Tag: Movies

No Better Way To Spend My Thursday Night

Jeannie Marie Leave a comment

Tonight, for the fourth year in a row, I’ll be sitting in a theatre watching an installment of The Hunger Games. After three years, it’s time to say goodbye. I still remember the first time that I went, seeing the first movie with my two best friends from high school. It was an amazing night, and happened to be one of my friends’ birthday, and we were all ecstatic – we’d all read the books, and this adaptation looked amazing.

Midnight movies have a special place in my heart. I think my first midnight movie was The Dark Knight, when I was 13 or 14 years old. My aunt took me and my cousin on a whim, and I ended up struggling to stay awake, since I had been up all day. But it was an exciting night – when Lieutenant Gordon came out of the back of the van, proving that he was alive, not dead, the entire theatre erupted in applause. A couple of years later, I saw both Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at midnight (I refused to choose between them – both guilty pleasures in my opinion) – theatres filled with hundreds of teen girls, all buzzing thirty minutes or an hour before the show, and I soaked it all in.

Now, I’m a bit older, and see more sophisticated things, read: Rocky Horror Picture Show, I still remember what it was like to be in high school, to be up at midnight, and to be part of a community that cares about something.

The tragedy of today, though, is that nothing really happens at midnight. Perhaps the midnight movie was more of a resurgence rather than just something I didn’t know about till I was older, but for movie executives, these nights are a way to make oodles of money. Which is kind of sad, because when I see Mockingjay at 11:15 tonight, I know, deep down, I shouldn’t be seeing it until midnight, and that the theatre I’m at has been showing Mockingjay since 7:30 earlier tonight. That hardly seems fair – the movie’s release date isn’t until 12:01 tonight, officially.

However, I will say that the extra movie times allow thousands of people to see the movie, when a lot of them would have been turned away had the theatre limited the release to only 12:01.

No matter what, midnight movies are something I love, and will always love. It’s one of the most unique ways you can see a movie, when going to a theatre is at an all time low.

So I challenge you, even if it’s not tonight with The Hunger Games, or in a month with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to go see a midnight movie with your friends. Go to the State, go to Rave, go anywhere.

I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Thursday night. Can you?

Bride and Prejudice and Adaptations

Jeannie Marie 1 Comment

As a senior English major, I didn’t know there was anything new I could be taught about reading critically. Since freshman year of high school I’ve been reading books – both popular and “literary” – critically. A lot of my friends (especially my mom) point out how I don’t ever “enjoy” movies anymore. I leave a theatre, talking about how the story line was messy or how one of the female characters was portrayed as weak. As an English major, writing has to be your strong suit, but thinking critically has to be ingrained into your psyche to survive.

Which is why, when a professor of mine presented a new way to think about reading critically, I was shocked (and yes, downright impressed). He told us that instead of thinking about themes, he liked to think about preoccupations – what is the text preoccupied with? What does it talk about over and over again? Where does it linger, and where does it skim? This method has been time and time again perfect for the type of analysis we do in this class. By reading popular (genre) fiction, we’re engaging with the type of material I’m not used to in a classroom – usually boring, pre-1900 texts, and we’re lucky if we get to read something in the 1920s. Modernism, Romanticism – these are familiar topics. Most English majors have a favorite Shakespeare play, just because they’ve read so much of it. So it makes sense that with a new type of text come a new type of strategy – though obviously for this professor, it isn’t new.

Tonight, instead of reading or watching a movie for my film class like I should have, I decided to surf Netflix and sprawl out on my couch. I had the TV to myself for a few hours and I wanted to take advantage of it. I didn’t want to watch the show I’m currently watching with my roommate (Jane The Virgin, by the way, and 10/10 would recommend – I’m obsessed) and not something I’d get too attached to – I wanted to relax, not pay attention and be completely absorbed until midnight.

I settled on Bride and Prejudice – a film masterpiece, if I do say so myself. I actually started it a long time ago, but I never actually finished it. It’s light, it’s fun, it’s Bollywood – what’s not to love? And I did love it.

But I also constantly compared it to my absolute, all time favorite adaptation, the Kiera Knightly Pride and Prejudice from 2005 (sorry Lizzy Bennet Diaries –  you’re a close second). And it wasn’t in a bad way – I kept trying to place each scene, since Bride is set in modern times, and seeing how each scene corresponded. I kept wondering how and why they made the choice to make Darcy American/white. It wasn’t a bad decision, and in a way it made sense – Darcy as the outsider to an Indian family and tradition – but it could have made sense if they insulated the story completely in India, substituting London with New Delhi or Mumbai.

But then I kept watching – wondering why the writers emphasized love story between Darcy and Lizzie (Lalita, in this adaptation – seeing the new names was particularly exciting to me), why Wickham didn’t end up with Lakhi, and why the ending felt so compressed. As I thought about these differences, I realized that Bride and Prejudice was preoccupied with different things than the Kiera Knightly adaptation was preoccupied with. Bride wanted fun, lighthearted happiness – focusing on song and dance numbers, and cutting too much drama that would have dragged down the script. It was preoccupied with showing two cultures coming together, an added layer to the socioeconomic issues Lizzy and Darcy usually deal with.

I will be the first to say that I generally love adaptations. Sure, will I criticize them? Of course. Do I hate some of them? You bet *cough* Percy Jackson *cough*. But do I give them a chance, and appreciate what they do? Always.

When engaging with Bride and Prejudice, I realized preoccupations were something that drove it to be what it is – why not for other adaptations? Immediately Baz Luhrmann’s fantastic The Great Gatsby comes to mind. The film was highly polarizing, but it was preoccupied with things some people didn’t agree with. It created a visual spectacle that hasn’t been seen on screen in a long time, if ever, and it located the story in 2013 even while keeping it a period piece, something I’d posit would be almost impossible if not for Luhrmann’s genius.

Adaptations hold an interesting place for someone like me, a book lover and a film nerd – and I’d always been torn on how to address them. But now, I think I get it. It’s not really anything special, but I realized that I look at the world differently because of one professor. And I think that’s really cool.

The John Hughes Perspective

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If you’re like me, you live your life constantly thinking you live in an 80s movie. You walk around waiting for Patrick Swayze to show up swinging his hips, and your best friend is named Duckie because of his shoes.

But most people are not me, and they don’t live like that. So I try and spread my wealth of knowledge about 80s movies, and I am constantly surprised at the number of people that aren’t aware of this particular brand of awesomeness.

I could go on; I could talk about my personal favorite 80s movies, and ones I have yet to seen. But I’d like to set that aside, and talk about what makes 80s movies so great…and yet why they haven’t stayed in the “great movies” cannon.

I mean, a few have. But rather than just great movies, they’re labeled “great 80s movies,” as if we have to put the entire 80s in a box and only pull out the good things. And for some reason, they’re only pulled out when convenient; to make a reference in Pitch Perfect, or to provide framework in Easy A.

I’d like to put forth my own hypothesis, though, about 80s movies. Because yes, they were made for the masses of neon-wearing, Journey-singing teens that were abundantly overflowing and controlling the 80s. But these movies are more than just your average Twilight phase. They aren’t just some love story for the sake of a love story.

Take Pretty in Pink for example. So I might be a little bit biased because that’s my favorite 80s movie ever, but hear me out. The protagonist Andie (played by the still stunning Molly Ringwald) is asked out by Blaine, the kitchen appliance, or rather rich kid from the “right side” of the tracks. As Andie is from the “wrong side” of the tracks, a.k.a. poor side, this creates a huge controversy not only with Blaine’s snobby friends, but with Andie’s best friend Duckie who’s been in love with her since they met.

Okay, yes, the main story is about young love. But it’s not about absolute, true, you’re-the-one love. It’s about negotiating relationships for what they are; relationships that are messy and unpredictable and imperfect. And even more so than that, it provides smart commentary about the very real concerns of socioeconomic inequality. Blaine isn’t snobby, but he comes from friends who are; and yet Andie’s friends act the same way towards Blaine, because he can’t truly understand what it’s like to not have money. This isn’t silly teen angst, this is the kind of thing that happens every day. And like I said, Blaine and Andie don’t pledge to be 2gether5ever, they realize that being together is rough, and that it’s just a high school romance. The honesty that this movie brings to the screen is unlike anything I’ve seen before or have seen since.

In real life, the right guy doesn’t always get the girl, and in real life people break up and get back together. In real life you make friends in detention and you don’t stay friends with them – but you hold a special memory. In real life you do things you wouldn’t normally do – and then face the consequences for those actions. Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Dirty Dancing. Sound familiar?

What separates John Hughes movies, and more generally teen movies from the 80s, is the truthfulness that’s shown on screen. You can watch and relate, even if you don’t have red hair or you’re not a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, or a criminal. These movies just get what it means to be a teenager without limiting or mocking that experience.

And the sad thing is, that doesn’t happen anymore. Adults dismiss teens as being angsty, hormonal, irrational, unable to make decisions or think critically. So yes, John Hughes movies may be teen movies, and yes, they may be made for teens and with teens in them. But I don’t think that’s a reason to shove them in the 80s movie box with your mom’s green legwarmers. Now more than ever teens need to know that their voices are being heard, and that they’re important.

So yeah. 80s movies.

*cue slow motion fist pump*

Selma and the Academy Awards

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Almost exactly a year ago, I made a post that will end up being eerily similar to this one. Why, you may ask?

It is, once again, AWARDS SEASON.

*cue excited music*

Okay, okay, I have a confession. Yes, I love awards season, and yes, I’m still excited to see who will win. But something just isn’t right this year.

As you may have heard, Selma got majorly snubbed in the noms for the Academy Awards this year. And I’m not particularly happy about that.

First, before I say anything else, I want to reiterate that I am, in fact, a white female, and thus am speaking from a view of someone who is privileged, and I try to acknowledge that as much as possible. But all I ever want to be, both writing these columns and in my everyday life is honest. And honestly, this is not okay.

Last year, I watched the Academy Awards, and when they called the name of Lupita Nyong’o, I could literally see the joy and surprise she felt when they called her name. I beamed when she acknowledged what an amazing opportunity this was, how she instantly became a role model, just like actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Amy Adams became for me.

And yet now, are we really going to take a step backward from that? Frankly, I’m not surprised, but immensely disappointed at the Academy. I have yet to see Selma (though you can bet I’m planning on it), but even without seeing it I already know what a phenomenal movie it is.

All I can say is America, we can do better.

Okay, now that that’s over with, I present my picks and favorites for the Academy Awards 2015 in the major categories. Feel free to disagree in the comments…I’m actually really excited to do this publicly, because I’ve always made my picks, but usually just told my mom right before they announce the winner.

Also, disclaimer, if you didn’t read my post from last year, I also try and challenge myself to see every best picture/best actor/actress nominated movie, because they aren’t movies I typically see in my casual movie-going habits (that would be How to Train Your Dragon 2…I mean…what…who said that…). So, something to keep in mind, I probably haven’t seen the movies I pick. So…make of that what you will.

Best Picture:
Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Favorite: Boyhood

Best Actor:
Pick: Michael Keaton, Birdman
Favorite: No particular favorite

Best Actress:
Pick: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Favorite: No particular favorite

Best Supporting Actor:
Pick: Edward Norton, Birdman
Favorite: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood

Best Supporting Actress:
Pick: Laura Dern, Wild
Favorite: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Animated Feature Film:
Pick: The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Favorite(s): How to Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6

Best Director:
Pick: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Favorite: Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Sick Days and Movies

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I’d like to propose a theory that has not been tested or proven in any way shape or form. To be honest, this theory hasn’t been around for very long because I may or may not have come up with it today while I was lying in agony trying to will my body to sleep. But it’s a theory nonetheless.

This theory? When there is an increase in sickness/illness/general suckiness, there is a direct correlation to the increase in enjoyment of any movie or TV show.

Note I said correlation not causation because if I hadn’t already had it drilled into my brain in high school AP Psych I had it again drilled into my brain in my (very easy) stats class last year.

Normally, today I would have one class in the morning, have an hour and a half for lunch, and have a 3 hour work shift after which I’d attend my last class of the day from 4-5:30. However my body was having none of that, so after waking up with a scratchy throat I went to my first class and in the course of an hour and half went from “ew gross throat” to “please help I’m dying.” To my chagrin, my poor attempt to use Panera Bread’s chicken noodle soup to nurse myself back to health did not work, and so I walked into my office a half hour earlier than I’m supposed to arrive and asked if please I could go back and rest, and she agreed heartily. (Side note: I literally have the best boss on campus. And I’m not saying that in case she reads this, because she probably won’t, but because it’s true, so you should all be jealous).

Only focused on how the wind was not lowering my pain tolerance at all, I shuffled slowly back to my dorm, took the elevator instead of the stairs, and crawled into bed. And even though I was completely exhausted from only getting six hours of sleep the night previous, I could not fall asleep.

Not only was I thinking of all the things I still need to do this week and how to accomplish them with the least amount of effort possible, I also was kept awake by the dull throbbing in my muscles.

And so, as I lay there, I thought of all of the times I had been sick when at home, and how yes, I felt horrible, but maybe it’d be okay because that meant I got to watch a new movie or finish a TV show.

One distinct time this happened was when I was in 4th, maybe 5th grade. My mom kept me home from school with just a normal (but brutal) cold, but she still had to go to the store and wouldn’t leave me home alone, so naturally I accompanied her to the WalMart five minutes down the road. As soon as we got there, there was a huge display in front of me, with at least three shelves all lined with one movie. This movie, which happens to be my favorite out of all Disney/Pixar movies, is Finding Nemo. I don’t know why my mom did it, maybe out of pity, or maybe she just saw the look on my face as I looked at the shiny blue cover of a movie I didn’t get to see in the movie theatre, but she turned to me and asked “Do you want me to buy this for you?”

Young and confused, I answered with my own question, “Why?”

“Because today is a special day.” I couldn’t see what was so special about it, but if it meant getting a new movie I was game, so I went and picked out one, a two disc special edition, and watched it when I got home.

Now, to be honest, I don’t remember how sick I was or how much I liked the movie the first time I saw it. But to this day, it’s one of my favorite movies, both to watch when I’m sick and when I’m fine. I can quote almost every line, and over break I bought myself a stuffed plush of Dory (I kid you not).

Okay, so I will acknowledge that this has less to do with “art” and more to do with psychology. Maybe it’s just this way for me, but when I get sick, cuddling up with a soft blanket and a movie works better than any medicine or home remedy. I can’t tell you why, but the connection still exists in my head to this day, because when I lay there in my dorm, miserable and desperately wishing for sleep, just sleep, all I really wanted was to watch Finding Nemo.

*Disclaimer* I am still very sick as I write this so if you see any typos or if some sentences just don’t sound the best, please forgive me, I’m about to take a shower and some Nyquil and sleep forever.

The Art of The Snow Day Movie Marathon

Jeannie Marie Leave a comment

Do you hear that? It’s the triumphant cries of students everywhere rejoicing in the luck of it being 2014. What’s that? A Snow Day in Michigan? Has there ever been a more perfect time?

With all this time on your hands, dear students, I impart to you the knowledge of my vast and ever-growing movie collection, so that you too may reap the benefits of not having class today in the form of a movie marathon.

And so, for this January 28th, in the year 2014, I present to you, my Top 10 Movies To Watch When You Have A Snow Day

1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Okay, you should have seen this one coming from a mile away. And if you haven’t seen this movie yet, PLEASE take this excuse to watch it RIGHT NOW. In short, Ferris is taking a day off – so you should do yourself a favor and take one too.

2. Stardust

Over the years I’ve grown accustomed to the response of “What’s Stardust?” whenever I mention this movie. A hidden gem, Stardust is a movie based on a book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. A fantasy following the story of a man traveling to “catch” a fallen star who happens to be a beautiful girl named Yvaine, this movie is a must see, and is the perfect balance of action, comedy, and romance that will fill you with warmth as you wrap up in a blanket on your bed.

3. How To Train Your Dragon

And unlike the movie previous, almost everyone I know has heard of this installment of the colloquially known “Big Four” But honestly, I can’t get past how amazingly written and heartfelt this movie is. A coming of age story with the enjoyable twist of a puppy-dog like dragon, I love this movie for its inexplicable wit and ambitious but oh so totally worth it plot line. This movie is a modern classic in the realm of animation, and is a highly enjoyable movie for any age.

4. Dan In Real Life

As a sophomore, I decided to embroider my letterman with a quote from this movie. I received much criticism, as the line is kitschy, but in context, it fits perfectly. At the end of the movie, middle-aged father Dan tells the readers of his column to “Plan To Be Surprised”, and heeds his own advice as he falls in love for the first time since becoming a widower. This offbeat rom-com will surprise you with how much it doesn’t feel like a rom, and is the perfect way for the ladies to get their dose of romance while guys enjoy the comedic styling of comedians such as Steve Carell, Dane Cook, and the ever great John Mahoney.

5. Push

Another movie that you may not have heard of, Push is an action-adventure set on the streets of Hong Kong. Fast paced with action around every corner, this movie will surprise you with its slightly complex plot. While not a masterpiece such as Inception, the plot contains more than your usual Michael Bay-type fare, and will leave you satisfied but curious as to where the plot could go.

6. Easy A

Another rom-com that’s heavy on the comedy, I watched Easy A for the first time in a while last night in my room with my friends. As I watched, I was reminded of how bland the plot could have been – but how amazingly executed the movie was. The perfectly balanced dialogue contained a heavy dose of sarcasm mixed with a realism that stayed true to high school teenagers, and the delivery by the now-famous Emma Stone never faltered. She was able to portray a female lead that wasn’t strong in her sassiness but in the choices she made, never second guessing or wavering in them, and sticking through her “business” to the end. I was struck by how well made the movie was, and so this movie makes my list as something to dig out of your 2010 pile to re-watch.

7. Meet The Robinsons

I seem to be alternating between well-known and what is THAT? but nevertheless Meet the Robinsons  is one of my favorite, underrated Disney movies. Disney takes the tired trope of time traveling and adds a bit of Disney magic, and you get this movie, which was made as a homage to Walt Disney himself and his ever present theme of innovation, showcased primarily in his creation of the Tommorrowland section of Disneyland. This movie surprised me in how enjoyable it was, even though I didn’t watch it till I was 16 or 17 years old. It’s worth a shot, and you won’t regret it.

8. Take The Lead

One of the more serious movies on this list, Take The Lead is another must see. Based on a true story, it details the life of Pierre Dulaine, played by Antonio Banderas, a man who decides to implement ballroom dancing lessons in the detention hall of one inner-city New York public school. It deals with the harsh topics of racism, classism, and how these things affect the real lives of the teens that have to live with it every day. While somewhat heavy, this movie is a must see because of the way it gracefully navigates these subjects while simultaneously delivering an satisfying plot that leaves you cheering for the underdogs.

9. (500) Days of Summer

My final rom-com that differs in its emphasis on the romance, I absolutely love this movie. Maybe the fact that I got it for Christmas but accidentally left it back in Houston made me put it on this list. Nevertheless, if you’re going to watch a romance, go big or go home, and watch as Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to navigate a relationship with the ever elusive Summer.

10. The Princess Bride

And finally, I had to end with a classic. One of my favorite movies of all time, The Princess Bride just makes you feel good, even when it’s 30 below outside. It has an air of timelessness that can’t be found today, and that’s why this movie wraps up my list.

So there you have it. 10 movies for you to choose from on your day off. Watch one, watch none, watch all, but please, take this day to watch something. After all, snow days only come once every 36 years.