Latest kids movies

The Tale of Desperaux is excellent. We love Kate DiCamillo's books and they did an excellent job with this one. The animation is beautiful and the story is refreshing. I was a little concerned when it first started because the technique seemed confusing as they jumped between characters and situations. But they used a narrator to bring you along with the story and my kids loved it! They were totally hooked, despite the fact that there weren't any race car scenes or fart jokes! The story was a simple lesson in bravery and courage and love. It was beautiful and my kids loved it! I'd say they paid more attention here than they do in most kids movies!

Mall Cop is the exact opposite of Desperaux, but funny and sweet none the less! As my kids get a little older, they like to see live-action as well as animation and this one was fun.

Favorite Movies from the 80

We either still love them or we loved them once and feel they are classic representations of our era

Shelly:
1. The Goonies
2. St. Elmo's Fire
3. Sixteen Candles
4. Breakfast Club
5. The Lost Boys
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark
7. Top Gun
8. A Christmas Story
9. Some Kind of Wonderful
10. Say Anything

Nathan:
1. Say Anything
2. The Lost Boys
3. Fletch
4. Heathers
5. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
6. Caddyshack
7. Some Kind of Wonderful

Top 5 Wedding Movies

Cinema Girl asked for my top 5 wedding movies:

1. Four Weddings and a Funeral - this wins without a second thought - it launched Hugh Grant in the US and it's the character he does best
2. Sweet Home Alabama - It's so fun to watch beautiful people
3. Wedding Crashers - almost pee'd my pants the first time I saw this
4. The Wedding Singer - it's classic 80s at it's finest
5. Father of the Bride - both the original and this version are awesome for the classic actors that are in them
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding - funny and original

Please write in your faves or your comments!!

Rachel Getting Married

My friend Jen and I recently saw this in New York City. I could tell we weren't in Minneapolis because people laughed all the way through the film and in Mpls I'm afraid there would have been awkward silences. It's a strange film. I loved some parts and hated others.

First, it's filmed like someone is using a camcorder half the time. And it feels a bit like you're at a second cousin's wedding whom you hated. Sometimes the people are extremely boring and drone on.

There are great scenes with Anne Hathaway however. She really is as great as the critics say...when they let her have the screen. I recommend waiting for the rental so you can fast forward through the boring parts because there is a really interesting storyline around the intricacies of family and how we hurt most those we love the most.

New fall TV shows

Karen recently asked for my opinions on the new shows. I haven't watched that many this year (and I changed jobs so I don't see the pilots anymore) but Life On Mars is great. It's about a cop who was sent back in time to 1973. I don't know why, but I have this fascination with the 70s on TV. I guess I must be fascinated with the pea green upholstery or it just takes me back to childhood. I'm not usually into cop dramas but the writing on this show is fabulous. And the main actor, Jason O'Mara, is wonderful.

Another new show I like is Fringe. First, it's from JJ Abrams, who can write no wrong in my opinion. Second, it stars Joshua Jackson, who, as Pacey, was always my favorite high schooler on Dawsons Creek.

Burn After Reading

The Coen Brothers do it again! This movie is in the Fargo genre, if you loved the humor of that movie. It is wickedly and disturbingly funny with a little violence thrown in for laughs (it has it's wood-chipper moments).

Brad Pitt is hilarious as a beautiful, "blonde" gym trainer. Frances McDormand is great as his sweet, dingy partner in crime. George Clooney is another Coen brothers regular who is great with Tilda Swinton, who's at her bitchy best again. And then there's John Malkovich, who kinda steals the show and is just delightfully tortured and funny. There really isn't one thing I hated about this movie! It's probably my favorite Coen brothers yet.

Vicky Christina Barcelona

That's it, I'm done with Woody Allen. I just don't get his movies. All the characters were so interesting in this, I really got into them. Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are the best (except that I couldn't get that picture of Javier as Anton Chigur out of my head and kept waiting for him to start shooting people).

Just when you start getting into the movie and anticipating the ending, it just ends abruptly. And stupidly. It is so frustrating!!!!!!! I invested all that time into these people to have them turned into predictable drones. Ugh! But if you're a Woody fan, maybe this is what you like about him?