Been lazy about
posting, but we have still been watching movies every week. Over the next few posts, I’ll be trying to
catch y’all up to speed!
January 22nd—an
eclectic duo of features
Movie #1: Tales from the Crypt
(1972, with Joan Collins, Peter Cushing)
Before the popular tv series started, this movie appeared in
theaters. At the beginning stages of the
modern horror genre, this film is segmented into 5 stories with each centered
around a specific character. The
catalyst for this is that each of the 5 characters wind up together in a cave
with a monk or soothsayer of some sort (the
Crypt-keeper) who reveals to them
their evil deeds. The stories are told through flash-forwards in
order to show each one what their fate holds.
The stories involve greed,
desperation, and cruelty. It’s
definitely interesting to see what lengths one human being will go to in order
to harm another—or simply the very cold, disinterested contempt for another
person. This one is a little dated, but
then, this is the early ‘70s after all.
Cheesy fashions…melodramatic acting…horrible effects. But despite that, it’s an intriguing look at the
capabilities of the human soul when it bends to evil.
What we liked: The 300 bottles of red fingernail polish they
used for blood in this movie.
Ratings: Jason 3.5; Kathy
2.5; Me 3
Movie #2: Brighton Beach Memoirs
(1986, with Blythe Danner, Jonathan Silverman, Judith Ivey)
Taking a complete detour from the Crypt, this movie was a bit more light-hearted. A period piece that serves as somewhat of a
veiled biography for Neil Simon, this movie reflects the life of a Jewish
family in the late 1930s living in New York.
If you love Ralphie and his family in A Christmas Story, then you really need to see this movie. This movie is very similar in its format of “nostalgic
and tongue-in-cheek coming of age vignettes” and is told through the teenager
addressing the audience like in Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off (‘nother great movie!). It is hilarious. You’ve got the overcrowded Jewish household
complete with widowed aunt and her children which causes untold burdens for
teenage Eugene’s mother (although she is certainly the queen of complaints—“But
I don’t mind. They’re family. It’s my duty.” Poor Eugene is trying to navigate the rigors
of adolescent manhood with the help of his older brother’s worldly experience
and wisdom. Eugene’s antics create most
of the storyline with the other family members rounding out the picture of
American life pre-WWII. Heart-warming. Funny as hell. Excellent portrayals of the quintessential
Jewish family. Your stomach’s gonna hurt
from laughing so much—Surgeon General’s Warning for you.
What we liked: Blythe Danner as the mother. She was fabulous. And the end… when poor Eugene finally gets
his dearest wish….you didn’t really think I’d tell you, did you? That would spoil it for you! (And I do not believe in spoilers. So not fair.)
Ratings: We all gave it 4s. Excellent feel-good comedy.
January 29th—a
classic 80s comedy and a newbie (we don’t watch many of those!)
Movie #1: Pitch Perfect (2012,
with Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson)
This is one of the rare times that we have a movie that none
of us have ever seen previously. The
best way to describe this movie is Glee
meets Bridesmaids. Beca (Anna Kendrick of Twilight Saga fame) is a freshman in college and looking for a way
to “get involved” to satisfy her father’s demands that she experience all that
college has to offer. Enter the a
cappella singing clubs. She finds
herself sucked into the Barden Bellas, an a cappella group that seems more like
a sorority than a glee club. You’ve got
overinflated egos, fierce competition, ridiculous ceremonies and rituals, and a
girl called “Fat Amy” (Rebel Wilson). Lots
of crude humor and absolutely spectacular music. Now granted, this movie has some faults (one
of them being character development), but then, no one has ever named this as
an Oscar-contender either. It serves its
purpose which is to make you laugh. And
laugh we did.
**Warning: If you have a sensitive gag reflex—there are
2 heinous projectile vomit scenes. They
were pretty gross—I had to turn away.
What we liked: The singing—excellent. And—the little nerd gets his shot in the
end. Perfect.
Ratings: Jason
3.5; Kathy 4; Me 3.5
Movie #2: Weekend at Bernie’s
(1989, with Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser)
Most folks have seen this movie. Even me, who was sheltered from such “trash”
as a child, I’ve seen it. Jason, who has
seen way more movies than I have, had never seen this movie. Therefore, we had to correct this
failing. Picture it: New York City, 1989. (I always loved when Sophia did that in Golden Girls, didn’t you!) Two young accounting yuppies stumble upon multiple
payouts from their insurance firm on bogus accounts. Thinking they’ll be the toast of the company,
they inform their boss, Bernie. Now here’s
the tricky part—Bernie’s in with the mob, and these idiots have just unveiled
the money-laundering scheme. Enter the contract
hit on the two morons by Bernie. Except—wait
for it—the mob puts out their own hit on Bernie (apparently he’s a loose
end). Fast-forward-----everyone ends up
at Bernie’s house in the Hamptons for the weekend. The mob has killed Bernie, the boys are
trying to pass Bernie off as alive, and the entire population of the Hamptons villages
is partying at Bernie’s house. The whole
movie is slapstick comedy revolving around dead Bernie, the mob hitman
returning to finish his job, and the boys trying not to get caught.
Trivia Tid-bit (cause
it’s cool): The house used in this movie was not in the Hamptons. It was actually built on a state park at Bald
Head Island, North Carolina!!!! There is
a clear shot of the Bald Head Island lighthouse in one of the pier scenes. Because the area is a state park, no vehicles
were allowed on the island—hence the golf carts in the movie! Last thing—the pier used to get into the boat
is located in Wrightsville Beach beside the Harbor Island drawbridge. How awesome!
Ratings: Jason 2; Kathy 2; Me 2.5 (It’s an ‘80s comedy, not Gone with the Wind)
Stay tuned for another post tomorrow to catch you up!
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