Just Another Movie Monday: Jerry Maguire

Movie Mondays!

This is a new weekly (hopefully) tradition of watching films the Jeannie has decided to make me watch. These are mainly 80s films but there are all sorts of years really. We did Jerry Maguire a few weeks ago. I had a lot of stuff going on and didn't realize that I haven't said anything about it.


Trust me it won't take that long for this film.


Honestly, I didn't like it.


I just hate Tom Cruise... Sorry it's true. I have never really like him, it isn't that good to look at either. This whole movie was awkward to say that least. They had this love story that didn't really make sense. It started to and then it went on and you could tell Tom Cruise was trying to make it seem like he was in love, when he wasn't. Then they were like "lets get married" and he hated it......

Then he realized he was in love? Which came out of left field. Then they lived happily ever after? Like I love romantic comedies, even though they are unrealistic, but this..... was even unrealistic for a romantic comedy.


I tried.... I tried really hard to like it. I tried to seem like it was a great movie. Even weeks after watching it. I still can't believe that movie was just that bad.


Thankfully we finally had another Movie Monday last night and watched a better movie. That is a is a different story for a different day.

Year of Learning: The Postman Always Rings Twice

The Postman Always Rings Twice.... is a book....  that I just couldn't do. 

Well, that is not totally true. I did read the book, and watched the movie, but I really didn't enjoy either that much.

I am really starting to think that Film Noir and Noir type books are just not my thing.....

The book just felt odd.... It was a whopping 116 pages long. I thought I was gonna fly through it in a few days and be done... but that did not happen. It took me forever and a day to read this book. I can sit thought a movie I don't like knowing that it will end. However, I can't force myself to read if I don't like it. Really I read it cause I didn't want to let myself down. I have completed every other challenge that made for myself in the last few years and I didn't want this one to stop me. 

Thankfully, the rest of the books I have planned this year are going to be books that I am going to be more interested in. The problem is the discipline to make myself read them. I hope that once I get started that I will want to finish them instead of wishing they were already over. 

Year of Learning: The Help

So.....

I am still really far behind. I read The Help and watched the movie in about a week. However, I totally forgot about writing about it....

Summer, apparently, is my slow time for my challenges. I get caught up in doing a million different things and set all of this to the side. I have been able to finish all of my challenges for my goal time. I am sure I can do this one too.

Anyways, back to The Help.

The book by Kathryn Stockett  was a Marvelous!

This is one of those that I have seen the movie before but never the read the book. It has been a few years since I have seen the movie. The book was written in the narrative of three people. That way you got multiple view points of what was going on. It's Aibileen, Minnie, and Skeeter are the view points you see. The plan that Skeeter comes up with is to write a book about the maids in her county, and about how they are treated and how they live. I like this narrative because it's not just Skeeter. You get all of the interactions and all of the worries, and excitement from all different angles. 

The movie lacks in the narrative in comparison because of the fact that you don't get the feelings, from these three women. It's not conveyed in on screen the same way. However, the humor, and charm and almost all major plot points are there. However, I did not like the fact that the movie does not show just how evil, and vile Hilly is toward Minny, or any of the maid really. Hilly in the book you see much more of her manipulation and her downfall. She falls much harder and slower in the eyes of the people in Jackson. The whole movies seems really squished together after reading the book. All the major plot points are there but they are rearranged to help the movie along in a fast pace. I really wish they would have just a linger movie and really show more depth that is in the book.

The one thing that I can say that I liked better in the movie than in the book was Skeeter's mom. Particularly her ending. In the movie she tells off Hilly in a glorious fashion. She doesn't do that in the book. 

I have to say if you want a movie and fun read, go and get The Help. You will not regret reading on word on any of it's pages.  

Yeah of Learning: The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep was written by Raymond Chandler in 1939 and the film came out in 1946.

Look I am not gonna lie this is not going to be long. This was the book I was supposed to read in June.... Seeing that it's the end of August you can tell how far behind I am.

This was not helped by the fact that I could not get through the book. Nothing about it really interested me. I am sorry to say that but it didn't. I would have really liked it like the book but I couldn't.

The movie was more interesting but didn't hold my attention like I wanted it. I think that I wasn't expecting as much from the movie cause I didn't like the book. I am hoping that when I get around to watching that movie again then I will be able to enjoy it more.

I have a few other books that are in this genre on my list for this year. It makes me nervous but we are going to see. I will get started, and hopefully start catching up, on Monday.... after my Brad Paisley concert with mom!!!

Alaina's Trial by Movies: The Follow-Up

So, a few months ago I was thinking that I would really like to do something to follow up with Alaina, other then just stopping. So, I came up with 25 questions to see what she thought about these movies. I really wanted to see was she remembered and what her real favorites were!

1. What was your favorite movie? I think that it's a tie between Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Pillow Talk. Mr. Smith because Jimmy Stewart is bae and Pillow Talk because I love the whole shared phoneline scenes.

2. Who ended up being your favorite actor? Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart. Again I love Jimmy Stewart. Bob Hope is because I really did love his facial expressions.

3. What was your least favorite movie? Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It was just a weird movie.

4. Who was your least favorite actor? Well, this might break your heart, Sammy Davis Jr.. He didn't really make a big or memorable impression. (It really didn't break my heart. I get why he didn't I thought she was going to say Mickey Rooney or Frank Sinatra.)

5. Did you have an actor you thought you were not going to like? Not really. There wasn't anyone on the list that I wasn't interested in seeing.

6. Did you have a movie that you thought you were not going to like? I thought I was not going to like Ziegfeld Girl because you said it was sad. Then there was also Mildred Peirce because of the genre.

7. Which movie was the biggest surprise to you? That would be between The Princess and the Pirate and Ziegfeld Girl. The ending of Pirate really got me cause Bing Crosby stole the girl and the other because it was sad but I ended up enjoying it more that I thought.

8. Which Actor was the biggest surprise to you? Bob Hope. I wasn't sure what I was expecting from him. However, I was not expecting him to be that great. Then there was Judy Garland. Before this I have only seen her in was The Wizard of Oz. So, seeing her in another movie being weird and quirky was really fun!

9. Which actor has the most lasting impression on you? Judy Garland and Bob Hope.

10. Which movie had the most lasting impression on you? Princess and the Pirate and Bells are Ringing

11. Who would you like to see more movies of? Bob Hope and Doris Day

12. Where there any genres that you like better than the others? Comedy and Musicals. However, in the right mood I enjoyed the dramas.

13. Which genre did we not get to explore as much that you wish we did? Honestly, I would have liked to see a little more drama.

14. What did you expect to learn from these movies? I wasn't expecting to learn but I was expecting to appreciate films more and being more well rounded.

15. What was the lesson you did learn? Appreciation for classic movies and expanded my views of movies. Some of the drams I would have never had picked because I am normally a funny or die kind of a girl.

16. What was the most memorable moment/scene? The decorating scene in Pillow Talk where she totally changes his apartment. The filibuster scene in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

17. Do you have a most memorable line? Not off the top of my head

18. What was the most irritating scene/ moment? In Bells are Ringing when she changes all of the bets without knowing she screwed up the gambling ring.

19. What did you think of classic movies before you knew me? That they were boring. It's wonderful that my mind changed a little.

20. What do you think of classic movies now? They are fun! A lot of them are cleaner and the people seems to treat each other better. No garbage. I also love the snippet in time with the language and the fashion. There were also a lot of similarities. So, it was foreign and familiar at the same time.

21. How has this challenge change your perspective on movies as a whole? A wider appreciation for different types of movies. It really got me out of my comfort zone.

22. Did the challenge make you anymore interested in movies (new or classic)? As a whole no. I enjoyed that movies that we have scene but I am more interested in classic films.

23. If you could change any aspect of this challenge what would it be? Nothing really except to do this in a more timely manner.

24. Would you do a challenge similar to this again? Yes.

25. Do you have a challenge that you would like me to do? *She laughed evilly at this point* I have two. 1st I want you to watch Chuck. (She has been trying to get me to watch this show forever but she told me how it ends so I haven't wanted to.) The second is I want you watch Secret Garden (This is a funny show that she has told me about before. I am pretty sure she said that it was Korean).


Well, looks like I have more challenges to add to my list...…. I have like 25000 already so hopefully I can get these started soon!

Alaina's Trail by Movies: Myrna Loy

So, this is it... we finally made it. After over a year of watching classic films, Alaina and I have finally finished the last movie. I am not gonna lie, I am a little sad that it's over. I have had a lot of fun nerding out and showing off my favorite movies. However, Alaina and I have lots of other movies to watch in the future. Like we are doing all the Disney Princess movies at one point, everything David Tennant has ever been in, and a lot of move recent movies that we haven't gotten to see yet. 

The last movie that we have is The Thin Man. The reason I had that movie on my list is because I have the really beautiful artwork in my apartment of a girl in a blue dress. I named the girl Myrna after Myrna Loy. Because of the name, and because I knew that The Thin Man was something Alaina had to see I added it to the list. 

So, without further ado, Alaina's thoughts on The Thin Man.

1. What were your thoughts going into this movie? I was excited! It's was the last one on our list and it is a comedy, drama, mystery!

2. What was your favorite part of the movie? Oh, the Christmas party scene. William Powell keeps getting guests that he was to keep separate to talk to about this murder, and has to keep putting them in different rooms.

3. Who was your favorite character? William Powell

4. Why? He was super sassy and smart. I also really loved the relationship between him and Myrna Loy.

5. What did you not like about the movie? I think the fact that there were so many different people to follow in a short amount of time. It was hard to keep some of the people straight. 

6. What did you think of Myrna Loy?  She was fabulous! I really liked the way that Myrna Loy talked and I love the chemistry she had with William Powell.

7. What do you think of  the movie now that you have watched it? I really enjoyed it! I really would like to watch it again or read the book to really appreciate it!

8. Would you watch it again? Yes

9. Would you recommend? Yes

10.  What relevance does it have to today? Well, don't murder people, and marry someone of quality!

Well folks, that's just about it with Alaina's hand pick movies. Well, the movies are done, but I do have questions about the experience as a whole that I will post soon. However, I am really excited because Alaina said that she wanted to watch the sequels to the movie! 

Now, just because we are done with this list does not mean she is done seeing classic movies. Not by a long shot!

Alaina's Trial by Movies: Bob Hope

We are coming into the home stretch. Bob Hope is the second to last person on my list in to have Alaina watch movies for. The last movie that we are going to be watching, on this list at least, is going to be happening this Saturday. Over a year in the making and we are almost done folks!!

To be honest I am not really sure how Bob Hope ended up on my list. This list started because I wanted to make Alaina watch a movie from each star I had a picture of on my wall.... I don't have one of Bob Hope. I think my mom made me add him... Anyways, off we go!

1. What were your thoughts going into the movie? Well, I forgot who we were watching this week, so I was wondering what was on TV. Then when you told me the title I was excited cause it had the word pirate in it.

2. What was your favorite part? I liked the ending pretty good but I really loved when they introduced Bob Hope in the film. I like all of the different faces they showed.

3. Who was your favorite character? Bob Hope for sure!

4. Why? He was silly, funny, charming, and quirky. Luke said that, from what he saw (he was late to the viewing), he had really rapid fire whit that was great to watch!

5. What did you not like about the movie? Luke: That I missed it! Alaina: Nothing that I really didn't like, but If I had to pick something it would be he didn't end up with the girl!

6. What did you think of Bob Hope? He was funny and he has great facial expressions.

7. What do you think of the movie now that we have watched it? I thought it was funny and clever. I really enjoyed it. Luke: I think it worth watching all the way through. I also apricate the accurate title.

8. Would you watch it again? Yes

9. Would you recommend? Yes

10. What relevance does it have to today? The only thing I can think of is Being Crosby can always come and steal your girl....