Archive for the ‘The Chatterbox’ Category

Posted on February 22, 2012 - by Brenda Anderson

2012 Movie Anticipation

I love going to movies with my family, and we have movie going down to a science. First, we locate which theater is offering the best price at the time we want to go. Rarely do we pay more than $5.00 per person. To make it easier to share popcorn, we bring along our own bowls. (Note: we always purchase the free-refill popcorn size which will get refilled at least twice. Yes, our family does enjoy popcorn, buttered popcorn of course.)

The movies we like to watch generally won’t be up for Oscars, unless you count special effects, but we go to movies to escape for two or so hours, to have fun. This year, we have our sights set on four must-see movies, ones our family of five will likely view together. As you can see by our list below, we tend to enjoy adventures and journeys. We like to watch movies with valiant heroes who battle evil villains.

The Avengers releases in theaters on May 4th. I guarantee we’ll be there as a family. Likely, at the midnight showing. Now, initially, I had no intention of becoming a Marvel movies’ fan. I went to Iron Man just because the rest of the family wanted to go. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, last year my husband won four pre-screen passes for Thor, so of course I went, rolling my eyes at the thought. But, I loved it so much that when my daughter returned from college, the evening before Thor opened nationwide, the two of us  hurried to the midnight showing. (Ladies, if you haven’t watched Thor yet, I encourage you to do so. As you can see in the picture above, Chris Hemsworth looks mighty fine in his Viking duds.)

Speaking of Chris Hemsworth, you’ll also find him starring in Snow White and the Huntsman, a dark retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. This movie releases on June 1st. Chances are we’ll be at the midnight showing for that movie as well.

Later that month, on June 22, Pixar is releasing its newest movie, Brave. If Pixar’s involved, I know I’ll love the movie. I marvel at everything they come out with, from Toy Story to my personal favorite, The Incredibles. (How can you not love that mom from The Incredibles?) While the tone of Brave sounds a bit darker than other Pixar efforts, I’ve no doubt this one will be a winner. Hmm, I think we might have to catch a midnight showing of this movie too.

And finally, a movie I know my fellow Inkspers can’t wait for is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. If director Peter Jackson’s efforts equal that of The Lord of the Rings movies, this will be a movie to experience, not merely entertain. The Hobbit is coming out just in time for Christmas on December 14. Guess what, we’ll be watching this one at midnight as well.

Oh, I know, there are many more Movies Releasing in 2012 that sound interesting– Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, Men in Black 3, The Dark Knight Rises, well you get the idea–but the four listed above are can’t miss movies for our family. The best part is, we’ll all go together.

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this year? Do you have a routine you follow? Any money-saving tips?

Posted on February 21, 2012 - by JerriLynn

Confessions of a Movie Junkie

I have to admit, I’m not much on watching TV. It’s not that I have any thing against it, I just don’t have much time for it, and when I do I would usually rather read.  But TV and movies (to me) are not synonymous. Movies – and especially movie theaters – hold a special power over me. An addiction, if you will.

I think it started when I was a military brat stationed on overseas installations like Reykjavik, Iceland and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Television was pretty limited there, so every weekend, my friends and I headed out to the movies. I saw Star Wars in a plus movie theater – the largest I’d ever seen – in 1980 at a theater in Iceland. For weeks after, my friends and I would pretend to be characters from the movie as we played on the playground behind our house.

In Cuba, movies were an outdoor experience.  As long as there was no rain, there would be movies on weekend nights and unless it was an R-rated movie, my friends and I would be there.

That translated into my adult life as a love of the movie theater atmosphere.  I adore sitting in a theater, with a screen the size of my house playing a movie. I love the smell of popcorn and the strange-yet-familiar camaraderie of sharing laughs, tears, and terrors with strangers and friends and people who love the things I love in a movie.

Watching a movie on the television isn’t the same.  The screen is too small, and while there may be the smell of popcorn in the air, there isn’t that heart-stopping moment in the movie, punctuated by the soundtrack that literally jars your insides.

My taste in movies run to the loud side most of the time. Jurassic Park (the original, though the other two are ok) is one of my all-time favorites. I love the heart-shaking, earth-quaking moments in the movie that make you sit on the edge of your seat, even when you’ve seen it five dozen times and know exactly how it’s going to turn out.

When I’m not in the mood for something loud and explosive, then I want a story that will make me cry. Or laugh and cry. But rarely just laugh. Comedy that I appreciate is hard to find, and I’m just not into most of what is considered comedy these days. But if a movie can pull tears from me, then it’s usually something I’ll remember.

Fireproof left me in a puddle in a theater packed with people who were also mere puddles when it was over. We sat through the movie, then sat through the credits, and few people left before the screen went black.

Movies just don’t have the same effect on me at home.  And for the few that I watch that can draw some emotion from me sitting in my living room, no one shares that sentiment.

So, give me a theater full of strangers, sticky floors, and popcorn kernels. Give me loud, emotionally charged, or once in a while downright scary. And I’ll be happy. Until the next movie comes out.

Posted on February 20, 2012 - by Kim

Music, Music, Music!

It’s a scientific fact that movies aren’t movies without the soundtrack. Scenes lack intensity and depth when there is no swell of strings in the background. And we’ve all seen flicks where the background tune just doesn’t fit. That can turn a deeply dramatic moment into a farce. But when the music is just right, you often have an Oscar-worthy moment.

Perhaps that is why the Oscars have had a Best Original Score category since 1934. After all, would Harry Potter and Star Wars be Harry Potter and Star Wars without John Williams’ memorable score? And would The Pink Panther be as pink without Henry Mancini? I think not!

While we might not know that the familiar tune that opens up the Indiana Jones movies has a name (The Raiders March), we certainly leave the theater humming it. More than that, we identify the tune each time we hear it or each time the movie’s title is mentioned. In that way, the score is as important as the catchy dialogue or the actor’s body language.

And while we might forget the names of the composers who spend hours trying to create the perfect theme for the hundreds of feet of film, we never forget what they make us feel. The tears they urge and the laughter they create with eight bars of notes and a couple of codas.

So here’s to John and Henry and Richard and Robert and all the rest! May the next generation of talent live up to the high standards you’ve created!

Now, for a bit of fun…Can you match the score’s composer with the movie? (Hint: The movie and/or the score was nominated for an Academy Award

1.         ____ Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

2.         ____ Breakfast At Tiffany’s

3.         ____ Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

4.         ____ To Kill A Mockingbird

5.         ____ The Bridge Over The River Kwai

6.         ____ Rocky

7.         ____ Chariots of Fire

8.         ____ The Way We Were

9.         ____ Gone With The Wind

10.       ____ Dr. Zhivago

a. Vangelis   b. Max Steiner  c. Elmer Bernstein  d. Maurice Jarre  e. Marvin Hamlisch  f. Malcolm Arnold

g. John Williams  h. Henry Mancini  i. Bill Conti  j. Alfred Newman

Tune in this evening for the right answers!

 

Posted on February 17, 2012 - by Dawn Ford

Oh, The Horror

Horror films have a long history with the Oscars going back to the 1932 when Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde won for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Ahead of its time for visual effects, it has set the bar for movies of all kinds ever since.

Although not all of the below represent my actual favorite scary movies, I dug through the lists of Oscar nominations and come up with what I feel are the top ten scary movies, some that won and some that were only nominated.  Can you identify them by their loglines? (all courtesy of IMDb, the Internet Movie Database)

1. A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in a Paris Opera house, terrorizes the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégé whom he trains and loves.
2. A boy can communicate with spirits that don’t know they’re dead (and) seeks the help of a disheartened child psychiatrist.
3. A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. (Hello, Clarice.)
4. Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.
5. An American serving in the French Foreign Legion on an archeological dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra accidently awakens a mummy.
6. A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.
7. A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, and subsequently encounters a young hotel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.
8. Three teens discover that their neighbor’s house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.
9. A team of Commandos, on a mission in a Central American jungle, find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior.

10.  When a child is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

Other nominees respectfully include Jaws, Fatal Attraction, The Fly, and Se7en. Notice none of Stephen King’s movies made the list.

Most of these flicks will make the hair stand up on your arm and your skin crawl. Others will make you smile. All have left their marks on our psyche. Mwahahahahaha.

Okay, how well did you do? Here’s the answers:

1. Phantom of the Opera                                     6. The Birds
2. The Sixth Sense                                              7. Psycho
3. The Silence of the Lambs                                  8. Monster House
4. Ghostbusters                                                  9. Predator
5. The Mummy                                                    10. Exorcist

 

Posted on February 16, 2012 - by Shari Barr

Funny, funny

I’ve got a warped sense of humor, I know. The things that make me laugh make others cringe and roll their eyes.

The same goes for my favorite comedies. The dumber the script and less brain waves required to follow the plot, the more I like it. This probably says little for my mental capabilities, but “I yam what I yam.”

High on my list of meaningless flicks is Mel Brook’s masterpiece “Spaceballs,” a spoof of “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.” You can’t possibly go wrong with Bill Pullman as Lone Starr, the clueless pilot of his flying Winnebago on a rescue mission to free Princess Vespa from the evil forces of Dark Helmet. In one of his most notable roles, John Candy gives us a stunning performance as Barf, the half man/half dog sidekick. (I’ve got you intrigued, now. Admit it.)

Now that you’ve hurried over to Netflix, check out “Coneheads,” the classic movie version of the Saturday Night Live skit, starring Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin. Click here for one of my favorite parts of the movie—Connie’s tattoo.

Everybody needs to watch a good disaster spoof once in a while. If you haven’t seen “Airplane,” check out a copy. You’ll never look at your flight crew the same again.

As a kid, one of my all-time favorite TV shows was “The Brady Bunch,” so it’s only natural that when “The Brady Bunch Movie” came out in the 90’s, I was in Brady heaven. (I wasn’t a kid anymore, either. I know—I’m giving away my age.) I didn’t think the scene with Marcia getting smacked in the nose with a football could get any funnier, but it does—each time I watch it. And, of course, I can’t forget Jan’s incessant whine, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” (I told you I was warped, so you can’t say you weren’t warned.) 

For all you writers out there, if you haven’t seen “Funny Farm” with Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith, this is a must-see. When Andy Farmer gives up his Manhattan sports writing job to live on a farm and write his novel, his life becomes every city slicker’s worst nightmare. For the small town/rural dweller, this show’s humor hits pretty close to home at times.

Many of my favorite movies have no doubt made the “Rotten Tomatoes” list, but for me they’re down right funny, and we all need a good laugh once in awhile. Many of them, however, just bring back memories. What are your favorite comedies? Who or what makes you laugh?

Posted on February 15, 2012 - by Linda Fulkerson

Romantic Animated Movies

Those who know my daughter and me well know we’re Disney junkies. But that doesn’t mean we don’t love a great romantic film – because many of the “cartoon” movies out there can compete with live action when it comes to romance.

One of the key characteristics of love is sacrifice, and most romance stories (The Gift of the Magi comes to mind) include a great sacrificial moment to save the object of the hero or heroine’s love.

Have you seen Tangled – one of the newer romantic animated flicks? It has all the elements of a great story:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Character Development
• A villain
• Romance (including the big sacrificial moment)
• And, of course, a happy ending

Another animated romance, which is quite possibly my favorite, is Beauty and the Beast. What a great story! But what makes it great? Both the hero and the heroine had to come to the point where they were willing to trade their own hopes and desires in exchange for the happiness of the other.

The Beast stepped out of the reclusive comfort zone he’d created and dared to hope for a brighter future with Belle. And Belle chose to look beyond the fairy tale hero she’d dreamed about and see the Beast for who he was inside.

It takes more than placing a dainty toe inside a glass slipper to create a real romantic story. I think that’s why some of the more recent animated movies have been so widely popular – they have actually delved deep into the development of a relationship, not just placing a kiss on the sleeping lips of a fair maiden the prince has never met.

What’s your favorite animated romance?

 

Posted on February 14, 2012 - by Lorna Seilstad

Top Picks in Romantic Flicks

Movies seem to go with Valentine’s Day . On one site, I discovered a list of the 50 Most Romantic Movies of All Time according to Time Out New York. Their list surprised  me. (See it here.) Edward Scissorhands would probably not make be on my top 10 romantic movie list no matter how cute Johnny Depp is.

So, Dawn and I created our own list. Do you need a little extra romance this Valentine’s Day? Consider curling up with a tub of popcorn (significant other optional) to watch one of these heart grabbing favorites. With so many great romantic movies out there, this list is far from inclusive. Instead, it offers a little something for everyone. Here they are—in o particular order.

1. Somewhere in Time
2. Sense and Sensibility
3. Ever After
4. 50 First Dates
5. The Princess Bride
6. Chocolat
7. Titanic
8. The Lake House
9. Sweet Home Alabama
10. 16 Candles or Pretty in Pink
11. The Notebook
12. Ghost
13. Notting Hill
14. Bridgette Jones Diary
15. Gone with the Wind
16. Any Cary Grant  movie you choose
17. North and South
18. Sleepless in Seattle
19. While You Were Sleeping
20. Pride and Prejudice

Did your favorite make our list?  Do you have another romantic movie to
recommend? Let us know. We may need to make a stop at Redbox.

 

P.S. If you haven’t watched North and South, run –don’t walk– to Netflix. Although the title makes many  Americans think it is a Civil War story, this BBC miniseries is set in England. It is a marvelous, romantic story that you do NOT want to miss.

Posted on February 12, 2012 - by Lorna Seilstad

Rolling Out the Red Carpet

With the Oscars only two weeks away, we’re rolling out the red carpet and opening up the vault to discuss our favorite movies, past and present. Join us during our next round of posts to talk about movies that have made their indelible mark on society and become part of the story of our lives.

This year, my husband and I have been trying to watch all the movies which are nominated for best picture before the Oscars. So far we’ve seen three of the eight nominated and all three have been excellent. It made me think of all the great movies that didn’t win the Best Picture nod. Did you realize that Star Wars, Dead Poet Society, The Lord of the Rings, and Ghost were all nominated, but not selected?

Even if a film doesn’t go home with the top honors, they still find a place in our lives. We love to be swept away for a few hours and watching a flick with a tub of buttery popcorn is one of the most perfect ways to do that.

Just for fun, I wanted to start things off with a little quiz. Let’s see how many of these iconic Oscar winning movies you can identify on sight. Below, I’ve posted screen shots from thirteen different movies. Grab a sheet of paper and see how many you can identify. The answers are at the bottom.

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5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS QUESTION: How much does an Oscar weigh?

Now, before you skip ahead and check your answers, were you surprised at what memories these movie pictures triggered? Could you recall who you went to the movie with or when you first saw it? For me, I often remember the movie’s theme song or the soundtrack.  Okay, I’ve made you wait long enough. Here are the answers.

Answers: 1.Sound of Music  2. Driving Miss Daisy  3.Ben-Hur  4 .A Beautiful Mind  5. Gone With the Wind  6. Rocky   7. Titanic  8. Forrest Gump  9. The Godfather  10. Gandhi  1. Casablanca  12. Out of Africa 13. The King’s Speech

Bonus: An Oscar weighs 8.5 pounds.

According to Purely Unscientific Oscars R Us party planners, here’s what your score means:

11-13 Break out your designer gown and throw an Oscar party on Feb. 25. You’re clearly a first class flick fan.

8-10 Give yourself a tub of popcorn and a pat on  the back. Movies may not be your life, but you’re not living in a jar either.

5-7 Obviously, you know that the book is always better than the movie.

1-4 Bless your heart, you’re probably too young to remember some of the classics.

So, how did you do? Will you be watching the Oscars this year? Care to venture a prediction?

Posted on December 30, 2011 - by Kav

Christmas Has Gone to the Dogs

So I was sick for Christmas this year. Seriously, revoltingly, pathetically sick. Started on the Tuesday before Christmas and I haven’t shaken it yet! Of course that put a major cramp in my holiday decorating style and I fretted about what I would do for this open house blog set. I was afraid y’all would think I was Scrooge and full of bah, humbug! No tree, no presents, no Christmas pudding or favourite baked goodies. Nope. Just oatmeal and toast for this sickie.

I did manage to get a few things up before I got sick though. Like my favourite star wreath. I love the folksy feel of it.

 

And my winter birdie buddies. This is my newest one. Isn’t he the cutest thing in that red hat?!

 

But I have to confess that this Winter Welcome Star banner was still up from last year.

 

So was my glass angel and star collection. They’re just too pretty to put away, don’t you think?

At the beginning of December my daughter snuck into my house and ‘planted’ a whimsical Christmas tree in my bedroom so I guess I kind of had a tree.

These are Patience Brewster Krinkle ornaments. Aren’t they fun?

 

Not to be outdone, my dog, Simba brought his own version of Christmas cheer by creating his own canine version of the nativity. Take a look:

A sheep.

A shepherd

Mother Mary

Her babe wrapped in swaddling clothes

And, of course, a wiseman.

Wasn’t he a trooper to do all that to cheer me up? Mind you, there was no convincing him that reindeer didn’t belong in the nativity line up! Doesn’t he make a regal reindeer though? Thanks for letting me share my crazy Christmas with you!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on December 29, 2011 - by Regina

CHRISTMAS LINGERS . . .

Welcome to my house! We’re the friendly-looking white bungalow on the left, if you’re coming from downtown! The icicle lights on the porch give us a nice glow, and if you slow down as you pass, you’ll see the lights of the Christmas tree and mantle through the windows! No, this picture wasn’t this Christmas – it was 2004 – but isn’t it beautiful in the snow, when we GET some!

When we bought our house nearly 10 years ago, I wasn’t sure about the gold tile on the enormous fireplace in our living room, but as we decorated around it, the generous mantle became the perfect place for my nativity scene. We received the set as a gift from my husband’s brother and sister-in-law either the first or second Christmas we were married, and I’ve treasured it ever since.

Plain cream-colored ceramic, I like to put lights and silk poinsettias around the pieces, making it sparkle. Baby Jesus has a place of honor sitting atop an olive-wood Bible brought to us by some friends who took a trip to Israel. Two small trees full of lights flank the mantle, and a large primitive angel watches over the group, making it an oasis of peace in the midst of the loving Christmas chaos!

Our tree is a beautiful conglomeration of family favorite ornaments, topped by an angel that I found at “Big Lots” a few years ago. Honestly, that eight-dollar angel is prettier than any I’ve seen anywhere! There are fancy ornaments, childhood ornaments, and then there are my favorites – a set of hand-painted ceramic ornaments that my mother and sister made for me, mailing them to us from Wyoming the first Christmas we were married. I still keep them in the box with the note that she included, telling me that the placemats that were also in the package might have a few cat hairs on them, because Freddie, our first housecat, was certain she was making a bed for her!

My snow village took a different turn this year. I have seven pieces, and have, in the past, tried to put them all together on top of Granny’s piano, or on the buffet in the dining room. This year, I decided to spread them out. I put one in the kitchen, a few in the living room, separately, and three on top of the piano with the Shaker boxes my dad made for me a few years ago. I’ve been able to enjoy them so much more this year!

The dining room is one of my favorite places to decorate. Being a 1916 Craftsman bungalow, it has a plate rail all the way around the room, which is a perfect place to put greenery and tuck in the Santas and Snowmen that didn’t have room with the main collections! I like to put garland around the light fixture in that room, also. This year, I actually had someone ask if the “Lowes Special” fixture that we installed 9 years ago, was original to the house! I think it was the greenery!

As you go through the house, you’ll see bits and pieces of Christmas here and there, from Christmas mugs collected over the years, to an ever-expanding snowman collection, to tins of candy and cookies. It will remain in place for a few days yet, and then comes the task of taking it down and storing it away until next year.

But I’m not going to think about that, now! Like literary figure Scarlet O’Hara, “I’ll think about it tomorrow!” Or, maybe, next week?

And if you slow down to peer in the windows at the lights, be sure and stop, OK? I’ve got some apple cider just BEGGING to be pulled out and heated up for company!