16 posts tagged “summer entertainment”
The other night, I went to see a showing of Casablanca at The Strand, a local movie theatre in Zelienople, Pennsylvania that shows old films.
I had a total Woody Allen moment. In the film Play it Again, Sam, Woody's character Allan Felix is obsessed with Humphrey Bogart. In the opening scene, Allen is watching Casablanca, in awe of how smooth Bogart's Rick is with Ilsa.
Of all Allen's films, Sam is my favorite, and while watching Casablanca, I felt like I was divinely closer with Sam. I finally (nearly) got to live a part of the movie! I was in awe of Rick, while watching it alone in a movie theatre (just like Allan). It was incredibly movie romantic!
Also, while I had seen the film Casablanca years ago, I really appreciated it more this time around. It probably is the most perfect film ever made. There's romance, great dialogue, funny parts, and drama. It has everything. I can't wait to rewatch it soon and be swooned by Bogart all over again.
Yesterday, I watched the film Norbit outdoors at a Labor Day picnic I attended.
I had always bad-mouthed Norbit without having actually seen it, and surprisingly, the movie wasn't as bad as I thought (I find myself quoting Rasputia's "How YOU doin'?" all the time now).
But what I was struck by more than anything was that Norbit is set in the small town of Star's Hollow from Gilmore Girls. The church for Kate's wedding at the end of the film -- Sookie's children were baptized there! The town square where Norbit and Kate danced with the orphans at the carnival -- it's where Luke bought Lorelei's basket at the annual gift basket auction! Even Luke's Diner is a pivotal location, as the Italian restaurant where Norbit and Kate go on a date.
I wonder if we can expect to see Star's Hollow in any other future films. Surprisingly, the town did not make an appearance in Post-Grad.
The new season of Mad Men has been featuring a lot of dancing. Last night's episode included a Charleston dance sequence featuring Pete Campbell and his wife. The episode before featured Peggy singing and dancing in front of her mirror at home.
Yet, I still can't stop thinking about Pete Campbell's dance from episode one of this season. I've been trying to recapture it myself ever since. It's just about the whitest dance I've ever seen. Props to Jason Kottke for sharing this tribute to Pete on his web site!
Last night, I attended my first ever country music concert. Brad Paisley was performing at the Crawford County Fair (along with Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne).
I've decided I want to be a country western songwriter. All of the songs have stories and great comedic formulas (Brad Paisley wants to check a girl for "Ticks" on a summer blanket). The songs are almost like soap-operas in three-minute musical installments. Plus, a lot of the songs are about just having a good time and a cold beer (which I suppose I could get on board with). Even though I didn't know any of the songs, I was entertained by following the storylines, while watching the music videos on screen.
A strange, funny moment of the evening came when one of the videos on screen behind Brad Paisley was showing legends and tragedies. An image of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash was on screen, followed by an image of Elvis Presley. Then, there was an image of the Twin Towers, followed by (and I'm not making this up) an image of Steve Irwin -- the Crocodile Hunter. I would love to ask the producers of this show what made them decide to go from the most tragic attack in American history to a zany Australian TV personality who died doing what he loved.
Overall, I learned that I'm not necessarily a born-again country western fan, but I've grown to appreciate why people might like it. I also learned that watching some of the people who enjoy country music can be more entertaining than the show itself.
I was one of the very very few people to actually see (or want to see) Post Grad this weekend. I wasn't expecting The Graduate, but at the very least I expected something along the lines of Accepted (a harmless college flick). It turns out that the story I thought would mirror my life was so awful it made me feel better about my own!
I was hoping for a film that would depict post-college life in a way that was comedic, touching, and "real" (even a Recession reference would have been nice!). Instead, it was fluff you'd watch if you were sick in bed at home watching a cheap Lifetime flick.
One, I hated the lead character. She doesn't even have a real name ("Ryden Malby" looks like something that comes up in my spellcheck). She's cocky, torturous to her best friend who's in love with her, and never cracks a book even though she claims that she LOVES to read (at least Rory Gilmore carried a book with her wherever she went).
While I was impressed with the cast, I couldn't help but wonder what any of them were doing in this film. Jane Lynch just appeared in Julie & Julia. Why would she be in this?? And Michael Keaton is too comedically talented for this movie (in fact the entire cast except for Alexis Bledel is too funny for this movie).
I won't reveal too much, but Ryden has an epiphany where she realizes she's in love with her best guy friend after seeing a mother feed a son an eskimo pie (I'm not joking). There's also an unnecessary boxcar race scene (what is this? "Full House"??).
My friend said that I am heartless for not liking movies like this one (he's an avid chick flick kinda guy), but I'd like to think that I just have taste.
Mad Men premiered last night, and woo, what an episode! Score one for alternative lifestyles in the 1960's.
I was kinda hoping that the show would have jumped forward in time a little bit further, but it was nice seeing Betty miserably pregnant (it's good to have her back and still horrible to her kids!). I know I keep saying this, but I can't wait to see what little Sally does down the road. I smell 1970's therapy sessions!
Although there were a lot of shakeups with the British merger at the end of last season, our favorite peeps at Sterling Cooper (is it still called that?) were up to their same old tricks. Pete Campbell is still as ruthless and competitive as ever. I thought that maybe the storyline with both Campbell and Cosgrove getting promoted would be very Three's Company situational-comedy, but it turned out to be rather interesting, especially since Cosgrove was excited to be sharing the promotion with Campbell (I figured they'd both do the Mr. Furley "Whaaat?" face and get mad at each other).
One drawback with the episode: not enough Peggy or Joan (of course, we only had an hour, so it's understandable). However, I think Joan is going to have a romantic storyline with Mr. Hooker.
But the moment of the night for me was when Sal finally succumbed to his innermost desires and kissed the bell boy. Hot! And Don didn't even call him out on it (well not totally), instead speaking of the London Fog ad: "Limit your exposure." Other Sterling Cooper employees would have totally been freaked out by what Don saw through the fire escape. However, Don Draper is used to keeping secrets.
My (500) Days of Summer madness has gone from little obsession to checking my door 500 times to see if it's still locked.
I went to IKEA with friends and decided to reenact scenes from the movie (as well as fake scenarios I gave my friends and myself; example, "we're getting married and you're 'in the closet' -- go!").
Here's, "Darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a Chinese family in our bathroom."
"Our water's out!"
The sad thing is that I've always done these type of things when I go to IKEA. Now, it's okay to do it because of Summer.
I went to see Funny People tonight and made a startling revelation.
Judd Apatow is the new M. Night Shyamalan.
Think of it this way, both directors had breakout films (The 40 Year Old Virgin and The Sixth Sense) followed by even bigger follow-up films (Knocked Up and Unbreakable, Signs) and then suffered missteps after (Funny People and The Happening).
As I was watching Funny People, I felt like I was watching Lady in the Water. It felt like something that was the director's close, personal project that in reality no one cares about. Yet, the only difference between the two films is that Funny People held so much promise. I actually enjoyed the story for the most part and was interested in the world of standup comedy. The film was just too bloated and inconsistent, with characters I had a hard time caring about. Meanwhile, Lady in the Water was a big fat rock at the bottom of the lake from beginning to finish.
There's been talk among Oscar nerds like me that this could be Meryl's year to win her third Oscar, with two performances worth noticing. One, as Julia Child in Julie & Julia (personally, I think she was better in this than in Doubt), and two, as a jilted woman turned "other woman" in Nancy Meyer's It's Complicated out in December.
Remember, it worked for Diane Keaton in Nancy Meyer's Something's Gotta Give, with Keaton scoring an Academy Award nomination. The only thing that concerns me about the film It's Complicated is the title. For some reason it conjures up images of Facebook, with "friends with benefits" relationships and BFF female friendships being defined under the same term.
Adding further to the Facebook ickiness, "It's Complicated" also makes me think of how some of my older relatives are using the online social network now (my uncle left me a message on my wall in all caps that said, "ARE YOU STILL HANGING OUT WITH GAY GUYS?"). The oversaturation of the site (as well as networks like Twitter) makes me wonder whether Nancy Meyers' is on Facebook and was inspired by the site. Furthermore, perhaps Facebook has a significant role in the film. Maybe there's a misunderstanding between Meryl and Alec through conflicting wall posts or status updates.
Last week I went to the movies for a full-blown double feature day. After a stressful week, I just wanted a break where I could get lost in someone else's story (my idea of a perfect vacation for the mind).
My double feature consisted of The Hurt Locker and (500) Days of Summer. While I enjoyed both movies (and see why Locker is getting Oscar talk already), I really fell hard for Summer. For me, no other movie compares at the moment.
I find myself listening to the songs from the movie in an effort to remember my favorite moments (Regina Spektor's "Us" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bookends" come to mind). I find myself shopping for clothes and wondering what Summer would wear. I have an urgent desire to rewatch The Graduate, write angry greeting cards, and listen to the Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" on constant rotation. And the film has inspired me to wait for someone like Tom Hansen to come along in my life (if you don't want him Summer, I'll take him!).
How could she not love someone who has a dream sequence like this one?
Critics have been calling this movie Generation Y's Annie Hall and rightly so. As a Woody Allen fan, I think this movie has New York melancholy written all over it (even though I was surprised to learn halfway through the film that it takes place in Los Angeles). Not only has this film proven to me that Hollywood still makes good films, but also that Hollywood still makes good romantic comedies. There's a reason why you don't see commercials saying, "It's official. Everyone is in love with The Ugly Truth."
