Catching Up On Christmas Movies

            As part of the effort to get me caught up on all of the movies I should have seen by now, a friend loaned me A Christmas Story and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Yes, that’s right. I hadn’t seen either movie. Both had been on my radar as movies I should watch. However, at least in the case of A Christmas Story, I was afraid the nostalgic love people have for it had inflated my expectations. So, I did what any reluctant moviegoer should do, I lowered my expectations. Still, A Christmas Story fell short. It was as I expected but only cornier and seemingly pointless. I kept wondering when it would end. Surely Ralphie has to get his BB gun or face the disappointment of a crushed dream, but were the other plot lines necessary? I’m guessing that if I had seen this movie as a child I would have enjoyed the silly moments and quirky quotes and would cherish them still to this day. On the other hand, I now have a greater understanding of the leg lamp. It is something I didn’t realize was from A Christmas Story until just last year. I always thought it was just a really tacky piece of American kitsch with origins unknown. I kept watching the movie just for the sake of saying I have seen it, but I wanted to shut it off and make better use of my time. That’s not to say that I’m not a fan of old, classic movies. I am a big fan of the timeless telling of great stories.

            Cue National Lampoons to save the night. I watched this movie after finishing A Christmas Story. I hadn’t planned to do so, but I needed something to rinse the befuddlement of a deficient cinematic experience off of me. This movie was humorous and more relatable. There were many characters on the rolls and they all added a different eccentric quality to the movie. At times, I felt the joke went on for too long, but then again I often feel that way about slapstick comedies of this sort. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation did just what I needed it to do; it ended the night on a more entertaining note and restored my faith in Christmas movies (which I have still not seen many of).

Food Review: Zoup

            There are all kinds of semi-fast food restaurants catering to any culinary preference. There are sandwich shops, oriental fare, Mexican grills, and more. A new option to me is the Zoup, which offers a many varieties of soup and some sandwiches and salad. Zoup is attempting to trend set with its café/bistro style and it has added one more contemporary element, soup tastings. That’s right you can sample any of the restaurant’s 12 soups on the menu for that particular day. The soups are on a rotation, so what you sample today may not be there tomorrow. The soup sampling reminds me of a frozen yogurt shop. You get a small condiment container of soup and a spoon and you can try as many as you want, which may be a great annoyance to the lunch crowd. The soup options are varied and offer something for everyone. Their fall options included pumpkin pie bisque and ginger butternut squash bisque. There are vegetarian friendly soups and sandwich options, and salads to boot. I was pleased with my choices at this restaurant, and I would recommend it for an on the go meal or a quick bite. The half sandwich and side of soup was plenty of food for a meal, especially since it came with a piece of bread.

Exciting DWTS Finals

           The excitement is building for the results of the Dancing With the Stars all-star season. I voted and now I’m just waiting to see who wins the blinged out mirror ball trophy. The ladies gave it their all in this last week of competition. They brought back their favorite dance from the prior weeks and then performed a super sized freestyle with no rules whatsoever.

I’m putting my support behind Shawn Johnson. In the past few weeks she has revealed just how much this competition means to her. She joined the cast on the heels of a failed Olympic comeback; this is her chance at redemption of sorts. For their first dance she and Derek performed their quickstep. Similar to the first time, this routine was high flying with many tricks and it proved to be very entertaining. However, the judges were not pleased. Shawn and Derek were criticized the first time around for breaking the rules and they were dinged again with the same criticism this week. Before the judge’s scores, Shawn and Derek said they chose this routine because it was their most fun routine and they have devoted this season to the fans and giving them what they want. She earned a score of 27. Their second dance was exciting, but I was expecting a little more from the two who have been pushing boundaries all season long. They were joined by the Fierce Five, which was a great way for Shawn to wrap up the season, with her partner and her gymnastics team. The duo earned a perfect 30 for this dance, which left them with 57 out of 60 points for the night. I feel like Shawn deserves to win the competition because she has been competing against herself the whole season, consistently trying to outdo the previous week. Instead of just learning the dances she tried to bring as much as she could to the ballroom floor.

Melissa Rycroft ended with the highest score of the night, a perfect 60 out of 60. Melissa performed her fun samba for the first dance. The most notable difference between this performance and their first is Melissa’s confidence. She has grown more comfortable with herself as a dancer during this show. I was pleased and impressed with Melissa’s freestyle. I would have expected her to do an upbeat, peppy, cheerleader-ish dance for her freestyle. That has been her comfort zone and she stayed there throughout this season. Instead she performed a contemporary dance, which she had not yet done. Melissa rolled off Tony with ease as the two transitioned from one move to another; she climbed on him and he lifted her like she was weightless. They made it look so natural and sensual. The judges loved it. Actually, Len was speechless and when he gave his score he said he wished he had an 11. Bruno said the dance showcased her best dance qualities.

Kelly and Val outperformed my expectations. The duo scored 59 out of 60 for the night. Their first routine was the paso doble, which I felt was not as powerful as it could have and should have been since we are so far into the show. There was a slip up with her hand grasping Val’s and I could see what appeared to be some uncertainty on her face throughout. However, the judges liked the performance. They noticed the slip up, but thought she recovered well and performed strongly. Kelly’s freestyle was a tribute to Dirty Dancing. She and Val danced to “Time of My Life” with the troop dancers. They began the routine with Kelly doing acrobatics suspended in the air by fabric and Val played the violin. The routine ended with the troop dancers surrounding the pair just as in the movie. I thought this was a fun final dance for the two and as the judges noted it was the perfect ending for their relationship, which has played out over the course of the show’s ten weeks. Bruno said Patrick [Swayze] was looking down from heaven.

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn 2

    The Twilight era is over, and it went out with a bigger bang than I anticipated. I wasn't very excited to see this final movie of the epic series. I was not a fan of the first installment of Breaking Dawn and I honestly was not sure how well the second half would translate to the big screen. I was pleasantly surprised to find this adaptation veered away from the book just enough to give the movie an interesting twist (with an audible gasp from theater goers) and a lot of action. I was amply entertained throughout, unlike with other Twilight movies.
    So, what does this mean for fan boys and girls? The last installment of Twilight has hit the theaters and most if not all Twi-Hards have seen it already. I guess they'll just have to wait for the next thrilling supernatural book series to take the world by storm. There's Hunger Games with at least two more movies to go, but that series appeals to a slightly different audience. However, those who subscribed to the fight over Team Edward and Team Jacob will at least have Team Peeta or Team Gale. I'm sure the Twilight series will continue to be loved and adored by fans and will earn a place in cinematic history, if not just as a kitschy cult classic series. ABC Family will glom onto the movies and air them ad nauseam just as they did with the Harry Potter movies, however I believe the Harry Potter movies hold a more dear place in the hearts of many.

Movie Review: Lincoln

Lincoln

Directed by Steven Speielberg

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field

Rating: B+

            I was hoping I would like this movie more than I did. I liked it enough, but I feel like it did not live up to the hype. Steven Spielberg did a nice job of handing what could be a complicated, boring historical topic. The story moved along and it was interesting despite already knowing the outcome of the 13^th Amendment, the Civil War, and Lincoln’s assassination. Daniel Day Lewis delivered a quiet but powerful portrayal of Lincoln, which I can appreciate. Still, for me the movie fell short. There is a tendency in Hollywood and for reviewers to treat anything directed by Spielberg as gold and anything Daniel Day Lewis acts in as worthy of an Oscar statuette. Adding the name Tommy Lee Jones to the casting roster (an interesting and perhaps poor casting decision) is supposed to make a movie even more epic. Plus, because the movie takes place during such a historically significant period of U.S. history and the topic is an amendment that drastically changed life for so many people in the country critics laud it more than other movies. It is as if any movie on a prominent historical figure is worthy of praise. The movie was good, just not as good as I thought it was going to be.

Dancing With the Stars: Week 9

            It’s all about the girls now on Dancing With the Stars. We’re moving into finals week and the three who made it in are Shawn Johnson, Melissa Rycroft, and Kelly Monaco. Shawn has been a weekly favorite of mine, so I am happy she will get to continue her quest for the super blinged out mirror ball trophy. She consistently brings her drive for excellence to the competition. Over the past couple weeks I have been more impressed with Melissa, as it seems she is taking more risks and dancing out of her comfort zone. As for Kelly, thank goodness for her she has the soap opera fans. Her determination and dedication to the show has grown throughout the show; her dance skills have also improved, but she still lags behind the others and I believe she relies on her charisma with her partner and her charm to keep her on the show.

Anticipating the Release

      The holiday season means there are plenty of Oscar buzz worthy movies opening in theaters.  I am excited about many of them and I have made it my goal to see all of them, and adding to the excitement is a new review about one such movie.

Review: 'Silver Linings Playbook' will give audiences a lift

    Silver Linings Playbook looks to be a promising dramedy about a serious subject, mental illness. Trailers for the movie hint at great acting by Jennifer Lawrence. It is now out on limited release, and one of the first reviews I've seen, from CNN, highlights the movie's other great attributes and has makes me even more pleased that this film will soon be coming to a box office near me.

Music Review: Buffalo Killers

Buffalo Killers Show

with openers Hollis Brown

Venue: Radio Radio, Indianapolis

            I may have a new favorite band to muse over, but it is not the Buffalo Killers. I saw their show at Radio Radio on Thursday night and I was impressed with the opening act Hollis Brown. The band had a strong southern rock feel with hints of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Dylan. They were smooth and edgy and as the opening act played on I wondered what was still in store for me. Since I enjoyed Hollis Brown so much would I enjoy the Buffalo Killers even more? The answer is no. Individual songs performed by the Buffalo Killers were fine, but not at all what I was expecting. The set lacked a cohesiveness and it was hard to get a feeling for what I was listening to. The music got progressively better with the last song played actually sounding like something I would enjoy listening to on a regular basis. I did not hate the show, nor did I think it was a waste of my time. I was expecting more from the Buffalo Killers, especially after being set up so great by Hollis Brown.

Movie Review: The Pianist

The Pianist

Directed by Roman Polanski

Starring Adrien Brody

Rating: A

            It was no secret, but I didn’t know The Pianist was about a Jewish musician struggling to survive the holocaust in Poland. I’m not sure what I thought the movie would be about, I just knew of its accolades and that I had to see it, eventually. It only took me ten years, however, it was worth the wait. I have an affinity for holocaust movies and any film dealing with World War II, but this movie was beyond nearly everything I have seen before. The direction of the movie was deeply touching as I was made to feel and understand the desperation of those living on the run. The acting was moving and so well done that I felt pain for the actors. It has been a long time since I’ve seen Schindler’s List, but I imagine that is the only other holocaust movie of this caliber.I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Pianist and found myself rooting the main character on and wanting to warn him of imminent danger. His piano playing as depicted in the movie was so beautiful and moving, and thank goodness others in occupied Poland thought so as well.

Dancing With the Stars: Week 8

            The results of this week’s elimination left me a little saddened. I’m not surprised Kirstie Alley and Gilles Marini were the victims of the double elimination, but for much of the season Gilles was one of my favorite dancers. However, as the weeks went on the other stars started bringing more power and while he too was improving and taking risks, he just didn’t reap the benefits.

            This week the scores were big. There was a lot of making up to do. Last week there was no elimination due to the election, so those scores were carried over to this week and on Monday night scores for two more dances were added in. Melissa Rycroft and Tony ended up at the top of the leader board with a near perfect 99 points. Melissa is a good dancer but her selections often frustrate me because it doesn’t appear that she steps out of her comfort zone much. Sure, she takes risks and attempts high-flying fun, but they’re always in her bubble gum, fast jive sort of style. She began the night with a quickstep, which was technically great but left me wanting more. I got more later in the night when the duos added a second professional dancer for the trio competition. Melissa, Tony, and Henry danced a paso double that was strong, confident and it was something we don’t often see from Melissa.

            I am a little surprised with a change on the leader board in the recent few weeks. Kelly Monaco resurrected from the near bottom scores she was getting in the first few weeks and she is now usually in the middle or near the top. Her attitude has changed as well. She used to seem complaisant and distracted, but now she is determined and motivated.          

Movie Review: Flight

Flight

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Starring Denzel Washington and Nadine Velazquez

Rating: B-

            This movie wasn’t as action packed as I thought it would be, but that’s not to say that I didn’t like it. I did a little research before heading to the theater and from the pre-release reviews I believed the movie would have a lot more flight scenes with Denzel Washington at the controls drunk. Washington was drunk and high a lot during the movie, but the plot line follows the fall out from a deadly plane crash that Washington maneuvered. His expert piloting was never called into question as it was reported on many times that no other pilot could have landed such a disaster of a plane with such little loss of life. However, the theme of the movie is the pilot’s alcoholism and the denial of his problem as he spun further and further out of control. The film was on the long side, but you wouldn’t know it after sitting in the theater seat the whole time. The story is engaging from the first minute to the last. The acting is strong as Washington’s character teeters between drunk and sober and manic and depressed.

Movie Review: Take This Waltz

Take This Waltz

Directed by Sarah Polley

Starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman

Rating: C+

            I had high hopes for this movie, but not everything in life turns out as we wish. I had trouble from the beginning believing in the attraction between Margot and the neighbor. There didn’t seem to be much chemistry between the two or any sort of personality bond. So, I was shaking my head during their few encounters wondering why she was so drawn to him. Margot had an odd hair-trigger personality in which she was fine and seemingly happy one moment and then crying the next. I didn’t understand her frustration with her husband because on the surface their relationship was strong and loving aside from the two being somewhat out of synch in terms of getting romantic. Margot was always looking for more, always looking to fill the gap. In the end, she was symbolically baking muffins again. It was a near repeat of the very first scene in the movie. Only this time she’s with another guy, but feeling the same. She thought exploring a relationship with the neighbor would fix the restlessness in her life, but after a while she ended up feeling alone again. At the end I understood more why she was so agitated with her husband. It’s like the story Margot first told to the neighbor about her niece crying and Margot searching for a reason. Margot wanted him to ask her what was wrong or if everything was okay and he never did.

            Aside from those plot points, there were some things I definitely did not like and thought were completely unnecessary in the movie. There was too much needless nudity. I don’t mind nudity and I feel it can sometimes further the story, however there is at least one example of a scene in this movie where the opposite happened. The director repeatedly showed naked women around a locker room shower and it had nothing to do with the story. There were also unnecessary sex scenes showing three-somes and such. It was important to show the viewer how happy Margot’s sex life had become, but I do not feel I needed to know how experimental she had gotten and the positions they tried.