Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I'm not sure why this film makes me laugh so much. I should be terrified, appalled by everything in this film, and yet I sit and laugh and am happy at the end. This original playwright, for those of you who have never heard of this movie, is about a barber, who lives on the second floor, who murders people and sends their bodies to the basement, where the lady who owns the pie shop below  Mr. Sweeney Todd's barber shop bakes the humans into meat pies. It all happens, one because Todd, who is actually Benjamin Barker, needs to murder someone because he needs to get his rage out because he missed his chance at murdering the man who stole his wife and child and exiled him from the country. Two, meat is very expensive and Mrs. Lovett, the owner of the meat pie shop, needs to make business. She remembers Mr. Barker and is in love with him, so they concoct this idea and make a fortune murdering people and selling the bodies to the towns people deprived of good cheap meat. I don't know if it is simply the fact that Johnny Depp and Helena Carter, who play the barber and meat pie maker, can hold the most serious and unphased facial expressions, or if it just because the whole concept is just so barbaric and ridiculously pouring out with the fakest red blood ever. It is a musical, which adds to the humor, because there are certain lines which are so depression and sad, that it is funny. The costuming and overall seriousness of the film is hysterical. Murder shouldn't be funny, it isn't, and it is terrifying to hear that this kind of thing may have even happened in some way, but making a musical, which usually embodies happy stories, about murder is so ironic that it makes the topic funny. I don't know if I would laugh quite as much if I would have seen this as the play first, but I think that Depp and Carter do add a lot of the humor to the film, but I think that the musical aspect intertwined with the gory mess of murder creates this weirdly funny movie. Or it could be that my friend Kristie and I are just really weird, and have found our dark side in this movie.

Lost in Austen

Jane Austen would roll over in her grave if she saw this movie. I decided to pick a movie suggested to me by netflix...it was interesting. Set in British, Amanda only wants to live the life of Elizabeth Bennett. She gets to do so when one day Miss Bennett comes through a door in Amanda's house. So Amanda goes to Elizabeth's world, while Elizabeth stays in Amanda's. Amanda makes a complete mess of everything that is suppose to happen in Pride and Prejudice. It was a typical "modern person messes up the past" kind of movie, and has to figure out how to get it back in order. And yet I have no idea if I liked it. It was like watching a very cheap version, with very ugly people, of the eloquent and lovely world I've always loved. I had to promptly put in Keira Knightly's 'Pride and Prejudice' to recover from this horrible film. This movie had a great title with terrible results.

Narnia, Mona Lisa Smile, and My Sister's Keeper

Narnia, what a fantastic series! I read these books a long time ago, and now want to reread them all. I think the first movie was made fantastically well, and I've see the second one, but only once in the theater, so I plan to rent it soon. I remember it being good, but that it wasn't completely with the books, which I've heard is true about the other Narnia movies. But the more I read and watch, and study film through my class, the more I learn that the original material for movies comes from books more often than not. So we get mad that a movie changes the material from a popular book, but forget about the little books that didn't make it, but then became something because a movie was made about it. I've learned that I can no longer judge a movie to its book. It will always be different. It is absolutely impossible to create a film completely based off a book unless they want a 8-12 hour long film. Now even though I would enjoy watching that long of a film, I'm thinking sales might go down in the theater. I credit the writers and directors who do their best to follow the books, and honor the authors for creating the original material, but I also know they have to do something to create shorter films while making sense of the material for the audience. It is only when a film follows everything to a T, but then changes the ending that I get a bit upset (My Sister's Keeper). But even with that, I've learned about creative privileges. Time and time again we recreate art. Sometimes the original is better, and sometimes the new is more well liked. Generations determines this, professionals, class, gender, etc. all determine which should be better. We get upset when the new version comes out, but fail to realize that we can never create something original in art again. I was told this once in a English course, that nothing will ever be original again, it has all been done before. Think about it, every story, movie, musical lyric, everything has technically already been created, we just rearrange the original to make something new. It is sad in a way, but then it also gives us that wonderful thing, creative privilege. In 'Mona Lisa Smile' Julia Robert's character pays notice to this pondering thought. "What is art, and who decides?" Her character challenges her students to see view to new ways in life and in art, but in the end are we to conform or be ourselves? So the film maker of, 'My Sister's Keeper', decided to change the ending from the book. I thought it was rude, and inconsiderate, but he took his right to creative privilege and created the ending we all expected in the end, the one we thought would happen in the book, the less shocking and complex for all viewers. Was he right? Was his ending better? Did he create a more realistic film compared to the romantic ending in the book? Look at a film separate from its book, it really can create a whole new meaning, a two sided view on the same topic, and an equally entertaining and enlightening experience.

Update

So I am completely wired form work right now and can't fall asleep so I figured I would knock out part of an update for everyone. I'm sure I'll only get part way through the full update because I know this wind will end soon and I'll want to just pass out, so here we go.

I'm about to hit midterm, and like always I can't believe how fast it has gone by. School is going very well, all my classes I can't really complain. I think the only aspect I am having trouble with is my clinical teacher. It has been interesting to work with her, to say the least. She speaks in this formal condescending tone, and most of the time I feel like I am five years old. She speaks to everyone this way, so at least I know it isn't just me, but so many times I have wanted to talk back to her in the same tone. I have talked to my supervisor about everything, so it is all under control, but it is going to be a long rest of the school year, so please pray for some Tuesday snow days for me.

I play for my first evening chapel service on October 28, so if you want to hear me just go to MLC's website and you can watch it live. (Remember for most of you there is a hour difference, chapel is at 7 p.m.) I will be playing the piano, not organ, but I am actually doing really good in organ, so good that my teacher is now giving me harder pieces, so it is frustrating again, but at least I know I don't suck completely.

Since it is midterm that means tons of exams and projects. I've already had a few and I've survived so far. But midterm also means I get midterm break. Usually I would be coming home, but I decided to take on a few more shifts at work and save money by not coming home. I really wish I would have thought this decision through because home sounds really good right now, but my friend Heather and I are going to visit the cities and have a day of shopping and fun. So I will see everyone over Thanksgiving.

I had an interesting Birthday, it was the first real taste of what it is going to be like when I go off teaching and won't have anyone around to celebrate with. The second round of student teachers left either the day of or before my Birthday. So there are only now a tiny few of us left. So I worked the day of my birthday, but many of the regulars bought me drinks afterwards. The coolest part was getting to skype with mom, dad and Jennie, while having Melissa and Phillip on cell speaker phone. As mom said, "When I was young if I would have been told this is how I was going to communicate with my children, I would have never believed them."

I've got about 20 movies to catch up on writing about over break so look forward to those, I've got some real goodies coming your way.

I've hit the wall of sleep now so another update is on it's way!

Memento

I've been stumped, I know it is surprising, but yes this movie caught me off guard and I didn't see the ending coming. Now I blame it on my cold, it fogged my brain and caused me not to be able to thoroughly contemplate the ending. This was a movie I had to watch for my course and I was told not to read anything about it, or watch the trailer before viewing the film. Though it left me completely unaware of what was going on at first, I liked not knowing what was going to happen. Even though I love figuring out the ending before it happens, I don't like being told the ending before it happens. So don't look anything up, don't watch the trailer, just watch this movie, and you will be left in a daze of stupidity that make you want to hit yourself because you didn't figure out the ending before it happened. Enjoy feeling dumb!

Bridesmaids

Oh the one liners that come from this movie that will make me laugh for years to come. When I saw this in the theater I don't think I have ever laughed harder. Then last week I received a wonderful gift from my darling sister, 'Bridesmaids' on DVD! A complete surprise since I didn't realize it was coming out so soon. I have now watch it five times, and have compiled this list of quotes that crack me up.

You are more beautiful then Cinderella! You smell like pine needles, and have a face like sunshine!

I wouldn't want to make you explain what our relationship is to all those people. That would suck for you.

Do you want to tell a cop about it? We're just like priests except we would tell everybody afterwards.

If I wasn't a cop anymore, I would still go out with a gun and shoot people.

This is the first time I've seen you look ugly, and that makes me happy!

Annie: You read my diary?
Brynn: At first I did not know it was your diary, I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.

Why can't you be happy for me and then go home and talk about me behind my back like a normal person?

I want to apologize. I'm not even confident on which end that came out of.

I'm life Annie and I'm biting you in the a**!

Don't look at me!!! It's pouring out of me like hot lava!!!

Though it is a tad raunchy, and definitely not meant for children's eye, it is funny, it shows girls can be funny, it shows girls are crazy, but that we are wonderful, and that even though the title, content and everything about the film is girly, it does not use girly language or humor. See it, enjoy a laugh, and be thankful or hope that your wedding, shower, bachlorette party, and bridesmaids are never like this.

(I am also having a hard time viewing Gilmore Girls in the same way)

Bewitched

Finding current famous actors in older movies is only one of my favorite triva games to do during my movie watching. While watching 'Bewitched' I located Kate Walsh, better known as Dr. Adison Montgomery from 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Private Practice'. She plays a waitress, that's all, plan and simple, a one line part. I love finding this, recognizing the store clerks, or mailman, I enjoy knowing these famous actors first minor roles that led them to the parts they currently have. If Kate Walsh hadn't played the waitress in 'Bewitched' maybe she would have never become famous on abc. I decided to show the line of connection Kate Walsh waitress to famous Kate Walsh Doctor Addison Montgomery. She acted with Will Farrell in 'Bewitch' who played opposite of Vince Vaughn in 'Old School' who acted with Paul Giamatti in 'Fred Claus' who acted with Sandra Oh in 'Sideways' who acted with Kate Walsh in 'Under the Tuscan Sun' and then in 'Grey's Anatomy' and there we have it. So yes, I like playing little triva games with myself while watching movies, and of course I enjoy challenging family and friends to figure out voices and side actors in films as well.

As for the movie itself. Cute. Funny. And well connected to the TV show. I think Will Ferrell was probably the only actor who didn't completely fit their original actor (him as Darin), but he certainly did add a certain element of laughter. All in all it was fun to watch this old TV series in a new modern form.

Wall of Books

Some may wonder why I did not pick a background which represented movies for my blog. But for me this does. I have this list a dreams and wants, a sort of 'Bucket List' but it also includes other aspects as well. On this list is a room with a wall of books and movies. If you have ever seen the movie 'The Holiday' where Kate Winslet is shocked by the wall of movies in Cameron Diaz's house, that is what I want, this wall of entertainment. Never do I expect to have that many movie, she obviously had so many because she was in the movie trailer making business, but man I certainly can dream. Now combine that with 'Beauty and the Beast' and its incredible library, and that's what I would call one awesome room. So I would have this huge wall of movies and books, so of course I will need a few good Lay-Z-Boy recliners, a BIG comfy couch, and good window-seat like in the TV show 'The Torkelsons' and there would be complete serene relaxation. And as for decor, well I would take a note from Hollywood Video and cover the walls in music lyrics, movie, book and TV show quotes. What are the lyrics and quotes I would include??? Now that would give away some of my top movies now wouldn't it ;) So it looks like I will have to include my favorites quotes along the way as well. So when I tell you for my birthday and Christmas that a movie is a wonderful gift for me, just think of it as helping out in completing a dream of mine, creating my wall of entertainment, and not a cop-out/easy gift.

FernGully

I love Walmart for only three reasons. 1. Great Value Brand Medium White Salsa Con Queso Dip 2. Equate Brand Face Wash and 3. The Ginormous Container packed full of $5 movies which tempt me every time I pass and where I found my next movie. Ferngully.

This may not be a familiar movie to most, and maybe not even to my siblings or parents since we didn't own it, but let me tell you, this is the movie that most have inspired Avatar. That's right, the original blue people, expect in fairy form, saving the rain forest from the crazy humans and their pollution and machinery, with a little added in humor from Robin Williams, some Disney classic songs and everything in cartoon form.

When I was little, I use to watch this movie every time I went to my friend Missy's. Watching it now floods back memories from back then. For me it is a wonderful film, and though it probably doesn't match up to the animations created now, the content really presents 'Go Green' material we find promote so much now a days. If Avatar is a little to advanced in various ways for the younger kids, this would be a good alternative to consider to promote GREEN.