I cannot believe that I watched four movies today. Yea - madness I know. My son's exams ended last week and we had been waiting for this weekend when we could sit down together to be enthralled by the dvds which we had put aside for ages.
We started off with Hotel for Dogs, a recent release directed by Thor Freudenthal. This movie is based on Lois Duncan’s children’s book HOTEL FOR DOGS. Sixteen-year old Andi (Emma Roberts) and her younger brother, Bruce (Jake T. Austin), are orphans living with their foster parents (Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon), two washed-up musicians.
Desperate to keep what’s left of their family together, Andi and Bruce have secretly been caring for their family dog, Friday, on the sly for the last few years. One evening, they follow their beloved pet into an abandoned hotel and find stray dogs living there, so the two brave siblings decide to round up all the strays in the city and expand their family. With the help of Dave (Johnny Simmons) and Heather (Kyla Pratt), two teens who work at the local pet store, they transform the abandoned hotel into a canine wonderland, using young Bruce’s skills as an inventor to make an automated feeding system, doggie restrooms, and some fun amusements, such as a car-ride simulation and a fetching machine. If ever anyone discovered this hideout, all the residents of the hotel will be taken to the pound, and it’s up to Andi and Bruce to save their new family.
Believe me - I was overcome with emotion at the end when I realized the secret message of this movie. These two siblings were rejected by one potential set of foster parents after another but they did not let rejection rob them of their capacity to love and their desire to create their own family with dogs. In their own way, when they had no family, they created their own haven with the doggies. This heartwarming tale reinforces the importance of family and the idea that families can come in many shapes and sizes. Although the inventions/gadgets are pretty far-fetched, it’s still loads of fun to see the gadgets and gizmos that Bruce creates to keep the dogs fed, in shape, and content. Roberts and Austin have the right bond on-screen as brother and sister while Kudrow and Dillon are amusing as washed-up '80s rockers. Don Cheadle also appears as the compassionate social worker assigned to Andi and Bruce’s case.
Well, if you are a doggie-lover and if you have kids who love digs - this is one movie which you must not miss.
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After a while, we went on to watch X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. I must confess I watched this one for to reasons - I am a die-hard X-Men fan and I believe Hugh Jackman is probably one of the three most handsome men in the world today!!! :-)
Basically, the movie is the back story of the fiery and conflicted Wolverine (James Logan), whose mutant powers include killer claws that shoot from his knuckles and a regenerative ability that allows him to live seemingly forever. Initially, the movie did not appeal to me because the director took a few mild liberties from the original story but remained relatively faithful to the comic-book source material.
ORIGINS follows Logan from his first recognition of his mutant powers as a young child up through his infamous rebirth and the total memory loss that would subsequently fuel his angry quest. Wolverine’s story has enough intriguing details to allow for a grown-up psychodrama in the mold of THE DARK KNIGHT, and the actors on hand--including Danny Huston as Stryker and Liev Schreiber as Logan’s half-brother, Victor (aka Sabretooth) are really very three-dimensional characters! Unfortunately, Gavin Hood used cinematic razzle-dazzle heavy on John Woo-style action-ballet and CGI glitz to jazz up this movie. There's enough swordplay, suspense, the usual dose of romantic drama and the climatic fight scene in the film’s finale to give us the usual adrenalin rush.
Hugh Jackman with his glorious sideburns :-) is PERFECTO for the role - macho, muscular, handsome, with so much character and integrity. Yup. The director definitely capitalised on Hugh Jackman and the sum of his parts - muscle, brains, looks, stature etc make for an unobtainable whole. This movie has certainly elevated him into a fantasy figure. Just as we equate Superman with Christopher Reeves, Wolverine is Hugh Jackman personified.
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Just before dinner, we watched "Marley and Me". I did a post on the book on April 20th over at THIS LINK. As far as possible, I try to read the book first before watching the movie and of course, if I wept while reading the book, I do not have to tell you what happened to my boy and I while watching the movie.
Based on the hit memoir by John Grogan, MARLEY AND ME chronicles the relationship of John (Owen Wilson) and Jen (Jennifer Aniston) as they face the challenges of marriage and work to start a family. The star of the show is their beloved dog, Marley, who can chew through drywall, got expelled of obedience school, and never met a leg he didn't like.
Marley's antics remind me of the unexpected challenges that everyone faces in adulthood, and the film is ultimately a paean to unconditional love. While others may see Marley as the "world's worst dog," but throughout it all, he proves to be the couple's most faithful friend. MARLEY AND ME is shot in sumptuous sets that look too good to be true in typical Hallmark card style.
Although I am not a Jennifer Aniston fan, she is radiant in this role and Wilson can admittedly make me go a bit weak in my knees with his lovable comedic persona. The other stars give almost stellar performance but in the end, the movie belongs to the dogs. Warning - watch it with a packet or two of tissues. This is one film that will surely make you crack up and crying. Trust me - once you watch it, MARLEY AND ME will become your family favorite.
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At the point of doing this post, I am halfway through INKHEART. For once, I am watching a movie based on a novel of the same title whichI have not yet read. *blush* I am sitting through this movie because of my son and not because of Brendan Fraser or the storyline...
Cornelia Funke’s best-selling novel, INKHEART, comes to life in director Iain Softley’s feature-film adaptation of the same name. For 12 years, bookbinder Mo (Brendan Fraser) and his daughter, Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett), have been traveling the world, poking around secondhand bookstores. Meggie correctly assumes that her father is looking for her mother, Resa (Sienna Guillory), who disappeared without a trace.
Meggie doesn’t know is that her dad is a Silvertongue that is to say when he reads a story aloud, the details and characters come to vivid life. But when a character comes out of a book, someone has to go back into the story.
The movie is about Mo is searching a copy of the book, titled "Inkheart," into which Resa literally disappeared. When Mo read the story aloud, unaware of his powers, she was sucked into the story, and the fantastical novel’s villainous characters were released. Now, Mo and Meggie have to keep evil Capricorn and his henchmen from realizing their diabolical plot, and send everyone back where they belong.
I have been watching 55 minutes of the movie so far and have yet to reach the end. Definitely not my cup of tea - the book and the movie but I must say many teens and kids will love the plot and the sets (largely filmed in Italy). Girls seem to like this film which is quite similar to The Never Ending Story. As such, this is a typical family movie with rich layers and familiar characters and worlds to look for here that can be enjoyed by all.
If I still have enough energy, "Milk" is next on the list - I am definitely a Sean Penn fan!! Do leave a comment, especially if you have watched any of the movies mentioned here. Am I mad? Yes, sometimes - especially after a very challenging week. Gosh - am I glad tomorrow is Sunday! Have a pleasant evening and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Good night.
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Update: I finished watching Inkheart (I would give it a C rating) and am now watching "BEDTIME STORIES", a 2008 American family-fantasy-comedy film directed by Adam Shankman that stars Adam Sandler (his first appearance in a family oriented film). Sandler's production company Happy Madison and Andrew Gunn's company Gunn Films produced the film, and is distributed byWalt Disney Pictures. At the point of writing this, I have only watched 10 minutes of this movie but from what I have seen so far, BEDTIME STORIES is an uplifting family fable that can be appreciated by parents and children alike. Well, I guess it is not a very objective view as I am an Adam Sandler fan....;)
Marriage is ... Part 1
1) Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence (a life sentence).
2) Marriage is very much like a violin; after the sweet music is over, the strings are still attached.
3) Marriage is love. Love is blind. Therefore marriage is an institution for the blind.
4) Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her Master's.
5) Marriage is a thing which puts a ring on a woman's finger, and two under the man's eyes.
6) Marriage certificate is just another word for a work permit.
7) Marriage is not just a having a wife but also worries inherited forever.
8) Marriage requires a man to prepare 4 types of "RINGS":
* The Engagement Ring
* The Wedding Ring
* The Suffe-ring
* The Endu-ring
9) Married life is full of excitement and frustration:
* In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens.
* In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens.
* In the third year, they both speak and the NEIGHBORS listen.
10) It is true that love is blind but marriage is definitely an eye-opener.
11) Getting married is very much like going to the restaurant with friends. You order what you want, and when you see what the other fellow has, you wish you had ordered that instead.
12) It's true that all men are born free and equal-but some of them get MARRIED!
13) There was this man who muttered a few words in the church and found himself married. A year later he muttered something in his sleep and found himself divorced.
14) A happy marriage is a matter of giving and taking; the husband gives and the wife takes.
15) Conversations between son & father:
Son: How much does it cost to get married, Dad?
Father: I don't know son, I'm still paying for it.
Son: Is it true? Dad, I heard that in ancient China, a man doesn't know his wife until he marries.
Father: That happens everywhere, son, EVERYWHERE!
16) There was a man who said, "I never knew what happiness was until I got married.... and then it was too late!"
17) Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.
18) They say that when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage, it is love; after marriage it is self-defense.
19) When a newly married man looks happy, we know why. But when a ten-year married man looks happy, we wonder why.
20) There was this lover who said that he would go through hell for her. They got married, and now he is going through HELL.
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1) Marriage is like a bank account. You put it in, you take it out, you lose interest. (Irwin Corey)
2) When a man says it's a silly, childish game, it's probably something his wife can beat him at. (Epperson's law)
3) Honeymoon: A short period of doting between dating and debting. (Ray Bandy)
4) The more I know about men, the more I like dogs. (Gloria Allred, feminist attorney, 1995)
5) If God wanted women to understand men, football would never have been created. (Anonymous)
6) If you are afraid of loneliness, don't marry. (Chekhov)
7) Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions. (Woody Allen)
8) Once a boy becomes a man, he's a man all his life. But a woman is only sexy until she becomes your wife. (Al Bundy)
9) If variety is the spice of life, marriage is the big can of leftover Spam. ( Johnny Carson)
10) Insurance is like marriage. You pay, pay, pay, and you never get anything back. (Al Bundy)
11) An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have; the older she gets the more interested he is in her. (Agatha Christie)
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Marriage is like ...
How do men define marriage? A very expensive way to get your laundry done free!
Boring Husband: "Honey, why are you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?"
Bored Wife: "Because I married the wrong man!"
First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."
A guy went to a party without his wife. He heard another guy say to his wife, "Pass the sugar, Honey," and "Pass the honey, Sugar." He thought this sort of speech is a good idea. The next morning when he and his wife are eating breakfast, he said to his wife, "Pass the bacon, Pig."
Before marriage, a man will lie awake all nite thinking about something you said. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish.
When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife.
Men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry.
A man said his credit card was stolen, but he decided not to report it because the thief was spending less than his wife did.
When a newly married couple smiles, everyone knows why. When a ten-year married couple smiles, everyone wonders why.
A man rushed home from work and exclaimed to his wife, "Pack your bags, I've won the lottery!" His wife excitedly asked, "Should I pack clothes for cold or warm weather?" He replied, "Pack'em all, your're leaving!
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Q&A About Husbands & Wives
What do wives and proctologists have in common?
They always have to deal with a pain in the ass.
What's the difference between husbands and prisoners?
Prisoners complain behind bars. Husbands complain in them.
When does a man feel like watering the garden?
After having a six pack.
What's the difference between a happy marriage and a fairy tale?
A fairy tales happens at least once upon a time.
What do women and tax forms have in common?
Men love to cheat on them.
What does a married man say after sex?
Don't tell my wife.
What's the best part of marriage?
Divorce.
Why do husbands appreciate hell?
At least there, they know what they did wrong.
What do marriage and Bill Clinton have in common?
They're both a joke.
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Kids' Little Top 10 Instructions On Life
Never trust a dog to watch your food.
Patrick, Age 11
When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents.
Sara, Age 12
Wear a hat when feeding seagulls.
Rocky, Age 9
Don't flush the john when you dad's in the shower.
Lamar, Age 10
When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him.
Heather, Age 16
Never tell your mom her diet's not working.
Michael, Age 14
Never try to baptize a cat.
Laura, Age 13
Never spit on a roller coaster.
Scott, Age 11
Stay away from prunes.
Randy, Age 9
Forget the cake, go for the icing.
Cynthia, Age 8
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A Little Boy In The Stripped Club
Once there was a little boy who was curious about what a strip club was like so one day he decided to sneak into one. Once he was in, he watched as the strippers danced. He watched until they started taking of their clothing. That's when he bolted out the door and started running down the street and into a man. The man asks the boy, "What's wrong young man? You look like you just saw a ghost!". The little boy replies, "My mommy and daddy told me that if I ever watched anybody undress, I'd turn to stone...and all of a sudden I felt something hard!".
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At Breakfast
There was a boy playing in the farm field when his mom called him in for breakfast. On his way in he kicked a cow, pig, and a chicken. So when he gets to the table he sees a dry bowl of cereal. "What's the deal?" he asks. His mom says " You kicked the cow so no milk for you, you kicked the pig so no bacon for you, and you kicked the chicken so no eggs for you." Then his father walks into the kitchen and accidentally kicked the cat. The the boy says "Do you want me to tell him or should you?"
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Top 10 Signs You Are An Internet Geek
10) When filling out your driver's license application you give your IP address.
9) You no longer ask prospective dates what their sign is, instead your line is "Hi, what's your URL?"
8) Instead of calling you to dinner, your spouse sends e-mail.
7) You're amazed to find out spam is a food.
6) You "ping" people to see if they're awake, "finger" them to find out how they are, and "AYT" them to make sure they're listening to you.
5) You search the Net endlessly hoping to win every silly free T-shirt contest.
4) You introduce your wife as "my lady@home.wife" and refer to your children as "client applications".
3) At social functions you introduce your husband as "my domain server".
2) After winning the office super bowl pool you blurt out, "I feel so "colon-right parentheses!"
And the number one sign you are an Internet Geek:
1) Two Words: "Pizza's Here!"
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You Know It Is Time To Reassess Your
Relationship With Your Computer When...
You Know It Is Time To Reassess Your Relationship With Your Computer When:
1) You wake up at 4 O'clock in the morning to go to the bathroom and stop to check your email on the way back to bed.
2) You turn off your computer and get an awful empty feeling, as if you just pulled the plug on a loved one.
3) You decide to stay in college for an additional year or two, just for the free Internet access.
4) You laugh at people with 28.8 modems.
5) You start using smile's :-) in your snail mail.
6) You find yourself typing "com" after every period when using a word processor.com
7) You can't correspond with your mother because she doesn't have a computer.
8) When your email box shows "no new messages" and you feel really depressed.
9) You don't know the gender of your three closest friends because they have nondescript screen name and you never bothered to ask.
10) You move into a new house and you decide to Netscape before you landscape.
11) Your family always knows where you are.
12) In real life conversations, you don't laugh, you just say "LOL, LOL"
13) After reading this message, you immediately forward it to a friend! he he he :) (Yep!)
HAVE A NICE DAY!!!
