Do you remember the movie Fly Away Home?

Yeah, neither do I.

I had to Google "duck movie true story 90's" to remember the name/find the trailer.

But what do I remember?

Going to this movie with Cousin Julie.

Ahhh... Provo's Movies Eight. Back in the day when I thought dollar movies were awesome (I have since decided that most discount theaters smell like someone - or someones, like, 17 of them - have peed their pants in the seats), and when I thought a theater with eight screens was pretty much the coolest thing ever. (Who grew up in a town so small that it didn't have a stoplight, let alone a movie theater? This girl.)

Anyway, I went to see this movie with Julie. We were (shockingly enough) the only people in the theater. (Crazy, right? With an inspiring story about a girl whose dad fashioned a flying machine so she could show her duck "children" how to fly South, I can't believe that theater wasn't packed to the gills!)

We were a few minutes early. It was a dollar movie, so there weren't previews. The theater was blasting (and I do mean blasting) muzak to keep the masses (we two) entertained until the movie started.

Enter this song...




Now, you can't tell me that you don't remember this song. (The movie? Sure. You could totally forget about that. But this video, complete with the creepy ghost motorcycle riding boyfriend?! It's unforgettable.)

As weirdie as this song is, it practically BEGS to be sung (sang?) along with. (I double dog dare you to disagree with that statement.)

I was sitting next to Julie, singing along to my heart's content, when she said the infamous words...

"I dare you."

More specifically, "I dare you to get up and stand in the front of the theater and sing this song. Out loud."

And how did I respond, you ask?

"What will you give me?"

"... A nickle."

"Done!"

No sooner had I gone up to stand at the front of the theater than an entire family (of, like, ten... you know how those Utah Mormons are with their big families) walked into the theater. I looked at Julie, silently asking if the bet/dare was still on... and she held up a nickel between her thumb and forefinger.

Oh, yes. It was on.

So, I sang. And when I say "I sang", I mean... I sang. I sang my little heart out. At the top of my lungs.

Picture it. Me standing at the front of the theater, belting it out as loud and proud as I could, throwing my arms out (a la Celine) at the "Babay, babay, babay" ...

I'm telling you, I put on quite a show.

For a nickle.

For my cousin.

For a memory.

And I've never regretted it. Not once. ... Not even when the family of ten just sat there in silence, staring at me. (They didn't clap, but I like to think that my musical performance was the highlight of their Saturday afternoon. I mean, come on. My competition was a movie about a girl who mothered ducklings, and you know that I totally rocked the song.)

I love my life. I love my cousin. I love to sing. Out loud. ... Some things never change.

Five Movies That Remind Me Who I Am

Is anyone else finding themselves a little obsessed with The Pioneer Woman's new entertainment tab? ... Because I sure am.

Probably because I live for movies (and who's kidding who, tv on dvd, too), this section of her site is my new best friend.

And this post especially resonated with me. ... Call me crazy, but I must say that when I see a post titled "When Movies Remind Us Who We Are", it speaks to my very soul. I read this post earlier this week (like, you know, the day it was written, because that's the kind of blog stalker I am), and I've been thinking all week about movies. Specifically, about movies that define periods in my life, and people in my life. Here is my list of five movies that remind me who I am.



Such a surprise that this is the first movie on my list, right? I know, I know. I'm soooo predictable! But listen, this movie is the best! For so very many reasons. It's based on a true story. Real people who stood up for what they believed in and left their homeland in hope of a better life elsewhere. (What's not glorious about that?) Also, Edelweiss is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Amen.

Ways in which this movie defines my life:

When the Taylor church was condemned (before my boy James bought it and turned it into his studio), the old chapel curtains were left there to rot. When Jamie & Co came in to restore the building, they had no use for drapes that had been left in a semi-open building for YEARS. But I did. I wanted to make play clothes out of them, so my sweet mother went to the church and came back with yards and yards of drapery for just such a dress. (Too bad we had to throw them out because we couldn't figure out how to clean them before we could sew. But still, that I wanted "play clothes" out of drapery leads directly back to a childhood influenced by Fraulein Maria.)

I knew what flibbertigibbet meant at a very young age. (Vocab has always been a big deal to me.)

When Molly Sanchez got married, a bunch of us from BYU 3rd ward rode up to Logan together for the sealing/reception. That night, after the party was over, Julie and I twirled on the hill and then ran skipping down it. One of our friends commented on how I thought life was a musical. Darn tootin, I did! (And I still do.) And this movie is so much of why I think it's important to dance and sing your way through life. Maria was the queen of finding ways to incorporate music into the mundane and make life fun. I heart her (and that goatherd puppet show)!



I love this movie. For oh, so very many reasons.

1) It's one of the most quotable movies of all time. "These mashed potatoes are so creamy." "Do I like jello?" "Caesar Romero wasn't tall!"

2) I soooo relate to Lucy and her unfortunate situation. (No kidding, before I saw this movie myself, I had two different friends tell me that I had to see it, because the train track situation followed by the hospital "I was going to marry him" scene, leading to his family thinking they were engaged and her not being able to tell them the truth because she was afraid she'd kill grandma is EXACTLY the kind of thing that would happen to me.)

3) When this movie came out, one of my best friends was in Chicago on a mission for our church. I hadn't seen him, or even talked to him, in over a year and I missed him like crazy! Watching a movie set in Chicago, seeing the train and Lake Michigan and other touristy spots throughout the movie, things and places that I had seen in the pictures he had sent home, helped me miss him less. I remember walking out of that theater feeling closer to him than I had in months. I still remember that feeling, how I felt more at peace with the distance and knew we were still friends, even if things weren't the same as they had been when we were younger. Cheesy? Maybe. But it was a real sensation. It's been 15 years or so, but I still remember that feeling as I walked out of the theater.



Again, one of the most quotable movies of all time. "That's MY beauty spot!" "Fancy meeting you here, Judith Tremaine." "To think we were against you in the late war..."

I grew up watching this movie. I remember dancing the Tapioca (or trying to, anyway) with my cousins when we were kids. At the time, I had no idea what white slavery was, but I knew that Mrs. Meers and her henchmen were up to no good with that fake soy sauce.

I had a crush on a boy named Jim once and I would sing the "Jimmy, oh Jimmy" song to myself all the livelong day.

Some of my dearest friendships have been made with folk who know (and quote) this movie as well (and often) as I do. ... I'll never forget the day at the bank when I inadvertently quoted TMM (as anyone who knows me - and the movie - know I am wont to do) and two of the tellers surprised me by throwing lines right back at me. I tell you, I learned a long time ago that if someone knows and loves Millie, they're kindred spirits and the sky's the limit as far as friendship goes! (Don't mind me throwing in one more movie reference there. I can't help it, I get it from my mother's side of the family. ... Okay, okay, I'll stop. But just know that I'm cracking myself up over here.)

If I want a guaranteed laugh, all I have to do is throw this movie in the dvd player and I'm good to go!



Oh, how I love this movie! And the beauty is that it takes place over an entire 12 months, and there are songs for every holiday, so I can justify watching it any time of the year. This, my friends, is NOT "just another Christmas movie"!

When I was growing up, I loooooved this movie, but *sigh* we didn't have it. Whenever I was sick, I'd have my mom call Lorraine Solomon to borrow it so I could lie on the couch and veg to Bing and Fred.

I'd make Valentine's Day cookies when I was in high school and sing "Be careful, it's my heart" to myself as I'd frost heart-shaped cookies with pink icing.

For years, I have been looking for a good recording of the 4th of July song that's in this movie. All the time, I sing "On this day of Independence, on this Independence Day" to myself and then giggle at what a fun play on words that is.

This movie was the debut of the song White Christmas, and it's my favorite version/recording of it - ever. When Bing hits the bells on the tree with his pipe, my heart just sings.



Because my mother raised me to love a good con.

It is true. My sweet, angelic mother looooooves a con. The intricacy of the foil. The finding of a mark and the playing of that person (esp if they deserve it, a la Terry Benedict) is a thing of beauty. My mother taught me many things; how to appreciate a con is one of the most fun (and surprising, if you know her) things that I learned from her.

Somewhere in my heart there is a deep dark spot that wishes I could get away with something like a triple casino heist. Or maybe I just wish I knew a guy like Danny Ocean. Tomato/tomahto.

Honorable mentions (because we all know that I could have listed umpteen movies here):

The original Parent Trap (My whole life, I've wanted to cut the back out of some snotty girl's dress).

Random Harvest (What would you do if the person you loved couldn't remember you? Would you walk away, move on? Or would you find a way to be with them, even if you couldn't be "with" them? ... Thank heaven I've never loved an amnesiac, I don't know what I'd do!)

You've Got Mail (Because who loves Joe Fox? I do, even if he does take the caviar that's supposed to be a garnish. I can't help myself.)

Rebecca (Mrs. Danvers is the epitome of all that is deranged and lunatic. When I was a kid, I would get her and Rochester's first wife confused in my head all the time. ... All I knew is that only crazy women burned houses down and I wanted nothing to do with them. Amen.)

GWTW (Rhett Butler. Need I say more?)

Mrs. Miniver (Probably the first WWII movie I saw that really struck a chord with me. I was a teenager the first time I saw it. Every time I even THINK about that movie, I am filled with a sense of loss and an appreciation for everything that generation sacrificed during the war.)

The Fighting Sullivans (I can't even type the name without choking up. What this movie does to me is the equivalent of Mrs. Miniver squared.)

An Ideal Husband (Oscar Wilde was a freaking genius! The language/dialogue in this movie is to die for. Lord Goring makes me laugh OUT LOUD, and I find myself quoting him on a fairly regular basis. "I always pass on good advice. It is the only sensible thing to do with it." HA!)

The Dark Knight (I know, I know. It's super dark, and this is not a movie most people would put on a list of defining movies. But I looooove Batman! I always have, but I esp love how, in this movie, he lets people think he's the bad guy ... because they need to be able to draw a line between good and bad/light and dark, and it would destroy a city if they knew that their white knight had fallen. That he takes the hit for something he didn't do, in order to allow a city full of people to continue to believe in an ideal is beautiful to me.)

Where the Red Fern Grows (I do love a good coming-of-age story, and this is probably the best ever written. I used to ask to rent this movie whenever I'd get free Rent-a-Flik coupons at school. ... And I'm not even a dog person!)

YouTube, I love you so...

We all know that I have a love affair with YouTube that borders on the ridiculous, but here's the thing. I'm still waiting for all the digits to come on my celeb phone list, so I need something to do in the middle of the night when I'm up and I don't have anyone to call.

Behold, a ridiculously long preview for The Deathly Hallows:



I'm so excited that I can hardly stand myself!

On the upside, the music was somehow soothing and I think that now I can go to sleep. (Here's hoping any dreams that may be inspired by this little beauty will be full of Fred and George, and that Bellatrix will stay far, far away.)

You've Got Mail. Sorta.

I ate caviar for the first time last weekend. (It's okay, it was not a garnish. It was meant to be eaten by me.) I was thinking about that today and laughing to myself about the scene from You've Got Mail when Joe scoops all the caviar off the dish ("That caviar is a garnish!"). I went to my friend YouTube to see if I could find that scene and post it here, for any of you who you may not have seen the movie literally hundreds of times and therefore have it on instant recall. Unfortunately, I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for... but check this out:



Apparently, there's someone out there remaking trailers for chick flicks into thrillers. The Dirty Dancing was fabulous! I'd post it here, but the embedding was disabled. (Grrrr.) If you want a good hard belly laugh, you should check it out. It's hilar.

Jane rocks the 3 piece suit

Here is a true story from my real life.

I went and saw Ironman 2 with some of my favorite people a few days ago and though the whole movie, I had this niggling feeling that something was wrong. It was hard for me to put my finger on it, but after some time (read: after multiple scenes with Hammer in them), it came to me.

Dudes, the 3 piece suit is only a genius wardrobe call when it's Mr. Patrick Jane sporting the look. On anyone else, it is... well... foppish.



The End.

For more true stories from my real life, stay tuned. You never know what my wacky brain's gonna come up with next.

Happy Anniversary, Dorothy!

Today, in celebration of The Wizard of Oz's 70th anniversary, there's a one night only showing of the movie. The only theater in the valley showing the movie, to my knowledge, is the theater around the corner from my house. (I know, I know... I lead such a charmed life.)

I've been in Utah all week with my cousins, but am flying back this afternoon to get home early enough to go see the 7:00 show with some of my favorite people. I'm so excited, I'm giddy!

(And on another interesting and somewhat related note... I found the most curious website today listing the last words of famous movies. I was intrigued that the last word of The Wizard of Oz is "home". Isn't that lovely? I'm tearing up, just knowing that. ... Gosh, I'm such a sap.)

Oh, how I need a raspberry bavarian creme pie now.

I went and saw this movie with my Lizzie last night, and oh my goodness, I loved it. LOVED IT! I had pretty much figured that I would. I knew the wardrobe for the Julia segments would be something else... I think Amy Adam's is about the cutest thing ever, and I'm one of Nora Ephron's biggest fans of all time. (As anyone who knows me knows that I have You've Got Mail virtually memorized.)

The movie was fabulous. The way the two women's lives parallelled each other, all the recipes, the beautiful buttery goodness of it all... I loved it. Go see it, it's fabulous!

I think I figured out why I wake up crazy.

It's because I sleep/dream crazy. So, waking up crazy is a natural byproduct.

Here's a fun little anecdote from this morning. I was having what was a pretty normal dream (I can't remember the first part of it, but I'm pretty sure it was normal), when suddenly it turned into a nightmare because there was a tiger in my apartment. (And any of you who've been to my house can attest to how small it is. There really isn't room to run/escape from a dangerous animal.) Midst my freaking out - in my dream - about what in the world was I going to do about having this tiger in my house, I kind of woke up, and I thought "Oh, I'll just sing to it... and I'll feed it red meat" and then "I can't give you anything but love, Baby" cued in my head (and in my dream) and I fell right back to sleep and sang to the tiger, which it loved. And then I fed it raw hamburger, which it also loved, and we were totally friends and it was no longer dangerous.

I've never felt more like *Katharine Hepburn in all my live long life, and it feels so good. You just can't beat channeling a classic screwball comedy and making it your reality, even if it is only a dream reality. Now, if I could just get a little Cary Grant in my dreams... That would be even better.



*Above is a shot of my girl, Katharine, with Baby (the leopard). Bringing Up Baby is, pretty much, the funniest movie of all time. For any of you who haven't seen it, you must. If you live close and are still in the vhs age, please feel free to borrow my copy. This movie is fan-freaking-tastic and it's my personal belief that EVERYONE should know the sound that a loon makes.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

"Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry." ~ Albus Dumbledore

WAIL!

Okay, moving on, through the tears and sorrow... Seriously, I did love the movie. Did I love it as much as I love the book? Heck no! No matter how well the movies are made, they are always lacking when held up next to the book, and this was no exception. But still, the movie was fabulous. Were there bits left out? Of course. Did I wish they'd taken another 15 minutes to keep things in sync with the book and properly end the movie? Uh... yeah. But you know that I was still totally sitting there verklempt, tears running not only down my face, but down my neck (hi, I am half Ball) in the last 10 minutes.

Oh, geez, I do love this story. I love Harry and I love Dumbledore (of course, I also love the Weasely twins, but that's a post for another day... suffice it to say, I was glad they made an appearance, albeit too short of one and I'm not a fan of their new haircuts, but still...).

The movie's definitely worth seeing. Twice, at least. I'm hoping that the next time I see it, someone will kill Bellatrix. I know it won't happen (yet)... but I really (REALLY) hated her in this one and wished someone would just start screaming swear words at her and curse her into oblivion. Oh, well... I guess I'll just have to wait for that to happen.

For now, I'll just groove on the tension between Ron & Hermione (they did SUCH a good job with that) and savor the goodness of having Dumbledore at Hogwarts. It's a good one... go see it.

*And if you haven't read the books - please do. They're amazing. And beautiful. And poetic. And intense. And hilarious. And inspiring. They are, in a word, magical.

It really IS a wonderful life!

So, I had someone send me this little inspirational email at work today,

What you do makes a difference. What you think, what you say, what you take the time to understand makes a difference.

Life changes because you are part of it. And you can always make it change for the better.

Every moment, a new world is being born. You can make the world more beautiful and fulfilling than it has ever been before.

A positive and purposeful intention leads to effective, creative action. And suddenly, you've made the world a better place.


When I read that, my mind immediately went to one of my favorite movies EVER, It's A Wonderful Life. It's funny, I know, how I associate the movies and music of my youth with life. But I do it... Because I love them. I love the truth that can be found in film (and in music), and the tale of George Bailey is one of my favorites. Why? Because he was human. Ridiculously, almost tragically human. The upside of his humanity? He had a heart. A huge heart. And he changed people's lives, a whole town of them, for the better. Oh, how I love the example of George Bailey. This email this morning reminded me of him. So, in turn, I am reminding you of (or telling you about) him. If you've never seen the movie - do. It's one of my top ten favorites, easily. And could (and probably should) be watched any time of the year. There are so many lessons to learn in It's A Wonderful Life, not the least of which is that, often unwittingly and unknowingly, we have an effect on every person that we come in contact with. I love the sentiment "Remember no man is a failure who has friends". Oh, It's A Wonderful Life is a beautiful thing, in large part - I believe - because it helps me remember that life is a beautiful thing.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

I am a brain donor. But hey, I'm happy... so it's okay. At least, today I'm happy. Tomorrow I'll probably be about 17 shades of tired, and most likely a little grumpy by the end of my 12 hour shift (esp after staying up past midnight tonight), but when the opportunity to go to dinner & a movie with Chris & Jo comes up, I'm .... well .... I'm just a girl who can't say no.

Tonight after work (I get off at 8:00 pm, remember) I met them for dinner - after which we drove back a little closer to home (and also to the theater where you're allowed to bring in food from the surrounding food establishments - hello, Cold Stone!) for a movie. I got home at 12:15 and, sadly, am wired as all get out ... so I thought I'd share my night with my online audience. (I know, you all wish I'd just go to bed already, but first please allow me to give you a little insight into my Fabulous Friday Night.)

Hello, PF Chang's - one of my many true loves when it comes to food. Tonight I had my fave - Mongolian Beef, with about 3 cokes (because we all know that I love myself some sweet & fizzy coke along with my salty & spicy food). It was, as always, amazing. Mmmmm......

Hello, Cold Stone - my one true love when it comes to places that serve frozen confections. Tonight I had the Very Berry (however-that-goes) with toasted almonds. Oh, that ice cream's a little piece o' heaven, I tell you...

And then we went and saw this movie, which I am not too proud to tell you ... I had no desire to see. (Renee Zellweger gives me a bit of a headache, and well ... as much I do enjoy hearing Harry sing, he's not really that great of an actor.) Nonetheless... Christine had seen it with her roommate last week and I had it on good authority that I'd think it was pretty funny, so... $9.75 later, I was in. And let me just say... holy freaking crapping cow, this movie made me laugh so hard that I thought I was going to break something loose inside of me. Honestly - the wacky Minnesotan hair-do's and the accents, not to mention the local colloquialisms.... seriously - about the funniest thing I've seen in I-don't-even-know-how-long. Wow.
So, there you have it - a night in the life of me. And my favorite part of the whole night (and you'll have to admit that topping my fab dinner, my favorite ice cream in the whole entire world and the funniest movie I've seen in a good, long time is something to say) was when Jo turned to me in the movie ticket line, as I was standing there tired and bleary eyed (but still happy to be there, out with two of my favorite people EVER) and said "I'm so glad you came... I love this spontaneous part of you ... the eat, drink & be merry part." Do you see why I love her? "The eat, drink & be merry part" ... now, that's pretty great. It's not every day I hear something that so sums my life up. And even though I know that's probably not the most flattering picture of me ever painted (if you take it in the direct scriptural meaning, which you know I don't ... as I never like to think of myself in an un-flattering light), I do think it's pretty accurate... Gosh, it's great to have friends that know me so well - and love me in spite of myself. I am, truly, the luckiest girl ever.

The Christmas present that just keeps on giving

Yeah, I love this movie. I really, really do. As we all know, I loved it enough in the theaters to watch it three times the opening week. And when it came out on DVD, it was all I could do not to rent it, not to buy it. But I kept telling myself "Laurie... no. Wait for Christmas, someone will get it for you." And Santa did, bless him. I watched it this afternoon (in the full light of day, lest I get all freaked out again by The Joker... don't judge) and.... fell in love with Bruce Wayne all over again. Seriously, I do love him. It KILLS me that youtube doesn't have my favorite scene (when he's walking down the hall, dismantling the gun... yumma-dabba-do), but what's a girl to do? (Besides push pause and then freeze-frame that part?)

Anyhoo... you know I love it. This is truly a gift that'll keep on giving... for years to come. Yay, Santa! I love you!!!

A very nearly perfect day...

So, this morning I woke up thinking "there are so many movies out right now that I really want to see" ... and I didn't have to work today ... so I checked the schedule at the theater around the corner, found that the first showing of Benjamin Button was at 10:30, and hit the road. It turns out that working 12 hour days has been good for me. A sort of training for sitting for extraordinarily long periods of time. I had a triple feature, with a yummy lunch between movie #2 and #3, and then went ahead and treated myself to gelato afterwards... just for kicks.

Movie #1 --- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



I'm a fan. It was kind of slow moving... but not in a boring way. More... in a slowly unraveling story kind of way. Like I said, I'm a fan. The clothes were FABULOUS, the story intriguing. Cate Blanchett is flawlessly beautiful, as always. In this movie, she reminded me of my cousins. She was very much a hybrid of Lisa & Shelly - in all the right ways. She had the willowy dancer thing going on (Lis), with a sheet of silky hair (Shell). PLUS, there was the element of time being bent. We all know that I'm always a fan of anything with an unusual timeline issue going on. Oh, right... AND it's been a good 12 hours since I saw the movie, and I'm still thinking about it. Oh, it was fabulous!


Movie #2 --- Seven Pounds



Again, I'm a fan. Of the movie. Not sure how I feel about the storyline (I'm still trying to process it). It's one of those weirdie Will Smith movies where the end is definitely not clear from the beginning. (Mind you, I am not saying "weirdie" in a negative way. I'm just saying that it's a mind bender.) I did figure it out about 20 minutes before the big reveal, so I am pretty proud of that. It's good, but not for the feint of heart. It almost gave me a headache, trying to figure out what the devil was going on. Overall, I'm a fan... but I'm not entirely sure why.



Insert my lovely lunch break here... I ran over to the gyro place (thanks, Myra, for showing me where it was when we went to Australia) and helped myself to a little lamb & cucumber sauce piece of heaven. (Seriously - the best dang tatziki sauce IN THE WORLD.) And, apparently, the short & round little Greek man who owns the place is a fan... because he brought over a free piece of baklava (that I later snuck into the theater so I'd have a snack in my next movie). Why is it always the short & old dudes who want to fawn over me & give me gifts? Whatever, I'm not gonna complain. I mean, who am I to look a baklava giving horse (or old man) in the mouth?


Movie #3 --- Marley & Me

Okay, I'm just gonna say it... the puppy was cute. But I'd have KILLED him. I mean... KILLED THE THING DEAD. For the first half of the movie I was torn between thinking Jennifer and Owen (love them like I do... and I really do love both of them, but... I still kept thinking that they just...) looked too much like they were in their 40's to be believable as a young newlywed couple. Not to mention, I'd have killed that damn dog. Lest you judge me for being a heartless woman, let me say that I did get all verklempt at the end (I'd have to have a heart of stone not to), but when it was all said and done... I've never been more happy to come home to Frank in all my life as I was after seeing the damage a D-O-G could cause. (As much as I threaten her - weekly - with taking her back to the pound if she doesn't stop being naughty, she's so much better than a dog would be.) It was okay. Good, I mean. I'm glad I saw it and all and I liked it okay... but I didn't love it. Don't know that I'd ever see it again.

And then after the movie... I went and got a gelato (1/2 mixed berry and 1/2 orange). It was divine. I mean D-I-V-I-N-E. My favorite thing about getting gelato? The mini shovel they give you to eat it with. Seriously, I do love the mini shovel. It makes me giggle.

All in all, it was a nearly perfect day. The only thing that could have possibly improved it for me would have been to have someone at the theater with me all day... And no, not only so I would have had to pay. (Please, I'm not that shallow.) I mean, I would like to have someone else pay for the tickets, the coke, the popcorn, the junior mints, the gyro and the gelato (I'm telling you, I went all out on me today) ... but even more than that, I'd like to be able to talk the movies over with someone. (At least the two that required thought and didn't make me want to kill dogs.) So, if any of you all saw Benji (yeah, I pet-named it) and/or Seven Pounds, let's talk.

So... uh... anyone wanna loan me a movie?

Hey kids... I'm hoping that one of you fine blog readers has a copy of Wall-E that you want to loan me this weekend. I've been told that I need to check the movie out by my girl Tiffany, and, well.... I'm too cheap to waste my netflix on it (esp if I can borrow it from one of you who have little rug-rats around who'd put this movie on their Christmas wish lists). So, does anyone have a copy they want to loan me? Anybody? ... Anybody?

I'm using the Flux Capacitor and ... going back in time

Yes, that's right. The flashback feature for the week is none other than Back to the Future. Ahhh, yes. One of my first experiences with the time-travel genre. Always good for a laugh - and always a good time. And I say this as someone who grew up with the "severely edited version". My mom taped it off tv... she only taped what we were allowed to see... we wound up with a 45 minute version of the film. Suffice it to say, you have to know the movie really well to be able to follow the version we had. The part where George's up in the tree? Cut - because he was doing the Peeping Tom thing, which was highly inappropriate. The fact that Marty ended up in the house (in Lorraine's room... wearing "Calvin Kleins") - gone. For obvious reasons. George cleaning Biff's clock at the dance? Gone, because Biff wasn't being very nice to Lorraine (in the erm... backseat of his car). ...I could go on and on. Like I said, I grew up with the severely edited version. Which makes the fact that I'm gonna see the whole, uncut movie in a theater even that much more exciting. (Yes, that's right. I'm a 34 yr old rebel. And you can tell my mom, I don't even care.)

The Emperor's Club

I re-watched this movie this afternoon. I'd seen it on my shelf last week (as I was enjoying the spoils of unemployment) and had thought "Oh, yeah... I'd forgotten about that movie. I know I liked it, but I can't remember why. I'll have to watch it." So, I pulled it out and put it on top of my movie shelf, and promptly got busy doing something else that didn't really matter (like watching dvd #3 of Prison Break season 3... or something like that). When I got back into town today and had an afternoon to spend doing whatever I wanted... I saw that movie and thought "Ahhh... I'll do that". So I made some popcorn and poured myself some DP and put in the dvd. And as the credits rolled and the movie started, the opening lines gave me shivers and suddenly I remembered... I don't like this movie - I love it.

Oh, this movie is a beautiful thing.

From the very beginning, as the older version of Mr. Hundert introduces us to the subject matter; character. He says, "As I've gotten older, I realize I'm certain of only two things. Days that begin with rowing on a lake are better than days that do not. Second, a man's character is his fate."

To the end, when the older Deepak Mehta says, "A great teacher has little external history to record. His life goes over into other lives. These men are pillars in the intimate structure of our schools. They are more essential than its stones or beams, and they will continue to be a kindling force and a revealing power in our lives."

Man, I do love this movie. It's a softer Dead Poet's Society. It has the drama, the honor... the contest for popularity in an exclusive all boys school, the absolutely horrible father who's so consumed with his own need for power that he doesn't even look at his son. It has all of this, without Robert Sean Leonard (who I loved when I was in High School, btw) committing suicide.

Like I said, it's a softer DPS. They both have merit, but today... today, this movie spoke to me. It made me remember how important it is to be honest, to have character, to contribute.

If you've seen it, but it's been a while, I recommend watching it again. If you've never seen it, and you're a fan of DPS and/or (one of my other all-time-school-teacher-movie-faves) Good-bye, Mr. Chips, I'd recommend adding this to your netflix. Oh, it is fabulous. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!

Jurassic Park

Oh, yeah... The flashback feature today is none other than the 1993 classic, Jurassic Park. Oh my gosh, I love this movie. I love it because it was the first "real" dinosaur movie in... well, ever, frankly. (And my dad is a lover of all things, well... Jurassic... so I should know.)

I'll never forget the first time I saw it (and that's not just because I was having a pride issue and could not let Melvin and/or Jared know I was freaked the hell out by the Velociraptors - they'd taken a bet before we went into the theater which one of them I'd "hold on to" when I got scared, Melvin told me that Jared had been unreasonably confident it would be him - I was determined that I wouldn't show ANY kind of fear and thus sat with my arms crossed, biting my bottom lip so as not to let out even a squeal at point in the movie).

This is a bit of a family classic. My dad got it on VHS for Christmas (probably from Uncle Remus) the year it came out, and I don't even know how many tapes he's worn out. This is his "bed-time story" of choice. All 6 of us kids can hum the soundtrack at the drop of a hat, because we heard the music coming from my parents' room night after night because my dad would put it on so he could watch until he fell asleep.

Oh, yeah, this is gonna be a great show. It's not like I don't know how the story goes (I could see it with my eyes closed, actually), but the opportunity to see this on the big screen again (after 15 years?!) is too cool to pass up! As always, if you want to come with, shoot me an email or give me a call and I'll give you the details.

It's a jolly holiday with Ma-a-a-ry...

That's right, folks. It's Flashback Feature Wednesday again, and the movie of the week is none other than one of my personal faves... Mary Poppins. Wahoo! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it!

FFA: Gone With The Wind. Do you give a damn?

Uh, yeah. And I'll give a whole lot more than a damn, too, while I'm at it. I'll give you a full blown testimonial, in fact. Oh, how I love this movie. I also LOVE the book, but I met the movie first and it is one of the few movies that are based on books where I prefer the movie to the book. Not that the book isn't quite excellent. It really, really is. In fact, there's a lot more meat in the book. There's a lot more to the story than you get in the movie, and yet... I prefer the movie. Why? Because I love Clark Gable. (Oh, how I love Clark Gable. He's the 1930's equivalent to a combination of Hugh Jackman & Christian Bale, if you ask me. And we all know how much I love Wolverine & Batman... so that's saying quite a bit.) And if there was ever a role that was made for Clark Gable, it's that of Rhett Butler. Damn, damn, damn... he's a beautiful man, Rhett is. Both inside and out. I love him. I love his brash manner, his courage, his devotion to all things Scarlett (even though I personally think she's a pill and he could do soooo very much better), his honesty. I love his devotion to his Bonnie Blue, his kindness and mercy (that only Melanie ever seems to really see), and his relationship with the town harlot. Oh. My. Gosh. I love Rhett. I do. I can't help it. Watch this little clip and you'll see why I think he's the #1 Alpha Male of all time. Dudes, I so love him...

Other things I love about this movie: hating Scarlett, Mammy's red petticoat (again, I so love Rhett for buying it for her), Melanie's absolute & total goodness, the cinematography, thinking to myself that Ashley's parents made him into a sad sappy dope the second they gave him that sissified girl name, the score, the colors, the knowledge that the bodies in the battle field are real people (not computer generated), and that the fire's real too. Basically, I love everything about this movie. I love the story, the romance, the drama, the intrigue, the politics, the clothing... I love it all. Even the people who make me crazy... I love to hate them. Hands down, this is one of my favorite movies of all time (and not just because there's a swear word in it). If you haven't seen it, you must. If you have seen it, and don't love it ... you'd best not be telling me about it, because I'll have to call off our friendship. (Don't test me here, folks. I'm pretty serious.)

I heart Atticus Finch!

I am the luckiest girl in the world. I mean, the luckiest! Not only did I get to go and watch a vintage b&w movie last night... but my friend Shellee found another theater in town that's running a flashback feature series. This week is the first week at that theater. And the movie this week? To Kill A Mockingbird. Oh, how I love this movie! Oh, how I love Atticus Finch! And not just the Gregory Peck part of Atticus (which, don't get me wrong, I'm a BIG FAN of Gregory Peck) - I love Atticus, his goodness, his mercy, his absolute sense of right and wrong. What a man! I'm all weepy, just thinking about this story. If any of you haven't seen it, please, please put it on your netflix (or, heck, borrow my copy). See it. I'd recommend this one over Casablanca (and that's saying quite a bit). This is a beautiful story (it's a FANTASTIC book), and the movie is so incredibly well done. For this story to have been told, with such grace, so long ago... Oh, they just don't make movies like they used to. Thank heaven there are theaters here in the big city that give us a chance to see classics like this today.