trust with a CGI wolf thrown in. It is worth seeing once, but you might want to wait to rent it. Don't see it twice. The second time is quite boring. If you want to take kids to see this, I would say it is okay if you are worried about gore, but be careful because there are a few parts (maybe two parts) that are quite sexual, especially during the village celebration, which is a bit like Mardi Gras.

Just Go With It?

Movie Title: Just Go With It

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Released: February 11, 2011

Hoot Rating: I give this film One Hoot. There were slight moments of laugh-out-loud fun. Some of the humor was crude, but there were other genuinely funny moments which prevent this film from being entirely Hoot-less. Other than these brief funny moments, there is not much there to be desired.

The Critical Eye: Just Go With It is a romantic comedy where Adam Sandler plays Danny, a plastic surgeon who, because of a past heartbreak, uses a wedding band and lies of a bad wife to get dumb, but willing women to have sex with him. He has many successful years of one-night stands who swoon for a guy stuck in a bad marriage, until he meets and falls for Palmer, a girl who is not so cool with the idea of being a home-wrecker. After their roll in the sand, she finds his symbol of everlasting love (the fake ring) in his pants pocket. Rather than telling the truth and risking sounding like a douche, Danny does what comes so naturally to him and lies. The lie, of course, is not enough for the girl who wants to meet the ex, so Danny enlists the help of his assistant, Katherine, divorced mother of two and the one woman that knows all his truths, played by Jennifer Aniston. She poses as his not-so-nice, soon-to-be ex-wife. Things go smoothly during their little meeting, until she slips up and reveals she has kids, which means that she and Danny have kids. This makes Palmer like Danny even more and she wants to bond with the children. A sick and twisted extended family vacation to Hawaii ensues as well as a tangled mess of plot complications and Adam Sanldler humor.

"Just go with it" seems to be what the writers of this screenplay said to producers any time they examined the plot too closely. The focus seemed to be more on individual moments of comedy rather than on comical situations that build to a plausible climax and ending, the way a good comedy should. This is not to say that there were not some rather unique displays of comedic genius, as the crowd in the theater with me were not stingy on their laughs during certain points throughout the film. For the most part though, the physical comedies, jokes and perverted wit are an attempt to distract the audience away from all of the flows in the plot.

The writing is not the only thing to blame, however. I find it hard to believe that, given the large number of cast and crew that go into making any movie, there was not one person who campaigned hard enough to get the hideous false nose out of the movie. Yes, you read right...hideous false nose. It was a lame attempt to give Danny (Sandler) motivation to ditch vulnerability of being in love and become a liar and plastic surgeon. I must insist there had to have been a better way. I suppose it is supposed to be humorous, but it is just disturbing and a big turn-off so early in the movie. The nose goes away though, so things get a little better...at least, as much as the acting will allow it to get. This movie is what it is: A cross between a Jennifer Aniston movie and an Adam Sandler movie with the best of each cut out. Jennifer Aniston is sweet and likable while Adam Sandler is perverted and comical. Basically, they are both every character they have ever played. I suppose there is not much wrong with this except for the fact that this time they are in the same movie. I suspect I was not the only one who was a bit surprised to see them in a movie together, but I thought I'd give it a chance. Unfortunately, I was not wrong about thinking them to be a bad combination. There is no chemistry between them. Moments where I should have found myself sighing "how sweet," with my heart fluttering, I felt a bit disturbed.

The acting done by the kids was surprisingly touching and comical. Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck played Maggie and Michael, Katherine's (Aniston) kids in this movie, and they did the comedic moments and touching moments well. However, this is a bit overshadowed by the way they are treated and talked to by Danny (Sandler). He is hardly a loving father figure and I never really believe that he cares about them the way Katherine (Aniston) seems to think he does. This is just one of the issues with the plot. The kids are treated this way because it was thought to be comical and the attempt to make the movie comical led to the neglect of creating a likable lead character. He is only a good guy in the eyes of Katherine (Aniston). Danny is a character prepared to be invested in a relationship based on lies and is willing to pull anyone in with him to make it all happen. It is okay for the main character to be comical, but he must also be likable with redeeming qualities.

Hopefully you do not think I am being too critical. I do think it is worth One Hoot because there are some very funny moments including one involving a coconut that was very funny and disturbing at the same time. You will also come away with a new term for going to the bathroom (specifically number two). It is a good escape from reality and enjoyable, just don't analyze the plot too much.

The Bottom Line: Basically, If you plan to see this movie because you love Adam Sandler's movies like Waterboy, Billy Madison, and Happy Gilmore, don't see it. If you plan to see this movie because you want to see Jennifer Aniston fall in love and have touching relationship revelations, don't see this movie. If you care at all about having a realistic plot, don't see this movie. If you care at all about having a well put together romantic comedy plot, don't see this movie. If you want to see a stupid movie that will make you laugh a lot and that has perverted moments, go see this movie. If you were planning on seeing this with your significant other for Valentine's day, don't go see this movie. Basically, I thought it was alright and worth it for the laughs.

Intro: The Rating System

Instead of going with the overly used star system for rating films, the old school thumbs up or down system, or the rotten or fresh scale, I would like to use a ratings system that is near and dear to my heart, and so very 'me.' I will be rating these movies with a 'hoot' system. For those of you who are not familiar with what a hoot is, here is a definition:

Hoot: Used to express that an individual has just had an enjoyable experience, "That was a hoot!" Something fun and worthwhile; A real barrel of monkeys; Also could mean funny.

The breakdown is as follows:

Hoot-less: No enjoyment whatsoever came out of watching this film. It lacked in entertainment and enjoyability as well as made the viewer feel disappointment.

One Hoot:The film contained some moments that were enjoyable to the viewer but there was something lacking in the development or plot that left the viewer wanting more.

A Hoot-and-a-Half:A film with mostly enjoyable moments and a well developed plot. The overall experience was something fun and worth the time to see but not extra special.

Two full Hoots: An overall delightful movie that was everything it ought to have been. It has you leaving the theater excited. Well worth recommending to a friend.

A Heck of a Hoot: A well-made movie that was captivating the entire time, with superb writing. A movie that was extra special and new. Practically perfect in every way.

Now, these definitions can change slightly to be more accurately applied to the movie being discussed, for example a Horror movie would not be expected to have enjoyable moments as much as pee-your-pants moments, but that does not mean it could not be given the rating of One Hoot. I will explain my rankings in each review.

Intro: Movies with Melissa

This blog will be dedicated to movie reviews by yours truly. Most of the time I just don't understand what movie critics are thinking when they review movies. They are quite mean and I don't always agree with them. There are tons of movies that are successful that critics just don't like, or that they say they don't like because it gives them more credibility as a critic, I guess. I just don't roll that way. I love movies and want to share my honest opinion. What qualifications do I have, you ask? Well, I am a film major and...that's it. Look, I want to be a writer and I've seen more movies than the average person. Plenty have been bad or awful but a lot have been very enjoyable. With this blog I hope to provide entertaining, for-the-people reviews that are funny but not too mean. I wont be tossing around any rotten fruits that are commonly thought to be vegetables. I hope you find these reviews helpful and enjoyable. Oh, and while you are at it, check out my other blog called Cotton Candy Writing. It is a plethora of humorous observations and views on life. I know, how can I possibly keep up with two blogs, you ask? I'm pure awesomeness.