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Posts tagged with: movies
Quick Five – Songs from MoviesPosted by Anna Sugden Apr 23 2012, 1:35 am in 27 Dresses, Anna Sugden, Footloose, movies, songs, Top Gun
(For those of you who don’t recognise it, that is the flag of St George or the flag of England). What better way to celebrate, than with a Quick Five? For today’s Quick Five, I thought we could have some fun with favourite songs from movies. I’m not talking about musicals – though I do love them! I’m talking about songs you’ve enjoyed from movies, which aren’t actually musicals. Songs which accompany a favourite scene or movie moment. For example, I love “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” thanks to this scene from Top Gun. Actually, Top Gun is one of those films with awesome music all the way through. At the end of this post, I’ve included a particular favourite from this film you might enjoy! And how about “Benny and the Jets” from 27 Dresses? I really like the Pointer Sisters “Jump” – especially after this bit of dancing from Hugh Grant in Love, Actually? If only it went on longer! Love, Actually has so many lovely musical moments, like “All You Need is Love” in the church Even the ending is awesome! I wish I could have found a You-Tube video of it! The song which accompanies the montage at the end is “God Only Knows”. Funnily enough, Hugh Grant and the lovely Colin Firth appear again in this next clip. I love “It’s Raining Men” … and this fight scene (sorry about the language at the beginning!) The next one is a little unusual as it’s from The Karate Kid – not an especially favourite movie – but I love this song “You’re The Best Around” I couldn’t find a clip for “Holding Out for a Hero” from Footloose – the original (the famous tractor chicken race scene), but here is “Let’s Hear it for the Boy”. Finally, I have a soft spot for ‘Up Where We Belong’ – the song from that final scene from Officer and a Gentleman – though I couldn’t find a decent clip of it! Over to you – what are your five favourite songs from films? And, while you’re thinking about it – enjoy ‘Playing With the Boys’ from Top Gun – sadly I couldn’t find an English version, but that doesn’t hurt the visuals Or this version that includes a few jets too!
Love and Laughter!Posted by Anna Campbell Apr 10 2012, 12:02 am in Anna Campbell, Inspirations, Leap Year, movies, My Life in Ruins, romantic comedy
Are you a romantic comedy fan? I am I must admit to being disappointed with a lot of the recent romantic comedies I’ve seen. They just don’t have the zing of something like ROMAN HOLIDAY or BRINGING UP BABY or PRETTY WOMAN. But then my faith in the genre was restored by two films I really enjoyed and have since watched multiple times with increasing pleasure. Now, that’s saying something! So I thought I’d talk today about MY LIFE IN RUINS from 2009 and LEAP YEAR from 2010.
Both of these films are very heroine-centric, particularly LEAP YEAR. Both films have clever, dynamic women on the verge of making huge mistakes in their lives. And when love hits our heroines, it comes from unexpected directions and it takes courage to follow where love leads. I always love that theme – finding happiness where you least expect it.
Both these stories have so much heart and charm, they’re the sort of films that leave you with a big smile on your face at the end. Both have lovely love stories, appealing characters, glorious scenery and lots of eccentric secondary characters to add spice to the mix. If you want a couple of feel-good movies, I highly recommend them. So have you seen LEAP YEAR or MY LIFE IN RUINS? If so, which hero would you rather leap into the local ruins with? As a sucker for a British accent, I’ve got to say for me it’s Matthew Goode by a nose, although I wouldn’t kick the other guy out of my Parthenon either. Any other rom coms you’d like to recommend? Welcome to the Hunger Games…Posted by Donna MacMeans Mar 23 2012, 12:38 am in Donna MacMeans, Flirting with Forty, Hunger Games, Mockingjay, movies, Twilight
Hunger Games (the movie) will be premiering about the time this blog posts. While I really want to see this movie, I’m not willing to stand in line for a midnight premier. I did manage to see the movie adaptation of Twilight for the first time Wednesday night. Yes, it’s finally hit the small screen. I’ve only read the first book in the Twilight series. I liked it – again it had the sort of fast pacing that made it difficult to put the book down – but I had no Books are almost always a richer more personal experience than watching a movie. I’m not the fastest of readers. I like to live in the story world and digest every word. Movies, however, can be no longer than two hours – which translates to 120 script pages. That’s not long enough for me to really get into the character’s heads and experience the life they’re living. I heard Jane Porter speak about her experiences when her book, Flirting with Forty, was made into a lifetime channel movie. So I wonder about other movie adaptations. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? Do you long to see a movie after you’ve read the book – or is the book enough? Or conversely, have you ever watched a movie and then run out and bought the book? Actually, I did that with the TV series Game of Thrones. The world building is so wonderful, I figured the series couldn’t possibly have included everything – so I bought the set of books. Haven’t read them yet though. By the way, the lair has something of a connection with the movie Hunger Games. The son of a bandita, known as “the boy,” is an extra in the movie. I’m hoping to spot him when we go this weekend. I wonder if he was Anyway, someone leaving a comment will win their choice of one of my books. Which reminds me – I’m still waiting to hear from Aline Tobing who won a copy of Jules Bennett’s Caught in the Spotlight. Movies I Missed….Posted by Jeanne Adams May 17 2011, 3:40 pm in Jeanne Adams, movies
Hey gang! Sorry for the late blog today. I was under the weather a bit yesterday…feeling better today, thank you. One of the “good” things about being a bit less energetic than usual is that I got to clear out the TiVo and watch some movies I’d been meaning to watch. Here’s my problem. I’ve got two kids, both of whom are sports-boys and have extracurricular activities. I’m writing books and managing a household and generally running like a crazy woman. I have great plans to watch a movie with the hubster, settle back into the big chair and a half and snuggle up with him and some popcorn and watch some of those DVDs we bought one another for Christmas. (We do this – buy the latest one for one another, because we’d buy it anyway, but it gets a present for one of the boys to give to the parent for a relatively low cost. The 21st century version of buying dad a tie or pencil leads or handkerchiefs) Sorry, I digressed. Anyway, the challenge for me is, that I seldom have time – or make time – to sit down and watch the chick flicks and fun movies full of explosions that my boys buy me for birthday or Christmas. I have good intentions…but there It has to wait for a sick day. So, long story short (or is it too late for that?), yesterday, I got in some movies. I watched The Blind Side. WOW! What a fabulous movie! Made me want to root for the Baltimore Ravens – somethign I’ve been resistant to because I don’t like that the shall-not-be-named-owner pulled the team out of Cleveland and took them to Baltimore. Grrrr. Nothing against Baltimore but…
I also missed Batman Begins. And Master and Commander. And Tangled. I had wanted to see ALL of them in the theatre, but with babysitting and movie costs so high, books due, baseball schedules, (…my country’s 500th anniversary to plan, my wife to murder, Guilder to frame for it…I’m swamped!)….it’s just been impossible. What movies did you miss on the big screen? Any you bought on DVD and still haven’t watched? When’s the next “sick day”? Let’s Go to the Movies!Posted by Trish Milburn Jan 15 2011, 5:06 am in movies, Trish Milburn Yesterday, while I was pondering what to post about today, I hurried out to the mailbox (hurried because it was COLD!) to see what my grumpy mailman had brought me. Yay, no bills! And, yay, the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly! And bonus, it’s the 2011 Movie Preview issue. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge movie fan. So in honor of this, I decided to share which movies I’m looking forward to this year along with some trailers. I Am Number Four (out Feb. 18) — This movie is based on the young adult novel by Pittacus Lore (a pen name of James Frey — yeah, that James Frey, but I’m trying not to think about that whole Million Little Pieces fiasco). It’s about a teenage boy who has extraordinary powers, one of nine young people who came to this planet from a planet called Lorien. An enemy is hunting the nine, and Numbers One through Three have already been killed Number Four is next because they can only be killed in order. The screenplay is by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, creators of Smallville, and Marti Noxon, who worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, as well as newer shows like Grey’s Anatomy. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (out May 20) — I have to admit I had mixed feelings for a long time about this movie because, being a big fan of the Elizabeth and Will storyline I didn’t know if it’d feel right without them. But the trailer looks great, and let’s face it, Johnny Depp is freaking awesome. Just ask Tawny. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (July 15)– I’m so looking forward to this movie, and not at the same time. I so want to see how the movie is done, can’t wait to see Ron and Hermione finally have their kiss, but when the credits roll at the end it’ll all be…over. I suspect I won’t be the only person shedding tears at the theater. Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (Nov. 18)– Following in the footsteps of Harry Potter’s last film, Stephanie Meyer’s last book in her Twilight series will be split into two parts. Cowboys & Aliens (July 29) — Daniel Craig. Harrison Ford. And, I kid you not, cowboys fighting alien invaders. It sounds nutty, but I saw the trailer back when I saw Deathly Hallows, Part 1, and it sucked me in. Maybe because it was so unexpected. Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22) — What can I say? I loves me some superhero movies. Thor (May 6) — Remember what I just said about superhero movies? Red Riding Hood (March 11) — A much darker, much different telling of the classic tale. The trailer I saw at the theater looked great. Green Lantern (June 17) — Superhero movie! Are you looking forward to any of these movies? What other ones are on your must-see list for 2011? Not So Happily Ever After?Posted by Anna Campbell Nov 10 2010, 5:02 am in Anna Campbell, Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Miss Potter, movies, Now, Sad Endings, Voyager
A couple of treks to RWA Nationals ago, I watched a film I really liked on the plane. This is rarer than it sounds – I find I’m always a bit on edge when I travel which means I don’t settle down and immerse myself in the story. Not only that, but the sound quality is usually bad and you get lovely interruptions like your neighbor wanting to go to the toilet or the captain telling you the engines have failed (actually I’m joking about that – and I hope that continues to be a joke!).
MISS POTTER is the story of Beatrix Potter, the children’s author, and the way her life took completely unexpected directions once she started to break free of the restrictions hedging a well brought-up, upper middle-class miss in Edwardian England. It’s a lovely film, if you haven’t seen it! Renee Zellweger plays Beatrix and most of the story concentrates on a poignant and very sweet love affair with her publisher Norman Warne (played by the very yummy Ewan McGregor – wonder if he’s related to the Mr. McGregor who had troubles with Peter Rabbit!). Because the story was tied to what happened in Beatrix’s life, there was necessarily a very sad conclusion to this romance. Although the story is one of triumph through tears when Beatrix ends up moving to the Lake District and saving vast swathes of beautiful countryside from the developers by buying up farmland and eventually donating it to the National Trust. The fact that now we can go to the Lake District and marvel at that gorgeous scenery is largely thanks to this visionary, remarkable woman. Oh, and she does find a new love too which is nice!
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE happy endings! It’s one of the reasons I (and about a billion other people) am addicted to romance novels! There’s nothing better than going through all those trials and tribulations and learning experiences with the characters, then seeing them get their reward at the end.
Yeah, you know where I’m going. To Casablanca! Well, the movie at least! Would CASABLANCA still be considered a classic if Humph and Ingy had decided to let her marriage vows go hang? I actually don’t think so – although I think much of the emotional power of the story has a lot to do with how much we want these two to be together.
It’s many years since I saw NOW, VOYAGER with Paul Henreid (at least he got the girl in CASABLANCA – not so much in NOW, VOYAGER!) and Bette Davis. Actually one of the things I remember about it (other than the famous line when Bette says, “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars. “) is the way Jerry (Paul H) and Charlotte (Bette) share cigarettes as a substitute for kissing – not sure it would work for me! But then I’m not a smoker. Paul puts two cigarettes between his lips, lights them both and passes one to his lady love with a VERY significant look!
My last selection of a not so happily ever after is the famous one that people talk about whenever they’re trying to define the romance genre. According to a lot of definitions, a romance HAS to have a happy ending which means GONE WITH THE WIND is not a romance. Actually I think it is – they just don’t end up together at the end!
Anyway, I highly recommend MISS POTTER if you haven’t seen it. And Beatrix Potter’s life was amazing – click on the Wikipedia link on her name if you’re curious to learn more about this extraordinary woman. So do you occasionally enjoy a story that doesn’t have a traditional happy ending? Do you have any favorites? Have you seen MISS POTTER? Oh, and does anyone have Ewan McGregor’s phone number? I want to go down to the carrot patch with him and look for rabbits! Snork! You Make Me Feel Like Dancin’Posted by Beth Andrews Aug 14 2010, 7:33 am in Beth Andrews, dancing, Jo Beverley, movies
My younger daughter is going to see Step Up 3 tonight and can’t wait to see if this third movie lives up to the first one of the franchise. We both loved the original Step Up – her because of Channing Tatum and me because of the dancing *g* (Okay, Channing’s cute, too!) I’ve been a fan of musicals and dancing movies (movies with dancing IN them, not movies that can dance *g*) ever since I was little and saw Grease. I sang along with the album daily and even had a Grease book I read so many times, the binding came apart!
Some of my favorite movies with dancing in them include:
Footloose. Oh, how I loved Kevin Bacon as Ren, a city boy forced to live in a small, country town where one of the rules was No Dancing. And how about that soundtrack? Hearing any of those songs takes me back in time!
Dirty Dancing. This one came out during my teen years and all of my friends and I LOVED it! How awesome was Patrick Swayze as the boy from the other side of the tracks? *sigh* Nobody puts Baby in a corner! And the dancing? Soooo sexy!
Flashdance. I’m not sure which I loved more—the movie, the soundtrack or the off-the-shoulder-sweatshirt trend *g* It was a bit risque but the dancing was fun and fabulous!
Singing in the Rain. A wonderful classic with Gene Kelly that had it all: superb dancing, great songs, romance and humor! Still an all-time fave *g*
Do you like dancing movies? Which ones are your favorites? And a very important question: Are you a good dancer?
Starring as me …Posted by Anna Sugden Mar 22 2010, 4:48 am in Anna Sugden, movies by Anna Sugden
Reading the extra booklet that came with the DVD (yes, I’m a geek when it comes to those DVD extras!) I saw that Denzel Washington had actually met Frank Lucas – the gangster of the title – and that Russell Crowe had met the cop who brings Lucas down. Which got my brain working – what must it be like as an actor to meet the person you’re portraying? What must it be like to have someone making a movie of your life … while you’re still alive! I reckon it would be really interesting to see how someone viewed your life and your achievements, as well as what you’re like. And, what fun to see someone playing you – especially if you got script approval and casting approval *g*.
Or perhaps Susan Sarandon. I think she’d be able to do the whole under-stated English thing (southern style *g*).
Or maybe Mariska Hargitay or Stana Katic – they could do the exotic look.
So, who do you think should play you in the movie of your life? Any suggestions about who should play me? What about any of the other Banditas – who could play them? Movies With GamePosted by Beth Andrews Mar 20 2010, 7:33 am in Beth Andrews, movies, sports
I came across a list of the Best Sports Movies of All Time (you can check it out here on Moviefone) which got me thinking of all my favorite Sports Movies. To narrow it down a bit, I thought I’d name only the movies about sports that my kids have played.
Baseball (softball for my daughters) – Three immediately come to my mind: League of Their Own, Bad News Bears (when I was young, there was even a Bad News Bears TV show *g*) and…Angels in the Outfield (my son must’ve watched that movie a hundred times when he was little!)
Soccer – Bend it Like Beckham! This was the first movie I ever saw Keira Knightly in *g*
Football – Rudy (of course *g*) and Little Giants (yet another movie my son watched over and over *g*)
Track and Field – Chariots of Fire. It has to be this movie as it’s the only one I can think of about this sport
 Hockey – Miracle and yes, The Mighty Ducks *g* When our son goes to play hockey, my husband always tells him to hit the ‘knuckle puck’…which, of course, makes our son roll his eyes and mutter under his breath about un-cool we are (so not true! we are very cool!)
Basketball – Hoosiers! I could watch this movie over and over again! We caught part of it on TV the other night and got to watch Ollie sink his free throws to win the game. I love that scene because he shot underhand just like my father-in-law did back when he played in high school
My son has also ran cross country and my daughters play volleyball but I don’t think I’ve seen any movies about either of those sports. I’ll have to do some research *g*
As for favorite Sports Movies, in our house Rocky, Caddy Shack and Remember The Titans are all on our list *g*
What are your favorite Sports Movies? Favorite scenes in those movies? What sports have you played? And if you checked out the Moviefone link above, how many of their 25 picks have you seen?
Hooray For Hollywood!Posted by Caren Crane Mar 7 2010, 5:34 am in Academy Awards, Caren Crane, movies, Oscar by Caren Crane
This year, the Academy expanded the Best Picture category from 5 films to 10. This has made this year’s Oscar race a bit more…interesting, let’s say. Some big box office hits have been nominated, but few Hollywood insiders believe a wildly popular film like Avatar will win Uncle Oscar, no matter how many billions it makes at the box office.
Here, for your consideration, are my underdog Oscar picks for tonight:
Best Actor – Jeremy Renner,
Best Supporting Actress –
Who is your favorite front runner – or underdog – for the Oscars? Which of your favorite movies/actors/actresses was totally dissed by the Academy this year (hello, Robert Downey Jr.!)? And will you be watching the Academy Awards at all – maybe just the red carpet coverage? Do tell!
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by Anna Campbell
What’s interesting is that neither film received a particularly favorable critical reception in Australia. Both were criticized because they didn’t do anything original with the rom com formula. Which makes me think the po-faced critics are missing the point. I don’t watch a good romantic comedy to be surprised. I know where it’s going – that happy ending with a big sigh of satisfaction from me, if I’m lucky. It’s a bit like people criticizing romance because it contains the tried and true elements of the genre. These silly peeps don’t realize that one of the reasons we read romance is that we know there’s a guaranteed happy ending after all the trials and tribulations. That’s not a fault of the genre. That’s one of its greatest attractions.
Both films are road movies, covering a journey that turns out to be life-changing for our heroines. Georgia, our Greek-American heroine in Ruins, feels she’s wasting her education and her talents by working for a two-bit tour company in Athens. She agrees to escort one last tour group around the sites, determined to return to her academic career in U.S. after that. Anna, our Boston Irish heroine in Year, recklessly sets out for Ireland to propose to her self-centered surgeon boyfriend on 29th February, an old tradition. Both women find their journey takes them in surprising, occasionally uncomfortable, new directions and leads them to people (not just the hunky heroes) who will change their views of the world. And finally, the journeys lead to true love. Awwww!
Best Actress – Forget Meryl, Sandra, Helen and Gabourey. My vote goes to Carey Mulligan for her role in An Education. Even though it’s one of those movies only movie snobs and fans of art house films saw, the Academy will not give Carey the love. That’s okay, she’ll get it from me!
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