Movie Review ~ Doubt

Last night I saw Doubt at the AFI Film Festival. Writer and Director John Patrick Shanley was there to introduce the film as well as Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

Doubt is set in the 1960's about a Priest, Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), accused of molesting a child, Donald Muller (Joseph Foster). The performances of Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams were exceptional, but the most heart wrenching scene is between Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryle Streep) and Mrs. Muller (Viola Davis) the child's mother. Viola Davis is amazing.



Doubt in theaters January 8, 2009

My students making it work!

A new Quarter, a new batch of students making it work!

Pictures from the Premiere of Part of the Weekend Never Dies

Enjoying Belvedere cocktails at the Montalban

Loren & Arnold

Isaac & Me

Arnold & Mugatu

Loren and Messed up Beaver


Finalist for the Halloween contests

Dinner after the Premiere

Isaac training Arnold on Chopsticks 101

Loren and Me

Movie Review ~ Part of the Weekend Never Dies

Makes you want to get up out of your seat and dance!

Check out their site:
http://www.soulwax.com/potwnd/loop/

Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3tTGb-PiCw

Movie Review ~ Game (Addendum)

I’ve had a few hours sleep and have thought about the movie more. I wrote about the scenes I loved, here are the ones I hated or left me thinking, ya right!

Spoiler Alert!

The song and dance number made me think WTF? Yes, you got that right, SONG AND DANCE NUMBER!! The Sims characters were hard to watch, they should edit out the woman peeing. YES, peeing! And lastly, I did horribly in Chemistry 101, I think this is a challenge for Myth Busters. Does vomiting alcohol and peeing into a gas tank work if you are out of gas? That got a huge laugh from the audience.

I hated Michel C. Hall’s character, Ken Castle, eccentric and over the top, he reminded me of the villain in the Incredibles, a cartoon. But if I hated him then that means Michael did his job well. Also, the movie exercised little of Gerard’s acting abilities, but fully used his physicality, the action scenes were great. I didn’t think it was possible for him to look bigger, as in muscular, than in 300.

Out of the four women in our group, one hated it, one loved it, and two said, “We would have never seen the movie had Gerard Butler not been in it.” I will probably suffer to see it again with my son, but only to watch Gerard, Mark and Brian really did a wonderful job filming him, in my opinion, the best he’s looked since 300.

Game opens in May 2009?

Movie Review ~ Synecdoche, New York

I only have one word... BIZARRE.

Isaac and I at the party

Synecdoche, New York opens in limited release October 24th

Movie Review ~ Game

It's late, but I wanted to write something before I went to bed.

I went to the first audience test screening of Game tonight. Now, I didn't like Crank, but I have to say Game surpassed my expectations for being that type of movie, better script and storyline.

Gerard's character, Kabel, is a quiet man who speaks rarely, but when he does it's without an accent, the best he has done so far.

The movie opens with shots of buildings with huge screens or build boards on them with images of Kabel, and then cuts into the first action sequence. The movie is wonderfully shot, love the new camera Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the directors and writers, used to film it. There's lots of action, very few slow scenes.

It's very violent, sexually explicit, nudity, and language, geared for the 17 - 34 male. We were almost not allowed into the screening because we didn't fit into the demographics of their target market, but they were wonderful and let us in.

I would definitely see Game again!

Okay, that's all for now, I'm exhausted and I have an 8:30 class in the morning!

Game opens May 2009?

Movie Review ~ Pride and Glory

The story was excellent and well executed about an Irish American family torn between loyalty and corruption. The cast was wonderful, I enjoy watching Edward Norton on the screen and I even liked Colin playing the bad cop, as well as Noah Emmerich, and Jon Voight.

The only criticism I have is, during the fight scene between Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) and Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell) is that, I hated the song that was playing in the background, an Irish folk song, it doesn't fit at all. I would have preferred no music at all. Instead, I wished there were only the noises of the two men hitting each other and crashing to furniture.

Pride and Glory opens October 24, 2008

Graphic Design Final Project

The Graphic Design students at school are asked to pick between 3 movies, Dream Girls, Knocked Up, and 300 to create their own movie posters for their final project. Of course 300 is one of my favorite movies.

More Pictures!

My daughter Megan is featured on Zipp Wheels' website, one of Marian College's sponsors. Look under "Alternate Views" to check it out!
http://www.zipp.com/wheels/detail.php?ID=27

Megan at Track Nationals

My girlfriends and me in the car on the way to the Tonight Jay Leno Show and to the RocknRolla Premiere. We had so much fun!

Back to Reality

Usually the beginning of a quarter is enough to exhaust me, but throw in on Monday a Parent Orientation at my son's college, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the RocknRolla movie premiere, another screening of RocknRolla on Wednesday, working two days at the factory making patterns, and then the first day of the Fall Quarter with four classes, not to mention my son's first day of college (yes, my baby started college!), it's a wonder I didn't collapse by Friday night! But I wouldn't have traded any of it!

Now back to reality...

My son loves his classes, which makes me very happy. He came home with loads of supplies; Prisma markers and pens, erasers, sketch pads in various sizes, Pantones, paint, exacto knives, and books. I think he's a little overwhelmed with how much he has and got right to work reorganizing his room. He might even take out his two recliners to make room for a drafting table so he has plenty of room to work. I was shocked when he told me because he prides himself in having the recliners like Joey and Chandler from Friends. All his friends think his bedroom is cool.

I have a great vibe from my students, different from the past Summer quarter. I think the Summer students were hard pressed to concentrate, which I totally understand, I had the same problem. This new group seems motivated and ready to learn which always makes teaching more fun!

The Arclight added an exhibit of Gerard's costume he wore in RocknRolla




My girlfriends and I in front of the Montalban

The Montalban posted pictures and video from the screening of Rocknrolla, check them out!

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloflux/sets/72157607733478859/

Video:
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/sportswear/en_US/view_post?country=US&lang_locale=en_US&blog=en_US&post=en_US/2008/10/01/cinema-tuesdays-rocknrolla-at-the-montalb-n

RocknRolla ~ Opening Night @ the Archlight

Originally, only a premiere was planned in London and at the Toronto Film Festival for RocknRolla so our group decided to celebrate by going to see the movie on opening night. When tickets became available at the Archlight, we were thrilled when the website announced that Joel Silver would be there for a Q&A directly following the movie. Well as the weeks drew nearer, Gerard was announced to be a guest at the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and then with less than a week's notice Warner Brothers announced a Los Angeles premiere.

Sunday morning the Archlight's website was updated with the news that Gerard would also be attending opening night with Joel Silver. Of course we were elated!

So last night was opening night! Yes, I saw Rocknrolla for a fourth time and I still enjoyed the movie! After the movie a moderator for the Q&A came out to introduce Joel Silver and then Gerard. The Q&A was great with Gerard entertaining and uncensored.

Spoiler alert!
In the movie a painting plays an integral role, connecting all the characters. The funny thing is, the audience never sees the painting as it passes from character to character.

When the Q&A was opened to the audience, a man asked, "What does the painting look like and will we ever see it in the sequel?"

Undoubtedly the best question asked! Firstly because I had wondered that very thing since I saw the movie for the first time and secondly the answers we were given!

Gerard answered. "I don't remember if there was a painting in the frame." I thought he was evading the question, but I then I remembered his character has the painting for a very short time.

Joel said something like, "If we do get to make the sequel, I would love the painting to be revealed and to be one of Johannes Vermeer's, you know the artist who painted the Girl with a Pearl Earring."

Gerard said something like, "I think the painting should be of a Vagina." I almost choked as well as the rest of the audience. "You know you can imagine every one looking at the painting, tilting their head to study it and saying how beautiful it is."

All I have to say is, classic Gerard!

Last night was the icing on an already fun filled week!

A Wonderful Day

Yesterday was a big day with weeks in planning. My girlfriends and I had VIP tickets to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to see my #1, Gerard Butler. Gerard was a hoot as usual. He waved at us several times, he couldn't miss us, we took up a whole row at the center above John Melendez.



Watch Gerard Butler on Jay Leno:
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/episodes/?vid=732141#vid=732141

Attending the Jay Leno Show is usually enough for one day, but we also had tickets to the Premiere of RocknRolla at the Cinerama Dome! We were concerned we would be able to make it from Burbank to Hollywood at 5:00 p.m. on a Monday afternoon during the height of traffic, but one of the girls, Annette came up with a brilliant idea, why not hire a driver? Annette's idea worked perfectly, Jamie, our driver, delievered us at the Cinerama Dome by 5:35 p.m.!

We settled into our seats and waited for the movie to start. A few of us went to the lobby to go to the restroom and we could see Idris Elba and Gerard through the windows (the entire front of the theater are windows) working the red carpet and then we saw Tom Hardy come into the lobby after finishing with his red carpet duties. We stayed as long as we could, but then the ushers began clearing the lobby to go to our seats. Shortly after we were back in our seats the movie began. The movie was great in that theater, large screen and terrific sound system.

After the movie was over we went to the lobby, it was very crowded. One of the girls, Lynnette said, "He just went outside." I was a little ahead of her so I made my way outside and there was Gerard at the side walk with Allen, his manager, and Joy, his handler. People were greeting and hugging him. I waited for him to be free and then he autographed my picture my friend Marcy had taken of him at Comic Con.



It was a wonderful day with all things Gerard and my girlfriends.

PS Check out pictures of Gerard on the red carpet at Just Jared:
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/10/07/gerard-butler-cinerama-dome/

Another Rocknrolla Screening

Although the people at the Montalban put on a excellent event on Tuesday night, I’m happy I had another opportunity to watch Rocknrolla last night. My experience hadn’t been the best, mostly because of me, the excitement of seeing the highly anticipated movie for the first time plus having to pee badly for the last half hour and didn’t want to leave my seat, and then add to that the bad sound quality.

Last night’s screening was low key, with all negative factors removed, I understood the storyline more. Guy Richie really packs in a lot of information in the first fifteen minutes, so you really have to pay attention. The whole cast is wonderful, but three stood out the most.

Toby Kebbell:
Even though it was hard to watch his drug-induced-trip-seizure performance, there’s just one word, BRILLIANT! I hope Guy Richie expands his character in the sequels.

Mark Strong:
I know Mark Strong has been around for a long time, I first saw him in the British mini series the Jury, but I hated his character even though his performance was terrific. After seeing him twice within four days, Body of Lies and now Rocknrolla, I’m hooked. I think he had me with the way he said “My Dear” in Body of Lies. I came away thinking I have to add Mark Strong to my list of favorites (ya that’s all I need!).

Gerard Butler:
As I mentioned before, happily his Scottish brogue is back. My favorite storyline throughout is with Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) and One Two (Gerard Butler). The interaction between the two after my favorite scene, when Handsome Bob tells One Two what he really wants, is hysterically funny with how Handsome Bob antagonizes homophobic One Two. Make sure you stay through the credits, I guarantee you'll laugh out loud!

All that said, I loved it, I can’t wait for the sequel!

Rocknrolla opens in limited release October 8th, wide release October 31st