Summer Movie Roundup

I saw many, many movies in the theater this summer.   I'm not counting in- home viewing.  I'm talking theater experience summer movies.  And I saw quite a few - with varying enjoyment.  From The Double Whammies (so good, I paid twice) to the ones I wish I had been patient enough to view on Cable with commercials - Summer 2014 had some interesting movie madness.  And, believe it or not, I still have a lengthy list of movies I didn't fit in, that I will try to catch Red Box or Cable or years from now on network TV.



Guardians of the Galaxy - The mighty and so very funny Chris Pratt as Star-Lord makes this quirky super hero/comic incarnation work.  The 70s music didn't hurt either.    The Best of the Big Summer Popcorn Flicks. Out of This World.

The Hundred Foot Journey - I want to live in a little town in France and eat sea urchin and other fancy things thanks to this heart warming movie.  Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Helen Mirren and Om Puri should team up again.  The great cast and beautiful food make this one very palatable.  Three Michelin Stars 



Edge of Tomorrow - I'm rarely as surprised by a movie as I was with this one.  Unexpectedly funny and interesting with great special effects.  Cruise and Blunt - awesome.  Groundhog Day meets Transformers meets Terminator meets Inception.  Repeat Goodness.






Chef  - Food had a good summer.  I loved this little film about a food truck owner and his son.  Jon Favreau - writer, director, star - even called in a favor from his Iron Man buddy - with an amusing Robert Downey, Jr cameo.  Greasy food truck food never looked so good.  Delectable.

Begin Again - As an actor, Adam Levine is a really good singer, but this lovely movie about starting over through music was terrific.  Mark Ruffalo,  Kiera Knightley and New York City - amazing.  Perfect Harmony.

Blended - This movie was critically panned, and devoured at the box office, but I loved it.  It was exactly what I expected from Drew and Adam - a little ridiculous crassness, a lot of sweetness, very specific Sandler humor, and perfectly predictable.  Terry Crews silly singing aside, I really enjoyed this family film and the African back drop.  Well Mixed.

X-Men: Days of Future Past - Oscar Winners (at least 3), Oscar Nominees, Emmy winners and Nominees, Tony Winner and Nominees, Countless Golden Globe nominees and an Oscar Host.  These X-Men are a stellar cast.  And the cast sells it, with wit and greatness.  X-cellent.


The Fault in Our Stars - I meant to read this book, but I didn't.  I could still tell in the first 15 minutes which characters would meet their end and which wouldn't.   I like the irreverent frankness of the tone - I would guess it stayed pretty true to the book and captured the words well - because the words in the film are good.  Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley do well as the sick, star-crossed teenagers.  It is a cancer story.  It is a sad story, but also a hopeful one.  Bring the Kleenex.  Weepily Wonderful.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - My 9 year old niece was so distraught by one of the main characters dying in this sequel, that I may have missed some of the middle.  I loved the original film, and this sequel captures everything that was great about the original.   Satisfying Sequel. 

When the Game Stands Tall - A high School football team with a 151 consecutive wins and then a loss and the coach that led it all is the back drop for this true-life story.  Jim Caviezel is great as Coach Ladouceur.  For a true story - this movie is every football movie cliche brought to life.  A little Blind Side, a little Rudy, a little Remember the Titans, a little We Are Marshall, a little Friday Night Lights - all wrapped into one.  If you like football (there is a lot of actual football in it) and football movies you will like this, and might get a little misty at the end.   A Perfect Effort.  



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -   If you watched the turtles growing up - you will get this.  If you didn't watch them, you won't.  The turtles looked great - achieved via motion capture.  The teenage humor was right on - for teenagers in the 90s, and Megan Fox as April - sure.  Will Arnett being very Will Arnett.  90s Nostalgia.


Maleficient - I don't particularly love fantasy movies.  This one was very fantasy-y.  Angelina Jolie was fan-freaking-tastic as Maleficient though, and the 'new spin' on Sleeping Beauty was intriguing.  It was scarier than I expected (for small children - scary) - but still fun.  Though, I have no desire to sit through it again.  Fantasy Fun.

Mom's Night Out - Sarah Drew is likable in about everything she does.  (As I write that, I'm remembering how her character on Greys Anatomy was grating and unliked at the beginning of her run on that show - and her character is still polarizing, but somewhat redeemed.  I just like her because I loved Everwood and I loved her with Chris Pratt on it.) A crazy night out on the town, with incredibly unbelievable happenings including a missing baby, Trace Adkins as the head of a biker gang, mixed up dinner reservations and bowling - but a little funny none-the-less.  Patricia Heaton was enjoyable as well.  Though, it was overly earnest in trying to wrap it up with a beautiful Mom message.  This is Date Night's kid sister, if only Fey and Carrell had shown up in end.  Maybe Moms Night IN.

Wish I Was Here  - Zach Braffs follow up writing, directing starring effort to Garden State had mixed reviews.  I like Braff, I loved Garden State.  I like that a lot of this movie plays like a music video, and the music is so good.  The cast is great (though, Kate Hudson is miscast) - especially the kids, Joey King and Pierce Gagnon.  Oh, yeah Mandy Patinkin and Josh Gad are phenomenal as well. If you liked his first one, you'll likely like the second one - as many have pointed out - they are largely the same movie - dealing with the same themes and perspective, but I found this one to be less enjoyable.  Its one thing for a twenty something to be finding his way, its another to have a thirty something with a wife and two kids, acting (mostly irresponsibly) by refusing to give up his 'dream' of acting and take a real job.  The main character seemed so selfish to me, it was hard to ignore.  Overall though, the music, the cast and enough clever gems of wisdom won me over.  Wish Fulfilled.




And So It Goes -   It is so unfortunate that this movie shares a name with an incredible Billy Joel tune. It certainly isn't worthy of any mix ups.  Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas - oh, dear.  Rob Reiner directed this sad, sad excuse for a Something's Gotta Give wannabe older generation rom-com.  I expected it to be...better -in about every way.  Ho-Hum.

What If  -  I am the target audience for this cutesy-poo flick - I should have liked it, but I didn't.  I also didn't hate it.   Zoe Kazan is lovely  and Daniel Radcliffe is so charming in this.  Charming, charming, charming, charming -  but there was just too much potty and grotesque humor for my liking - and no one needs to see Harry Potters bare back side - even if he seems to really want everyone to.   What If...Not?




Missed Summer Movies Still to See

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Belle
Boyhood
Words & Pictures
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Magic In the Moonlight
The Giver
Get on Up
Godzilla
Jersey Boys
Step Up: All In
Tammy

What should I see first?

Late Night: The Late Tonight Show Night

I've been watching/DVRing the Tonight Show and Late Night since Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers took over in February.  I enjoy them both - for different reasons.

Jimmy Fallon is the perennial super fan  - of everyone.  He is a hip-er, more eloquent version of Chris Farleys SNL 'Remember the one time' character from the SNL The Chris Farley Show. (I mean this as a good thing).  He likes and is good to everyone.   Plus, he has the Roots - the most fun and funny late night band - ever.  He is emotional and personal and an all around fun guy.  He does great stuff on his show.  From Thank You Notes, to Lip Sync Battles, to Celebrity Pictionary and Charades to Face Balls (no one on earth could throw a big inflated ball into Julia Roberts face and get away with it except likable Jimmy Fallon), he is fun.

 I enjoyed his opening on the first night, as he explained that he was there to bring some smiles before you go to bed.  It was a good introduction and a humble and sweet way to begin his reign on the show.  He brings a much more youthful energy than has ever been on The Tonight Show (I do like Conan O'Brien, but he brought a weird, quirky energy, not necessarily a young one).    I loved the gag of all the celebrities who 'bet' him $100 he would never host the Tonight Show - and having everyone from Robert De Niro to Lindsay Lohan trot out with $100.  In the wake of Joan Rivers recent death, it was nice to be reminded what a big deal it was that Jimmy Fallon invited her to be in that gag - as she had been banned from the show for 20 + years.  Jimmy Fallon doesn't hold grudges.  Jimmy Fallon is nice to EVERYONE.  He is the late night good guy.  I tend to be less interested in his interviews, as they are super fan interviews...it has been said that he very well may be worst interviewer the Tonight Show has ever seen, but the best physical comedian.  I think its true.  I think he's best NOT at the desk.  This Wheel of Musical Impressions with Adam Levine was brilliant (though ironically, at the desk - but a  game!).  Jimmy Fallon is the very smart, fun,  good guy of Late Night TV.

Seth Meyers was the head writer at SNL for a long time and it shows.  He is smart and snarky and sarcastic and enjoys the absurd and ironic.  And he is funny.  As time has gone on he's become less and less 'Weekend Update'-y and more enjoyable.  I skip the SNL-esque gags that have his staff coming out as different characters, or have SNL-born game shows for audience members like "Fake or Florida".   Fred Armisen was a curious choice for band leader. Initially, I thought his quirkiness was distracting and a bit annoying.  But, I have come to be entertained by Seth's amusement in interacting with him.  Fred is also gone a lot, because this band leader thing is not his primary gig, and it has helped keep the bits with him fresh to have him go and come back so frequently.  The thing about Seth Meyers is he can tell a story - he can really tell a funny story.    I'm always sucked in to all of his details.

My favorite parts of Late Night are the interviews.   In fact, in the first few months of watching both shows, I thought Seths interviews were so short, I almost wanted to time them, they seemed to go so quickly. But, I realized, they were just better, more captivating and I didn't want them to end, so they seemed shorter.   Seth Meyers knows how to engage his guests and the audience alike...in conversation.   To quote Jeff Jensen, from Entertainment Weekly, "A talk show host good at talking?  Fancy that."  Seth Meyers is best behind the desk, and while he will never be as fun as Jimmy Fallon, I do find him as funny and more engaging.  Seth Meyers is the Late Night Talk Show Talk King.  Here he is one of my favorite Late Night interviews - with the always amazing Star-Lord, Chris Pratt.

So, what I'm saying is that Fallon and Meyers together make the perfect late night TV.  Interviews with Seth, Games with Jimmy.  I like to watch them together the following morning.  Here's to The Late Tonight Show Night!

EW: Breaking Up is Hard To Do

I've been an Entertainment Weekly girl, well, since I was a girl... since it began in 1990.  Summer Movie Previews, Holiday Movie Previews, 100 Greatest this or that, Best of the Year, Oscar issue, Fall TV Preview issue - I loved them all.    I didn't always get the magazine - It was my favorite "treat" at the grocery store, when I was a poor college student.  But, I did have a subscription for many, many years, then I didn't, then my pop culture soul sister, Rachel gifted me a subscription and I renewed.  In fact, I had a subscription up until a few weeks ago.  I also listened religiously to EW radio since it began on Sirius in May 2013.  I also had a daily habit of visiting ew.com for my daily entertainment news.  I was an EW girl...AND then....

First, there was an article on the best nud (ending in e - I don't want to even type that word for fear of a search engine reading it wrong) scenes.  And the advertisement for this article had a VERY inappropriate picture that appeared in my e-mail, on my facebook feed and on their website.  My PCSS (pop culture soul sister), Rachel was the first smart one to say - Yuck!  I'm writing an e-mail. Well, I followed suit - and although, you read when you send them an e-mail on their contact page that they will respond - they don't.  This article came out MONTHS ago - the offensive advertisement is still on many of their pages - as of a few weeks ago.

Second, EW as part of Time, Inc - began getting rid of (or helped to exit) my long-time favorite writers.  Annie Barrett and Owen Gleiberman.  I had come to love Owen Gleiberman on EW radio.  He has a great radio voice and is an excellent critic with a strong love of movies.  Now, I'm not about to try to figure out the behind the scenes big business of every entertainment website I visit, but these ousters were personal to me.  As I adored their writing and there were long-time writers - and the whole thing sounded very unpleasant.  I still miss them. (Happily, Owen Gleibermans movie reviews are now found on www.bbc.com in the culture/film area.)


Third, EW radio started to streamline in not the greatest ways - while Dalton Ross in the morning, I do consider a TV expert, not all the voices are.  The team EW radio sent to San Francisco Comic-Con knew little to nothing about the shows at Comic-Con - I had to turn off the coverage, because it began to sound embarassing.  They made abrupt changes to radio shows and their personalities.  I just stopped enjoying it as much.

So, I decided to break up with EW.  And I did.  I diligently searched for new entertainment sources, cancelled my subscription, deleted the station from shortcuts and tried a lot of things:  Watching Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood daily (didn't last - not accessible enough - and not enjoyable enough).  Tried lots of websites.  I finally settled on the www.hollywoodreporter.com.  Its the closest in content to EW.  It has a magazine (though I haven't subscribed to it or even checked one out).  It has some great things that I love.  Now - no one tell me any of their office politics - I want to stay blissfully unaware and just enjoy the reporting.

But, then.... Robin Williams died.  Suddenly.  Tragically.  And no one was talking about it continually, but EW radio.  So, I tuned in for the remembrances and the re-played interviews.  Then, I saw the tribute magazine and I read the article and I may have read the website that day.  And then...Joan Rivers died...and I tuned in again.    And now - its coming up on Fall TV - and I may just buy the Fall Preview magazine, but I'm going to check out what the Hollywood Reporter has out first.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.


PS - This entry looks like a massive advertisement for Entertainment Weekly.    What?  I couldn't just pick one cover?  My love for it  has been large.  Seriously - Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.  

HIMYM: Finale

I have watched from the beginning - never missed an episode.  9 years with the gang at MacLarens and I don't even drink.  Back before HIMYM was pronounced "HIM-YIM" and everyone knew about Robin Sparkles, slap bets, interventions and the play book, I was entertained by their clever humor - and characters.  For awhile during that first season, I thought I was the only one and I thought it might be cancelled.  But, it wasn't.  And with a slow build - it lasted 9 years and gained a following.  A following I didn't realize existed until the series finale.  

I loved the finale.  The more I think about it, the more I love it.  The more I love it, the more sad I am to say good-bye to the gang at MacLarens.  I feel a bit grief stricken by it.  But, I expected to be sad - I've realized in this last season, how much I am endeared to these characters as some of my best TV friends.  What I didn't expect and the reason I had to write this out - is how very many people hated it.  They didn't just not like it - they hated it.  And I just don't get it.  Part of the beauty of the end of this story - is that it is the end of the story that they have been telling us all along.  The pieces were doled out slowly and subversively - but the clues were there.  They were ALWAYS telling THIS story.  This story.  The one where the mother, Tracy - who is Teds soul mate, has been dead for 6 years and the kids know its time for Ted to be with Robin.  Over the years, there have been so many reveals that this is the story they were telling.  From the reveal of the mothers name in season 1 in the aside about the stripper named "Tracy".  To the severe sentimentality to which everything about the mother is regarded.  I remember thinking through the very long 'Robins locket hunt' that went on this season, that I didn't really understand why they were telling THIS part of the story.  Especially because I knew our time with this gang was short - I felt a little perplexed about why this locket had to be chased down by Ted and we had to see the hint of his ever present affection for Robin even moments before she got married.  Why did Robin have to look Ted square in the face before marrying Barney - and ask why she wasn't marrying Ted?  I kept thinking - there has to be a reason - why this is an important part of the story.  I always felt like it was okay for Ted to pine for Robin through the thick of it.  He hadn't met the mother yet - he didn't know what could be - and Robin was always this great love of his life, who just didn't want what he wanted out of life (yet).  I've had one of those, I get it.  Sometimes you don't get to be with someone you adore, because you want different things.  I get it.  But, I didn't get why it was important to keep showing it up until the very second he met that Mother.   If this were all real and those things happened - wouldn't these details be edited out?  And it was all because they knew the end from the beginning.  

But, now it all makes sense.  This was always the story they were telling.  It always was.  It all adds up.  For me, it all rings true.  They showed us this end all along.     The show has been the sitcom version of Jeopardy throughout - most often revealing the answer - before we can even guess what the question could be.  The fun of this show was in the reveal and in finding out the question.  Aunt Robin. Goat. Barneys getting married.  Pineapple.  (Still no question on this one).  We got the big answer in the pilot of this show.  Robin is not Ted's kids mother,  but she's a really important part of this story.  

I imagine most of the 'haters' are reacting to the whiplash of cramming all the big happenings of this
gang from Barney and Robins wedding through 2030 into 44 minutes.  It was a lot of reveals - a lot
of answers and it was hard to catch up with the questions.  It made me really want there to be more show.  I do wish more of this last season was spent on the happenings they packed into the few short minutes of the finale instead of just the wedding events. (Though, the full season over one weekend experiment was a win, IMO). I wish there was just more: 

More Barney and Robins 3 successful years of marriage

More #31

More Barney as a Dad

More Judge Fudge

More Renaissance Fair decorating
More Explanations: Pineapple

More Answers to Questions: Where Ted And Tracys kids were at their wedding

More Answers to Questions: Why Ted let 7 years pass with his soulmate - not married.  He was always so the marrying kind. 

More moments: How the gang supported each other through more real loss

More moments: A little of Robin and Ted being 'so obvious' when Robin is over for dinner in 2030
Infinitely more of that mother, of Tracy McConnell - and more of TM and TM.  Their courting, more of their firsts, more of her with the gang.  More Mother. The Cristin Milotti and Josh Radnor chemistry was so fun to watch - more, more, more

I think the upset fans - just want their own 'more's.  We've become accustomed to getting all the details - in decidedly non-linear ways, of course - but all the details nonetheless.  I just don't understand any fan that is upset by the facts of the end - because this show has been telling us these facts all along - they knew the end from the beginning - so the information was all there.  There is a reason the 'theory' that the mother was dead was even theorized to begin with - because it was in there.  In the storytelling.  Its a great story.  Two great loves.  Growth.  Love.  Aging.  Unity.  Support. Magic. Family. Fun. Funny. Sincerity.  Sentimentality. Legend....(wait for it) dary Friendships. Legendary storytelling.

The finale just hit so many right notes for me.  I really loved it.  And nothing could top  my all time favorite version of  Downtown Train (by Everything But The Girl - back in the days before they went techno) underscoring the pivotal meet cute as Ted finally meets Tracy.  Perfect song.  Pitch-perfect introductions. Speedy wrap up.  It made me realize why I have loved this show.  This is my generation. The show runners can go back and pull up a tune from the early 90s and know that it works.  I'm one of them.  Same age as the actors and show runners - similar goings on - similar (though far less funny) groups of friends - only in my life we'd be found around a TV sharing treats - instead of around a table at a pub sharing drinks.  How I will miss this story, these characters and this very particular type of masterful storytelling genius.  How I have loved this show.   I'm clearly a sentimental mess.

Thanks for the memories HIMYM gang!

PS -I wrote about HIMYM back in 2008 - my love for it is bright:  HIMYM and DHMD