Week 52: We Bought a Zoo

Week 52! NOOOOOOO, ok, we will see another one, sort of like being pregnant, they say it's 9 months, but really it's 10. They say 52 weeks in a year, we say 53.

So, Christmas Day we loaded up the families (minus 2) and headed down to the Plaza to see a movie. Sort of trying to make it a little more exciting than going to our regular theater. Christmas lights, theatre with an escalator (cheaper by about 15 bucks!)

The key players in this movie were Matt Damon, (the dad) Scarlett Johansson (the zoo keeper), Colin Ford (older child) Maggie Elizabeth Jones (younger child), and Elle Fanning (13 year old zoo helper). The story line follows the title, a family of 3 buys a home that happens to be part of a Zoo. This movie is based on a true story, I like true stories so was happy this was our Christmas movie.

All in all I enjoyed this movie. My husband did happen to notice there was a little more "swearing" than he thought appropriate for a PG movie. I do agree, but regardless I thought the movie was good. I like Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson was okay, nothing outstanding. Maggie Elizabeth Jones stole the show really. She was super darn cute! She is a 7 year old, but really seemed younger which made her more cute. If you saw "Footloose" she played in that as well. Wouldn't be surprised to see her more in the near future.

This movie was touching, had some good humor and a good family show. My 8 year old was "in love" with the romance of this movie. She couldn't hard contain her "AHHH" for the romance that happened between Elle Fanning's character and Colin Ford. She is a hopeless romantic like her Mama.

All in all and good family movie. See it together and appreciate the family you have.

See you for our LAST review of 2011~ It's a good one!

Week 52: We Bought a Zoo

Any normal person might think this is our last post in our quest to see a movie a week in 2011.  After all, it is week 52.  Well, as it turns out it is not.  We just saw our last movie yesterday and it wasn't this one.  How can that be you ask?  Well, if you recall January 1st was a Saturday.  We went to a movie that day and called it week 1.  Technically it probably wasn't week 1.  But alas, that's what we did so we managed to defy the western calendar and actually have 53 weeks of movies this year.  Not to mention a few extras.  As far as movies are concerned it's been a pretty darn good year for us.  Now that the accountant in me has justified week 53 I'll continue on.

This past weekend we saw We Bought a Zoo for week 52.  We chose this one to satisfy all the family needs since we made this one an all family event.  Christmas day movies are the best.  Going to a movie on Christmas has always been a tradition in our family.  Anyone else?

This may not have been my first choice of a movie to see but I was interested in seeing it.  I love Matt Damon for one.  And two...well I love Matt Damon.  How can you go wrong with that?  This movie is about a guy who is working through the loss of his wife and decides to move his kids to a new place to get a fresh start.  They end up buying a house that includes a run down zoo.  They put in a lot of money and hard work to get it open again and of course learn some life lessons on the way.  Pretty much a nice wholesome story. 

Matt Damon was of course good and so was Scarlett Johansson who played the main zookeeper.  I'm not sure that the two had the best chemistry but it was okay.  The kids were played by Colin Ford and Maggie Elizabeth Jones with another role played by Elle Fanning.  They were all good especially Maggie Elizabeth Jones.  She was so cute it was hard not to consider her the standout. 

Overall I thought this was a cute movie.  It had funny and touching moments and a good story.  I'm not sure I would say it's one of my favorites but good entertainment for a night.  The kids seemed to enjoy it but it was a little slow for my six year old. 

To Sum it up:  A warm, fun story with heart.

Week 51: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

How is it that I get so behind in posting my reviews?  I have three movies swirling in my head right now.  These last few of the year might be short and sweet.
For week 51 we went and saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  I was a big fan of the first one so I was looking forward to this.  Russ was a big fan of the first one too so he was actually looking forward to seeing this movie.  When he's excited about seeing a movie I'm happy because that means he'll try hard to go with me.  So this movie ended up being a date night for us sisters.  Love it when it works out that way.

This is the second installment of the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.  I totally agree with Deb.  They have great chemistry together in the movie.  I love the humor and wit.  Actually, Robert Downey Jr. has good chemistry with Rachel McAdams too even if they didn't have as big of a role this time around.  Generally speaking I love Robert Downey Jr.'s humor and he is no exception in this one.  I love the visual effects as well with the dark atmosphere and cool slow mo action shots.  It all works wonderfully.

Definitely a fun one to see in the theater. 
To Sum it up: Good action, good banter and just plain good entertainment. 

Week 51: Sherlock Holmes-A Game of Shadows

This movie was a good "take your husband out on a date" movie. I had not seen the first one, but was told it didn't matter. I think it may have helped a little, but I don't think I lost any of the intention by not seeing the first one.

We also got to enjoy the movie with our friends. Thanks for coming with us Steve and Shelley.

The main players: Robert Downey Jr.-He did excellent. Jude Law-Amazing as well. These two had great chemistry and worked well together. Kept me entertained with humor and quirkiness. Roomi Rapace- She did a great job. Excited to see her in a different role to see if she is a great as she seems.


Overall impression: Good movie, lots of adventure, action, and twists and turns. Good couples movie!

Next review to follow soon.

Week 50: New Years Eve

The pickins' are slim this holiday season! With only a few movies left I was hoping to go out with a BANG! However, it is kind of just fizzling away.

This week we say New Years Eve. This movie was basically the interconnection between about 20 different people and what they do on New Years Eve in New York. There were a ton of well known actors in this film, (look at Tiff's post, it will save me the typing!) Really there was only one story line that kind of "touched" me, and amazingly enough it was the scenes with Halle Berry and Robert De Niro. I guess saying, "amazingly enough" doesn't sound nice, really they both are great actors, I was more amazed that with all the different actors in this film there were only two that impressed me much.

The movie was pretty light hearted, with some laughs and some touching moments, but nothing of real depth that captures your soul. Kind of like watching a T.V. show as the relationships were not really developed too much, and there really was no plot. Just watching the lives of many on a Holiday.

I will say that my 14 year old daughter really did like this film, so maybe it's geared more towards the teenage female audience. Honestly, I was confused why it didn't come out on New Years, or something like that..I think the movie industry is just dying to find something to feed to us Movie Junkies because there isn't much out there right now, they were just throwing us a bone.

All in all, a decent movie, but nothing too special. I would say it is a good mother/teenage daughter show. Zac Efron and Ashton Kutcher may appeal to those tween types and it's a clean show :)

See you soon!

Week 50: New Year's Eve

For week 50 we went and saw New Year's Eve. This is from the same writer as Valentine's Day.  I didn't see Valentine's Day but I imagine they are very similar.  It's about a bunch of characters and what's going on in their life around New Year's Eve.  All the characters are intertwined in some way and you find all the connections at the end of the movie.

Of course this movie was packed full of actors:  Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Hilary Swank, Josh Duhamel, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Seth Meyers (SNL), Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, Sofia Vergara, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele (Glee), Sarah Jessica Parker and Abigail Breslin.  Whew.  I think I got the main players.

I don't think this movie is intended to have a lot of meat to it.  Because it doesn't.  It's fun and a little humorous and a little touching but that's about it.  If you want a similar type of concept that's done a lot better check out Crazy, Stupid, Love or Love Actually.  Way better done.

I felt like through most of the movie I was missing out on back stories that would have made the relationships more meaningful.  Again, I don't think this was meant to be really in depth but come on.  I think I could have looked past the relationship aspect if it was funnier and just generally more entertaining.  And with all the great actors in this movie none of them really stood out.  The only thing I can really say about any of them is that Zac Efron makes me feel like a 15 year old girl again.  Or maybe that I want to be a 15 year old girl again.  Take that how you will.

To Sum it up: Only mildly entertaining and a lot of good actors with not a lot of good acting. 

Week 49: The Descendants

Boy, Deb's right.  We are behind on our posts.  Here's to knocking two out the same day.  Note that this reveiw has slight spoilers so if you want to see the movie first that might be a good idea. 

We saw The Descendants for week 49 with George Clooney as the main character followed by his daughter played by Shailene Woodley.  As Deb said, this movie was mainly about the relationship between these two characters.  The story is about a guy, George Clooney, who's dealing with the impending loss of his wife who was in a boating accident and also dealing with selling property that's part of this big family trust.  So there's sort of two different stories going on. Oh, and it was set in Hawaii which threw in an interesting perspective.

In the first story with his wife, he's working through this process of saying good bye and trying to manage his two daughters.  In dealing with his oldest daughter's anger towards his wife he finds out that his wife was having an affair and was thinking about leaving him.  A good chunk of the movie is about him dealing with this revelation.

This movie has a heavy feel with serious topics but not a lot of drama.  And there was a lot of comic relief in just the right places.  It reminds me of 50/50 a little bit in the sense that if an "average" person was thrown in this situation this is how they might actually deal with it.  It didn't feel hollywoodized.  (I just made that word up.)  With George Clooney as the main guy you might not think it's possible to imagine an average guy with an average family but there were times where he actually did seem like an average guy.  I mean, it is George Clooney after all so of course you won't forget that but he intentionally wasn't as dashing in this one.     

I did think it was a good movie and one worth seeing but I was surprised in my lack of emotional connection with the characters.  I felt distanced from them when normally I'm sniffling right along with Deb.  I think this is mainly because of my personal hatred and dysfunction when it comes to infidelity and all things cheating.  Or maybe I just wasn't in a sappy mood.  Either way, it didn't touch me as much as some movies do.  But I think it probably would to the average person. 

To Sum it up: Serious topics, perfectly timed humor and good "almost made you forget the actor" acting.

Week 49: The Descendants

Ok, so our posts are running a week behind, but we ARE going to the movie, which is most important in my world.

We got to do a "Two sisters, A Mom and A Movie" this time around! We were hard pressed to find something out there we wanted to see, but after some looking around stumbled across this gem. Yes, it was a gem!

This movie follows two basic story lines, one about a family who's mother/wife is ill and the family is trying to cope with the choices that need to be made to stay afloat emotionally. This is intertwined with a story of the father/husband of this family, trying to make a decision about selling some land that is in his trust.

George Clooney plays the lead role along with Shailene Woodley, who plays one of his daughters. Really, most of the movie centers around these two and their interactions. I am always impressed when I see Good old George on the film. He seems so at ease. In fact, at one point in the movie he was suppose to be kind of "geeky" or maybe more "average" and it seemed out of character, he just is too laid back and in control that to be out of control was sort of off. Not to say he didn't do a good job, but you just know it's not him.

Shailene did an exceptional job as a 17 year old girl. She was pretty darn close to what I think so many 17 year olds probably act like. I know she plays on a TV series, but I read where this was her first role in a movie. Yep, she's good!

I think what I most liked about this movie was that I cried and I laughed. A movie that does that can't be anything but a winner in my emotional book. I like to laugh and cry..tap into both ends of the spectrum and confuse the mind with how it really feels.

Mostly, just a great movie to go to with my mom and sister! Thanks for the great night Tiff and Mom.

See you for week 50! only 2 left..so sad :(

Giveaway Suggestions

So we were thinking about having one last giveaway in 2011.  One last hurrah before our year 'o movies is over.  What kind of giveaway would you like to see?  Straight up movie tickets?  Dinner and a movie?  A book/movie giveaway? 

Give us some ideas and we'll post a giveaway soon!

Week 48: My Week with Marilyn

While all the family was here for Thanksgiving we went and saw My Week with Marilyn down at the Cinema Suites downtown.  So much fun going there.  And it was Russ' first time and he thought it was pretty cool.  He decided he wants to see the new Mission Impossible there.

So, on to the movie.  Let me tell ya.  Deb and I have really been struggling these past couple weeks on what movies to see.  There really hasn't been a whole lot of good stuff coming out.  Hopefully the last few weeks in December will be better.  Luckily this movie worked with our schedule and was a movie no one else in our family had seen. 

The movie was really more about a guy, Colin played by Eddie Redmayne, who worked on one of Marilyn Monroe's movies and his interaction with her during that time.  Marilyn is played by Michelle Williams.  I'll be honest, other than the blonde hair I didn't think she would fit the part.  Marilyn is so curvy and sexual and Michelle Williams just isn't.  But I think she did a fantastic job.  Now, I'm not an expert on all things Marilyn Monroe but from my limited knowledge of her I think Williams portrayed her well. 

I really thought Eddie Redmayne did a great job as well.  There were some other well known actors in this movie.  Kenneth Branagh, Julia Ormond, Judi Dench and Emma Watson had a small role.  It was good to see Emma in something besides Harry Potter.  Just to see how she was.  And she was good.

The storyline was interesting as well.  It was about an assistant director who gets chummy and ends up falling in love with Marilyn over this short period of time.  It was interesting to see what the life of a star might look like.  And how easily infatuated a "normal" person might get with them. 

Overall, I liked this movie and thought it had great acting.  I heard Michelle Williams might be considered for an Oscar for this role.  We'll see.

To Sum it up: Well acted, charming characters and interesting look at stardom.

Week 48: My Week With Marilyn

Happy Belated Thanksgiving. Usually this time of year movies are all over the place and as my family often comes to visit Tiff and I for Thanksgiving, we go to several movies over the week. For some reason this year, the movies are few and far between. However, we found this one, and wanted to share the AMC Cinema Suite experience with everyone.

This movie chronicles a week following a man named Colin Clark, played by Eddie Redmayne, who happens upon a job as the 3rd assistant director in the taping of a film with Marilyn Monroe, played by Michelle Williams. The movie is based on a book, by Colin Clark, and is a true story (from Colin's perspective of course.)

The movie really didn't have a lot of depth. I think the movie really captured the "craziness" that is so often rumored of Marilyn Monroe's personality. I have no idea how true this really is, of course it is just one man's opinion, but my guess it Marilyn was sort of off her rocker just a little bit. She seemed to have some issues with mental illness, as well as addiction. I have never really seen anything about Marilyn and her life. I guess I expected a little craziness, but man this movie made her seem a little more than just crazy.

As far as the movie itself, I think Michelle Williams did an amazing job. From the few clips I have seen of Marilyn Monroe, I have to say Michelle did great. Her voice was especially convincing. Eddie Redmayne did okay. I wasn't overly impressed. However, one of the best performances was by Judi Dench. I always like her characters. She just seems so natural in her roles, and this movie was no different.

Overall this movie wasn't that great, it really wasn't Cinema Suite worthy, but if you like Marilyn Monroe, and want to see someones perspective of her life, this would be a good renter.

See you next week.

Bonus Review: Jack and Jill

Well, this will be short and sweet. I took the family to see Jack and Jill last week (or the week before maybe.) This is the movie with Adam Sandler and Katie Holmes (no chemistry what so ever). Adam plays the husband and then a twin sister to the husband. The twin sister comes to visit, and over stays her welcome. There was really no development of the story, it just sort of "started". The character development was not there at all, everything just sort of happened. Honestly, I thought this movie was kind of stupid. There was really no plot, no real story line and no real anything. However, my 11 year old son laughed so much and so infectiously during this movie I found myself laugh/crying at him.

So I guess this movie was geared towards those 11-14 year old boys of the world. Burps, farts, falls and stupidity galore. I say boys, but my 14 year old daughter and her friend seemed to kind of like it as well.

Basically, a good family movie, if you want to see your kids laugh and enjoy some family time, but rent it..save a little money.

Week 47: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

You can't be surprised that this is the movie we went to see this week.  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.  Oh how I love movies that are such a big deal that there are lines of people waiting to get in.  Seriously, I really love the whole process.  Makes everything so exciting and you really feel like you're a part of something.  I know it's just a movie.  It's not like Woodstock or anything but still a great way to break up the week of routine family schedule.  And we really didn't even have to stand in line.  Or go at midnight.  We scored 8pm tickets through AMC's stubs program.  Worth the $12 membership if you ask me. 

So obviously I've read the books and seen the previous movies.  But it's been a while since I've read this book so the details weren't fresh in my mind.  I think this is the only way to see a movie that was a book first.  Otherwise you critique every little difference and you don't get to enjoy the story being brought to life.  And let me tell ya, there's nothing I enjoy more.

I won't bore you with who's in this because whether you like the movies or not you probably already know.  And if you don't you must live in a bubble.  I kid.  But seriously, I think the acting is getting better with each movie.  I know there are people who have beef with the acting and choice of actors for this series (aka my sister in law) but this one stepped it up a notch.  The acting is definitely better.  I've never had a huge problem with it myself because I can easily overlook so so acting when I'm really excited about what I'm seeing. 

This last book had the potential to be a crazy over the top movie with everything that was going on.  With the rapid pregnancy and crazy delivery it could have been a cheese fest nightmare.  But it wasn't.  I thought it was done really well.  And in this one you got to experience the wolves talking to each other in their heads a little better.  I liked it.  I don't know how I'm going to wait for the next one.  By the way, I think Part 2 will make the best movie out of them all.  You get to meet all the cool vampires and their "gifts" and a lot more action.  Can't wait.

If you love this series I don't have to tell you to go see it because either you already have or have plans to go.  If you don't like it there's probably no convincing you to go anyway.  But I'll tell you this.  There may be a chance that I'll go again over Thanksgiving.

To Sum it up: Love it, love it, love it. 

Week 47: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1

WEEK 47?!?!? We only have 5 weeks left!..I am thinking this tradition will have to continue in 2012.

SO...the ever awaited "Breaking Dawn" was our show for the week. We luckily didn't have to wait until 12:01 to see it, but got in on the Stubs reward showing at 8:00 instead. It was crazy, there were 5 or so screens showing it at the AMC. Guess there is always a way around the 12:01 release huh?

So, I think I liked this movie the best, which is crazy because I liked this book the least. I am pure Jacob, 100%. I actually saw an awesome tee-shirt last night that read "Team Jacob, because real men don't sparkle" LOL I want that shirt!

Anyway, back to the movie. There were a few things that I felt made this movie better. 1.) I feel like the actors are getting better at acting. I watched the first 3 movies again before I watched this one. The maturity of the actors is showing through, and I feel like they just did a better job. 2.) I liked that the interaction between the wolves is more apparent in this movie. You get a better feel of the way they communicate and their connection with each other. 3.) Some of the personalities of the vampires come through better. 4.) I liked that the movie took more time to focus on the first half of the book since it was split up into two separate movies. I think that kept some of the story alive and didn't cause the makers to have to pull some of the important parts. I will re-state though, the book is where you will get it all.

We were amazed at how many "older" ---meaning not teenager,-- woman there were at the movie. I don't think the books were meant to target that population, but looking at the audience, I would have swore the book was wrote for the 30-50 year old, female population. I decided it must be our need for the teenage romance aspect of life. Our longing for the good old days, then of course, in high school I didn't have two hot looking boys fighting over me, so maybe it was our teenage dream!

Not much else to say, don't really feel I need to rehash the story. If you like the Twilight Series you won't be disappointed...

P.S. Stay following the credits or you will miss one of the connecting scenes.

See you next week! Looking forward to the start of the Holiday movie sweeps.

Week 46: J Edgar

This week we were slightly influenced by Tiff's father-in-law and decided to got see J Edgar. Not much explaining to do...a movie about someone's version of his life.

My ignorance of politics, government and the like came forward again as I watched the movie, mostly because I didn't realize the extensive influence he had on so many different areas, the card catalog systems, finger printing, FBI development...all very interested and intriguing.

J Edgar was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. I like the way movies keep the actors in the same role for a full length of life, the make-up artists are amazing. DiCaprio did a good job in this role, I think the hardest part was J Edgar was portrayed very oddly. He came across as slighly mental. Maybe he really was that way, but I never would have guessed it based on his accomplishments.

His "partner" and second hand man was played by Armie Hammer, again, watching him age over the years is pretty amazing.

I don't feel like I can say too much about the movie itself without giving away the details (that apparently a lot of people already knew, I just didn't) The actors were extremely believable, the story was pretty intriging, and the make-up was impressive. Hoover's character was sort of creepy though. Whether or not his character was accurately depicted I am not sure, but if it is, he was a "different" sort of man, but then of course many people say the "brilliant" people of the world are the closest to the craziest.

Overall decent movie, not necessarily my cup of tea, but good.

See you in a few!

Week 46: J. Edgar

We went and saw J. Edgar for week 46.  My father-in-law really wanted us to go see this one for obvious reasons being a former FBI agent and all.  He actually saw it the night it came out and was curious what my take would be.  His take wasn't very good.  I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it yet though.

First of all I should mention that if I didn't marry into the family I did I probably wouldn't be able to tell you who J. Edgar Hoover was.  That's the sad truth when it comes to my knowledge of certain US history.  I get ridiculed on a daily basis from my husband.  Can I confess something else?  Even though I have been apprised of who J. Edgar Hoover is I wouldn't bet my life on the fact that I could have told you who it was if I was put on the spot.  I'm just being honest here. 

That being said, I really had no idea what to expect with this movie.  I had no prejudices one way or the other.  Because of this I will say I was completely shocked with the turn of events.  Obviously, this is someones opinion of J. Edgar Hoover so you really don't know what is fact or fiction but wow.  This was one colorful guy.

This movie portrayed Hoover as ruthless, egotistical, paranoid, a mama's boy (almost to the point of creepy) and gay.  I had no idea.  I can't say this movie really gave an opinion one way or the other about the FBI in general.  It was more about Hoover as a person.  And I wouldn't say it was the most flattering depiction.  Leonardo DiCaprio played Hoover and he was fantastic.  I heard there was Oscar talk for his role.  I think it would be well deserved.  Judi Dench played his mom, Naomi Watts his secretary and Armie Hammer as his "second in command".  All did great. This movie was sort of dark and creepy but I would recommend it.   

To Sum it up: Well done, well acted and very fascinating.   

Bonus Review: Happy Feet Two

Last week we had the opportunity to see a prescreening of Happy Feet Two.  Russ and I decided to take the kids.  Rhett has gone to a good amount of movies now and does pretty good.  This was Piper's first movie.  We figured a free movie was the best way to test out her interest.  And it was 3D so it added a little extra flare to the experience.

None of us had seen Happy Feet so anything that may have referenced the first one was lost on us.  But we weren't confused about much which I'm sure is the intent with a kids movie.  This one was chalked full of well known voices.  Some of them were Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Pink, Sofia Vergara and Elijah Wood.  Is that the thing to do now with an animated movie?  It seems like nowadays there is always someone famous doing the voice of the characters.  I find myself paying way too much attention to the voices trying to figure out if it really sounds like that person.  Why, I don't know.

Like most animated movies, this one had a good message.  The message in this one was to work together and being different is okay.  Good concepts unless you have a son like mine who knows that when it comes to animals it's the survival of the fittest.  An elephant seal isn't going to help a baby penguin and a puffin isn't going to be accepted as an animal their not.  But putting facts aside, this was a fun movie with dancing and music and humor.  What more could you ask in a kids movie?  The 3D was pretty cool.  There were only a few scenes where it seemed really worth it but the kids had fun with the glasses.  Not sure it would be worth it to pay extra for it though.  2D would probably be just fine.

Overall, kids enjoyed it and only got a little restless towards the end.  Piper did pretty darn good for her first movie.  I think she enjoyed the Diet Coke, popcorn and glasses best of all though.

To Sum it up: Great voices, fun dancing and just enough to keep the kids engaged.     

Week 45: Tower Heist

Week 45.  I can't believe this year 'o movies is almost over.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to go back to a "normal" moving watching schedule.  Maybe I won't. Ha. 

Anyway, so this past weekend we went and saw Tower Heist.  Like I mentioned last week, there hasn't been a whole lot of options in movies right now.  All the good ones must be coming out for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This one probably isn't one I would pick if I had a handful to choose from.  I figured I would like it okay but wouldn't get overly thrilled about it either.

Turns out I was about right.  There were a group of funny characters played by Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick and Alan Alda.  Oh, and Tea Leoni as the token female.  Ben Stiller wasn't as funny as I've seen him and Eddie Murphy was just okay.  Although I'm not a huge fan of his anyway.  I've always liked Casey Affleck although this movie didn't do him any favors.  Surprisingly Matthew Broderick was probably the best one and he didn't even have a huge part. 

Basically this movie was about a bunch of people who get swindled out of their retirement money and try to get it back from the guy who did it by robbing him.  Okay concept and okay execution but it wasn't anything special.  Don't get me wrong.  There were parts that I laughed at but overall it wasn't anything I'd write home about.

It was funny and mildly entertaining but I don't think I would waste a trip to the movies on it.  Watching it at home would be sufficient with this one. 

To Sum it up: A little outlandish, quasi-funny and probably better as a rental.

Week 45: Tower Heist

Well, this week we went for the Hollywood pusher. I have seen more press on this movie in the last month than any other movie. Either they were nervous it wouldn't do as well as they thought, or they had extra money for advertising.

If you happen to be one of the few who haven't seen the previews, the movie is about a high class apartment tower manager who decides to rob the penthouse owner who invested all his workers money and then stole it. The main players of the movie are Allen Alda, Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Brodrick and Casey Affleck.

This movie was funny. I have to say, I did laugh a lot. The premise seemed sort of cheesy, but they seemed to pull it off better than I thought they would. Luckily they didn't try to play the movie off as a "serious" action film, they went for the comedy end instead and I think that is what made it work.

Now when I say "work" what I am really saying is the movie is a typical Hollywood film, with action and comedy. It meets the basic criteria of that average film that meets the needs of all those none thinker movie types. Nothing big to figure out, no thinking involved, just sit and zone and watch. So basically, the movie was entertaining. However, it wasn't anything special. Would be a good renter.

See you next week. AND THEN!!!! TWILIGHT!!!!

Week 44: The Way

Last weekend we saw The Way.  Never heard of it you say?  Well, neither had I until I was browsing through our options.  Let me tell ya, it's been a duddy couple weeks in movies and this was the only one that seemed worth going to.  This was released first in Spain then at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.  It came out a couple other places internationally before it hit here this October.  So this isn't your average American blockbuster.  And what a nice change of pace. 

Emilio Estevez wrote and directed this with a minor role in the movie.  The main character was Martin Sheen.  Everyone else was pretty much no namers. Martin Sheen played Tom, a guy who travels to Europe to retrieve the body of his son (played by Estevez) who died in an accident while embarking on a pilgrimage from France to Spain.  As he's there he decides to finish what his son started and take the pilgrimage himself.  (With his son's ashes in tow.)  On his journey he meets up with three other people who are making the trek for their own specific reasons. 

What I loved about this movie is it was so simple and honest.  There wasn't a lot of drama or unnecessary dialog.  Martin Sheen was really perfect in this role.  He was understated and believable.  The other characters were equally as good.  It was a thought provoking movie and to top it off there was some humor thrown in as well.  Really well done.

If you're looking for something off the beaten path this is the movie for you.  It might even make you want to drop everything and go "find" yourself in the European countryside. 

To Sum it up: Touching, funny, and inspires you to be a better person.  

Week 44: "The Way"

This movie was such an inspiration. The best way I can think to describe it in a few words is to say "this movie reminded me of reading the book "Eat Pray Love"...I felt so happy and inspired, I felt like I wanted to go on a Pilgramage"

So you may not have heard much about this movie, I actually hadn't heard anything about it before going, I didn't know it existed. I am sure glad we discovered it. I looked up some information online about the movie to get a better idea of the whole background story, and found a good description that I will just quote here..I took this from Wikipedia

"The Way is a 2010 American drama film. It is a collaboration between Martin Sheen and his real life son Emilio Estevez, to honour the Camino de Santiago and promote pilgrimage. Not wanting to appeal to one demographic, Emilio Estevez called the film "pro people, pro life — not anti — anything."

The main actors in the movie, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez (although not in the movie much as he is the dead son) Deborah Ungar, James Nesbitt and Yorick van Wageningen all just fit together so well. I sort of felt like I was just watching a documentary of 4 people making this wonderful journey. The movie wasn't necessarily fasted paced, but for some reason I was totally engrossed the whole time. I loved the scenery, I enjoyed the light humor and I appreciated the deep content and reflection. I want to walk the Camino de Santagio. Maybe someday....

I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a little inspiration, who loves to travel and who enjoys the journey of life.

See you next week! (or later this week :)

Week 43: The Three Musketeers

Well, I happened to see Tiff's review for this movie before I started typing mine. We actually didn't say much to eachother about the movie when it was over...really we usually don't, but I have to say...I agree with her 100%. This movie was actually quite horrible. I didn't recognize any of the actors in the movie, and it wasn't until the end credits were run that I realized Orlando Bloom was actually one of them.

Individually I think some of these actors could be great in the right movie. This movie just wasn't it. The story is the same as every other Three Musketeers movie. There men, joined by a 4th younger Musketeer, try to save the day...I think the place where this movie went wrong was that it was set in the 17th century, but was played as if it was 2011. Flying ships in the 17th century..so wrong!

I like the 17th century movies...I am actually craving one..I hope one comes out soon. This movie just didn't do it for me.

As far as the actors go...I liked the character names better..Athos, Aramis, Porthos, D'Artagnan...cool names! I won't even mention the actors names, because as Tiff said, they are really quite forgettable. Let's wait until they come out in something more memorable.

Maybe we will hit the spot next week. We are de for something we both love.

See you then!

Week 43: The Three Musketeers

This weekend we went and saw The Three Musketeers.  I hadn't heard a lot about this movie but you can guess what type it is based on the title.  I generally like these type of movies but wasn't sure if it would be anything special.  Turns out it wasn't.

Basically, it's about three washed out musketeers who are rejuvenated by a young musketeer who is looking to change the world one great cause at a time. The three actors who played the original musketeers were Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson.  The younger one was played by Logan Lerman.  I'm not sure if it was bad acting or just plain boring characters but all of these guys were completely forgettable.  Not one of them jumped out.  I almost forget what they all looked like as I'm writing this.

The villains were played by Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich.  I've decided I'm not a big fan of Milla.  It seems like I've seen her in other things and she's been okay but in this she just wasn't.  And don't even get me started on Orlando Bloom.  I love Orlando Bloom.  I've loved him in everything he's been in.  But I can't believe he was in this movie.  The character just didn't work for him and even he was forgettable.  What a shame.

Overall I think it was tyring to be a little like Pirates of the Caribbean and failed miserably.  The special effects were too over the top and the music was exaggerated and corny.  And I don't usually even notice the music.  It's set up to be a sequel but I really hope its not.  If it is I really hope Orlando Bloom doesn't sign up for it again. 

Too Sum it up:  Boring characters, boring plot line and a sad use of one of my favorite actors.

Week 42: The Ides of March

For week 42 we went and saw The Ides of March. I'll be honest.  This easily could have been a movie I overlooked.  Political movies aren't really by favorite.  But I heard it was good and nothing else was really jumping out us.

The story is about a presidential campaign and the "workings" behind it.  The main character, Stephen, played by Ryan Gosling is sort of the PR brains behind a campaign for a presidential hopeful played by George Clooney.  He's young and dedicated to the candidate but finds trouble along the way and gets to see how things really work.  This movie gave a very interesting perspective into politics.  I always wonder why a politician can't stick to their views and beliefs and just do what they think is right.  This movie gives a glimpse into why it seems like it is never possible.  There are too many ulterior motives behind everything.  And I thought it was funny that of all the things going on in this movie the one thing that gets the guy in trouble is a woman.  What is it about men who just can't resist temptation even when there is so much at stake?  I'll never understand that. 

As far as the movie itself, it was a little slow moving.  I felt like 80% of the movie was building up to this climax and then when the climax hit the movie was over.  It was a little strange.  Although, that being said, it wasn't a bad movie.  It was interesting but it wasn't super exciting.  As far as acting, Ryan Gosling did a terrific job.  The movie was basically all about him.  Everyone else was just support.  Even George Clooney. 

To Sum it up: Lots of dynamics, a different way to view politics but a little slow going.

Week 42: The Ides of March

Well, I looked up The Ides of March, because I didn't know what the title of this movie meant. Basically there are a few significant historical happenings that developed into the Ides of March. Literally it is the Roman Calendar day that corresponds with our March 15th. Another significant happening was that Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 BC. The title of this movie seems to most closely correspond to the Roman consular year, since the elected Roman consuls took office on the Ides. So...now I know why this movie was titled as such, and so do you. :)

So, this movie wasn't necessarily a movie I had any intentions of seeing. The main reason...it's political, and I am politically ignorant, with no desire to become knowledgeable. I know, it's a sad case for an American to admit, but it's true, politics make me crazy. None the less, this was the movie we attended this week.

If I was political, I think this movie would have been exceptional. George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Philip Seymour Hoffman did exceptional as the dirty, game playing, backstabbing, race you to the top men of politics. (Have I mentioned before I don't like politics...) Really, the storyline was pretty believable, but how can I really say? I don't know politics, so many it just followed the storyline of what I believe politics to be. Each man played their parts well, they seemed like politician, then again, I think actors and politicians can be one in the same sometimes.

I guess what I am getting at, I didn't necessarily enjoy this movie, I don't understand or "get" the political games, so I didn't really like watching it in movie form either. If you like politics, go see it and let me know what you think..I am interested in hearing what you have to say.

See you next week!

Week 41: Footloose

Last week we went to another pre-screening.  Free movies are cool.  We saw the remake of Footloose.  I was a little younger than Deb when the original came out so I probably don't remember it to the extent that she does.  I wasn't in my teenage years yet so it didn't stick with me quite as much but of course it was a well known movie of my youth.  I mean who didn't see Footloose?  (Except maybe Russ.  I'm not sure he even saw all the Star Wars movies when they came out. *gasp*) 

Like Deb said, they pretty much stuck to the original concept in almost every way except just to give it an updated feel and maybe a little more ethnicity.  As a remake, I think it worked just fine.  All the actors they chose were good.  I totally agree that the dancing was on a much higher caliber this go around.  Although I do think random acts of dancing in a movie must have been more acceptable and less cheesy then they are now.  Taking out frustration and aggression against the man by dancing in a warehouse by yourself was uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing to me.  I don't remember feeling like that when I saw the original.  It all just seemed way cool back then.  I guess that's the difference from being 7 versus 33.    

Julianne Hough was cute and perfect for her role as was Kenny Wormald.  Ditto for Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell.  Overall the casting was good and the movie was fun and entertaining.  I don't think anything will compare to the original but do they ever? 

To Sum it up: Good cast, fun dancing and overall entertaining.

Week 41: "Footloose"

We jumped back about 26 years this week and went to the remake of "Footloose". The original movie came out in 1984, I was 14, the same age as my oldest daughter. I think this is the first movie I have seen remade, that I actually remember the first one exceptionally well. Who wouldn't as a 14 year old girl.

This remake was pretty impressive. I think the thing that I noticed was that this time around the actors appeared to be dancers, taught to act, vs Actors taught to dance. In fact I read a clip from the choreographer who said that he had to have the dancers tone it down because they were suppose to be portraying teenagers who didn't have a background in dancing.

The two main actors, played by Julianne Hough and Kenny Wormald, could dance...and are professional dancers. It definately was apparent that these two actors were dancers, I know I didn't know anyone who could dance like that in high school with no formal training. However, that wasn't the point of the movie, and the fact that these kids could all dance (even Willard, played by Miles Teller, picked it all up pretty fast.) was pretty cool when watching the movie. Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell(I swear that woman doesn't age) did great as the parents, but there is something to be said about having to fill the shoes of Jim Lithgow and Dianne Wiest.

I think the best way I can describe the movie is this...it's the same "Footloose" with less clothes, better dancing, sexier, and heavier language...pretty much just caught up to the times. The movie was good and I think my 14 year old daughter will remember it as an icon for her time as well...but give me the original with Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer, there is something to be said for the old sentimental.

See you next week.

Week 40: 50/50

For week 40 we saw 50/50.  It was about a guy in his 20's who finds out he has cancer and how it affects his relationships in his life.  The guy, Adam, was played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  You know, the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun.  His best friend is played by Seth Rogan and his girlfriend Bryce Howard Dallas.  His therapist is Anna Kendrick and mother Anjelica Huston. 

Obviously this had a pretty sad undertone.  But it also had some funny moments thanks to Seth Rogan and some surprisingly funny moments with Anna Kendrick.  I'm always surprised by how much I like Anna Kendrick.  My first impression of her is the annoying high schooler from Twilight.  But then I saw her in Up in the Air with George Clooney and I was super impressed.  Anyway, I felt the same way about her in this one too.  The jury's still out on Bryce Howard Dallas.  And Seth Rogan's crude sense of humor actually fit well.

I thought this movie gave a real genuine take on what it might actual be like to find out you had cancer.  The drama that you might find in some movies really wasn't there.  It was almost anticlimactic but still told a touching story.  It was a really down to earth and a humorous take on a serious situation.

To Sum it up:  Sad, funny and touching.

Week 40: 50/50

Wow...if we are on week 40 that means we only have 12 more weeks/movies this year. I am so suprised how fast it went, and I can't believe we have seen so many movies!! What great fun we are having!!

So, I am a little slow posting as this was really last weeks movie, and we have already gone to this week's movie, so lets see if we can get caught up.

So we went and saw 50/50. Looked like a different kind of movie. Cancer with humor is what it was played up to be. Probably because Seth Rogan starred in it and he tends to always go the comedy route. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt played the main character, and I think he tends to do comedy as well. Anna Kendrick played the main female character.

So, with that cast I wasn't sure what to expect. Well...it was different. There was funniness, romance, seriousness, and all in all a real life feel. The story follows a guy who finds out he has cancer, and basically goes through his story. How he deals with it, how is friends deal with it, and how is family deals with it. Like I said, it just had a real life sort of feel to it. I felt like I was really just watching a guy with cancer, and getting a look into his everyday life.

I have to say I was most impressed with Anna Kendrick. She has played in "Twilight", "Up in the Air", and now this. (She has done lots of Broadway shows too!) She has a certain character type, and I don't know that she could change that too much, but it fit in this movie.

Basically, it was a movie about a real life crisis and they played it that way. I can't say it was the greatest movie in the world, but it wasn't bad. Maybe more of a renter....Coming up next "Footloose"

Another Bonus Review: Dolphin Tales

So, this must have been the week of movies...yes, I actually went to three movies this week...and I am not ashamed at all, I love movies and I am glad I get to go. (Ok, so maybe I overkill movies some, but oh well)

I took the family to see "Dolphin Tales". All my kids were just dying to see this movie and couldn't wait for it to come out, so we saw it the second day after opening. Brian and I were a little excited to see it as well, the previews looked good and I like movies based on true stories.

The story is about a dolphin who gets caught in a fisherman's trap and loses his tail. The dolphin, Winter, is found by a boy who makes a connection with the dolphin. The dolphin is taken to a rehabilitation center for sea animals, and the movie follows the dolphins journey to recovery and the lives of all those who are helping him.

The main characters, besides Winter the dolphin, in this movie include the boy, Sawyer-played by Nathan Gamble, his mom, played by Ashley Judd, the vet-played by Harry Connick Jr and his daughter, played by Cozi Zuehlsorff.

Again, kind of like Moneyball, the story really plays the movie more than the actors. The movie was well played and all the characters were very natural in their roles. I like Harry Connick in movies, he is sort of a low key natural. I was pretty impressed with Cozi, who played the 11 year old daughter. She will probably be seen in more movies in the future I am guessing.

My kids really like the movie as well. An inspiring story, and neat to see the real clips at the end as well as find the website following Winter's progress.

Highly recommended family movie with good vibes and happy endings! See you soon

Week 39: Moneyball

Running a little behind on the reviews this week! As Tiff mentioned, we say "Moneyball" from a free screening this week, and also a sneak peek at a preview for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

I am a pretty big "sports movie" person. I like the thrill of competition and the whole build up of characters to a final win, so I thought this movie would be pretty good, and it was...however, I feel like I was somewhat underappreciate of the whole story line. Not that I don't appreciate the game of baseball, trading and drafting, but rather that I don't really understand all the statistics of the game, and in actuality don't really care to learn that much detail.

This movie was based on a true story about Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, and his work to use an age old stategy to draft a baseball team and lead them to a higher level of play and wins. (in a small...very small nutshell)

This movie was entertaining to me. I think Brad Pitt did okay, I don't think he is a great actor or anything, the story was more interesting to me than his acting. What I was more impressed with was all the supporting actors. Jonah Hill did a great job as the right hand man. He was were most of the laughs came from. Some of the actors who played the baseball players in this movie did a good job as well. I think what I found though, was that they were good, because they really just seemed like a group of baseball players. Nothing outstanding, but just sports men.

I was intrigued with the way this whole story portrayed a change in baseball, and how it influenced baseball. I am still completely amazed at the constant trading, bargaining and playing that happens with the sports world.

Overall, I have to say that this movie would be best watched by all those sports fanatics. If I can enjoy it with my little knowledge of baseball and all it's strategy...someone with a lot of knowledge will definately be happy they went.

See you next time!

Week 39: Moneyball

We went and saw Moneyball this past weekend.  Even though it was only a day before it came out it was still a pre screening.  Interesting process.  We couldn't take our phones in with us and we had to be wanded and everything.  But it was free.  And we got to see a never before seen preview of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Looks pretty good.  I'll have to get on that book.

I'll start by pointing out that although I really enjoy sports related movies I'm not really a big sports person per say.  Meaning if it's not high school (people I know) or college sports I don't really invest a lot of time into a game.  I enjoy the occasional pro sporting event but for the most part it's just to people watch.  (Except for tennis and hockey.  Weird I know.)  So with that being said, I thought this was a really good sports movie.  However, I didn't know what they were talking about most of the time.   

There was a lot of talk about the strategy of baseball and how this guy, Billy Beane, changed the way people thought about said strategy.  Really fascinating.  Again no real idea what they were talking about but fascinating.  It was a cryin' shame that Russ didn't get to go.  He would have been so much more into it and known what they were talking about.  I tried to go into a little detail about some players in the movie.  Russ was embarrassed for me during the conversation. 

This was a little different from some sports movies because it was less about specific games and more about this whole process.  Brad Pitt really played the role of Billy Beane well.  There's just something about his confidence that draws you in.  It's Brad Pitt after all.  And Jonah Hill as the stats genius was great.  They had good chemistry together in a platonic way of course.

If you're a sports fanatic, definitely see this movie.  If you're not, it's still worth seeing but be prepared to be a little clueless.

To Sum it up: Motivating and fascinating with just a tad of humor.  

Bonus Review: Contagion

My husband and I decided to take in the AMC Cinema Suites last week and went to the movie Contagion. This was a movie Tiff and I were hoping to see, so I decided I would write up a review, hopefully Tiff will get to it as well.

I think the most impressionable thing about this movie wasn't necessarily the acting. I actually think it could have been somewhat of a documentary. No one actor really stuck out to me. Gwyneth Paltrow played a rather little and insignificant part in my mind. (ok, so not insignificant, rather limited movie time and not significant as an actor) Matt Damon did a good job, but again, it was really the story that made the movie. The unfolding of a contagious disease and the speed at which it can spread worldwide. The whole idea was pretty scary, even working in the healthcare field, I found myself becoming a little germaphobic. (Not to mention both my husband and I decided this movie wasn't the best for a dinner theatre atmosphere)

I think the impressionable thing about this movie was really just the realization that what we see in the news, regarding mass deaths from diseases can actually be so much worse than we imagine. Also, that behind it all the government can be extremely controlling and make our lives seem so insignificant..when they shouldn't.

I recommend this movie more for the message. Again, the acting was pretty insignificant to me...anyone could have played in it and I would have walked out feeling the same way.

Go see it, or rent it, but don't eat while you watch it!

Week 38: I Don't Know How She Does It

A little slow on posting this..maybe because I have been thinking about why I wan't really impressed with this movie. I have a had a little time to mull over this, and I think I know why. I resently say an episode of Sex in the City, as well as part of "Did you hear about the Morgans", both with Sarah Jessica Parker. The movie this week also starred her. She literally could have been the same character in all three cases. I don't necessarily think she is a bad actress, mostly that she just is a one character actress.

Okay, that being said, the movie follows Kate, a higher class working wife and mother of 2 children. Her job is in corporate america and involves a lot of travel and time. Basically she is working to be "super mom"..(what working mother isn't)? The movie follows the ups and downs of her marriage, her job and her trying to fit in with the other mothers (who don't work). There were some notable actors in the movie, Pierce Bronson, Kelsey Grammer, Greg Kinnear, and Christina Hedricks. My favorites were actually two not so prominant roles played by Busy Phillips (I love her!) and Oliva Munn.

I won't really go into many of the details, because if you are a working mother and wife you can probably guess what the movie entails. I guess, nothing to exciting or adventurous...simply LIFE.

Although I wasn't too impressed, I will say, I loved that the movie was generally wholesome. The lesson was strong and the meaning was good.

Really, this was just an average movie. Some good laughs, some hearfelt moments, but really a weekend rental when you have nothing else to do.

See you again soon!

Week 38: I Don't Know How She Does It

This past week we saw I Don't Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker.  It was pretty good but nothing super special.  There were some funny parts and it had good actors in it but it wasn't a real memorable movie.

Sarah Jessica Parker fit the role of the working mom trying to juggle life.  Although maybe I've seen too many Sex and the City episodes to think she plays a good investment whatever she was.  And I kept thinking it was set in NYC for the same reason.  The other roles were played by Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan with smaller roles by Christina Hendricks, Kelsey Grammer and Busy Philipps.  They all were good but no one really stood out.  Even Pierce Brosnan who usually plays stronger roles was a little washed out.

As far as the plot, I could totally relate as a working mom.  Obviously, the movie was a little exaggerating than what I think happens in real life but still relevant. 

Overall, I thought it was decent and entertaining for a night but nothing to write home about.

To Sum it up: Pretty funny but didn't leave a lasting impression.

Week 37: The Debt

We were all set to see Moneyball last weekend for a free screening but they were having "loading" issues so we couldn't see it.  I won't even pretend to know what that means.  As we were hanging our heads in disappointment we realized that we could still see another one.  Even if it wasn't free.  So that's just what we did.  We were able to boogie into The Debt minutes before it started.  Talk about preparing yourself to see one kind of movie then ending up seeing something completely opposite. 

The Debt was a spy thriller that goes between the past and present of three characters.  As Deb said, the main characters were played by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas and Sam Worthington as the younger characters and Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciaran Hinds as their older counterparts.  All did an exceptional job especially Helen Mirren.  She was fantastic.  Actually, Jessica Chastain did a pretty good job too.  And I just looked her up and she was the one who played Celia in The Help.  Wow.  I would have never guessed it was the same person.  I guess that means she's doing her job.  The men were good but I felt they were in more supporting roles.  That's a change.

Even though this was a spy thriller I would say it was more thriller than spy to me.  In spy movies you tend to have a lot of action and gadgets.  And there was but it had a little more suspense aspect to it.  There were at least two or three times where I had to squint my eyes to avoid seeing something full on that I knew would make me jump.  I'm such a wimp.

Although I'm sure this movie was a lot more intense than Moneyball would have been I'm glad we saw it.  Very well done.

To Sum it up:  Interesting plot, well acted and a few jump in your seat moments.

Week 37: The Debt

This week were were planning to attend a prescreening of "Moneyball", however due to some technical difficulties the screening was cancelled, so we just went to a movie that fit in with the time frame, since we were at the theatre and all. When we walked into the movie we didn't remember what the it was about and hadn't prepared ourselves for the type of movie we were going to see. After the first scene I remembered the previews and settled in.

This movie was about 3 Israel Mossad agents who are sent on a mission to track down a Nazi war criminal. The movie flashes back and forth between the present and the past, so in essence there are 3 main characters, played by 6 actors. I was a little concerned at first that the jumping back and forth would make the characters seem disconnected, however, it didn't at all. I was actually really impressed with how easily the roles blended together, and each character really did seem like only one actor.

Rachel, played by Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain, was my favorite. She is really the "main" character of the film as the story centers mostly around her life. I was impressed with both of the female actresses. Helem Mirren is quite amazing!

Stephan is played by Tom Wilkinson and Marton Csokas. Again, a great job by both characters. I wasn't as "convinced" they were the same character, and sometimes had to remind myself, but overall they pulled it off.

David, played by Ciaran Hinds and Sam Worthington wasn't as played in the present as the past. I liked the job Sam Worthington did with this character, and really bought into his role.

Overall the movie was extremely entertaining, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. It was a good "spy", thriller and I liked how the past and the present played on each other.

My husband went with us and he agreed it was a good movie. Overall a good movie for men and women a like! Definately worth the money and a great substitute.

See you next week

Week 36: Warrior

What an unexpected surprise with this movie.  Warrior definitely was more than I thought it would be.  When I saw the previews I thought it looked good but I didn't really think we'd choose it over other movies.  When we saw that there was a free prescreening we jumped on it.  Because, hey, who wouldn't go to a free movie?  Boy am I glad we did. 

As Deb said, this was a Rockyish type movie but amped up for this generation.  Instead of straight-up boxing it was like UFC.  Didn't realize this going in but it ended up being a nice deviation from the same old boxing story.  If this movie was only about the training and fights leading up to the big match it would have been great.  There's nothing like a good motivational sports story.  Warrior had all those parts and more.  But the thing that set it apart was the relationships between these two brothers and their father and how they developed.  I loved that it didn't lay everything out.  You had to be patient to find out what the full story was behind these three "troubled" men's lives. 

Nick Nolte was really the only well known actor in this movie.  I agree with Deb that it really worked well not having some big A lister in the movie.  Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy all played their roles perfectly.  What is it about strong, silent, troubled men that really gets you hooked?  Jennifer Morrison played the wife well and Frank Grillo as the trainer was really exceptional.   

So yes, this was one of the better movies that we've seen this year.  Who would have thought?  Go see it.  This is one that I think men and women alike will love.

To Sum it up:  Intense characters, intense relationships and adrenaline galore.

Week 36: Warrior

Ok! Just got home from seeing our weekly movie "Warrior" I have to say one thing first..if you don't read any other part of my review read this...THIS MOVIE TOTALLY ROCKED, it was like "Rocky" on steroids. (and if you are too young to know about Rocky ask your parents.)

So, we went to a prescreening of this movie tonight, thanks to our AMC Stubs reward card it was free. Granted, it was a movie I had been interested in seeing, but never believed I would put it in my top 5 of movies I have seen this year. Yes, it is right up there with "The Help" and "The Kings Speech"

If you haven't seen anything about this movie a general summing up of the movie: Two brothers, a broken home, an alcoholic father, a supportive yet concerned wife, supportive manager and MMA (mixed martial arts) tournament. Yep, everything a good story is made of!

So, I don't even want to give any details past what you will see in previews, so I won't. I will tell you about the actors..Nick Nolte--great job! Fit the part of the recovery alchoholic father perfectly. Joel Edgerton, one of the brothers...he was goooood. He was touching, lovable, likeable and good looking. Tom Hardy, the younger brother. He was dark, mysterious, moody, and quite muscular. Jennifer Morrison..brought the female role to the picture. She played the wife well and as a woman you could relate. Frank Grillo-supportive manager- I loved this guy. He was inspirational, believable and made me want to train for a marathon!

Why did I like this movie so much? It had everything I love about a good movie...the emotion, the relationships, the competition and the edge of your seat action. I loved that the main characters were not the super movie stars everyone has seen, but under the radar kind of actors. I loved that I didn't know the ending, and it ended just like it should.

What else can I say. GO SEE IT! Take your spouse, take your friend...take your sister. I can't imagine you would be disappointed! Did I forget to mention...I loved this movie!!

Week 35: One Day

I was looking forward to seeing One Day as well.  The previews made it seem like it was going to be a really good love story.  It didn't really end up being one. 

Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess played the main characters.  I'll admit I'm not a huge Anne Hathaway fan.  I'm not really sure what it is but I just don't love her.  Jim Sturgess was someone I've never seen before.  I can't say I was overly impressed.  I don't know if it was his character or just him but he didn't really do it for me. 

I agree with Deb in that this movie seemed like it should have been really good.  It had potential to be really good I think but it fell short.  I didn't realize it was a book until after the fact but I can see why the movie seemed disjointed because of it.  There were gaps and holes galore.  The relationship didn't seem quite developed and neither did the characters themselves.  It might have been okay if I had read the book first but without reading the book it just left me with questions.  I think this was probably your classic book to movie flop.

To Sum it up: High expectation but low results.   

Week 35: "One Day"

I was super excited to see this movie. All the previews made me think this was going to be a super romantic, make you fall in love again type of movie. I was gravely disappointed. So the movie trailers make you think you are going to a movie where there are two friends, played by Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, who have this super lover/friend connection, and on the same day each year they get together to "bond"...or something like that. Well, that wasn't the case. These two friends were just that, two friends, with questionable feelings towards each other, who were in communication all the time, and never seemed to become the couple they both secretly wanted to become.

The story line could have made a wonderful movie...However, I felt like I was sitting in a movie, that was made from a book, that I didn't read and so I was missing too many details. The connection of friendship, lovers, enemies ect. just never was strong. I think the book probably had a lot of inner thoughts, which can't be portrayed on film, making the movie disconnected and lost.

I was totally bummed...I thought I was going to get to see a movie I could fall emotionally into. Instead I left feeling disjointed and disappointed.

I would say...read the book and hope it's better than the movie. Next review: The Warrior, we have free screening passes to this tomorrow night, yah! A free movie!!

Week 34: 30 Minutes or Less

Well, this week was not the greatest. We went and saw 30 mintues or less, and I would have to say the "less" is the correct. The movie is about a guy who is pretty much not doing anything with his life, he gets kidnapped, a bomb gets strapped to him and he has 24 hours..(so why the 30 minutes!?!?!) to rob a bank and get the kidnappers their money.

The two kidnappers were played by Danny McBride (he also played in "Your Highness", another movie we were not impressed with if you recall from week 15)and Nick Swardson (there was a preview before the movie this week with him in it..it looked kindof weird stupid too) Anyway, they ruined the show for me. Their characters were dumb, raunchy and immature (granted they were suppose to be, but really??? beyond the calling)

The main guy, played by Jesse Eisenberg, was better, but he was kind of odd-weird. He was sort of funny, sort of immature, and sort of lost. Mediocre to bad for what he is capable of. His best friend, played by Aziz Ansari...cracked me up. If it wasn't for him, I would have completely hated the show. Granted, the whole premise of the show could have made a good comedy. There were just too many stupid parts that ruined it for me.

I decided as I sat there watching the movie, my age is definately showing. I think the 18 year old men of the world probably would love this show. Why, I wonder, do I feel that way?? I think it's the new humor of that generation...(the 18 year old men generation) "Your Highness" had the same stupid humor, that wasn't real funny, and was sort of confusing...I think 18 year old men would like that movie too...Hey, I am not bashing on the 18 year olds of the world, just saying...I am not 18 anymore, and I never was a man soooo...not the most enjoyable movie.

All in all, don't waste your money or your time, there are so many better things to do then see this movie...like maybe take out the trash, do the laundry, or walk the dog....

See you next week!

Week 34: 30 Minutes or Less

So this week was 30 Minutes or Less.  Hmm...what to say about this movie.  I should start by saying this wasn't exactly our first choice for the weekend.  One we were going to see didn't have the right times and the other one had spousal conflicts.  (Talk about demanding husbands.  Geesh.)  So alas, we saw this movie.

Now in all fairness, I don't really think this movie was targeting me and my sister.  The intended demographics were probably closer to 17 or 18 year old boys.  I sort of figured this going into it but I also thought it would be funny enough that it wouldn't matter.  Actually, I'm curious if my brother Keaton saw this. He might like it a lot. 

So two of the main guys were Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network guy) and Aziz Ansari (Can't think what he's in but you would recognize him).  They played two guys being forced to rob a bank.  They were a little bit of a weird duo in this because they were funny but serious at the same time.  This kind of comedy can totally work but for whatever reason it totally didn't.  I couldn't figure out if it was stupid funny or serious funny.  You know what I mean by the difference right?  And I also felt like Jesse Eisenberg had to dumb himself down for this role. 

The other two guys played by Danny McBride and Nick Swardson were just awful.  Again, it was a strange mix of are they slow in the head or criminal masterminds.  And they were crude and a little disgusting so that just added to the confusion. 

So, I guess what I'm saying is don't waste your money unless you fit in the demographics mentioned above.  Don't get me wrong.  There were some funny parts but they didn't make up for the rest of the movie.  

To Sum it up: Funny but not funny. Okay actors but not good acting.  

Week 33: The Help

This week we saw The Help.  Yay!  A movie I was really looking forward to.  I love movies that I'm looking forward especially on opening weekend.  It doesn't get any better than that.

This movie was filled with a great cast.  Emma Stone played Skeeter.  At first I wasn't sure how much I would like her in this role.  Honestly, I hadn't seen any of her movies until I saw Crazy, Stupid Love a few weeks ago.  She was great in that and she was great in this too.  I guess my completely uneducated opinion about her has now changed.  I'm a fan.

Some of the other actors were Viola Davis (Abileen), Octavia Spencer (Minny), Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly), Jessica Chastain (Celia) and smaller roles by Allison Janney (Charlotte) and Sissy Spacek (Missus Walters).  This movie was chalked full of wonderful actresses.  And let me tell ya, they all were so good in their roles.  I would say Minny really stole the show followed by the few scenes with Sissy Spacek. 

If you haven't read this book, you should.  It is so good.  Of course the book is almost always better than the movie but this movie really did it justice.  When I saw the previews I thought it was going to be too light-hearted compared to the book.  And it was in parts.  There were some really good funny parts but it also had it's serious moments.  A really good mix. 

To Sum it up:  Funny, heart-breaking and packed with a bunch of strong women.

week 33 "The Help"

We have been waiting to see this movie since we read the book. I was pretty excited as the book was good, and I felt a movie could probably capture everything it needed to make the movie as good. As usual, the movie wasn't as good as the book...Movies just can't get all the fun details, and I like details! However, this movie was better than most about getting close to the book.

I think the thing that really made it for me was that the characters in the book pretty much matched the movie characters. Sometimes the movie characters are just so off I can't get into it, this time I was not disappointed.

Emma Stone did a great job as Skeeter. Bryce Dallas Howard did a great job as Hilly, and I actually found myself more intrigued with Ceclia's role because I liked how Jessica Chastain played her. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were the real winners for me though. I felt like I was walking through the book with their characters. KUDOS!!!

For anyone who hasn't read the book, or seen the movie yet, this is truly an inspiring story. I will say, the book will "close up" the story a little but better than the movie did. Everything ends as it should with no real questions...the movie left a few loose ends.

Great movie for all. My 14 year old daughter even said she liked it pretty well, and she is a hard one to please. See you next week.

Week 32: The Change up

Well, the Change Up was our movie this week. We took our husbands and made it a date night. Knowing Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Bateman I knew this movie was going to be borderline offensive. Luckily, neither Brian or I are easily offended, and find things rather funny more often..so...we were ready for a good date night!

As Tiff said, (usually I don't read her posts before I post, but this time I did for some reason) this movie had a lot of crude humor, vulgar words, sex, and nudity. I am beginning to believe may be a standard for many men! The saving grace of the vulgarity was that it was funny to me. Ok, as usual, some unnecessary indecencies, but all in all funny.

The character's changing places was a little distracting to me at first because I kept kind of forgetting they were suppose to be the other person. I do really like Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman and their over the top humor. They did perfect in these roles.

Leslie Mann seemed to play the main female character, and I remember from past movies that she wasn't always so impressive, but this time she did good. I liked her portrayal as the wife and enjoyed her quick wit. I think it's her voice that gets me sometimes....

I think the main thing I liked about the movie, was behind the crude humor was a message that was important. A lesson was taught in the mix of the laughing and craziness, and I always think that is an important part of any movie I am going to pay and see. Ok, so sometimes just going and laughing is a lesson in itself, but this time the movie actually had a lesson.

I would say, see this movie with your bestie or your hubby/significant other, and be prepared to not be offended..it will make the whole experience even funnier.

See you next week

Week 32: The Change-Up

This week we saw The Change-Up.  We had the joy of seeing this movie with our hubbies.  A good one to see with them too.  This is definitely not a see with your mom type movie.  It's heavy on the swearing and nudity.  There was potty humor galore.  Basically this was right up Russ's alley.

All the previews pointed towards a good comedy but I'll tell you at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it.  Ryan Reynolds character was awful at first.  Or maybe it was that Ryan Reynolds himself was awful at first.  Before the two changed places he acted more like a mentally challenged adult then the drug-doing irresponsible adult that he was suppose to portray.  Good thing that only lasted for a small part in the beginning.  After they switched places it was all good.  Super funny the whole way through.  Oh and did I mention nudity?  Lots of nudity.  Did I mention Russ liked it?

Jason Bateman was the other guy doing the switching.  He was good from beginning to end.  I absolutely love his humor and so far I have never been disappointed with him.  He was the perfect person for this character.  Loved him.

The two main female characters were Leslie Mann and Olivia Wilde.  Both good but not a whole lot to their characters since it was mainly about the guys.  Although Russ would say they played a major part beings as both of them were naked at some point.  Did I mention Russ...oh never mind.

I would say if you get offended easily don't see this one.  If you don't then be prepared to laugh continuously throughout the movie.  Don't tell anyone but Russ said he thought this was better than The Hangover.  *gasp*

To Sum it up: A lot of profanity, a lot of skin and dirty, dirty humor. 

Week 31: Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Last weekend we saw Crazy, Stupid, Love.  Let me tell ya, this was such a good movie.  Amist all the super hero movies, this was a wonderful change of pace.  It was chalked full of great actors too.  The main characters were Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and a few others like Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei.

I had a good feeling about this movie.  It looked like a classic romatic comedy and I was pretty sure I would enjoy it.  I had no idea I would love it as much as I did.  First of all, it was really funny.  Not just sorta ha ha funny but laugh out loud can't stop smiling sort of funny.  On top of being really funny it was super touching as well. 

Steve Carell played Cal, a middle aged man who just found out his wife cheated on him and wanted a divorce.  Julianne Moore played the wife.  The thing about this relationship I liked is that it was so genuine.  They had these issues but they still loved each other but they didn't know how to make it work.  It seemed more true to real life then most movies.   

Then there is Emma Stone who played Hannah.  She is this smart, soon to become lawyer that realizes she's not leading the life she really wants.  She meets Jacob, played by Ryan Gosling, who is this major player and decides to see what he has to offer.  And might I add that he is ridiculously hot in this movie.  He's definitely on my top five list after this one.

Both stories mingle together in different ways and it is just fantastic.  I can't say enough of good things about it.  One of my Facebook friends described it like this, "I just found it to be downright charming. Well done, funny, and with a lot of heart and soul."  Well put.  Much better than what I can come up with.  I am just an accountant after all. 

To Sum it up: Hilarious, touching and one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long time. 

Week 31 "Crazy Stupid Love"

Week 31 hit the spot!! I was in the mood for something funny, something that would capture my emotions, something leaving me longing for more. "Crazy, Stupid Love" was out choice and it was exactly all of that and more!

This movie stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianna Moore and Emma Stone. I am having a hard time putting into words exactly what I thought of this movie. After the movie I turned to Tiff and said "yes, that is what I wanted to see, it's nice to see something I really liked again for a change"

It seems like a lot of movies lately have been leaving me questioning if maybe I liked movies so much in the past because I didn't go once a week. This movie made me a believer again!

Ok, so Steve Carell was super funny, he played a somewhat serious role, but his sense of humor was perfect. Ryan Gosling was impressive. I mostly remember him from "the Notebook" (which I loved) and this time his character was different, but still got me all tied up in knots. Emma Stone and Julianne Moore played their parts well. I was super impressed with Emma Stone and excited to see her in "The Help". Another note worthy actor was Jonah Bobo. He cracked me up! Reminded me of my 11 year old son.

Basically the movie had me laughing, it captured that whole "falling in love" feeling, sucked me in to the whole emotional rollercoster of love, life and marriage, and was touching in a happy way. I am sure it only proves I am a little dysfunctional that I liked this movie so well, but it was definately what I needed!

All in all, I would say take your spouse, laugh, fall in love again and remember to not take another day for granted! See you next week. P.S. I don't feel like I can tell you exactly what it is about without giving too much away...so just go!

Week 30: Captain America: The First Avenger

This week we saw Captain America: The First Avenger.  Yes, another super hero movie.  I think this year will be deemed the year of the super hero and Natalie Portman.  What do you think?  Seems about right.

I basically agree with Deb on this one.  The super hero aspect was okay but mixing super heros with a war setting just didn't work for me.  I guess it seems like a disservice to soldiers.  It diminishes what they stand for.  Who knew I was so patriotic.   

I will admit though that the transformation from skinny weak guy to big tough soldier was impressive.  Whatever digital programming they had to do on that seemed realistic.  There was maybe only one scene where it didn't look quite natural.  But really overall very well done. 

I did like all the actors in this movie but I will admit I had a hard time looking at, Chris Evans, the main character without seeing the pre-transformation guy.  Not that that is a reason not to like a movie.  Just an observation. I agree with Deb about the leading lady.  Hayley Atwell looks like she might be a new up and comer. 

To Sum it up: Good special effects, pretty good actors but not digging the super hero/soldier mix.

Week 30: Captain America

Well, this week we ventured out with my husband and son in tow for "Captain America". Seems like this last few months has been the months of super hero/comic book character movies. I will remind you all that comic book movies are not my favorite so this opinion is already somewhat biased.

If you don't know the Captain America story lines...like I didn't...it follows Steve,a young man (played by Chris Evans), who is trying to become enlisted during World War 2. He tries over and over again but is always rejected due to his medical history and super small, scrawny size. Eventually a scientist is captured by his tenacity and accepts him into a training program, where eventually he is a science experiment and becomes a huge, lean, war machine. I must put in here, that the digital reconstruction of this character was pretty cool. He really did go from scrawny to big believably.

So, after he changes to the master of all humans genetically, he eventually must take down the "Red Skull". This whole part is where my lack of liking came in. He became a war hero, but I was turned off by the whole thing. I had to keep reminding myself it was a super hero, not a real war hero. The war scenes were cheesy and I wasn't real impressed with the whole outfit, superhero, save the day presentation when coupled with world war 2. I know it was fictional, but still, I was turned off.

As far as the actors go, I love, love, love Stanly Tucci. Tommy Lee Johns fit his part to a tee. Everyone else was ok...Haley Atwell played the main female role (this movie did not pass the Bechdel Test by the way). I looked up some her previous roles, I haven't seen any of the movies she has played in before, but am very interested in seeing how she does, I see high potential. She played in "The Duchess" which is a movie I missed but think I may go rent.

Anway, for all you superhero fans, coming from a non super hero fan...I thought the movie was ok, a little slow and slightly cheesy. Coming from my husband and son, who are super hero fans, It was a good movie, better than "Green Lantern", according to my husband, but not to my son.

All in all, the theatre was packed at 3:00 in the afternoon, and most seemed pretty satisfied. Oh, and I found out later..if you stay past the credits there is a trailer for the second movie. I didn't see it, but don't feel to bad about it..my husband was bummed.

See you next week.

Bonus Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Ahh, such a bittersweet moment.  All the books are read.  All the movies are watched.  I am officially done with the Harry Potter series for good.  I remember I read the first book late in the game.  There were a couple books out already when I first heard of them.  That was right after I got married and lived in Maryland.  That was almost 11 years ago.  Holy cow.  That's a long time to devote to one series.  It was so worth it.

On Monday I went to see the final chapter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.  I always look forward to these movies because I love seeing the books come to life.  Also, there is such a large span from when the book comes out to when the movie comes out so you get to enjoy it like it's the first time.  That way too, you forget the details of the book and can really enjoy the movie without picking it apart.

And the verdict?  It was great!  Because of the way the book is written, Part 1 was a lot slower.  It couldn't really be helped though and was necessary to build the story.  It made the excitement of Part 2 that much better. This one had a lot more action and you finally got to see Hogwarts again and all the characters you loved from the previous movies/books.  You can really tell that the actors have matured too.  In the first movies they were okay but the story line and the "magic" really made the movies.  With this movie I felt like they finally hit their full stride.  What a great way to end the series.

To Sum it up: Lots of action, lots of emotion and a perfect ending. 

Winner of Giveaway!

Thanks to all who participated! Our Lucky Winner is ......Jen!!

Get in touch with me and I will get your tickets arranged for delivery. Congrats.

Bonus Review: Horrible Bosses

Okay, so while Tiff was on vacation in Montana, I took my hubby to the cinema suites for a date night. we say "Horrible Bosses". I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Jason Bateman, and he was sort of the reason I thought this would be funny. There are some other great names in this movie too, Kevin Spacey, (the freakazoid boss) Jennifer Aniston (Sexual Harrassment Boss)Jason Sudeikis( he's from Overland Park by the way, disgruntled employee) , Charlie Day (another disgruntled employee), Colin Farrell(Druggy Boss)Jamie Foxx (hit man) and Donald Sutherland (nice boss).

Basically three friends all hate their bosses and decide they are going to kill them. Yet...they aren't killers and really don't want to be. This movie reminded me of a "hang over" kind of movie. One thing leads to another and it all turns into a mess, yet comes out ok in the end. I think what I really liked was the way the three friends played off eachother. Jason Bateman is so straight laced, flat humored, Charlie Day was like the hyper chihuahua and Jason Sudeikis a mastermind unconfident guy.

It may have been the company, the mood, the cinema suites, but I just thought the whole thing was funny and entertaining. No real emotional stuff, just plain old comedy from an almost impossible situation.

All in all, a good date movie! Take your man and enjoy some laughs.

Week 29: Super 8

This week was Super 8.  I have been curious about this movie for awhile but it kept being pushed aside.  This week we didn't seem to have a lot of choices so we finally decided to go.  (And yes, I realize Harry Potter comes out this weekend and it's sort of a big deal.  Since my sister's not a huge fan I'll be seeing it on Monday with my good friend Cory who is.  I'm beyond excited to say the least.  Look for a bonus review.)

Like I said, this movie peaked my interest from the start but I wasn't really sure if it would be too out there to really like.  To be honest I liked it better than I thought I would.  Just like Deb said it reminded me of Stand By Me right away but with a Sci Fi twist.  It had a group of kids getting into trouble and dealing with things they probably shouldn't at their age.  It reminded me a little bit of Goonies too.  The Sci Fi aspect of the movie was okay but the part I liked so much about it was the humor.  The boys were really funny and made me laugh out loud. 

The main actor was played by Joel Courtney.  He was really good.  He had a sweet, sincere quality about him.  Elle Fanning was good as well.  I agree with Deb.  You can tell acting runs in her family.  I didn't recognize any of the other boys but they made the movie.  It wouldn't have been funny without them.  And I do like Kyle Chandler who played the dad. 

This movie was definitely better than expected.  It's nice when those come along.

To Sum it up: Good humor, really great characters and a surprising hit.

Week 29: Super 8

"Super 8" was our Movie this week. I was a little reluctant to go to this movie because I am really not a science fiction type of gal, as I have said before. Tiff talked me into it though, ok..so when I say "talked me into it" I really mean she said.."I really want to see Super 8" and I responded, "OK"! Not too much convincing.

So this movie told a story of a group of young teen (14 year olds I would guess) friends who are in the process of making a homemade movie for a contest. While filming they happen across a train accident that holds a military secret. The movie then centers around how these kids eventually get in the middle and what they must do to get out.

I was sort of thrown back to the movie "Stand by Me". Although this movie will more than likely not be that iconic, it held a lot of similarities. I was most impressed with the abilities of these actors. Young kids amaze me in their abilities on film. I found myself laughing a lot, touched by innocent discovery and amazed at how the young actors can bring out emotions almost better than adults. I would assume, it has something to do with youth!

Some of the actors in this film included Joel Courtney, who looks to be just getting started in the movie industry, Elle Fanning, who through-out the whole film looked familiar but I couldn't figure out who she was...she was good! Guess it runs in the family. Kyle Chandler played the deputy/dad. I have always liked him..I most remember him from his days on T.V. in "Early Edition" and then in the mini-
series "Band of Brothers". The other kids in the movie included some new names, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee (super funny!),Gabriel Basso (looks like he has done a handful of films) and Zach Mills (also with some movies under his belt).

All these kids had great chemistry, and I believed they truely were a group of kids who lived together in a small town and knew eachother for years.

Overall, I have to say this one was super enjoyable. Even the Sci-Fi was ok, a little bit "E.T." and little bit "Stand by Me". See you next week for the big 30!

I will get the winner of the movie tickets posted later this weekend!