Black Friday

I was solo at Black Friday this year.  Because of this, I got done earlier than usual (usually we don't get started until about 9:30).  This year I started at 5:00 and was home by 8:30!!

On Thursday morning, hubby and I have the tradition of going to Village Inn for breakfast (it's the only thing open).  We first buy a newspaper, then go to the restaurant and go through the ads during breakfast.  I make a list.  

This year was a bit different.  A lot of the stores are starting their Black Friday ads deals online.  So...on a few items, you can order online starting at a certain time on Thursday.  This is good and bad.  Good, if you're aware of the process.  Bad, if you expect to go the store and find a hot ticket item in the ad and it's no there because the store's stock has been sold out online.

This year, there was an exceptional deal on Playstation 4's.  It came with a Spiderman game and was more than $100 off the original price.  It was at Target and Walmart and I believe Best Buy.  I KNEW this would be an item I would have to get in line for.  So I read the fine print on the ad, and saw that it was available for order online.  I checked Target...sold out (both online AND in stores).  So (while we were sitting there at Village Inn), I ordered it online at Walmart for store pick-up.  I had to wait about a week before I was able to pick it up, but I got the exact unit that was advertised for the exact price.  And I didn't have to stand in line.

While I was at Target, I overheard a few people asking about the PS4 in the ad and the employee said they had sold out of those before the store even opened.  Which is really not fair.  I mean...they should reserve SOME to keep in stock.  But oh well.  I was just glad I didn't have to wait in line for it, ESPECIALLY at Walmart.  Ugh.

And my husband's PS4 broke down like 3 years ago and we haven't replaced it until now.  I'm glad it all worked out.

Then, I noticed a great deal on Dyson vacuums in the Target ad.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE my cordless Dyson stick vac.  LOVE it.  But, it's a few years old and is temperamental sometimes.  It still works great, but I just have to clean it a lot more (like, take it apart, wash the filter, etc.) than usual.  So when I saw Target was having a sale on Dyson stick vacs, I ordered one of those online as well.  It was delivered a few days later.  Of course, husband checked Consumer Reports on all cordless stick vacs first.  And guess who won....Dyson!  

We're going to keep the new one for upstairs use.  The current one is mounted on the wall in the laundry room.  The plan for the new one is to mount it in the small storage room located in our library.  But there's no electricity in that little room at the moment.  So for now, it's hanging out in my closet.  (and yes, we have a mini fridge in my closet):

So around 5:00 I headed out to the actual stores.  First I went to Gamestop and got husband two video games he's been wanting.

Then I went to Target (my biggest haul).

Pyrex!  Couldn't pass this up, especially since I hate plastic storage.  $18 for this boxed set.

A few movies/TV on DVD.  I haven't seen the 3 movies, but I HAVE seen the 2 TV series.  :)  The TV seasons were $10 and the movies were $6 and $4.  Not too shabby!  They are all movies I've been wanting to see too.

Usually I get sheets each year at Walmart, but this year, Target had them.  1200 thread count sheet sets for $25 (any size).  We got a King size bed earlier this year and I only have 2 sets of sheets for it, one of which is not in great shape.  Animals are HARD on sheets!!  Anyways...I got 2 new sets of sheets for our bed and one full-size set for the guest room (Amy's Room). 

Some little lotions. They were BOGO.  I like the little ones for my gym shower bag.

One sweater.  They had loads of sweaters for $10!

A throw.  $10!  It's super soft.

Then I moved on to Walmart. 

Slippers for hubby.  I get him new slippers almost every year.  These were $7, marked down from $20.

 Loungewear...pants and hoodie set for $12.

An oil diffuser set for the man cave.  It came with 6 little bottles of oils.

And some fun little slipper socks.  :)

And that's it!  It was fun, and it was nice to be home at 8:30.  It put my husband and mother-in-law's mind at ease, especially because I was by myself amongst the crazies.

Now to start putting away a little bit of money each month for next year!

Catch Up, Part 2

Our life lately is so busy it's hard to describe.  I keep telling myself that 'next month' will be better.  But 'next month' is never less busy.  If anything, things are always picking up.

So I'm going to attempt to do another 'catch-up' blog while my computer is already on and running.

*March.  In March I was sick.  For a few days.  Ick. I saw Beauty and the Beast twice.  I was looking back on my phone for pictures (to see what we actually did in March) and we were so busy that I only took like 5 pictures.

*April was crazy.  Crazier than March.  Our French Memorial came and went.  Then a Circuit Assembly.  Then we had some health issues (we're fine).  Then hubby and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. We went to Truth or Consequences (known around here as 'T or C').  We went to Elephant Butte Lake.  It was very nice and low-key and perfect.  

*May.  My work picked up...not necessarily in volume, but in responsibility.  Communicating with physicians.  Educating others on audits.  More writing.  More researching.  More meetings.  I got promoted, which was nice.  It's been a long-time coming!  Our service dog also officially graduated.  We are so proud of him!  I saw Guardians of the Galaxy twice.  I don't know why I keep seeing movies twice ha ha.  We lost a very dear friend.  I think about her every day.  We prepped our house to sale.  The pictures were taken and 3D virtual tour filmed yesterday.  It will go on the market tomorrow (I think).  We started our 'official' French class.  

When I think of WHY we are so busy, it is mostly spiritual things (French, service, assignments, hubby has a LOT of responsibility both locally and beyond).  Which is good.  But it's also house stuff, work, and just everyday life.  Errands.  Appointments.  

But mostly, it's French.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE our French group.  We are a family.  I mean that 100%.  A true family.  But I NEVER thought it would be as time consuming as it is.  And it seems like the more we get into it, the more time consuming it is (we are in year 4).  My husband usually has a part each week.  I usually have one at least every 3 weeks, sometimes more if I am asked to fill in for someone.  The studying is time-consuming.  Preparing comments is time-consuming.  Everything takes at least 3 times as long as it does in English.  The reason I had my computer open tonight is because I was helping my husband translate his part (a 10 minute part) for tomorrow night.  There are just so many little rules an things you have to think about when translating.  Like the word face.  In English, we use the word face for many different meanings but it's the same word.  You have something on your face.  You are going to face a challenge.  You are getting your cabinet re-faced.  One word, multiple meanings.  If you type in 'face' into Google Translate (don't ever use Google Translate, I beg of you), it comes up with the word face (pronounced 'foss').  But that word in French means to 'face something head on'.  The word for your actual FACE on the front of your head that includes your eyes, nose, mouth, etc. is 'visages' (VEE-SOJ).  Yep.  So when translating something like 'look at their faces in the picture', you have to use 'visages' instead of 'face'.  That's just ONE little example of things to think about.

And sentence structure....oh my.  Totally different.

One of our recommended reading articles for our French homework this week had a whole paragraph on how things can't be translated word for word in any language.  That's not how it works.  The examples it gave were really good and really shows how you can't plug something in to a translating site and expect it to come out perfectly.  It will make no sense.  Google is not that smart!

Our Saturdays are full for the next 18 weeks.  Yep.  French class is from 10:00 - 12:00.  Then service right afterwords.  Then French meeting from 4:00 - 6:00.  On Sundays we usually clean, get groceries, and try to get ready for the week ahead.  But 18 weeks of class.  Homework.  Studying.  At orientation they told us we would each be writing a story.  They said we needed a quiet place to study.  They said this is a big commitment.

All of this while trying to sell two houses and buy one, working full-time, etc.

But....I wouldn't change any of it.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's sooooo totally worth all of the time and effort it takes.  I can't imagine life without our French family.  It would feel empty.  It's worth the extra time and the crazy Saturdays and the feeling of panic when you raise your hand on the fly without completely knowing what you're going to say in French.  It's worth it!!!

I am hoping to post more (I always hope!) and most likely it will be 'French heavy' because, well, that is our life right now.  And I blog about life.  

That's it for now...it's past my bedtime and I still have about 30 minutes worth of chores to do.  :)  

Farewell Hastings

Hastings is a store that sells new and used books, movies, music, comic books, figurines, and a whole array of other (sometimes odd) things.

It was my 'go-to' store for books and movies and tv on dvd.

They've gone bankrupt, so they are closing all of their stores nation-wide.  It's so sad!  Their prices were great, especially when they were having sales. Most of our tv series on dvd came from Hastings.  We don't buy nearly as many movies as we used to (new from Target or Walmart), because we would always wait a month or so and get a used copy at Hastings for less than 1/2 the price.

One day last year they were having a sale on all of their used books:  Buy one at regular price (usually between $3 - $10) and get 2 more for $1 each.  My husband and I spent the day driving all over town browsing.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  Just searching through all of the used books and getting so excited when we would find one on our list was a blast.

We don't have any other 'chain' used books/movie stores here that I know of.  I'm hoping we might get a Half Priced Books now or something.

Today, since it was a day off, I made one final trip to Hastings.  I only went to one, the one we usually go to:

I browsed through the movies first, then the books.  Then the movies.  Then the books.  I took my time and walked through each aisle.  I known it sounds silly, but I was a little sentimental about it!

Today, I bought 5 books and 2 movies for about $30.

I am going to really miss this place.  Thank you Hastings for the years of entertainment!

Random

*Did you know that London is one of the most expensive cities in the world?  Like…more expensive than Paris?  We are only staying 2 days and honestly I don’t think we could afford to stay longer than that.  Geez. 

*Sometimes after work I will run an errand or two.  I ALWAYS try to remember to take my work badge off or tuck it into my pocket when I go into public places.  Why?  Because I can’t tell you how many times I have been stopped at Target, Petsmart, the mall, etc. with this:  “Oh you work at Major Hospital?  Can I ask you a question?” and the person proceeds to pull out their medical bill from their purse (who carries these around anyways?  People just hoping to run into a random employee??) and then starts asking me questions about their bill.  I’m never rude and sometimes I always try to help, but mostly I can’t.  I politely tell them that I’m not in the Billing Dept. and direct them to the customer service number located on their bill.  Ugh.  I know I should have a better attitude about it, but really?    I AM NOT IN THE BILLING DEPARTMENT.  My favorite question?  “This says ‘THIS IS NOT A BILL’.  What does that mean?”  Um….it means IT’S NOT A BILL.  Yes, I know it’s confusing and I’m still not 100% sure why insurance companies send these out.  I just tell them to keep it for their records and wait for the real thing to come along (and believe me, it will).  

*The month of April is nutso, hence my lack of blogging.  Sorry.  It's been crazy.  May probably will be too.    

*A few days ago, the Apple IOS 8.3 update came out.  I updated my phone, and then my Target Cartwheel app wouldn’t work.  This happens sometimes.  Sometimes apps need a few days to catch up to update themselves after the general software update.  Anyways, I was AT Target, the app wasn’t working, but at least ¾ of the stuff in my cart would have been discounted on the app.  It was mostly Market Pantry (Target’s generic food brand), and Up & Up (Target’s generic ‘everything else’ brand).  Anyways, I asked the register clerk if there was a way that I could call customer service with my receipt  info to see if they could at least give me credit within the app of my purchases (the more you save, the more ‘spots’ open up in the app for your cartwheel items).  She said she wasn’t sure and so she called her manager over.  The manager said the only way to get me the discount was to manually type in the discount on all eligible items (about ¾ of my cart).  Now, if there were a line of people behind me, I wouldn’t have had them do this.  But Target was dead (I went on my lunch break) and they insisted it was no problem.  The clerk asked me how much the discount was on these items usually and I told her it was at least 5% off Market Pantry and Up & Up brands.  And the manager looks at the register clerk and says “give her 10% off just in case.”  !!!  Reason #46,798 why Target is the BEST.  They gave me 10% off most of my cart.  Then I got an additional 5% off for using my Redcard.  Target = great customer service.

*My most favorite band ever is Of Monsters and Men.

They are from Iceland.  There is just something about their music that is so DIFFERENT and it makes me want to go climb a mountain or something.  On Wikipedia, they are labeled as ‘indie folk pop’.  That’s probably accurate I guess.  The gal (Nanna) is the lead singer, although the guy (Raggi, the one to the right of Nanna sitting down) sings just as much as she does I think.  Their first album ‘My Head is an Animal’ was awesome.  It’s funny though, the song they’re known the most for (“Little Talks”) is my least favorite (the radio version anyways…they recorded a live album where they slowed it down and sang it practically without music and that was really cool).  But the rest of the album is great.

Their next album, ‘Beneath the Skin’ is going to be released on June 9^th.  I cannot wait!  They’ve already released their first song from the album, Crystals, and it is amazing.  I downloaded it from iTunes immediately.  They are going on tour this summer, but nowhere near New Mexico, pooey.  I even looked on their website to see if I could catch them in Europe when we’re there, but the dates didn’t work out.  That’s how much I love these guys, I was willing to stalk them in Europe ha ha. 

If you’ve never heard any of their music, go to YouTube and search ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty trailer’.  One of their songs, ‘Dirty Paws’ was featured in the trailer:

*Have you seen ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’?  If not, please stop what you are doing and go watch it.  It is a GREAT movie.  And if you hate Ben Stiller (a lot of people do I guess…I’ve always liked him though), watch it anyways.  This is not a typical Ben Stiller movie.  It’s just REALLY good.  AND a good portion of it was filmed in Iceland.  You won't be disappointed!

*That's all for now.  I have a talk tonight in French that I need to practice some more.

Filming

There are a lot of movies filmed here in New Mexico, especially in or near Albuquerque.

The other day I took the road just south of the building where I work (which butts right up against an Indian Reservation) and I saw this odd looking structure with Mexican flags flying on top of it.  Huh?  And then it hit me.  They are FILMING here!  What’s being filmed now? 

This:

Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt have been in town for a few months now.  And the Mexican border patrol has been recreated about 6 blocks from where I work.  Interesting!    

What else has been filmed here?

The Avengers (portions of it….mostly the beginning in the rail yard where Loki makes his wonderful appearance).  Am I the only one that thinks Loki should have his own movie??  I love him!  He is like the hated villain (he’s SUCH a jerk!) that you can’t help loving.

The Lone Ranger (the one with Johnny Depp)

Armageddon

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

3:10 to Yuma

City Slickers

Cowboys and Aliens

Hang ‘Em High

Independence Day

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Jarhead

John Carter

No Country for Old Men

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Transcendence

Transformers 1 and 2

True Grit (the newer one)

Young Guns

Young Guns 2

There are many, many more.  The main reason why so many movies and shows are filmed here are because of the discounts and tax breaks.  Production companies get HUGE discounts for filming here instead of California or any other location. 

And TV shows?  I couldn’t find a list, but here’s the ones I know off the top of my head that have been filmed here:

In Plain Sight

Longmire

Manhattan (this is really good….we’re watching it now.  It’s about the Manhattan project in Los Alamos, NM)

Lonesome Dove (the best miniseries ever)

And of course, the show that New Mexico (and Albuquerque in particular) will be known for forever.  The show that was not only filmed here but took place here as well.  The show that practically swept the Emmys last night:

Last night, Bryan Cranston won his 4^th Emmy for playing Walter White.  Anna Gunn won her 2^nd for playing Skyler White.  Aaron Paul won his 3^rd for playing Jessie Pinkman.  And the show itself won best Drama, the top award of the night (2 years in a row).  It’s over now, so no more filming, although they are now filming a spinoff, ‘Better Call Saul’ in Albuquerque.  Both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul fell in love with the area and bought houses here, which they are keeping even though the show is over.  Bryan Cranston gave a shout out to New Mexico last night during his acceptance speech. 

There are ‘Breaking Bad’ bus tours that will take you to different filming locations around town.  They are constantly booked.  There is blue rock candy everywhere.  Blue donuts (if you’ve seen the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about).  The Albuquerque, New Mexico economy has benefited greatly from having Breaking Bad here for the past few years.

We’ll see how Better Call Saul does.  Usually spinoffs don’t fare well, but you never know.  It may do well just because Breaking Bad has a huge following.  It (BB) currently has a 9.6 rating on IMDB.  I believe it’s the highest rated TV show on that site.  For a movie or TV show to get above a 9 is rare (The Shawshank Redemption is the highest rated movie with a 9.3).  Fun fact:  The exterior that they use for Saul’s office is right next door to the local store where I buy dog food.  Ha ha. 

I drive by I-25 Studios twice a day (on my way to work and back) and lately the lot is always packed with cars and trailers.  It’s a little exciting.  I always think…who’s in there?  What are they doing?  When will the movie come out?

So next time you watch a movie, look to see where it was filmed!  Maybe it was in my neck of the woods. 

Book vs. Movie

I really wish I had more time to read.  My ‘to be read’ stack of books is not getting any smaller, and every now and then I will still add to it!  I used to read during my 30-minute lunch break, but since we moved to our new building, I use my 30 minutes to run home for lunch to let the dogs out.  So reading during lunch is over for me.  

I try to avoid reading in bed before sleep, because lately I’ve found that it keeps me awake instead of helping me fall asleep.  So I play Candy Crush or some other mindless game on my ipad instead.

So that leaves reading for random times during the afternoon after I get home from work.  I get home around 3:45 each day.  Mondays are out, because I start cleaning when I get home in preparation for Tuesday (the day that my mother-in-law comes over for dinner each week).  Hubby comes home around 5:30, and that’s about when I’m starting dinner.  By the time dinner and kitchen cleanup is done, it’s 6:30 or so.  Then we take the dogs outside to play for at least 45 minutes.  It’s now 7:15.  From 7:15 – 8:30 is generally ‘free’ time.  But anything that needs done for the day (paying bills, writing notes, laundry to be folded, put away, etc.) needs to be done during this time as well.  At 8:30 we attempt to start getting ready for bed.  Hear me out….we have 3 medications to give one cat, a shot to give to another cat, a baby-wipe bath to give to one dog who has bad allergies (the wipes help get all of the dust and pollen off of her from being outside and low to the ground), two lunches to make for the next day, gym bags to pack, dogs to take out for one last pee, etc.  And then we still have to do OUR bedtime routine (brushing teeth, etc.).  So we get to bed around 9:30 or so.  That’s just Monday.  Tuesdays are completely out because that’s when momma-in-law comes over.  Wednesdays are out because that’s a meeting night.  Thursdays are probably my best shot at reading a little each week.  Fridays are usually out because that’s when I get groceries and prepare for Saturday and Sunday (French studying takes FOREVER....like hours.  I'm not exaggerating). 

So now that you’ve heard my little pity party on why I don’t have the time I wish I had to read, I’ll get on with my story here, ha ha.

I recently watched two movies that I just happened to have read the books they were based on (it took me a few months though).  Here are the reviews:

 The Book Thief

I bought this book a LONG time ago (I think I bought it in Nebraska like 3 years ago when I was with my mom at Barnes & Noble)  I started reading it and honestly I lost interest.  It was very long.  But the story was good.  But sad.  But LONG.  When the movie came out though, it looked really good and it inspired me to pick up the book again and finish it.  Except I had to start over completely because I had forgotten everything that I had already read, ha ha.  But I got through the book this time.  And then watched the movie.

The verdict?  The movie was SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE BOOK!!  That’s a rare thing to say, but it’s true.  I thought the book was just too detailed and too long.  But the movie?  Perfect.  The acting, the story, everything.  In case you haven’t seen it, it’s about a German girl (Leisel) living in Nazi Germany.  Her family decides to hide a Jew in their basement in the height of World War 2.  Leisel befriends the Jew and he teaches her to read and write.  And once she learns how to read, well….she starts stealing books.  She gets them from various places, the most interesting is when she saves one from a book burning.  Risky!  She is such a lovable character and while it is a very sad story, it’s amazing how she is able to overcome everything in her hard life.  I will definitely watch it again.

Next up? 

Labor Day

I heard about this book before I heard about the movie.  It’s about a single depressed mom, her pre-teen son, and the escaped convict that comes into their lives over a long Labor Day weekend.  The book was good, the movie was just as good as the book.  The movie stars Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet, and I love both of them, so I might be a little biased.  It’s a nice unconventional love story.  I will watch this one again too.

Apparently I am on a ‘book to movie’ reading kick, because I am now reading ‘Divergent’ (the movie has already been released).  I’m also reading The Storyteller, The Goldfinch, The White Queen and one other one I think.  I’ve never been a ‘read one book at a time’ gal.  Maybe that's why it takes me months to finish one book!  Ha ha.

Movie Project Post #11

It's been a while, but I'm still at it!  Five more down:

The Big Year

Not a fan.  It was just okay.

East of Eden

Good, but of course the book blows it away.  And the movie focuses more on Cal, instead of Adam (as in the book).

Rebel Without a Cause

I just must not be a big James Dean fan, because I didn't understand what all the hype was about this movie.  It was just okay as well.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Excellent.  Paul Newman?  Excellent.  Elizabeth Taylor?  Excellent.  The whole movie takes place over one night.  It's fast paced and very dramatic.  I loved it.

A Streetcar named Desire

Blanche DeBois.  "Stella"!!!!!!!!   Another good one.  Vivien Leigh won an Oscar for this one, which was well deserved.  Marlon Brando was good as well.

My favorites:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, followed very closely be a Streetcar Named Desire.

14 left!!!

Better Than the First

No spoilers here...I will just post a few movie stills photo (from IMDB.com).

We caught a matinee of The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire this afternoon.  Now, I've read all three books (about 3 times each), and loved all three books.  I thought they did a really good job with the first Hunger Games movie and I really, really liked it.  However, I LOVED Catching Fire.  I was surprised they didn't split this book into two separate movies (like they are doing with the third book, Mockingjay), because there are two distinct parts of the book and I think they could have made two movies out of it.  But they stuck closer to the book with Catching Fire, which I really liked.

And now, a few stills:

Effie...Effie, who has a heart.

The scene that broke my heart:

Ceasar Flickerman, who is played by Stanley Tucci (who is amazing now matter what role he plays):

And finally, the beautiful Mockingjay:

Go see the movie.  And if you haven't read the books, PLEASE read them.  It's one of the best stories I've read in a long time.  You won't be able to put them down.

Entertainment

Just to warn you, I'm going to start rambling on again about movies and television.  I swear this is not an entertainment blog, regardless of the title of this post.

I feel the need to emphasize once again that I do not watch TV and movies all the time.  I maybe watch one hour a day of TV during the week.  A little more on the weekends.  We are busy and don't have tons of time.  I have been known to pop in a movie or series in my portable dvd player and have it playing on the kitchen counter while I'm making dinner.  Or folding laundry.  I have to multi-task.  

So even though I am not spending 24/7 in front of the screen, I still add to my collection.  I think it started when I was living in my first apartment and had no money, no cable, and no internet.  But what did I have?  I had a tv and DVD player.  That was my entertainment.  Movies and TV series that I already owned.

So, when I realized that I got 3 paychecks this month, I set aside $100 for myself to spend at Amazon and Target to splurge a little.  My bounty came today!

Never Been Kissed - on sale for $4.75 on blu ray at Target.  I couldn't pass it up!

Parks and Rec, Season One - this is becoming my new favorite comedy series, so I decided to slowly buy them on DVD.  SUCH a funny show!

How to Make an American Quilt - an oldie, but goodie.

That Thing You Do - Another great one!  And who doesn't love Tom Hanks?

Mad Men, Season 6 - I got sucked in after the first season.  (sigh)

The Young Riders, Season 2 - My favorite series as a 12-13 year old.  They released season 1 a few years ago, then season 3 a few months ago, and then season 2.  So, a little out of order, but my series is complete now!

So maybe this weekend I'll have some time to watch some of them - after work on Friday, dinner with friends Friday night, French service Saturday, French Bible reading class, then meeting.  Hmm.  I better fire up the portable DVD player!

(p.s. - all of the above came in well under $100, thanks to my free shipping on Amazon and sales at Target!)

Movie Project Post #10

3 more down:

The Producers

Hmm.  I like Matthew Broderick.  But I am a little ashamed to admit that I found this movie funny.  If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

One Day

I really liked this one.  Anne Hathaway totally passes as a British writer.  The movie focuses on July 15th (One Day...get it?) each year over a span of like 15 years.  Great concept.  And you would think it would be choppy, but flowed really well.

An American in Paris

Another good one about three starving artists in Paris who are all friends, and two of them happen to fall in love with the same women.  There's lots of familiar songs in this movie and of course some amazing Paris scenes.

My favorite of the bunch:  One Day

Next Up:

The Big Year

Emma (BBC version)

The Illusionist

Movie Project Post #9

3 more:

Taken 2

Good....but not as good as the first one.

Puss in Boots

Ha ha...this was funnier than I thought it would be.  I remember when it first came out I thought 'there's no way they can make an entire movie on this character from Shrek'.  I was wrong.

The Bucket List

A good movie.  I love Jack Nicholson (I like him much better than Morgan Freeman), so of course I enjoyed this movie.  It was nice to 'travel' with them all over the world.

Next up:

The Producers

One Day

An American in Paris

And a recap:

Movies watched:  30

Movies left:  22

Gravity

(there are no spoilers in this post)

So, we saw the movie Gravity in 3D last night.

I am both a George Clooney and a Sandra Bullock fan, so I figured, why not?  What can be wrong with this movie?

To answer:  nothing.  There is nothing wrong with this movie.  IMDB describes the plot as "A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space".  Yep. That's what it's about.

It's 90 minutes long, and VERY fast paced.  It gets you from the first 10 minutes and you feel like you're on a ride the entire time.  Although there are some 'quiet' moments for sure, but let me just say this:  after we left the theater, we seriously felt like we had to recover.  It is just a heart pounding ride from beginning to end.  It is EXTREMELY well done.

I'm not the only one that thinks so.  It currently has an 8.7 rating on IMDB.  To give you some perspective, here are some other similarly ranked movies on IMDB:

Forrest Gump:  8.7
Star Wars:  8.7
Casablanca:  8.6
Raiders of the Lost Ark:  8.6
Back to the Future:  8.5

Now this is a new movie, so most likely the rating will go down a bit...but maybe not.  This is a great movie people!!  Go see it!  And if you see it, PLEASE see it in 3D if you can.  It's worth it.

Movie Project Post #8

FOUR more I can cross off:

Ladies in Lavender

A very good movie about two sisters that befriend a stranger they find washed up to shore in 1930's England.  I mean....Judi Dench and Maggie Smith?  You can't go wrong.  Apparently it's based on a short story, which I am going to find and read.

The Princess Diaries

Such a cute movie...I can't believe I had waited this long to see it!

Anna and the King

I just couldn't get into this movie.  I'm not a big Jodie Foster fan, maybe that's why.  I'll give it another shot someday.  Maybe.

Persuasion

Another one I couldn't get into.  I love Jane Austen though, and BBC.  I think they set the bar too high with Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version, NOT the Kiera Knightly version....you can't even compare them).  Maybe if I read 'Persuasion' that would help.

My favorite of the four:  Ladies in Lavender

Next up:

Puss in Boots (ha ha)

Taken 2

The Bucket List

Movie Project Post #7

3 more down:

My Life In Ruins

I liked this cute romantic comedy.  Not a lot of depth, and definitely fluff, but entertaining.

Dinner for Schmucks

Ha ha.  I love Steve Carell.  This movie is actually a remake of the French movie 'The Dinner Game'.  I LOVE the French version, but this one was great too.  Steve Carell has great comedic timing and Paul Rudd is good in it too.

The Impossible

Oh my.  I don't even really know what to say about this one.  It's based on a true story of a family that was ripped apart (literally) by the tsunami in Thailand in 2004.  I bawled like a baby.  Naomi Watts and Ewen McGregor were both amazing.  Naomi Watts was almost unrecognizable after her injuries....it was so real looking and awful.  And there's a scene with Ewan McGregor that I started crying and then I pretty much cried throughout the rest of the movie.

p.s. - this movie does have a happy ending at least.

My favorite of the 3:  this is a hard one because these movies were so different.  The Impossible was really good, but so heartbreaking and emotional.  And Dinner for Schmucks was hilarious.  So it's a toss up with this batch.

Next up:  I don't know...I don't have my list in front of me and I'm about to go to bed!!

Movie Project Post #6

Three more movies down!

Larry Crowne

It was better than I thought it would be, although it was still 'just okay'.  And it was more Tom Hanks than Julia Roberts, which was nice.  I like her okay, but I like him much better.  Oh, and Rita Wilson had a small role in it too, which was great.  I love her!

Red

I just couldn't get into this one for some reason, although the casting was great.  But there was just something about it that I couldn't get into.  Too much shooting maybe?  I haven't been into action movies lately, unless they involve Tony Stark.  Ha ha.

On Golden Pond

Technically, I've seen this movie a couple of times already, but it was more than 15 years ago, so I put it on my list to watch again.  I don't think there's any movie out there that has more classic 'one-liners' than this one (mostly from Henry Fonda).  A classic for sure.

My favorite:  On Golden Pond

Next Up:

The Impossible

My Life in Ruins

Dinner for Schmucks