2015 Movies Faves and Stats

December 30, 201513 Comments

Movies

I watched 54 movies, that’s down 12 from last year!!!

I wrote 2 Book vs. Movie posts (The Fault in Our Stars and The Hound of the Baskervilles), wrote a few Friday film talks and continued my 5 word movie reviews asking for your participation. Please consider adding your thoughts to these reviews since they count towards money for charity, maybe even yours!

2015 was my most watched movie year with 15, followed closely by 2014 with 13.

The oldest movie I watched was The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1939

Favorite animated film was Cars, 2006

Best sequel was Creed, 2015

Cutest couple- Hazel and Augustus in The Fault in Our Stars

Favorite movie poster-

Hated-Snowpiercer. Violent and pointless. I hear they are going to make a tv show based on it. One I will not be watching 🙂

Most watched actor-supporting actor Vincent D’Onofrio with 4 movies (Run All Night, The Judge, Jurassic World, Escape Plan)

Most watched actress-Julianne Moore with 3 movies (Still Alice, Non-Stop, Hunger Games:Mockingjay, part 2)

My 5 favorite movies this year

1.Begin Again. This was everything a great indie should be. Charming and romantic with a kick-ass soundtrack. Jason and I actually used an idea from this movie for our wedding anniversary this year.

2.pk. Jason and I are not familiar with Bollywood movies but this one was playing at our local theater and we decided to check it out. It is so goofy and bizarre that it charmed us from beginning to end. It was also a packed theater and I hope to see more as our theater plays them.

3.Spy. I loved Melissa McCarthy’s lead comedic role. She was hilariously supported by the rest of the cast and I laughed. And then I laughed some more.

4. Imitation Game. A great historical film about mathematicians trying to break the Germans enigma code. Yes, I wasn’t too excited about the premise but the movie was very well done.

5. Selma. I liked this movie about MLK Jr.’s fight for equality. Not afraid to show him at his weakest or most calculating, I was fascinated by this portrayal of a man who fought for justice.

So what was your favorite movie this year?

Film disappointments – Sandra Bullock

August 7, 20159 Comments

I love Sandra Bullock and have ever since I saw her in Speed and While You Were Sleeping. No matter what the film, she was always likeable and fun to watch. In addition to those first few I’ve loved her in The Proposal, The Heat, 28 Days, The Lake House, Crash, Miss Congeniality, Murder by the Numbers…you get the idea. I even liked her in the bomb Forces of Nature! I think, in all, I’ve seen her in 24 movies.

So, I brought All About Steve, co-starring Bradley Cooper, home from the library. I know it was panned by the critics when it came out but I figured Sandra could really pull off anything, especially if it was supposed to make me laugh. I was wrong. She was so completely miscast in this disjointed 2009 movie. She was very strange and that’s okay because I’ve always considered normal pretty boring, but not strange in much of a real way. Also, I know she looks young, but I’m not sure what age she was supposed to be pulling off. It was very disappointing, even with the overriding message of it’s okay to be different.

Has one of your favorite actors or actresses let you down lately?

Book vs. Movie – Gone Girl

October 9, 2014September 13, 202418 Comments

This is semi-regular feature where we can talk about which was better, the book or the movie. I read the book in January 2013 (post here) and watched the movie last Friday, the day it came out. Let’s break down how they compare.

*This is as spoiler free as possible!!!

The Story/Plot Nick and Amy meet in New York and fall in love. When the money gets tight and Nick’s mom gets sick they move to Missouri. One or both of them turns into a sociopath and the paparazzi cameras are rolling. I think both the movie and book do an excellent job of telling the story of this couple and the crumbling facade of their marriage. Thumbs Up-Tie

The Visual The book is dark and the movie was also dark, really at times it felt like the X-Files and you needed a flashlight. I don’t really feel that the movie added anything visually to the book. There’s no real reason to see it on the big screen unless you just can’t wait to spent more time with Nick and Amy. To me, the descriptions in the book were just as effective in creating a visual image. Thumbs Up-Tie

Characters vs. Actors I think Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike became Nick and Amy. Excellent choices and great acting (at least I hope it was acting!). I love Neil Patrick Harris but he was not exactly who I pictured as Desi. Margo, Nick’s sister was played by a new actress to me, Carrie Coon and I thought she did a great job. I know people are complaining about a character missing, but I really wasn’t bothered by the minor exclusion. Thumbs Up-Tie

The Ending Up until this point I think both book and movie were on equal footing. In the book, the ending packed a punch for me. I was upset. In the movie, the ‘ending’ went on so long with so many scene cuts that I just wanted it to figure out what it wanted to say and to do it. For me, it was a weak. It did change just enough to make the ending different while still being the same in spirit. If that makes any sense. Thumbs Up-Book

And the winner is…the Book!

Now it’s your turn to vote

Other book vs. movie polls you can still vote on: (It Ends With Us) (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) (The Sun is Also a Star) (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) (Good Morning, Midnight/The Midnight Sky) (Before I Go To Sleep) (The Little Prince) (Charlie St. Cloud) (Far From the Madding Crowd) (The Girl on the Train) (Tuck Everlasting) (Northanger Abbey) (Me Before You) (And Then There Were None) (Still Alice) (The Blind Side) (The Fault in Our Stars) (The Hound of the Baskervilles) (Gone Girl) (Jack Reacher) (Ender’s Game) (Carrie, the original) (Under the Tuscan Sun) (The Secret Life of Bees) (The Shining, the original)

Book vs. Movie – One Shot/Jack Reacher

March 21, 2014September 13, 202422 Comments

I am a Jack Reacher fan. I’ve just finished the 9th book in this long-running series and it happens to be the one on which they based the Jack Reacher movie. I didn’t hate the movie like many did and I thought the book was good. So how do the 2007 book and the 2012 movie compare? Let’s take a look.

The Story/Plot The story is sort of the same, a mass murderer who was easy to catch but proclaimed his innocence is facing a sure conviction. Enter Jack Reacher, ex-military police, who comes to prove the murderer’s guilt only to change his mind. Except for a few second-tier characters essentially missing from the movie and a switcheroo at the end, the stories are close. Unfortunately, those secondary characters helped make the book better. Thumbs Up- Book

The Visual This category is usually, at best, a tie. I mean the movie is almost always better since that’s what its purpose it, but in this case it’s not so easy. Like many things in the movie, the sets were…underwhelming? This is not a story based on a location (other than it being quintessential midwest) but it is based on action and they could have done so much more. Since I listened to the audio of the book I was able to better visualize the scene (Sometimes when I’m reading a fast paced thriller I don’t take the time. Is that wrong?) and it was superior to what came across on-screen. It can be different, but a movie should be able to win this one. It didn’t. And I’m not even talking about Tom Cruise trying to portray a 6’5″, 220-250 lbs., 3XLT coat wearing menace. I’ll get to that next. Thumbs Up- Book

Characters vs. Actors Ok, let’s start with the obvious. Sure, Tom Cruise plays Jack Reacher but saying he is Reacher is a stretch. Lee Child’s Reacher is supposed to be a menacing man who intimidates by size and attitude. It’s a total package. Yes, Cruise can command a room with his presence and he did an okay job with the attitude, but the whole package was missing something. I am not slamming Cruise. I actually thought he did an okay job, but then again my expectations were low. I didn’t like Rosamund Pike as the doe-eyed lawyer, but maybe it’s because they had to add the romantic element that wasn’t there in the book. It felt forced. I missed a few of the characters from the book, news anchor Ann Yanni, private investigator Franklin and ex-lover Eileen Hutton, all added much needed depth to the story. The movie was so focused on Reacher and Helen that it ignored the parts of the story that made it more believable. Thumbs Up- Book

The Ending The endings were a little different, not dramatic enough hate either one, but enough to notice. This is when the extra characters in the book made the end make more sense. And the hostage used to lure Reacher in to the final shoot out was different and so much less melodramatic when Lee Child wrote it. The movie felt expected, like I’d seen it on-screen before, so it wasn’t bad, just boring. Thumbs Up- Book

And the winner is…The Book!!

Now it’s your turn to vote!

Filmish Friday- Austen films

March 14, 201411 Comments

I love the romance and time period of Jane Austen’s novels. I have 2 left to read (Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park) and am looking forward to finding time for both. I think Austen has translated extremely well to screen and have enjoyed all of movies I’ve seen, even some of the ‘Austen-inspired’.

I’m curious to see what your favorite is, so I’ve created a little poll and we’ll see if we have a clear winner. We can always run a tie-breaker if we need to. If your favorite isn’t included, leave me a comment and I’ll add it. I didn’t include any mini-series, sorry BBC.

We have a WINNER and a charity $100 richer!

January 3, 2014January 4, 20149 Comments

Three years ago I started writing my 5 word movie reviews and asking for your input too, tying it to raising money for charity. I love seeing what you all come up with. The more participants the more fun!

We hit 100 reviews at 12:15-ish on January 1st and we have a repeat winner! Heather (Gofita’s Pages) topped the reviews this year with 28! Way to go Heather 🙂 And thanks to the other 16 of you who added your two cents (and $1 for charity). So where is the money going? Let’s hear from Heather…

My charity this year is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. http://www.afsp.org/

I lost my brother to suicide this year and love that there are people and organizations out there who offer support for those affected by suicide and those in crisis, as well as destigmatizing mental illness in general.

I don’t know how many of you know Heather, but if you don’t you are missing out. When she lost her brother and a good friend weeks apart her post on them both touched me and I think it will you too if you have a few minutes to read it (Life and Death). As we start a new year (even if you are practically snowed in like we are) remember to give more hugs, laugh a little bit more and enjoy life. And if you know of someone who might benefit from this charity I hope you will pass it along to them. I am honored that I can help in some way – even if it’s only by donating $100 (money is never enough) in Heather’s brother’s name, Blaine.

2013 Book and Movie Favorites and Stats

December 31, 2013December 31, 201346 Comments

Books

I read 56 books this year (that’s one more than last year!) Here they are by the numbers-

Fiction 42, Non-fiction 14

Female authors 35, Male authors 21

Series books- continuing series 6, new series 4 (I only plan to continue one, the Louise Penny series)

Oldest book read? Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit published in 1975

Filmish Friday- where are all the women?

November 8, 201310 Comments

Before I started blogging and looking more closely at what I read, I read so many more men authors than women. Now, after five years, I feel like my numbers are closer, maybe even . The same thing has happened these last few years as I’ve kept track of the new-to-me movies I watch. As I put the movie poster on my monthly post it seems so obvious that men dominate my movie watching as well. I always prepare my 5 word movie reviews as I watch them and last month after I added my first three I noticed that women were on all three and two only had women. It shouldn’t have struck me, but it did so I went back to take a look at the other movies I’ve watched this year and this was the breakdown of movie posters of the 48 movies I watched before October

23 had men only

2 had women only (and one was a girl, Les Mis)

17 were mixed with men and women

6 were other things (cartoons, no people)

Here are the movie posters of only gals that I’ve seen this year

I think that it’s sad that more women can’t lead a movie, well maybe Sandra Bullock by the looks of it. I like my alpha man fix just as much as anybody, but I think I can purposely choose more movies with leading women, just like I have done with authors. So, the last 2 movies I chose in October were ones featuring women. Maybe I’ll try to do a few months that I focus on one group or another. I’ve already gone boyish this month by seeing Ender’s Game, but I can offset that with Catching Fire, right?

How about you? Do you find yourself watching more male or female centered movies?

Fave Film #46- Chocolat

July 12, 201317 Comments

(2000)

Cast-Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp

Vianne and her daughter, Anouk, are travelers. In 1959 they blow into a small, devout village in France and open up a chocolate shop at the beginning of Lent. This angers the mayor and moral leader of the village and the two struggle against each other for their place in the community.

Why I Love It– There are so many things I love about this movie, but the thing that stands out the most is the mysterious and mystical storytelling. It is magical realism with a message. A story of the good (the godly followers) and the bad (everyone else) it was told in such a lavish way that it wasn’t the same, stale story we’ve seen before. There is whimsy but it also gives you something to think about.

I thought the casting was perfect. Juliette Binoche was perfect as Vianne. She was kind but almost eager to stir the pot. The glint in her eye let you know that things were not as calm as they seemed. And Judi Dench was flawless as usual. I’ve seen Alfred Molina in many movies, but this is the role I usually associate him with in my mind. And, Johnny, oh sweet, sweet Johnny. He is a sexy man ‘cleaned up’ as a river rat. His subdued performance was a change from some of his more flamboyant roles and he worked well with Juliette.

And the chocolate…oh the beautiful chocolate! It made me want to go out and buy some handmade works of art. Vianne liked to guess people’s favorite chocolate and I like to think that she would have chosen her hot chocolate for me.

There is beauty on the screen and in the movie’s message. I can’t say that the message of tolerance didn’t have its problems but I found them easy to overlook. I was too busy looking at Johnny and the chocolate to care 😉

Even though the movie was set in a fictional French town I can see Vianne setting up shop here, in the Montmartre area of Paris.

(courtesy of Bookbath)

Tell No One- the French movie based on the Harlen Coben book

July 5, 2013July 4, 201315 Comments

(courtesy of Birdbath) Enjoy this month in France!

Tell No One, 2006

Tell No One was my first Harlen Coben book and after I devoured it I went out and read everything he’d written. As much as I love some of his others, this still remains my favorite and I recommend it often. I was thrilled to learn that it had been made into a movie, even willing to embrace the fact that it would be a French movie with subtitles. Subtitles and I have a rocky relationship. I saw it at the theater when it came out and watched it again this week with my mom. I liked it better the second time because I followed all the characters a little better.

How does a New York story transfer to Paris? Very well. It is different, but the idea is the same. A doctor is contacted by his dead wife eight years after her murder, only the police and paid killers are after him too. I thought this fast paced movie was great. For all Harlan Coben fans, he has a cameo, pay attention or you’ll miss it.

This has nothing to do with the movie but I loved this window we found in Bordeaux country.

Stacy's Books

books, movies, and boy

Category: movies