Cin’s Movie Critiques

The movie reviews are in from our contest at Whitehole.net. Every day this week I’ll be posting a review from one of the contestants. I will post them in the order in which they were received. Please leave your comments and feel free to spark discussions! When all the guest reviews are up, we’ll vote for our favorite, and the winner will receive pride, recognition and a big pat on the back the next time I see them.

Okay, so, yikes! Six months without a post, I’m ashamed. Really. But hey, now I have so many things to blog about I’ll never run dry. How ‘bout a quick summary/forecast?

September: Twisted sister visits, Mary Kay parties, Keith Urban concert, another trip to Vegas, 10 days in Heaven (otherwise referred to as Oceanside, California), and a visit to the wicked third in Arizona.

October: Found a job.

November: Found a man.

December: Christmas month, who has time for anything?

January: New year, new school, new hobbies.

February: Realizing that miniscule daily crap is taking over my life and I need to get my priorities straight. Need more fun, need more movies, need more blog entries…

I hate to do it, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. Goodbye Guy Pearce, I will miss blogging about you… Thanks Raelynn, for the excellent suggestion! In closing, I will briefly touch on several movies that I haven’t given a full review of. For a complete filmography visit www.imdb.com.

Dating the Enemy (1996): A couple wakes up one morning to discover they have switched bodies. I desperately want to watch this one as it looks absolutely hilarious, but unfortunately I cannot find it anywhere. For a comical clip, visit youtube.com

LA Confidential (1997): This one was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and won a couple of Oscars in other categories. However, I distinctly remember hating this film the entire time I was watching it. Who knows, maybe I was just having a bad day, but even though Guy Pearce looks really good, I couldn’t force myself through the pain again.

The Hard Word (2002): About three bank-robber brothers trying to stay out of jail while constantly committing crimes that land them back inside. This one was an interesting twist on the usual bank-robber plot.

The Proposition (2005): A notorious outlaw and his younger brother are apprehended, but his captor offers him a bargain. Kill his older brother, who is much more desired by the law, or let his younger brother be executed. I really wanted to like this one, it seemed like it had so much to offer, but I was extremely disappointed. Apparently most critics disagree with me because it has received all kinds of acclaim. Oh well, at least I can stay true to my own opinions.

And watch for Guy in upcoming films First Snow (about a man trying to prevent his foretold death) and Death Defying Acts (about Harry Houdini) both due out later this year. He also has four films scheduled to release in 2008.

Raelynn suggested it would be cool to highlight one actor and review each of the movies they starred in for one of my blog posts. I agreed, that would be cool. But whom to choose? Easy. Guy Pearce. My favorite actor. Why? Well, I will admit, his being an Aussie helps! Who can resist an accent? And yes, he is definitely nice to look at…but here’s the kicker: he actually has talent. There are so many names out there with a pretty face that make billions for a movie just because they are eye candy. Guy Pearce is diverse, he is daring in his role choices, and although I’m sure he is interested in the dollar sign that comes with doing a movie, he seems to choose roles that give him a chance to do something unique.

Born in England in 1967, his moved to Australia when he was three. In his teens, he took up bodybuilding and was named Mr. Junior Victoria in a competition. Two days after taking final exams in high school, he started on the popular Australian soap opera, “Neighbors”. After a while in TV, he received critical acclaim for his performance in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and entered the world of mainstream films. While you will recognize him from movies like The Time Machine and The Count of Monte Cristo, Guy Pearce has done many more independent movies. I read an interview where he said he prefers independent films to big budget movies because they “are really unique and allow you to explore what life is really about.”

Guy likes to keep his private life very private. He currently makes his home in Melbourne, Australia which is also where he married his childhood sweetheart Kate Mestitz in 1997. In addition to acting, he is passionate about music; singing and playing the guitar, saxophone, and piano, and has written hundreds of songs. One of my favorite CD’s is the soundtrack for A Slipping Down Life, yes, that really is him singing. He has an interesting, not quite scratchy, yet very sexy voice!

So, if you’re not a fan of his, steer clear for a while, I declare it Guy Pearce Week!

“What,” you may ask, “is a Music Fest?”  It’s my own little term, invented many years ago in the age of cassette tapes.  I would sit down in front of my little boom box, and listen to all of my favorite songs, which of course took hours because back then you actually had to fast forward or rewind to get to the right track.  Music Fest evolved as I got older and started sharing music with others, and listening to their favorites in return.  I loved pulling out my musical favorites, old or new and playing them to virgin ears; and waiting for a reaction, good or bad.

The most memorable reaction was Rocky’s, when I played Crash Test Dummies for him.  I had to wrap myself around his ankles and let him drag me for a few steps to make him listen.  He thought he had heard them before, and was sure he hated them.  But then, he listened, and listened some more, a smile slowly crept into the corners of his mouth, he nodded his head, and after the line about the “phalanges” he was hooked!

I am notorious for listening to the same song over and over and over and over and over.  Yes, this is a trait that drives some people off a cliff, but I never get tired of a song that I love.  The more I listen to it, the more I feel it in my soul, the more my emotions actually ache with feeling.  I am so thankful for the invention of the repeat button, no more rewinding a song over and over and eventually wearing it out.

My most recent music purchase is Bon Jovi’s new album Lost Highway.  If you’re a Bon Jovi fan, you’ll love Jon’s strong and unique voice, which in my opinion has gotten even better with age.  The group made this record in Nashville, and while it isn’t country music, there is a different feel, an underlying inspiration, that is palpable, yet still, undeniably music that could only come from Bon Jovi.  The song currently stuck on repeat is “Make a Memory”.  It begins with a single acoustic guitar and Jon’s voice.  Then a bass guitar is added.  Next comes the piano, and then the drums.  Gradually the melody becomes stronger, growing with each line, building and building to a beautiful climax.  Breathtaking.

Daughtry is now a favorite of mine.  I’m not an American Idol watcher (it interferes with Survivor and Lost) so I had never even heard of Chris Daughtry.  I bought it solely on the prompting from Rocky, and I was not disappointed!  Like him, I loved every single track on this album, which is pretty unusual.  Repeat song: “Over You” …and when you slammed the front door shut, a lot of others opened up, so did my eyes so I could see, that you never were the best for me…

After becoming so addicted to Grey’s Anatomy I bought the Grammy Award Winnng soundtracks from the first two seasons, and was disgusted with the low quality of music they chose to put onto these albums, so do not waste your eardrums or your money.  The music on the show is so incredibly good, how they faultlessly picked the worst songs to include on the soundtrack is a wonder to me.  One gem out of thirty or so duds, however, has made it onto my Favorite Song’s of All Time list, Kate Havnevik’s heart wrenching “Grace”: …don’t know how, but I’ll get by, slowly pull myself together…nothing comes easily, fill this empty space, nothing is like it was, turn my grief to grace…come what may, I won’t fade away, but I know I might change…where do I begin, nothing can bring me peace, I’ve lost everything…

Thanks to my sweet niece Sadie, who begrudgingly lent me two of her Avril Lavigne CD’s for a couple hours.  Wow, I love this music!  Pathetic I know, that I haven’t heard Avril Lavigne before, even though of course I’ve heard of her.  I must say, I’m very impressed and now listen regularly.  Repeat song: “My Happy Ending” …all this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending…

Emerson Drive is another diamond among chunks of coal.  I bought the album, Countrified, for the song “Moments”, but the one that gets played the most is “Everyday Woman” …most people would say you’re an everyday woman, but you’re everything to me, and I’m gonna love you every day…woman…

The 300 Soundtrack is a good one if you like movie music.  It’s intense.  But for soundtracks, nothing compares to The Last of the Mohicans.

Okay, so, I just wanted to make remarks on some of the music I’ve been listening to lately.  Leave me a comment, and let me know what songs speak to you.  I’m always up for a Music Fest!

Today I reread one of my favorite short stories of all time. Reading the story that was actually inspired by Lehman Caves was even more of an experience after just being in the hollows of the earth. If you haven’t read this Round 6 Winner from Whitehole.net, do so immediately!

The Devil’s Throat

Short story written by Rocky Keele. 2006, Adventure/Horror. Cin’s Critique:

Enter the deep, dark depths not of a cave…but of Rocky’s incredible and somewhat disturbing imagination in The Devil’s Throat. Without a doubt, this story produced more fear than either cave movie that I watched.

Follow Dennis Carlow on a rescue mission a thousand feet below the earth’s surface. Two days after a group of researchers are due back from the cave, Dennis and a colleague are sent down to search for the missing party. What they discover between vast caverns, claustrophobic stomach crawls, and sixty-foot cliff faces is sixteen pages of heart pounding reading that you cannot put down!

Today is Armed Forces Day. Between now and Memorial Day, I will blog with a theme in mind. Military movies are abundant, and the material within them scatters from very realistic war scenes, to hero plots, to court room drama, to comedy. With my nephew, Blake, leaving yesterday to serve a year of duty in Iraq, my heart is a bit tender towards all those who serve their country in the name of freedom. I thank them, and Blake especially, I pray for your safe return.

Call me stubborn if you want, but I’m a Blockbuster girl. Now I’ve tried Hollywood Video, with their longer rental periods. I’ve tried Albertsons or Smiths in-store rentals with their lower prices. But even in the phases when Blockbuster was more expensive and I had less time to watch, I’ve always been more satisfied there.

For a while there, I had some silly card that let me rent two movies and get one free. When it expired I cried buckets, and then complained to the manager. After seeing the hundreds of movies I had rented at his store, he graciously reinstated my benefits!

So then Blockbuster came out with this newfangled thing called Blockbuster Online. Oh, I resisted, let me tell you. I liked my Blockbuster store the way it was, and didn’t want to try anything new. The clerk couldn’t even get the whole promotional, memorized sentence out of his mouth before I cut him off with an emphatic “No Thank You!”

But then…I started this Blog, and the movie watching hours increased, if you can believe that! I know, I know, it doesn’t seem at all possible, but it is true. So with much ranting and wailing and gnashing of teeth, I gave in. I tried the online thing.

And once again, Blockbuster has not let me down! Now, when they came up with this crazy idea of unlimited rentals for one low monthly price, they didn’t see me coming! There is no way in hell they could be making money off of me! But, they certainly have come through and kept their end of the bargain, keeping me up to my knees in movies.

Now here is my theory. If they can make me happy, they can make you happy too! I get three rentals at a time for $17.99 a month, with thousand and thousands of movies to choose from! I have a queue online with movies waiting to be shipped to me as soon as they receive one back. It takes one day, ONE DAY, to receive a new movie! How cool is that? PLUS, if I don’t want to wait that one single day, (because I have been known to be impatient, you know) I take the movies into the store and trade them for FREE. So, I am never, NEVER without a movie to watch!

So, if you have even a teeny tiny pinch of my love for movies, I highly recommend Blockbuster Online. (Just click over there on that little icon to your right! You won’t regret it! J ) They have different price plans according to how many movies you have out at a time. Check ‘em out!

What is it that makes us all want to believe in love? Why do most of us have that undeniable feeling that there is someone out there that we are meant to be with? Why do we believe in destiny, or in soul mates? I mean really, is it logical to think that we are only half a person walking around most of our lives unless our other half has been found? Only then can we be whole? Logical? No. Do most of us believe it? Yes.

Even with my own recent experience, losing the love of my life, the person I thought I would spend forever with…even after losing that, I still believe in love. I still believe that he is out there, the one for me, somewhere, and that all of this has happened for a reason. Could the phrase “hopeless romantic” be code for “hope”? Or is it just sappy and pathetic?

Oh well, at least it keeps the movie industry busy, and keeps us moviegoers entertained! So, I declare it chick-flick time on this blog of mine. (I’m a poet…) My next several posts will be about the greatest invention since love itself…movies about love.

And to add to the brewing pot, let’s just ponder for a minute how impossible love seems even more intriguing. Honestly, love with a ghost? Love with someone in a different time? Love with someone who would die for us? Ah yes, impossible love is even better. Well, in the movies anyway…

Is anyone else ready for winter to just be done and over with??  I’m sick of it.  Gray skies, gloomy days, wet and slushy when I walk, chilling wind blowing right through me, I want it all to just go away!  It seems that about this time every year I notice my mood starts to match the weather.

And then spring begins to tease us…giving us a day here and there, with the sun blazing in the sky, and a day with just jackets to play in the park.  But then boom!  Another blizzard comes rushing in, laughing at the fools who actually thought winter was done.

However, tonight I had fifteen minutes of waiting to do.  The sun had gone down, and there I was, all alone in my car, when I saw one single snowflake flutter down out of the pitch black sky.  And then another fell, and another, until the entire black sky was filled with glittery white flakes, and before I knew it, the black was gone and all I could see was the snow.  It was breathtaking and magical. 

For a moment there, I actually wished that winter was not coming to an end.  But, it was just for a moment.