New Pops celebrating the almost end of the off-season. Ride with Norman Reedus finished yesterday, Major Crimes continues tonight, and Containment finishes tomorrow night.
We also just finished The Day After, a Russian drama with English subtitles on Amazon Prime. Entire first season, worth a watch.
When last week started I thought I had all the time in the world. The first half of the week was an empty calendar, and I tried to set up the incredibly busy weekend, not only for us to participate in, but for me to write about. I have a long list of ideas and WIPs and I thought the early part of last week was perfect timing to get a few things started. And then it was Thursday. Ascension mass, catch up on Supernatural, writing class, get ready for the weekend. Sleepover, Free Comic Book Day, Lunch at Dairy Queen, mass for the anniversary of my friend’s death, seeing Captain America: Civil War, meeting my son’s new girlfriend, and Sunday for Mother’s Day and Fear the Walking Dead. This week started the same way. Nice and quiet, time to write and yet still unused. Damn. Next week isn’t going to be much different. It’s feast or famine, isn’t it? Feast or famine.
(Note: Links fixed.)
The first movie that I can remember was Disney’s Snow White. I believe it was a double feature with a live-action movie of Blackbeard’s Ghost. It is also possible that I’m thinking of Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights for that second movie. They kind of blend together.
The last movie I saw with my family as a child was Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. 1977 was a big year for my family. Elvis died – my mom was a huge fan so this was news. Big news. We also moved to the suburbs. It seemed like we were all getting bigger and busier and we didn’t go out as a family except to eat after that.
So the first Star Wars movie was the beginning for fans, but the end of childhood for me in a way.
The first movie I went to alone, I think, was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I wanted to see the Harry Potter movies, but my husband wasn’t a fan. My son lost interest after about the third one, but it’s hard to say. Going by myself was a very self-conscious feeling. It gives off loser vibes which now I understand is the farthest thing from the truth. It’s kind of independent going by yourself, isn’t it?
My husband and son are making plans for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which comes out Easter weekend, the busiest weekend in the church. He wants us to see it as a family, and support the DC movie franchise. I think it’s too expensive, but we have until Monday to decide. That’s when the tickets go on sale.
The most recent movie I saw was two days ago with my husband. Deadpool. Yes, it’s a comic book character. No, it is not for children. It is way not for children. Even I blushed for a couple of scenes. I described it on Instagram as all the gratuitous, all the excellent. I’d say that was accurate.
Today, I am returning to the movie theatre. Alone. By myself. I am going to have popcorn for lunch. Because I am an adult, and we can do things like that. Triple 9 comes out today. Yes, I’m seeing it in the theatre to lend support to Norman Reedus, who is a current photography inspiration for me, and all around great guy I imagine. But the cast is excellent, like really great, and the story is something that, while I wouldn’t normally see on the big screen, I’d watch it over and over again on the little one.
I have a coupon to see a free movie on my birthday. I’m planning to see the next Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I will also see that one alone while the family is at work and school.
Enjoy your day. After the two or four errands I need to get done, I will be sitting quietly in the movie theatre enjoying mine.
There are. many places to rent/borrow movies for your stay-cation movie day. In addition to Redbox, Netflix, Amazon Prime, your cable’s on-demand channel, don’t forget to check your local library. Hey, you might also have some of these movies in your own collection. While these are movies that my family watch, please use your own judgment on what’s appropriate for your children.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Ant-Man
3. The Harry Potter movies
4. The Avengers
5. The Martian
6. Brave
7. The Lego Movie
8. Annie
9. The Hunger Games Movies
10. Despicable Me 1 & 2
Others that were recommended by my kids (10 & 11):
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Minions
Inside Out
Tomorrowland
Pixels
Big Hero 6
Tangled
I don’t believe any of these are rated R, but some are rated PG-13. Please check before showing them to your kids. Several of these were movies that I wasn’t sure about. I knew the kids would like them, but I didn’t think they were for me. It turned out that one of these movies turned out to be my absolute favorite, Guardians of the Galaxy. It just kind of proves that you never know.
As today was my middle son’s middle school orientation and yesterday was September 1st, the day the Hogwarts Express left Kings Cross, taking Harry Potter and friends to the Scottish Highlands to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the first time with the publication of the first book in 1997, I thought this was a good choice for today’s movie day.
In real time, Harry’s oldest son got his own letter and left Platform 9 3/4 yesterday. Good luck, James.
Have you received your letter?
My husband and I had planned on seeing this on Friday for our anniversary, but it doesn’t seem to be playing in our theatres anymore.
Any suggestions on what we should see instead? (We’ve shady seen Jurassic World.)
This is part of my post-GishWhes recommendations and a part of the Supernatural family. Ten Inch Hero is a movie at the top of my to-watch list. Two of the movie’s actors are Jensen Ackles and Danneel Harris. They were friends before the movie but fell in love on the set. They were married in 2010, and had a beautiful daughter, JJ (who happens to share a birthday with my mom) three years later. I love the idea that they fell in love on the set of a romantic comedy. I also have it on good authority that this movie very much gives many feels to natives of California.
This is one of my favorite movies. I was very surprised at how much I liked it. I saw this twice in the theatre and then my family got the DVD for me for Christmas. This is today’s movie. We could use a small break from our gishing.
Silence your cell phones.
Enjoy the show
This is one of those surprising movies that my son and daughter both like. Usually, they’re at each other’s throats disagreeing over the week’s movie. There are only a handful that they both love and request with equal fervor.
I know there was some controversy with the casting of this reboot, but I personally happen to think the cast is perfect. I remember glancing at the comic strip as a child, but I don’t remember the original Broadway show or movie with Victor Garber.
What I found in this modern take were the small tributes to the original story, and how easily this story was adapted for the modern viewer. I loved Annie commenting on how big her hair was. I looked at my kids and told them that the original Annie also had big hair.
She is a sweet, optimistic girl who likes everyone and believes the best of them. She’s certain that her parents are coming back, and she waits outside the restaurant where they left her.
She infects Will Starks with her bubblyness and it changes him for the better. He reminisces with her about how he grew up, and he really cares about her.
It’s a heartwarming, hopeful movie with a great and familiar soundtrack. I love that I had enough musicals in my childhood that their bursting into song was normal. My son wasn’t used to it and he asked why no one in the backround noticed that they were suddenly singing and dancing in the middle of the city street. I think I’ll introduce him to some old classics like The Sound of Music and West Side Story.
I’ve seen this version of Annie twice and we’re rewatching it this afternoon before we have to return it to Redbox. I don’t find it tiresome at all.
Jamie Foxx and Quevenzhane Wallis made a fantastic pair. The supporting cast was also superb. I especially liked Adewale Akinnuoyep-Agbaje as Mr. Stark’s driver who has a good sense of humor and a fondness for Annie. In fact, everyone has a fondness for Annie except for the bad guys, which should give you a clue that they are bad guys. How can anyone have a bad thing to say about her?
This is one of my favorite movies that I’ve seen this year.
I was finally able to watch Noah on Netflix. About halfway through the movie, a thunderstorm and tornado warning hit my area so there was that sense-around experience. I paused the movie and hesitated briefly to look out the window at the dark sky, hoping my car windows were up, but I still pushed on through to the end of the movie.
It was still a little frightening despite knowing the end of the story, and the lasting covenant that floods would never cover the entire earth again, but in the moment it can be very anxiety inducing.
When the movie ended, so did the storm.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
I initially hadn’t seen this movie version because I’ve avoided Biblical reinterpretations, especially of a story so well known throughout my life. I also have a terrible fear of water (among other things depicted here) and this story hits all those buttons.
I also have a dual mindset where I do believe the Biblical stories in a literal way, but I also have a scientific mind. I’m not sure that it’s possible to believe in both (I thought there was a word for that, but both my husband and I couldn’t think of what it could be) but for myself I hold those two both up as separate entities, each one held in each hand so to speak. Maybe one day I’ll figure it all out, but I imagine that’s a long time away.
MOVIE SPOILERS FOLLOW
Griffins and Ginger Snaps 