I don't remember now when I first saw The Princess Bride. I do remember wanting to see the movie after seeing the trailers when the movie first came out. I'm not sure when I first saw the movie, but I have seen it many times and I love it.
The plot is very entertaining, telling what I consider a fairytale story. It has things set up like a grandfather is reading the story to his sick grandson. They pop up every so often throughout the movie. That works for what is going on. The characters and situations are interesting and make for an interesting movie. The cast all fit their parts really well. Some parts of the story are predictable, but that doesn't keep the movie from being very entertaining overall. The movie is definitely worth watching.
I got the movie on DVD several years ago. Since then, one or two new DVD versions have been released with new extras. My version does have a few extras on it that are entertaining.
I recently got a longer review posted on Epinions.
The Princess Bride
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Sound of Music
I really like musicals, though I didn't like them as much when I was younger. I avoided watching The Sound of Music for years before I had to watch it during choir in 8th grade. I loved the movie and have watched it many times since then.
The movie is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family. From what I have read, things were changed for the movie. Sometimes that did add a bit more drama to what was happening. Even with the things that were fictionalized, the movie is very entertaining. It works well as a family friendly movie, though it could be a bit long for children. The movie does deal with serious things, like the lead up to World War II.
The music is wonderful and even though it had been a few years since I last saw the movie, I still remembered the words to most of the songs. Having characters break out in songs works a little better with this movie since it is shown that Maria loves music. She uses music and songs as a way to teach the children things, so it flows a bit better when they start singing. Julie Andrews is wonderful as Maria and I did like Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp. The children are all fine, though some of them don't act as well as others.
There have been a few different DVD versions of the movie released. Unfortunately, the one I have doesn't have any extras.
I did post a review of the movie at Epinions.
The Sound of Music
The movie is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family. From what I have read, things were changed for the movie. Sometimes that did add a bit more drama to what was happening. Even with the things that were fictionalized, the movie is very entertaining. It works well as a family friendly movie, though it could be a bit long for children. The movie does deal with serious things, like the lead up to World War II.
The music is wonderful and even though it had been a few years since I last saw the movie, I still remembered the words to most of the songs. Having characters break out in songs works a little better with this movie since it is shown that Maria loves music. She uses music and songs as a way to teach the children things, so it flows a bit better when they start singing. Julie Andrews is wonderful as Maria and I did like Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp. The children are all fine, though some of them don't act as well as others.
There have been a few different DVD versions of the movie released. Unfortunately, the one I have doesn't have any extras.
I did post a review of the movie at Epinions.
The Sound of Music
The Bounty Hunter
I decided to go see The Bounty Hunter last week. The previews looked like the movie would be entertaining, so I decided to give it a chance. My expectations weren't that high, which may be why I ended up enjoying the movie overall.
The plot for the movie is fairly simple, dealing with a bounty hunting having to take his ex-wife to jail. The two of them don't have the best relationship, so that causes problems. Some other conflict also pop up. That does add a tiny bit of mystery. The plot could have been stronger, but I still think the movie is entertaining overall.
Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler handle their parts fine, though there isn't really anything about either performance that stands out. Both of them do show off a bit of skin, though neither of them are fully naked.
This isn't one of the best movies I've seen, but it is far from the worst. I don't think it is as bad as many others seem to think it is. I think the movie is entertaining overall. Fans of the cast might find something to like about it.
I did get a review posted on Epinions.
The Bounty Hunter
The plot for the movie is fairly simple, dealing with a bounty hunting having to take his ex-wife to jail. The two of them don't have the best relationship, so that causes problems. Some other conflict also pop up. That does add a tiny bit of mystery. The plot could have been stronger, but I still think the movie is entertaining overall.
Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler handle their parts fine, though there isn't really anything about either performance that stands out. Both of them do show off a bit of skin, though neither of them are fully naked.
This isn't one of the best movies I've seen, but it is far from the worst. I don't think it is as bad as many others seem to think it is. I think the movie is entertaining overall. Fans of the cast might find something to like about it.
I did get a review posted on Epinions.
The Bounty Hunter
DVD Releases 3/23/10 - The Blind Side
I'm know I'm a bit behind with this, but I still wanted to post about.
I saw The Blind Side while it was still in the theater, before there was all the Oscar hype about Sandra Bullock. I really enjoyed the movie, including Sandra's performance. I don't really like sports, but I was interested in seeing this movie from the first time I saw a trailer. Some scenes are a slightly sappy, and some liberties were taken with the true story, but overall it works as a very entertaining movie. It is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of Bullock.
I thought that Sandra gave an amazing performance in this movie. Every year I watch some of the award shows, mainly the Golden Globes and Oscars. This year, I was very happy to see Sandra win several awards for her wonderful performance.
So far, I haven't added the movie to my DVD collection, though I probably will at some point since I did enjoy it so much.
I did post a review of the movie on Epinions after I saw it in the theater, giving the movie five stars.
The Blind Side
I saw The Blind Side while it was still in the theater, before there was all the Oscar hype about Sandra Bullock. I really enjoyed the movie, including Sandra's performance. I don't really like sports, but I was interested in seeing this movie from the first time I saw a trailer. Some scenes are a slightly sappy, and some liberties were taken with the true story, but overall it works as a very entertaining movie. It is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of Bullock.
I thought that Sandra gave an amazing performance in this movie. Every year I watch some of the award shows, mainly the Golden Globes and Oscars. This year, I was very happy to see Sandra win several awards for her wonderful performance.
So far, I haven't added the movie to my DVD collection, though I probably will at some point since I did enjoy it so much.
I did post a review of the movie on Epinions after I saw it in the theater, giving the movie five stars.
The Blind Side
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Shutter Island
I went to see Shutter Island recently. I was intrigued by the trailers I saw, though I wasn't completely sure I wanted to see the movie. I'm glad I ultimately decided to see it. I do think it is a very good movie and it may end up being one of the best movies released in 2010.
The movie is based on the book by Dennis Lehane. I haven't read the book, though I am thinking about it now. I don't know first hand how close the movie stays to the book, but I have heard that it is very close. I know of at least one person that thinks the movie is too much like the book. Even without having read the book, I still thought a few things were a bit predictable and I did figure out something very early. Despite that, I still really enjoyed the movie. I may even pick up the DVD once it is released.
Shutter Island has a very creepy atmosphere and vibe. That comes across in the previews I've seen and I even thought that the movie might be more of a scary movie from the previews. There is suspense to what is going on, but I don't think the movie is scary. The pace is a bit slower, but that allows for enough time to properly introduce the characters and situations while also slowing building the tension. There is some mystery to what is going that helps to make the movie more interesting and entertaining. I think the cast does a wonderful job with the parts, especially Leonardo DiCaprio.
I do think a few things could have been handled a little better, but Shutter Island is very well done and a wonderful movie that is worth seeing.
I did post a longer review of Shutter Island on Epinions. I would have rated the movie 4.5 stars there if I had the option. Since I didn't, I decided to round to 5.
The movie is based on the book by Dennis Lehane. I haven't read the book, though I am thinking about it now. I don't know first hand how close the movie stays to the book, but I have heard that it is very close. I know of at least one person that thinks the movie is too much like the book. Even without having read the book, I still thought a few things were a bit predictable and I did figure out something very early. Despite that, I still really enjoyed the movie. I may even pick up the DVD once it is released.
Shutter Island has a very creepy atmosphere and vibe. That comes across in the previews I've seen and I even thought that the movie might be more of a scary movie from the previews. There is suspense to what is going on, but I don't think the movie is scary. The pace is a bit slower, but that allows for enough time to properly introduce the characters and situations while also slowing building the tension. There is some mystery to what is going that helps to make the movie more interesting and entertaining. I think the cast does a wonderful job with the parts, especially Leonardo DiCaprio.
I do think a few things could have been handled a little better, but Shutter Island is very well done and a wonderful movie that is worth seeing.
I did post a longer review of Shutter Island on Epinions. I would have rated the movie 4.5 stars there if I had the option. Since I didn't, I decided to round to 5.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Movie Theater Experience
I watch a lot of movies in different ways. Some I watch on television on the various channels I get and some on DVD from my ever growing DVD collection. I also see many movies in the theater. I'm lucky that the theater here that I go to still has fairly low prices, though they have been slowly creeping up in the last couple of years. There is just something about seeing a movie on the big screen that I like despite the drawbacks.
For me, the biggest drawback is having to put up with all the other people in the theater, many of whom are rude idiots who disrupt everyone even remotely near them. When did it become acceptable for people to talk all through a movie or send a gazillion text messages, disrupting anyone who has the misfortune to be sitting anywhere near them? I just don't get people who do this and I find them horribly irritating. Why pay to see a movie if you are going to do nothing but talk or send text messages through the whole thing? I fail to see the point of that and it seems like a huge waste of money. Rudeness seems to be accepted anymore and I for one am tired of that. When I go to the theater, I'm paying to see a movie, not over hear conversations or be blinded by cell phone screens. People who can't be quiet or can't go a few hours without sending a text need to stay out of movie theaters and stop ruining the movie theater experience for others.
I am frequently annoyed by people talking in the theater. I don't mean someone who whispers something to the person they are with a few times. That doesn't bother me. I'm talking about people who carry on full conversations in loud voices. I've had the misfortune to be in a theater with people who are practically yelling to the person next to them to be heard over the movie. Theaters are not the place to have conversations. Theaters are not the place to talk loudly on a cell phone about what you want to eat for dinner. Theaters are not the place to send numerous text messages or go online using a cell phone. Some people may not agree with me on this, but I also feel that theaters aren't the place for young children who can't sit still and watch a movie without talking constantly or running up and down the aisles. When I was a child, my mom didn't take me to a movie in the theater until I was 6 or so. By that time, I had the attention span to watch a movie without disrupting everyone else in the theater and I knew to be quiet. Children that are allowed to talk constantly through an entire movie in the theater grow up to be adults who refuse to be quiet in the theater. It is just common courtesy, which is severely lacking in all aspects of life, to be quiet in a theater.
I still love going to see movies and I'm trying not to let the rude idiots ruin things for me. I'll still be going to the theater and giving my movie theater evil eye to people who won't be quiet. Unfortunately, that doesn't work that often, but I still do it.
To quote Shepherd Book from the wonderful Firefly, there is a special hell for people who talk in the theater. People who tend to talk during movies may want to stop and think about that next time..and zip the lip.
For me, the biggest drawback is having to put up with all the other people in the theater, many of whom are rude idiots who disrupt everyone even remotely near them. When did it become acceptable for people to talk all through a movie or send a gazillion text messages, disrupting anyone who has the misfortune to be sitting anywhere near them? I just don't get people who do this and I find them horribly irritating. Why pay to see a movie if you are going to do nothing but talk or send text messages through the whole thing? I fail to see the point of that and it seems like a huge waste of money. Rudeness seems to be accepted anymore and I for one am tired of that. When I go to the theater, I'm paying to see a movie, not over hear conversations or be blinded by cell phone screens. People who can't be quiet or can't go a few hours without sending a text need to stay out of movie theaters and stop ruining the movie theater experience for others.
I am frequently annoyed by people talking in the theater. I don't mean someone who whispers something to the person they are with a few times. That doesn't bother me. I'm talking about people who carry on full conversations in loud voices. I've had the misfortune to be in a theater with people who are practically yelling to the person next to them to be heard over the movie. Theaters are not the place to have conversations. Theaters are not the place to talk loudly on a cell phone about what you want to eat for dinner. Theaters are not the place to send numerous text messages or go online using a cell phone. Some people may not agree with me on this, but I also feel that theaters aren't the place for young children who can't sit still and watch a movie without talking constantly or running up and down the aisles. When I was a child, my mom didn't take me to a movie in the theater until I was 6 or so. By that time, I had the attention span to watch a movie without disrupting everyone else in the theater and I knew to be quiet. Children that are allowed to talk constantly through an entire movie in the theater grow up to be adults who refuse to be quiet in the theater. It is just common courtesy, which is severely lacking in all aspects of life, to be quiet in a theater.
I still love going to see movies and I'm trying not to let the rude idiots ruin things for me. I'll still be going to the theater and giving my movie theater evil eye to people who won't be quiet. Unfortunately, that doesn't work that often, but I still do it.
To quote Shepherd Book from the wonderful Firefly, there is a special hell for people who talk in the theater. People who tend to talk during movies may want to stop and think about that next time..and zip the lip.
Cop Out
I decided to go see Cop Out earlier this week. I tend to like Bruce Willis movies, but I don't like Tracy Morgan, so I really wasn't sure about going to see it. Morgan just annoys me in everything I see him in and I don't find him funny at all. I decided to see Cop Out despite him being in the movie.
I did enjoy the movie overall, but it is far from great. The plot is sort of interesting, and while there are a few unexpected things that happen, I still found other things to be predictable. Action turns up every so often, but I wouldn't consider this to be an action packed movie. The violence isn't too extreme, but the language is. This is definitely not a movie for kids. The characters aren't that developed and they could have been more interesting. Seann William Scott turns up in a few scenes and I was disappointed that he wasn't around more. Fans of the cast might find something to like about the movie.
I did post a longer review on Epinions.
Cop Out
On Epinions, I can't give movies half stars, so I end up either rounding up or down. With Cop Out, I would have gone with two and a half stars if I had the option. I decided to go ahead and round up since I did enjoy the movie for the most part even though Tracy Morgan annoyed me constantly. I do think the movie would have been better if Seann William Scott had been in it more.
I did enjoy the movie overall, but it is far from great. The plot is sort of interesting, and while there are a few unexpected things that happen, I still found other things to be predictable. Action turns up every so often, but I wouldn't consider this to be an action packed movie. The violence isn't too extreme, but the language is. This is definitely not a movie for kids. The characters aren't that developed and they could have been more interesting. Seann William Scott turns up in a few scenes and I was disappointed that he wasn't around more. Fans of the cast might find something to like about the movie.
I did post a longer review on Epinions.
Cop Out
On Epinions, I can't give movies half stars, so I end up either rounding up or down. With Cop Out, I would have gone with two and a half stars if I had the option. I decided to go ahead and round up since I did enjoy the movie for the most part even though Tracy Morgan annoyed me constantly. I do think the movie would have been better if Seann William Scott had been in it more.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. I have seen and enjoyed most of the movies that he has made with Tim Burton. When I heard that they were making a new version of Alice in Wonderland, I was interested even before seeing any trailers. I headed out on opening day to see the 3D version of the movie.
I loved the movie and will more than likely see it again in the theater and I'll add the DVD to my collection. I really liked that there is more of a plot to this movie than there was to the Disney animated version. In that movie, Alice just sort of wonders around and meets a few odd characters. With Burton's version, Alice still interacts with odd characters, but there is more purpose to what is going on. I also liked how it is set up like Alice had been there as a child, forgotten things, and was back as a young woman. I know that some people aren't happy with the fact that the plot isn't more like the Carroll books featuring Alice. I think the plot works wonderfully and makes for an entertaining movie. The visuals are amazing and give the movie a unique look.
Johnny Depp is great as Mad Hatter. This version of the character is still a bit wacky, but he also has moments of sanity and clarity. He is much more than a loon who drinks tea and that makes the character much more interesting. He does have a bizarre look, but that manages to work for the movie. The Red Queen is in control, and she is not nice to anyone. Helena Bonham Carter is great in the part. The White Queen is the sister of the Red Queen. The White Queen is much nicer than her sister, though she is missing a marble or two herself. Anne Hathaway does well with the part. White Rabbit, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and Tweedledee and Tweedledum also turn up. I really like how Cheshire Cat is done.
I did post a longer review on Epinions.
Alice in Wonderland
I loved the movie and will more than likely see it again in the theater and I'll add the DVD to my collection. I really liked that there is more of a plot to this movie than there was to the Disney animated version. In that movie, Alice just sort of wonders around and meets a few odd characters. With Burton's version, Alice still interacts with odd characters, but there is more purpose to what is going on. I also liked how it is set up like Alice had been there as a child, forgotten things, and was back as a young woman. I know that some people aren't happy with the fact that the plot isn't more like the Carroll books featuring Alice. I think the plot works wonderfully and makes for an entertaining movie. The visuals are amazing and give the movie a unique look.
Johnny Depp is great as Mad Hatter. This version of the character is still a bit wacky, but he also has moments of sanity and clarity. He is much more than a loon who drinks tea and that makes the character much more interesting. He does have a bizarre look, but that manages to work for the movie. The Red Queen is in control, and she is not nice to anyone. Helena Bonham Carter is great in the part. The White Queen is the sister of the Red Queen. The White Queen is much nicer than her sister, though she is missing a marble or two herself. Anne Hathaway does well with the part. White Rabbit, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and Tweedledee and Tweedledum also turn up. I really like how Cheshire Cat is done.
I did post a longer review on Epinions.
Alice in Wonderland
House Bunny
When House Bunny came out in theaters, I was only slightly interested in seeing it eventually. My interest wasn't great enough to warrant heading to the theater and forking over cash. Not that long ago, I spotted the DVD fairly cheap and I almost picked it up, but something stopped me. Now that I've seen the movie, thanks to one of the Encore channels I get, I'm very glad I didn't give into the momentary urge to get the DVD.
The plot has a tiny bit of potential that quickly goes no where fast while Anna Faris prances around barely dressed most of the time. She does get naked at one point, though she is only shown from behind. The role does show off a sexier side of Faris. Sexual remarks are made and a few things shown are very suggestive, but there aren't any actual sex scenes. Faris's character is sort of likable, but she is so stupid that she becomes irritating. The jokes fall flat most of the time and things just aren't that entertaining or interesting. I was watching the clock waiting for it to end.
House Bunny isn't the worst movie I've seen, but it is far from the best. Fans of Anna Faris may find something to enjoy about the movie, but I wouldn't count on it. The movie is available to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray. It has been turning up on the Encore movie channels and it could be an On Demand option with some cable and satellite providers.
I did post a longer review of House Bunny on Epinions.
The plot has a tiny bit of potential that quickly goes no where fast while Anna Faris prances around barely dressed most of the time. She does get naked at one point, though she is only shown from behind. The role does show off a sexier side of Faris. Sexual remarks are made and a few things shown are very suggestive, but there aren't any actual sex scenes. Faris's character is sort of likable, but she is so stupid that she becomes irritating. The jokes fall flat most of the time and things just aren't that entertaining or interesting. I was watching the clock waiting for it to end.
House Bunny isn't the worst movie I've seen, but it is far from the best. Fans of Anna Faris may find something to enjoy about the movie, but I wouldn't count on it. The movie is available to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray. It has been turning up on the Encore movie channels and it could be an On Demand option with some cable and satellite providers.
I did post a longer review of House Bunny on Epinions.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
HBO
I've had HBO for a few years now and I really like the channel. Most of the time, I can find a movie on one of the HBO channels that I am interested in watching. Since I've had HBO, I've seen several movies that I was interested in that I missed while they were in the theater. I've watched some movies again that I love and I've even watched some that I wasn't really interested in before but watched because there was nothing else on that I was interested in at that point and gotten hooked on a few of the original shows. Now that I have a DVR too, I'm able to see more movies and shows that I'm interested in. I just need more hours in the day to watch everything.
I Love My DVR
After hearing about DVRs and TiVo for years, I finally got a DVR a few months ago. I quickly came to love it and don't know how I managed so long without one. I no longer have to miss my favorite shows when I have to work or have errands to run. I can record movies from HBO that I want to see when I'm doing other things when they are on. I absolutely love having a DVR. My only problem now is finding enough time to watch everything I record.
Welcome to Movie Enthusiast Corner
I have been writing reviews on Epinions.com since 2001, mostly about movies, books and television shows on DVD. I decided to start this blog to go along with the reviews I post on Epinions. My user name there is dragonfire88. I use the name Marie Dragonfire on a few other sites as well.
I started a site where I could share the links to all my reviews, arranged by subject. I thought that would be a more user friendly way for people to find all my reviews. As I post new reviews on Epinions, I add the links on this site.
Since I'm just starting, I'm not completely sure what all I'll post about yet, but there will be things about movies, television shows and books. The posts will vary in length, depending on what I'm writing about. I may write about other things every so often, but I'm sure that I'll mostly be writing about movies, television shows or books.
I started a site where I could share the links to all my reviews, arranged by subject. I thought that would be a more user friendly way for people to find all my reviews. As I post new reviews on Epinions, I add the links on this site.
Since I'm just starting, I'm not completely sure what all I'll post about yet, but there will be things about movies, television shows and books. The posts will vary in length, depending on what I'm writing about. I may write about other things every so often, but I'm sure that I'll mostly be writing about movies, television shows or books.
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