A Short Film on Superheros

A friend of mine had a super-hero themed birthday party on Saturday (and no, it wasn't a kid's birthday party). We were all supposed to come dressed up, but I was out all day and didn't have time to put together a makeshift costume. To really capitalize on the theme, we made a short, silent film which was really fun. Everyone whipped out their creative talent.

Plot:  Villains try to take over Shanghai by bombing it with balloons, but never fear Timonator, the Incredibles, Wandawoman, and Sneezetastic are here to save the day.

The original has Superman's theme overlaid but was muted by Youtube so hum it to yourselves if you need the full effect:

Recently Watched: Virgin Suicides, Morning Glory, & Eat Pray Love

One of my favorite things about cooking is watching movies and TV shows while cooking because just watching movies and TV shows by yourself and not doing anything creative seems like a waste most days...also when do I otherwise have two hours to devote just to movie watching? There are Bible studies to be doing, books to edit, books to read, pictures to take, pictures to edit...you see my dilemma.

So I had a bunch of food prep to do this past week and recently a lot of files to move around on my new Mac and here's what I watched.

The Virgin Suicides: As the name suggests, this movie is about a string of suicides, which is a gruesome subject but this is a thoughtful, if underdeveloped movie about confinement, society, and the allure of the unknown. The five Lisbon girls grow up in a suburban neighborhood in Michigan during the 70s and while they go to school, they are mostly kept under lock and key by their strict Catholic parents. Their beauty and their seclusion make the already beautiful girls  more alluring, even more so after the youngest daughter inexplicably commits suicide. The film is narrated by a neighbor of the Lisbons who has since grown up but cannot shake the nostalgia or mystery surrounding the girls. He and his friends track down every piece of information they can find to try to figure out what lead to the family's demise and to put their own haunted memory of the girls to rest. While much is left unknown, the film does adroitly capture the time period (great soundtrack) and a feeling of angst, loneliness, and mystery that comes with both memories and tragedy. I'm very tempted to read the book...

Morning Glory: A nice, not too sappy, feel good movie with Rachel McAdams who I can't help but like. McAdams' character is a producer for an early morning TV program when she gets the boot due to budget cuts. Crushed because her dream is to be a TV producer, she hunts for a new job and eventually gets one at the failing morning program of a major network (think a step down from CBS's morning show). She's almost doomed to fail with no co-anchor for Diane Keaton's character, an extremely corny weatherman, and no budget. When she lands a begrudging Dan Rather-esque Harrison Ford, she has to figure out a way to win him over, boost ratings, and learn to do something other than watch the news at all hours. I really liked this movie. It had real heart and some gumption and best of all, humor. Sweet and as I said, hardly sappy at all. There was a little romance but I liked that the center of the story was about a woman who gets a crack at her dream...ok now I'm being sappy. In case anyone thought this was a new version of Up Close and Personal...never fear. The romantic bits are nothing to do with Harrison Ford.

Eat Pray Love: You've probably all seen this. Woman goes to find herself after a failed marriage and learns to let go and to forgive herself. Having never read the book (which I hear can be annoyingly self-centered), I didn't have much expectation about this movie. It was interesting. Not as funny as I thought it might be and definitely a bit self-centered, but an ok movie. I definitely disagreed with a lot of the mumbo jumbo advice she got from religious gurus 1, 2, and 3 but I could also understand the desire to get away and live, so if anyone wants to buy me a ticket to Italy, Bali, or India I might take you up on it. Will not be reading this book.

Julie, Julia & Clint

This weekend my mom and I went to the matinee and saw Julie & Julia. It's the first and one of the few movies I'll see in the theatre while I'm here (in the States). I love seeing movies in the theatre. Home entertainment systems will never compare.

From the trailers to the interviews, this movie looked like it was going to be great and, happily, it did not disapoint. Plus it was clean (one unexpected f-bomb) with no nudity just lots of amazing looking cuisine. Now would be the time to invent the smell-o-vision or perhaps the smell-o-screen, even better: the silver smell-o-screen. Anyway. Julie & Julia has a great message and, blissfully, the only cheese is on the food. Both the story of how Julia Child became America's best French chef and the story of how Julie Powell was inspired to cook and blog her way out of a rut are realistic and delightful. Plus who doesn't love Meryl Streep and Amy Adams?

The other movie we watched this weekend was Gran Torino (at home, of course). Clint Eastwood sure does know how to direct amazing biopics (is that the right word?) on America. He also knows how to make a thoroughly depressing tale and I have yet to be able to watch one of his films twice. Gran Torino, if you haven't heard, is the story of a growling (literally) elderly white man (played by Eastwood) who has contempt for everyone and everything, especially the influx of Hmong people who have moved into the neighborhood. One day, however, he rescues his teenage neighbor from being carted off by a gang and becomes a bit of a hero. As he gets to know the family next door, Eastwood's prejudices subside. The story is infinitely more redemptive than Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, but I hate gangs. I just hate them, and they feature prominently in the storyline. My heart definitely stopped beating at one point. This film was a reminder of the heartbreaking circumstances where so many live, often with little hope. Eastwood offers some here along with a good dose of honor. So...see Gran Torino, if you haven't already. It's one of his best.