DONNA'S MOVIE ROOM

Adam finds out he has cancer in his spine. Everyone around him seems to have more trouble than he does dealing with it.

Probably because my husband and I were in a terrible car accident recently and are still dealing with Doctors, therapy, possible surgeries, recovery etc., this story just really hit me emotionally.

Based on the story of the writer and producer Will, we follow Adam from when he first finds out up until major surgery. The acting is superb, the story had me from the beginning and there’s a good flow of comedy with real life sadness and frustration.

The way the Dr first tells Adam he has Cancer was so realistic. All the Doctors we have dealt with lately have been exactly the same. Brushing over things that sound pretty serious, using words we don’t understand, and just dealing with us like we aren’t even human beings. True and awful.

Loved how this film showed Adam’s friends and family dealing with his Cancer in such a realistic way. Joking, distant, and not knowing what to say or do around him. Deep down they all love and care for him of course. Excellent film.

Directed by Jonathan Levine

Written by Will Reiser

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston, Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer

I had read about this one during the horror festivals and wanted to see it as soon as it was available. Probably shouldn’t have watched it yet, not being able to fully focus on movies since my head injury…while I did stray and daydream plenty, the film wasn’t too complicated to follow along, so didn’t seem to matter.

A couple loses their daughter when she is mauled by a dog. A year later while living in Wake Wood they discover it’s a town of Pagans who can bring back their dead for 3 days only. They need a freshly dead body to ‘re-birth’ the dead you want to bring back and they have to have been buried less than a year.

This part reminded me of ‘Pet Sematary’ of course, burying your dead in a sacred place to bring them back and of course there will be problems. This was a small movie filmed in Ireland and had a more realistic feel to it than the slight camp of Pet Sematary. Also great actors and a few other original surprises making this one a good film to seek out.

My only small complaint would be that sometimes their daughter was the size of a toddler and other times the size of a 10 year old, continuity people!!

Directed by David Keating

Starring Timothy Spall, Aiden Gillen, and Eva Birthistle

*UPDATE* If only I had seen the article that described this as ‘mumblecore’ before watching it, I would have known I’d hate it & AVOID!!

I can’t believe this girl wrote this about herself. I mean, I don’t know her personally to know for sure that this is about her real self, but really? If not true, why write yourself as such an unlikeable character?

Aura is home from college and moves back in with her sister and artist mother. None of her friends seem that interested in her and either does her own family. She mopes around everywhere, at her job and at home. She seems clueless with guys, and for some reason lets some loser guy freeload off of her and her family. Her best friend from college thinks they will be roommates in NYC until Aura blows her off last minute and with no explanation.

I watched this because I thought it had good reviews from the festivals, but I seriously can’t imagine who would enjoy this movie. So full of horrible and unlikable people!

Written and Directed (and Starring) Lena Dunham

Ok, I am not really a Woody Allen fan. I only like his films he doesn’t act in, like Purple Rose of Cairo, Sweet & Lowdown, and now Midnight in Paris!

I wasn’t interested when I first saw the trailers, plus it being a Woody Allen film, but as a free screening for SAG votes, why not check it out? SO glad that I did, I LOVED it!!

Owen Wilson is a struggling writer, working on scripts in Hollywood for the money when he would much rather write a novel. He loves every romantic thing about Paris, but sadly his fiance doesn’t share his love. She would rather live in Malibu in a mansion & that Owen just make money. Their relationship made me sad, I have known couples like this who get married anyway! I couldn’t imagine speaking to my husband the way she talks down to Owen, but I actually love AND like my hubby! 

So Owen walks the beautiful streets of Paris at night to get inspiration for his writing and ends up in the world he wishes he lived in the most, the roaring 20’s. He meets his biggest heroes, like Hemingway, Picasso, Cole Porter, etc. He spends a few nights with them (always after midnight) and learns not only about them but especially about himself.

I just adored this film! It was shot beautifully, it not only made me want to visit Paris now, it made me want to read up on & learn more about the characters he meets! The dreamer in me loved every single bit of this wonderful fantasy film.

Written & Directed by Woody Allen

Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody

I don’t even remember the original, so a remake of this one was fine for me. There are actually some horror remakes I actually prefer over the originals! Off of the top of my head, they are The Crazies, The Hills Have Eyes and The Dawn of the Dead. 

This film was I feel, fun and light enough for even my husband to enjoy, and he isn’t really a horror fan. Ya know, Vegas IS the perfect place for a Vampire to live! Everyone is up all night, working or playing, don’t know why we haven’t thought of this before! 

Starts off pretty quick, with students missing from school, and people missing from the neighborhood. Of course the one kid on to the Vampires is a little weird so no one believes him. When his friends finally believe him it’s too late. There’s no extra scenes with boring nonsense, it’s just Vampires, killing and fun from beginning to end, and that’s what makes this movie so great! There’s a Criss Angel type guy that supposedly really knows how to kill a Vampire that’s just a hilarious addition too.

Colin Farrell makes a great Vampire, cool and sexy like a Vampire should be.

Directed by Craig Gillespie

Starring Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Toni Collette

I was interested in this because yes, I am interested in the story of Elizabeth Bathory. Like Dracula, her story (myth?) is about a person of royalty who has a taste for human blood. Other stories of Bathory have her actually bathing in tubs of blood from young virgins.

This story was more about how her love for a younger man and her broken heart over them being kept apart drove her mad. She starts to believe her lover prefers someone younger, and thinks stories of some gaining youth from human blood will save her. A bit different from other stories I’ve read of Bathory and her want of young blood, but like stories of Dracula, no one really knows the true story.

This was a very well done period piece, I found the love story interesting and the acting great. No more bloody than any other period piece with war and battle scenes, so I wouldn’t exactly call this a horror. I’d put it in the drama category but then someone renting it on Netflix might be appalled by the scenes of blood and how they get it.

Written and Directed by Julie Delpy

Starring Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Daniel Bruhl, Sebastian Blomberg

I hope the title of this film doesn’t deter people from seeing it. I admit when screenings first came up I didn’t know what it was, and only recognized Kim Wayans name. Then I read how well it was received at the festivals, winning at the Gotham Awards in NYC.

I still didn’t know what it was about when another screening came around, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. What a heartbreaking story! Alike or ‘Lee’ dresses like a boy and has a butch best friend who her mother can’t stand. Lee dresses more ladylike when around her family, but they have their suspicions. The film centers around Lee trying to figure herself out, and trying to do so without any support from her family.

I can’t describe well enough how special this film is. No one is a typical character that you’ve seen in other films. The writing and directing is so well done, it just feels so real. Anyone can relate to being misunderstood while family wants you to be something you’re not. I know I related to the mom trying to mold her daughter they way she wanted her to be, my mother was the same with me when I was a teen. Oh, and the acting is amazing!

Written and Directed by Dee Rees

Starring Kim Wayans, Adepero Oduye, Aasha Davis, Charles Parnell & Pernell Walker

Ok Netflix used to be pretty good with their recommendations for me, not so much lately.

A reporter who wants to move up at her magazine or whatever wants to do a story about hikers who go missing in some small town in Poland. She doesn’t tell anyone she’s going, not even her boss, who thinks she’s doing a local story at a farm where bees are dying. Convenient! I mean not telling anyone where she’s going, there’s nothing bee related. 

They get to Poland (or um, Canada) and of course everyone in said town gives the Americans stink eye and creep vibe. Oh well, why not keep lurking around a town where the people hate you and tell you to leave, what’s the worst that could happen??

There’s some lame fog f/x, some Exorcist ripoff stuff, and tons of nothing going on at all. You can’t have people walk in fog for 20 minutes with nothing happening!! Made me think the Director spent most of his budget elsewhere and ran out of money. Also, the ‘creepy’ people speak Polish and there’s no subtitles, makes me think they aren’t really speaking any real language and they just saved on dialogue. Terrible!

Written & Directed by Jon Knautz

Starring Aaron Ashmore, Cindy Sampson & Meghan Heffern