Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

With the coming to the end of what I would like to call hell week, it is time to go back to the Facebook 30 day movie challenge. And with with the hullabaloo about book to movie translations with the release of The Hunger Games, I figured it was time for day 11.

Day 11: Favorite Book Adaptation- Interview With the Vampire

Interview With the Vampire is one of those rare movies that I watched before reading the book. I first read Anne Rice's stunning vampire thriller last year as part of my quest to devour any novel that had to do with the city of New Orleans. I was immediately sucked in (pun intended) to the dark and mesmerizing world of Louis and Lestat. I had previously watched the movie while I was actually in New Orleans building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

These vampires don't sparkle.

From the second that I opened the novel, I felt that Neil Jordan had completely captured the essence of the novel with his film. These were real vampires, seductive and cunning, but also brooding and lonely with their ever immortal lives. Jordan does a great job in playing the two different sides of vampire life off of each other. The ability to live forever and do whatever you want represented by Lestat and the depression and anxiety of damnation as shown through Louis. At first I, like Anne Rice before me, was worried about the casting of Tom Crusie and Brad Pitt to play these characters. Even with my love for Brad Pitt they seemed too safe and pretty, not nearly sexy enough to play vampires. How wrong I was. Both men completely embody the roles. I found Cruise's turn as the silky but dangerous Lestast was particularly good. I could not look away and was completely convinced at his character. Pitt was great (as always) as the existential vampire Louis. I felt that he captured the internal battle that the reader gets in the novel very well as Louis struggles with the darkness inside of himself and trying to figure out what to trust and who to believe. A  young Kirsten Dunst also captures the passion, anger, and fragility that comes with being trapped forever in a child's body. The trio need few supporters and work well as a whole and individually. While reading I would have never thought of them in the roles, but after seeing the film I could not imagine another cast.

I think the reason I liked the film so much was the way that it allowed me to really visualize the events in the book. I think that is why everyone likes seeing their favorite movies on the big screen: you are finally able to see the what the movie looks like in a place outside your head. Seeing the costumes and decadence of late eighteenth century New Orleans and later Paris was fantastic and really helped me get a feeling for the time period. The lavish, bright interior sets contrasted well with the dark and depraved streets where the vampires looked for their prey. The city of New Orleans provides a beautiful backdrop for this haunting story. 

Overall, besides being a great movie adaptation, Interview With the Vampire is a plain old great film. It has everything one could hope for, romance, murder, and eternal friendship. If you want to know what vampires are really like read this book, then watch the film.

Honorable mentions go to The Hunger Games (yes, I really liked it that much), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (especially Fincher's version), Atonement, and The Social Network. 

Still have to see: The Help.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Yay, double digits!
Day 10: Favorite Foreign Film-A Bout de Souffle (Breathless) 

I first watched Jean-Luc Goddard's A Bout de Souffle (1960) in my introduction to cinema class sophomore year and instantly fell in love. There is just something about French cinema that I (and I feel many others) hold in a higher regard than any other country. There is just something so elegant about the French people and their language and culture that makes their films so enjoyable to watch. Also, the French seem to understand that cinema is an art form and they take their movies very seriously.
What I like so much about A Bout de Souffle is that it is so different from any other movie I've seen. I believe that its innovation still holds up today. Goddard's use of jump cuts and breaking the forth wall are used expertly and really makes for a new film experience. I love the homages to Hollywood films and actors, especially the reverence to Humphrey Bogart.

Perfection.

Jean Seberg is fantastic as the American in Paris. She is beautiful, self-deprecating, and confident all at the same time. Her gorgeous features make her seem as if she belongs in France and I want every single outfit she wears in the film.
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a man who can only exist in France. He is equal parts charming, cunning, and debonair. He is also a bit hapless and reckless at times, but it all works. He plays the character Michel with perfection, making you both smack your head at his stupidity and cheer on his "plans" for the sake of wanting to see them work.
The story of A Bout de Souffle itself is also great. It meanders and loses focus without becoming uninteresting. At times it is completely irreverent, but that comes with the nature of French New Wave. It is a genre that I definitely would like to see more films from.
Honorable mentions go to Pan's Labyrinth, a Spanish film which is another country I like films from for their use of magical realism, Amelie because who doesn't love the adorable French girl just looking for love, and Raise the Red Lantern, a film that is both haunting and beautiful.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

 I should be a lot further than day 9, but c'est la vie.
Day 9: Favorite Musical-Rent

Viva la vie boheme! 

I love musicals, I frequently sing and dance around my house pretending to be in one. And there is no musical I love more than Johnathan Larson's Rent. And while the 2005 film to which this post is dedicated to was directed by Chris Columbus, the credit for Rent all goes to Larson. This play is his life, he lived with these people and he was one himself: a bohemian artist struggling to find love, live life, and just pay the rent. The play and successive film would be nothing without him so I need to give credit where credit is due. Larson manages to make the story of Rent so real and heartbreaking. It is a story of friendship, but of most importantly "measuring your life in love."

Larson, the man himself

Each of his songs are all better than the next and the soundtrack of both the play and the movie are two of the most played on my ipod. The actors all have incredible voices and the songs are not just musical "fluff," but real songs expressing the characters' fears and desires. Columbus wisely cut some of the songs for the movie and used the lyrics as dialogue.
I think Columbus did a really great job with his film in capturing the spirit of the play. Using almost all of the play's original cast was a stroke of genius because these are the actors who know the characters the best. It was definitely something that helped ease the plays transition onto the big screen. The duo of Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal (who I actually saw in the Broadway version) as Mark and Rodger respectively have great chemistry. The two work well together and have done so for many years in numerous revivals of the play. Rosario Dawson (one of the few not from the original Broadway cast) is also great as Mimi, embodying both her sexiness and youth and vulnerability very well. My personal favorite is Jesse L. Martin as the lovable and devious Tom Collins. I love his deep booming voice and his relationship with Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).
I think my favorite thing about Rent is that even though it is about a sad subject matter, it manages to be uplifting. Rent is about living life to the fullest, being grateful for everyday, and surrounding yourself with people you want to spend your life with. I think we need a little more of that type of positive thinking.
Honorable mentions go to Across the Universe and Moulin Rouge! two of my favorite films that for some reason I always forget are considered muscials. Welp, now I'm angry that I forgot. Also Newsies (see it if you haven't for one reason: baby Christian Bale singing and dancing), Chicago, and School of Rock.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

I know, I know, I am a terrible blogger. I am also a very involved college student where Spring Fever has just struck right around the same time as midterms. So I apologize for my lax blogging these last few days, I would say it won't happen again, but you know me and I don't like making promises I can't keep. Oh well, on wards and upwards.

Day 8: Favorite Animated Feature

For me, this one is very difficult because I love animated films. I honestly wish we had an animation class at my university because I feel like they are so much different from live action films and need to be discussed in different ways. That being said I cannot continue without breaking down this category into a few sections:

1. Favorite Pixar Movie: Monsters, INC.

For many people, Monsters, INC. is not their favorite in the long list of amazing Pixar films. And I have to admit that it is very difficult to choose, I love them all. For me, Monsters, INC. stands above the rest because of the pure idea of it. We all feared the monsters in our closets and under our beds, but to make a movie about it from the monsters' point of view? Genius. The room with all the doors of kid's closets everywhere and shredding them when they get too old? Inspired. It also has that funny, sentimental touch that is a special quality of (almost) all Pixar films. The relationships between Mike and Sully and then Sully and Boo are heart warming and sweet. You have to admit that you teared up a little in the last scene (okay, maybe you don't, but I did). The animation is incredible, I love every hair on Sully's body and all the unique characteristics of each monster. I also love a good villain and Randell is one evil dude. And while it is not the most quotable Pixar film (that obviously goes to  Finding Nemo), I think it has some great lines and really truly funny moments. It is a film I still enjoy watching.

Honorable mentions go to The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story.

2. Favorite Disney Movie: Aladdin 

Aladdin has always been my favorite Disney movie. While I may identify with Belle, the street rat with big dreams and a heart of gold won over my own heart. He was probably the first animated character I had a crush on. The score is fantastic, as always, and I still know the words to every song. I love every single character from the fierce and independent Jasmine to the cunning and scheming Jafar. Aladdin is where I, like most children, also fell in love with Robin Williams. Even from an early age I could appreciate his humor and now even more that I get more of the jokes. I love his vocal work, he is perfect as an animated character and has some great lines. To me, Aladdin will always define my childhood.

Honorable mentions go to The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Mulan.

3. Favorite Non-Disney/Pixar Movie: Anastasia 

Anastasia is the movie that's so good you think it's a Disney movie. It is another movie that defined my childhood because I loved it and watched it so much. I even did a dance to "Once Upon a December" way back in my days of ballet. 

What's not to like? There's mystery, romance, singing, and a villain who's completely off his rocker. Dimitri was another one of those animated guys I had a crush on; he was so smooth and charming yet vulnerable all at the same time. And I loved Anastasia as an orphan tough enough to be one of the guys, but finally becoming her own as a princess. 

I still remember watching this film with my family for the first time and my dad commenting on the amazing animation. For the time it was remarkable, every footprint appears in the snow when Anya walks and phantoms from the past appear from the walls in ghostly blurs. It was a film that clearly showed Disney it wasn't the only cool kid on the block. 

Honorable mentions go to Shrek for breaking all the rules, Fantastic Mr. Fox for its reality and hilarity, Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas for being a really dark "non-kid" animated movies and How to Train Your Dragon for pure cuteness.

I also really still need to watch Spirited Away and The Secret of Kells. 

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 7: Favorite Action Film-Die Hard
Numerous times on this blog I have defended my love of action films. I like films that are loud and explosive for the sake of being loud and explosive, but at the same time, to be my favorite film the movie has to be smart. There has to be a good story; it cannot just be pure entertainment. So while I like films like Transformers and The Day After Tomorrow for what they are worth, they will never rank higher than mere popcorn entertainment for me.
 Die Hard (1988) is more than just popcorn. It is one of my favorite Christmas movies; nothing gets you into the spirit of the holidays like Bruce Willis trying to save his wife from an evil Alan Rickman.

"Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfucker."

What I like about Die Hard is the dialogue. It is funny in a smart, sarcastic way (the way I like to think I am). Bruce Willis has some of the best one liners not to mention an awesome catchphrase. His interactions with Sgt. Powell are more than your average cop buddy relationship; the two men actually share a connection. When they finally meet at after speaking over walktalkies for the entire film, it is a heart warming scene of two men who have just been through hell together. Such scenes are rarely witnessed in your average action flicks.
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber (who, if I haven't said it before is one of my all time favorite actors) is a great villain.(Shooting the glass when Bruce is not wearing any shoes? How could you Alan?) You think he is just plain bad until the very end when you discover his real treachery, then he is pure evil. He and Willis have some great interactions and witty banter. John McClane is the perfect American cowboy/cop to Rickman's foreign pseudo-terrorist.

Who said we were terrorists?

I haven't seen any other of the Die Hard films and frankly I don't really want to see Bruce Willis being rolled through an air vent in a wheelchair. I think they should quit while they are ahead so I can remember Bruce the way he is supposed to be: young, muscled, still with a head of hair, and not giving any...well you get the idea.
Honorable mentions for best action film go to The Professional, Terminator 2, and Transporter (or pretty much anything starring Jason Statham).

Facebook 30 Movie Challenge

So I'm just going to pick and choose from all the multiple Facebook 30 day movie challenges which one I do each day. Keeps things more interesting and lets me answer the ones that I want to.
Day 6: Favorite Drama-Atonement 
I think Atonement (2007), directed by Joe Wright is one of the saddest, most beautiful films I have ever seen. It is also an incredible book to film adaptation, but not my favorite (that post will come later). I love it for a number of reasons, first because of the cast. Usually when I like a film it has to do with the cast and the quality of the acting. This film is no exception. Keira Knightly is perfection as Cecilia, I love the subtly of her movements and how she acts right down to her pinky. Every facial expression and gesture is so thought out and elegant. I know some people don't like her, but I for one find her not only beautiful, but  also a great actress; she was one of my favorites until she vanished off the face of the earth. James McAvoy is also fantastic as Robbie. He plays his character with just the right amount of every emotion: passion, rage, and also fragility. He and Keira have some serious chemistry. Saoirse Ronan is also perfection as the young Briony. She is a girl so convinced by the creations of her own mind that does not believe her actions are wrong. I personally find it difficult to hate her as an adult (I won't spoil why you should or shouldn't hate her if you haven't seen it) because of the way she is played by Ronan as a child. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch is in the film with possibly one of the worst creepest mustaches ever.

Paul: You have to bite it. 

(Can you tell I basically just love the entire cast?!)  

Not only is the cast amazing, but the story is too. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it is one of those films that is the perfect combination of heartbreak and romance. The story weaves in complicated webs and leaves you in a place you rarely expected to end up in.
The cinematography and overall setting of Atonement is beautiful as well.

Cecilia:  I wouldn't necessarily believe everything Briony tells you. She's rather fanciful.

Wright takes the viewer from the luxurious Tallis family manor to the war torn beaches of Dunkirk. The costumes are also beautiful and really add to the characters' development.

Honorable mentions for best drama go to Pride & Prejudice, Up in the Air, and Black Swan.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

So school work and internet problems caught up to me so I missed a few days. But now I'm back and better than ever with a new and improved 30 days of movies (I keep losing my original list so I'm improvising and I found a new list that I will start in my next post).
Day 5: A movie that makes you laugh- Father of the Bride
I love Charles Shyers' Father of the Bride (1991) because I have such good memories associated with it and while I've never seen the original, I love it all the same. I've watched the film a number of times, mostly when it is on television with my family, especially my dad. He loves the film too and has made me promise on a number of occasions to never leave from my own wedding without saying goodbye. That is why I think it is so funny, because it reminds me so much of my own family.

George:  I'll tell you what I'm doing. I want to buy 8 hot dogs and 8 hot dog buns to go
with them. But no one selss 8 hot dog buns. They only sell 12 hot dog buns. So I end up
paying for 4 buns I don't need. So I am removing the superfluous buns.

I also think it is so funny because it is relatable. Steve Martin plays the wound up father just right; there is a touch of sadness as well as hilarity to his performance. He plays the perfect father complaining about every aspect of the wedding, but at the same time willing to do anything to make his daughter happy. Martin Short is also hilarious as the wedding planner with the unpronounceable name and very expensive taste. Father of the Bride is not only funny, but touching and sentimental all at the same time. Overall, it is a great film.
Random side note about me, I hate gag humor. If people are making bathroom jokes or hitting each other with sticks, most of the time I find the movie unfunny.
Honorable mentions go to Shaun of the Dead, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, pretty much anything staring Will Ferrell (even though I hate to admit it, he's pretty funny), Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and The Hangover. And despite the bathroom humor in Bridesmaids, I loved it because it showed women can be (and are) funny.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 4- A movie that makes you sad-The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) is probably my favorite comic book film to date (followed closely by Ironman and Spiderman). It makes me sad for one reason and one reason only and that is Heath Ledger. Heath is mesmerizing as the Joker in the film; hell, he is the film. You literally cannot look away or you'll miss something, a twitch of the mouth, a shake of the head, a crooked grin-all things that completely make his performance. He changes not only his voice but his entire persona. He became the Joker. It is not worth even talking about any other actor in the film, even though they were all great (besides Maggie Gyllenhaal) because they cannot compare.
The Dark Knight makes me sad because it shows that Heath had so much left to give. He was an actor that had so much talent and yet I feel that we barely got to scratch the surface on what he can do. Like many actors, he was a man who completely lost himself inside his roles and became completely unrecognizable.I find myself getting choked up during the film not because of the content, but because of sadness at not being able to witness more of this amazing man's career. I would have loved to see what Nolan was planning on doing with him in The Dark Knight Rises. The film just won't be the same without him (but I'm sure it will be good).
An honorable mentions goes to Brokeback Mountain (for many of the same reasons and because it's actually heart-wrenching).

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 3: A movie that makes you happy-Back to the Future 
Back to the Future doesn't just make me happy, it makes me giddy. There are just so many things I like about it.  It has great dialogue; literally the entire thing leaves me laughing out loud from numerous characters making fun of Marty for being part of the Coast Guard to the allusions to future events. It had just the right amount of comedy, sci-fi, and 80's-ness to make a great film. It is by far my favorite film from that decade.

My density has brought me to you.

I also love young Micheal J. Fox. What is not to love? He is adorable and has great comedic timing. He and Christopher Lloyd play off each other well and have really good chemistry. Lloyd plays Doc Brown just crazy enough with a touch of science which works really well. He has some of the best lines in the film (Why are things so heavy in the future? Great scott! Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads). Lea Thompson is fantastic as well playing both Marty's mother and a girl with a big crush.Their interactions are so awkward, but also so funny. Oh Calvin, I would fall for you too. The entire cast is just great in general, no one could play George McFly other than Crispin Glover.
The story is also great. It can be thought of as the beginners guide to time travel because it makes sense and still manages to add in a few surprises. When Marty gets back to 1985 and sees all the changes, it surprises the viewer almost as much as it surprises Marty himself. Even the second film makes sense for those who have trouble following other time travel films.
Honorable mentions for films that make me happy go to Ironman, pretty much anything released by Disney or Pixar, and the Harry Potter films because even though they are not the best adaptations, I cannot help but love them.

Facebook 30 Day Movie Challenge

Day 2: Least Favorite Film-The Da Vinci Code

Don't even get me started about his hair.

As an avid reader of Dan Brown's novels I was excited at the prospect of The Da Vinci Code being adapted into a film. I thought it would be a smarter, more mature version of National Treasure. How wrong I was. Tom Hanks, normally one of my favorite actors delivered one of the worst performances of his career. He was wooden and completely uninspired. It was almost as if he was just going through the motions. The same can be said for Audrey Tautou. She and Hanks had no chemistry and the usual joie de vivre that is part of her charm was seriously lacking. I will say that Paul Bettany and Alfred Molina were decent in their roles and provided some of the only engaging scenes in the film.
 Ron Howard who had plenty of material to create a captivating film with seemed to not want to offend anyone and cut out substantial parts of the novel making it neither interesting nor entertaining. Even if there was not a book to compare it to The Da Vinci Code failed to be a good movie in general because of the halting and sometimes confusing way in which it told its story. And despite the beautiful country and settings there was very little that was visually appealing.
Overall, I was very disappointed. The same goes for Angels and Demons, but by that time I expected it to be horrible after seeing how badly Howard and co. messed up the first one. Believe me, I'm not going to waste my money even attempting to see The Last Symbol if it ever gets made. Especially when I didn't even like the book.
Honorable mentions for least favorite film go to pretty much anything starring Katherine Heigl because I despise her  "I'm-a-busy-career-woman-too-stuck-up-to-have-fun-or fall-in-love-but -really-all I-need-is-a guy- to-show-me-the-least-bit-of-attention-and-I'll-fall-in- love-with-him" schtick that she has in every film, although I still haven't seen her in Knocked Up.

Facebook 30 Movie Challenge

Since Lent began today I wanted to try and do something for 40 days. I was going to try and watch and blog about 40 movies but as a (very involved) college student, I knew that would be next to impossible. Instead, as a way to make myself blog (almost) everyday I am going to do the 30 Facebook Movie Challenge; 30 movie related questions that I will try to answer to the best of my ability. Looking up the questions I actually just found out that there is a second part so I may be participating long after Lent is over. So, without further ado...

Day 1: Favorite Film-Fight Club

As a self proclaimed movie snob, I have always had difficulty answering this question. I feel that it should something obscure or totally out there or French, but I have to say my favorite film is David Fincher's 1999 Fight Club. Where do I even begin? With the ending that completely blew my mind? With three of my favorite actors (Brad Pitt, Ed Norton, and Helena Bonham-Carter) in lead roles? With my favorite director? I think Fight Club has everything a film should and much more. It is funny, smart, in your face, full of action, and thought provoking. I love the screenplay and think that it is a perfect adaptation of Palahnik's novel.
Every time I watch it, I find something new to enjoy. I love watching it with friends for the first time just to see their reactions. They get mad at me because I always look at their faces during the good parts and give things away, but I just can't help it. 

"You met me at a very strange time in my life."

It is hard to describe the things you love. There are so many reasons why I like Fight Club and yet I cannot explain them all. Why is it my favorite movie? It just is, for all the reasons I said before and so much more. It is about love and life and friendship; the film just speaks to me on a real level because it hits me right in the gut. I feel that Fight Club is especially applicable now more than ever
with the me-me-me-apathetic-technologically obsessed generations of today because it captures the very real fears of society (wow I sound old). While I have loved many a film, for me Fight Club is for now (and has been for awhile) my number one.
Honorable mentions go to V for Vendetta, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Moulin Rouge, and Across the Universe.