Movie Reviews | Peaches Prattlings

{December 20, 2014} Annie

Today, Papa, Lala, EJS, MGS and I went to see Annie and we all liked it!

The movie stars Jamie Fox as Will Stacks, the multi billionaire running for mayor who, after saving Annie, played by Quvenzhané Wallis, from getting hit by a car, invites her to stay with him because it will look good politically. Quvenzhané Wallis is a very cute and talented little girl.

There is a pretty good supporting cast, Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan, Rose Byrne as Grace, Mr Stacks assistant and unspoken love interest, both ways, just in case you didn’t know, but this is a Disney movie after all! Bobby Carnivale plays Guy, the weasely PR guy.

The movie opens in a classroom and there is a red headed girl giving a presentation to the class, who ends with a song and dance and guess what her name was… yup, you guessed it, Annie. It was a cute play on the story and then we meet the ‘real’ Annie.

The movie is definitely an updated version of the original that was released in 1982. There were some songs that were the same, well, were in the movie..’The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow’ and ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ were two of them, then they took some of the songs and updated them and then added a few.

As it is a musical, you know they launched into a song and dance number every chance they got and some were great, some weren’t and I must admit, the last song and dance number was kind of lame. Even though Quvenzhané was great and I love Jamie Fox, lame.

All in all, I thought it was a good movie, some very funny scenes and made me nostalgic to watch the original, which happened to be on TV tonight! It was fun for all ages, go and take the kids!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1823664/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{December 14, 2014} Holiday Movies

How much do you love holiday movies?

Do you start watching them around Thanksgiving? Sooner? All year long?

There is the Hallmark Channel, famous for their holiday movies, even Lifetime Movie Network, Netflix has them all year long and there are times, admittedly, even in the summer, I am feeling the need for some holiday cheer and will put on a holiday movie and feel a chill in the air and the proverbial holiday spirit, lifts my spirits right up!

Unfortunately, most of these movies are horrible and have a very similar theme…broken hearts, boy meeting girl, girl or boy already involved with someone but there is always someone better…someone gets hit on the head and ends up in an alternate universe and when they come back to their original self realizing what they really want and end up where they were supposed to be. Maybe it’s a Groundhog Day type of movie, repeating the same day over and over until they get it right.

My sister and I are addicted to these things, no matter how bad they are, written, acted or whatever the case may be, we still love them, she DVRs them and sometimes, watch them over and over and sometimes…once is enough and delete. We like to sneak in a holiday movie in here and there, EJS and GES will watch with us sometimes, but most of the time, GES and I sneak in some time and even stay up late watching them.

I’d write you a list, but I don’t think I have enough time or space!

Guess what we’re doing right now as I write to you?

{December 13, 2014} Teeny Tiny Waists…

I am watching White Christmas and realizing, not for the first time, that some actresses from the 40s, 50s, 60s, had TEENY TINY WAISTS!

The thing about it is they weren’t anorexic, they were just incredibly skinny, some actresses took drugs to stay thin, but for some, it was natural. Here are a few that have always struck me…

Besides, this is a great opportunity to share some of my favorite clips! Win-win!

Vera Ellen, for example, I’m not sure she had one! Check out this clip from White Christmas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meO3ims3GvU

Rosemary Clooney wasn’t much larger, look! [And I love this song!] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzUfmh3G9AE

Audrey Hepburn, Funny Face! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dcybKF8Pjo. If you know, you know I HEART Audrey Hepburn!

Judy Garland, but unfortunately, you know what Hollywood did to her, but I still love her to this day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0odXnKhKBxQ

Marilyn Monroe was stacked and to me, her tiny waist never seemed odd, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL7ETLLkQTY

Leslie Caron is another actress that I have always love with a teeny waist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0oNLU4PSxE

I love Virginia Mayo, but mostly because she is in movies with one of my all time favorite actors, Danny Kaye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbpBxkOt7HQ

There are more, but you get the idea.

{December 5, 2014} Steel Magnolias…Why do I keep watching this movie?

I do not really like this movie, but for some reason I keep watching it.

Any other movie that comes on that I don’t really care for, I don’t watch, I change the channel, for some reason, I am drawn to this movie like a moth to a flame!

It has an amazing cast: Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley McClaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, not to mention Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard and Dylan McDermott.

It is well acted, parts of it are entertaining, there are a lot of laughs, but there are also a lot of tears, it’s heart wrenching! The underlying theme is friendship. A circle of friends who have been there for each other through everything imaginable and don’t even realize just how much they will need each other.

I don’t know what it is, but I don’t care for the movie, but as I said, I keep watching and here I sit watching it while I talk to you. It is the same way for me and The Ya Ya Sisterhood, I keep watching.

HELP ME!

{December 2, 2014} Austenland

I love Jane Austen novels, just like every romantic girl in middle school or high school.

I love Pride and Prejudice for one, I read it cover to cover, more than once and I have seen and/or own at least three versions of the movie or tv mini-series. I have not watched many other movies related to Jane Austen, Becoming Jane being one of them.

On one of my recent flights, United had free movies, so I gave in and watched Austenland and this was an interesting choice…

The premise is that Keri Russell is a HUGE Pride and Prejudice fan, could be considered creepy and has been this way for a long time. Finally, one day, she cashes in her retirement to take a trip to Austenland, an estate run by Jane Seymour, and at the airport she meets an eccentric, yeah, that’s a nice word for it, fan, Jennifer Coolidge, so you know it’s going to be crazy!

Depending on the money you spend, you get a particular package, for example, Jennifer Coolidge’s character got the platinum package, which included a grand room in the main house, fabulous frocks and the priviledge of being wooed by one of the main characters in the main house, while someone like Keri Russell’s character, Jane, go figure, has a smaller room in the servants wing and forced to wear the clothes of a lower class character and the disdain from Jane Seymour’s character is apparent.

As time goes on, Jane becomes a discouraged little by little and begins to think she may have gone a little overboard with her obsession and now is disillusioned with the idea and…that’s all I am going to tell you.

It was a cute movie if you are into Pride and Prejudice or anything Jane Austen, just dont expect anything Oscar worthy.

I will leave you with this Jane Austen quote from Pride and Prejudice “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”

Enjoy!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1985019/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{November 23, 2014} Big Hero 6

Tonight, I had a movie date with two of my favorite movie buddies, EJS and MGS.

We went to see Big Hero 6, the description from imdb.com: The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

It had all the elements of a Disney movie, deceased parents, a hero who doesn’t seem it, who finds himself conflicted between right and wrong, a group of friends who want to help and eventually get through to the hero that s/he doesn’t have to go through anything alone, our loved ones are always with us in our hearts, you can do anything you set your mind to and good will conquer evil. That sounds about right.

At one pont, there was a sad part and EJS asked if there would be a happy ending, I said of course, it’s Disney, animated and a kids movie. There you go.

Boy genious [fourteen and graduated high school at 13], unassuming looking, he and brother are being raised by aunt, quirky friends, weird pet, big bag guy, surprise bad guy! special relationships, big fight scenes, big finish, follow up with happy ending. Sound good?

What is really important is…if you are a Marvel fan, you MUST do two things. Really look at the family portait and stay past the credit to the extra scene at the very end.

Bottom line, a good movie for kids and adults alike.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2245084/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{November 19, 2014} Willie Wonka…my issue with Grandpa Joe

I may have blogged about this before, but it’s my blog, so I’m going to do it again!

EJS is reading Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in school and she wanted to watch the movie because a bunch of her classmates have already seen it.

We started watching last night and watched up to Charlie finding the ticket. Tonight we started watching when Charlie asks Grandpa Joe to go with him.

Here is my issue with this scene and Grandpa Joe. Grandpa Joe has been bed ridden along with Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina for 20 years.

First of all, his legs should have atrophied after being in the bed that long and now all of a sudden, he can dance & do the two-step?

Second, he’s been in that bed for 20 years and Charlie’s mom is the one who works, takes care of the bills and the family and doesn’t want to take mom?

Where is the loyalty Charlie?

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/

{November 7, 2014} The Call

Tonight I watched the movie, The Call, with Halle Berry and wow!

I say rent it, download it, whatever, but if you are into suspense films, watch it! And if you’ve already seen, what did you think?

I might give a wee bit of a spoiler alert, but not much, and the movie came out last year, so you will just have to deal with it!

Halle Berry plays a 911 operator who is top of her game, a star, she even has a regular caller who gets thrown in jail for DUI all the time and uses his one phone call to call her, how sweet. One day she gets a call from a girl who gets kidnapped and it changes her life and leaves her broken, for lack of a better term.

Move forward six months and she is now a teacher, I think instructor or trainer is a better word, but that could be because I am one! Anyway, she is now a teacher to the newbies and a call comes in to a probationary operator, six months on the job, who is lost after a few minutes and Jordan, Halle Berry, takes over and she is thrown back into it and has to find the strength within to stay with the girl, played by Abigail Breslin, fabulous by the way! [Little Miss Sunshine is all grown up!]

She stays on the phone with Casey and does everything within her power to help her, keep her calm, keep her talking and hopefully keep her safe. There are some plot twists and turns, a few Oh My Gawds! a few Did that really just happen? Even an Oh Damn! here and there!

I can see how this would have made a great book and I have to tell you watching it in the living room and being able to talk during it definitely helped! Having to keep quiet in the movie theater would not have worked! TS and I are so glad we do not have long blond hair!

Does this movie have a happy ending? I don’t know “happy” is the right word. I would go with satisfied.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1911644/?ref_=nv_sr_2

{September 9, 2014} Grosse Point Blank

I LA LA LA LA LA LA LOVE this movie!!!

I know, I know, DCM says almost every movie is one of my favorite movies, but anyone who has seen this movie has to agree with me! How cold you go wrong with John Cusack.

Ok, I say that and I know there are movies that he has made that were awful, not everyone can make oscar winners, but even if they’re not oscar winners, some of them are great.

Do you know John Cusack’s film credits? He started early, I sometimes forget he was in Sixteen Candles, a small supporting role, but more famously in leading roles are Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, then Say Anything, just to name a few. His career goes on for at least 36 roles, some great, some not so great, but…I LOVE this movie!

This movie is about a hit man with a conflict of conscious. He goes to his ten year high school reunion to reconnect with his first love, while at the same time fulfill a contract. Who knew gun-play and murder could be so funny.

There are some great supporting characters, Dan Aykroyd as another professional hit man, Minnie Driver is his high school sweetheart, Alan Arkin is his reluctant therapist, Joan Cusack is his funnier than anything assistant, Ann Cusack has a very small role as a funny drunken classmate, Hank Azaria as another hit man/federal agent, Jenna Elfman is goofy and Jeremy Piven is a manic classmate.

Bottom line, if you haven’t seen this movie, see it. There you go!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119229/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{August 12, 2014} The Hundred Foot Journey

Tonight, KLS and I went to see The Hundred Foot Journey and it was wonderful.

Helen Mirren stars in this charming movie about a celebrated proprietress of a Michelin Star French restaurant in the French countryside and the Indian family who moves into the restaurant across the lane, One Hundred feet to be exact.

This is the story of passion, food, fire, love, respect, patience, expression, learning, understanding and acceptance. There are noses in the air, people thwarting each other at every turn, discovery, innovation, innovation, innovation, vanity, honesty, creativity among other adjectives that I could share with you.

Bottom line is this is a charming film that will make you go through a range of emotions, the best of which are peace, love and happiness.

To quote the great Julia Childs, “Bon Appetit!”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2980648/?ref_=nv_sr_1

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