rikumovie

My theatrical fun for the week was done with Anonymous. But that doesn’t mean I’m done this week, OH NO!

First up, I was perusing the selections on HBO GO and came across a documentary I had missed that I really wanted to check out, Dirty Driving; Thundercars of Indiana. For those of you who know me, you know I love documentaries on every subject imaginable. And in my past I’ve seen a number of short track races…this was fascinating and quick. Just under 70 minutes of bumper to bumper action (both on and off the track) in a town that loves racing. It’s set up to go off HBO GO on 10/31 but hopefully it will take another run, or you can find it elsewhere.

Followed that up with another HBO GO title, one I haven’t seen in awhile and it helped me get in the mood for Halloween, the original The Amityville Horror. The overbearing music, the creepy happenings and James Brolin’s wild facial hair are the stars in this creepy film. I still remember reading the book as a kid and being creeped out for days! The movie holds up ok, but I can definitely recommend it.

Time to check out a classic, Caddyshack. I love to revisit this film at least once a year, and with a lull in titles (Since Fox didn’t want to show In Time) I was game.

Two titles for the day…first up was a chance to revisit the boys. You know the boys who had RE-premiered a day earlier on MTV. Beavis and Butthead Do America. Hard to believe that the film is 15 years old, but most of the jokes are just as inane and funny as they were then! Some fall a little flat, but to spend some time with the Great Cornholio in search of their TV and scoring….well was pretty fun!

Second up one that surpised me (tried to watch Your Highness on BluRay rental from Blockbuster – but Universal Blu – Ray rental disc never work right in my PS3….so moved on instead to Legendary. You know the movie about wrestling and coping with John Cena from the WWE. Oh, you don’t know? Well this was a bit better than one could hope for as the talented Patricia Clarkson starred with Danny Glover and Cena in this one. Sure its formula, but it was solid for the most part.

An outdoor viewing took place of How To Train Your Dragon – as part of a Halloween party. Great outdoor viewing with good friends…despite being REALLY COLD I enjoyed sitting with my daughter and watching – though she quickly headed for the fire!

Then we had to leave (they had Frailty up next – one of my FAVORITE scares…but my daughter is 7 and it was approaching 9PM…couldn’t do it). But my wife showed an interest in a scary movie – dug up Carriers which wasn’t as scary as one might hope for, but a decent little horror flick for the end of a long day.

It’s a Sunday – God rested, and so did I! No movies, a little football, a little trick or treat, some light reading but no movies….but I started Day 10 (Halloween) with a movie at MIDNIGHT CT – more on that next time.

Summary – Through Day 9 (11 Movies Viewed - Puss in Boots, The Double, Monte Carlo, Anonymous, Dirty Driving: Thundercars of Indiana, The Amityville Horror, Caddyshack, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Legendary, How To Train Your Dragon, Carriers)

I promised I wouldn’t be updating every day…but I couldn’t resist this one. Last night I had the opportunity to see Anonymous. The movie follows the thought of what if Shakespeare wasn’t really Shakespeare? What if the works of a master were really created by someone other than who they were attributed to? An intriguing premise with a solid film behind it, but that review comes Friday and isn’t the “lie” that I’m referring to in the title.

My schedule had me to the theater for the screening quite early on this Tuesday night. I was the first to arrive and sit in the press seats. About 10 minutes prior to the show I was still one of the only ones there when two 40-50 year old women came up and said to me we are confiscating or commandeering these seats. Well I politely asked, did you check with the rep for the studio and they said yes they did…so I thought….no big deal, they weren’t bothering me (though I knew there were more people coming).

I bumped into another couple critics soon after and we all got comfy together as the two women held down their seats. Then the rep came back in and asked who they were…especially when she saw all of us cramped together. She promptly kicked them down a row out of the seats they “confiscated” and a glare or two were shot our way. Though we hadn’t said anything at all, they just assumed we were the “bad” guys.

The part that still baffles me is why they would lie to me in the first place. I’m a nice guy…I would have showed them who the rep was and they might have found some open seats in the same row down the aisle. Instead it was a sense of entitlement for these women as they mumbled (no one ever sits here anyway – which is blatantly untrue….hello!!!)

Ugh…the movie went on and everything was good. Thanks to our rep, she did her job properly. But when do you get to the point of just bending and breaking every rule out there. Why not just take the other “available” seats in the theater? What makes you better than others? And why do you have to compound matters by lying? And better yet…at what age should you have known better?

That was the weird start to the night…that and the fact that a number of people brought young children to this film…why??? I have know idea…though I give the one woman kudos for taking her child out IMMEDIATELY when he started acting up. But what would possess anyone to think a child would have a good time with Anonymous is beyond me.

Ahh fun in the theaters – 50 Movies in 50 Days will have more stories…I’m sure….but get me to day 5!

Summary – Through Day 4 (4 Movies Puss in Boots, The Double, Monte Carlo, Anonymous)

So I’m doing it again…50 Movies in 50 Days as I plug through awards season.

Some movies will be considered for awards, some will be just reviewed on their schedule and still others will just be for fun (personal or family).

There will be movies on DVD/Blu-ray and in Theaters.

Movies in screening rooms and streaming online and of course movies on premium networks and in the DVR.

All these viewings are leading up to the casting of my ballot for the best of 2011 with the Critics’ Choice Awards ceremony in early January.

I’ll commit to periodically updating you along the way…I’ve tried to do it daily in the past, but if I can’t talk about a movie “officially” yet, things mainly center on stories that I can share. For that reason, I think a couple postings a week will be sufficient. (Unless, of course, you demand more!)

For now…I’ve got 3 days in the books and 3 movies on those 3 days.

It all started Saturday, 10/22, with Puss in Boots. The advance screening, before the theatrical release on 10/28 was a trip with the whole family as the schedules worked in our favor. More on this title on the 28^th, but it was a nice diversion for the morning after drama class and before our first excursion geocaching on a beautiful Saturday.

The quest included a sneak peek at The Double starring Richard Gere and Topher Grace (opening 10/28 in theaters) that I will soon be able talk about – how about Friday with that one as well.

I got in Monte Carlo – the Selena Gomez starring vehicle that Fox put out earlier this year (now on DVD/Blu). Was happy to get a chance to see it, because I don’t get to see virtually any Fox movies in theaters anymore prerelease. It’s like they just forgot some of us, but I digress. Monte Carlo is nothing special from a film standpoint, but did you expect it would be? What Monte Carlo is, is an enjoyable film in the genre it is made. Ok, so that’s almost a backhanded compliment…but it doesn’t mean that I’m not trying to be nice here. Gomez is likable and that is part of the charm (though I didn’t buy her in the more difficult diva role for some reason.) I can recommend this as a girl’s night movie selection (maybe a mommy/daughter night). It’s overall a tame but enjoyable and non-threatening movie.

So – Three days into this journey and I’ve seen three titles. At this pace – I’ll have no problem getting to 50, even with a couple of (ZERO movie days).

For sure day 4 will feature the new film Anonymousand day 11 is scheduled to include the new film Tower Heist. Get ready for a fun ride. This season will wear you out, but it’s a lot of fun!

Summary – Through Day 3 (3 Movies Puss in Boots, The Double, Monte Carlo)