The Sixth Shelf

Yay! The fifth shelf is history, as are letters A-F.  I'm catching up to where I should be and I'm killing these titles at rapid-fire pace lately.  I guess it's all that snow out there.  I mean, what else is there to do?

So we're on to Shelf Six, which is going to be a big challenge, given how many series we're battling.  It's challenging, but I won't let it intimidate me.

Here's the list:

1. The Ghost and the Darkness
2. Ghostbusters
3. Ghostbusters 2
4. Ghost Town
5. The Girl Next Door
6. Gladiator
7. Go
8. Gone in 60 Seconds
9. The Godfather
10. The Godfather II
11. The Godfather III
12. Good Morning, Vietnam
13. Gone Baby Gone
14. Gone with the Wind
15. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
16. Good Luck Chuck
17. Good Will Hunting
18. The Goonies
19. Grandma's Boy
20. The Great Muppet Caper
21. Gremlins
22. The Groomsmen
23. Groundhog Day
24. Guarding Tess
25. The Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
26. A Guy Thing
27. Hamlet 2
28. Hancock
29. The Hangover
30. Happy Gilmore
31. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
32. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
33. Harry and the Hendersons
34. Harry Potter & the Sorceror's Stone
35. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
36. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
37. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
38. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
39. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
40. The Heartbreak Kid
41. Hellboy II
42. Hero
43. Highlander
44. Hitch
45. The Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
46. Hollywoodland
47. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
48. Hook
49. Hot Fuzz
50. Hot Tub Time Machine
51. The House Bunny
52. House of Flying Daggers 

Movie #223 - Get Smart

Get Smart
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terrence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Bill Murray, Patrick Warburton, Masi Oka

Another tribute to a TV show back in the day... but this reboot is blessed with the awkward comedy of Steve Carell.  He actually does a good job here, not too wacky, and comes out on top in the end.  The weird pairing of younger Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) with his older Agent 86 is explained away as a cosmetic procedure done in the line of duty to make her look younger.  But I bet those kissing scenes were still awkward to shoot.

Meanwhile, I love Alan Arkin, who makes a great department head. And Dwayne Johnson's bad guy turn is done pretty well. All in all, a fun one to watch and a nice tribute to the original.

Movie #222 - Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek
2010 - Rated R - 1 hr 59 min
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Rose Byrne, Colm Meaney, Elizabeth Moss, Sean Combs, Meredith Vieira, Carla Gallo

This movie was created just because Aldous Snow is the best rockstar that never was.  Thanks to Jason Segel, this "sequel" that's not really a sequel at all, goes more in depth with a character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. More songs, more insanity, more weirdness.

Jonah Hill comes back as well, but as a different character.  Still a worshipper of Infant Sorrow, Hill's character Aaron Greene works for a music production company and needs to escort lead singer Aldous Snow from London to the Greek Theater in LA.  His boss (the hillarious Puff Daddy...yes, he's hillarious) gives him the once-in-a-lifetime chance and stays on him all 72 hours. Death threats and "smiley faces" ensue.  Good times.

Honestly, I love this movie more every time I watch it.  And it still makes me laugh out loud. I love it.

Movie #221 - Garden State

Garden State
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 42 min
Director: Zach Braff
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Weston, Jim Parsons, Jean Smart, Method Man, Geoffrey Arend

With Zach Braff writing, directing, and starring in this movie, you'd think it would get more self-indulgent than it does. On the contrary, it's a well-balanced movie that takes two confused people, struggling on their own, and puts them together.  Their relationship develops fast but at a pace that still seems realistic and the connection between them is clear.  If nothing else, Braff and Natalie Portman create perfect chemistry.  At times, you feel like you're watching something almost too personal.

And even though mental health plays such a big part in Braff's character, it doesn't overtake the movie.  It's just background noise that sets up much of the action, but it never takes away from the romance piece.  These characters grow individually together and it's heartwarming to watch.

Movie #220 - Galaxy Quest

Galaxy Quest
1999 - Rated PG - 1 hr 42 min
Director: Dean Parisot
Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long, Missi Pyle, Daryl Mitchell

This movie's so cheesy, it's good.  The premise is cute: what would happen if an alien society found episodes of a space-travel show and thought it was real? What if they came to earth to find these "space travellers" and ask for their help?  Seems ridiculous, but it allows for some awkward humor and a great adventure story.

If you've ever been a Trek fan, this one will be especially fun for you to watch.  The expendable crew member tags along on the adventure, and provides a great little subplot. Will he live or die? Will he ever get a last name?  And Sigourney Weaver's character laments her pointless job: repeating what the computer says. 

Your life might not be changed by this movie, but you'll probably laugh. Sometimes, that's good enough.

Movie #219 - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
2009 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 58 min
Director: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Byung-hun Lee, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nichols, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid

In the grand tradition of comics and cartoons turned big-screen blockbusters, this movie tries to capture the magic of the rebooted Transformers franchise with another American hero.  I was not a G.I.Joe fan as a kid (I'm a girl, ok?) but I hear that the characters are all pretty much in line with the originals, so it's got that going for it.

Mostly, this feels overcomplicated. It's one big excuse to blow stuff up, but it wants you to take it seriously.  This movie wants to be a real action/adventure when it grows up, not just a cartoon turned live action. And as one friend commented, the good guys kill more people than the bad guy. Speaking of bad guys, I could not take Joseph Gordon-Levitt serious in this movie. At. All.

It was a worthy effort, but at the end of it, GI Joe failed to pull me in.

Movie #218 - The Full Monty

The Full Monty
1997 - Rated R - 1 hr 31 min
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer

The last F movie! We have arrived!

And it's such a good one, too!  This has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it.  Watching these average Joes pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and learn how to strip is mesmerizing.  And not because they're good at it or look good doing it, just because you want them to do well.  You want them to reach their goal and find work, even if it's stripping.

Their methods are unorthodox (practicing in an empty warehouse, stealing copies of Flashdance on VHS for inspiration, and practicing in front of their own family members) but the journey from idea to actualization is perfect.  Secondarily, this movie's just fun to watch if you want to learn some good British slang.

This was nice to revisit again and yes, I still love it....14 years later.

Movie #217 - The Fugitive

The Fugitive
1994 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 10 min
Director: Andrew Davis
Starring: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Jane Lynch

Another classic film for the letter F and a fan favorite, too.  Harrison Ford vs. Tommy Lee Jones.  Can Ford find his wife's real killer and prove to Jones that he didn't murder her?  Will Jones even care? This wild chase across Chicago is fun to watch and definitely sucks you into the compelling storyline.  Ford's character is the kind of wronged good-guy you cheer for.  And, as we discovered, he's the perfect fugitive: quick and nimble with a medical degree.  He runs quick, thinks quick, and can fix his own wounds. Perfect.

There are some great cameos in here as well.  Julianne Moore as a doctor who spots him in the hospital.  Jane Lynch as a former colleague of his.  And Neil Flynn (Janitor on Scrubs) who plays a Transit Cop, has one line, then gets shot and killed on the train.  Good stuff.

Movie #216 - Fracture

Fracture
2007 - Rated R - 1 hr 53 min
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke

I can never remember this movie by its title, so when I saw it on the wall I didn't know if I'd seen it already.  But as soon as I started watching it, it all came back.  Maybe the title just doens't fit, that's why my brain doesn't make the association.

Anyway, this one's great.  Anthony Hopkins is a jilted husband who wants revenge on his wife and her lover.  He sets up what he thinks is the perfect crime, then sets up the perfect acquittal  by representing himself in court again Ryan Gosling and proving the evidence to be invalid again and again.  But as with any good movie, in the end, he gets what's coming to him...the fun is in watching to see where he missteps.

It's smart and clever, the kind of cerebral intrigue that's nice to see from Hollywood once in a while. Hopkins is great, no surprise, but Gosling holds his own against him.  Well done all around.

Movie #215 - The Four Feathers

The Four Feathers
2002 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 11 min
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Starring: Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson, Djimon Hounsou

Here's another movie I want to love.  Everything about it says, "Steph will love this movie!" The cast, the setting, the epic tale... but everytime I watch it, I fall asleep.  I stayed awake this time (finally) and it was not easy at all.

Why do I struggle with this one?

Heath Ledger plays a British officer who resigns instead of going into battle and then gets shunned by his friends and fiancee.  They send him white feathers as a sign of his cowardice.  After that, his life slowly falls apart and he takes extreme measures to try to redeem himself.  His ending isn't a happy one, after all of that, and it's kinda sad really. 

Other people love this movie, but I find it kind of "Meh" and I don't have a good reason for that at all.

Movie #214 - The Fountain

The Fountain
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Sean Patrick Thomas, Ellen Burstyn, Ethan Suplee

I really want to love this movie.  I really do.  Hugh and Rachel make me want to love their story, with its interwoven threads to the past and future.  And all those references to trees, the Tree of Life, etc.  I want to love this movie, Darren Aronofsky, but every time I watch it, I just can't.

This is artsy and complicated. To the untrained viewer, it's confusing.  In the main story line, Rachel Weisz is dying from a brain tumor and Hugh Jackman is experimenting on monkeys to find the cure.  He's too late, and this huge loss causes a ripple through time into his future life... in a bubble...? With a tree, that/who is Rachel Weisz. Spiritually speaking.  And in the past, he's a Spanish explorer and she is Queen. Also, he becomes a plant.

The Fountain relies heavily on its metaphors and if you suspend reality and just absorb the powerful statement it's trying to make, you'll like it.  The nonsequential plot is fine, if you are watching it to understand Hugh Jackman's character's journey.  Love is a powerful thing that makes us do crazy things. Like tai chi in a bubble.

Just sayin'.

Movie #213 - Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump
1994 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 12 min
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Haley Joel Osment

This movie has the unique ability to appeal to viewers of nearly any age.  I remember seeing this in the theatre at 12 and enjoying it.  My parents loved it even more, because they'd live through most of the major events that appear in it.  And I can appreciate it even more now, as adult, since I get the hints and subtleties.

The innocence of this character is what makes him great.  He is exactly as he appears: friendly, easy going, simple, his heart on his sleeve.  Forrest Gump is the kind of man you want good things to happen to. And in this movie they do and they don't.  Life happens to him, and simultaneously, he happens to life.  It's so well written and so flawlessly executed you forget it's fictional. 

And who doesn't love all those Forrest pop-ups in archival footage?

So I love this movie. If you haven't seen it (because you live under a rock), see it.  It's deserving of the experience. Just like Hanks was deserving of that Oscar win.

Movie #212 - Formula 51

Formula 51
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 32 min
Director: Ronny Yu
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf

Did you know Meat Loaf's last name is Aday?  So... a Meat Loaf Aday keeps the doctor away?  I can't be the first person to think of that.  I really hope he gets that joke all the time.  Too good to pass up.

In any case, he features prominently as the bad guy in this movie.  A caftan-wearing bad guy, too. Poor form, Meatie, poor form.  (Do you think that's his nickname? Meatie?)

This is a fun one. Who doesn't love Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt? The premise is interesting, culminating with a nice twist ending, and made much more lively by a couple of Brits.  Yeah, it's the guy from The Full Monty. Woo!

Did this enrich my life? Was I better for watching it? Maybe not. But it's a good time. End of story.

Movie #211 - The Forgotten

The Forgotten
2004 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 31 min
Director: Joseph Ruben
Starring: Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Christopher Kovaleski, Anthony Edwards, Gary Sinise, Jessica Hecht, Alfre Woodard

This movie is totally creepy, but a bit overdramatic.  It feels a bit indulgent at times, and while it's thrilling to watch people get snatched up and thrown into the air out of nowhere, I can't quite wrap my brain around this. 

Julianne Moore's son is killed in a plane crash and she has trouble letting go of his memory, so she's in therapy with Gary Sinise.  Somehow, her son Sam starts to disappear from photos and other people's memories (like his father's for example).  Bad news for Julianne Moore, who's mind isn't as easy to wipe clean.  So what's happening? How is this possible?

SPOILER ALERT:
The whole thing turns out to be an alien experiment.  Their just messing with us to see if the bonds between mother and child can ever be truly broken.  Why? We're lab rats to them, but what's the purpose of this experiment? Is it just for funsies?  How cruel are these aliens, anyway?

It's an interesting concept, but it seems a bit overdone.  At its core, it's an indepth look at the relationships between mothers and their children.  But the whole thing seems needless. Maybe I just don't get it.... ?

Movie #210 - Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall
2008 - Rated R - 1 hr 51 min
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Paul Rudd, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Liz Cackowski, Maria Thayer, Jack McBrayer, Jonah Hill

From the awkward naked breakup in the very beginning to the Dracula puppet musical at the end, I love this damn movie.  Jason Segel hits every note of this movie perfectly and in an adorably charming way like no other.  Who could blame Mila Kunis for falling for him? And who could forgive Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) for leaving him?

And then, of course, there's Russell Brand's Aldous Snow - a character that is the stuff of legends.  Seriously, he inspired a second, unrelated movie to be written about this character.  So well done.  So what if it's not really acting because Russell Brand truly is that nuts? Now we all get to enjoy it together.

If you haven't seen this, please do.  It's smart and funny, and tackles a topic near and dear to all of our hearts: how to move on when you've been brutally dumped.

Movie #209 - For Your Consideration

For Your Consideration
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 26 min
Director: Christopher Guest
Starring: Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, Parker Posey, Ed Begley Jr, Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachael Harris

This is my least favorite of all the Christopher Guest & Co. movies. That said, it's not that bad. It's just not as good as his others, so it's a bit disappointing.

In this mock-umentary, Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer, and Parker Posey star in a movie that generates quite a bit of Oscar buzz for them.  It's meant to be a revealing and comical look at the road to Oscar, and of course, the road that fails to reach the Oscar.  The performances are good, but overall the movie is lukewarm.  You feel bad for them, rather than root for them, especially O'Hara's Marilyn Hack.  And Christopher Guest isn't in this movie nearly enough. Not my fave, not by a long shot.

Movie #208 - Follow That Bird

Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird
1985 - Rated G - 1 hr 28 min
Direcotr: Ken Kwapis
Starring: Carol Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Kathryn Mullen, Sandra Bernhard, John Candy, Chevy Chase

Oh, childhood memories!  This was fun to watch again, especially with Ellie who was glued to the TV for a good amount of time.  We sang the songs together and rooted for Big Bird to find his way back to Sesame Street.  The cameos were fun to watch as well, now that I'm older and know who these people are.

That's about all I got here. It's just a nice slice of my past, that I can share with my daughter.  I don't think Big Bird really needs a thorough review. His movie is just fun to watch.

Movie #207 - Flight of the Phoenix

Flight of the Phoenix
2004 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 53 min
Director: John Moore
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Miranda Otto, Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Tyrese Gibson, Tony Curran, Scott Michael Campbell

Look, it's Dr. House! Also, one of his patients (Scott Michael Campbell) from that episode when the cop gets sick from the pigeon poop and Foreman catches it too... remember that one? Rad.

Anyway, that's not this movie.  This movie is all right, nothing incredible.  It's a remake and since I haven't seen the original, I can speak to how well done it is, or if it improves on the first one.  Anyone seen it? Care to elaborate?

Meanwhile, Giovani Ribisi is super annoying. And he kinda talks like he's impersonating Hannibal Lecter, which is somewhat creepy but mostly just douchey.  Talk. Like. A. Normal. Person.

I don't have much to say about this cookie-cutter adventure movie.  It's your typical band of strangers pooling their resources and efforts to overcome impending death.  Fly out of the desert on a plane you just built? Yeah, no problem. It's good, thanks to some of the performances, but it's not one you absolutely must see.  It scores a solid 50 on my 0-100 Meh-o-Meter.

Movie #206 - Flight of the Navigator

Flight of the Navigator
1986 - Rated PG - 1 hr 30 min
Director: Randal Kleiser
Starring: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker

This movie was not as cool as I remembered it being.  And actually, Max (that's the ship's computer) is kinda mean to him at first.  Then, suddenly, he's PeeWee Herman... so that's weird.

This light-hearted take on alien abduction is a bit disturbing, kind of contrived, and really doesn't do anything for me anymore.  It's a pretty hollow "adventure" story.  Not that I expected it to blow me away, but I remembered it being more meaningful.  The only "real" moment in this movie is how different he acts to his parents and brother when the alien spaceship returns him to his own time.

Otherwise, I'm scratching my head.  And oh, by the way, this movie's being remade this year. So we have that to look forward to...

Movie #205 - A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda
1988 - Rated R - 1 hr 48 min
Director: Charles Crichton
Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin

I love this movie for so many reasons.  Kevin Kline eating live fish, John Cleese speaking Russion in an outrageous accent, poor stuttering Ken... Not to mention Hollywood's best steam-roller "accident."

The premise is kind of nuts, but it's so much fun to watch and it's so expertly done that you have to love it.  Two criminals plan a robbery with two Brits, turn one of the Brits in only to find he's moved the loot, then have to cozy up to his lawyer to get the information... And obviously, Jamie Lee Curtis spends much of her time trying to keep Kevin Kline on his leash.  Not easy.

This was fun to watch again and it reminded me how talented this entire cast is.

Movie #204 - Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo
2003 - Rated G - 1 hr 40 min
Director: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Elizabeth Perkins

Another great movie and one I know most people love.  Possibly one of Disney/Pixar's finest achievements, this little cartoon is entertaining for just about anyone.  It's a very basic plotline - a father searches for his lost son - but it's done so well and with the perfect blend of humor and emotion that you can't help but get sucked in.  You'll be rooting for these little fishes before you know it.

And Ellen DeGeneres is just priceless.  Her percentage of quotable lines is high, for both kids and adults. 

I was happy to sit down and watch this one with Ellie for the first time.  And I think she loves Nemo as much as any kid does.

Movie #203 - Fight Club

Fight Club
1999 - Rated R - 2 hr 19 min
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf

This is one of the best movies on this damn wall, I'm telling you.  I've read the book as well, which differs a bit from the movie, but both stories are so well done, it's nuts.  I still remember the first time I watched this movie and go to the end, and how mad I was that I didn't figure out the twist earlier. And how excited I was that I picked up on it just before they spell it out.

Of course, when you watch the movie again, knowing the end, there's always new clues to discover.  This is one movie you can watch over and over, always picking up something you didn't notice before.  All three main actors give some of their best performances. I'm pretty sure this is my favorite of Brad Pitt's roles, by far.  And for Helena Bonham Carter, this was an important movie for her - it was her first major role in a US (non Merchant Ivory) film.  World, meet Helena. I've loved her since the first time I saw this.

All right, enough gushing. You get the idea. I love this damn movie.

Movie #202 - The Fifth Element

The Fifth Element
1997 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 6 min
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Ian Holm, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Luke Perry

Ha! Oh, this movie.  It's like campy sci-fi and, in my experience, people either love it or hate it.  Which side of the fence do you fall on?

So, Bruce Willis plays McLane in space, from what I can tell.  And what is Milla Jovovich? Why is she beaming throughout this entire movie? And why is her hair orange? Anybody? Bueller?

Gary Oldman has a Southern accent. Are you aware of this?

Mostly, this movie is a big mess. But I guess it's so bad, that it's kinda funny.  And it gets in your brain somehow and the next thing you know, you're walking around saying "mooolty pahsss."

Movie #201 - Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams
1989 - Rated PG - 1 hr 47 min
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Starring: Kevin Costner, James Earle Jones, Ray Liotta

Here's a classic, for you.  But watching it now, as an adult, it's kind of a weird movie.  I mean, his cornfield talks to him and within the first ten minutes of the movie, he's already figured out what the voice in the corn wants him to do.  Build a baseball field, obviously.  I remember this taking longer, but it's seriously only the first ten minutes.

So he builds it.  They come. "He" comes (Is it Shoeless Joe, the "he"? Or someone else? Hmmm?) And no one ever explains why ghost baseball players come out of the corn and play ball. Or why old men can step over the line and become younger and play ball with them.  Or why said old man can't go back once he steps out.  The message of this movie still resonates, but it's a little cheesy after all this time.  If you can ignore the slight lameness, you'll enjoy it now just as much as you might have before.

For the rest of you, you can just reminisce about when Kevin Costner had a career.

WOOOO! 200 Movies!

I thought it might be a nice time to take a break and celebrate 200 movies down! WOOOOOOHOOOOO!

I made the mistake of counting the movies I have left.  200 down, 527 to go.  Big mistake.
But hey, if I watch 2.13 movies a day, then I'll finish by September 30 as promised.  Here's to rapid-fire movie watching. Yikes.

You also might have noticed that I'm now tagging actors in the movies as I review them.  Mike and I are curious which actor appears most on our wall, and the race is on.  Bruce Willis has 8 titles, with Matt Damon and Johhny Depp tied for second place with 6 apiece.  Who will win?  Care to place any bets?

So back to the Wall I go!

Movie #200 - Fever Pitch

Fever Pitch
2005 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 43 min
Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Ione Skye, Marissa Jaret Winokur

Ok, Farrelly brothers.  This movie is a Red Sox tribute disguised as a rom-com.  And I can get behind that.  But Jimmy Fallon?  He's not terrible, but he's goofy Jimmy Fallon.  I don't know how I feel about him as a leading man.  Not good, I guess, since I've just spent an entire paragraph talking about it.

So Drew Barrymore is a work-aholic and Fallon is a Sox-aholic. How will they make it work? Conflicts arise but they both realize in their own way that some sacrifices will be necessary to be happy together.  So she gets arrested running across Fenway Park in the middle of a game.  No big.

It's kinda cheesy, but if you like the Sox, there's lots of little fan-only treats in this one.  And it's one big tribute to the '04 win, so who doesn't want to remember that (unless you're a Yankees fan)?  Overall, it's a 'meh' kind of movie.

Movie #199 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1986 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 43 min
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Edie McClurg, Charlie Sheen, Ben Stein, Kristy Swanson

This movie almost makes up for Fantastic Four. Almost.

A classic John Hughes movie - one of the best.  Matthew Broderick is adorable, and irresistably charming. Of course, this movie is encouraging teens to ditch school, fool their parents, and kung-fu kick the principle in the face (ahem, Jennifer Grey), so as a parent.... you know what? Nope.  It's still awesome.

Yay for the 80s! And yay for John Hughes!

Movie #198 - Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four
2005 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 46 min
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba

Ugh.

This is one of those moments where I curse myself for having this crazy idea.  Watch all the movies, Steph? Really?

But I soldier on, because them's the rules.  So I watched this trash - a lame comic-turned-movie complete with a Stan Lee cameo.  Jessica Alba is no scientist. And Chris Evans isn't funny, he's annoying.  And poor Michael Chiklis. His wife's a bitch, but he's not so bad.

And.....scene.

Movie #197 - Fantasia / 2000

Fantasia / 2000
1999 - Rated G - 1 hr 14 min
Director: James Algar, Gaetan Brizzi, et al.
Starring: James Levine, Steve Martin, Leopold Stokowski, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones

This movie came in a two-pack with Fantasia, so now we own it.  I'd never seen it before, but it's more of the same.  Animated classical pieces, a bit more modern and a bit more enhanced.  They do include the Sorceror's Apprentice here as well, but it's the exact same version.  I guess this is only irritating if you watch both Fantasia movies back to back.

It's a nice tribute to the "revolutionary" idea of Leopold Stokowski and Walt Disney back in 1940, but I'm glad they're not making more of these.  It's a nice way to get kids to listen to classical music, though.  Ellie had a blast with these.

Movie #196 - Fantasia

Fantasia
1940 - Rated G - 2 hr 4 min
Director: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, et al.
Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor

Watching this again for the first time in literally years, I learned some things.  Apparently, Fantasia wasn't supposed to be just one movie.  It was meant to be a "new way of going to the symphony" and should have been a series of different "feature films." Mickey was supposed to get some other great roles, not just the Sorceror's Apprentice, but it never panned out.  I'm not sure what stopped them after 1940, but it took until 1999 for Roy Disney to revive the concept for Fantasia / 2000.

If you haven't seen this, it really is like going to a symphony.  There's an emcee and a conductor and an orchestra, then there's some music.  And each piece is animated. Sometimes just with colors and shapes and randomness, then other times with a story. Who doesn't love the hippo/ostrich/crocodile ballet?

And that's that.  What was meant to be an innovative concept fell by the wayside. I guess it wasn't as popular as it was hoped to be. It's fun, but I'm pretty sure one (or now two) of these was enough.

Movie #195 - Fanboys

Fanboys
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 30 min
Director: Kyle Newman
Starring: Dan Fogler, Sam Huntington, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, William Shatner, Carrie Fisher

Star Wars fans will take special delight in this geeked-out adventure movie.  Despite it's slap-stick Road Trip kind of comedy, the overall story is one I really enjoy.  Four childhood friends band together to storm Skywalker Ranch to see Episode One before it comes out, because one of them is dying from cancer.  The way I just explained it sounded lame, but it's not melodramatic or anything.  It's just a nice story about friends - with some hillarity thrown in for good measure.

Seth Rogen is arguably one of the better parts of this movie, and he only plays two small parts.  Fighting himself (one role versus the other) is possibly the highlight, but his Star Trek nerd taking down Dan Fogler is classic.  The laundry list of cameos doesn't hurt this movie either.

It's just fun, but not ridiculous beyond reason.  And don't we all want to break into Skywalker Ranch, either to save George Lucas's movies from himself or... no, that's why we all want to break in.  But before Episodes One, Two and Three came out, some of us probably wanted to watch those too.