Eat, Pray, Love… Watch?

My morbid curiosity about the film version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love is nagging at me.

Part of me thinks that I’ll spend the film rolling my eyes at how Hollywood sees women – as brainless beings that will only open their wallets for pretty things (travel to pretty places, pretty clothes, pretty Javier Bardiem) and will sit through absolute crap (Sex and the City 2) if such things are present. Oh, and that we all like Oprah and lust after shoes above and beyond all other things – but that’s probably a feminist rant I shouldn’t get into.

(Also,  a bit of me cringes at at the casting of Julia Roberts as the film’s heroine. While I admire Ms. Roberts, I’m just not seeing it. But I’m willing to be proven wrong.)

I adored this book when I first read it. As a woman who has the travel bug, Gilbert hit all my buttons.  Reading the book, I was there – in Italy, in India – alongside our searching heroine.  However, I’m starting to feel like the thing I loved is now watered-down and secondary.  Admittedly, all the hype has made me a wee bit bitter about the whole sensation it’s become. I mean really, did there need to be a perfume collection?  Did World Market really need to launch as a clothing and accessories line?

Regardless, I’m sure I’ll wind up seeing this film.  I guess the question is whether I’ll shell out the bucks to see it in a theater (it’s currently playing all over the place) or whether I’ll wait until it hits the glory of Netflix.

hawaii & i: “forgetting sarah marshall”

Really and truly, I just wanted an excuse to  watch this movie, as it’s filled with things I love – namely Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Bill Hader, and Jonah Hill.

But, as it also happens to largely take place IN Hawaii, I figured it would also count as really great research.  Right?

Well, not really. But that’s fine.

So it’s a comedy, in case you weren’t aware.  It was produced by Judd Apatow and features a good chunk of his repertory company of witty dude actors. (Yes, Paul Rudd appears in the film.)  Plot-wise, it’s fairly standard. Peter (Segel) is a composer for a Law&Order/CSI-esque TV show.  He’s dating the star of the show, Sarah Marshall (the lovely Miss Kristen Bell) and loves her.  However, he’s a slacker and she’s kind of a brat, and she dumps him for another dude, who turns out to be a zany English rocker (played by Russell Brand, but I’ll get into that in a minute.) Devastated, Peter decides to run away from his pain – and goes to Hawaii. But – GASP – Sarah and new boyfriend/rocker are vacationing there themselves. At the exact same hotel, in fact. What is there to do?  Well, clearly, get drunk.  However, after drunkenness ensues, assisted by a pretty hotel worker (Mila Kunis, who will forever remain Meg Griffin to me) Peter gets over it. The end. I mean, there’s quite a bit more detail, but I’ve outlined the main points.

(There’s also – no joke – a scene from a Dracula musical…performed by actors with puppets. Made of win.)

I enjoyed the movie, though it wasn’t as much of a laugh riot as I expected. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I think overall it’s a sweet film.

Strangely, most of the real laughs come courtesy of Russell Brand.  Normally, I find Brand to be one of those wildly overrated comedians that it sometimes feels everyone loves but me.   The whole cocky artist thing makes me want to punch him in the teeth most of the time.  But, he works really, really well in this film.  Peter says it best – “F&*k, you’re cool! It’s so hard to say, because, like, I hate you in so many ways.” I admit, the movie wouldn’t have been as good as it was without him.

Fine, Russell Brand. You win – this time.

Anyway, did I learn anything about Hawaii? Not really. The movie was filmed on location on Oahu, so the backdrops/scenery are really lovely to look at.  There are also requisite surfing and luau scenes, as well as many a sighting of a fruity drink with an umbrella.  As these are all pretty much cliches of Hawaii, I don’t feel enlightened or anything. However, the prettiness made me want to go on vacation even more, so… that’s something, right?

I read an interview with writer/star Jason Segel, where he said he tricked everyone – he wrote a movie that took place in Hawaii, and then got to make it. Nice work, if you can get it.  Segel is one of those actors whose career path I look forward to following further (I mean, I’ve been aware since *sigh* “Freaks and Geeks”) Clearly, he’s a talented writer and and actor.  Next up, I guess he’s writing the new Muppet Movie.  He wrote the songs Brand performs in the movie, as well as the songs from the Dracula musical, which are all solid and enjoyable pieces.  I like Segel. I hope he remains cool.

So, in closing this far too rambly post:

What I learned about Hawaii? It’s pretty. But I already knew that.

Did I enjoy the movie? Yes.  It was fun.

Am I over my dislike of Russell Brand? I’m not convinced. But he is perfectly cast.

Oh, and I’m 99% sure Jonah Hill did this movie purely to go to Hawaii.

The End.

monstrously beautiful: “Best Worst Movie” & “Troll 2″ at the Music Box Theater

George Hardy is as affable a man as they come.  (Something about him even resembles Bruce Campbell, which is never a bad thing.)  An established Alabama dentist, George would seem to be a pretty regular divorced dad of teenage girls.

However, George’s backstory is anything but typical.

Twenty-ish years ago, while living in Utah, he played the Dad in a tiny little low-budget movie that’s since become a cult phenomenon.

That movie was “Troll 2.”

That two-word title is enough to bring a smile to the face of many a cinephile.  Troll 2 is so astronomically bad, it’s simply wonderful.  In fact, it’s widely regarded as the best worst movie of all time. Years after the films disastrous release, film fans have embraced the terrible acting, writing, direction, and effects of the movie and made it legendary.

Now, two of the stars of this ill-conceived film (Michael Stephenson and George Hardy) have made a documentary about the impact being in the “Best Worst Movie” of all time has had on the lives of all those who participated in it’s creation.  Stephenson, who played Joshua (the little boy at the center of the film) conceived of the idea of a documentary, and Hardy serves as the films main subject.

Chicago’s Music Box Theater was the logical and perfect place for the documentary,  as it’s one of the locations where recent screenings of Troll 2 have showed to sold-out houses.  Last night (as part of Super-Secret-Surprise-Date-Night, but that’s another blog…) Eric and I attended the second of two evenings dedicated to kicking off the theatrical run of “Best Worst Movie,” followed by a Q&A with George Hardy, and a midnight screening of Troll 2.

(That’s a whole lot of entertainment for a $12 admission price.  Music Box Theatre = Best value in town? Perhaps.)

As a documentary, “Best Worst Movie,” is really fantastic.

There’s a fine line the film walks between being comical and delicately handling some of the sadder ends members of the cast have come to. (While Hardy is a beloved Dentist with an established practice, Margo Prey – the mother from the movie – is a different story.  The film handles her with incredible care, and she’s never a target for laughs.)  Some of the cast members embrace the movie happily, and others are making peace with it after years of pretending the movie never happened. Stephensen himself made the movie as a way to cope with the fact that he made a crappy movie as a child, and is still known for it. Literally, the entire cast of the original film is brought back together to talk about their experiences, and they even re-visit the house the movie largely took place in.

Perhaps the coolest part of the film, though, is the incredible love that film fans have for the film, which is heart-warming and pure joy to experience.  Fans go as far as to get tattoos related to the film, and to learn to craft rubber masks so they can make their own Troll masks.  Members of the Upright Citizens Brigade appear, talking about their love for the film.  People around the country throw annual “Troll 2″ parties and share the wonder of this film with new people through the trading of old VHS copies.

The fandom was apparent at the Music Box last night.  “Troll 2″ was something golden and worth revering, and applauded and laughed through the midnight screening of the movie like it was Rocky Horror.  Famous lines got applause, the entrance of new characters were greeted with cheers, and some of the moments of terrible editing got huge laughs.

The Q&A with George Hardy, producer Brad Klopman, and a gentleman from Ain’t it Cool News (whose name was briefly mentioned and escapes me) was a lot of fun.  Klopman said there’s a lot of excess footage that will be on the DVD release (including all the interviews shot with Deborah Reed, who plays crazy-plant-witch-lady Creedence in the film) and that Claudio Fragasso (director of “Troll 2″) claims to have a screenplay for a sequel to his legendarily bad movie.

*Also, It is with great pride that I can say my wonderful husband cracked the whole room up last night.  One of the great things about “Troll 2″ is that there aren’t actually any Trolls in it. The word Troll is never uttered. The bad guy/monsters are Goblins.  During the Q&A, when asked if he’d ever seen any of the 25+ movies that Fragasso claims to have made, Hardy answered that he had seen “Zombie 4.”  My husband, smartass that he is, yells out “Are there any Zombies in Zombie 4?” which made the room go up in gales of laughter.  George Hardy, quick as they come, retorted in the same way Fragasso reacts in the movie to people criticizing “Troll 2″ – by yelling “You know nothing!”  It was a seriously fun moment, and a really good example of the evening as a whole.*

“Best Worst Movie” has a tentative release date of early November, and I – for one – will be buying it upon it’s release.

Please, go check out this movie during it’s theatrical run.

Even if you’ve never seen “Troll 2″ (which I think is sad) this documentary will touch your heart – and make you laugh.

George Hardy explained last night that, despite doing some 80 screenings in the past 4 years, he doesn’t get sick of them because the fans that embrace “Troll 2″ are people who love to laugh, and with all the negativity in the world, we need laughter.

Yeah, what he said.

View the film’s trailer and learn more at bestworstmovie.com.

Inception…

…was fantastic.

After weeks of hearing how mind-blowing it was, it actually lived up to the hype. I’m always a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, and he’s great in the movie – as are every member of the supporting cast (particularly Juno’s Ellen Page as a young architect.) I’m sure a million film critics have written novellas on the film by now, and True Blood starts in an hour, so.. Just go see it. The minutes are really just ticking away until someone spoils it for you.

We almost saw “Inception.”

Everyone we know has been talking and facebooking about the movie “Inception,” which we attempted to see tonight.

Seriously, people are losing their minds over this movie, and before it gets spoiled for us by a rogue status update or a conversation we’re not supposed to overhear, we tried to head to AMC River East in downtown Chicago this evening to check it out.

However, all the showings until late were sold-out, so we were foiled and are going to attempt again tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

(I’m excited, though… DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine… I like all of these things.  Cillian Murphy creeps me the hell out, but whatever.  I’ll deal with him. As long as I don’t ever have to sit by him on a plane. That’s a “Red Eye” reference, if you didn’t catch it.)

It’s a movie-tastic weekend.

On “Salt” (which I totally saw)

Much has been made of the fact that “Salt” was written as a vehicle for Tom Cruise.  However, after deciding the role was too close to his role in Mission: Impossible, Cruise turned down the project and the film went into a mini-purgatory.  Around this same time, an executive at Sony asked Angelina Jolie if she wanted to play a Bond girl. No, Jolie replied, but she wouldn’t mind playing Bond.

That’s how it happened.

I wasn’t planning to see “Salt,” as I’m not really one for action movies and often find non-stop chase movies to be a little …  one-note.   However, Eric’s brother Jason(my brother-in-law, now) is in town, and since Eric had a rehearsal, Jason and I were on our own.  We’ve got plans to see “Inception” tomorrow night, and nothing else playing at the movies seemed interesting, so.. (after cheeseburgers at The Billy Goat Tavern) it was off to see “Salt” we went. (Ha. Sea Salt. Get it?)

I really do like Angelina Jolie. I find her to be a talented actress and a beguiling screen presence. She’s a true movie star, and that’s not a common occurrence these days.  Often, I see her in movies and think she’s too good for her material. (A rare exception is her stunning performance in the completely stunning “Changeling.” )

In truth, Angelina Jolie is too good for “Salt.” However, that doesn’t mean it’s  a bad movie.  It’s exciting, there are twists and turns, and the audience around me clapped and gasped on more than one occasion.  The film seemed to fly by quickly, and it was engrossing from start to finish.

“Salt” is the story of CIA agent Evelyn Salt, who finds her entire life upside down when she’s accused of being a Russian spy.  Being innocent, she goes on the run.  But, is she innocent? And, why is she running? And, who’s in on what? And where’s her husband? And, who’s that guy? It’s a rollercoaster ride of a movie, filled with surprises and tons of action.  The amazing Ms. Jolie does everything from jumping around on semi-trucks to scaling an elevator shaft.  (One of the movie’s climactic moments – there are a few – will remain in my head for a while.  It was nuts.)

Jolie is fantastic, and she’s given wonderful support from Liev Schrieber (who, bless him, has a really huge face on-screen) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (aka, Lola from “Kinky Boots.” Which it took me the entire movie to realize.)  The movie is slickly directed and has one of those scores that keep you leaning forward in your seat knowing something is coming next.

I recall someone saying this movie was “Jason Bourne with boobs,” and… yeah, pretty much.  However, in the talented hands of Angelina Jolie, it’s less about the boobs and more about the boots. The ones kicking your ass. Yes, you. And you, and you, and that guy. And that other guy.

Evelyn Salt owns.

I want a sequel.

On “Jennifer’s Body”

“Hell is a teenage girl.”

These words kick off the Diablo-Cody-penned Jennifer’s Body, a horror movie I originally didn’t have an interest in seeing.

Despite my adoration for the movie Juno, which won Diablo Cody her Oscar, I envisioned the movie being nothing more than a cheap gore-fest that would likely sell lots of tickets to teenage boys with the promise of seeing Megan Fox topless.

Yes, I judged.

And you know what? I was wrong.

I mean, let me rephrase … it’s  still a cheap-ish gore-fest in which Megan Fox spends a lot of time scantily clad, disrobing, in her underwear, or otherwise making sexyface at the camera.

However, Diablo Cody might be even more genius than I previously thought.

I love horror movies, but it’s a man’s world. Half-naked girls are always getting gored by serial killers (normally male) in horrible and gory ways. Teenage female sexuality, especially, usually ends in a horrible death for the girl.  Virgins are the only girls who usually survive. (Please see the wikipedia article on “final girl,” if you want a more in-depth read about this concept… but quickly, let us recall Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode in Halloween.  Her two best female friends have sex. They die.  Laurie is a virgin. She lives. The end.)

I was surprised to see what a feminist horror movie Jennifer’s Body turned out to be.

Looking at the production team, it shouldn’t have been a surprise.  The director (Karyn Kusama) is a woman, the writer is a woman, and the two main characters are female. All the guys in the movie are side characters to the main action, and in place of tons of dead and gored naked chicks the body count is entirely male.

Leading lady and media darling Megan Fox seems to be having the time of her life in this movie.  In reality, Fox is the stereotypical “hot chick,” and she gets a lot of crap for being incredibly attractive and sometimes outspoken.  Here, she seems to understand the bigger picture: This is a chance to be a bad-ass AND the hot-chick.

Objectify Jennifer, and you suffer.  She’s probably going to eat your insides. Seriously.

Fox’s performance reminded me a little bit of one of my favorite screen performaces, Patty Duke in Valley of the Dolls. Though the other actors in Valley of the Dolls think they’re doing high drama, Duke got it. She knew she was in a campy movie, and shot for the stars delivering a big, obnoxious, scenery-chewing performance.  Fox comes close to that here.  Even if she doesn’t reach Patty-Duke heights, she definitely proves she can do more than run away from exploding robots in tight pants. (God bless the Transformers movies, which I actually love.  No joke.)

Only in a movie with Megan Fox could Amanda Seyfriend be considered to play the not-as-cute friend of the lead bombshell. Seyfriend, who has proven her range with her appearances in Mean Girls and Mamma Mia, dons glasses and frizzes her hair to play Jennifer’s BFF “Needy.” However, as the movie goes on Needy gets her moments to prove her smarts.  As in almost every horror movie, no one believes the final girl, regardless of how much crazy crap is going on in their town.

The girls have a tumultuous friendship, with snide insults and jealousy, but really… what teenage girls don’t?

Cody’s a smart writer, and the dialogue is peppered with the kind of quick wit that made me love Juno so much.  Some people think it’s too much, but in my personal taste Cody’s pop-culture word-blend is clever and funny.

I appreciated this movie.  It was funny, there was loads of stuff going on (Demon possession, A slimy rock band, first love, projectile vomiting of nasty black liquid, a battle scene in a school pool in prom dresses, and a cameo from Amy Sedaris? What?!) and and it was tremendously entertaining.

Feminist horror that doesn’t suck?

Awesome.

Yes, please.

Trailer –>

My name is Tallulah

I’ve been reminded of late how much I loved Bugsy Malone, and particulary Jodie Foster as Tallulah.

Just thought I’d share. This song is totally on my ipod.

Paper Heart

Charlene Yi, the star of the fake-u-mentary “Paper Heart” is charming.  She’s awkward and quirky and compelling to watch, much like the movie itself.

Thanks to the streaming wonder of Netflix, I finally had the chance to catch this little film last night, and I appreciated it for it’s simplicity and honesty.

It’s a fake documentary about Charlene Yi (playing herself) crossing the country to make a documentary about love, since she thinks she’s one of the people in the people in the world who can’t love.

Soon, thanks to a chance encounter at a house party (where, by complete randomness, David Krumholtz of “Numbers” is hanging out, though he has no lines and isn’t even mentioned), she finds herself falling in love with Michael Cera (also playing himself.) As the cameras roll, Charlene and Michael (who may or may not have actually dated in real life…tough to tell) find themselves falling for each other, while struggling with making a connection while the cameras are constantly in their face.

Nicolas Jasenovec, director of “Paper Heart,” is also a character in the film, though he’s played by the charming Jake M. Johnson.  As the film crew crosses the country, Charlene interviews bikers at a bar, owners of wedding chapels in Las Vegas, schoolkids on a playground, and a variety of couples who all tell her amazing stories about their life and love. (My personal favorite is a story of a judge and lawyer who fell in love thanks to a pair of Gucci shoes and a rainstorm. Completely “aw”-inducing.)

Yi is endearing, and really the reason to watch the film. It’s nice to find yet another non-traditional female romantic lead in a movie. She also wrote the movie, which won the Waldo Scott Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and co-scored the movie. (The film’s music is very simple and sweet, and I liked it a lot.)

A Note: Though I will always hold Michael Cera close to my heart for both his performance in “Superbad” as well as his participation in what might be the best show ever – Arrested Development – I would really like to see him do something different soon. (Yes, I understand that he’s playing “himself,” but .. really… I need him to play a role that requires something other than a hoodie.)  From the trailers for the new Scott Pilgrim movie, it seems to be another typical role for him, though I hope I’m mistaken.

Anyway – Back to “Paper Heart.” It’s cute, it’s short (88 minutes) and it’s charming.  It’s a sweet little movie that will make you laugh. And really, what more can you ask?

The Trailer:

Dear Hit-Girl, Can we be friends?

This past weekend, my husband (wow, thats weird to say) and I went to see a movie we’ve been waiting to see since the day it was first announced it was being made.

“Kick-Ass” did not disappoint.

I could go in a lot more detail about how much escapist superhero-realism fun this movie is, and how I loved it becuase it deconstructs Superheroes without taking away any of their magic.  I could write about what a discovery Aaron Johnson (who plays the title role) is, and how great the surrounding supporting cast is… but that’s not what I feel like writing about.

The stand-out showstopper of this movie for me was a character called Hit-Girl. Maybe you’ve heard about her. Basically, this character is the reason this movie took so long to make. Hit-Girl is eleven years old, and a highly trained super-killer. She rocks both guns and knives like a pro five times her age, and peppers her sentences with profanity with the greatest of ease.

Seriously, she’s a bad-ass.

And this scared the crap out of Hollywood. So much so that major studios wouldn’t pick up the movie.

Fortunately, there was a director named Matthew Vaughn who understood the project. 

According to IMDB — “After being rejected by every studio they approached, Matthew Vaughn raised the budget at a dinner party and made the movie independently. Vaughn ultimately sold the movie to Universal for more than he had originally asked them for.”

I adored Hit-Girl. I adored that this was an 11 year old girl who was smart, skilled, and tough as nails. She wasn’t sexed up to be a pre-teen Lolita.  This was an adorable girl who knew her stuff and on more than one occasion saved the day. I loved the way the character developed, and didn’t have some girly  breakdown halfway through the movie and need to be rescued.  I alsoand I have to give a ton of credit to the amazing little actress who got the dream job of playing her. Chloe Grace Moretz looks like she’s having a great time in this movie, and it trickles down to the audience.

“Kick-Ass” was a really fantastic movie, but Hit-Girl stole it. Hands down.

A. I might go as Hit-Girl for Halloween. And I doubt I’ll be the only one.

B. There needs to be an action figure. Right now.

C. This post has made me realize that I am becoming an unabashed nerd.