I know everything about film. I've seen over 240 of them.

[anoel]

First Happy Belated Birthday to norwich36, makesmewannadie, tamalinn and ficbyzee! I hope you all had great days and a wonderful year to come.

So today was my movie catch up day. I've been feeling kind of meh about movies lately as TV shows better suit me. The best way I can explain it is it takes too long for me to get into movies and once I do, they're practically over. Whereas with TV, while it might take me a little while to get into a show, once I do I have a lot more of the show to fall in love with. But I do love when I see high quality movies which I've been doing lately except for Evan Almighty. But I was only seeing that for Steve and seeing all the Michaelisms and ultimate cuteness and squeeing over Steve made it all worth it. I don't think the movie is as bad as the critics say it is, it was fun and cool to see on the big screen and I did love the animals and laughed enough to make it a comedy movie for me. And I didn't think the religion was too much so it worked for me. The other night I saw Little Miss Sunshine again which has become my third favorite movie (behind Serenity and Brokeback Mountain). For me it's the perfect comfort movie; whenever I'm feeling particularly emotional I watch it and it makes me feel better about life and just happy with the universe. I would actually love to see a good vid to it one of these days.

So today I saw three amazing movies. The first was a classic, Casablanca which I have never seen and which needed to be remedied stat. I really enjoyed it, took me awhile to get into as usual but the narrative was absolutely wonderful. And the end made me ever so happy with the two guys walking into the sunset...mmm slash. Then I watched Memento which blew my mind with how cool it was, how interesting and unique it was in terms of narrative. Lots of Matrix people which always helps too.

And I finally saw Dead Poet's Society which...WOW. Now I know why everyone was crying over Lullaby at Vividcon. First the movie broke me and then that vid did multiple times. I had seen half of the movie last August but again had a hard time getting into it. This time it was much easier especially with seeing kid!Wilson who completely won me over with his enthusiasm and adorable relationship with Todd. To anyone who hasn't seen the movie, I HIGHLY recommend it. It really teaches you to make something out of your life, to be a non-conformist no matter the cost, no BECAUSE of the cost and it's really a great story for any person who has ever been a student or teacher (I assume that's everyone. It rocketed up to number four on my favorite list of movies and I think it shares some similarities with Little Miss Sunshine with them both being about people pursuing their dreams no matter what society thinks and especially with the amazingly well acted heartwrenching scenes of Dwayne and Todd. So go watch it!

Links:
Life As We Know It - Second City - Ryan Stiles AND Steve Carell together in their younger days makes me ridiculously happy. They're so cute!
Unaired Colin kisses Ryan sketch on Whose Line - I may have died in happiness watching this clip over and over when I first saw it. What makes it even better than the first purely Colin initiated kiss is the "worked together for 20 years" and "Oh who am I kidding" right before it. Just so awesome and it fills my romantic heart with glee.

Everyone's been posting a ton about Doctor Who but I'm finding it still hard to get into the show in the second current season. My problem with it is it's all stand alones and I only like the Docter and Rose so it's hard for me to get into watching it. I will by Vividcon though. Oh and I changed my page layout a bit mostly to use a new Office header which has some of my favorite Dundies scenes in it. Still my favorite Office episode, of course.

Comments

[giandujakiss.livejournal.com]

If you liked Casablanca, next on the viewing list should be To Have and Have Not. It was made a few years later, also with Bogart, similar storyline with less political symbolism and it -- takes potshots at Casablanca, really, or at least at the gender politics of Casablanca. For my money, it's way more enjoyable.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Well I'll check it out sometime. Next on my list is The Godfather which I've only seen the beginning of and really need to see.

[shadownyc.livejournal.com]

Casablanca is one of my all-time favorite movies. If you like mysteries and the aura of Casablanca worked for you, you should definitely check out The Maltese Falcon. Another great one.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, now I can see everyone loves it so much. I liked both and The Maltese Falcon is definitely on my list of movies I have to watch so hopefully I should see it soon.

[mozartfan1313.livejournal.com]

I'm a movie buff, first and foremost, but I've really been getting into great t.v. shows lately.

I agree with your reaction to Casablanca. I enjoyed the film although I found it a little hard to get into at first. I'm not sure what it was, but maybe the story didn't grab me right away?

Memento is awesome and unique and clever. lol. Guy Peace is perfect in that movie. I love it.

Yay Brokeback Mountain! :)

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I noticed. I just try to stick with classic, high quality movies and then they're worth it to me. I think Casablanca didn't start enough right into the action and it only got interesting to me when the ex-lovers finally saw each other again and the triangle tension with the visas got introduced. The more political stuff was kind of hard to get into at first.

Mmm Guy Pierce was delicious with all the naked scenes not to mention the brilliant acting all around. I'm so glad I decided to watch it.

[lianri.livejournal.com]

First of all: *LOVES YOUR NEW LAYOUT*
Hehe. I need to see Casablanca; I've heard too many people rave about it! I rented Citizen Kane from the library a couple days ago and I'm planning on watching it soon. If you're looking for more amazing classics, you must check out Apocalypse Now if you haven't already. Also, THE GRADUATE! Amazing movie! In the Heat of the Night is another favorite of mine. Also, Chinatown! <- IMO, best film noir of all time.
Anyway, I miss you! Why aren't you online? We need to do more marathons! Soon!

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I love it too :) Yeah, once you see Casablanca you understand why people rave and at the very least you enjoy the famous lines. Citizen Kane is definitely awesome too and yes I'm *very* knowledgable about Apocalypse Now as I wrote an essay about it (yay late nights/early mornings! ;)) The Graduate is definitely on the list along with Chinatown but I'm not sure of In the Heat of the Night so I'll have to look it up.

I am online, right now and all day so I'm not sure why I don't see you on my list. And yes with the marathons!

[klia.livejournal.com]

It took me years to love Casablanca, and I say that as a huge Bogie fan. I was always far more into Bogie and Bacall (especially To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, and Key Largo), so I thought Bergman's character was a drip, which made the love story hard for me to believe. But then later, I really got into Paul Henreid, and accepted that Bergman was NOT Bacall, and I flat-out love it now.

If you're interested, Dorinda wrote a Casablanca (Rick/Louis) story for Yuletide a couple years ago:

http://www.yuletidetreasure.org/archive/9/nomde.html

Yeah, I was one of the people bawling after Lullaby last VVC. Between that and Hurt, I was kind of a mess. ;)

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I didn't really completely buy the love story but I bought the *archetype* of it, the doomed long lost love with a history which is a favorite of mine so it worked for me. But yeah, I do love it and Bogart is just *so* good in it. Ooh I will have to check that out.

Now I see why! I would have cried too if I had seen the movie before then. Hurt and One Day Late were the ones that had me choking up.

[mranderson71.livejournal.com]

This time it was much easier especially with seeing kid!Wilson who completely won me over with his enthusiasm and adorable relationship with Todd.

I think you should now do a vid that combines D.P.S. with House MD about Wilson growing up from College to become a doctor who has "dramatic" tendencies. :)

My one & only experience of Memento was spoiled by a mother who was too inconsiderate of the other people in the cinema to take her CRYING BABY outside as they reached the climax of the film. But yeah I enjoyed seeing Trinity & Cypher in the movie too!

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Hee I actually want to read a fic now with House and Wilson going to private school there and I'm sure it's out there somehow. It would be cool to see a crossover vid but I'm probably not the one to do it. Robert's looks sure haven't changed much though so that'd help.

Ugh, I hate when people do that. I can never forget Cypher now, he has such a distinctive voice. The only bad thing about loving DPS is it pushes The Matrix out of my top 5 movies.

[mranderson71.livejournal.com]

*gets on the other side of The Matrix & attempts to push it back into Anoels top 5*

Has anything else popped out from the middle? :D

Also forgot I have to say that Season 3 of Dr Who is great! I enjoyed it more than S2 if only for the fact that David Tennants arm-flailing, angry-faced theatrics are less frequent now. And there are some really big crossover elements from some of the stories of the last 2 seasons.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Well my fifth is The Lion King as it's a childhood favorite but it might have a chance against that. I'd have to take TLK on a desert island 5 movies challenge but besides that, they're pretty close.

Sounds good. I have heard awesome things about it and Jack returning is a big plus in my book. I will definitely finish it by August.

[messyjessie58.livejournal.com]

i feel similarly to doctor who. i really like the relationship between the doctor and rose, but i just cant seem to care about the stand alone plots hmmmmmm

[anoel.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I mean, I like the plots for sci-fi sake and they can be interesting but it can be hard to get into. I heard there are a few arcs in S3 so I'm hoping it'll be better than.

[lianri.livejournal.com]

OH! ALSO! Lawrence of Arabia! How could I forget that? You MUST MUST MUST watch it.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

I will definitely be checking that out someday. I have a long way to go with all the classic movies I still need to watch.

[severuslovesme.livejournal.com]

Mmm Serenity...I think I need to go on a Firefly rewatching spree.

They actually filmed Dead Poet's Society at my high school! There are lots of pictures of Robin Williams in the admissions corridor now ;)

It always freaks me out to see Robert Sean Leonard so young!

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm rewatching it with a friend and I love it more and more with everytime. I'm dying to go to one of the Equality Now screenings if I would just be in the right area at the right time.

Wow so cool! And yeah, it's weird to see him so young but I called him Wilson throughout half the movie because he has the similar looks and voice.

[trustingno1.livejournal.com]

Firstly, that Life As We Know It thing has the weirdest collection of people. Ryan and Brad and Steve? Hee.

DPS is one of my all-time favourite movies. ♥ Except I'm too much of a wreck at the end of it to watch it very often.

except for Evan Almighty LMAO. I saw the trailer for that at the movies today, and - yeah. It doesn't look too brilliant XD But we were all, "I LOVE STEEEEEEVE". So I'll see it when it opens. Heh.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Well they're all from Second City so it's cool seeing them together :) And yeah, I can see the sadness is going to deter me from watching it a lot but I will definitely rewatch it sometimes.

I LOVE STEVE is pretty much the best reason to go. It's fun so keep low expectations and you're good.

[spookster831.livejournal.com]

OMG Dead Poets Society... that movie is so effing sad. And RSL is so cute in it.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

I know! I had no idea it'd break my heart so much but I really fell hard for the characters. He is! I was dying from cuteness whenever he was onscreen.

[spookster831.livejournal.com]

I can barely watch the ending. So so sad.