2015 top ten.

it's that time again! oscar time! here are my top ten favorite movies of 2015:

10. inside out

the psychologist in me LOVED THIS. also, the emotional part of me (50%; i'm half blue on the color personality test. the other half of me is red, which is also represented in the movie and somehow i just got lost on this personality test tangent sorry--). i could have done without a few scenes and characters (i'm looking at you bozo bing bong). pixar did it again for me with super deep concepts like sadness is NECESSARY and, dare i say holy?

9. cinderella

i loved quite a few things about this movie, first and foremost is that it was a welcomed departure from disney's last live-action fairy tale (the most deplorable maleficent). hate for maleficent aside, this was my first encounter with the lovely lily james. her oft repeated line "have courage and be kind" should be a national motto. other than that, cate blanchett of course was wonderful and THE COSTUMES!!!!!! i think this also mighta been the first time i went to the sugar house recliner theater so that probably played into my love.

8. brooklyn

saoirse ronan is getting better and better with age it appears (but really, how much better can you get when your breakout role was in atonement?). she comes into her own in this role. the best scene is her verbal flogging of a nosy townswoman--of which i responded with a loud YOU GO GIRL in the theater. couldn't help it. the greatest part about this movie is that even YOU can't decide who she should be with in the end; on the one hand there's the sign-inducing emory cohen busting out maybe my favorite brooklyn accent ever, and on the other is my long-time crush domhnall gleeson and a fancy irish country home. WHO TO CHOOSE?!?! but also, THE COSTUMES!!!!

7. the revenant

this is YOUR YEAR leo (although, for the record, i think michael fassbender is more deserving of best actor this year, for his work in steve jobs)!!! really though, what a cast! tom hardy is a force to be reckoned with and, fun fact:  i named my goldfish after will poulter's character in son of rambow, so i'm a big fan. as has previously been indicated, i'm also a fan of alejandro inarritu's work (see last year's top ten) and thoroughly enjoyed the vast single-shots that occurred. basically this movie is equal parts brutal and beautiful. i was glad i brought a blanket to the theater for this one cause 2.5 hours of snow had me CHILLED.

6. me and earl and the dying girl

this movie is kinda like, just my thing:  funny, but also REAL and sometimes super serious. and it was about movies. and it had nick offerman in it. and the soundtrack was LIT! my very, most favoritest, fall-in-love moment was this very expressionist scene of just some light and color and movement on the screen with brian eno's "big ship" playing. it was beautiful and may or may not have provoked a few tears from this girl.

5. ex machina

well i'd be lying if i didn't say that the best part of this movie was oscar isacc's dance scene. this was an unexpected gem early in the year and those are always my favorites. terrific performances by all involved, and really set in stone my love for alicia vikander.

4. the martian

i think i have a thing for movies about space. maybe i should have been an astronaut? um, i really really liked this movie! i was funny! and interesting! and it was my #1 for the year for a while. and that's that.

3. spotlight

oh goshhhh. each scene of this film is more heart breaking and more shocking until you are left with mouth agape as the credits role. the entire cast (which includes the city of boston) is wonderful. i'm partial to michael keaton and mark ruffalo ALWAYS, but rachel mcadams, liev schreiber, and brian d'arcy james are all brilliant here. oh yeah and duh! my fave mad men roger sterling (john slattery) was beautiful and wonderful too. this movie made me think a lot and talk a lot, which is essentially why i like movies. 

2. room 

WHOA. this was the most tense i have been in a movie, maybe ever. i turned into one of those people in the theater that yell out; hurry! run! get out! this movie is heart-wrenching and makes you think, mostly about how much you laughed at kimmy schmidt. there are really good lessons here about overcoming things. it's one of those films that you never forget and will stay with you forever. also, the boy in this (played by 9 year old jacob tremblay) is brilliant so, LENNY ABRAHAMSON FOR BEST DIRECTOR!

1. mad max:  fury road

well i never would have thought that this movie would end up being my favorite of the year, but here we are and here it is! at the top of the list. i really really liked a lot of movies last year, but when it came down to it, nothing beat out my love for furiosa mad max. emily and i saw it early in the morning and drove to an amc about 30-minutes away to watch in reclining seats. we snacked on chocolate covered almonds (the closest to "breakfast" we could find at the theater) while having our minds blown. the part i fell hard was, of course, when the doof warrior entered SHREDDING his flaming electric guitar. ohhhh so many goodies; tom hardy is such a hunk, furiosa is the best fictional character created in recent years. honestly it was the most pleasant surprise of 2015. rolling stone got it right:  "a hallucinatory milestone from director george miller, who, at 70, proves himself the most vital action director in movies today. tom hardy excels as the futuristic road warrior, but charlize theron steals the show as a force of feminist nature. that's miller for you, making a woman the redeemer in his world of fire and blood." amen.

honorable mentions go to love & mercy, shaun the sheep, steve jobs, bridge of spies, kingsmen:  the secret service, irrational man (which no one saw, but guys IT'S WOODY!), and the end of the tour. all wonderful movies you should add to your to see list.

> > > > > > > > > > 

can't get enough?? more oscar fun comin' attcha:

here are my TOP TEN lists from 2012, 2013, and 2014

please let the 2016 oscars be like the 1976 oscars

every best visual effects oscar winner

what does the academy value in a black performance?

holding out hope for room to win the oscar for bp

baconsale episode 45:  it was the best of pictures, it was the worst of pictures 

2014 top ten.

hey! for the past few weeks, little else than movies has been on my mind. it was sundance in utah, one of the best times of year imo. and this year was my biggest movie-watching year yet! i saw five films (mistress america, operation artic, shaun the sheep, don verdean, and the wolfpack). all good things.

movie season continues as the academy awards are just two weeks away. which brings me to another year of the best movies / my favorites / movies to see / my top ten movies of 2014:

10. the babadook
number ten was the hardest spot to fill. 2014 was a great year for movies.*** but i think the babadook won me over cause HORROR! i love this genre and, when done right, it's perfect entertainment. the story, which explores the horror of loss, is just SPOT ON. there are few horror movies these days that can tell such a meaningful and approachable story, while still being able to pack a punch in the scare department. really, this is a rare gem.

9. into the woods
i've just recently been hearing that people didn't like this movie. and i don't really understand why. sondheim is weird, i'll give you that. but i feel like it was a welcomed departure from the classic fairy tale. good lessons there! it had a GREAT cast. probably the best musical cast in recent years (russell crowe singing "stars" #neverforget #can'tforget #hauntsmydreams), it stuck to the original story, yet removed the bits that maybe we didn't even WANT to see. the costumes! meryl! what more could you want?!

8.  magic in the moonlight
there could never be a year that woody allen isn't featured on this list (save 2012, to rome with love). this movie was sadly, very underrated. i saw it opening weekend, friday night, and my companions and i were the only ones in the theater! sad. emma stone is enchanting as always. woody always knows the way to my heart.

7. nightcrawler
ok who's with me that jake gyllenhaal is one of the great actors of our time?! with prisoners last year and nightcrawler this year, he is really making quite the name for himself. this movie was a slow burner? i don't know if that's the right word. SUBTLE. that's it. subtle, but when it comes down to it, TERRIFYING.

6. the lego movie
my interest was first piqued when i read this article on kottke, "the wikipedia page notes the lego movie video game will be released in conjunction with the movie. which, if you're following along, is a video game based on a movie based on stacking toys & figures containing characters based on other movies that are based on comic books. i can't wait for the lego movie videogame comic book movie that comes out in 2019." HA! it was SO much better than i expected it to be. i can't say it better than edgar wright, "what could have been such a shameless, corporate, brand-heavy, cash-grab of a movie becomes a truly inspired comic adventure about individualism, imagination, and the creative spirit. " YES!

5. edge of tomorrow or i guess live, die, repeat:  edge of tomorrow??
i'm not sure and that was the biggest (and only?) problem with this movie. it was marketed completely wrong. the trailer was the WORST and the title, completely forgettable. i even still forget it and it was one of my favorite movies last year. so unexpected, so not-the-normal tom cruise, funny, action oriented, and probably best of all, emily blunt doing that wicked awesome yoga move, which apparently was all her, not a stunt woman. WHATTTT.

4. boyhood
oh boyhood. the opus of richard linklator. i'd seen the before sunrise / sunset / midnight trilogy, and was quite excited upon the idea of boyhood. can you imagine filming something over a twelve year period? huh! just that feat is worth number four on the list.

3. whiplash
i saw whiplash january 2014 at sundance. it won "best of fest" for the audience favorite. and it darn well deserved it. oh gosh, this film. i was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE one hundred and seven minutes. from that opening scene of him drumming, to the closing scene of him drumming. and when the end was near, i just remember thinking he was going to drop dead, at any moment. mind you, this movie is about a college jazz band ... yeah. gripping really. and jk simmons. this movie is SO good.

2. interstellar
emily and i saw this mostly blind. well at least on my end. i had seen a couple trailers, but didn't really know what it was about. it turned out to be one of my favorite theater experiences in recent history. loved the cinematography, LOVED the music (or lack-of in some parts), and this is one of very few movies in which i enjoy anne hathaway, so that means something.

1. birdman
birdman was another movie i went in to knowing nothing about (catching the theme here?), so it too was an unexpected gem for me. i sometimes judge movies on how much i'm thinking about them afterwards. i was thinking and talking about birdman for weeks after i saw it. i loved the story, the acting and actors (emma stone and edward norton had SERIOUS chemistry here and zach galifianakis was the best i've seen him). i loved the commentary on what audiences want. on top of it all, i loved the one-take editing and the music. i liked it all. i liked it a lot.

i hope i wasn't premature in making this list. i still need to see foxcatcher, two days one night, and a most violent year.

find my favorites of 2013 here and favorites of 2012 here.

peace and happiness to you this february. and loves!

***runners-up:  the skeleton twins, the theory of everything, and x-men:  days of future past. not on my top ten, but always in my heart.

what i did during christmas break.

1. watched the following movies:
the killers
a place beyond the pines
annie
begin again
the one i love
gone girl
the babadook
big eyes
into the woods
the imitation game
princess diaries
the trip to italy
miss pettigrew lives for a day
left behind

2. played the following games:
coup
ticket to ride
scopa
heads up
pit
rock band
karaoke, via comcast on demand

3. ate the following food:
just kidding there is no way i could list everything i ate.

4. attended my second ever basketball game.

5. wore the same clothes for at least half of the time.

6. gel nailed.

7. slept.

8. listened to all of serial and thereby became obsessed with podcasts (here's a goodie on babysitting).

9. rediscovered got beauty.

10. hmm, what else. oh yeah! i finished breaking bad with paige. just as good the second time around.

the best part of the holiday was daily shenanigans with this chic.

pretty (moving) print, aka film.

i was perusing through blogs recently and fell upon the creation sequence in noah. think what you will about aronofsky's adaptation, but the cinematography was a treat, a visual splendor.



depictions of creation (or evolution if you choose) always intrigue me, especially when that depiction is film. which got me thinking:  what other films have "creation sequences"? the only other one i could think of was tree of life. did you see this movie? it was SUPER abstract, but i found myself really loving it. especially the formation scene that lasts 14 minutes. it's really beautiful (although, i could do without the dinosaurs at the end).



it's interesting to me how different directors choose to show the birth of time; their style choices and how that style changes the feeling of the scene.

hey, happy tuesday!

see these movies.

hey.

just wanted to stop by to tell you about these 2013 movies. it's not a list of ten (which is kind of killing me for some reason #ocd) and they aren't in order of how much i liked them. ain't nobody got time for that.

1. the conjuring
i was too scared to see this movie for like ... 4 months. but when i finally did i loved it. glad they're making a sequel. also, this is a good example of how to do horror; no convoluted story, a simple witch hanging is good enough.

2. star trek
this was so great, maybe better than the first? actually, its quality may have everything to do with fact that benedict cumberbatch (or "bento tinderbox" as john travolta might say) was the villain. my love for him is unparalleled.

3. kings of summer
i wanted to see this at sundance but never got the chance. then i wanted to see it in theaters and missed it again. i eventually saw it via redbox. it was worth the wait. just one of those hilarious, odd films we can thank sundance for. for instance, there is dialogue about how one character is confusing cystic fibrosis with being gay. what?! hahaha.

4. the way way back
this is one i saw at sundance and LOVED! i had to wait until summer to show everyone else how great it is. and i don't think i've heard a bad review.

5. blackfish
my roommate told me about this film before it hit theaters. i was intrigued so i forced my family to join in. i was worried that it might be off putting/agenda shoving, but it doesn't feel that way at all. the information seems to be presented in a very straight forward way. it's streaming for free on netflix now, but if you plan on ever visiting seaworld again, i'd skip it.

6. gravity
saw this in 3d imax and it was maybe one of my very favorite theater experiences (best goes to jurassic park 3d imax). it felt like i was on a ride. it was unreal. see it in the theaters if you have the chance. the fact that it won 7 academy awards should give you at least the slightest interest.

7. about time
my mom and dad begged me to see this movie with them for weeks! perhaps months. i just wasn't interested. i think it was mostly because the poster looked like a nicholas sparks film. if you ever want to turn me off, mention nicholas sparks. well i eventually went and it was great. really unique and real. good lessons from this film.

8. frozen
i almost feel like not putting this on here. it's gotten a little outta control amiright? but hey, it's a good movie. i'm all about wicked, and it is very wicked-esque.

9. the hobbit: the desolation of smaug
i liked this one better than the first. i attribute that to two things:  1) it's called the desolation of smaug and when it came out my friend said she lived in the desolation of smog. get it? utah inversion? funny joke, and 2) cuz benedict duh!

10. saving mr. banks
two of my favorite things are disneyland and the 1960s. the combination in this film was just my thing. also jason schwartzman and bj novak, i love them.

11. walter mitty
this is maybe my favorite, mmm. maybe not. well, second favorite. it was so unexpected. i loved the scenery and the music and the story and oh man, that scene that he is imagining himself as benjamin button was the hardest i laughed in a movie in 2013. beat that! also, can we go to iceland?

12. blue jasmine
woody allen is my favorite. i love most of his work, it speaks to me. blue jasmine wasn't any different. i'm surprised it didn't get more buzz. i think this is probably his best film of recent years. and cate blanchette was amazing. serious talent.

13. frances ha
this movie was really weird. i heard about it when it was at the broadway in salt lake, but didn't watch it until it was streaming on netflix. it's in black and white and isn't shy in being what it is (i'm not really sure what it is still). at the beginning of the film i didn't really know how i felt about it, but by the end i was head over heels. "ahoy sexy" is now a part of my most-used greetings. thanks frances ha.

14. american hustle
if you loved silver linings playbook you'll love this. same deal here. a little more depressing but still great. such great music too.

15. 12 years a slave
i saved the best for last. i don't really know what to say except that this film made me think about slavery in a way i hadn't ever thought of before. it was gut wrenching. a movie comes along every so often that changes your life, and this was one for me. also, cuz benedict.

i still need to see the place beyond the pines, the spectacular now, ain't them bodies saints, enough said, philomena, and her. any takers?

peace and good tidings on this friday. go see a movie.

10 movies for april showers.

hello readers! this month sure flew by for me and courtney! this list comes a little bit late, but is dedicated to the horrible weather (minus the last few days) we've been suffering through all month. hopefully that's all behind us now with summer on the horizon. but to celebrate what's left of april, it's time to present ten of the best movie scenes featuring RAIN.

1. singin' in the rain

no other film scene could rightly top this list other than the fabulous gene kelly dance number found in singin' in the rain. it is one of the truly great iconic moments in all of film and let's be honest, it has made us all want to dance around jumping in puddles too on the right day!

2. breakfast at tiffany's

when you think of rain in film, it's impossible not to associate big screen smooches. this one is my personal favorite of the "kiss in the rain" entries because it's just a really, truly tender moment between these two broken characters. oh and did i mention there happens to be a cat in the scene too?

3. the shawshank redemption

andy dufresne, a freshly escaped convict emerges through tunnels of filth to be showered with freedom from the skies. he, along with the audience was probably REALLY thankful it was raining that night.

5. jurassic park

remember the time the power went out during the rain in a park full of dinosaurs and then all the dinosaurs went loose and tried killing everybody? the rain adds beautifully to the tension of these scenes. nothing can really be seen clearly and no one has control of anything. all of this only make the chaos more delightful.

6. psycho

here's another example of rain forcing someone into a dangerous situation. marion crane is battling her inner conscience when some unbearable rain forces her to make an unexpected detour. if it weren't for this rainy scene, we wouldn't really have much of a movie! okay we would have ... but it would be far more bonnie and clyde and much less psycho.

7. pride & prejudice

another romantic scene, but this one is kiss-less. in the 2005 version, darcy gives a botched proposal to elizabeth amid a rainy backdrop. somehow despite insulting her, he manages to throw in some undeniable sexual tension her way that definitely gets her thinking. i'll admit, this update of a rainy english country side was much preferred in my cinema loving brain than the original fireplace setting of the book.

8. drag me to hell

some unforeseen rain adds some really great tension during the cinematic climax of drag me to hell. who knew rain could be so deathly? 

9. unbreakable

remember what i just said about rain being deathly in drag me to hell? ditto that in unbreakable ... but somehow it's even worse here! i guess it helps that the main character doesn't exactly get along with water ...

10. TIE! garden state and the truman show

i found it incredibly hard to pick between the two, so i included both. one is another very sweet romantic and spontaneous moment in the rain between two people that really need each other, and the other is a great moment of realization for a character that will drive the rest of his actions through the course of a film. 

HONORABLE MENTION: okay it's not out yet, but baz lurhmann's the great gatsby looks like it just may have a scene that would be suitable for this list! a soaking wet dicaprio is almost always a good thing! well ... unless kate winslet's around refusing to share a floating door with him ...

movies for st. patrick's day.

hello again readers! spring is in the air (for now ...), and st. patrick's day is this sunday! unfortunately both kind of creeped up on me, so i am utterly unprepared for this list. as a result, i'm listing a wide variety of films that represent st. patrick's day ... in some way. some are good, some are bad; some i've seen, and some i haven't. with that in mind, let's get to the list!

THE GOOD:

the quiet man - this ireland set romance features john wayne playing a bit outside his norm (but just a bit) opposite the beautiful maureen o'hara. as a true irish woman, she naturally gives the most authentic performance of anyone from the movies on this list. this sweet love story is definitely worth watching for great performances, gorgeous irish scenery, and i must say it has a great addition to the cinematic rain kiss.

darby o'gill and the little people - i'll bet you didn't know that leprechauns make excellent matchmakers did you? then again, if you have a young sean connery to work with how hard could it be? this movie takes a while to get going, but once it does it's a hoot! however, i'm not gonna lie, a lot of my enjoyment came from sean connery in his prime. wow that guy was a fox! and his irish accent wasn't so bad either!

finian's rainbow - a delightful musical featuring a leprechaun and the pot of gold which was stolen from him. i didn't get a chance to re-watch this before the post so my memory of the film is quite faint, but it is a likable, fun film from what i recall.

gangs of new york - if you have always wondered what it would be like to hear leonardo dicaprio and cameron diaz attempt fake irish accents, gangs of new york is the film for you! this film is thrilling, tense, and features an incredible performance from daniel day lewis (wow what a shocker). it runs a little long for my taste and is really violent ... but all in the name of irish pride right?

the fugitive - sure this isn't the most irish, leprechaun filled, lucky film ... but if you want a memorable cinematic st. patrick's day, look no further than the fugitive. one of the finest scenes in the film takes place during a st. patrick's day parade. it may seem like a bit of a stretch to be included on the list ... but that sequence alone is so good it warrants its inclusion. plus they dyed the river green! how cool is that!?

THE MEH:

leap year/p.s i love you - desperate times call for desperate measures. i would never really recommend either of these generic rom-coms (although leap year is probably the more tolerable of the two in my opinion). what do these two films have to offer that are relevant to this list? breathtakingly beautiful cinematography of the emerald isle. so if you just want some travel eye candy, put one of these on and put it on mute ...

just my luck - yep ... it's come to this ... my st. patrick's list couldn't be complete without a movie dedicated to luck. but the only one that came to mind was this silly film. but hey, it's a nice opportunity to see lindsay lohan right before she became un-bankable and on the path to melt down city. the real reason this film is at all watchable though? chris pine.

THE UNSEEN:

the luck of the irish (1948) - not to be confused with the silly, made-for-tv disney film about a boy who had leprechaun roots ... this film stars tyrone power as a man with a leprechaun for a conscience (so that's where ralph wiggum got the idea!). don't ask me how or why ... but this conscience has to be ten times better than jiminy cricket!

top o' the mornin'/pot o' gold - two irish themed old time rom-coms. one features bing crosby and the other features jimmy stewart ... so take your pick!

well that's all i got ... have a wonderful st. patty's!!

///

what a wonderfully diverse list, and yet ALL about (used loosely here) st. patrick's day! i have one more recommendation for the list: the departed! this film has some of my favorite things in it: martin scorsese as director, leo! with a boston accent!, matt damon, and my favorite ... the one and only jack nicholson. oh and mark wahlberg. oh and an irish mob, which is how it found itself on this list. i really love this movie. best to catch it on tv because, like gangs of new york, it's uber-violent.

check these out (also this festive post) for YOself and lá sona st pádraig!

music monday.

a couple weeks ago we bundled into amelia's car and drove to salt lake's historic tower theater to see the live action shorts that were nominated for academy awards. in the future, if you have the opportunity, you should definitely seek the shorts out and see them.

they were all so great (if you like intriguing stories about shadows, mixing eternal sunshine of the spotless mind with the notebook, dancing to 80s music in a bowling alley, sad stories about afghanistan, and wet cats). i had a hard time picking my favorite, but i think that curfew was the one i loved most. it's the tale of a suicidal uncle that is called on at the last minute, to watch his niece for the evening. look it up.

oh wait, this post is about music ...

curfew had great music:

AND

forgive the creepiness of this video and then maybe think about the symbolism. it's alex ebert (of edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros), expect nothing less from him.

see these movies.

i usually leave the movies up to my comrade emily, but the oscar nominations came out today and i wanted to give my take on the best movies of 2012!

via refinery29.

1. the impossible

about a family that got separated during the 2004 asian tsunami. i had seen a couple previews for this movie and thought it looked good but was not prepared for what it actually was; it has to be one of, if not THE MOST, powerful movies i've ever seen. not since the kite-runner have i been so emotionally involved in a screen play. i thought bayona's directing was amazing (much like his job on one of my favorite horror films) and the acting awe-inspiring. naomi watts for the win! you MUST see this film.

2. skyfall
about bond ... james bond. so one time i forgot that i had seen casino royale, TWICE! i had no recollection of the plot or anything for that matter! this is very unlike me because i'm pretty sure that casino royale is a really great movie. so when we got tickets to see the latest of the bond movies i wasn't expecting much but i was soso wrong. maybe it was sam mendes' doing, or the fact that javier bardem is maybe the creepiest creep villian ever! but i loved every second of it. gotta catch this one.

3. silver linings playbook
about a crazy guy trying to get sane. did you think you'd see a day where jack black and bradley cooper were contending for a golden globe for best actor? yeah, i didn't either. boy was he good in this, along with everyone else: robert deniro, great, jacki weaver, marvelous, jennifer lawrence, perfect. good flick. lend your eyes to this.

4. prometheus
about a team of explorers trying to find their maker. whoa i loved this movie. i was hooked from just the preview! terrifyingly gripping. and this one scene ... edge of your seat, eat all your nails tense. happy to see it nominated for an oscar in visual effects. due for a view from you.

5. les miserables
about a man seeking redemption. that's what it's about people, REDEMPTION: deliverance from sin through the atonement of jesus christ. just sayin, i think people missed that message in the film. but what does our world know of redemption? can they understand that concept? off soap box. i will be the first to admit that i was let down just a little bit by this movie but i think it had to do with the singing (i grew up listening to the broadway cast sing the beautiful songs), but other than that i really enjoyed it. it wasn't too long, the close-ups were refreshing, and anne hathaway really out did herself. bravo. regarder ce.

6. lincoln
about ... guess. no really it's about lincoln during the civil war, dealing with emancipation. everyone should see this movie; man, woman, and child. i just remember the opening scene, my mouth was agape at the horror of face-to-face combat. the way they filmed that ... wow! and daniel day lewis' performance was transcendent to say the least. look, see, watch, intake.

9. liberal arts

about a 30-something year old falling for a college student. i saw this waaaay back at sundance in january. going to sundance movies is always a little sketchy since they've yet to be rated and you don't really know what you're getting into, but we LOVED it (the lovely peery egyptian theater in ogden didn't hurt either). i thought it was a pretty fresh idea and didn't take the turn you'd expect with hollywood. the themes in the film were pretty comprehensive too; the whole in-between things, grass isn't really greener on the other side, be happy with what you got, live in the moment sort of thing is something we all identify with at some point in time. check it.

8. moonrise kingdom

about young love and adventure! as my first wes anderson experience i was pleasantly surprised. what great muted-humor and style this film had, right up my alley. give it a looksie

9. bernie

about bernie tiede's relationship with a negative old bag widow, was overlooked for some reason, but i'm happy to see that jack black is nominated for a golden globe for his performance; jb at his very best. this true story is haunting and makes you think about ... things, like guilt and sorrow and stuff. i recommend it (also it's streaming on netflix right now).

10. the perks of being a wallflower

about an introvert facing his issues, wasn't what i expected. i thought that the previews and buzz were a little misleading (maybe they expected me to read the book, but why would they expect that of ME?). i just thought it was going to be this hipster, cliche, coming-of-age movie, but there was a story and it was a weighty one. plus, it had great music. worth a watch.

an honorable mention goes to ruby sparks and i'm still wanting to see zero dark thirty, argo, beasts of the southern wild, and the imposter.

what were your favorite films of 2012?

top ten christmas movies.

hello readers! pretty busy month for yours truly, so you'll have to settle for an abbreviated post from me this month. however, each movie on this list will be featured in my 25 days of christmas movies, so if you're interested in hearing my thoughts on each of them in detail you can find them there.

christmas is one of my favorite times of year (despite the icky snow) and there's just something fun about christmas movies. whether it be that they help us prep for the holiday or allow us to escape the weather and curl up on the couch they definitely make the season bright! in honor of this month i present to you my top ten favorite christmas movies:

1. it's a wonderful life

2. a christmas story

3. the muppet christmas carol

4. rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

5. elf

6. mickey's christmas carol

7. how the grinch stole christmas! (animated version)

8. home alone

9. the santa clause

10. national lampoon's christmas vacation

**check out emily's 25 days of christmas movies on her blog; a christmas movie/day!! what more could you want? also she's holding a great contest in conjunction with the series ... lend an eye and you may win a trip to the movies!

movies for thanksgiving.

it feels as though it's been ages since we've heard from our movie expert emily. glad to have her back for this month's movie list. i'm always looking for festive films to watch between cooking and turkey and pie, and then cozied up by the fire. now thanks to emily i've got a list of ten! thanks gurl!

hello all! we're halfway through the month and on track to one of my favorite holidays of the year: thanksgiving! unfortunately, it's not one of hollywood's favorite holidays, which will be evident when you see how creative i had to be to get to ten films that could pass! one thing i learned is that thanksgiving is apparently not a kid-friendly holiday. which makes sense ... it's one you learn to appreciate more and more the older you get. but as such, most of the films i watched tended to have adult moments, so if you're trying to watch with the whole family i made a nice HEADS UP list for each film so you won't be caught off guard. let's get going!

1. planes, trains & automobiles
this is the ultimate thanksgiving movie because it shows that there is no place like home on thanksgiving. and you can definitely feel that in the very last scene. it's a funny buddy/road film throughout, but the last few minutes really make it worth it. HEADS UP: skip the scene at the rent a car place where f-bombs fly every other word.

2. a charlie brown thanksgiving

leave it to charlie brown (well, actually marcy in this case) to tell us the true meaning of a holiday. in this short film charlie brown totally botches up a thanksgiving meal he promised to make for peppermint patty, but in a heartwarming moment we pause to reflect that the point of this holiday is not just to stuff one's face with food, a part i admittedly love too, but to be with the ones we love and to show gratitude for the things we have. HEADS UP: it's charlie brown , it's clean. unless you wanna read more into peppermint patty and marcy's weird relationship.

3. pieces of april 

this is both a great film and a great thanksgiving film. who knew katie holmes could be a decent actress!? the family drama is so broken and real. there were a few moments that really made my heart ache! the film has a simple premise: estranged daughter april attempts to cook thanksgiving dinner for her family in her apartment in new york city. it's this simplicity that makes the film work as we feel april's desperation in trying to reach out to her family, and even if they don't see eye to eye, family is what thanksgiving is all about. HEADS UP: skip the scene where the mother and son are looking thorugh the photo album, oh and there's a quick sex scene.

4. hannah & her sisters 

thanksgiving acts as the bookends in this movie that follows the lives of three sisters. i don't want to give too much away, but the holiday definitely acts like a character in the film and subtly helps the characters put things into perspective. HEADS UP: there is an adulterous relationship, but nothing is ever shown, and an inappropriate sexual reference here and there.

5. avalon 

like hannah & her sisters, this was a film that was more an examination of life rather than the examination of just one holiday. but like hannah, a special emphasis on thanksgiving was placed as we got to see four different thanksgivings in the life of this family. this is because thanksgiving is the holiday that celebrates FAMILY more than any other holiday. the progression of the thanksgivings says so much on the state of the characters and their relationships with one another. until finally they're eating their thanksgiving dinner with their televisions as opposed to their extended families. HEADS UP: ... nothing to report.

6. home for the holidays

this movie is a little uneven, but it definitely gets the FEEL of thanksgiving and is devoted to it. plus it features a hunky dylan mcdermott (NEVER got the appeal until just recently, and now i can't get enough!) so that's definitely not a bad thing AT. ALL ... and the ending is great. HEADS UP: RDJ's character is gay and his sister has a problem with that and once provoked, calls him some pretty filthy names.

7. waitress

i cheated by including the next two. no it's not a thanksgiving film ... but it's a film about PIES, and that to me is what thanksgiving is all about. that and being grateful or something, which i think the movie definitely touches upon by the end. great film. HEADS UP: marital rape & adultery included.

8. pocahontas

there are not many films about PILGRIMS and indians getting along, but at least we have this very fictitious film to give us the warm fuzzies about some of the earliest settlers and their relationship with the natives. i didn't have the patience to sit through a new world, so we'll stick with this film about cherishing the land and loving our neighbors .... and trying not to destroy our neighbors. it's basically avatar. HEADS UP: NOTHING! it's a disney film! yippee!

9. dutch

this is pretty much the poor man's planes, trains & automobiles; an unlikely pair that can't stand each other, are forced on the road trip of their lives to get home for thanksgiving dinner to a pretty lady waiting at home. just change it so that one of them is a snot nosed, pre-teen brat (played by none other than ethan embry, the bass player in that thing you do!), and the other is ed o'neill (low brow humor included). it's not always a pleasant journey, but they do have the quiet moments that show what thanksgiving is all about, and the final reunion was surprisingly heartwarming. HEADS UP: just skip any scene where racy playing cards are involved.

10. son in law

yep, the list of thanksgiving movies is so sparse i have to include a pauly shore movie. PAULY SHORE! this movie is so ridiculous, but i can't say i didn't kinda enjoy it; a guilty pleasure at it's guiltiest. featuring all of your favorite forgotten 90's stars: tiffany amber thiessen and the guy who played perry white in lois & clark. HEADS UP: pauly doesn't have the cleanest vocab-u-larrrrrry (that as my impression of him) and there's a bit of lesbian PDA at the beginning of the film.

well that oughtta do it! i hope you enjoyed the list, and if i missed any i'd REALLY be interested to know, because getting ten was sure hard! happy thanksgiving! see you next month!

happy halloween.

i prepare each year for halloween by watching horror movies all month. this year was rear window, psycho, the birds, dial m for murder, the ring, amityville horror, poltergeist, rosemary's baby, the alien trilogy and prometheus, the orphanage, hocus pocus, drag me to hell, beetlejuice, and fright night. phwef! no wonder i've been checking the back seat of my car more than usual. i think my favorite this year was fright night. pretty entertaining halloween flick with dave franco (if only for a minute or two),  hello! and also dylan from modern family. check it!

but i think my most favoritest thing i have done in the spirit of halloween is attend a friend's "it's only a movie" short horror film festival (named after this movie trailer, GREAT!). they first started it at byu (i even starred in a couple of films the first year) and has continued since. this year an adorable little theater in spanish fork hosted and i attended with shannen who starred in three films (the introductory film, never kick a ghost, and siri-ously don't listen to her)!

shannen is the girl from tron. i am a french man (note the mustache).

but mostly i wanted to show you this:

no harm or accident from james mcallister on vimeo (one of my picks from last night's festival).

happy halloween.

*ps - you should also watch this one too. it took first place. hilARious!

top 10 back to school movies.

hello again! new month, new list!. this time i thought it'd be fun to honor september and tackle the subject of back to school movies. this was actually a really hard list to put in order, but hopefully my picks accurately reflect the theme. take to the comments below and let me know what you think or if i missed any!

1. ferris bueller's day off

okay, this movie doesn't scream "back to school" to me, partly because it's set towards the end of the school year. but i picked it for the top spot because, not only do i think it's the best movie on the list, i feel like it is the epitome of how i felt during school. no raging parties or crazy proms, just sheer and utter boredom, sitting in a classroom and dying a little bit inside, while other kids were making outrageous memories. i love love love this movie. read more of my thoughts here.

2. the breakfast club

i'm kind of cheating by putting this one on the list because i've seen most of it on tv at some point, but don't really remember it crystal clearly. i just know that when you think high school movie, you think breakfast club. it's got the cliques down, but turns them on their head when they actually look at each other as human beings rather than stereotypes.

3. school of rock

this movie is hilarious and features jack black at his finest. it's good clean fun and probably the best school next to hogwarts.

4. mean girls

this is a high school movie i relate with all too well. tina fey's script nails the high school catty drama and is incredibly hilarious at the same time. plus the movie is a good time capsule of seeing lindsay lohan before she went cuckoo.

5. dead poet's society

there are two kinds of school movies: comedies, and inspirational dramas. i usually hate the inspirational school dramas because their formula is so predictable that the movies write themselves. dead poet's society perhaps started it, but is so well made that it's forgiven; largely due to robin williams' performance. i'd say he is probably one of the best fictional teachers around.

6. flipped

this movie is a little gem that goes for the school age least covered in film: junior high! it's sweet and earnest. it covers all those angsty little feelings that tweens go through from both the male and the female perspective. you can read more thoughts here.

7. to sir with love

you gotta love sydney poitier. this falls in the inspirational school drama category, but again, is one of the better ones due to poitier's performance. the movie has a great message about respect and tolerance. definitely worth a watch.

8. clueless

the then modern adaptation of jane austen's emma has now become a time capsule for the outrageousness of the 90s ... more specifically, high school in the 90s. luckily it was never really that bad, but the movie is certainly entertaining and one of the more fun high school flicks around.

9. billy madison

i admit this is definitely not something for the more refined tastes out there. the movie is pretty crude and full of dumb humor. but i can't think of "back to school" without thinking of billy madison.

10. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone

the most magical school of all and in this film we see it for the first time, just as harry does. i'm sure if this was our school we'd be just as excited to go back every year.

*bonus - the original freaky friday

yeah, back in the day we all wished our parents would have known how bad we really had it. here we see that happen with hilarious results.

**bonus bonus - watch COMMUNITY!
not a movie, but this hilarious tv show spoofs any movie cliche possible all while celebrating life at a community college.

that's it for back to school movies. next month look for my top ten halloween movies. it's sure to be a spooky good time! til then!

***emily writes a monthly movie list for youarewhatyoulove. check out her blog and/or follow her on twitter!

introducing ...

- my dear friend of 13 years
- my dear roommate of 1 year
- wealth of film knowledge
- film blogger
- has a degree in film from byu
- hates driving less than 10 mph
- loves seeing kids watch movies in the backseat of their car; "i always try and see if i can guess what movie it is."
- loves (500) days of summer, the star wars saga, back to the future, the sixth sense, and better off dead in that order.
- has been so kind as to agree to create monthly movie lists for youarewhatyoulove.




when i think of summer, i think of good times, crazy adventures, family fun, and making the most out of beautiful nature. beaches and mountains are the place to be!

my top 10 movies for summer represent these feelings. while not every film on it may be a masterpiece, these movies epitomize what summer is all about. and since summer is sadly coming to a close, better get cracking ... these movies will help round out the glorious season.

1. jaws

2. the sandlot

3. national lampoons vacation (catch this one on tv for best results)

4. goonies

5. splash

6. one crazy summer

7. finding nemo

8. super 8

9. american graffiti

10. parent trap

*bonus - tiny toons summer vacation (because my brother and i would always watch this every summer and i loved it)

**too see more of emily, check out her blog, movies & mayhem, or follow her on twitter.

odds/ends.

via boho-trees.

if you're reading this you know that i survived my surgery. did you know that 50,000 people die each year in surgery from problems with anesthesia (maybe it's 5,000 ... the internet wasn't too sure on this statistic)?

i've updated my netflix queue so the movies just keep a stremin' in. next up, annie hall and the bicycle thieves.

come visit me! we'll watch ratatouille together and eat jello!

happy weekend!

odds/ends.

via trash and treasure.

sometimes when i am really bored at work, i read the message boards on imdb. there are some real gems on those message boards ... 

there was this one i was reading today about movies that change lives. and it got me to thinking what movies have changed my life?

10 movies that changed my life {in no particular order}:

- north by northwest

in the summer of 1999, a movie theater near my house was showing north by northwest on the big screen. it was my first hitchcock experience. the tension! the love story! changed my life.

- the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

i remember perfectly the first time i saw this. i had heard great things about it and wanted to check it out for myself, so i got a rental and watched it in my room. as soon as it was over, i immediately started it over again. it was mind blowing. charlie kaufman is a genius. changed my life.

- amelie

this film made me love everything about france; the music, the scenery, the language. it portrays the commonplace of every day life as utopian beauty and made me look at the world in a whole new way. changed my life.

- little miss sunshine

i'll never forget watching that opening scene in the theater for the first time. abigail breslin wearing those big 80s glasses with devotchka playing. beautiful. changed my life.

- toy story

loved this movie when it came out. love it now. will always love it. changed my life.

- the shining

this isn't the first time i've mentioned this movie on my blog. the first time i saw this it scared the wits out of me. and my love for horror movies was born. changed my life.

- into the wild

i think i wrote about this on my blog once too. at the time i saw this film, i felt so in sync with the main character. he just wanted to be self-actualized and i wanted to be self-actualized. changed my life.

- the graduate

my sophomore year of college, my roommate and i had nothing to do on a friday night. we found a vhs of the graduate and popped it in. it is the beautiful combination of music, dialogue, and silence. the pacing and cinematography are perfect. i loved watching benjamin in his lost state. it is just a piece of art. changed my life.

- singing in the rain

we rented this once when i was little, but big enough to understand what was going on. from then on i knew i loved three things: old movies, musicals, and gene kelly tap dancing. changed my life.

-manhattan murder mystery

my first woody allen experience. his humor had me rolling in the aisles and the story is captivating. changed my life.

other than that, here are some things i'm loving as of late.

- rings

- vintage movie marquees

- zucchini parmesan subs

- thin mint ice cream

- peach sorbet

happy weekend! but mostly happy taylorsville dayzz!

odds/ends.

via illustratedladies.

welcome weekend!

i'm going to try to not cry this weekend. it tends to happen if i step into paige's room and smell her, or if i hear beyonce and even some times if i find one of her long, dark hairs in my car. a text from our secret mtc spy this afternoon helped a little and brought a smile to my face. i think i'll turn to brave to lift my spirits too. oh, and you know a bike ride always makes me cheerful {gotta start training for this baby}.

have a happy first weekend of summer!

• summer essentials.
• bag. want.
• you are my fave put a list of summer loves on her blog. cute! love summer!
• i would like these. actually i would like all of these.
• found highest heels blog the other day. take a look.

moonrise kingdom.

for paige's last theater experience we chose to see wes anderson's new film, moonrise kingdom. this was my first wes anderson experience and he did not disappoint. this was the best part. and now all i do is listen to francoise hardy. it was charming and quirky, just the way i like it. 

check it!


**read more about how great it is from designlovefest**

odds/ends.

via vineet kaur.

maybe it will be in a bed of big, fluffy, marriott pillows that i land.

it's paige's last friday in salt lake; next friday she'll be eating papa john's pizza in the provo mtc. we've gotta send her off right so we're packing our weekend full of continuous express summer items. 

it is country fest in south jordan this weekend, which is really no replacement for taylorsville dayzz, but that's all we got. moonrise kingdom comes out today. we will mos def be seeing this at our favorite salt lake city hang out, the broadway. add to that more swimming and biking, hiking and tent sleeping and we'll have ourselves a weekend.

• you'll never guess what opened today in salt lake. an open air tour bus! i cannot explain how excited i am for this. must go asap!
• i've been finding all sorts of delicious looking, summer reminding treats lately. yum, yum, yum.
• in honor or father's day, an article about the irreplaceable dad.
• anyone traveling to japan soon? wanna grab this for me?

oscar.

look how great he is. image via.

i guess you already know my love for movies.
i guess you already know that the oscar's is the culmination of my love for the year.
i'm not sure if you know that i attend an oscar party every year. and that this year will be no different.

oscar party 2008.

oscar party 1960. 

no really it's just me on halloween.

gottcha!

and now for my take on the noms. as if you care maybe some of you care. 

for best picture

the artist

worth seeing if only because it is a {nearly} silent film. i think this will take the award.

the descendants

meh. not best picture worthy.

extremely loud & incredibly close

never saw it. heard it wasn't very good.

the help

loved it. but best picture good? maybe.

hugo

good. and i love me some martin scorsese, but ... 

i thought it was a bit self promoting. or preachy or something.

moneyball

baseball? didn't see. probably won't.

midnight in paris

best movie in 2011. 

woody allen + paris, can it get better? also nominated for best director and best original screen play. i assume it will take home at least one of these.

the tree of life

i think i wrote about this on this here blog. i actually liked it a lot. if anything it should win for it's cinematography. 

war horse

i have not, can not, and probably will not ever bring myself to enjoy horse movies. but it was epic.

other opinions:

obviously, best original song should go to "man or muppet" from the muppets, music and lyrics by the very talented bret mckenzie.

and few could pull off what michelle williams did in my week with marilyn. plus, she has great hair.