Friday's 5: Movies Not to Watch This Weekend

Now that the Oscars are over and you've made your list of movies you still need to see this spring, I thought I'd help you out. I've only seen two of the movies that were nominated -- The Fighter (love a good boxing movie, plus you can't go wrong when Mark Wahlberg is topless for most of the film) and Toy Story 3 (I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hug my children) -- so I can't give you much feedback on the winners.

Instead, I'll warn you about movies you should NOT watch this weekend. I'm generally open to most movie genres (except for horror, although I do like a good Hitchcock-style suspense film) -- but once in a while I suffer through a movie that just really sucks.

Here, in no particular order, are five of the worst movies I've seen:

1. Con Air: I like a good summer blockbuster action movie. But not this one. At all. 
2. Eyes Wide Shut: All hype, no delivery. And not even all that sexy.
3. Little Children: Far too disturbing to be interesting. Images from this one still haunt me.
4. Punch-Drunk Love: Great title. Wanted to like this one, but just couldn't find a way to care.
5. Harry and the Hendersons: The only movie I ever walked out on. I was in high school, so it must have been pretty bad.

Have I offended you by listing your all-time favorite flick here? What disasters would you add to this list?

I Love It When a Movie Comes Together

I'm a sucker for a good ol' fashioned summer action flick. But when I saw this preview at the movies recently, I was beyond excited.


A-team Official Trailer

I'm not exactly sure why I loved this show so much as a kid, although I know part of it was the huge crush I had on "Face" (along with MacGuyver, Lee Stetson and Bo Duke). And I do love it when a plan comes together.

Anyone want to join me on June 11?

Friday's Five: Goldilocks Movies

I love watching a movie that I don't know anything about -- that doesn't come with big expectations -- then turns out to be a lovely experience. They're the ones that are not too long or too short, not too heavy or too fluffy, not too tacky or too serious, not too violent or too mushy. It's such a pleasant surprise to spend 90 minutes or so being entertained without feeling like I got hit by a truck or need to take a shower when the movie ends.

Here are five just-right movies that we've enjoyed in recent years -- they're all a little quirky, but I like that in a film (and in friends, too, for that matter):

1. Starter for Ten (2006): A lovely little British romantic comedy that doesn't involve Hugh Grant (yes, I do have a crush on him, but he shouldn't get all the roles).
2. Tao of Steve (2000): Despite the fact that the promo poster makes this look like soft porn from the 80s, this was a great story with an interesting premise about guys named Steve.
3. Happy, Texas (1999): Escaped convicts mistaken for a gay couple hosting a beauty pageant. How could you not want to see this movie?
4. Lars and the Real Girl (2007): Okay, so this very sweet movie involves a man in a relationship with a blow-up doll. But you just have to trust me. Honest.
5. Saved! (2004): And yes, this clever movie involves teen pregnancy and religion. But really, if you don't laugh out loud when Mandy Moore throws her bible at another girl and screams, "I am FILLED with Christ's love," well, then, I just can't help you.

What about you? What are your favorite "just-right" movies for a Friday night on the couch?

Friday's Five: The Lloyd Dobler Effect

I ran across this blog post recently, describing a group of men in NYC who dressed as Lloyd Dobler, boomboxes blaring "In Your Eyes" above their heads, to celebrate the 20th anniversary edition of the movie Say Anything. I'll pause for a moment while you grapple with the notion that a) yes, it really was 20 years ago and b) there really are people with that much free time.

But I can't blame them for being committed to one of the all-time great movie characters, who famously declared that "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." Between that statement and his unfailing love for Diane Court, you just can't go wrong with Lloyd.

So in honor of Lloyd Dobler and the 20th anniversary of one of my most-loved teen films, here are five other favorite movies with John Cusack that my husband and I wind up watching every time we stumble onto them:

1. Sixteen Candles (1984): Okay, so Cusack isn't the star of this Molly Ringwald classic, but it's so funny to see him so young as he plays one of the dorky friends to geeky Anthony Michael Hall.
   
   
2. Grosse Point Blank (1997): Cusack stars as a professional assassin returning home for his high school reunion, where he runs into his long lost love (played by Minnie Driver). Chaos, wit and much gun fire ensue, along with a great soundtrack.
   
   
3. Being John Malkovich (1999): This mind-bender of a film includes a rough-looking Cameron Diaz (who knew that was possible?!) and a scene with John Malkovich cross-dressing. Strange and fantastic.
   
   
4. High Fidelity (2000): Another terrific soundtrack accompanies Cusack as he tries to piece together his romantic history (via his top five break-ups) to explain his latest relationship failure. Ah, the mix tape -- how I loved you.
   
   
5. Serendipity (2001): I don't know exactly why we can never turn off this movie when it shows up on TV (including last night) -- maybe I love the idea that what seems like coincidences is actually life leading us to just where we need to be. Or maybe it's the fun of another side-kick role for Jeremy Piven. The movie won't change your life, but it's still worth watching.

Note: The title for this post was shamelessly stolen from the band of the same name, who will be playing in Charlotte next Saturday.

Friday's Five: Before Pixar

A couple of years ago, I heard an interview with Ty Burr, the author of a great book about watching old movies with your family. He talked about how his daughter chose to have a Katharine Hepburn party for her ninth birthday with a screening of Bringing Up Baby. Listening to the story, I thought his daughter might be the coolest nine-year-old on the planet.

As someone who only discovered old movies as an adult, I loved the idea of introducing classic films to children in ways they can enjoy. I mean, Cars and Toy Story are loads of fun to watch, but I want my kids to know there was film life before Pixar animation. We'll start on the list for toddlers in Burr's book soon, but in the meantime, here are five "retro" movies that Junius has already enjoyed:

1. The Love Bug (1969): We refer to this one simply as "Herbie" at our house. If your child likes cars, this story is a good alternative to Lightning McQueen. We also liked the sequel, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. We're holding off on the updated version with Lindsay Lohan until he's older.
   
   
2. The Muppet Movie (1979): This one is known at our house as "the one with big Animal," to distinguish it from the other Muppet movies. Yes, there are guns and some scary bits, but I just love the Muppets and the songs are so great.
   
   
3. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968): More cars (you're noticing a theme for Junius) and other fun inventions. And singing a song with the words "chitty" and "bang" is just crazy fun for a four-year-old.
   
   
4. The Music Man (1962): Juni's current favorite in our DVD player -- and I love listening to him march around the house singing about 76 trombones. Plus, it has Buddy Hackett in it, who was also in The Love Bug.
   
   
5. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974):Okay, so this isn't a classic old film. But it's a lesser-known old-school Christmas special and one of my all-time favorites. Catchy tunes and important lessons about faith, friendship and hard work.
   

Photo from The Music Man Square.

Handsome Guy Wins Heart of Younger Girl, Romance Ensues

News of Patrick Swayze's death this week has no doubt prompted thousands of blog posts. This post comes by specific request from one of my BFFs, with whom I watched Dirty Dancing many times and who emailed me yesterday to say, "If I still had a Netflix subscription, I would move it to the top of my queue."

When Dirty Dancing came out in 1987, I was in 9th grade. It was an awkward, but hopeful time for me. As a high school freshman, the movie played nicely into my imaginary world (along with Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink), where the handsome, popular, older guy suddenly noticed quiet, smart, younger (and let's be honest, somewhat dorky) me and swept me off my feet and into the time of my life.

Sadly, that never quite happened in high school. But it didn't stop me from watching Dirty Dancing over and over and over again, particularly at sleepover parties with my girlfriends. Although we never discussed it, I assume we were all thinking the same thing:

"If it can happen to Baby, it can happen to me! No one will put me in a corner!"

As it turned out, the handsome, popular, older guy did notice me in (grad) school one day, years later when I'd convinced myself that those things didn't happen in real life. There was less leaping and dancing in my version (and fewer cut-off jean shorts), but just as much knee-weakening and heart-fluttering. Now when Pippi is old enough to watch Dirty Dancing, I'll be able to tell her -- after she finishes mocking the 80s -- to believe in the dream, to trust that true love will find her, to know that she is beautiful.

Of course, then I'll tell her that she has a 10 o'clock curfew and isn't allowed to go anywhere alone with a boy. And just like that, I'll find myself identifying less with Baby and more with Baby's parents. Wow.

Photo from Virgin Media.

Better Than Being a Millionaire

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire and don't want to know anything about it, skip this post -- although I'm not really giving much away. Go read my debut post at Triangle Mamas instead.

Last night I watched Slumdog Millionaire, winner of four Golden Globes, seven BAFTA Awards, eight Oscars and scores of other awards. I realize I'm behind the times, but having two small children means we don't get out to the movies much and we're often too tired at the end of the day to watch movies at home.

I understand why the film won so much praise, but I think I would have enjoyed it more about five years ago. Now that I'm a mother, I find it almost unbearable to watch stories where children suffer. The fact that the movie has a (somewhat) happy ending didn't make it any less painful.

As I watched young Jamal's childhood unfold, I kept thinking that he and his brother and their friends were about the same age as Junius. I thought about what it would be like for Juni to be poor, orphaned, alone, hungry and afraid. I thought about how I would feel if I couldn't protect him, keep him safe, keep him clean and fed.

And it is even more painful knowing that, although this story is fiction, children around the world are living (and dying) under these same conditions every day. It is simply too much to bear -- and so I force myself to stop thinking about it because I feel powerless to change it. Somehow, I don't think my daily click on The Hunger Site or The Child Health Site is going to make much of a difference.

After the movie ended, I went upstairs to check on my sweet, beautiful, healthy, happy sleeping children. I brushed Pippi's hair out of her eyes, tucked her Lulu a little closer and said a quiet prayer. Then I covered Junius with his blanket, kissed him on the forehead and started to cry. I considered scooping him up and taking him into our bed for the night, just to be sure he was close and safe -- but I knew no one would really sleep well that way.

Finally, I collapsed into my own bed, exhausted and grateful to have millions of blessings on the eve of Mother's Day.

Image from imdb.com.