Wish it was near.......

The Silver Linings Playbook has been on my list since I first heard about it months ago. The problem is that the movie has yet to arrive to any of the theatres in my area. So, this weekend I decided to watch Limitless which also has Bradley Cooper. In case you haven't seen it or if it has been a little while since, Limitless is about an author who has a book contract, a looming deadline and a bad case of writer's block. Everything changes when his former brother-in-law gives him a mysterious pill. This event gives him the ability to start and ultimately finish his book and it also puts the author in immense danger. The plot line and story development in this movie is clear and imaginative. All the events in the story are important to its evolution. It is one of those movies that makes you wonder what would happen in the story if it were to carry on following the conclusion. Gotta see this one.!

Finally saw Money Ball....

This movie is obviously about Major League Base Ball which is something I honestly don't have much if any interest in. That really doesn't matter because Money Ball catches your attention whether or not you know anything about the game. The film follows Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's, as he sets about rebuilding and improving his team after three of the team's players are traded. Beane, played by Brad Pitt, utilizes the statistics and data that is analyzed and compiled by Peter Brand, an economics major and graduate of Yale University.

The thing I really like about this movie is that the Beane character has a situation the likes of which is relatable in many different circumstances. In the beginning he, initially, sits in a room of people who were all having the same conversation that had been going on since the beginning of time. Beane along with Brand, played by Jonah Hill, team up in an attempt to change the conversation and to bring the A's back from last place. To put it simply, the strategy works. I won't say what happens at the end for those who have yet to see it. I will say that I recommend it even if sports movies aren't really your thing.

Castle & NCIS

Recommendation: Castle which is on Monday on ABC at 9 p.m. I know when I first heard about this show I wondered what it was and why I would watch it but trust me, it is definitely worth watching. A friend first told me about it and I found the first season on DVD at the public library. From the first episode, I was a fan of this show and I could not wait for it to come back for another season. I don't want to give away anything for anyone who has yet to see it, but it is about this crime author who ends up going to work as a consultant for the New York City Police Department. A lot more happens following that but I'll leave you all to find out for yourselves.

NCIS is another show I wanted to add. I haven't been watching from the beginning, but I do catch it whenever a new episode is on. Episodes usually run in marathons on the USA network during the weekend and new episodes are on Tuesdays on CBS at 7:00 p.m. Definitely worth checking out. The "Gibb's Rules Marathon" starts this Saturday.

Good movies....

Recently I have been finding a bunch of independent movies that I really like that I wanted to pass along. One that I just saw yesterday was called Outsourced and is about this guy whose company outsources its call center to India and he travels there to help train the people who work there. He initially has a bad attitude when he first arrives in India, but eventually he embraces it and ends up on an adventure. The characters in this movie are dynamic and likable. The main character (his name is Todd, although most of the time he is called Mr. Toad) does not start out as very pleasant; but by the end of the movie is one with a friendly sort of promise.

I also really liked Dakota Skye, A Bag of Hammers, Falling Awake, Restless and Another Earth. These are from the Movie Channel and can most likely be found on DVD.

Speaking of Twilight....

I first wrote about this series the night before the New Moon installment premiered in 2010. It has been a couple of months since the fourth and final section premiered in theatres. To that I say finally and thank G-d. That stuff bothered me from the first moment because I still don't know how or why vampires sparkle. Who came up with that? Glitter does not add edge it just adds glitter, which frankly is not appropriate for characters that are supposed to be terrifying. Nope. The other thing that I really could not get past was the whole vampire baby element. What exactly was that about? That of course happened before Bella turned into a vampire. Now, you would think that would make the character more interesting but this is simply not the case. So in short, the characters were strange and the writing needed help. The only positive I found in the series was Robert Pattinson. I didn't like the character Edward, but I'm still going to keep an eye out for other movies starring Pattinson because I really think he is a good actor. Remember Me and Water for Elephants are great examples of this.

Public Enemies

Alright, I admit that I wanted to see this movie because one of my favorite actors is in the leading role, and that's really the honest truth. The movie in truth was simply well done. (Which I'm sure was not simple at all.) The writing was really great and the different scenes and shots were (forgive the slang) cool looking. One of the scenes where Dillinger and his accomplices walk into a bank job comes to mind as one of the most memorable in the entire movie. I liked the wardrobe that was used and the manner in which the scene was composed. The intended feeling of chaos in the scene was unmistakable and (again, for lack of a better expression) cool looking. I'd say that another one of the best scenes is one that never actually happened in reality. It takes place in the jail where Dillinger was being held. The investigator who is chasing him confronts Dillinger. The dialogue ends in a "catch me if you can" scenario that also involves a "go ahead I dare you" sentiment. I'm revising this post which means that I saw this one months ago but I'd still recommend it to whoever hasn't seen it. It is a little bit long (over 2 hrs.) but is totally worth the time. Seriously, grab a snack and enjoy one of my favorite movies of the last year. :)

My Credo...

I love movies-plain and simple. I also am picky about lines and plot. Seriously, a clunky line can throw a movie into "blahville" (well at least that's my opinion). I've taken two film courses and they were some of my favorite classes in college and no I wasn't a film major or minor. I have been watching movies since childhood and my first favorite movie that I can recall was GhostBusters. Yep, I knew all of the lines and I still chuckle when the character Lewis gets locked out of his apartment (classic).

I like independent film and I also like foreign film as long as subtitles are involved. It really bothers me when foreign films are dubbed in English because the language never matches up when the actors speak and ideas sometimes get lost in translation, and so subtitles are preferable.

Watching a movie involves an investment of both time and cash so picky-ness is needed.(ex. I was at home trying to watch Giant. Its a very long James Dean movie (2 VHS tapes) that I just could not sit through. Films that are very long and uneventful are not preferable.

Also, props to the people responsible for the production of motion pictures (writers, directors, actors, producers, etc...). Making movies takes a lot of work and time as well as money. So, in short, rock on all of you.!