Running With Quills: Movies, Movies, Movies...

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Movies, Movies, Movies...

Sorry everyone. I don’t have any resolutions except a few easy ones –

1. Drink more water instead of coffee(even if the coffee is decaf)

2. Write fewer books.

Yeah, I know, write fewer books?
Am I nuts?
Sort of.
But it’s writing books that’s making me nuts. I love it so much that I can’t seem to not think of plots, even when I’m trying to sleep.
Insomnia slows me down a lot, let me tell you.

In fact, about the only time that I’m not constantly plotting or thinking of dialogue and character traits is when I’m watching a movie.

I LOVE going to the movies.
So that’s what this blog is about. MOVIES.

Hubby and I like the cheapie theater. Not because we’re cheap, really (though we sorta are) but because we can take in a matinee and often be the only two people in there.
It rocks to sit in the theater with your feet up on the seat in front of you, munching popcorn and drinking cola (just about the only time I drink cola) and asking questions when I feel like it. See, I have some hearing loss in one ear so sometimes I miss something that’s said, and Allen will clue me in.

At the theater we frequent, matinee tickets are $5 and for $10 you get two large colas and a large popcorn, with free refills. Heaven!

Action flicks are my faves. I know I’ll forget a bunch of them, because we almost always go once a week at least, meaning I’ve seen a LOT of movies in 06.
I’m going to mention the ones I loved the most.

Because I saw it recently, Rocky Balboa gets mentioned first. I know, you’re thinking Rocky 3 and 4 and 5 – I’ve lost count. But think the first Rocky. This was one heck of a powerful, character-driven, human movie. I loved it.

The Departed. Again, such great characters who carried the plot from beginning to end. I was so engrossed!

Casino Royal. Wow. Craig is fabulous in this Bond role! He brought new life and sensuality and more believable action to the old familiar.

The Hills Have Eyes. I know. Pretty gruesome. But that’s what I loved! You honestly didn’t know what would happen from one moment to the next, and instead of relying on special effects, this was reminiscent of Devil’s Reject, with scary and believable characterization instead.

Slither, because it was hysterical. The Descent, because I jumped and even yelped once, it was so scary and effective.

And Happy Feet because I love a good cartoon that makes me want to dance!

What were some of your favorite movies in 06?
What do you look for in a movie? Do you like action? A tear-jerker? Drama?

There are so many good movies coming out in 07 – are there any you’re anticipating?

That’s it from me.

P.S. In case you’re curious, here’s an attempt at naming some of the other movies I saw in 06. There are a lot, so I just stuck them here at the end.
But if you saw any of them, and liked them, let me know!
Thing is, I'm betting most of you are into chic flicks or dramas, and I'm just... not.

V for Vendetta
Crank
The Departed
Lucky Number Slevin
Casino Royal
Snakes on a Plane (loved it!)
Mission Impossible III
Fearless
The Protector
Firewall
Final Destination 3
Freedomland
16 Blocks
The Fallen
Superman Returns
Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest
Little Man
Clerks 2
Miami Vice
Scoop
Zoom
Glory Road
Rocky Balboa
Invincible
The Black Dahlia
Open Season (cartoon)
Happy Feet (cartoon)
The Prestige
Déjà vu
Night at the Museum
Saw III
Texas Chainsaw, The Beginning
The Hills Have Eyes
The Descent
Underworld: Evolution
When A Stranger Calls
House of the Dead 2
Stay Alive
Slither
Silent Hill
An American Haunting
See No Evil
Pulse
The Covenant
Feast
The Grudge 2
The Return
Black Christmas

46 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Wow! Thats a lot of movies! Too bad only like a third of them made it to Australia.

P; 4:43 AM
Anonymous said...: My pick for best movie last year was LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. I thought it was great! I also saw MARIE ANTOINETTE and that one was good visually. And of course, who doesn't love Johnny Depp (PIRATES!).

I've promised my daughter we'll go to CHARLOTTE'S WEB. I can't even get through the book without bawling so I'm prepared to invest in lots of tissues!

Carolyn; 5:27 AM
Karibear said...: Wow. I haven't even heard of most of those. The last movie I saw - on TV - was Romeo Must Die. The last time I can remember going to a real theater was to see Porky's. Since then, they've all been video rentals, and mostly nothing current. I like anything with Patrick Swayze which makes it convenient, since DH is strictly into action stuff. But we also watched all of the Victory at Sea and Victory in Europe and whatever other Victory series there was. One of my favorites was an older non-fiction thing called The Atomic Cafe - but I'm the only one I know who really liked it. Was all about growing up in Atomic Age, and how it affected our generation.

I like action more than the others, probably because I once dated a budding actor and I got sooo tired of the way he picked everything apart. Motivation doesn't matter so much when there's a good guy bashing a bad guy. Or when Indiana Jones is escaping, or Tina Turner is singing 'We Don't Need Another Hero' or when one can just look at Mel Gibson.

Oh, and there's that thing about the giant worms. I can't think of the title, but for some reason it strikes me as excruciatingly funny [something in the water, maybe], and I have no idea how many times I've watched all 3 and the series spawned on the SciFi channel. But then, I thought Porky's and Water were funny, too.; 6:28 AM
ashefrog said...: Big action fan here too.

Saw quite a few on your list. I like more of the "old fashion" action pics with realistic stunts and less CGI stuff. Or atleast a equal blend.

Harrison Ford is reprising Indiana Jones and I am having alot of trouble with that one. Seems to be getting a little to old for the role. I love Harrison "Firewall" but I think it is time for a new Indiana Jones or let him play more of a mentoring role for some up and coming protege.

Daniel Craig was great in "Casino Royale". Glad to see they are trying to bring the franchise back to a more character driven plot but maintain the action level 007 is known for.

Not too impressed with the remakes of 70s/80s tv shows i.e., Miami Vice, Starsky & Hutch, Dukes of Hazard. The teens don't get half of what is going on. IMHO, they should stay history.

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR Quills!!!; 6:30 AM
Karibear said...: Naturally, as soon as I sent my post off, I remembered the name of the giant worm thing - Tremors.

Actually, I'm not much into movies any more. At the risk of sounding like my mother, they just don't make them like they used to. I prefer late night TV, appalling as it is. Jerry Springer is a hoot at 3 AM, but I couldn't handle it at 3 PM, for instance. And that's the only time some of the true oldies come on, like Six Gun Heroes.

One thing I really don't like is the current tendency to remake olcer movies. I didn't see it myself, but I can't imagine anyone coming close to Robert Michum in Cape Fear. As for the 007s, Sean Connery was the ultimate. Then there was a TV movie made about the Warsaw Ghetto, I think it was, and one of the actors was all hyped up about this 'unknown' story of WW II. Has the younger generation not heard of Leon Uris? He did so many fine books about the Jews in WW II, and the only one that was made into a movie was Exodus - probably fortunate, because the only good thing about it was the sound track!

Oops. One of my many soapboxes.; 7:50 AM
Lori Foster said...: Oh man, the movies didn't make it Australia!? That's so sad. I'd have to move. LOL

Carolyn, I can't see Charlotte's Web for the same reason. Any movie that I know will make me cry is off my list. It's adorable and wonderful, and I'd have swollen eyes for a month! LOL

Kari, anything with giant worms (sort of like SLITHER) makes me list! LOL. I love the old campy horror flicks.
We watched all the Tremor movies and enjoyed them. You know, as to not making them like they used to, you should try DEVIL'S REJECTS, or THE HILLS HAVE EYES. No special effects, just lots of "ack!" factor from the actors. LOL. Really good, creepy, believable acting.

Ashefrog, I soooo agree. Starsky and Hutch was mildly humorous, but Dukes was just plain butt stupid. What a waste of time! Luckily, it was just a rental that the kids had around. And Miami Vice... I was soooo disappointed! Colin did NOT live up to his acting abilities. The plot and acting was tired and melodramatic and boring. Blah!; 8:06 AM
CathyA said...: I think The Illusionist was my favorite movie of '06. If you haven't seen it, definitely worth seeing on DVD when it comes out. During the last week of the year I saw Dream Girls and Night at the Museum and liked them both a lot. Jennifer Hudson is absolutely fantastic in the first, and Ben Stiller was not to silly in the second.; 8:27 AM
Gram said...: I love the Rambo series. My favorite sci-fi comedy is "Tremors" How could it miss with Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward? Now I have "The Avengers" first season on DVD and am looking forward to watching. I think the last movie I saw in a theater was Rocky-the original!; 9:52 AM
Brandy said...: Oooh, I wanted to see The Black Dahlia, but wasn't able to. I did get to see Night at The Museum and thought it was quirky and funny! Before that, the last movies I saw in the Theaters was RV, which I LOL in several places.; 10:12 AM
Lori Foster said...: Hey Cathya, just about any movie I didn't see at the theater I do see on DVD, unless it's a slapstick comedy, drama or chic flick. LOL
I thought Night At the Museum was funny, and I always adore seeing Owen Wilson.

Gram, if that was your last show in the theater, then you HAVE to get there to see Rocky Balboa. It was truly, truly awesome.

Brandy, I thought Black Dahlia was slow and plodding and Scarlet Johansen (sp?) just didn't do it for me. The movie finally pieced together, but by the end, I'd lost interest. ;-)

HUGS!

Lori; 12:15 PM
Tammy said...: An action flick lover here too - matter of fact I won't even see a chick flick - ick!

Of the ones you listed that I've seen )and by the way I don't go to the theater - one it's too far away and 2 my sister is a video dept manager, so we watch them after they make it to DVD)

Mission Impossible III - saw it - gave it a 6 out of 10
Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest - saw it - it got a 8 out of 10
Miami Vice - saw it - it got a 7 out of 10 - and was a LOT bteer than the Dukes remake was!
Happy Feet (cartoon)- waiting for this one
Underworld: Evolution - saw it - gave it an 8/10
The Covenant - saw it this week - 9/19

There were also a couple of ones that had dance in them and I can't rememebr the titles at all - one had Antonio Banderas in it though and we surprisingly loved it - incdluding my sister that won't watch Banderas.; 12:29 PM
BiblioHarlot said...: Love, love, love movies!! Of all kinds: action, horror, chick flicks, you name it I like it. I can usually find something to enjoy in just about every movie I see, I guess I'm just easy to please...or easily amused...*shrugs*.

I really enjoy action films espically kind of cult-like films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or The Boondock Saints. I love that Jason Statham from the Transporter movies, hubba hubba! Crank is high on my list of things to rent!

I really didn't see too many movies in the theater this year, although I too have a favorite cheap theater (so cheap it's only .50 on Tuesdays!!), but grad school has made it impossible to do anything but study!

I did however enjoy: Marie Antoinette, Little Miss Sunshine, Talledaga Nights, Pirates, Miami Vice, Underworld Evolution, & Scoop. I was horribly disappointed by Black Dahlia they did a poor job of translating Ellroy's novel. There were so many movies from '06 that I missed I can't even begin to think about '07 but now that I've GRADUATED from GRAD SCHOOL I'm free to read and watch whatever I choose!!!!!!!!; 12:48 PM
Pia said...: Lori,

My husband and I are also such movie buffs. There were so many movies I enjoyed last year such as
Happy Feet (I loved the animation as well as the soundtrack - they were also the one's who did the music for Moulin Rouge and they were great!), 16 Blocks, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Crank, Mission Impossible 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Nativity, there are more but I can't think of them right now.

For 2007, there are even more movies I look forward seeing such as,
Spiderman 3, Transformers, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Harry Potter, Evan Almighty, Live Free and Die Hard, Music and Lyrics and a lot more.

I am into all sorts of movies except for horror/slasher ones.; 1:58 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Lori, seeing your reviews and your list makes me realize how much Frank and I are missing. We live downtown, within walking distance of several theaters, but we almost never go to see a film. With action flicks, it's the level of violence that puts me off. Dead bodies are fine. I just can't handle anything that involves torture.

We have seen a few "chick flicks" and some films like SIDEWAYS. The problem in so many of those is the total lack of a moral compass.

I dunno. I guess I just miss the old fashioned stuff. Give me CASABLANCA...

--Jayne; 2:46 PM
Lori of Canada said...: Well, Lori already knows I share her taste in movies. ;) I love action and horror. I enjoy some comedies (but hate most lately because they are stupid comedies where the purpose is to show off how stupid people can be. That is not my idea of a good time). I do enjoy a good drama, however.

Jayne, Casablanca is actually my all-time favourite movie. I love Humphrey Bogary, Jimmy Stewart (HARVEY!!!) and Gregory Peck.

V for Vendetta stood out for me (I even have a poster of it in my classroom). Same with The Hills Have Eyes - a lot of horror movies are either gory or predictable (or both). The Hills Have Eyes definitely had what Lori called ick in it, but I knew within 20 mins that I could not necessarily predict what was going to happen next. Always a good thing in a horror movie.

However, I didn't get to the theatre as much as I would have liked to. I am still hoping to see many of the movies Lori listed, especially Crank , The Departed, Protector, The Prestige, Deja Vu and The Covenant. I have Fearless on top of my TV right now... and Crank comes out next week on DVD...

Lori M.; 3:18 PM
WVU Fan said...: The last movie I saw was "We Are Marshall". I'm a native of West Virginia and remember the airplane crash that killed so many of the football team. The actors were very good and we cried through the entire film. So many of the people that were there stated that they did too. So if you like a true story and one that will tug at your heart see this one.; 3:31 PM
DFender said...: Lori,

The HHP and myself like to take advantage of the cheapie theatre too!

I just, on the 2nd, went to see Night in the Museum... it was a riot. Before that it was Happy Feet! Loved it, loved it... I love penguins and Chilly Willy is my favorite cartoon character.

I'm not gonna be able to remember all the movies that we've seen in '06 but I'll try to remember 'em... I liked them all, some (of course!) more than others but all of 'em were worth seeing to me.

16 Blocks
Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest
Invincible
Eight Below
Freedomland
The Sentinel
The DaVinci Code
X-Men, The Last Stand
You, Me & Dupree
Talladega Nights
10th & Wolf
Flags of our Fathers
The Good Shepherd

Thanks, Lori! Do you have a multiplex near you down there? :)

Deb; 3:52 PM
Ranurgis said...: Well, I used to be a big movie buff but I saw mainly American and international classics including silent ones.

I've borrowed a reference book from the library which is called "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". I want to see how many I have to go. When I look at the beginning of the book and count which ones I've seen, I'd probably say at least half of them. This book ends with "Kill Bill: Vol. 1"(2003). In the 10 years before and including that, I've seen 10 of those movies--well, 12 because they counted the whole Lord of the Rings cycle as one. I used to watch most of the movies on TV in a great series we had on TVOntario with a super "guide". The rest I saw in theaters or on TV in Europe.

I definitely do not like horror, slapstick, graphic violence, or very silly movies. The only one of last year's crop that I saw was one that my friend gave me a ticket for and let me choose. I decided to see "The Da Vinci Code", which I already found too violent in places and boring in others, but then, I went mainly to see the scenery: Paris, London, Peterborough (I think), where the Westminster Abbey shots were taken. I actually once went to the room in the cloisters of the Abbey where one of the crucial scenes takes place (though it wasn't filmed there). That was the only movie I saw all last year. I didn't even see any on TV since I'm still TV-less. I hope to get hooked up soon though.

I really enjoy the humorous and pointed conversations of "Adam's Rib" and the other 30s and 40s movies. I also like a good drama or action movie, or a good historic drama. For me, movies just ain't what they used to be. "Happy Feet" and perhaps "Little Miss Sunshine" sound like the best of the lot for me. Maybe I'll get around to seeing them sometime.; 6:27 PM
Karibear said...: Gotta chime in again. I also don't like most 'funny' movies, because they mostly aren't. But Water [about 20 years old] is one of the funniest I've ever seen. I also don't like the more modern horror flicks, because they seem mainly to be vehicles for gore. Now, if Lon Chaney or Bela Lugosi were still around... Then there was The Raven, which has to be one of the funniest horror shows ever. Peter Lorre is incredible.; 6:59 PM
Milan Loka said...: Happy New Year Lori! (P.S. I was cleaning out the old bookshelf and re-read all the books I have of yours. When's the next one coming out?)

It was a year for super heroes in 2006. X-Men, Superman, Batman was 2006 too, right? James Bond in Casino Royale, Johnny Depp in Pirates was sort of like a super hero I guess.

LOVED happy feet.

Good luck on your resolutions!
ML; 7:29 PM
DFender said...: Ooohh, I agree with CathyA - The Illusionist was awesome!; 3:30 AM
Lori Foster said...: Tammy, I want to see the one with Banderas, because on top of loving action, I also love musicals with lots of dance! LOL Go figure. But it's either already out on DVD or will be soon. I need to watch it without hubby though. He can't stand Banderas.

Mollie, congrats on graduating grad school! Given the movies you listed, have you seen "SNATCH" with Brad Pitt? Awesome flick! He plays a great role. Loved it. It had sort of a Pulp Fiction feel to it.

Pia, didn't HAPPY FEET remind you of the Rudolf story? It had the exact same plot, but penquins instead of Santa's deer. LOL.
Of the movies you listed, I also want to see Spiderman 3, Transformers, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Live Free and Die Hard, Ninja Turtles, and Ghost Rider. I know there are more, but I can't remember them right now. :-)

So I'm not the only movie buff! How fun. And y'all like some of the same goofy movies I do!
Although I have to admit I can't stomach Will Farrell. No Talledega Nights for me. Blech! LOL

Lori; 5:18 AM
Lori Foster said...: Jayne, I can't do torture either! I don't mind violence or blood and gore, but torture... I told hubby and the boys that I couldn't see any more Texas Chainsaw movies, not after the last one that "humanized" the crazed killers. I can't do Saw. I only saw the ones I did because they wanted to. They were over the top for me, for sure.
And I refused to see Hostel. Yuck.
If a good guy demolishes a bad guy, no problem. Bring it on. But that whole taking sick pleasure in it... gives me the willies!

Lori; 5:21 AM
Lori Foster said...: Lori M., we almost always agree on movies! Hugs.

wvu, that's one movie I had no interest in seeing, and I think it's the previews, saying that football is "bigger than yourself" and "almost a religion." I despise football, but not necessarily football movies. I just can't stand when they make the sport MORE ethan a sport. Really grinds me, you know?
My sons have always done sports, and we've always known they were just that, sports. They're not who the person is, just what the person does.
Maybe that's why I like the UFC and Pride. I've never once heard any of the fighters make it out as more than a sport that they love.

Hi Deb. What's a multiplex? I'm not sure. LOL. We saw a lot of the same movies though. Like you, I get entertained by almost all of them, but always have my faves.

Happy Saturday everyone!
Lori; 5:25 AM
Lori Foster said...: Ranurgis, Kill Bill 1 & 2 are two of my most favorite movies ever. Truly brilliant and highly entertaining. :-D

Karibear, I really liked the old horror flicks too. Remember the two headed man? LOL. I wish they'd show that again!

Hey ML! Thank you so much! The next book out is the one displayed with my posts. It's "CAUSING HAVOC" and is out Feb 6th.
Hope you enjoy it!

Big hugs to everyone!

Lori; 5:29 AM
DFender said...: Do any of you remember watching The Blob? LOL! It's so corny that I love it. The HHP and myself were talking about it and our son, at 16, said... huh? LOL! I wonder if that's out on DVD? Ha!

Lori, a multiplex...uh, y'know, one of those theatres with 20 different movies showing on 20 different screens? We have one here and there's ALWAYS a movie there that we want to go see!

Happy Viewing!!!
Deb; 11:02 AM
dee said...: Aussie Dee's list
V for Vendetta (out on dvd)
Casino Royale (playing now)
Snakes on a Plane (critised)
Mission Impossible III (out on dvd now
16 Blocks (coming soon)
Superman Returns (made in country New South Wales (been)
Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest (critised)
Little Man (out on dvd)
Miami Vice (coming soon)
The Black Dahlia (in cinemas now)
Open Season (cartoon)yes
Happy Feet (cartoon) yes yah!
Déjà vu (coming soon)
Night at the Museum (on now)
Saw III (been)
When A Stranger Calls (been)
Silent Hill (been)
The Grudge 2 (been); 5:23 PM
Lori Foster said...: Ha, Deb, gotcha! Well, we have some within driving distance, but the theater we go to has two nearby locations (like within 1 minute of each other) and between the two of them, there's usually 10 or more movies showing.

Little Man was hysterical, Dee! I laughed all the way through it. Too corny - but amusing. :-)

HUGS all!

Lori; 6:37 AM
spyscribbler said...: I love, love, love going to movies. Ohmigosh, LOVE it.

On Christmas Day, we saw FOUR movies. We can only do that a few times a year, but I treasure it. I loved The Good Shepherd and We are Marshall.; 2:36 PM
Carrie from Wisconsin said...: Funny, when you said "cheapie" theater, I was expecting prices a little bit cheaper than $5. In the Milwaukee County area we have a couple "budget" theaters. You don't see the movies first run, but it's not bad for $2-$3 for an evening movie. However, these theaters generally are packed with lots of teens and families, especially on $1(maybe $2 now) nights.

As for the flicks, I am not someone that can appreciate a remake. I usually the originals, any remake made past 2000 has generally been disappointing since I do not go for fancy schmancy artsy fartsy action sequences. I prefer the original When a Stranger Calls(based on true events) because it got to me and the previews I saw for this one made it look boring (too much action and variation from the storyline as well as not enough plot).

I do have to say that the worst movie on your list was Snakes on a Plane! It was so awful that my husband and I watched it in fast forward with the subtitles on to try to see if there was anything redeeming about the film....there wasn't. No way should there have been an hour wasted on the plane sequence, especially when there was only "2 hours" real time for that sequence to have taken place. It would have been better if there was a bit more on the ground of them trying to get to Kim and his men before they got to the witness. Not only that, but the title oozed with cheese! Firewall was just as bad. The problem with these movies is that the premise isn't very believeable or convincing. Eraser kicks both of these movies to the curb!!

I did like Lucky Number Slevin and Clerks 2 (awesome! Then again I am a big Kevin Smith fan).

There are a few that are on my to watch list, but not many. Invincible(based on true events), The Black Dahlia(based on true events?), Underworld: Evolution, The Covenant and We Are Marshall(based on true events).

Carrie; 11:54 PM
dee said...: we've just watched Dial M for Murder (Alfred Hitchcock) and next to watch is To Catch a Thief (Cary Grant & Grace Kelly). got them at the Classic movie sale that the stores are having.
went to the Cinema last Tuesday and saw The Holiday. (Cameron Diaz).; 4:01 AM
Lori Foster said...: LOL, Carrie. Well, to each her own. I LOVED Snakes on a Plane, and thought it was awesome. Maybe in fast-forwarding it, you missed the good stuff. ;-)

I'm with you spyscribbler (love that handle, btw)- I could see movies all day long IF I didn't have other things I had to do.

Dee, those old movies rock! I love 'em.

Happy Monday everyone!
Lori; 5:40 AM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: My husband and I are media junkies--LOVE movies and TV. Let's see, we're mainly anticipating Pirates 3--can't wait for more Cap'n Jack. I love good action movies, too, (not really a chick-flick person except for a handful of ones). On your list, let's see...

I want to see these:
V for Vendetta
Snakes on a Plane (loved it!)
The Prestige
Night at the Museum
The Descent
An American Haunting

We did see Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest (LOVED IT! I really loved the first, but I liked this one better, actually).

I'm really into the InuYasha series and movies, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (both are anime).

Some of my favorite action/adventure movies:
Aeon Flux, Fargo, Tremors, Tremors 2, Terminator & T2, Alien, Aliens, Andromeda Strain (an oldie but goodie), both Charlies' Angels movies, both Lara Croft Tombraider movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Conan the Barbarian, Pitch Black & The Chronicles of Riddick (gotta love Vin Diesel), the LOTR trilogy, The Mummy & the Mummy Returns, Queen of the Damned (I think it's adventure, in a way)...there are more, but those are among my faves in that category.

Yasmine; 11:52 AM
Carrie from Wisconsin said...: Yasmine - I love Inuyasha! I also enjoy FullMetal Alchemist as well as an old favorite, Voltron. Just when Ghost in the Shell caught my attention, they stopped playing it. I found all of these goodies during Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network's programming. Outside of the Charlie's Angels movies, we pretty much have similar tastes. However, my husband is the one who loves Fargo, more for accents and the lines than anything. That's kind of a thing we do, quote movie lines that seem appropriate to the moment at hand.

Lori - with the subtitles on, we don't miss anything. It's more like a step-fast forward because the subtitles remain on the screen. I wasn't that impressed with the script either. As I said, we didn't find much to salvage from the film. My husband and I watch a lot of TV/films of this nature (spy-type). I feel this movie would have been better if they itentionally made it to be a spoof film rather than tried to be serious. Like I said before, I found the premise to be a bit unbelieveable. Besides, there is no way that those dogs would have missed the snakes. The handlers are generally smarter than they are portrayed. We didn't miss anything, it just wasn't a good film. I have standards and this movie could never measure up.

Ranugris - I agree with you that movies aren't what they used to be. I find that they take perfectly good movies and ruin them with unnecessary violence/action shots. It's like today's general population can't seem to use their brain during a film as evidenced by what has been mainstreamed as popular. Today's suspense films are nothing compared to what they were in the past. I find that old favorites, even though I've seen them a hundred times can still startle and/or freak me out. This new stuff misses the boat in those categories. I think the overall problem is that most stories that get made into films are pretty similar and I can generally guess when/what will be around what corner as I watch the films. The imagination is a much stronger tool and todays' films do not take advantage of this anymore.

Carrie; 1:51 PM
dani said...: Who gets the english show Midsomer Murders? that has good stories without the violence that some seem to think you need in a crime show.; 2:00 PM
Vicky said...: Holy cow that's a lot of movies! I wish we had a nice little cheap theatre in Toronto - or at least somewhere near me...but noooo... it's like $15 per person - which is absolutely insane and is the reason that I don't ever go out to watch movies.
I'm the DVD type, but I have to mention that I have the WORST memory. What has that got to do with anything you ask? Well... not only can I never remember the title of the movie the next day, I can't even remember the names of the actors. Yup. It makes for great conversation the next day....

"What did you do last night?"
"Whatched a movie."
"Oh yeah, what did you watch?"
"Umm... a movie... what was it called... you know... with the guy from the other movie... there's an FBI agent and some cops...and they... oh, you know."

Yup. That would make for an interesting conversation.
As for your comment on the sappy, chickie, cry in the theater movies...I hate them too. But I will confess to going to see Titanic... I know, I know, everyone is over it. But that was the one movie that my bestfriend and I went to watch at 1am with a box of kleenex. We huddled together and sank into our seats hoping that nobody would see us crying. :) It helped that we went to a theatre on the other side of the city. :)

As for your movies....Oh my God!!! I have wanted to see the Departed sooooo badly. Maybe I can talk my husband into seeing a $30 movie this week. :) Or maybe... I'll rent it when it comes out and use the money I saved to get a pizza and haagen dazs... We'll see how long I last... so far the ice cream is winning, but if I see another trailer for the movie the tables might turn.; 10:14 PM
Lori Foster said...: Yasmin, I LOVE Vin Diesel too! And the Pitch Black/Chronicles movies were awesome!
Glad to see another fan of "Snakes on a Plane." I thought it rocked.

Dani, I've never seen or heard of it, but it sounds good!

Vicki, Departed was truly excellent. I really loved it a lot, on every level.
The last movie I saw that made me sob was The Patriot. It was so bad that my youngest son ran into the restroom and got me some TP to blow my nose after I ran out of tissues. LOL.
I know, it wasn't considered a tear-jerker, not with Mel cutting people up left and right, but that little girl, his daughter... she did me in! LOL

Happy movie watching all!

Lori; 5:37 AM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: Lori, sorry to say that I accidentally copied your comment about loving Snakes in my post...(sorry, because I didn't love it). Last night we rented and watched it and well...couldn't get into it. Now mind you, I love snakes--I have one tattooed on my arm, so they don't scare me. But with body-count movies, I need more than just the body count! And we couldn't get over the fact that there's no way that a private collection like that would make it to Hawai'i--it wouldn't get through quarantine (my husband lived there). LOL, we turned it off after 40 minutes and watched the fourth InuYasha movie, which I totally loved (though my favorite's the third).

Carrie from Wisconsin: I've wanted to get into Full Metal Alchemist for awhile but haven't found the DVDs of the series and just didn't feel like wading in during the middle of it. I love GOTS:SAC and the original movie was really good, too. I'm also a Zatch Bell fan. ~grins~ And I love Adult Swim. Well, some of it I love, some I just can't get into. I'm an Aqua Teen Hunger Force fan.

Yasmine; 3:27 PM
Carrie from Wisconsin said...: Yasmine - Blockbuster online has all of the FullMetal Alchemist on DVD (about 50 episodes). I just finished Episode 31: Sin. Have you seen Spirited Away? I thought it was pretty cool! I hear ya on Snakes on a Plane...awful as I have stated in 2 previous posts.

Lori - While I am thinking of it: Which Black Dahlia are you referring to because there are 2 that came out this past year(2006)? My husband rented the wrong one(indie film) and it was awful. It started with a girl rocking back and forth laughing mumbling about 666, really stupid. The other one I haven't had a chance to see and was curious for some opinions.

Carrie; 12:15 AM
Lori Foster said...: Carrie, the one I saw (and wasn't crazy about) is the one with Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson and Hilary Swank. Sloooooow. And convoluted.
Never heard of the other one.

Well darn, Yasmin! LOL. But I was surprised that anyone besides me liked it. ;-) I thought it was a hoot, sort of like the old campy movies where everyone comes to a bad end except one or two people that you peg from jump. LOL.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Lori; 5:42 AM
patricia sargeant said...: WVU fan, I just saw "We Are Marshall" and loved it, too. I also cried during the movie. I think the director did an excellent job of emphasizing the "community" and what the people went through trying to come back from the tragedy. Although the head coach may not have been a 'winning' coach, he was the right person to help the community's transition. Great movie.

Lori, I love high-action movies, too! I loved The Departed. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Great character development and great plot twists.; 12:13 PM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: Lori, I usually love movies like Jaws and Piranha and Alligator...but the 70's revenge of nature flicks seem quite different than Snakes on a Plane did. Hey, did you ever see Eight Legged Freaks? Now there's a movie I'm going to buy--have seen it five times and love it more each time. :)

Yasmine; 3:47 PM
Lori Foster said...: Yasmine, was that the spiders? I saw that one and laughed my butt off, and loved it. That was what... a few years back for sure.
What was the screwy one where they went to outer space and fought giant bugs on other planets? That was a hoot, too.

One of the very best "scary" remakes, imo, was "The Thing." Wow. Great job! Another oldie, made from an even older oldie. LOL

Lori - who realizes that today is Thursday, not yesterday. Doh. I lost a day! LOL; 6:25 AM
Pia said...: Lori,

Since I read a lot of mixed opinions about the movie Snakes on a Plane and heard a lot of hype about it, even got to visit a lot of sites like snakesonablog.com, my hubby and I decided to put it on top of our netflix que and got it today.

We just finished watching the movie, first let me say that I am not into those movies with a lot gore and violence but hubby and I both enjoyed Snakes on a Plane. It's one of those fun movies that I would rather see that than something like Texes Chainsaw, Hostel, Saw 1 and 2, Turistas Go Home, etc.; 11:07 PM
Lori Foster said...: Awesome Pia. That's the way I looked at it - a little gory, but in a campy, silly way where you could say, "Euewww," and then laugh at the same time. LOL.
HUGS,

Lori; 2:27 AM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: Yeah, 8 Legged Freaks was a bizarre spider movie--but it was so funny. And I'm an arachnophobe! Are you thinking about Starship Troopers for the bugs on the other planet? That was just bizarre (Heinlein was pretty weird anyway with some of his books and the translation to movie was just bizarre). And yes--I LOVED the remake of the Thing--that was incredibly good.

Yasmine; 8:43 AM

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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Movies, Movies, Movies...

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