Found Not Lost

What is your favorite film? Or, to be more specific, what is your favorite 80’s film? I’m a lover of movies in general, whether it’s a musical, action, drama, comedy or chick-flick. 80’s films are possibly my favorite genre of films. The music, the style, the actors, everything about them mesmerizes me. The teen films of the era are innocent but touching, something today’s teen films often miss.

Personally, I love The Breakfast Club. Truly, I love any “brat pack” film. However, The Breakfast Club, was my first “brat pack” film. Also, it is completely timeless and something any teen can relate to. The movie is about the superficial differences we see, the things that separate us, along with something as simple as detention to bring the differences so close we see what lies beneath. It shows how people who are so different, and keep walls up, can become best friends within a few hours.

Another great 80’s flick, WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick, is celebrating it’s 25th Anniversary by playing in select theaters nationwide on Thursday, July 24th. The showing is one night only and will include never-before-seen interviews with film’s creators and the cast (including Broderick and Ally Sheedy) and crew on how the movie was ahead of its time and its relevance today. Additionally, only at this one night event, get a sneak peek at the making of the sequel – WarGames: The Dead Code.

This anniversary shows us, that while 80’s movies are things of the past, they will continue to be forever remembered and loved.

I just happened to sit in front of the TV right when a movie was coming on. The first few frames looked interesting, and when the movie’s title came up, it was Vinegar Hill. I thought, oh good! I know this book, I’ve read it before. I have it. So I settled down to watch the movie.

As the movie progressed, the story captured me but I’ll be darned if I can remember the plot of the book! I was hoping the movie would trigger my memory and the story from the book would suddenly come back to me. But no, I was a blank slate. So I settled down to enjoy the movie with fresh eyes and vowed to read the book anew.

I found the book and re-read it. Ellen, her husband James and their two children move in with his aging parents at their farm house in Holly’s Field, Wisconsin because James had lost his job in Chicago. The book weaves in and out of the different lives forced to share a roof. How those lives touch on each other, the secrets they hold and how those lives affect and ultimately shape the people who live them, I think, is the main and underlying story told by the book. It tells how the mundane events of daily living, our actions and reactions to those around us is the thing that makes or breaks us. It’s not the material things that determine who we are, no matter how we think it would greatly change things for the way we live our lives.

Now I remember when I read this book. Now I remember why I don’t remember the story. I was in a place much the same as Ellen. Reading the book, I could so relate to how she was feeling. The helplessness, the feeling of being caged in without escape, the lovelessness, the loathing, the self-hatred, the meanness, the guilt, the anger, the breathlessness; yeah, I remember all of those feelings. I read books and watched movies without really seeing without really absorbing without really understanding. I know, I’ve been there before and it’s a suffocating place to be. That’s what this book is all about.

The best thing about life though, is that like the movies, you do have control with how you let it affect you even when you don’t have control about what is happening to you. The movie took quite a bit of artistic license in adapting the book, but I think it did a good job conveying the emotions. The movie’s ending is quite different from the book, but I think they both end at the same place. Whether Ellen stays with James or not, the final result is that she realizes that she does have the power to control her life and choose who she wants to be part of it.

It was definitely worth re-reading the book and the movie was almost a whole new story altogether. Both of them worth experiencing.

The girls and I went to see the latest Indiana Jones movie last night with one of their friends. I found this conversation between my daughter and her friend funny…

Friend: The movie was pretty good! I liked it. I just don’t get the thing with the snake…

Daughter: Haven’t you ever seen an Indiana Jones movie before? That’s his only fear… snakes. Every super hero has to have a weakness, you know.

Friend: Well, no [haven’t seen previous movies] but now it makes sense. Pretty cool!

Daughter: Yeah, that was prety awesome. I love Harrison Ford. He’s so cool!

Friend: You don’t really think he’s hot, do you?

Daughter: Heck yeah!

Friend: But isn’t he like 80 years old or something?

Daughter: Yeah, but so? He’s still hot!

I agree with Daughter. Harrison Ford is still a hottie

I can’t believe the Indiana Jones movies is back with the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I watched the earlier Indy movies back in the eighties and was totally enamored with Harrison Ford. I can’t believe he did this new movie too after all these years!

Well last weekend we didn’t get a chance to do our movie fest, so I think this weekend may be it. Although, before the girls see this latest Indy movie, I had really planned on renting the earlier ones so they can become indoctrinated in the Indy lore first

My girls love old movies so I think they will probably enjoy watching the oldies first. Check theaters near you where the new Indiana Jones movie is playing.

Do you like to get your blood racing and your heart pumping? Do you like the gore and suspense in horror movies? Then you’re probably about to encounter the horror of horror movies, Frontier. This is an unrated horror movie that is being shown only in select theaters starting May 9th for only a week. After that, the DVD will be released.

Why the DVD so soon and why the limited time in theaters? Because the makers of the movie wants the movie to remain uncut and full for your viewing horror. They refused to edit it to satisfy movie censors. It was originally rated NC-17 and they would have had to perform drastic cuts just to make it comply with a Rated R rating so rather than do that, they opted to release it in DVD instead.

I think as I get older my tolerance for scary experiences gets lower because just watching the Trailer and listening to the music was wreaking havoc on my nerves already. It’s one of those movies where you’re almost too sickened to watch it but at the same time feel impelled to do so. You know the kind. It brings back memories of being scrunched down while watching a scary movie with both hands over my face with just enough of a sliver between fingers to peek at what’s going to happen next.

If you love being scared then this movie is something you definitely need to check out.