Must See Movies - January 2010

A few movies I can't wait to see in January. Typically, crummy movies are released in Jan/Feb. But every now and then a winner squeezes in. Let's hope for that.

1. DAYBREAKERS - I love all things vampire. So I've been looking forward to this for a while. Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe, who is just creepy all by himself.
2. LEGION - I am also fascinated with all things apocalyptic, so this is cool. Paul Bettany is bad ass. And that creepy old lady climbing the ceiling? I'm in!
3. DREAD - Featuring none other than Jasper...I mean Jackson Rathbone from Twilight saga fame, this is one Horrorfest movie I can't wait to see. Based on a Clive Barker short story and focused on people's fears. Sounds like a good time!
4. LET ME IN - A remake of one of my all-time favorite vampire movies, Let the Right One In. The original is based on a book by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. I LOVED the original/book and it's one of the best vamp movies ever. I'm anxiously awaiting this remake.
5. LEAP YEAR - I hate hate hate romantic comedies. But I love the Irish and I love Amy Adams. The only rom-com on the list.
6. ZMD: ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION - I think the title alone is worth a viewing, but it's getting good buzz. Zombies seem to be the butt of a lot of horror/comedy movies. Maybe it's because they move so slow. Another Horrorfest entry.
7. THE LOVELY BONES - I do believe the release of this was pushed back, which isn't a good sign. I loved this book. Peter Jackson is in charge. It can't all suck, right?

A few tips: Torture porn and Asian horror are "out". Vampires and vengeance films are "in". If a movie has been shelfed for more than a year, chances are it will please no one.

Why I Love "Lars and the Real Girl"

I got to see this little gem of a movie when my friend dragged me to it. Well, he didn't really drag me. I love Ryan Gosling. He was genius in Half Nelson. But the premise of this movie seemed very odd. And really, you can't capture the magic of this movie easily. Lars is a dysfunctional man dealing with (or not really dealing with) a sad and tragic past. His brother, who is married and expecting his first child, is more than functional. The attempts to help Lars and get him to be more sociable are all failed. By everyone. In an attempt to deal with his issues, Lars orders a fake woman. A doll. Yep, one of those anatomically correct dolls. But Lars takes her around as if she's real. So what do his family and friends do? They accept her. They go along with the delusion. And as they work through the issues that face Lars, his "girlfriend" Bianca helps to transform the broken Lars. And in the end, he is transformed. Why I love this movie is manifold. First, it shows the pain of the human spirit. Lars's story is heartbreaking, and very easy to identify with - even if you've never ordered a plastic doll to help you deal with your troubles. We are all broken in some way. And the other reason I love this movie is it shows with great tenderness how much we all need each other. We may think we're ok. We may think we're all doing fine. But the fact is, some of us, many of us, are hurting inside. And it's really only through the efforts of the people who love us, and whom we allow ourselves to love, can we be healed. This is what Lars learns. And what the town learns. And what we, as viewers understand. I love this movie because a part of me is Lars. A part of me is his brother. A part of me is his sister-in-law. Hurting, confused, just trying to help. And frankly, a part of me is Bianca, the woman doll. A silent partner in insanity.

(S)he's Just Not That Into You

(S)He’s just not that into you…
I avoided this book because just the premise pissed me off. In high school, we had a guest speaker who came to talk to us about s-e-x. This guy was a tool. Basically said, “Girls, you have to control yourselves because boys can’t control themselves.” Oh really? What, are they just mindless animals who think of nothing but how to get to a woman? Whatever. Sorry guys, I’m not buying it. The movie came out and I was intrigued. First of all, there are a lot of good actors in it that I really like. Second, it appeared that the movie was a little more open about the plight of ALL single people, not just women. What’s fascinating about this movie, and makes it a little better than the average romantic comedy is that everyone wants what they can’t have. Jennifer Aniston wants to marry the guy who won’t marry her. Scarlett Johannsen wants to be with the guy who is married. Why? According to Justin Long, the “player” of the film: people do what they want to do. And people DON’T do what they don’t want to do. Pretty simple, right? Not so much. For whatever reason we’ve decided we need certain things. A soul mate, a partner, someone to love and who loves us. Sounds great, so why is it so hard? Because of our own delusions. Because of the early lessons learned. Who knows. The good news is that as I get older, it gets easier. And it was a good movie. Very entertaining and fun. But let this be a lesson - people really do what they want to do. And they don’t do what they don’t want to do. So if you are asking yourself “why isn’t (s)he calling? Why doesn’t (s)he want me?” Well, sorry, they just don’t want to. Move on and get happy.