So along with this I like film, as I mentioned, and I like to get the inside scoop on it occasionally.  So when I saw this documentary on PBS called “These Amazing Shadows” I had to check it out.  Problem was it was on late and I couldn’t finish it.  Luckily there’s now such a thing as streaming Netflix and they, YES!, had it available.  For anyone who loves film this is a great little documentary about the National Registry of Film connected with the Library of Congress, how it came about, what it is, how they pick the films, etc.  Got me interested enough to go to the website of the Library of Congress and check out the list.  It’s pretty good, and not at all what you would think.  Well, partially what you would think, but not completely.  There are some very cool entries on the list.  Documentaries, home movies, shorts, newsreels, etc.  As well as films that are famous and you would know.  Very cool.

So if you love film and have a bit of time this one is worth viewing.

Can’t wait to see this…

Black Swan…  Natalie Portman did do a fantastic job.  The whole film relies on her acting.  You have to be drawn in, wondering what is real, what isn’t, believing like she does that what’s happening is real.  Shocked to learn it isn’t, then still not sure, wondering.  It’s uncomfortable, disturbing, and at times horrific.  Three of us saw it together and were all covering up our eyes during certain scenes, peeking through our hands and fingers as grotesque and hard to watch things were happening on the screen.  I can’t decide if I liked this movie.  As I said, Natalie Portman’s performance was magnetic, compelling, and very very good.  I can see why she won.  It’s just that I don’t know if I liked the movie as a whole.  I’ve heard from others they thought it was depressing.  I didn’t get that.  Not depressing.  To me it was, I guess I’ll say it again, disturbing.  One of those films I’m glad I saw, but would never want to watch again.

Dragonfish…  A restaurant downtown we’d wanted to try for quite some time.  In between films we met up with the POD, as we call ourselves, to enjoy a nice late lunch.  The day’s plan was that whoever wanted to join for the first movie would join, we would then all go to lunch with whoever wanted to show up for lunch, and then whoever wanted to go to the second movie would go to that.  A sort of choose your participation day.  So, Dragonfish…  first, the service was terrible.  We couldn’t really figure out who our waiter was and whoever it was didn’t come over often.  S-L-O-W.  We weren’t too put out as we had tons of time, but still… it’s annoying.  Then the food… not terrible… just not great.  We had high expectations, had heard good things, but seriously… not stellar.  The company, fantastic as always, the food and the service… not so much.  We won’t be back.  None of us.

The King’s Speech…  Really really good.  It’s one of those films that’s both interesting and feel good.  Colin Firth was awesome in it, I don’t know how he got the stammer down the way he did, and the pain behind it.  Great acting.  And it was obvious to me why both the film and he won the Academy Awards.  It was also quite beautiful.  Loved the perspective in some of the scenes.  It was anything but slow and boring, as some people thought it might be.  Keeping our attention from beginning to end.  Just a fascinating film.  Who knew?

We said goodbye to the friends who’d seen the King’s Speech with us and then walked back up the couple blocks to the streetcar stop, just catching the train as we rounded the corner and ran up to it.  Nice timing.  It was a great day.  Any time you can spend several hours with people you love, respect, and enjoy it’s lovely.  Thanks guys for a wonderful day.

The Station Agent

Suddenly, Last Summer

I Confess

Playing By Heart

Immortal Beloved

The Ice Storm

City of Joy

Electric Dreams

Sliding Doors

High Art

Dune

Jackie Brown

The Children’s Hour

Dead Again

Shadow of a Doubt

Usual Suspects

Freeway

Death and the Maiden

The House of Spirits

A Love Song for Bobby Long

Traces of Red

Black Widow

Let the River Run     – Carly Simon – Working Girl

A nice little fable of a film. The song, at the end, sort of sums it up and lends itself to that feel good feeling.

Band of Brothers Requim – Band of Brothers

Beautiful piece of music and a fantastic mini series. If you haven’t seen it… do so. You may cry a lot, I did, but it’s amazing.

Have a Little Faith in Me – John Hiatt – Benny and Joon

I fell in love with this song after hearing it in this movie. A little fable of a film. This film just works.

Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon – Urge Overkill – Pulp Fiction

Tarantino knows how to use music in his films. This scene is just plain riveting. And the music in it is perfect for it.

Come What May – Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman – Moulan Rouge

I had no idea these two could sing, and sing so well. Besides which, this is a lovely lovely song.

Cell Block Tango – Various – Chicago

Fun fun. Listen to this a couple of times and you’ll find yourself singing along.

She’s Like The Wind – Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing

Patrick Swayze singing. Who doesn’t love that? Or love this movie for that matter. No one puts baby in a corner.

I Am Changing – Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls

Jennifer Hudson’s defining movie moment.

Long Ride Home – Patty Griffin – Elizabethtown

One of my favorite songs which was used really well in this movie.

Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova – Once

A fantastic little film with some awesome music. If you have never seen this, or heard the soundtrack, or listened to the Frames, check some or all of that out. The two from this movie now have their own band called The Swell Season.

Vianne Sets Up Shop – Chocolat

This music just simply makes me happy.

Cruisin’ – Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis – Duets

Who knew Gwyneth could sing this well. Wow.

You’re The One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton John – Grease

No list is really complete without this. If you are a person of my age, give or take 10 years either way, you know and at least secretly, if not down right openly, love this song and this scene.

Back Where You Belong – Sinead O’Conner – The Water Horse

Just a really gorgeous song.

You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate – The Full Monty

Who doesn’t love rough burly guys dancing… I ask you.

All I Want Is You – U2 – Reality Bites

This song sort of sums up this entire movie.

Stuck In The Middle With You – Steeler’s Wheel – Reservoir Dogs

Ear cutting off scene so beware…. Tarantino knows how to use music in his films.

Goodbye Horses – Q Lazzarus – The Silence of the Lambs

R Rated, for those who care. I’d advise not watching if you do.

In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel – Say Anything

Iconic image from film this one. I think this spawned thousands of incidents where guys stood outside girl’s homes and played music.

Lust for Life – Iggy Pop – Trainspotting

Ok… so the voice over is in french, but for the purposes of this post it’s the music that counts….

In The Deep – Bird York – Crash

A truly intense gritty movie. Loved it. And loved this song in it.

People Are Strange – Echo & The Bunnymen – Lost Boys

The song in the first part of this clip is Gerard McMann’s Cry Little Sister, also good… Love when People Are Strange is playing and scenes of regular people doing what they do.

Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies – Prelude To A Kiss

Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video clip from the movie with the song in it so I had to settle for the video. A lot of people haven’t even heard of this movie. I liked it. Also a little fable of a movie.

American Girl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Silence of the Lambs

The girl, before being kidnapped, drives along singing this song at the top of her lungs, no care in the world… and then… the second tune from this film. What can I say?

Like To Get To Know You Well – Howard Jones – Better Off Dead

This is the music video, not the clip from the movie… unfortunately.

Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack – Jackie Brown

A fantastic intro/opening credits to a movie. Love this and again love Tarantino’s use of music in a film.

2001: A Space Odyssey (68)

2010 (84)

A Boy and his Dog (75)

A Scanner Darkly (06)

Bicentennial Man (99)

Blade Runner (82)

Brave New World (80)

Capricorn One (77)

Cherry 2000 (87)

Damnation Alley (77)

Dark City (98)

Demolition Man (93)

Dreamscape (84)

Escape from New York (81)

Gattaca (97)

Handmaid’s Tale (90)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (78)

Jacob’s Ladder (90)

Liquid Sky (82)

Logan’s Run (76)

Mad Max Movies (79-85)

Matrix Trilogy (99-03)

Metropolis (27)

Minority Report (02)

Mission to Mars (00)

Omega Man (71)

On The Beach (59)

Planet of the Apes Films (68-73)

Quatermass and the Pit (68)

Scanners (81)

Red Planet (00)

Silent Running (72)

Soylent Green (73)

Stargate (94)

Tank Girl (95)

The Running Man (87)

The Day The Earth Stood Still (51)

The Island (05)

The Island of Dr. Moreau (77)

The Andromeda Strain (71)

The Time Machine (60)

They Live (88)

The Thing (82)

V for Vendetta (05)

Total Recall (90)

Videodrome (83)

The Warriors (79)

Waterworld (95)

Westworld (73)

Zardoz (74)

High Fidelity – Let’s Get It On – Jack Black doing his thing

Reality Bites – All I Want Is You – WARNING – There’s a brief speaking part that’s not in English (a person has to take what they can get with YouTube when movie rights, etc. are in effect).

Jackie Brown – Across 110th Street – Opening credits of the movie

Pulp Fiction – Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon – WARNING – drug overdose scene in this clip right near the end – I absolutely love Tarantino’s film making.

Once – Falling Slowly

Trainspotting – WARNING – Foul language alert

Kill Bill Vol. 2 – Goodnight Moon – Quentin Tarantino knows how to use music in his films

Moulin Rouge – Come What May – This is a great song, and I was totally surprised to learn these two could sing.

Chicago – Cell Block Tango

And, of course, a couple of additions because I never stop at 10…

Immortal Beloved – Ode To Joy (love the visualization of ode to joy… beautiful film making here)

Duets – Cruisin (cheesy, sort of, but who knew Gwyneth could sing… not I, until this)

Trainspotting, originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl.

This should look familiar to all you Trainspotting fans. A road runs through this. Very cool architecture all around Edinburgh.

As mentioned… The Spirt was bad.  And I mean… bad.  I know, it’s supposed to be stylized.  I get that.  To me, however, it had no style at all.  Run, don’t walk, from this movie.  Spend your time doing something more worthwhile… like mowing the lawn or going to the dentist.  Anything.  Anything would be better.  Really.

This strange, I really can’t stand it, oddity of a film won 4 oscars.  Maybe it’s that I just don’t get it.  Maybe it’s me.  Maybe not.  Either way… All That Jazz was terrible.  Hard to follow.  Choppy.  Uh… just plain… strange.  No other way to put it.  Sometimes I like strange.  Sometimes strange is good.  This was/is not one of those times.

Supernova .  Completely terrible and very disappointing.  One of those times you think… man, it has good people in it.  Actors I like.  But somehow even they look bad in this movie.  Really bad.  There’s nothing much more I can say about this other than… ew.

Event Horizon.   Sam Neill.  Laurence Fishburne.  Worse than terrible.  Not only was it bad it was, to me anyway… disturbing.  Which maybe it was supposed to be.  Whatever.  I’ve seen plenty of movies that were slightly disturbing, or even a lot disturbing, and they weren’t bad.  They were disturbing, but that was OK because it was part of the story or moved it along.  This… disturbing for no damn good reason.  Creepy in a I have to take a shower now kinda way.  Avoid this film.

Max Payne.  I don’t even really know what to say about this movie.  I was excited to watch it… and then we did.  All the best parts were shown on the previews.  Now, looking back on actually watching it, I can’t even remember the movie all that much.  I just know we were like… uh… that was not good.

Chapter 27.  I thought… wow, this could be interesting.  Sadly, I was mistaken.  Not only was it not interesting, it was painfully slow.  Slow and… really slow.  We looked at each other and were like, OK, we have to turn this thing off.  I fast forwarded and watched the last two thirds of this film at high speed, slowing slightly once in awhile to keep up with what was going on.  Which took like a minute or less each time.  This thing is unbelievably shamefully sorry.  The only interesting thing about it is that Jared Leto looked transformed… kudos to him.   However, his weight gain is the only heavy thing this movie carries.  There was no substance to it.  None.  Just creepy looks and… a whole lotta nothing.   Too harsh?  I don’t think so.

Righteous Kill.  Writing… bad.  Directing… not great.  Acting… OK.  Predictability… yes.  This film, on the surface, would seem to be a winner all around… good actors, good director, etc.  But, it’s not.  And in fact, it’s silly, predictable, over the top, and just plain uninteresting.  Another film we fast forwarded through because we couldn’t take it at normal speed.  I would’ve turned it off completely, but I had to see the end to make sure the bad guy was who I knew it was after watching the first 10 minutes.  It was.  Skip this.  Even DeNiro and Pacino can’t save this terrible excuse for a movie.

Margot At The Wedding.  I hate it when I like no one in a movie.  When there doesn’t seem to be one redeeming person.  For me, this film was like that.  I didn’t enjoy a single line of it.  After watching this movie, and again, we fast forwarded through much of the end of it, I felt ucky.  Annoyed.  Like someone had robbed me of a small amount of time in my life and I was perturbed about it.  In fact, I still feel perturbed just thinking about it.

In Bruges.  It could just be me, but this movie was awful.  Again, I liked no one.  The shots, all puns intended, at humor were not funny.  Though maybe it was just my sense of humor, which this film didn’t even touch, that made me want to throw a shoe at the screen.  I don’t know.  I couldn’t believe how bad this thing was for me.  I watched and then just wanted to say what was the point of that?  There are films where it’s OK to ask that fateful question at the end… then there are films like In Bruges.

Freedomland.  I thought… good actors.  Come to think of it maybe I should stop right there to say that possibly I shouldn’t always see a movie because of the actors involved, but a girl has to have some way, some criteria for picking films to watch, and that’s one of mine.  Sue me.  But I digress… back to the movie.  It lumbered.  It was like walking uphill in water.  Slow and painful.

The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford.  This movie is beautifully shot, I’ll give it that.  It’s gorgeous in fact.  However, that’s the only thing it has going for it.  Other than, alright, OK, the acting in it is also pretty good.  I just didn’t like it.  Talk about watching paint dry.  By about half way through I was like… this thing is beautiful, but c’mon already, shoot him.  Get it over with.  That, to me, is never a good sign.  One should never be thinking get it over with already while watching a movie.  Plus… could there be any longer or worse title for a movie than this?

I Heart Huckabees.  Huh?  Just plain not awesome.

Layer Cake.  To much.  Over the top.  Kinetic, not in a good way.  One of those films where you aren’t on the edge of your seat, you’ve fallen off.