Movies, TV, and Music Views

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest

2006-07-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

I finally got my Jack Sparrow fix and went and saw Dead Man's Chest on July 9. Although I have to admit, in this one, Orlando Bloom had as much of my attention as Johnny Depp, probably because he spent a good deal of the movie wet (yum!).

Ok, will say right up front.... FINALLY! A sequel that's even better than the original movie! I laughed in 60% of the scenes. The fight scenes were so inventive (and funny!) and the special effects were incredible.

The cliffhanger ending didn't even bother me. Just gave me something else to look forward to next summer!

TRISTAN AND ISOLDE

2006-07-05T23:48:00.000-04:00

"What are we watching tonight?" asks the husband, settling into his recliner just after the kids head to bed.

"Tristan and Isolde," I say, laying down on the couch, Diet Dr Pepper at the ready.

"What's it about?"

I shrug. "Not sure. I think it's a medieval romance .... kinda like what I write."

"Cool."

Only...it's wasn't like what I write, and now, I'm praying husband doesn't think I pen novels where WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD, STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

..............THE hero dies, and the heroine is married to another man. Sigh. Tragic love.

Apparently, Tristan and Isolde is the myth that sparked all the Arthurian legends. I believe it. Very similar story lines. Arthur, the king, weds Guinevere, whom he adores. She, on the other hand, is in love with Arthur's trusted man, Lancelot. In T&I, Mark, the king, weds Isolde, whom he adores. She, on the other hand, is in love with Mark's trusted man, Tristan. It ends in noble tragedy, yada yada.

What did I come away with? James Franco is stunningly beautiful, though I don't believe that's true of every movie I've seen him in. But in T&I, his eyes steal a bit of your soul. He's devestatingly cute.

And for those of you wondering, no... Romance novels do not end in death and misery, and heroine's are not likely to be wed to another man whilst bedding the man of her heart!

This n That

2006-07-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I'm stashing a bunch of movies right now, waiting until my veg period after national conference before watching them. They include: Old School, Walk the Line, Kingdom of Heaven, Passion of the Christ and everything else I get my hands on until then. Why stash the movies? Because I really want to quit smoking, and watching movies will help with that. Two hour intervals with my mind enganged on something that I can't smoke while doing, since I don't smoke in the house.

Besides, right now, I'm way to busy shopping for conference, working on my deadline book 2, and making lists of household "crud" that has to be done before I can leave my family for a week. House cleaning, food to prepare for the kiddos and hubby, chore lists of things that must be done while I'm gone.

Men don't go through this. They can pack up and leave on a trip in the blink of an eye. No "to-dos" to make a one week trip turn into two weeks worth of preparation. They leave and know we'll take care of things while they're gone. But WE know better. We know that dishes are likely to go unwashed until 5 minutes before we return home. Laundry will pile up. Dust will accumulate. The kids might live on peanut butter and jelly, go unbathed, and end up with rotten teeth. We know the dog will be fed table scraps, bedtimes will be forgotten, and beds won't be made. But, I think our vacations away from them turn into their vacations away from us, as well. It's good for them to have a week here and there without someone nagging about taking care of everything. Let the house fall apart, I say, and maybe they'll appreciate me a bit more when I return!

When a Stranger Calls - DVD

2006-06-22T00:42:00.000-04:00

Horror (supposedly)

Starring: Never-Seen-Her-Before and Some-Guy-In-Shadows

Anyone who knows me knows I love slasher flicks. I don't, however, go for slasher flick wannabes. I don't care for one-actor movies, where the sole actress spends 80 minutes pacing an enormous house, gabbing on the phone. And most of all, I don't care for movies where you're left with so many "huh" questions that you never had time to enjoy anything.

When a Stranger Calls is full of all of the above.

For example, the movie starts with a crime where police hint at the absolute gore left behind by a maniac murderer...pieces of body are then carried out to the ambulance (a bit late for that me thinks lol). So, with that set up, I'm thinking, oooo Halloween, Nightmare on Elmstreet gore! I love gore movies. Granted sometimes I miss most of it because my eyes are closed tight, but I still love gore in movies as well as in appropriate fiction (give me a gory serial killer over a terrorist any day). So, obviously the guy in WASC is a hacker. Then why, pray tell, does he keep trying to kill this freaking girl in wuss ways? He tries to strangle her. Tries to drown her. He doesn't have a weapon. Nothing about this guy follows through on brutal killer.

Now for the few plusses about this movie. #1, once the girl knows the killer's in the house, things picked up. Good action sequence there. (They should have stopped while they were ahead, though, and left out the final, cheesy soap opera ending). #2, the house/setting was WAY cool! #3 the heroine was smart enough to call everyone she could think of when the calls started. Police, her parents, the kids' parents. She wasn't completely stupid (though she had her moments....). However, the biggest plus about WASC was that during the long, run through the woods at night scene, THE HEROINE NEVER FELL DOWN! That's progress people!

OVER THE HEDGE - Theaters

2006-06-15T00:35:00.000-04:00

My daughter turned 10 this month, which resulted in the annual, "It's your day, your call" weekend afternoon. Her choice: Bowling. Bad news kiddo. They have leagues going on. Next choice, go see the movie Cars at the theater. We go, get our snacks, hit the theater and find.... the only available seats are in the front row. She's a trooper. She didn't pout. Instead, she said we could ask for an exchange of tickets and go see Over the Hedge instead. We went, and I honestly can't imagine liking a bunch of talking autos better than talking critters. Bruce Willis plays RJ the racoon, who, fearing the wrath of a bear named Vincent, must steal enough food to keep Vincent happy upon waking from hibernation. How better to steal so much food than to con a family of forest foragers into helping him stow it?

Over the Hedge is funny and sweet, with lessons about family ties, honesty, and gives an eerie view at the gluttonous nature of human kind. It's not pretty folks. That alone is worth taking the kids to see this one!

Other voices: Avril Lavigne, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, William Shatner

RUMOR HAS IT - DVD

2006-06-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley Maclain

Rumor Has It is a romantic dromedy about a woman named Sarah (Aniston) who never quite felt like she fit in with her family. So when she discovers that the movie/book The Graduate was written about her family - the affair her grandmother had with a younger man, the same man who seduced Sarah's mother - Sarah leaves a fiance' in search of the man in question (Costner). Suspecting he's her true father, she hopes to finally figure out why she's so different from her family, only to discover (Costner) is not her father after all.

Now, keep in mind this guy has already slept with Sarah's mother and grandmother. So, naturally, Sarah sleeps with him too. Granted, he's not her Daddy, but come on. It's a little bit icky that she's sleeping with a man who's been intimate with Mom and Grandma, huh? Ok, little bit icky might not be strong enough, but whatever.

Overall, I really did enjoy the movie. I was pleased with the ending, and so long as I could block out the eww issues, I was caught up in the story. Aniston, as always, intrigues me. Not sure why. Maybe because she reminds me a bit of my daughter in appearance, maybe it's because she was married to Brad Pitt... whatever. Actually, yeah, she does remind me of my daughter, but now that I'm thinking about it, I realize my fascination was more with her body -- more specifically the way she wears clothes. It's nauseating, really, how great they look on her.

So, Rumor Has It. Rent it, watch it, and let me know what you think. Were you able to push past the ick factor to enjoy it?

American Idol Results Are In

2006-05-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

Usually Thursdays are set aside for movie reviews, but with the closing of this American Idol season, I thought I'd chat a bit about my thoughts on the results.

1 - I still think Chris Daughtry got ripped off. Granted, he didn't need the show -- I believe he would have succeeded in the business without AI.

2- What the heck happened to Clay Aiken? I almost didn't even recognize him. Was that black hair or is the color on my TV screwed up? I do have admit that the Clay Aiken wanna be's reaction to Clay on stage was priceless, however.

3- The cheesy awards for best/worst reminded me of those dreaded yearbook surveys in highschool. Two hours. Really? It could have been cut to an hour by losing all that.

4- I wish Kelly Pickler hadn't chopped off all her beautiful hair!

5- Elliot can saaaaaaaaaaang!

6 - I'm probably going to get kicked on the street for this, but I would like Katherine so much more if I didn't feel like she was trying so hard to be sexy all the time. She comes across as so arrogant.

7 - Chicken Little - ok, don't even remember his name, but have this to say : Still not a fan. Did he ever really have a chance?

8- OMG! Was that really Prince? It was, it was!!! Quality of show just skyrocketed.

9 - Did I mention I hope Taylor wins?

10 - More people voted for American Idol than the any president ever. Really? Priorities people!

AND THE WINNER IS....................
TAYLOR HICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least the overwhelming voters got it right :)

Heather

HOODWINKED - DVD

2006-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Family rating:
Voices of Ann Hathaway, Glenn Close, James Belushi

Having written my own spin on Little Red Riding Hood, I couldn't wait to see this new take on it. I love animated movies and I believe the people who made this one were the ones who made Shrek which is one of the best animated flix around. In short, I won't be buying my own copy. There were a couple of cute moments, but even my kids didn't ask if we could keep the rented DVD for a few more days, a sure sign that it wasn't as funny as we thought it would be.

CRASH - DVD

2006-05-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

Starring: Everyone who ever made a movie

Matt Dillion is a racist cop. Sandra Bullock is a snobby white bitch. Don Cheadle is ignorant about the Latino culture.... there's not a single race in this movie that isn't hated by someone.

Crash is the kind of movie that makes you feel guilty, even if you've never had a racist thought in your head. Everything you do could possibly affect someone you cross in a huge way, perhaps to change their life forever. The actors hit on so many stereotypes, there's bound to be at least one that you, yourself are guilty of. (Although there was, surprisingly, a lack of dumb blondes....)

While I wouldn't say Crash was particularly entertaining or great in the sense of "blockbuster wow", it is an important story that I believe everyone should watch at least once. It's really frightening where you might actually recognize yourself within the many stories...

2006-05-05T16:11:00.000-04:00

Technorati Profile

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - dvd

2006-05-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

Warning: I'm likely to misspell every name I try to put in this post, so I'm not even going to try. Just know that "the girl" refers to the lead actress or main character.

Memoirs of a Geisha is a captivating movie. "The girl" is mesmerizing, and even if she couldn't act her way out of a box (which she could), her eyes would do all the acting for her they were so expressive. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a romance of sorts, which I really hadn't been expecting. The movie had all the components of a film I'll have to watch again, including a nasty, bitch of a villain who I just enjoyed hating so much.

There were a couple of scenes post war where the Americans came into the movie that left me a tad shocked. Seeing the troops living high as we've seen in every other movie of that era was startlingly bawdy in comparison to the elegant lifestyle of the Japanese we'd been privy to up until then. It was like watching neandrathals living it up in the royal palace. It made me feel a bit bigger and bulkier even than normal! (Watch and you'll see what I mean)

If you enjoy movies that delve into other cultures, this is definitely one to watch.

KING KONG (2005) - DVD

2006-04-29T22:18:00.000-04:00

Action/ Adventure - DVD

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrian Brody

Here's the problem with remaking classics: You always know the ways the story ends. This, I don't really understand. Remakes of other fiction tales like King Kong are not true events, in which case, why can't the ending ever change? They change the endings to books all the time. Why not to movies?

I purposely did not go with my husband and son to see King Kong at the theaters. #1 because I knew the ending, and do not like to cry in public. #2 because I make it a point not to see anything in which an animal has a leading role (CGI created or real). They promise tissue moments, which I do NOT like. Don't get me wrong. I sniffle at a good romantic moment... the dying scene in Terms of Endearment. But animals are different. I'm much more sensitized to their suffering. (A therapist would have a field day with me!)

Tonight, however, I sat and watched the full movie with the family. The ending hadn't changed (duh) and I sat sniffling with my daughter. Other than the first 45 minutes, which I could have lived without, the movie was great. Will I watch it again? Maybe. But if I do, you can be sure I'll have to do laundry during the last ten minutes!!!!!!!!!!

Chicken Little

2006-04-26T12:26:00.000-04:00

(DVD - Children)

I love Disney/Pixar all those brand of children movies almost as much as my kids do, so I really wanted to see Chicken Little. However, other than Kirby, the little orange alien, there wasn't a whole lot of cute about this movie. I laughed out loud only once, which is sad. This one was a disappointment.

ELIZABETH - DVD

2006-04-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

(1998 DVD)

Starring Cate Blanchett and Joseph Fiennes

I love Joseph Fiennes. He's got these chocolate- brown, doe eyes that make my insides melt. I wonder why he's not in more movies. He was in one called Killing Me Softly with Heather Graham that was hot, hot, hot! Even in the little balloon pants he wears in Elizabeth, he's sexy as hell.

Anyway, about the movie....
I have a weak spot for epic or historical movies, so of course, I enjoyed Elizabeth. Cate Blanchett played her to perfection and Geoffrey Rush was amazing as well. The movie depicts Elizabeth's early queendom, from her coronation to her declaration that she would be the virgin queen. In a way, it was done the way Passion of the Christ was -- choosing only a short period of time to replay. I left the movie wanting to see the rest of her reign as well.

The sets are beautiful, but I do have one word of warning. If you're not familiar with Elizabeth's history, then you might want to brush up on it before watching. They sort of plunge you in, expecting you to already understand what's going on and who everyone is. I know her history, so this didn't bother me, but I couldn't see watching it without at least the bare bones knowledge of her story.

ICE AGE 2 - THE MELTDOWN

2006-04-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

(Theater)

(Starring Ray Romano, Queen Latifah)

For Easter, we took our kids to see ICA2. I was pouting because I would have much rather have seen The Wild, but majority rules, and I lost. But I'm glad I did. I think this is one case where a sequel was better than the original. Scrat, the obsessive squirrel who loves acorns, is a major part of this one, which makes it better right there. Then add Queen Latifah, a female mammoth who thinks she's a possum. I haven't heard my son laugh so much in years, which might have been the biggest contributor my enjoyment of this one.

Buy The Meltdown for your kids when it's released on DVD. They'll love it.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA - LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE

2006-04-17T08:57:00.000-04:00

DVD

I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was in 5th grade and truly loved it, so when the movie came out, it was one I really wanted to see in the theaters. However, 19 years seems to have changed my tastes. I didn't get to see it in the theaters (it came out the same time as Goblet of Fire, and I do have priorities!), but we bought it on DVD. It was a good movie full of beautiful sets. But, I've been spoiled. Narnia offers talking animals and one or two mythical beasts. With Harry Potter, I receive a new world where everything is fresh and created in JK Rowling's mind. Narnia didn't offer much of that. The best way to describe what I mean is with the old cartoon, the Flintstones. The creators of that show made up new ways of playing records, pigs that lived beneath the sink to act as garbage disposals, bees in shells to act as razors. Pure creativity. Other than animals that talk, I found that sorely lacking in Narnia.

The world of Harry Potter is much more imaginative, giving us new ways to eat (Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate frogs), moving photographs, the Knight bus... in other words, a world purely made up. If that's what you're looking for, pass on LW&tW.

Heather

BEWITCHED - DVD

2006-04-10T13:08:00.000-04:00

I used to love the Bewitched series, and once I heard the premise of the movie wasn't going to follow the show, I wasn't really eager to see it. Still don't think it's a winner, but it's worth watching once for Nicole Kidman fans. She's beautiful, as always, but her leading man was a dud.

Derailed - DVD

2006-04-10T12:25:00.000-04:00

DERAILED -

Thriller - DVD

Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen star in this thriller. There are twists and turns, and while I did guess what was going on, there were still enough surprises near the end to leave me satisfied. Jennifer is as sexy and beautiful as always, and what is it about Clive Owen that is so appealing? He just sort of draws you in....
Derailed is definitely one I would watch again.

SAW II - DVD

2006-04-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

As I've said before, I'm a huge horror fan, so of course I had to watch the sequel to the creepy 2004 release SAW.

This one wasn't as gorrific as the first one, but it was just as good. More suspense elements to it, though I have to admit to guessing to the outcome pretty early into the movie.

Still, it's one to rewatch every Halloween!

JUST LIKE HEAVEN - DVD

2006-03-28T12:57:00.000-05:00

(Romance - DVD - starring Reese Witherspoon)

Aside from a few plot holes (she remembers what Armani is and how her phone got stained, but not anything about her life????) this was a solid romance. I guessed the ending before the beginning credits even started rolling, but, hey. It's a romance, right? Pretty much guaranteed to end a certain way. Mark Ruffalo is sooo charming in this, and Reese is a cute as ever. A pretty decent chick flick.

MONSTER IN LAW - DVD

2006-03-02T12:43:00.000-05:00

Comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda.

I had a ball with this one. It was nice to see a romantic comedy where the comedy didn't come at the expense of the romance. The romance was solid and I was a bit shocked to like Jennifer Lopez in such an un-divaish role

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

2006-02-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

DVD - Horror

Half courtroom drama, half horror flick. The Exorcism of Emily Rose was very well done. What amazed me even more than "Emily's" contortion skill, was the director's ability to tell an entire movie, based on real events, without trying to sway the viewer one way or the other. You're left to make up your own mind as to whether she was really possessed by the devil or suffering from a disease. Very well done!

The Wedding Crashers

2006-01-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

(Comedy- DVD)

I'm not a big Vince Vaughn fan, but I adore Owen Wilson. He didn't let me down in Wedding Crashers, and surprisingly, Vince Vaughn kept me in stitches. This is one of the better comedies I've seen in a long time.

MOVIE- The Skeleton Key

2005-12-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

If you love New Orleans and you love a bit of suspense, this was a pretty good one. Kate Hudson is as beautiful as always, but it was the story of HooDoo that made me curious to watch. It wasn't riveting, but it kept my interest for the most part.

Movie- HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

2005-12-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

(Fantasy- Theaters)

Okay, so I actually saw this one in November, but because I'm planning on seeing it again with friends this month, I'm not really cheating by putting in my December's Fun Stuff. GOF is the best Harry film yet. It's action packed and fun, and, while it left out some of my favorite characters like Winky the house-elf, the inclusion of Lord Voldemort was excellent.

Bewitched

2005-11-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

Cursed - DVD

2005-11-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

Horror staring Christina Ricci

I'm a horror movie fanatic, both A quality and B quality. Cursed, a werewolf movie starring Christina Ricci, is somewhere in the middle. I wouldn't advise paying money to see it, but if it comes on the boob tube, it's worth a watch.

Music -- Writing Soundtracks

2005-10-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

What am I writing to? My contemporary paranormals are still written with Evanescence playing in the background. As for my medievals, the Lord of the Rings or Braveheart scores are always within reach.

Music - Recent Purchases

2005-10-20T14:53:00.000-04:00

I just got the new Kelly Clarkson cd, which surprisingly, I liked. Another not-so-new cd that I finally got around to purchasing is Gwen Steffani's Love Angel Music Baby. Housework is a lot more bareable with that one cranked up high!

TV- Reality Bites

2005-10-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

Josh Holloway plays Sawyer on Lost

Other than the fact that my kids are back in school full time, the thing I love most about September is the return of Survivor. I admit it, I'm a reality-tv junkie. Just as I'm sadly watching Big Brother get ready to sign off for the season, Survivor has returned to ease the loss.Another thing to look forward to? The return of Lost. No, not because the plot is intriguing. Not because an ex-hobbit is one of the stars. The main reason I look forward to the return of Lost is simplified by one word... SAWYER, (sigh) played by actor Josh Holloway.

My girl Stephanie returns to Survivor

TV- More new shows and old favorites...

2005-10-20T14:41:00.000-04:00

The last thing I need is more freaking TV to take me away from writing. Network execs don't seem to care about that, though, and insist on adding new fascinating shows all the time. I'm still loving NBC's Medium with Patricia Arquette (is her husband not the most charming, understanding man in the world?).

Also back on the boob tube is the WB's Gilmore Girls. I cannot say enough about the dialogue in this show. Mothers everywhere say, "Now why can't I have that relationship with my daughter?" Of course, now that Loralie (sp?) and Rory aren't speaking, our relationships with our daughters are looking a little healthier. Forgive her already, Loralie! You're turning into your mother!

And speaking of the Gilmore Girls... remember Rory's boyfried Dean played by Jared Padalecki? He's baaaack! Now the WB has come out with a show called Supernatural. Man, was that created for me. Two gorgeous guys chasing things that go bump in the night. The first episode was amazing and shocking, It plays Tuesdays and repeats Saturday nights. Check this one out

AMITYVILLE HORROR - Movie

2005-10-10T12:54:00.000-04:00

(Horror- DVD)

As I said in before, I love horror movies. This remake was great, but I have to admit that the "unseen" elements in the original were far scarier than the gore in this one. The little girl in this is precious, the guy is ripped, but the mother left a lot to be desired. I guess it's hard to live up to Margot Kidder.

THE WEDDING DATE - movie

2005-01-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

Romantic Comedy starring Debra Messing and Dulmot Mulroney

I'm so hesitant to bad-mouth anything here. I know how hard it is to create anything and hope for success, but this movie irritated me. The comedy was fabulous. Not so much from the primary characters, but from the secondary ones, I laughed A LOT. But when the movie was over, I didn't feel like I'd just watched a great movie. The romance just didn't work. Dermot Mulroney plays a male prostitute when it comes down to it, and there was absolutely no reason for me to believe this job was different than any other for him. I was rooting for them, truly. I just didn't buy it. If you watched this one and disagree, please tell me why. I'd love to hear from you.