Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love
1998
Directed by John Madden.
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.
Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, etc.
Rated: R (For brief nudity, sexuality, some language)



I randomly watched this one night this Summer, and instantly adored it. I've always been a practical person, and a guarded person, almost too much so. As a high school freshman, reading Romeo and Juliet for class, I grew frustrated at how dumb Juliet was and how Romeo couldn't possibly love her, as he had been in love with Rosaline only a day before.
Although West Side Story is one of my favorite movies, I always found most adaptations of Romeo and Juliet to be insincere.
This version, however, made me fall in love with Shakespeare's play again.

Shakespeare in Love tells the story of young Shakespeare, struggling to pen a new play, out of inspiration, and miles away from his wife (who seems to have practically kicked him out).
Shakespeare soon finds his inspiration in Viola, who is betrothed and off-limits. His new play, Romeo and Ethel: the Pirate's Daughter, is soon well on it's way, despite the debt, complications at the play house, the heartbreak of star-crossed lovers, and the difficulty of finding a good title.

This is one of few movies where I can actually say "I laughed, I cried...". The writing is extremely witty (example, Mr. Fennyman: The show must...you know../Shakespeare: Well, go on...") and the love between Shakespeare and Viola feels genuine.

One main moral issue that is often raised with this movie is the fact that Shakespeare is having an affair. However, without Shakespeare having an affair, there would be no movie, as they would have to cancel out the actual historical facts of Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway. And then the romance wouldn't be off limits, would possibly actually work out, and there goes the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet.

All in all, Shakespeare in Love is my favorite version of Romeo and Juliet, except for perhaps the play itself. It renewed my adoration for Shakespeare's hit, and the real, but inexplicable passion between Romeo and Juliet.

Say Anything

Say Anything
1989
Written/Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Starring: John Cusack and Ione Skye
PG-13 (Sex discussed, one F-word, Drinking in the background)



Say Anything is actually one of my favorite movies of all time, and I am often surprised to find out how many people have either never seen it or never heard of it.

Say Anything is centered around a recent High School graduate named Lloyd Dobbler (John Cusack)and his crush on Diane Court (Ione Skye). Throughout the movie, Lloyd shows himself to be a very committed, honest, and responsible person, as does Diane. For example, when Lloyd and Diane attend a party for graduation, Lloyd is in charge of holding everyone's keys and judging if they can drive at the end of the night. At the same party, Diane calls her father to just check in and let him know that the evening is going well.

The title of the movie comes from when Diane's father tells her that she can "Say Anything" to him. The movie is about being honest, about being sincere. The irony is that her father doesn't say anything to her; he keeps secrets from her that end up hurting their relationship.

Some of my favorite parts of the movie are:

-Lloyd standing outside playing Peter Gabriel's "In Her Eyes"

-"The world is full of guys. Don't be a guy. Be a man."

-"It's just you're a really nice guy and we don't want to see you get hurt."
"I want to get hurt!!"

-"The rain on my car is a baptism. It's a new me, Ice Man, Power Lloyd. My assault on the world begins now."

-"Nobody thinks this will work, do they?"
"No. You just described every great success story."

-"If anything goes wrong it usually happens in the first five minutes, so when that little no smoking sign dings you know it's going to be okay."

I know this review was awfully short, but it honestly is a very hard movie to sum up while still doing it justice.

Up

Up
Disney & Pixar
2009
Screenplay/Direction by: Pete Docter (and Bob Peterson)
Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, and Bob Peterson.
Rated: PG (Peril & Action)



Pixar has continuously pleased audiences with their films ever since the debut of Toy Story in 1995. I think one of the key ways that they consistently "get it right" is by connecting with their audience and being very relate-able and true, in a fun and witty way. One of the charms of Toy Story, was the fact that it affirmed my belief that my toys did in fact come to life when I wasn't around.

Anyway. To focus on Up.

I must admit that when I saw the commercials, I had a very weak desire to see the film. A movie about a guy who attaches balloons to his house and flies off in it? Really?

But I adored every minute of it.

Michael Giacchino's Oscar-winning score accompanies the montage of Carl's life. I still find myself in tears at the end of it, even though I've already watched it at least 6 times since getting it on DVD.

There are 6,000,000 reviews and summaries of this movie floating around, so if you haven't seen it, I'll assume you have a general idea of the plot, and make my summary as brief as possible.

The real action of the movie begins as Carl Fredrickson, a now 78-year old with no family to speak of, is sentenced to living in a retirement home (after local developers after his home have bested his temper).
After flying off in his house, irritable Carl finds himself stuck with an annoying Wilderness Explorer (aka: Boy Scout), and a slew of obstacles preventing him from his goal.

My favorite moments include:
"You don't talk a lot...I like you!"
The opening montage
"My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you."
Carl finding Ellie's note
The Ellie Badge

One could say that the message of the film is to "have an adventure", however, more importantly, the idea is to go out and find adventure. All of life is filled with adventure and joy; you don't have to travel halfway around the world to find fulfillment or to have an amazing life. The best moments are found in getting ice cream cones or collecting bottle caps. As Sir J.M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan)said, "The secret of happiness lies not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do."

When it comes down to it, it really doesn't matter if you explore the wilderness, model on the Runway, become a millionaire, or live a quiet life with your family. Whatever you do, do it with the ones you love are care for; live each day as though it were filled with potential for adventure of the best kind - because it is.

(P.S. As dorky as this is, while typing this up, I have a bottle-cap pin on my sleeve right now. I made it a few days ago out of a cap from a bottle of Moxie.)

Spamalot

Spamalot
Book & Lyrics by Eric Idle
Music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez
Opened on Broadway - 2005
Orange County Preforming Arts Center, October 15th 2009
John O'Hurley as King Arthur



Now, since I actually saw this back in October it may be a bit fuzzy, but I will review it to the best of my memory's ability.

Spamalot is a 'hilarious send-up' of the formula Broadway tends to use in their musicals. The show is billed as "lovingly ripped off" of 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and as cliché as that may sound, it is probably the best way to describe the show. Spamalot follows the same basic plot as The Holy Grail, however it has more of an actual ending than the movie did (with audience participation!), while referencing sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus and some of their other films.

Walking into the theater, I was greeted by the sounds of show music playing, as is normal. However, the music played before Spamalot was a wonderful mix of songs that spoofed every classic overture.
When the show actually begins, the first song to play is "Finland/Fisch Schlapping Dance", inspired by the fact that the cast heard 'Finland' instead of 'England', and the classic Monty Python Fish Slapping sketch.

Now, I know that sounds so cliché, and fairly dull, but the way that the cast acts out the entire section of insanity, combined with the elaborate costumes and wacky set, had my sister almost in tears from laughing so much. The entire audience was beside themselves from laughing. In the first 5 minutes of the show, which hadn't even started the story yet!

That was another fun thing about this show, the entire audience has seen the original film, and at least a few of the sketches, so they are all in on the same jokes. It's kind of like when you go so see a movie with your best friends, and the movie is ten times funner because you are all joking along. Only here, you have hundreds of friends in on the joke.

Eric Idle did a genus job in writing the lyrics; like the original Python, they are all hilarious, random, witty, and manage to spoof everything.
One stand out number is "The Song That Goes Like This". I kid you not, that is the song title. To get a general idea, I'll give you a few of the lines.

"Once in every show / There comes a song like this / It starts off soft and low/ And ends up with a kiss.../
A sentimental song / That casts a magic spell / They all will hum along / We'll overact like hell../
I'll sing it in your face / While we both embrace / And then / We change / The key..."

The song ends with smoke covering the stage floor, a boat behind them, dungeon like candelabras, and a chandelier.

The show even includes certain points (mostly in Act II) where the actors are told to improvise. When I saw the show a family friend was playing in the pit, and he told me that he never knew what to expect with the show. It was like seeing a different show every night. When I saw it, the beloved Knights of Ni scene was improvised so that the main Knight of Ni when angered, went into a rant that was line-for-line the Dead Parrot sketch. The audience absolutely loved it.

My cousins and I are all fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, incessantly quoting it back and forth. My mom has always gotten bored or fallen asleep every time we have tried to watch it with her, but she loved Spamalot. I think Spamalot moves a lot more quickly than the Holy Grail, which makes paying attention and hearing the jokes much easier. Every song is a riot, and is catchy enough to have you humming your way out of the theater. (Though I heard more people just plain singing their way out than humming).

If you don't really enjoy Monty Python, or satire, or sarcasm, then this is probably not the show for you. However, if you enjoy any of the above, I highly recommend seeing Spamalot when you are able. It seriously was the funnest and most hilarious show I have ever been to, and I loved every minute of it.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club.
1985
Written & Directed by John Hughes
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy.
Rated: R (Language & Drug use)



I decided to start with the John Hughes classic, The Breakfast Club, since it's the last thing I watched. Now, I know that pretty much everyone has seen The Breakfast Club, but if you haven't, you really should get on that.
It does get a lot of hype, but that's only because it is the quintessential "teen" movie. In all of John Hughes' films, he shows that a "teen movie" isn't any less important or impacting than a "Grown up" movie.

The Breakfast Club was the first time a film really took a teenager's issues seriously. (Apart from Rebel Without a Cause, which is a favorite of mine) They are ignored, pressured, abused, pushed, and expected to be perfect.

I love how "real" this movie is. The way that the parent's drop off their kids and how you can glimpse their home life in those few seconds.

Ally Sheedy's makeover is a controversial part, (did she sell out?) but I really like it. I don't think that she gives up who she is, rather, she is letting Molly Ringwald be nice to her. It's a gesture of friendship. Girls give each other makeovers, it's just what we do. We don't keep the made-over look, but it's something we do with each other as friends, and afterwards, incorporate bits of other 'looks' to add to our own.

One of the things I've noticed about this movie is that every time I watch it, I notice something different. You simply have to see it, if only because it shaped so much of our pop culture. And everyone, no matter who they are, can relate to how they felt in high school as the Jock, the Princess, the Brain, the Criminal, or the Basket Case.

Some of my favorite lines/scenes in the movie are:
- "Screws fall out all the time, the world's an imperfect place."
- "I forgot my pencil"
- Bender's re-enactment of home life (Brian's and his own)
- Andrew's dance
- "Hey, how come Andrew gets to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up, it'll be anarchy!"
- Lunch
- John Hughes' placement and use of "We are Not Alone"
- "neo maxi zoom dweebie"
- "what am I? I'm a walrus"

Everyone's a Critic

I have decided to start a whole blog dedicated to my reviews, since I love cinema and I miss getting to review plays for Cappies so much. I was inspired by a friend of mine blogging recent movie reviews, and I just realized how much I would like to do that too. I will add new reviews of movies, plays, tv, concerts, etc, whenever I am able.

(P.S. Sorry about any difficulty in actually following this Blog. I didn't realize that the template I had picked was missing to many buttons. I have changed the template for now and will hopefully find a better one soon)