"Boh, boh...chicachicaaa..." If you've never seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," a John Hughes film, you are missing a classic. No, not a Pride and Prejudice kind of classic, but a classic none the less. A good 80's movie classic. I love movies from the 80's, The Breakfast Club being one of my favorites, another John Hughes film.
"Ferris" is just fun with stellar chemistry between Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck. And how can we forget Jennifer Grey, who plays Ferris' angry older sister. We even have a Charlie Sheen cameo.
Witty dialogue, excellent facial/body humor, and quotable quotes make this film a must see. From "The Sausage King of Chicago" to "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero" you will find yourself smiling, smirking, and even laughing out loud as you enjoy this 80's treasure.
-Bethany
Let me start by saying: Bueller......Bueller..............Bueller.........
Anywho, one of the best if not the best 80s movie ever made, and if I may pick a bone with my wife, WAY BETTER THAN 'THE BREAKFAST CLUB'!!!! So now that that is off my chest, all there really is to say is if by some freakish chance you haven't seen this yet, stop everything you are doing and go watch it. This movie is witty, quotable, and has the qualities to be a timeless classic. I'm honestly not sure what those qualities are or how to define them, but watch "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and you will understand my meaning It's a film that does a great job of capturing teenage angst, awkwardness, and hilarity, and yet without making those qualities cliché or boring. Just a brilliant and funny movie, and I never get tired of watching it!
-David
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
"Ever After"
Welcome back to our blog after a very eventful and busy summer! Starting things off again we found ourselves sitting down to cheap Chinese take out, and watching 'Ever After,' which if you haven't seen it, is a take on Cinderella. As Bethany and I sat down to watch this, I was transported back to my days of driving the two and a half hours to Spokane where she was studying at Whitworth University (while we were still dating.) I think watching this made me think about those late nights we would stay up in the dorm or at a friends house watching a romantic comedy. At the time, watching a movie like that with her wasn't the chore that it sometimes is these days, which is of course why we started blogging all of our movies in the first place. As I watched 'Ever After' tonight though, I didn't find myself wishing I was doing something else....I found myself enjoying a somewhat sappy, predictable, and lets face it, girly movie; with my wife next to me, our dog lying at our feet, and just a sappy condition all around. What a great way to spend an evening.....I can't wait for 'Gladiator!'
-David
What a delightful evening. After a wonderful, but eventful summer, along with finishing my first week back at work, it was pure delight to spend two hours sitting on the couch with my husband watching Ever After. I do love this movie. It's a fun twist on the Cinderella story, with romance, humor, Leonardo Da Vinci and again, romance. Oh, and lets not forget the gypsies!
All the actors do a great job, especially the minor and supporting characters, such as the servants, the gypsies, the King and Queen...they really do add to the story by their simple acts of compassion, laughter, mischievousness, etc.
Some differences I appreciate from the original Cinderella story; I like how there really is only one evil stepsister. Though there are two stepsisters, there's one who shows the main character compassion, adding new dimension to this tale. An actor playing Leonardo Da Vinci also has a significant role, almost acting as the Fairy Godmother, which I didn't really think about until my husband pointed it out.
If you like good stories, and a bit of romance, I would definitely recommend Ever After. And, as Cinderella's great-great granddaughter says at the end, the point isn't that they lived happily ever after, but that they lived.
-Bethany
-David
What a delightful evening. After a wonderful, but eventful summer, along with finishing my first week back at work, it was pure delight to spend two hours sitting on the couch with my husband watching Ever After. I do love this movie. It's a fun twist on the Cinderella story, with romance, humor, Leonardo Da Vinci and again, romance. Oh, and lets not forget the gypsies!
All the actors do a great job, especially the minor and supporting characters, such as the servants, the gypsies, the King and Queen...they really do add to the story by their simple acts of compassion, laughter, mischievousness, etc.
Some differences I appreciate from the original Cinderella story; I like how there really is only one evil stepsister. Though there are two stepsisters, there's one who shows the main character compassion, adding new dimension to this tale. An actor playing Leonardo Da Vinci also has a significant role, almost acting as the Fairy Godmother, which I didn't really think about until my husband pointed it out.
If you like good stories, and a bit of romance, I would definitely recommend Ever After. And, as Cinderella's great-great granddaughter says at the end, the point isn't that they lived happily ever after, but that they lived.
-Bethany
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
"E.T. The Extra Terrestrial"
This is a film that as a child I remember scaring me, making me laugh, and fascinating me the entire way through. It has literally been over a decade since I saw this film, and I should not have let that much time pass. This is one of the films that as a kid cemented my love of science fiction and space. The wonderful thing about ET is that it is science fiction, aliens and all, with an incredibly human feel and distinct human element
I will not bore anyone with the details of the plot itself. The movie is Iconic at this point, and it is really fun to hear those iconic lines (ET phone home,) and of course see the iconic shot of Elliot and ET flying on the bike across the moon. Seeing this tonight reminds me that to make a great film, there does not need to be tons of action, violence, etc. (Though that can make a film enjoyable) For this film, a great story, close friendship, and an unforgettable Extra Terrestrial are all that is required.
-David
I cannot remember the last time I saw E.T. but its been awhile so I only remembered bits and pieces. After watching this movie once again, all I can say is Wow. What an incredible and beautiful story.
E,T. has to be the most lovable alien I have ever seen in a movie. His shy curiosity makes you laugh and endears him to your heart. And the kids who host E.T. during his stay do an incredible job. And of course its fun to see Drew Barrymore as a young child.
As we were watching the movie tonight I said to David, something to the extent of how kids should be watching these kinds of movies as opposed to some of the less tasteful films out there. E.T. is pure adventure with an abundance of heart and it speaks to the imagination of every kid, the what ifs, the why nots...
In our society today, even though I love technology as much as the next person, I worry about the future generations growing up with too much media (t.v., video/computer games/I-Pods/I-Phones, etc.) and loosing that simple exploration of the imagination. I remember as a kid going outside and playing in the woods with our neighbor, making up spy games and just having fun without being in front of a screen. I hope we don't ever lose that unadulterated desire to explore and to imagine the impossible.
If I was going to sum up what I feel after watching E.T., I would have to say, hope. For some reason it makes me feel hopeful for what is to come, for what may be out there that we don't know. Anything is possible.
-Bethany
I will not bore anyone with the details of the plot itself. The movie is Iconic at this point, and it is really fun to hear those iconic lines (ET phone home,) and of course see the iconic shot of Elliot and ET flying on the bike across the moon. Seeing this tonight reminds me that to make a great film, there does not need to be tons of action, violence, etc. (Though that can make a film enjoyable) For this film, a great story, close friendship, and an unforgettable Extra Terrestrial are all that is required.
-David
I cannot remember the last time I saw E.T. but its been awhile so I only remembered bits and pieces. After watching this movie once again, all I can say is Wow. What an incredible and beautiful story.
E,T. has to be the most lovable alien I have ever seen in a movie. His shy curiosity makes you laugh and endears him to your heart. And the kids who host E.T. during his stay do an incredible job. And of course its fun to see Drew Barrymore as a young child.
As we were watching the movie tonight I said to David, something to the extent of how kids should be watching these kinds of movies as opposed to some of the less tasteful films out there. E.T. is pure adventure with an abundance of heart and it speaks to the imagination of every kid, the what ifs, the why nots...
In our society today, even though I love technology as much as the next person, I worry about the future generations growing up with too much media (t.v., video/computer games/I-Pods/I-Phones, etc.) and loosing that simple exploration of the imagination. I remember as a kid going outside and playing in the woods with our neighbor, making up spy games and just having fun without being in front of a screen. I hope we don't ever lose that unadulterated desire to explore and to imagine the impossible.
If I was going to sum up what I feel after watching E.T., I would have to say, hope. For some reason it makes me feel hopeful for what is to come, for what may be out there that we don't know. Anything is possible.
-Bethany
Thursday, April 25, 2013
"Equilibrium"
This film is a combination of George Orwell's '1984,' 'Faerenheight 451,' 'The Matrix,' and Lois Lowry's book 'The Giver.' In a distopian society where everyone is dependent on a drug called 'prozium' which suppresses all human emotion, Cleric John Preston played by Christian Bale, lives a life of enforcement against societies 'sense offenders.' These people's crime is that they have stopped their drug regimen and have begun again to feel human emotion. The films opening scene shows clerics played by Bale, and Sean Bean of 'Lord of the Rings' fame slaughtering a number of 'sense offenders,' and then after verifying their authenticity, burning a number of famous pieces of art including the Mona Lisa.
The entire premise of this film is set in the aftermath of the third world war. In order to halt 'man's inhumanity to man,' the before mentioned drug is created, and all of society descends into a world of complete obedience to the will of their leader, or father, and constant fear (at least for those who are sense offenders) of capture and summary execution.
The film is nicely done with a number of exciting action sequences in that 'Matrix' style. It does not however rely on action to define itself as a movie. Bale does a wonderful job of showing us what it might be like to re-discover emotion, and there are a number of moving scenes in which he conveys that discovery beautifully, such as when he accidentally turns on a record of one of Beethoven's symphony's.
I would highly recommend this film for anyone interested in that 'Matrix'esque' style, or for a more recent comparison those that enjoyed 'The Hunger Games.' They are two completely different films of course, but some of the moral dilemmas that the characters grapple with are mirrored here in 'Equilibrium.' In the end, this films helps us discover that it is not our actions that define us...because even without the benefit of emotion, great evils are perpetrated in this film, it is the presence of emotion, the good and the bad that makes us who we are.
-David
In a world where "feeling" is a crime, and people are simultaneously murdered for listening to music, appreciating art, reading books...this is the world of Equilibrium. Christian Bale plays the protagonist in this film, a "cleric" working for the totalitarian government who carries out these "raids" until one day he misses a dose of the medicine which hinders emotion, and his eyes are opened up to a whole new world.
Bale is very believable as a person void of emotion with his stoic and serious tone. Yet when he does start to feel, he does a good job of displaying quiet intensity, showing us what it might be like for a person who is not used to emotion to suddenly be filled with wonder, sadness, and love.
There are many actors and actresses in this movie, who add their own depth in their roles, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs, and Emily Watson.
If I was going to describe this movie for you, I would say it is a mix of The Matrix, The Giver, even elements of The Hunger Games can be found as this takes place in a distopian society.
While there is a lot of violence, it's not very bloody, though a few scenes may make you cringe. And if you are sensitive to the use of guns in films, then you may want to avoid this one, as guns are used about as often as they are in The Matrix.
I would say I enjoyed this film, though I'm not completely satisfied with the ending. It works, but I was almost left with feeling like there should have been a bit more...overall though, good story, with nicely done choreographed action scenes.
-Bethany
The entire premise of this film is set in the aftermath of the third world war. In order to halt 'man's inhumanity to man,' the before mentioned drug is created, and all of society descends into a world of complete obedience to the will of their leader, or father, and constant fear (at least for those who are sense offenders) of capture and summary execution.
The film is nicely done with a number of exciting action sequences in that 'Matrix' style. It does not however rely on action to define itself as a movie. Bale does a wonderful job of showing us what it might be like to re-discover emotion, and there are a number of moving scenes in which he conveys that discovery beautifully, such as when he accidentally turns on a record of one of Beethoven's symphony's.
I would highly recommend this film for anyone interested in that 'Matrix'esque' style, or for a more recent comparison those that enjoyed 'The Hunger Games.' They are two completely different films of course, but some of the moral dilemmas that the characters grapple with are mirrored here in 'Equilibrium.' In the end, this films helps us discover that it is not our actions that define us...because even without the benefit of emotion, great evils are perpetrated in this film, it is the presence of emotion, the good and the bad that makes us who we are.
-David
In a world where "feeling" is a crime, and people are simultaneously murdered for listening to music, appreciating art, reading books...this is the world of Equilibrium. Christian Bale plays the protagonist in this film, a "cleric" working for the totalitarian government who carries out these "raids" until one day he misses a dose of the medicine which hinders emotion, and his eyes are opened up to a whole new world.
Bale is very believable as a person void of emotion with his stoic and serious tone. Yet when he does start to feel, he does a good job of displaying quiet intensity, showing us what it might be like for a person who is not used to emotion to suddenly be filled with wonder, sadness, and love.
There are many actors and actresses in this movie, who add their own depth in their roles, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs, and Emily Watson.
If I was going to describe this movie for you, I would say it is a mix of The Matrix, The Giver, even elements of The Hunger Games can be found as this takes place in a distopian society.
While there is a lot of violence, it's not very bloody, though a few scenes may make you cringe. And if you are sensitive to the use of guns in films, then you may want to avoid this one, as guns are used about as often as they are in The Matrix.
I would say I enjoyed this film, though I'm not completely satisfied with the ending. It works, but I was almost left with feeling like there should have been a bit more...overall though, good story, with nicely done choreographed action scenes.
-Bethany
Sunday, March 17, 2013
"Enemy at the Gates"
In 'Enemy at the Gates,' we witness the Battle of Stalingrad fought between the Soviet Union and the Nazi third Reich. One of the reasons that I enjoy this film is because it is a rarity to see a World War II film from the point of view of the Russians. It was the Russians who lost the most people in the war, and probably whom we know the least history about. In America, we think little about the 'Godless Communists,' but it is a fact that without their huge sacrifice in manpower and equipment, we very well may have lost the war.
The film follows a young soldier named Vasily Zaietsev who during the battle of Stalingrad joins the Soviet sniper division. The story has two main parts, a bit of a love triangle between Vassili, his friend (a political officer in the Soviet Army,) and a woman by the name of Tania. The usual shenanigans ensue with the two men ending up at odds over the woman, but learning to value their friendship even after one of them gets the girl, and the other is left in the cold.
The military portion of the film focuses on a sniper duel between Vasily and a German Colonel by the name of Konig played expertly by Ed Harris. The two spend a large portion of the film playing am incredibly intense game of cat and mouse moving from place to place in the ruined city of Stalingrad. This game ends of course with one victor, but there are losses on both sides before the final climax of the film.
'Enemy at the Gates' is one of the best World War II films ever made. There are no other films that make war quite as personal such as a film that focuses on the sniper. The sniper who so intimately fights, sees, and kills his adversary.
-David
'Enemy at the Gates' is an extremely well done film, focusing on the young Russian soldier Vasily Zaietsev (Jude Law). In addition to the sniper duel, that David mentions above, we are shown what seems to be a very realistic view of what it would be like to be in the Russian communist army. In the opening scene, we see scores of men and women pushed onto and off of trains, forced into battle, with one soldier receiving bullets, while another receives a gun. If the men try to run back, they are shot at by their own generals for retreating. And this just the opening scene.
In addition to following Vasily through the film, we meet a female soldier (Rachel Weisz) who plays an important role, and a political officer who uses Vasily's incredible sniper abilities as positive propaganda to encourage the entire Russian army, whose fate becomes intertwined with Vasily.
Enemy at the Gates shows us some disturbing images of the casualties of war, yet it is not shown unnecessarily, and is there to make a point, that people are hurt, and people die in these conflicts.
The dialogue is superb, as is the acting, and if you are a fan of military films, specifically WWII, this is a movie you do not want to miss.
-Bethany
The film follows a young soldier named Vasily Zaietsev who during the battle of Stalingrad joins the Soviet sniper division. The story has two main parts, a bit of a love triangle between Vassili, his friend (a political officer in the Soviet Army,) and a woman by the name of Tania. The usual shenanigans ensue with the two men ending up at odds over the woman, but learning to value their friendship even after one of them gets the girl, and the other is left in the cold.
The military portion of the film focuses on a sniper duel between Vasily and a German Colonel by the name of Konig played expertly by Ed Harris. The two spend a large portion of the film playing am incredibly intense game of cat and mouse moving from place to place in the ruined city of Stalingrad. This game ends of course with one victor, but there are losses on both sides before the final climax of the film.
'Enemy at the Gates' is one of the best World War II films ever made. There are no other films that make war quite as personal such as a film that focuses on the sniper. The sniper who so intimately fights, sees, and kills his adversary.
-David
'Enemy at the Gates' is an extremely well done film, focusing on the young Russian soldier Vasily Zaietsev (Jude Law). In addition to the sniper duel, that David mentions above, we are shown what seems to be a very realistic view of what it would be like to be in the Russian communist army. In the opening scene, we see scores of men and women pushed onto and off of trains, forced into battle, with one soldier receiving bullets, while another receives a gun. If the men try to run back, they are shot at by their own generals for retreating. And this just the opening scene.
In addition to following Vasily through the film, we meet a female soldier (Rachel Weisz) who plays an important role, and a political officer who uses Vasily's incredible sniper abilities as positive propaganda to encourage the entire Russian army, whose fate becomes intertwined with Vasily.
Enemy at the Gates shows us some disturbing images of the casualties of war, yet it is not shown unnecessarily, and is there to make a point, that people are hurt, and people die in these conflicts.
The dialogue is superb, as is the acting, and if you are a fan of military films, specifically WWII, this is a movie you do not want to miss.
-Bethany
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