Movie Review ~ The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still had all the potential for a great science fiction film; great cast, great special effects, but the storyline was disappointing. I'm tired of the same old message being repeated of how horrible the human race is.

The Day the Earth Stood Still in theater December 12, 2008

Movie Review ~ Monsters VS Aliens

I went to the advanced screening of Monsters VS Aliens yesterday. I can't say I liked it or not because it was rough and unfinished, which we were told before the movie began.

The storyline is cute and geared towards children of course, but there are lines and jokes that will make adults laugh out loud. I liked that the main character Susan Murphy/Ginormica was female, Reese Witherspoon, and eventually became the hero.

In theaters March 27, 2009

Hunger ~ Opening Night

Hunger opened on Friday with Michael Fassbender doing a Q & A. at the Nuart Theater. I had heard about the movie during AFI Film Festival, but didn't have time to see it.

After the movie Michael was introduced for the Q&A. Someone asked how he had lost the weight. Under a doctor's care his goal was about 120 lbs without risking his health, he ate 1,000 calories a day until he plateaued and then reduced it to 600 calories. At the beginning of the movie Michael doesn't have the muscle mass he had in 300, a very slimmed down version, but by the end of the movie he was skeletal. It was horrific to watch Michael in his role as Bobby Sands decline in weight and then later died.

After the Q&A he greeted fans. We waited for him and then he said, "Give me a moment."

He went to talk to his friends, a group of Irish people who happened to be sitting in the row behind us. When his friends left he walked up to us. I extended my hand to shake his, surprisingly he greeted me with a kiss on the cheek!

My friend Annette and I waiting to talk to Michael

Michael was charming and gracious. He spent so much time with us. He asked what our names were, autographed pictures, and thanked us for coming. Eventually we were ushered out of the theater for the next screening. He walked out to the lobby with us where he talked to us some more.

I had only intended to ask Michael to autograph only one photo, but he autographed all my pictures! What a sweet heart!

Hurry!! Hunger only at the Nuart Theater until Thursday, December 11, 2008

For tickets:

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/

Two wonderful nights in one week! More than I could ask for.

Movie Review ~ Hunger

Hunger was disturbing, a biopic directed by Steve McQueen of IRA prisoners in the 1980's who go on a hunger strike led by Bobby Sands played by Michael Fassbender. A must see, but it is not an easy film to watch, basic human rights are taken away from the prisoners and it's horrific. There is one amazing scene, done in one take between Bobby Sands and Father Moran, Liam Cunningham. If Michael Fassbender doesn't get at least an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film, there's something wrong.

Hunger opens in limited release December 5, 2008

Nobel Son Premiere

I received tickets to the premiere of Nobel Son on Tuesday, December 2. I wasn't as interested in the film as I was hoping for the possibility of seeing Allan Rickman who plays the lead. The premiere was held at the Egyptian theater, down the street from Grauman's, which I had never been to before. We waited in line right next to the Red Carpet, we literary next to the photographers and the camera crews. It was low key and no big burly security guards. As the celebrates arrived we took pictures.

Ernie Hudson who plays a cop in the film

Bill Pullman

Bryan Greenberg, the lead in the film

Allan Rickman arriving at the Red Carpet

After the red carpet we made our way to our seats. I decided to go to the lobby to see if I could get Allan to autograph my picture I had brought and buy a soda, well once in the lobby there was Allan standing with two people! I walked up to him and waited for him to finish talking to someone and then I think I said something like,"Hi Allan". My hands were shaking and I don't remember much else. I don't remember what he said to me.. LOL!

While standing in line for the soda a guy and girl were in front of me. The girl told the guy what she wanted from the concession stand and then walked away. Rhea Perlman walked up and told him what she wanted and then the guy started waving at someone to come over to him, well the guy was Danny DeVito. Danny said what do you want, the guy must of said money and then Danny takes a wad of money from his pocket and pulls out $40. Danny tells him what he wants and then walks away. LOL! The guy was Danny's son!

The producers were there to introduce the film and the actors.

After the movie we made our way to the lobby and stood to the side. We watched the actors greet each other and people were shaking hands, it seemed more like all friends and industry people having a reunion than a movie premiere. We saw the lead guy (I didn't know his name at the time) talking to people so I got brave enough to go up to him. I said something like "Congratulation I enjoyed your movie and shook his hand".

He said, "Hi I'm Bryan, thank you for coming."

Bryan Autographed this for me!

Me after the premiere, everything has been cleared away already from the red carpet.

Movie Review ~ Nobel Son

I went to the Premiere of Nobel Son on Tuesday at the Egyptian Theater. I wasn't interested in seeing the film as I was hoping for the possibility of seeing Alan Rickman who plays the lead, but I enjoyed the film!

The movie was perfect for Alan Rickman, who plays Eli Michaelson, an arrogant bastard. In some scenes just Alan's mannerisms made me laugh out loud. Bryan Greenberg was also good who plays the lead role as Barkley Michaelson. The rest of the cast Bill Pullman, Mary Steenburgen, Danny DeVito, Eliza Dushku, Shawn Hatosy, and Ted Danson all added to an enjoyable film with lots of unpredictable twists and turns.

Plot:

"Barkley Michaelson, Bryan Greenberg, is in a deep life rut. He's struggling to finish his PhD thesis when his father, the learned Eli Michaelson, Alan Rickman, wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Barkley and his mother, Sarah, Mary Steenburgen, a renowned forensic psychiatrist, now have the ill-fortune of living with a man-eating monster whose philandering ways have gotten less and less discrete. As if Barkley's world is not bad enough, on the eve of his father receiving the Nobel, Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel prize money. Needless to say, Eli refuses to pay it and so starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. In the words of Michel De Montaigne, the 16th century philosopher: "There is more barbarity in eating a man alive than in eating him dead." Written by Randall Miller & Jody Savin

Nobel Son in theaters December 5, 2008

Movie Review ~ Australia

I went to see Baz Luhrmann's Australia on Saturday night. The movie was stunning to look at, but the love story between the main character's Lady Sarah Ashley, Nicole Kidman, and Drover, Hugh Jackman, wasn't what stayed in my mind days after seeing the film. The little boy Nullah, Brandon Walters was the most interesting character.

Australia in theaters November 26, 2008