197. February 5, 2011 - Easy A (2010)

I have a feeling that this movie is going to be a lot like Clueless - I can watch it over and over and it will still be funny. C'mon - dancing around the room to "Pocketful of Sunshine"? I also like that it's self-aware - it's paying homage to John Hughes movies, though Olive admits that John Hughes unfortunately did not direct her life. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are fantastic.

Original entry here.

192. January 28/29, 2011 - Little Children (2006)

Besides all of the actors being awesome, the most striking thing about this film for me this time around was the odd use of voice over. The invisible narrator is very nearly reading sections of prose right out of the novel. Normally I see voice over as a storytelling crutch (which, as my friend Adam pointed out, is what we're all taught in Screenwriting 101), but here I think it's a stylistic choice. The filmmakers know that they could convey those same things through dialogue or action and are choosing to create the tone of the film with the voice over. It's effective, but very strange.

Original thoughts are here.

188. January 25, 2011 - Iron Man 2 (2010)

This movie might be ridiculous and more far-fetched than the first one, but damn, it's fun! War Machine is so awesome; I don't even care that Rhodey steals the armor in a totally jackass move. And this may be the one time so far in my life where I don't hate Mickey Rourke. Oh wait, I didn't hate him in Sin City either - but these are the only two instances so far.

I saw this twice in the theaters, entries for which are here and here.

176. January 3, 2011 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

I can't say enough how much I love the opening fight scene of this film. The Death Eater ambush over Surrey against the six different Harrys is lightning quick, but it still manages to be tense and heartbreaking (you know what I mean). I really love this one. Steve Kloves didn't butcher the script too badly and David Yates somehow made 300 pages of camping seem interesting. I don't think I can give it higher praise than that.

My first entry, from the midnight show, is here.

174. December 28/31, 2010 - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

This one really is leaps and bounds better than the first one. The technical specs are better, the emotional connection to the characters is stronger, and the characters themselves are far less irritating. I enjoy the fact that all Narnians band together in this chapter to fight against the Telmarines, regardless of whether they fought with or against the White Witch. I have yet to read this book, so I don't know if she shows up there like she does in the movie, but I enjoy little continuity throw-ins like that.

My first entry on this one is here.

168. December 19, 2010 - Love Actually (2003)

Words cannot express how much I love this movie. I love how the storylines weave in and out of each other and I adore Billy Mack and his terrible song and I tear up during the (most romantic in film ever) proposal at the end. The only thing I don't love is Laura Linney's decision basically to never allow her life to be her own by sacrificing her own happiness out of a misplaced belief that only she can help her brother. He's in a hospital! There are other people there who can care for him around the clock. She's allowed to have a life too. I appreciate that not all of the storylines end happily (because love doesn't always end happily in real life), but I think that the Peter/Juliet/Mark triangle and Harry and Karen's rocky marriage illustrate that far better. Throwing Rodrigo Santoro out is just stupid.

Last Christmas's entry is here.

165. December 14, 2010 - Enchanted (2007)

This is one of those feel-good movies that sometimes you just need to watch. Especially when you're sick and have been rendered pretty much unable to talk. Amy Adams is a wonderful actress - she is whimsical and utterly charming in this but can easily shift and play damaged, bitter characters at the opposite end of the spectrum (since really, Disney princesses are about as opposite from real life as you can possibly get). I also think that the little girl playing Morgan is adorable. The "Happy Working Song" sequence still grosses me out with the rats and cockroaches and ugly rats with wings (aka pigeons) but it IS catchy. And I absolutely adore "So Close."

Original thoughts, from my birthday on my Mexican cruise, are here.

153. November 16/17, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Watching this again, I don't have such a problem with the changes that they made. Yes, I miss the last chapter of the book, but hopefully it will show up in the very beginning of Deathly Hallows Part 1 tonight. Ironically, this is the movie that finally sells Michael Gambon as Dumbledore for me. The scene in the cave, both when he's being force-fed the potion and when he's going all firestarter on the Inferi, is really amazing. And the destruction of various beloved buildings (whether they happen in the book or not) is heartbreaking. Entry on Deathly Hallows coming tomorrow!

Here are my thoughts from last year's midnight showing.

152. November 15/16, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

It's definitely been interesting watching all of the HP films back to back like this. This one is by far my favorite - David Yates is amazing. The coloring, the overall tone, the art direction - it all captures the darkness of the fifth book. I think Daniel Radcliffe also does a great job of making Harry angry and teenage-angsty without being annoying. In the book, sometimes I just want to smack Harry upside the head - the movie version is definitely whiney, but I feel sympathy for him too.

When I watched this before Half-Blood Prince is here.

151. November 14/15, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

There's a moment in this movie toward the very end when Harry returns to the Hogwarts grounds with Cedric's body. People try to tear him away, but he holds onto his friend. For me, that's the moment in the series when the entire tone changes. Harry has to accept it that he let Cedric die and he has to let go, but he can't. And the audience knows that even worse things are coming. Plus, it's very moving and sad to see the ceiling of the Great Hall not bewitched during the memorial at the end. I think this is one of the best of the series (other than the bad hair), despite the fact that this is one of my less favorite books.

Here are my original thoughts.

149. November 14, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I am not going to rant again. I promise. I know that I'm practically the only person in the world who dislikes this movie, but I do and no matter how many times I try to defend my position, I'm never going to win that argument. So I'm not even going to try anymore. I will say that I didn't hate it quite so much this time around and the way that time is referenced over and over again is pretty cool. That's the only positive thing I'm going with, though. Show don't tell is Screenwriting 101, people.

My first entry, aka rant, is here.

148. November 13/14, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Love, love, love Kenneth Branagh! He's genius as Gilderoy Lockhart. Anyone else could have played him corny and ridiculous and it would have fallen flat. His Lockhart is corny and ridiculous, but so much fun to watch. The costume design plays a huge part in it, from the lilac robes to the honey-colored wigs. Each of the kids has done some growing up between this and the movie before, especially Rupert Grint and Tom Felton. It's interesting to watch all the films so close together and see the progression.

Original entry here.

146. November 12/13, 2010 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

I still firmly believe that this film series needed to start out this way. It had to be candy-coated and over-the-top and glowy, because the audience is being introduced to this world in the same way that Harry is. Despite the fact that it's dangerous and there is darkness, the wizarding world is a million times better than living under the stairs at the Dursley's. It needs to look like that. A lot of attention has always been put on the casting decisions regarding the children, but honestly, the Hogwarts staff cast is amazing.

I'm watching all of these before the midnight show of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One on Thursday.

My first entry for this film (before the midnight showing of Half-Blood Prince) is here.

144. November 6, 2010 - Dumbo (1940)

Wow, this could absolutely not be made today. Racist crows, faceless black characters (literally faceless), forced animal labor, animal cruelty - the list goes on and on. This was only the second or third Disney movie, so maybe animation was still too new of a medium for anyone to pick up on those things, or care. Though, Fantasia was made the same year and they got slapped by the Production Code. And yep, "Baby Mine" still makes me cry.

Here's a link to my first entry.

142. November 5, 2010 - The Life of David Gale (2003)

I stand by my opinion that there is a good story in this movie somewhere. Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet play well off of each other and the core plot of an innocent man trying to clear his name before his execution has the potential for suspense. It just gets buried under political grandstanding and over-stylization. There are a lot of contrivances and the dialogue isn't great, but it's worth watching every once and a while.

My first entry is here.

137. October 26/27, 2010 - Hocus Pocus (1993)

There are some movie traditions that I just don't break- How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Thanksgiving, Love Actually around Christmas, Sweet Home Alabama if I'm single on Valentine's Day, and this just before Halloween. It doesn't matter to me that this movie is really made for 8-12 year olds (much like the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson novels - and hey, I still read those) or that it's campy and ridiculous. It's the film equivalent of macaroni and cheese - total comfort food. Plus, it's Sarah Jessica Parker's best work.

My first pre-Halloween entry is here.

134. October 22/23, 2010 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

I figured it was probably time to rewatch this, since I'm in the middle of reading the newest Camp Half Blood book, The Lost Hero. I do really have problems with the changes that were made to the plot, but I also really enjoy the casting choices that they made. Kevin McKidd is fantastic in everything he does, really, and something about Brandon T. Jackson as a satyr is hilarious. Not one of my favorite adaptations by a longshot, but worth watching every once and a while.

Original entries can be found here and here.

132. October 15/16, 2010 - Ghostbusters (1984)

Still love this movie. It's one of those that I can watch over and over and over again and it's always going to be funny. It's cast perfectly, acted perfectly and shot as well as could be at the time. And they all look so young! It's hard to believe that the movie is over 20 years old. The sequel is fun too, and I still hear rumors from time to time about a phantom third installment.

First entry, here.

131. October 14/15, 2010 - Zombieland (2009)

This movie is just fantastic. I especially like the reason that they give (early in the movie, for establishing purposes) for the zombie infection - mad cow disease became mad human disease. I like it. It's not some bioengineered virus or a mad monkey or any of the normal zombie-causing agents. The main character's line now about not missing Facebook status updates is even funnier now that that actor is on every theater screen as Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. Also, I still say, Best. Cameo. Ever.

Here's my original entry.

111. September 1, 2010 - The Land Before Time (1988)

Some movies just never get old. They're like comfort food. They warm you up and make you feel safe and fuzzy inside. This is definitely one of those movies for me. Littlefoot goes through so much crap to follow his mother's dream, but he does it with his friends beside him to help. Granted, not all of those friends are so supportive all the time (I'm looking at you, Cera) but they make it together in the end. I would also like to say that on my cross-country road trip, I saw a rock that looked like a dog, a rock that looked like a pig, and a rock that looked like a sombrero. Sadly, there was no rock that looks like a longneck.

Here are my thoughts from my first viewing.