Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 5/5

I've just got to start this out by saying I am completely exhausted. I'm not even sure what happened this weekend, it was just a lot. There were house guests and social activities. There was the beach and the pool, shopping, a picnic, hang outs. There was food. And, as always, there were movies.

Thursday PM:



Technically the weekend doesn't start until Friday. Technically. And even though I did work on Friday, Thursday night's adventures at the cineplex felt like a weekend kick-off to me. Just like it was the summer movie season kick-off.

I all ready posted my Review of Iron Man so I'm not going to talk too much about it. I just want to say again that this movie is Fun. With a capital "F". It's not great but it is pretty perfect for what it's trying to be. A superhero movie with awesome effects and a lot of action. I love Robert Downey Jr and personally I think he makes the movie. It could have been slightly improved with a shorter running time but in the end it's worth seeing on the big screen.

Friday PM:



Made it to disc 3 of Season 1 of The Tudors. I'm definitely getting more into the show. The episodes I watched covered the outbreak of the sweat. At this point the drama is building, there are a couple of more story lines unfolding, and everything is being given more depth. I'm almost done with Season 1 now which is unfortunate since I still don't actually have Showtime. Oh well, Season 2 will be out on DVD eventually.



After The Tudors my roommate joined me and we put Mr. Bourdain back on the TV. I love having the DVR. We watched a few more episodes of No Reservations but that, along with Sex and The City, is an almost daily occurrence. I think we actually watched at least an episode every day this weekend. Friday night was Sweden. We also caught an Italy episode, another New York episode, and a couple of others. Good times.

I know I say a lot how much I like this show, but I just want to keep saying it! What really makes it is Tony's charming personality, the writing, and the locations. And Tony's reactions to all of the locations. One of these days I will actually pick up his book. And while I am not a fan of working in Reality TV (not that that's prevented me from being here) I would love to work on No Reservations. I think that would certainly be an adventure.

After No Reservations and a couple of beers I was ready for sleep. It was about midnight and after working all week I'm usually really tired on Friday nights.

Not that my going to bed meant the night was over. In fact, it was far it...

Saturday Super Early AM:

Around 2:30 AM my other roommate came home with a couple of Scottish boys in tow. I think she found one of them at Coachella the other weekend. Anyway, instead of sleeping I hung out, drank more beer, listened to a lot of music, and eventually stuck on a movie.

Now, what kind of movie would you put on at 6 in the morning, a little drunk, extremely sleepy, and in the company of a Scottish Italian? A Clint Eastwood western of course!



That's right, Sergio Leone's classic The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

I adore Clint Eastwood, especially his appearances in the westerns. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is easily one of the best. Angel Eyes, Tuco, and Blondie. Of course Blondie. Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, and Clint Eastwood. This casting is perfect, the chemistry is there, these men are rough. Gunslingers.

I'll be honest and say that I fell asleep before the end. It was 6 AM after all. But for Morricone's score alone it was the perfect choice. I love the music and with that in my ears and Clint's face floating through my blurry vision I fell happily comfortably asleep.

For a few hours at least...

Saturday:

Didn't watch anything. Not really. Turned the TV on a couple of times. There was a little bit of Scrubs, a little Sex and The City, some more No Reservations. Mostly though I was off doing other things and being social. Go figure.

Sunday PM:

Again, most of my day Sunday was spent out and about so I didn't watch anything during the day. After the day out and my picnic dinner by the Marina I was ready for some couch time.



I finally put in Once. And then my roommate brought the Scottish boys back and I couldn't for the life of me tell you anything about the movie. I got a good way through but really wasn't following so I hit the stop button. I'll try again this week.

I can say this though, I love the music! I'm actually really excited to actually watch this thing, especially now that I've heard a bit of it. I also have a feeling that I'll be purchasing that soundtrack. Probably sometime very soon.

After a while the Scottish boys left with roommate J and we finally had the couch returned to us. Roommate K and I watched a little Family Guy and then I introduced her to the crazy that is Aqua Teen Hunger Force.



I haven't watched the show in a while, I haven't even seen the movie, but I adore everything that I have seen. I think it's hilarious and nuts and it entertains me. Knowing my roommate, I was really surprised she had never seen it. It's just right up her alley. I'm now on a mission to make her watch a lot of it. A LOT.

Sunday Late PM:

Eventually she gave in to the tired and the TV was mine. I wasn't quite ready for sleep yet so I switched on Aliens (it was playing on Fox Movie Channel). I've always loved Aliens but it's been a long while since I've seen. Watching it again last night... I had forgotten how amazingly good it actually is.



James Cameron gives us a work of brilliance. Aliens is arguably one of the best sequels ever made. It fits so perfectly into the universe that Ridley Scott established in Alien but gives us something new. It's a formula that I've seen countless times since but I can't think of a single example that comes close to getting it as right as Cameron does. There's a reason the first two Alien movies are two of my favorite movies ever. Watching Aliens again last night just reminded me why that was.

On The Slate:

Once - Now I've seen a bit of it I'm all anxious to watch all of it. Hopefully I can actually make that happen this week.

Paris, Texas - Wim Wenders's classic road movie. In the mail from Netflix.

Batman - Tim Burton's original. With all of the Batman talk K and I are both feeling this journey back to the beginning. Some don't think it holds up but I'm still a fan.

Not sure what else. Gossip Girl tonight, Top Chef on Wednesday. Maybe some Grey's. And possibly a few other movies thrown in. I'm all in the mood to watch Alien again now.

Hopefully there will be a little sleep mixed in there as well. I think I definitely need some.

Trailers: The Dark Knight NEW

For real this time.

The Dark Knight

I am so freakin excited.

Seriously.

Review: Iron Man

And Summer 2008 at the movies has officially begun.

What can I say about this season’s opener, Iron Man? A few things, some good, some not so good. The one thing that matters though: if this is just the beginning of what we’ll be getting over the next few months, then it’s going to be one hell of a summer.

In this latest of the comic book adaptations we’ve gotten over the last few years, we meet Tony Stark. He’s a billionaire playboy at the head of a weapons manufacturing dynasty. A genius (and possibly borderline sociopath) Tony takes life for granted and gets off more when he blows something up than when he, ah, lays someone down.

The story of Iron Man is simple. This carefree lothario is ambushed in the desert, taken prisoner by Middle Eastern terrorists, and has a revelation that yes, his weapons are in fact hurting the world. He builds a ridiculous “iron” suit, escapes, learns how to fly; there’s a bad guy, a cute girl, and lots of explosions.

That, my friends, is that.

But let’s face it, we don’t go to see a movie like Iron Man for its in-depth plot, complicated characters, or social commentary. We go for the explosions, the shiny lights, and the other absurd effects. So the question then is, does Iron Man deliver?

On the surface it does. By it’s nature, to a certain extent, that’s all that matters. The effects are spot on. The score is appropriately rock & roll and adrenaline pumping. The cinematography is actually quite good (thank you Mr. Libatique!). The acting is… certainly it’s not bad. Okay, the acting is fine. Continuing with the theme of shallow, there just isn’t a lot for these actors to do.

Actually, I was surprised when I first learned of this film’s cast. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges. You really don’t need that kind of talent in a film of this caliber. But then again maybe that’s the difference between something like this and, say, Fantastic Four. Or Daredevil. Perhaps those movies would have reached the level of Watchablity if they had been filled with more talented casts. As I’ve said in the past, Jessica Alba may be pretty to look at but pretty is about all that girl’s got going for her. So by casting someone like Downey as Tony Stark, someone who’s charm is so easy and natural it’s nearly impossible to temper, John Favreau astutely made the decisions that elevated what would have otherwise been another depressing waste of celluloid into something at the very least entertaining.

That is what Iron Man has going for it. Where does it fall short?

Iron Man is missing the key factor that makes other comic book adaptation successes like the first two Spiderman movies, X-Men, and Batman Begins. Yes, those are good, occasionally even great, films and Iron Man is not on their level for many reasons. But there is one thing above all others that keeps it from crossing that threshold into the realm of greatness. Those other movies are able to go beyond their stories of super heroes and evil villains. They have more to them than just the age-old story of Good vs. Evil. They take their archetypes and they make them Human. They are able to appeal to an audience wider than the fan boys and comic book lovers and special effects freaks. Iron Man fails to move beyond explosions into humanity.

One prime example of this failure, and the thing that bothered me most, is its treatment of the terrorists or insurgents or warlords or whoever they were supposed to be. The men who initially take Stark captive are simple caricatures of the people in the Middle East who we are currently at war with. And yes, I know there’s a long history of dehumanizing the enemy in cinema. We’re about to see another entry into another franchise that is built on this very practice (“I hate Nazis” anyone? You know who I’m talking about). However, I feel like Iron Man takes this simplification too far. Our involvement in the Middle East is complicated and it made me uncomfortable to watch such a crude portrayal of our “enemy”. I can give the film credit and say that it at least moves past this by the end, after we’ve been introduced to the real villain, but I still think that it could have been handled better.

All in all though, Iron Man gives us what it promised it would: the flashy explosions, the badass (and gorgeous and sexy) hero, the epic final battle, and plenty of fan service. It is what it is. A simple action movie. A comic book adaptation. Fodder for sequels and spin offs. And it is wildly entertaining. It made me smile more than it made me cringe and sometimes that’s enough.

If you only see one movie this summer, this is certainly NOT the movie to see. But it looks great on the big screen and tastes good with some popcorn and soda. For a fun start to the summer season, check it out.

If nothing else, you get a few amazing trailers to go along with it.

Trailers: The Dork Knight

I know, I keep posting about Batman trailers. I can't help it! They're fun!

So here is another one. And it's really cool. It's the new trailer, slightly off. Somebody has been at the film frames...



As part of the Viral campaign, they've put out Jokerfied trailer film frames. The video above splices them all together. I think it's pretty cool.

What am going to do once The Dark Knight actually opens??? I mean, other than write about how much I (hopefully) love it. I suppose there will be something to fill the void that will be left.

Maybe another Batman movie...? One can only hope.

Trailers: New Trailer for The Dark Knight

Anyone following the Viral campaign has probably heard by now that there's a new trailer for The Dark Knight. Supposedly it will be officially hitting the internet on Sunday. But who can wait until Sunday? Thanks to traileraddict.com, we now get a glimpse of the bootlegged trailer.

If you've got more patience than I do, by all means wait for the hi res on Sunday. Otherwise enjoy this little beauty now.



[EDIT] Big surprise... someone made them take it down. Oh well, I guess now you really do have to wait until Sunday.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 4/28

It was another weekend of nonsense, mischief, and TV watching. One of these weekends I really will catch up on movies. And watch Once.

Friday PM:

I was supposed to go see Body of War which opened at the Nuart Theater up on Santa Monica after I got off of work. However I ended up leaving work early and went home and then I just couldn't get the motivation to get back into rush hour traffic to make the movie. Rush hour in LA? Yuck.

Instead I put in the second disc of Season 1 Tudors and committed my night to Henry and his court.



This second disc (episodes 4-6) left me feeling a little ambivalent about the show. The production value continues to be incredibly impressive, I think the acting is fine, and there a few steamy, exciting scenes. Overall though, I'm left wanting more. A lot of the time it feels like the episodes are just glossing over the events. There is a lot that I want to see more fully developed. Characters, plot, history.



I did like the subplot with Charles Brandon and Henry's sister Margaret. I think that's actually been my favorite bit so far actually. I'll be honest and admit that that partly has to do with Henry Cavill and the fact that he looks pretty amazing without a shirt.

I'm not completely shallow though! I also think that they actually manage to do a decent job with the development here, I have a pretty good idea who these characters are, what they're feeling, what's going on between them. There's less crazy intrigue going on with them, it's a pretty straightforward bit of story, so I guess they had less to tell in more time and were able to give more attention to details. Or maybe it's a sign that the series will improve over the course of the season and some of these issues I'm having will be resolved. Here's hoping for that!

Saturday AM:




Scrubs again! I love Comedy Central and its Saturday morning Scrubs marathon. I watched a few episodes and then got ready for the day. It was pretty brilliant.

After Scrubs it was off for bike riding and the beach. I managed only a slight sunburn so I'm pretty happy with that. The weekend was gorgeous, a little hot even, and Saturday was perfect for a day at the beach.

Saturday PM:



After the beach and bike riding to Santa Monica with the roommate, I was a little tired. We talked about going out but managed to make it only as far as the neighbors' house. After socializing we wandered back to our couch and turned the TV back on. We talked about catching some Monty Python action but didn't make it that far. Instead it was back to the old staples. Sex in the City and some No Reservations.



Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations is one of my favorite shows currently on TV. It combines so many elements that I love (cooking, travel, a snarky host) into a perfect blend of entertainment, commentary, and even a bit of education. Tony Bourdain is hilarious and while his delivery with the narration can border on cheesy it's always clever and well written. I love seeing all of these different sides to places I've always dreamed of going. And I mean, this guy gets to travel cool places, eat cool food, write about and have his own TV show. How lucky is he?

That is one reality show I would LOVE to work on.

The rest of the weekend:



Scattered throughout the rest of the weekend was more of pretty much everything. Mixed with some of the US version of The Office, BBC's Robin Hood, and some Family Guy. Honestly, with as much as I did this weekend (a lot) I'm really surprised by how much TV I still managed to watch. I went to the beach, I did lots of shopping, I spent almost all of the second half of Sunday at the neighbors' BBQ. I guess that could be why there was a lot of TV but no actual movies. Makes sense to me.

On The Slate:

Body of War - I'll definitely be going to see this either tomorrow or Wednesday. Normally I'm not a huge documentary person but this one looks really, really good. Check out their site for more info and the trailer and showtimes.

Once - I really will watch it this week! I promise!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - An old Sarah Jessica Parker flick my roommate really wants to check out. With the Sex and The City movie coming up, we're preparing ourselves.

More Tudors - depending on how much else I get through, I may watch the next disc.

And that, as they say, is that.

Thoughts: Roger Ebert

To follow-up my previous babbling about critics and the possibility of their becoming obsolete, I wanted to share this little bit about Roger Ebert.

He's had his reviews posted online for some time but now it seems that he's started an actual blog. You can find it here.

There have been many times when I've read his reviews and been absolutely baffled. Did we just watch the same movie? Because it certainly didn't seem like it... However, I do have a respect for him and I have to acknowledge that he knows his movies.

I may not always agree with him but I appreciate him and I'm glad he brings his love of film to the world of critics.

He's had various health problems over the last couple of years. I just want to take a second and wish him well.

So yeah, check his stuff out.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 4/21

So with Birthdays and Passovers and other life things, my weekend was once again uneventful in the film world. What did I do?

Friday PM:



Sex in the City! I know, I'm such a girl.

I actually have not seen much Sex and the City in the original, HBO form. I don't have HBO and haven't had it for years. So I watch a lot of the syndicated, edited episodes. I enjoy the show, it's fun, but I have a feeling I'll like the HBO uncut versions better.

My roommate on the other hand is a huge fan. She has the DVDs somewhere (not in our house or I would have watched them), is excited for the movie, etc. Most of my Sex in the City watching is due to her putting it on.

Not that I mind, like I said I enjoy the show. It's a nice little bit of escapism that I can relate to my Real Life even as I recognize the fantasy. While I don't necessarily think that my life should revolve around dating and I'm certainly not in a rush to settle down, I like talking about boys. I will probably always like talking about boys. And Sex in the City gives me exciting boy talking with out all of the mess and nonsense that accompanies it in Real Life.

I have enough Real Life. If I can have a couple of hours of fantasy on a Friday night... excellent.

Saturday late late PM/Sunday early early AM:

After a long day of cooking and eating and drinking wine (it was the first night of Passover) and hours of swinging on the neighbors hammock, it was time to come inside, thaw out, and catch a flick.

I flipped through my DVDs but honestly I was just too tired to commit to anything. So when I turned on the TV and TBS was playing A League of Their Own... good enough for me!



I grew up with baseball and still have a soft spot for this movie. Mostly for the baseball and because I'm a girl. Girls playing baseball? Awesome!

It's been a while since I'd last seen it and while I still enjoy it, not all of it holds up. A lot of the jokes just come off as cheesy. There is also more sap than I'm generally a fan of.

But there's baseball and that makes me smile. It's an easy, fun movie than I can lie on the couch and fall asleep to.

Sunday PM:



Again my day was filled with things other than film. By the time Sunday night rolled around I was ready for another easy watch. Sticking on the theme of a chick weekend, the roommate and I put on Little Women.

I feel much the same way about Little Women as I do about A League of Their Own. Not all of it holds up, there is an excess of cheese, but it focuses on interesting Women characters who manage to have more in their life than just romance and talk of romance. Almost an opposite of Sex and the City.

Another easy watch that is somewhat of a guilty pleasure.

And that was pretty much it. I may actually attempt to go to the theater sometime this week. It's been a while.

Still on the slate:

Once. With everything else that went on during the past week I never did make it to Once. It'll happen this week.

More Tudors. I got the second DVD from Netflix! Yay!

Maybe some other things. We'll see what happens.

Thoughts: A Critical Ending

There has been a lot of talk lately about the "death of the critic" and speculation as to its cause. I have thoughts and opinions on the subject but before I get into it I want to share a couple of these articles.

Anne Thompson talks about the changing times and provides a few good links that I think set up the discussion well. Links Here.

One article she links to is Patrick Goldstein's The End of The Critic? I think he also covers several key points.

Briefly, some of my thoughts.

I look for a couple of things in film criticism.

One, simply, I want to know if a movie is supposed to be any good. I don't get to see many films in the theater. There are some that I will see no matter what, even if the critics hate it. And then there are others that I may be on the fence about. It's these films that I look for other opinions. Should I rush to see it? Can I wait for it to make it to the second run theater that has the cheaper tickets? Or should I just wait for video? When I'm all ready missing films like Ang Lee's Lust, Caution I don't really want to waste my movie going time on something like Drillbit Taylor which will probably be just as good (or bad) off of Netflix.

A second thing I read critics for is to find new films. Even if a film may never play in a venue I can get to, I like to know what's going on in the film world. I like to know what's new, what people are getting excited about. When I can't get to Sundance or Cannes myself, I can read about the films from others who were there. Or when a museum is hosting a retrospective on a filmmaker whose work isn't always readily available, I can find a new name to at least look for.

There's so much film out there that if you look to just the mainstream you'll miss most of it. Film critics can be a great source for finding the new, they can bridge the gap between the blockbuster and the obscure art film. A wonderful thing.

The third reason I look to critics, and the area where I find myself being most frustrated, is to find critical discussion, discourse, debate. I want to see what other people who love film, who are educated in film theory and history, have to say about something like No Country For Old Men for example. Is it really as great as everyone likes to think it is? I can watch No Country and see for myself that the cinematography is great. What I'm looking for is something beyond the obvious. I want an artistic context.

Instead, most of what I find is this: "It looks great. The Coen brothers are great. Javier Bardem is great (despite his funny haircut)."

Well, really? I could tell you that. In fact, I did tell you that. I don't want to read the things that I can come up with on my own. I want something beyond that.

So are we seeing the end of criticism? I don't know. The nature of criticism is certainly changing. Like most of the articles you'll find behind the links say, the internet is democratizing criticism. And not just for film. For everything. Anyone can start a blog on any topic they care about. Anyone can post a review. I think that's a great thing. There is a value in that.

But there are elements that you are just not going to find in Joe Everyman's review. Because us bloggers, we're just the laymen. I like to think of myself as being competently educated in film but I don't have the knowledge or skill to contextualize the way I would like to see films contextualized.

What I would like the future of criticism to be is a mix between the highbrow and the low. Between the experts and the fans. A beautiful balance that will create a community of film lovers. A utopia of sorts. Community. And we're starting to get it. You can find it in the obvious places like Rotten Tomatoes. My hope is that we can have the new, this democracy of opinion, without completely losing the old.

I think it's something that is certainly possible. And I think a shake up in the world of print criticism is not a bad thing at all. Clear away some of the nonsense, bring critics in touch with what is going on in the world. Create debate.

What I love so much about reading older critics like Pauline Kael is that they not only discuss a film and whether or not it's good. They argue with each other. They argue with their audience. There is a discourse. And their reviews end up revealing just as much about the state of the film world as whether or not a movie is good. Through their writing we can see a reflection of our culture as a whole.

Film is more than just entertainment for me. It is an integral part of my life. I want to find the critics who I can relate to. I don't need another hack. I need people like Jonathan Rosenbaum. I may not always agree with him but when I read about how film has shaped his life, when I read about why he likes or dislikes certain films, I know I have found a kindred spirit. Another lover of film.

I look to the critics for opinions, for advice, but mostly for their love. If this shake up can knock out a few of the hacks... then by all means, shake away!

The establishment always gets nervous when they see the world changing. But that's just how the world works. It changes. The new becomes old. The old is retired. Sometimes the change is for the best, sometimes it's not. It is, however, always inevitable. The only way to survive it is to roll with it. Ebert has figured that out. If others want to as well, then I recommend they start blogs of their own. If they're any good, the audience will find them.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film

Normally I use my weekends as catch up time for all of the movie watching I failed to do during the week. However this past weekend was rather lackluster in terms of film. It was just too nice outside to spend my time indoors. I did manage a little movie and television watching though.

Saturday AM:



Before I managed to make it outside, I did spend some time on my couch recovering from Friday night's mischief. A couple hours of Scrubs did help me forget about my slight hangover.

I still really enjoy that show. They manage to create a nice blend of humorous situations and serious topics. It's not just another medical drama (although I am a fan of a couple of other medically themed shows. Like House) but it manages to deliver on the dramatic medical topics.

It's also possibly my favorite thing that Zach Braff has done. Garden State was okay I guess but I like him better in Scrubs. And Dr. Cox makes me happy to no end. He's by far my favorite character.



Unfortunately Comedy Central decided to air the movie Ladies Man after a couple of delightful hours of Scrubs. I don't have much to say about it other than it caused my headache to come back. It was good for one thing: it managed to motivate me to turn off the TV and move from the couch.

Saturday Early PM:



Before I finally left my house for bike riding and beach going, my roommate and I watched the first episode of season 1 of The Tudors. I know, I'm still on season 1. I have the excuse of not having Showtime but I do have Netflix. So The Tudors DVDs are slowly making their way to my living room.

I've so far watched the first two episodes, as well as a smattering of little bits from later in the season. I'm very excited for the series. It has an immensely talented cast, high production values, and it's about an incredibly fascinating period of history. Sex, war, intrigue. It delivers in every way that The Other Boleyn girl failed to. (If you've read my review of that, you know I was extremely disappointing with the awful adaptation of Phillipa Gregory's novel).

We only made it through the first episode. It was a gorgeous day and we do live only a mile from the beach after all. Couldn't spend the entire day in front of my TV!

Saturday PM:



So after all of this beach time and biking, not to mention continued hangover recovery, I definitely did not have the energy for an excessive Saturday night. So instead of too much crazy the roommates and I stuck in the, ah, entertaining Killer Klowns From Outer Space.

How exactly does one describe this movie? For my one roommate who watched it as a kid, she went back to a place of nostalgia and childhood fear. For me, having only seen it in the midst of my horror movie craze, I enjoy the cheese, am vaguely disturbed by horribleness of it, and mostly just laugh. For my other roommate, who had never seen it before, she was mostly just mystified by our giggles and saw it as only one of many bad 80's horror movies.

It's a sort of unique, sort of bizarre, mostly terrible genre film. It subscribes to most of the horror conventions of 80's horror and contains bits that are just down right bad (the hillbilly's accent and dialog any one? Ugh). At the same time... I mean, they wrap people in cotton candy and drain their blood. They shoot popcorn at people and chase people with balloon animals. They kill people with puppet shows. Who thinks of these things??? There are so many elaborate set-ups that I can't help but being reluctantly impressed.

And it's a movie about Killer Clowns! Clowns make you laugh! Lots of people are scared of them! The movie is horrible but it just has so much going for it that I can't help but be entertained.

That being said, I really don't recommend the special features on the DVD. At least not viewed directly after the film. There's only so much a sober brain can take.

If you're so inclined you can see more of the Chiodo brother's, the masterminds of Killer Klowns, at their website here.

Saturday Late PM:



My final viewing of the night, of the weekend in fact, was a late night screening of Disney's Aladdin. It was always one of my favorites as a kid so naturally I own the DVD.

There were a few years, when I was still a part of Disney's target audience, when it seemed like just could not miss. The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King. Each one presented us with stellar animation, engaging characters, songs that I still know the words to. Maybe it's just that I was the right age for them but personally I think it's more than that. I think they're all well crafted animated films that will continue to appeal to kids and parents for a long, long time.

Although, watching Aladdin again after not having seen it in a very long time, I did notice points that were not quite as cute as I remember them being. Aboo can be annoying and Gilbert Godfrey's charm has kind of worn off. (Um, Gilbert Godfrey has charm? Not exactly...)

I still enjoy singing along though. That at least will probably never change.

Sunday:

It was way too nice out yesterday to sit inside at all. And with no hangover, I had nothing to even tempt me to take up residence on the couch. So sorry, no Sunday movie watching to report!

On the slate for this week:

More Tudors for sure. I've got the next two episodes on disc 1. Then I'll send it back to Netflix for more!

Once: It's been on my To See List since I first heard about it and I've finally got it to watch. I'm excited.

There Will Be Blood: Possibly. The DVD came out last Tuesday and I picked it up over the weekend. I'm ready to watch it again. We all ready know that I love PTA. And I like milkshakes.

Other than that? Not sure yet. There are a few things I might try to catch in the theater. Juno comes out on DVD tomorrow. Who knows what will be on TV. Or how much time I'll have. There will be something though, there always is!