Mud is a pretty good movie

Movie grade: A-

Best thing we've seen Matthew McConaughey do in a while.

Oblivion

Great visuals and Tom Cruise still has star power.

But that was the stupidest plot ever. Dumb and long. Also, flat characters. Can we get a personality up in here? Is Morgan Freeman hurting for work? Why would he agree to take that flat, brief role? Seeing Jaime Lannister in it just made us laugh every time he was onscreen.

Not recommended.

Movie grade: C

Man of Steel trailer 3

You can already see some philosophical/heartwarming commentary in this movie. One of us doesn't like Superman (he's too powerful), but this movie might actually be good. Don't love Zach Snyder though....

Movie: The Place Beyond the Pines

This is the best movie we've seen so far this year. The director, who also did Blue Valentine, crafts an emotional, intense movie about family, fate, and mistakes. It's not a crime thriller, as some might believe, but it's engrossing. There are a few things that didn't work (one teenage character's actions didn't feel like something he would spiral into so quickly), and the movie lacks a point to tie everything together. But we really enjoyed it and there was good acting.

Movie grade: A

A Couple of Movies

Ted- A stupid waste of time that wasn't even funny 90% of the time. Also, Mila Kunis has a great body. Whoever did her costumes did her an injustice by making sure they didn't fit it. Movie grade: C-

Killing Them Softly- Redboxed at the last minute because we saw that Brad Pitt was in it. It was pretty good. It had the best scene of a car blowing up that we've ever seen. The political commentary would annoy some capitalists (if they watch/think closely enough), but we didn't care. This was a darkly funny small-time gangster indie. We couldn't help but compare it to the superior Seven Psychopaths. Movie grade: B-

So, yeah, one of us was in NYC and saw musicals this weekend

We know some of you love those, so we'll tell you which ones we saw this weekend and our thoughts in brief. We wanted to see Mathilda and Pippin, but we ran out of time. Our favorite musicals include Ragtime, Les Miserables, Wicked, Rent, Next to Normal, Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde, Avenue Q, Sweeney Todd, Funny Girl, The Wild Party, Company, and Into the Woods.

The Oscars 2013

We don't usually review awards shows, but we thought we'd start. Armed with a pack of Guinness, a pizza, cell phones to text friends, and whoever we could strong arm into watching this with us, we sat down to view the show, determined to make it until midnight. Ern, in particular, is a huge pussy when it comes to staying up past your average grandmother's bedtime.

Movies we've seen in the past couple of months

Lincoln: You've heard all about this. The people who saw it loved it. It's historically accurate, it's not boring once it gets past a few opening scenes, Lincoln is fully humanized with both good and bad traits, Sally Field is great, Daniel Day-Lewis channels Lincoln (no, seriously, we suspect magic), you'll feel things, it looks good, and the script is awesome. What you might not have heard is that Tommy Lee Jones steals the movie, and Lee Pace is still hot as a racist bad guy, which is hard to pull of since racists are the worst. Movie grade: A

Our favorite movies of 1930-1989

We're finally finishing these lists. You can see 2012 (recently updated to include movies we saw late), the other 2000s, and the '90s if you click on the links, just in case you missed them. 

Our Top Ten Movies of the '80s (VERY difficult to narrow down)

If you've seen Django Unchained...

Read this. It's hilarious.

The Life of Pi, The Hobbit, The Five-Year Engagement, Les Miserables, Moonrise Kingdom, Django Unchained, and Silver Linings Playbook

We've been lazy with the current movie posts, so here are a few short takes. We wrote this during the commercials of the first hour of the Golden Globes :-)

The Life of Pi- This is half the most awesome movie ever and half the gayest movie ever. Visually, it's so so so good. We liked these visuals better than anything in Avatar, because they were more realistic and more breathtaking. The storm scene had us on the edge of our seats. It's a sweet story. For the most part, it's a success, and one that can be shared by families.

Fundamentalists may struggle with the idea that Pi is a Hindu, a Christian, AND a Muslim, but we didn't. Also, the movie features one of the worst scenes we've ever sat through (when Pi tells a false story to the Japanese investigator; that went on forever and was just cartoonishly awful). As far as spiritual movies go, this one definitely trumps Cloud Atlas.
Movie grade: B

The Hobbit- We know so many people who were disappointed with this movie, but we doubt they've read the book. They might have been comparing this movie to the last three. The book "The Hobbit" isn't like Lord of the Rings as far as, you know, being a serious epic. It's a fanciful children's book. And when we saw the movie, we thought, "Man, I don't remember the book being anywhere near this good." Peter Jackson darkened up the material.

They picked a good cast. We've liked Richard Armitage since North and South, but it's a shame he's a friggin dwarf so people can't grasp how hot he his. Whatever. That's not what matters. What matters is that Martin Freeman is such a perfect pick for Bilbo that he redeems the Bilbo we saw in LOTR, who was twisted and corrupted by the ring. Freeman imbues Bilbo with so much personality in every movement and facial expression that he steals moments where he isn't even talking. His showdown with Gollum left our faces hurting from smiling.

Gandalf is back, it's a solid story, there's a really sweet moment or two, and it looks freaking great. The only downside? It takes a while to get going. Settle in and be patient. It's a three hour movie, and the first 40 minutes or so are spent getting Bilbo to even go on the journey. The first half will drag, but if you're prepared, it won't be so bad. The second half more than rewards you for waiting. Overly padded? Possibly. But we enjoy every minute spent in middle earth.
Movie grade: A-

The Five-Year Engagement- This movie was yards better than we expected it to be and a lot raunchier. Still, there weren't enough laughs to justify its running time. It's worth seeing on video if you like Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, Jason Segel, and Chris Pratt. Who doesn't like them? They all do a great job. Although this is a love story, the script isn't plagued with the stupidity of most comedies centered around romance. We wouldn't call this a rom-com at all because of that. The movie tackled issues that real couples have to grapple with in this day and age. We didn't regret watching it, but we didn't love it either.
Movie grade: B-

Les Miserables- In the mood for a good cry? Look no further. If you're interested in this at all, you've probably already seen it. Critics haven't been as kind as viewers, so we'll call this a crowd-pleaser. We must be in the crowd, because we were pleased. The story is a tad overpacked with characters and the first half is superior to the second, but we still love the whole thing. It has action, romance, spirituality, courage, self-sacrifice, tragedy, and, most importantly, strong themes of redemption, second chances, grace, and forgiveness. This movie (and the musical it's based off of) has its faults, but they are nothing compared to the power of this story and characters to touch hearts for decades. There's something about it that rings true and grabs people.

We like the songs too. The actors sang them live while they were filming, rather than recording them before or afterward. This imbued the whole thing with way more emotion than most movie musicals. Anne Hathaway was the first to make us cry. She was so good it isn't even funny. Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried were the weak links, but even they weren't terrible. Crowe can sing; he just can't sing that part. It's way too low for his voice. You need a bass voice, preferably opera-trained for that part. Crowe was brave to try it, but the movie would have been improved by a guy who could carry what is arguably the best role in the whole thing.

Hugh Jackman picked talk-singing and acting over actual singing a little too much for us, especially considering he can actually sing. There were moments when he was so focused on the acting that he went off key. Ern thought Eddie Redmayne was wonderful, but Leeard thought he sounded a little froggy. Samantha Barks's Eponine was predictably on point. Everyone loved the Broadway vet who played Enjolras, but we don't think he was the right voice for it. He should probably have played Marius, but we guess they wanted a movie start for Marius. Anyway, the whole cast is way better than most movie musical casts. We were happy with this movie. Hated the added song, "Suddenly," though. It was lame and creepy.
Episode grade: A 

Moonrise Kingdom- Okay, get through the first 30 minutes of this quirky comedy, and you will be rewarded. The first bit is a bunch of scenery, hipster-y music, kids running around, and confusing glimpses of what the plot may turn out to be about. Once you get into the action, you see why people are wild about this movie. It's adorable and well-acted. It's our favorite Wes Anderson movie (yes, we like it better than Rushmore).
Episode grade: A-

Django Unchained- Wow, that was an entertaining movie. It's Tarantino all the way. If you liked any of his other movies, you will like this one. It has the exaggerated characters, cruelty, and violence, as well as the dialogue, fitting soundtrack, and homages to other movies. Samuel L. Jackon's villain and Waltz's German bounty hunter stole the show from Foxx and Leo. As for allegations of racism, we didn't find it offensive, other than the use of that racist word. It had some really intense scenes too. Our only complaint was that Kerry Washington was given little to do besides be the damsel in distress. Tarantino women usually get much better treatment than that. Also, it's probably not as clever as it thinks it is. Pretty damn close though.
Movie grade: A

Silver Linings Playbook- Bradley Cooper does a surprisingly good job. We didn't know he could act that well. The script is good, but we found too many similarities to Garden State. But we loved this movie because of Jennifer Lawrence, girl crush of our dreams. It's not just because we love her. The energy she brought to this movie elevated it in every way. Every time she was onscreen, the scene was good. When she was off, you missed her.

When she was around, every other actor upped their game. She took a character who people could have written off as "slutty" and "annoying" and made her amazing in every way. The typical manic pixie dream girl is innocent and virginal. Not here. Tiffany was complicated and hilarious. If anyone else were playing her, this movie would have suffered.
Movie grade: B+

Our Favorite Movies of the '90s

Movies were good in the '90s, y'all. They were better than most things on TV. The TV golden age didn't start until later. The movies got bad and uncreative, for the most part, and everyone with talent and vision moved to the small screen. Not everyone wants to make the next Transformers. Fortunately for entertainment buffs, DVDs exist and you can go back to the good movies anytime you want. We hope you didn't miss these, and if you did, you have all the time in the world to get to them.

Our Top Ten Movies of 1999
1. Fight Club- This was not properly appreciated in its time, in theaters. It was not appreciated by Ern the first time she saw it. But this is one that improves with subsequent viewings. You have to catch all the dialogue. You have to get what it's saying. It's brilliant, darkly funny, and completely unforgettable. The book is good too. If you haven't seen it, or if you've only seen it once and weren't that impressed, go pick up a copy.
2. The Matrix- The first half is long, weird, and pretty original. The second half kicks ass. This movie changed action and sci-fi, and it told a pretty good, spiritual story while it was at it. Sadly, the sequels did not live up to the first entry, although the second one would have been a good middle had the third delivered a powerful ending. We forget which critic said it best at the time, but we remember reading that the third one was full of "religious obligation." Viewers wanted real triumph, not depressing sacrifice. Still, the first Matrix is not to be missed.

Our Favorite Movies of the 2000s By Year

First, let's get one thing straight: we are not movie buffs or movie experts. We're TV people. Movies pale in comparison to the small screen's ability to develop characters over hundreds of hours. We haven't seen a bunch of obscure, great things that your brother the film student has seen. But that might actually be best for most people. That means that the good movies listed here are the bare minimum for enjoyment of movies and pop culture at large. 

It means you should probably watch most of them (at least the ones that are in the genres you enjoy), as a cinematic primer or just to be able to dialogue with the rest of the world/catch references. On this list and the ones that will follow, you'll see the standards (Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, etc.) with only a few oddballs (and some of them are truly odd). There are a handful of foreign films. If you know of something great that we missed, let us know. We love hearing about good movies that everyone should have seen. 

Our Top Ten Movies of 2011 (previously blogged about last year)

Our favorite movies of 2012

We're doing another movie post as promised in the comments, but for now, here's 2012.


Our Top Ten Movies of 2012
1. Seven Psychopaths- This is the year that movies mocked movies in order to point out things about our media culture (see also: Cabin in the Woods). Seven Psychopaths tackled the Tarantino-esque, fast-talking, brainy, gritty action flicks that we all love. It pointed out the staples (you can't kill dogs, just women), while telling a violent, funny story of its own. The cast was solid, the laughs were steady and rollicking, and the script was devilishly clever. We had high hopes for this movie because its writer also created another of our faves (In Bruges). This movie exceeded those expectations. 

Have You Guys Seen This Trailer?

Even though they cast guys who aren't our type, physically, this movie looks surprisingly awesome. We read three of the books and thought they'd make good movies, but usually teen books fail in the execution to become decent films. Here's hoping this is an exception.

Lawless and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Lawless
This movie should have been better than it was. It's based on actual people, it had a good cast, for the most part, and it looked awesome, meaning it had good cinematography, costumes, color, and setting. It just wasn't engaging enough to be great. Tom Hardy was a highlight. We swear, that man has a different voice for every character he plays, and we're not just talking about accents (although we've seen him do about four, and he hasn't been in that many movies yet). His surly, tough character was our favorite. Poor Mia Wasikowksa didn't make out so well. We've loved her since In Treatment, when she played a young gymnast getting therapy. She was the best Jane Eyre in movie history, and she can be really pretty. She's a good actress too. Sadly, she didn't get much to do in this movie, and they hardly ever let her put her hair down, so she didn't look that great either. The men we watched the movie with just kept complaining about how she wasn't pretty and was "anorexic." It made us feel bad, since we like her and think she's gorgeous in a different sort of way.

Gary Oldman hardly gets anything to do, but it's the best we've liked him in a while (he was hideous in The Book of Eli). This was beneath Jessica Chastain, especially given her role. Shia LaBeouf did a much better job than we would have predicted, and we're pleased to see him at least trying to get into good movies. He's grown. We were also happy to see Dane DeHaan, who we recognized from Chronicle. He's a great new actor and a little cutie to boot. Guy Pearce has the meatiest role. Parts of the movie are a little slow, and it feels listless. We felt uninvolved when we were watching it. even in the parts where we were entertained. The film lacked both tension and heart, and at least one of those is key in movies like this. In the end, the best thing about this movie was the violence. If you like brutal, slightly creative, and gleeful violence, this is the movie for you. It's not constant, but when it's there, it wakes you up.
Movie grade: B

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Once again, the cast is the draw here. Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, and Maggie Freaking Smith. Yes, please. We ended up liking Bill Nighy's character the best. This movie had a boggy middle, since there was little in the way of firm plot. We didn't know where it was going. The characters' main goals were...wait for it...to enjoy retirement. Hows that for a story? Seven old people set out to enjoy their retirement, BUT WILL THEY SUCCEED when it's in India, and they find the country weird and the hotel a bit run down. We didn't care about one of the major love stories. Dev Patel's character was funny. That guy was so positive that if someone pooped on him, he would say, "Ah, yes, I can eat that and it might have some nutrition."

The movie is sweet, and it has a few good lines and chuckles. We expected more though, especially because of the cast. This movie was wise not to exceed two hours, but we wanted to see more of India and the more interesting aspects of the culture there. We wanted more jokes and fewer cliche plots. The actors save the script. We were a little annoyed at some of the portrayals of women in this movie. All the villains were women (even if their villainy was light), and we watched this movie with a guy who got a chance to throw around the world "bitch" a lot. We're sick of women in movies being negative nags, shrewing around. This film didn't totally work and will end up being forgettable. If it weren't for the cast, it would probably have been a complete waste of time.
Movie grade: B-

Movies: The Next Three Days and Cloud Atlas

Caroline Bonarde Ucci [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Next Three Days
One of us is always looking for good (not mindless) action films to watch on Instant Netflix, because that's about the only genre her dad ever wants to watch, and he always wants to watch something. The Next Three Days got lackluster reviews from just about everyone, so we didn't expect it to be any good. Still, it looked better than most of the other action movies on that site, and the trailer was interesting. While Elizabeth Banks and Russell Crowe are probably too good to be associated with this movie, it was a lot better than we thought it was going to be. It was, unfortunately, a little unrealistic at times. Other than that, it was entertaining, and we loved the second half. When the movie stumbles, it keeps going, and it was pretty good at building suspense. It's worth watching, but we're glad we didn't see it in theaters.
Movie grade: B

Cloud Atlas
There's a lot about this movie that we liked: The visuals, the cast (except for Jim Sturgess, who has no charisma. Stop trying to make him happen, Hollywood), the makeup, the way the movie juggled so many story lines without being confusing, the spirituality, the fact that the filmmakers were reaching for the stars, the originality, the concepts, the messages.... Sadly, this had to be one of the most boring movies we've ever seen. Clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours, this film took us right to that line between "care" and "don't care," and then it crossed over into the brain space that was screaming, "Just kill them all. I don't care about these characters!" None of the story lines managed to build enough individual suspense to carry the entire movie. The phrase "hot mess" applies.

You can't just throw a TON into a script and hope something sticks emotionally. Hitchcock's rule was "have three great scenes and no bad ones." This movie had plenty of bad ones and none that will stick in our memories. We heard this movie was based on a very good book. What was needed was depth, insight into the characters' minds and motivations, and, you know, other things that make you invested in the outcomes. Some smart people loved this movie, including people who are close to us, so you may disagree as well. We suggest going after a full night's sleep, with a good amount of snacks, and a comfortable sweater if you want to make it through to the end. Settle in.
Movie grade: D

Thanksgiving Movie Post

Lots of people forego whatever Big Game is on after Americans eat today and catch a movie instead. Usually about two or three much-anticipated new movies are released this weekend just for that reason. Or you might take your family to see something later on in the weekend. If so, heed this guide and don't see a dud. You can decide whether you can take grandma and the kids to a Rated R/PG-13 (but you should totally do your own research there. The ratings system sucks, and if you don't believe us, watch This Film is Not Yet Rated). We're just here to tell you if there's a chance it will be good. And save you from seeing Red Dawn, Taken 2, or Cloud Atlas. If you've already set your minds on Twilight, there's nothing we can do for you.

• Life of Pi
• Rise of the Guardians (kids)
• Wreck-It Ralph (kids)
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Lincoln
• Anna Karenina
• Rust and Bone
• Skyfall
• Flight
• Seven Psychopaths
• The Sessions
• Argo

Happy Thanksgiving!

Movie Madness Monday (not that this is going to be a weekly thing)

Caroline Bonarde Ucci [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Skyfall (the new James Bond 007 movie)
We haven't been to the theater in a while, but the ads for this one (calling it one of the best Bond films ever) drew us out. We agree that it's one of the best Bond films, but we've never been huge fans of those. This was your basic action film, only it was pretty smart, well-acted, and part of a well-known franchise. The movie acknowledged Daniel Craig's rapid aging, so is it possible that this might be his last Bond movie? If so, he went out well. This movie was so much better than Quantum of Solace. It was about as good as Casino Royale. Our only complaint was that it was too long. It should have stopped at two hours. Javier Bardem's bond villain was great. He can bring the scariness. If you like nonstop action and James Bond, you'll like this movie. We're sure this isn't news, but we thought we'd throw in our agreement with everyone else anyway. The bond girls were almost insultingly thin though. Skin on bones. It sends the message that because Bond is the ultimate man who only enjoys the finest women, the finest women are all size 0.
Movie grade: A-

Machine Gun Preacher
We were forced to watch this, and we aren't happy. Why don't people just let us pick the movies when we watch instant netflix? We know what we are doing. We have an entertainment blog. Ughhh. This movie was about a drug addict who found God and started fighting for Sudanese orphans. There was much mention of Kony. For an inspiring story laden with plot points that should have been touching (orphans, heroism, fatherhood, redemption, faith, and a strong marriage), the movie was emotionally barren. Also, it couldn't decide between having its main character being a vengeful, manly bad ass with a machine gun and having him be a brave, loving Christian who believes everyone is a child of God.

Since the movie was based on the book written by Sam Childers, the main character, the movie made us wonder if Sam was torn between being seen as a strong hero and actually giving glory to the deity he claims to worship. It's difficult to get rid of a love of violence and a view of power as the ultimate good when trying to move into a peaceful religion (see: the crusades). Sam is struggling with that. The movie doesn't reflect reality either. It, and Sam Childers, are controversial because of lies and neglect. In view of the whole truth, this movie just ended up depressing us. It wasn't well made and the characters were flat. It got boring and trite quickly. We should have known not to watch a Gerard Butler movie (only 300 was tolerable).
Movie grade: D-

Margin Call
This star-filled movie about the stock market crash would have benefited from writer Aaron Sorkin. This could have been the financial "Social Network," but it ended up not being as clever. As a result, it wasn't that entertaining. It was nice to see Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany Penn Badgley, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci and Demi Moore do something different. If this is what happened in 2008, we're ready to storm Wall Street too. However, we doubt it was that cut-and-dry and evil. Certainly greed was at work, but we think this movie gets its good reviews because of its message rather than its actual quality.
Movie grade: C+

Battle Royale
We finally watched the Japanese movie that so resembles The Hunger Games...in basic plot device only. This movie has more central teen characters, less emotion, less message, and more teen drama. It's also a lot funnier. That painting at the end had us reeling with laughter. Our favorite character was obviously Mitsuko. If you like violence and action, and you also don't mind a laugh with the two, or if you're a teenager, you'll like this movie. We'll stick with Katniss, but this was fun.
Movie grade: B

Movies/Books: Looper, Pitch Perfect, White Girl Problems

By Original photo by CAryn Loveless [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Movies

Looper

Holy tits, this movie was good. The plot wasn’t predictable and went places we wouldn’t have thought from the trailer. The beginning made us think the movie was going into cliché-ville, but then it went elsewhere. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is becoming an actor we trust because he makes good decisions when picking movies. He’s also good at his job. His Bruce Willis impression was right on. We liked that the movie shunned true love as the ultimate salvation for everyone. People in love can do some horrible things if they put their feelings above their honor and compassion.

This movie valued selflessness above romantic connection. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual go-to way to give a character or movie meaning (i.e. romance). Anyway, this movie was well-plotted, intense, thrilling, original, exciting, well-written, action-packed, well-acted, smart, and well-paced. It’s not for the squeamish. There’s some nudity, prostitution, language, disfigurement (in an awesomely dark, disturbing scene), and tense situations. There’s also a really adorable kid, so that’s nice. We’d see it again. If you like science fiction and action, go for it.

Movie grade: A+

Pitch Perfect

If you enjoyed the trailer, you’ll like this movie. If you haven’t seen the trailer, go see this movie if you like comedies that reflect a modern, college sense of humor and if you like a cappella. Anna Kendrick and Skylar Astin are cute together in this movie, and they do a good job. They have nice singing voices. Rebel Wilson plays a funny, weird fat girl (Fat Amy) who is like a younger version of Melissa McCarthy’s character in Bridesmaids, only less redneck and more confident slut. As much as we roll our eyes at the media’s portrayal of larger white women, we laughed at Rebel. She does what she does well. The whole cast was solid. There are about two good musical numbers, but the others aren’t bad and usually draw laughs. The choreography could have been better. The movie’s biggest strength was its love story. The main male love interest is pretty perfect, in personality, talent, and looks. The whole movie is pretty fun and has more than a few good laughs.

Movie grade: B+

Books

White Girl Problems by Babe Walker

This book is completely shallow with no likeable characters and not a whole lot of plot. But it’s one of the most hilarious books around. White Girl Problems is about a 25-year-old, spoiled, rich, L.A. girl with narcissistic personality disorder and a shopping addiction/obsession with being chic. If you’ve ever wanted to make fun of Paris Hilton, aspiring actresses, girls who only consume celery and alcohol, and girls who go crazy when they fall in love, you’ll like laughing at Babe. Her insults and delusions are cackle-worthy. Some of Babe’s lines are insanely clever. You’ll want to read some of her “problems” out loud to your friends. This isn’t a clean book. Babe curses like a sailor and sleeps around like a frat guy. Read three chapters (chapters are short) at the bookstore or library and then decide if this is your sense of humor. We enjoyed it and kind of wish we had written it.

Book grade: B+

Aaaaand with that, we're caught up on this blog.