March movie madness!

So, have seen some pretty good films over the last couple of weeks. First, was invited to a friend's house for dinner, and to watch LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, which I have never seen it. Sadly, I only made it through the first half, but loving it so far. We are meant to reconvene tomorrow and watch the second half. There is something so compelling about Peter O'Toole. I am hoping to watch some of this other films as well.

THE BANK JOB

I enjoy heist movies, and this one looked interesting as it was based on a true story. A local group of thugs is hired by a former model to break into a certain bank. She has been hired by some government guy to get pictures of a royal doing dirty things that are usually shown in porno films. So, these local thugs go about trying to break in the bank. Chaos ensues. It was an interesting movie to watch, but also quite disturbing. It just kind of goes along, and then has a very gritty, realistic edge to its violence which is somewhat unexpected. The actors are all very low-key and interesting, featuring Saffron Burrows (who is fantastic in the film ENIGMA, costarring Ms. Kate Winslet) and Jason Statham as the lead local thug.

Final thoughts: If you dig heist movies, one to check out...but you could add it to you netflix list, no problem.

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY

Sometimes, a simple, little love story is all you need. Featuring a fabulous cast of Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, Ciaran Hinds (LOVE him) and the adorable Lee Pace (hope everyone had a chance to watch PUSHING DAISIES, one of my fave TV shows from the fall), MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY tells about Ms. Pettigrew (McDormand) becoming a social secretary to the social-climbing Adams. She wants to be a star, and so has three beaus to make that happen. She is dating the producer of the show she wants to star in in the West End, the bar owner where she currently performers her Cabaret, and the poor but cute piano player who loves her, and wants to marry her. Pettigrew is over her head, as a pastor's daughter, who is suddenly juggling men, and taking her charge to lingerie shows designed by the hunky Hinds, who is engaged to a woman with whom he is constantly fighting and getting back together with. Chaos ensues. Charming and fluffy, you can't help but leave the theatre smiling at the silliness of it all. Of course, there is seriousness as London is about top be bombed at any moment by the Nazis. However, that can't get in the way of the young people having fun.

Final thoughts: Darling story filled with good actors makes for a lovely matinee. Bring a girlfriend and some chocolate, and indulge the hopeless romantic inside you!

DEFINITELY, MAYBE

There is nothing better than seeing a movie, and finding it so much better than you thought it was going to be. A fabulous rom-com, DEFINITELY MAYBE captures the story of a father telling his daughter how he met her mother. (Not to be confused with the TV show starring Josh Radnor of Columbus, Ohio.) Anyway, Ryan Reynolds tells his daughter, played by Abigail Breslin, how he met and courted three women, Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weicz, all of who are fantastic in the movie. It is a "love-story mystery", and sweet to boot. This film definitely steps up, portraying the realism and complexity of adult love and relationships, but also keeps it funny and full of hope. Loved it, thought it was sweet, rooted for love, and laughed a bit. All in all, a great trip to the movies.

Final thoughts: One for the hopeless romantic. Thoroughly enjoyable and a lot of fun! Check it out on either the big screen or your TV when it comes out.

So, this weekend, hoping to check out the French film LOVE SONGS....but also going to crash at home as well. Hope that you might get yourselves to the movies if you can!

photo credits: www.movieweb.com

new things

I am not really a girlie-girl...but every once in a while, I love to shop. Tonight, my mission was to go and find a new pair of character shoes. So, off to Capezio I went...and happily, I found a pair! I ended up getting tan instead of black, because they actually didn't have black in my size - but the point is, I really like them, and I can't wait to wear them in my show, which opens in two weeks!

Yes, the show is coming up, and I hope that it will be fabulous. I am at least having fun, which in the end, is all that matters. I really hope that it is worth it for my parents to fly out here from Ohio for it.....which, let's face it, it might not be. However, I will wear my new character shoes with pride, sing, dance, and act like a dork. Good times.

confession

I have a confession to make......I am super excited for the movie CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC. I love the book, which everyone should read (if they like that sort of thing) by Sophie Kinsella. It is a funny, sweet read, and the story has actually expanded to five books! Anyway, as I have mentioned before, I have a new job, and the new office is in the heart of Soho. Across the street today, they were filming the movie! So, here are some pictures I got while skulking around my office, and then running outside....I know, I am a movie dork!

In case you have never seen a live movie set, here is some of the mob of people that are on hand. It is trucks and trucks full of equipment, then you have different stations set up, then the camera, crew, security, and finally the people who are trying to make their way around the city.

This is Isla Fisher rehearsing from across the street. She actually came on set about an hour after they first started setting up the shot. Her stand-in worked with the crew while they set up camera angles, traffic patterns, and set the marks. Then they ran the scene a couple of times with the stand-in. Then, the star comes and rehearses a couple of times out of costume. Then the star leaves, the set the shot, and the star returns to actually film the scene in costume.

Ran across the street to try and get some better pics of Ms. Fisher. Mostly failed...sorry!

Failed attempt #2.

This is the actual shoot as pictured from my office. Fisher is the pink spot closest to the building towards the top of the pic.

When something is filming, they post these signs to let people know. In NYC, you find yourself tripping all over these.

On http://www.justjared.com/, they posted pictures of Ms. Fisher on set. So, this is a close-up view of the costume she is wearing while filming the scene above.

FYI....the movie opens in February 2009.

things i'm loving

Hello and greetings from the wilds of the city. Every once in a while, I find myself taking pleasure in the most random of things. I adore when that happens. Let's face it...most of life is crap! Then, every once in a while, you have a great day, or just do something fun, or take pleasure in something simple, and you can forget that the world isn't perfect, and that we are probably all going to die in 50 years from global warming. So, some thoughts on things that I'm loving right now....

1. The Library
I know. You are thinking, Beth, you are an idiot. But, I kid you not...the library has changed my life in such a good way. With the New York Public Library, you can request books or movies, and have them delivered to the branch of your choice, and then you can just go and pick up the stuff. Just yesterday, I picked up a book and two movies, and now have another movie waiting for me to pick up next weekend. Isn't that exciting?? It is a great way to save money...for those of us who like Barnes and Noble a little too much. Hooray for the library.

2. ELI STONE
I am so digging this new show on ABC. It's about this lawyer, Eli Stone (played by the fabulous Jonny Lee Miller.....aka the lead from the trash-abulous movie HACKERS), who finds out that he has a brain aneurysm, and changes how he lives his life. He takes on pro bono work, and breaks up with his fiancee....it is funny, sad, and includes some sort of musical number almost every week (his brain thing gives him "visions".....they rock). I am like a six year-old who has been promised ice cream when I come home on Thursday nights and look at my DVR list. You should definitely check it out when you have the chance.

3. CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC....the movie
One of my fave chick-lit books is being made into a movie starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. Filming in NYC (allegedly on the block where my office is one day a couple off weeks ago!), this flick is slated to come out on V-Day, 2009. Assuming I will still be single and living with a cat, I plan to go on opening night. I actually just got the book out from the library (see #1) and am revisiting it as I type. If you like those rom-coms....let the countdown begin.

4. Summer movies are a-comin'
We are getting into the summer movie madness, and soon, you will find me even more at that the theatres, if that is possible. Some at the top of my list are FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, SEX AND THE CITY, LEATHERHEADS, INDIANA JONES, and ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND. And, the summer season is starting a bit earlier this year, which is most exciting. So, start saving those pennies, it is going to be a busy year at the movies.

5. Pizza
It is no secret that I love, love, love pizza. I just wanted to put it on the list because it totally does make me happy.

More soon...

movie redux

Hi all. As always, I have been hitting the movies hard....it is totally my drug of choice. Here are thoughts about my recent outings!

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

You know how sometimes there are these really fun, trashy movies, that are well-made and smart, and you just enjoy them so much? And, you know how sometimes there are these really fun, trashy movies, that are really just bad, and you enjoy them so much? THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL falls into the trashy, bad movie category, but still manages to be fun to watch. The disappointing thing is that this movie SHOULD be fabulous. With a cast led by Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana, this movie should just rock. Plus, the novel it's based on is a fabulously trashy romance novel. Something got lost in the translation. I guess what it comes down to is that this is the movie of pouters. Portman is Anne Boleyn, scheming uber-b*tch who wants to be the queen. Johansson is Mary, the sweet innocent who is betrayed by her sister, whines about it, then mopes, then leaves, them comes back, and is a good person = kind of boring. Bana plays Henry who wants to get laid and have a son and heir. There just isn't anyone to root for. The other thing really working against the film is the fact that they try to include all of the stories in the book...but don't necessarily return to resolve them. You meet someone who seems to be an important character, and then either don't see them again, or they pass a star in the hallway of the palace with a significant look...and are gone. Huh?
All that being said, I had fun watching the movie. To be honest, there were parts that I just laughed at, as they were awkward or just goofy. The actors are first-rate, and manage to have some great moments, even though the materials is not quite perfect.

Final thoughts: If you like romance novels, this is the kind of movie you will enjoy...guilty pleasure. Grab some chocolate, ogle the costumes, and watch to enjoy......don't over think it.

PENELOPE

As you might recall, I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for several months, having first seen the preview last summer. I was somewhat devastated when it finally came out to mostly terrible reviews. However, I decided to go and check and out, and can say with pride, it's not as bad as you think it will be! Ricci plays Penelope, a girl who is cursed with the nose and ears of a pig, and the spell can only be broken when she is loved by one of her own kind. (aka....rich person) So, her parents hire a dating service to bring in rich boys to meet her, fall in love with her and break the spell. A lot more happens, and in comes James McAvoy, hired by someone to get a picture of the freaky-pig girl. Chaos ensues. It is a modern-day fairy-tale, and is a lot of fun. I sat there smiling through it, and overall, had a lovely time. McAvoy gives a great performance in what could be a throw-away role, and Ricci is likable as Penelope. Reese Witherspoon, producer of the film, has a small part, and in some ways, I wish I could have seen her in the lead part.

Final thoughts: Grab a girlfriend, some popcorn, and enjoy a simple love story.

BE KIND, REWIND

I love Mos Def. I don't know what it is about him, but I find him hilarious and likable. In Michel Gondry's new film (he also directed ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - yeah, Kate Winslet!), Jack Black is Mos Def's best friend. Mos Def works at a VHS rental store, and Jack Black accidentally becomes magnetic and erases all of the films. Oops. So, they set about remaking them. They do GHOSTBUSTERS and DRIVING MISS DAISY amongst others, and are hilarious doing it. There is a lot more to the movie than that, but the movie-making is the comedy center of the film. There are themes of community and stuff, but if you are anything like me, you would rather just laugh at the fun stuff anyway.

Final thoughts: Bizarre, funny and interesting, one to check out when you have the time.

FOOL'S GOLD

When will Kate Hudson get a fabulous movie to really shine in? Once again, she does a good job in a so-so movie, and I so just want her to get the perfect romantic comedy party. (I am still holding out hope that "Can You Keep a Secret?" by Sophie Kinsella will be made with her in the lead.) FOOL'S GOLD is a fun, silly movie, that you watch, and laugh at, and then forget on your way out the door. Truth be told, I am not the biggest Matthew McConaughey fan, so for me, this was about Kate Hudson. The two got married for the sex, and to scuba for treasure. So, eight years later, without treasure, Hudson is divorcing Matthew, and going back to school. To make ends meet she works on the yacht of a wealthy guy (Donald Sutherland...who I assume made a TON of money with this), which her ex-husband happens to get on and convinces the owner to go after the ultimate sunken treasure. With some surprisingly violent violence, the movie takes itself a bit more seriously than it needs to. However, at the end of it all, it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

Final thoughts: Not as bad as it might have been, but certainly not very good. If you like adventure movies, maybe check it out. If not, save your dough.

SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES - will do on my next posting.

photo credits: http://www.movieweb.com/