Movies N Films

Blast From the Past: 80s Movies You May Have Missed

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 12, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Old TV Adults and teens alike will enjoy this trip down memory lane which features currently-famous stars in the movies that put them on the map—twenty years ago.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt star as Janey and Lynne—two teenagers who desperately want to win Dance TV’s competition for a regular spot on the show. This is perhaps still SJP’s best film role to date excluding, of course, her lead in the Sex and the City HBO series. Little Helen Hunt is just as girl-next-door loveable as grown up Helen Hunt, and you’ll get a kick out of seeing Shannen Doherty in a role that preceded even Beverly Hills 90210.

Camp Cucamonga (1990)

This movie has everything 80s/90s from Hammer pants to neon sunglasses to feathered hair. It also has an all-star cast made up of Candace Cameron (of Full House), Jaleel White (of Family Matters), Danica McKellar and Josh Saviano (of The Wonder Years), Jennifer Aniston in her very first film, and Breckin Meyer in his second.

Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)

Anyone who watches Grey’s Anatomy will enjoy going back in time to see Patrick Dempsey as an unpopular teenager in this transformation tale. Ronald Miller (Dempsey) pays a popular cheerleader (Amanda Peterson) to pretend to be his girlfriend in an attempt to climb the social ladder. Will these two overcome their own shallow desires and find true happiness within themselves and with each other?

Photo © AKS – Fotolia.com

Tagged 80s movies, Camp Cucamonga, Can't Buy Me Love, Girls Just Want to Have Fun

American Independent Comedies of 2010

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 11, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Movie tickets 1. Last Night

In Last Night, set in New York City, successful writer Joanna Reed suspects her husband Michael (Sam Worthington) is having an affair with his stunning real estate coworker Laura (Eva Mendes). She also wrestles with adulterous feelings of her own when old flame Alex (Guillaume Canet) surprises her with a brief appearance in New York while Michael is away on a business trip.

2. The Romantics

In The Romantics, also covering a single 24-hour storyline, Laura (Katie Holmes) is the maid of honor at her college roommate’s wedding. Bride Lila (Anna Paquin) is a controlling debutante whose fiancé Tom (Josh Duhamel) can’t get over his ex-girlfriend, who happens to be Laura. The wedding party is made up of Holmes, Malin Akerman, Adam Brody, Dianna Agron, Jeremy Strong, Rebecca Lawrence, and Elijah Wood.

3. Happythankyoumoreplease

Sam Wexler (Josh Radnor), a floundering writer, finds himself caring for a young boy when he gets separated from his foster family on the subway. His best friend Annie (Malin Akerman) is wrestling with an identity crisis after being diagnosed with alopecia, his cousin Mary Katherine (Zoe Kazan) and her boyfriend Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) are at a major crossroads in their relationship, and Sam falls for a waitress from Mississippi named Mississippi (Kate Mara).

4. A Little Help

When her husband unexpectedly dies, Laura (Jenna Fischer) is given a new lease on life that she doesn’t want. She suspected, even before his death, that her husband Bob (Chris O’Donnell) was unfaithful, her son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) tells everyone in his new school that his dad died in 9/11, her sister Kathy (Brooke Smith) wants to control her life, and Kathy’s husband Paul (Rob Benedict) admits his longstanding crush on her.

Photo © Sashkin – Fotolia.com

Tagged A Little Help, Happythankyoumoreplease, indie movies, Last Night, The Romantics

New On DVD: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 10, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Movie popcorn and soda Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law are back again as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Those watching the movie to get a glimpse of Rachel McAdams will be slightly disappointed as her role is relatively minor; but for anyone who loved the relationship between Holmes and Watson, this sequel doesn’t disappoint.

A Game of Shadows (2011) uses the popular cinematographic tool of slow motion action scenes that give the effect of being completely camera-less. Holmes and Watson jump in and out of trains and through forests with much the same visual effect that one would feel if they themselves were cascading downward into a treacherous situation.

Downey Jr. and Law continue their “bromedy” in this film, where Law surprisingly but effectively takes the softer, “feminine” role against no holds barred Holmes. If Law is becoming less attractive as he gets older, Downey Jr. is certainly becoming more so, though it may just be a result of style choice by the director. With Rachel McAdams’ character effectively gone, the female lead has been replaced by Noomi Rapace who plays a gypsy fortune teller. Rapace’s character Madame Sizma Heron is integral to the storyline and fights alongside the men, while Watson’s new bride Mary (Kelly Reilly) is the female in need of saving.

A Game of Shadows is not likely to win any awards, but it provides a pleasant and exciting escape from reality. Word has it that the wheels are in motion for a third installment of this successful series.

Photo © James Steidl – Fotolia.com

Tagged A Game of Shadows, Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes

How To Write A Screenplay

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 9, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Keyboard, glasses, and pen Have you ever wanted to write a screenplay but don’t know where to start? Here are some suggestions that can help you along.

1. Write what you know.

Even if your genre is science fiction or fantasy, make sure your script has key elements that you know a lot about, whether it be mythological creatures, the town the movie is set in, or the main conflict the protagonist faces.

2. Make your characters three-dimensional.

No matter if it’s the protagonist, the antagonist, or someone’s cousin, make every character multi-faceted, unless your movie is meant to be a farce. Just as in real life, characters should have their own personal conflicts and developments, and making them unpredictable and changing will help your story’s believability.

3. Get a reader.

You don’t have to pay someone money to read your script. Choose someone who knows you but who will also be honest. Pick a person with an eye for detail and who has the desire to see you succeed. Be open to suggestions and criticism.

4. Enroll in a course.

Again, you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars for a screenwriting course. Your local community college could be just the right place to start, and the class exercises and assignments will help your dream become a completed reality.

5. Maintain anonymity.

If your script deals with real, factual information, think about whom you show it to before you hand over the pages. A relative may be uncomfortable with the content and it may cause tension between family members and/or friends. If you aren’t sure about someone’s reaction, wait until the screenplay is sold before you worry about how to tell them.

6. Keep writing!

Photo © Tan Kian Khoon – Fotolia.com

Tagged breaking into the movie business, film industry, screenplay, writing a screenplay

Movies With Pregnant Protagonists

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 8, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Pregnant woman at doctor Whether the pregnancies were planned or a surprise, the protagonists in these six movies must wrestle with what it means to become a mother for the first time.

1. Knocked Up (2007)

Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) has a one night stand with a man she just met (Seth Rogan). When she discovers she’s pregnant she decides to keep the baby, and the two must figure out how to move forward.

2. The Object of My Affection (1998)

Nina Borowski (Jennifer Aniston) meets George Hanson (Paul Rudd) at a party, and their close connection is threatening to Nina’s boyfriend Vince (John Pankow). When Nina finds herself pregnant with Vince’s child, she proposes to George that they raise the baby together.

3. Where the Heart Is (2000)

Pregnant Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) finds herself abandoned at a Midwest Walmart after her boyfriend leaves her on their way to California. Now homeless, she hides out in the store for days until going into labor, and is rescued by the town librarian Forney (James Frain).

4. The Backup Plan (2010)

Zoe’s (Jennifer Lopez) clock is ticking, so she becomes pregnant through artificial insemination, only to run into “the One” (Alex O’Loughlin) directly after. The couple faces difficulties due to their unusual situation.

5. Baby Mama (2008)

Kate (Tina Fey) is unable to conceive, so she hires a surrogate by the name of Angie (Amy Poehler) who lives in her house until the baby is born.

6. Saved! (2004)

Mary (Jena Malone) gets pregnant by her boyfriend while trying to make him straight after he comes out to her as gay. Her pregnancy causes a stir at her private Christian high school, and classmate Patrick (Patrick Fugit) seems like the only one who doesn’t care.

Photo © anna – Fotolia.com

Tagged Baby Mama, Knocked Up, Saved!, The Backup Plan, The Object of My Affection, Where the Heart is

New On DVD: The Change-Up

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 7, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Clapper board Directed by David Dobkin, this sometimes-crude comedy follows the lives of two childhood friends played by Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. Dave Lockwood (Bateman) is a successful attorney with a beautiful, adoring wife named Jamie (Leslie Mann) and three young children (Sydney Rouviere, Lauren Bain, and Luke Bain). Mitch (Reynolds), on the other hand, is a mostly out of work actor who lives in a bachelor pad and has frequent one night stands. When they urinate in the same fountain and wish for each other’s lives, they awake the next morning to find that just that has happened.

Bateman and Reynolds are both at the top of their game right now, and that fact carries the movie. Bateman, who is the brother of Justine Bateman from Family Ties fame, won numerous awards for his role in Arrested Development and has appeared in a number of recent high grossing movies. Ryan Reynolds was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine last year, and came to prominence as Scarlett Johansson’s husband—and then ex-husband—who has recently been linked to other high profile actors. Leslie Mann is wife to infamous Judd Apatow and has had roles in many of his movies. In The Change-Up, she’s not a supporting character but a major one, and she carries her role quite well.

The Change-Up is perhaps the year’s male version of I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011), as it wrestles with family responsibility, updated gender roles, and the vastly convergent lifestyles that individuals can take. As this movie shows, if the grass is green on the other side, it’s probably not any greener than your own.

Photo © HANA76 – Fotolia.com

Tagged Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, Ryan Reynolds, The Change-Up

Movies Loosely Based on Jane Austen Novels

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 6, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

popcorn and movie tickets From Bollywood, to Hollywood, to East L.A., these films put a modern spin on three Jane Austen classics.

1. From Prada to Nada (2011)

In this Latino version of Sense and Sensibility, wealthy sisters Nora (Camilla Belle) and Mary (Alexa Vega) become destitute when their father dies and is found to be bankrupt, and their illegitimate half-brother buys the family house at the urging of his mean-spirited wife Olivia. The sisters take up residence in East L.A., where Norah forms a complicated friendship with Olivia’s brother Edward (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Mary seduces her T.A. Rodrigo in hopes that he will buy her house and restore her social status.

2. Clueless (1995)

Based on the Jane Austen novel Emma, rich Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) tries to set up newcomer Tai (Brittany Murphy) with a fellow high schooler who is higher class. Meanwhile, Cher has growing feelings for her ex-step brother Josh (Paul Rudd) who acts as her moral compass, which gets complicated when Tai falls for him as well.

3. Bride and Prejudice (2004)

A present-day and international take on Pride and Prejudice, William “Will” Darcy (Martin Henderson) is an American heir who arrives in India with his family in order to open a new hotel. Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai) is a young Indian woman who lives with her parents and three sisters. Her sister Jaya falls in love with Darcy’s friend Mr. Balraj, Darcy’s arrogance grates on Lalita, Lalita receives a proposal from her unappealing Americanized cousin, and her sister Lakhi runs off with Johnny Wickam.

Tagged book adaptation, Bride and Prejudice, Clueless, From Prada to Nada

Movies About Vegas

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 5, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Las Vegas Check out these five movies which live up to the phrase, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

1. 21 (2008)

MIT senior Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) finds himself reluctantly joining a group of skilled card counters who repeatedly fly to Vegas to make money. The group is led by former card counter Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) whose corruption threatens to ruin Campbell’s chances of getting into Harvard Medical School as well as to steal Campbell’s earnings.

2. The Hangover (2009)

Four men (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha) travel to Vegas for Doug’s bachelor party. The three groomsmen—minus the groom—wake up the following morning with no memory of what happened the night before. They must retrace their comical and outlandish steps which include meeting Mike Tyson, stealing a tiger, and the mysterious acquisition of a baby.

3. Indecent Proposal (1993)

Diana (Demi Moore) and David (Woody Harrelson) are a married couple in need of cash who travel to Vegas in hopes of scoring big. Instead they lose their savings and wealthy John Gage (Robert Redford) offers them one million dollars in exchange for a night with Diana.

4. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Released convict Danny Ocean (George Clooney) attempts to steal from his ex-wife’s (Julia Roberts) new boyfriend Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) by robbing Benedict’s Vegas casino of $150 million, along with his ten partners in crime (Elliot Gould Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, and Shaobo Qin).

5. What Happens in Vegas (2008)

Ellis McNally (Cameron Diaz) and Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) meet by chance in Vegas and marry that same night. When Jack surprisingly wins $3 million dollars in a slot machine, the judge forces them to stay together for 6 months in order to keep the winnings. Part of their arrangement is mandatory sessions with a marriage counselor (Queen Latifah).

Tagged Ashton Kutcher, Bradley Cooper, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, Ed Helms, George Clooney, Indecent Proposal, Ocean's Eleven, The Hangover, What Happens in Vegas, Woody Harrelson

Movies About Bad Teachers

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 4, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Chalkboard in classroom There are so many movies about great teachers…what about the bad ones?

Half Nelson (2006)

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is an inner city history teacher who is dedicated to his students but is also addicted to cocaine. He and student Dre (Shareeka Epps) form a precarious friendship when Dre finds him high in the girls’ bathroom. Dre hopes Mr. Dunne will quit drugs, while he tries to keep her from becoming a dealer through the bad influence of her incarcerated brother’s friend. But neither one is as confident in their own success as they are in saving the other.

Bad Teacher (2011)

Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a middle school English teacher looking for a rich husband. She despises both teaching and her students, and tries to steal wealthy Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake) from fellow teacher Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch). Halsey smokes, does drugs, and dresses provocatively—all on campus, and she shows movies in class instead of teaching any material. Short on cash for breast enhancement surgery, she makes desperate attempts to raise funds using her students.

Larry Crowne (2011)

Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts) has taught speech at the local community college for far longer than she would like to remember. Her husband Dean (Bryan Cranston) isn’t pulling his weight, and all Tainot wants when she gets home each day is a gigantic mixed drink. When middle-aged Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) enrolls in her class, she first sees him as a schmuck who is being made over by a younger woman, but comes to learn this newly fired department store clerk has a zest for personal speaking and a rather interesting past.

Tagged Bad Teacher, Cameron Diaz, Half Nelson, Julia Roberts, Larry Crowne, Ryan Gosling

New On DVD: One Day

By S. Luders-Manuel | February 3, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

One Day (2011) chronicles the romance of Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) over a twenty year span of the date July 15^th. As the date rolls forwards and sometimes backwards on the screen, readers will notice its similarity to (500) Days of Summer, which came out just two years before. However, unlike (500) Days of Summer, One Day is meant to be an epic romance with a rather epic ending.

Anne Hathaway convincingly changes her character’s personality throughout the movie. She starts off awkward and incredibly self-conscious, and ends the movie with complete poise, grace and charm, much like Hathaway did in her breakout film The Princess Diaries (2001). Jim Sturgess is not entirely known by American audiences except from his lead role in 21 (2008). He successfully pulls off the loveable bad boy persona of whom Emma can’t quite resist. The storyline mirrors previous romantic films such as A Walk to Remember (2002) and Made of Honor (2008), where male players ultimately fall for the good girls who make them better men.

Dexter’s classy but ailing mother Alison (Patricia Clarkson) acts as the ephemeral blond moral compass who attempts to steer her son toward a meaningful life. Rafe Spall plays Emma’s second choice boyfriend Ian, and between the character’s open door toilet activity and bubbling self-effacing manner, the audience is given no opportunity to care for him at all. Neither are they given any reason to like Dexter’s bimbo girlfriend Sylvie (Romola Garai) whom—as Ian confesses to Emma—is utterly boring.

Directed by Lone Scherfig, One Day is a somewhat predictable, by-the-book romance with some completely unexpected twists and an ending that will make many moviegoers misty eyed despite their best intentions. Rent this film for a sick day or a Friday night with the girls, and wrap yourself in a good old-fashioned love story.

Tagged Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Lone Scherfig, One Day, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai