The Scottish Angel of Music

Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera

Last one of the year folks, and was it a doozy! Can I just say, who knew Gerard Butler could sing like that??? I'm hooked. Okay, so I was hooked on him long ago (can you say "the only good thing about Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life?" Also, I was in love with the character of André Marek from the book, but Gerard certainly made him more appealing in the film version of Timeline!

Okay, so I have rambled on enough about Gerard...maybe...did I mention that I could see him as the next James Bond? I love his accent too :)

Anyway, as I was saying, I was thoroughly impressed with this movie. I went in with low expectations, except for Gerard - mainly so I wasn't disappointed. And WOW - what a show. It is very much like the stage play, but with more depth and darkness. Having seen the play 3 times on the stage, I am quite a fan. I found myself singing (to myself) the entire movie and really pulling for The Phantom for once. (Okay, I love Michael Crawford's voice, but he is no where as sexy as Gerard playing this role). Here is what was amazing about the Phantom in this version - you feel for him. You want him to hold onto his love for this girl who has filled his soul with light. He really portrayed the fear of being undesirable and unloved and alone so well. But when it came down to it, he felt more for his love than for himself and that is one of the best traits anyone could ever have. I really identified with him.

Gerard deserves a nomination for this role, although it is a tough pool this year. And truly, Joel Schumacher's vision and direction really brought this to life. I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job. And having THE scribe of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the helm didn't hurt either.

I did the theatre a favor, though. I'm truly an Alto, so I really just mouthed the words to myself rather than trying to hit Christine's high Soprano notes. Boy, it makes me miss singing in the choir...

De-Lovlier

Movie Review: Beyond the Sea

I love Bobby Darin's music and I love Kevin Spacey, therefore I should love this movie. So I didn't love it, but I did like it a lot. Now just about anything was better than De-Lovely, but this is more what De-Lovely could have been.

They both jumped around and were a bit hard to follow, but in this one, the musical numbers were fantastical, much like with Chicago. Dancing in the streets and a big finale.

Look - this movie was somehow rooted in fact, but a lot of dream sequences and fantasies - so it was a bit hard to separate fact from fiction (plus the disclaimer at the end didn't help to clarify). However, it was well shot and Kevin is an exceptional singer. It just needed more Umph. More direction. More, je ne sais quois.

Nice job Kevin - I already had bought the soundtrack. But, this is most definately a rental if you are into this kind of thing. I would like to know, who was this kid, William Ulrich. I was quite impressed with him!

Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Apple Juice

I figured I should post something non-movie-review and talk about my Christmas holidays. So here goes...

I picked up Maggie (for those of you not paying attention, my 3-year old niece from California) on the 22nd from the airport - no she was not travelling alone, her parents were with her, of course. So the airport has this crazy rule which only partially makes sense - you cannot "stand" at the exits; only active loading and unloading allowed. It was cold, rainy and my brother needed me to watch Maggie so he could get all the bags (including the car seat), which meant I had to "stand" at an exit. Good news was no one bugged me about it - whew!

We got home to Gramma and Grampa (my parents) and the fun began. Dinners together, cute Maggie-isms, lots of Christmas memories.

It all started with taking her to the zoo on Thursday. She LOVES going to the zoo and had never seen live Pandas before. So off we went, in the freezing temperatures. The woman selling tickets said everything was half price since it was so cold and only the Pandas and Elephants were out. Funny thing, Maggie counted 22 different species that she saw. Granted, a lot of those were in the Reptile House, but still 22 animals. I was smart enough to take quarters and pennies with us because Maggie collects those smashed pennies with the pictures on them. Thank goodness, we found 2 machines and she was very happy to get more smashed pennies for her penny passport back home.

On Friday, Maggie and I made cookies (with help from Mama) - Oatmeal Double Chocolate Cookies. Maggie helped by pouring the sugars into the mixing bowl, adding the eggs (which she had me crack for her), and scoops of flour and oatmeal. I dumped in the chocolate chips and she directed my stirring. I prepared some cookie sheets for her and she and her mom (My sister-in-law, Christina) used the cookie-scoop to place them on the sheets. Then, Maggie's job was to count the cookies. Very cute. So we put out some cookies and milk for Santa and my brother was kind enough to consume them this year. Maggie was quite distressed that Santa did not finish all his milk. We explained he was in a hurry and didn't have the time to finish it all.

Christmas was great - Maggie helped to pass out the presents and seemed to love all her new things. She was enthralled with the Little People under the tree when she came downstairs.

We had a nice Sunday with the family. I saw my cousin Carrie "Bear" who I hadn't seen in close to 7 years. It was fabulous catching up with her and seeing my Uncle Alan who I am pretty close to.

Maggie left on Monday morning and I was very sad. I shed a tear or two as no matter how much time I spend with her, it never seems like enough. I will say that when I was sitting in the long line of cars at the airport - Maggie yelled out "Dadda, Aunt D - I found a Spotting Park - look there" and there, my friends was a parking spot. Now it was way far away from the terminal, but god love her!

I, Lindy, Resolve To...

Okay so the new year is fast approaching - how it got to be 2005 already, I have no idea. So in the spirit of making changes for the newest year, I have made a list.

My new year's resolutions:
See more movies - 103 just isn't enough
Abuse alcohol and drugs
Laugh at people who are less fortunate than I am
Step on bugs (ants, spiders, etc) and small creatures
Forgo smiling and stick my tongue out to nice people
Travel to 3rd world countries and sell technology at outrageous prices
Call in sick to work whenever I feel fabulous
Work the systems (call every company I use and threaten to cancel so I get cool deals)

But seriously, I plan to exercise more, take real vacations and do at least one fun thing each weekend that isn't going to a movie. Not sure what that will be yet, but I will do my best to come up with some. Suggestions are always welcomed!

The Song of the Recluse

Movie Review: The Aviator

I am a movie buff. I love movies, I see over 100 per year in the theatre (thank goodness a lot are free), but I am a movie buff who is NOT a big fan of Martin Scorsese. I know he is a genius, but his movies just aren't for me (except for The Color of Money ). This movie was almost the same, but I didn't dislike it. It was actually quite good.

Now, I learned a lot about Mr. Howard Hughes and am surprised that Leonardo DiCaprio played him so well. Who knew he had such versatility? Certainly not me.

I do think that other than Leo, the rest of the characters were quite flat and not nearly as interesting, save Cate Blanchett playing the legend,Katharine Hepburn - and quite convincingly I might add. She was so amazing and impressive - I almost forgot she was Cate and not Kate.

I would highly recommend this movie, but if you are not a Scorsese fan, you might want to wait and watch this at home. It is pretty intense and is 155 minutes - at least at home you can take a break and lighten up a bit after this heavy fare.

Over the Top

Movie Review: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Okay, so I have been a bit remis in posting to this blog in the last 10 to 14 days. The holidays have kept me too busy and I just didn't make the time. I tried a couple of times in the last few days, but everytime I sat at the computer, Maggie came up wanting to play computer games with me. So, even though I saw these movies on separate days, I am posting 3 separate reviews instead of posting them all together...

Granted, I have not read the Lemony Snicket books - so take that into account when reading this review. I loved the story! I loved the kids (okay, I've been a fan of Liam Aiken's ever since The Object of My Affection - that Jennifer Aniston movie no one but me saw).

But seriously folks, Jim Carrey needs to learn that even though there are roles that seem tailor-made for him (The Riddler, The Grinch, Count Olaf), he needs to have a dimmer switch installed so the "over the top-ness" is not TOO over the top. He knows how to act - The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, The Majestic. Why does he not understand that even if the characters are from comic books or such that this does not mean that he has to play it so overboard that he is annoying.

Anyway, the movie was good, the other actors were excellent, but Jim Carrey just killed it being great.

Worth renting...

Rescuing the Bond Company Stooge

Movie Review: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

So Bill Murray is a trip, Wes Anderson is awesome, but this movie is not my favorite of their pairings. I would not put it up there with Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, but it is a true Anderson picture.

It's funny, and the turns this movie takes are very Anderson-esque, but it falls short of his previous 3 movies. Owen Wilson was great, as usual in these pictures, but truly, there was not a real stand-out character (although, Klaus was pretty damn amusing).

This movie is still leagues above other mainstream flicks and I highly recommend taking the time to venture out with the Zissou's.

Here is hoping that 2006's The Fantastic Mr. Fox gets back to freshman standards!

Flight of the Remake

Movie Review: Flight of the Phoenix

It is hard for, watching a remake of a Jimmy Stewart flick. I love Jimmy Stewart - he is my all-time favorite and I have never seen anything of his I didn't enjoy watching. The original Flight falls into this category. So fast forward almost 30 years and make Dennis Quaid Captain Frank Towns (ripped physique and all) and you have yourself a fine movie. And how exactly does a 50-year old have a 6-pack? Nothing personal, Dennis, but WOW...and yummy ;)

This movie was fun - not at all predictable. Giovanni Ribisi plays the smarmy aircraft designer quite well - and this role is a departure from the original Hardy. No nominations are going to be handed out here, but it isn't that kind of movie. The is action, some internal strife, and my personal favorite, a character who is a chef. Let's face it, no one will top LL Cool J in Deep Blue Sea with his explanation of the perfect omelet:
We will start with the perfect omelet which is made with two eggs not three. Some amateurs use milk to add density; this is a mistake.

And his explaination of physics/relativity:
Einstein's theory of relativity. Grab hold of a hot pan, second can seem like an hour. Put your hands on a hot woman, an hour can seem like a second. It's all relative.

I would like to try Sammi's Peach and Palm Salad. But I digress. If you want a good flick, with a little action and some decent dialog, go see the new Phoenix. Not a bad rise from the ashes of an oldie.

I Dreamed a Dream

Have you ever had one of those intense dreams where you wake up and expect it to have really happened? You expect to wake up in a different place, or with someone beside you. I have these all the time, and I must say it is getting a little eerie.

So last night I had a dream that took some odd turns. First, I was at work, sitting in my cube, typing away. The phone rang and it was someone I work with, Jason. Apparently, all permissions for customer service agents were gone and the agents were going to start transferring calls to me as I was the only one with full access...and oh by the way, could he monitor the calls I was taking. Knowing me as most of you reading this do, of course I said sure. So I proceeded to take CS calls for a couple of hours. Then my boss walked up and wanted to know what I was doing and why. I was in trouble!

So I had Angie come and take calls at my desk, while I got the permissions restored (which took all of 5 minutes). So basically, I had forgotten to just fix the problem instead of putting on a wacky band-aid. Great, Lindy!

Next, I was in this meeting where everyone seemed to be confused and didn’t understand what we were talking about – but I knew exactly what was going on. So I proceeded to start teaching a class instead of running this meeting – I was in front of a black board and was pointing to words with a piece of chalk – I turned around and everyone in the meeting was suddenly 8 years old. Someone even gave me an apple.

I left work, and went with work friends to Perlino’s (the greatest Italian restaurant in Atlanta) for a nice dinner. Justin gave us the full star treatment and we had a lot of wine and a lot of food. It was great! We left and most everyone drove off, but I was driving one person (previously referred to as the lobster).

The lobster and I got halfway back into town, when we decided to go to my place to watch a movie. My place was perfectly spotless (yeah, right) and we had a blast. Popped popcorn (not sure how we could eat anything) and had the surround sound on and watched The Last Samurai. The doorbell kept ringing and I had to go downstairs and answer it. It was the party neighbors twice and other neighbors the other 3 times – all needing to borrow something.

Finally, the place was quiet, and we enjoyed the movie – a lot! (Insert your own details here.) So things happened, ba-da-bing-ba-da-boom – no need to give more detail than that. And then I woke up.

So what does all this weirdness mean exactly? I’m no good at analyzing. It was very odd and I am having a hard time getting it out of my head this morning!

The Trouble with Lobsters

So I had a weird, but good day. Worked sucked - it is just really crazy right now - but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The beauty of lobsters is that they are sweet and funny and light up my day. The trouble with said lobsters is that they aren't around all the time.

But, for me, as a wuss in the boy department, I try my best to let the men make the moves. I'm not good at it and I always expect the worst. But habits be damned, I went for it. Now my definition of going for it is completely different than most, but I'm a really good flirt and don't mind chatting about just about anything.

I don't tell people I like them - it's too hard for me. I have been badly burned in the past and try not to repeat history. But, I will tell someone that they are funny, or adorable, or that I like having them around, as long as it is within context that I can back out if needed. I'm such a wuss! I'll be an old maid one of these days.

But, I said something I wanted to say and it was well received. Wahoo! Now, I just have to wait a few weeks...darn! Okay, headed out to buy a Christmas Tree! Merry, Merry!

Skipping Bad Christmas Movies

Movie Review: Christmas with the Kranks and Shall We Dance?

So I have to say, that some times I see a movie because it is convenient for me. Christmas with the Kranks was one of those. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either. It had one or two scenes that were cute or funny, but they were mostly in the trailer. Tim Allen, the holiday movie king, had some moments, but mostly this was forced. Botox, tanning salons, itsy bitsy teenie weenie bathing suits and the battle with the 10 foot tall Frosty were quite predictable and a bit disappointing. Jamie Lee Curtis has been pretty good of late, picking her spots. We barely see her (maybe 1 movie a year) and this was a poor follow-up to the remake of Freaky Friday. It's hard enough seeing her in the mom roles, but she is better suited for the undercover agent mom and the stiff upper lip body switched mom, then the buttoned up, holiday boycotting, buy a hickory honey ham at whatever cost mom. Save your holiday cash for something more worthy.

So the reason for Kranks was to kill time until Shall We Dance?. I am a sucker for Richard Gere - let's face it. He is a platinum beauty and worth every penny, no matter what the role. I haven't missed one of his movies in over 11 years - this would be no different. Granted, I waited a long time (bascially I had no time to see it previously) and had to drive to bumble to get this one done this weekend. But it was worth it.

Look, if I had to give it an overall rating, I would say it was a C+, but I try very hard not to put such labels on films. It's too subjective, after all. But this movie did a couple of things well - dancing and entertainment. This movie didn't need J Lo specifically, but she played her minimal part well. But as a movie, there was little development as to why Richard just had to start taking dance classes. He didn't seem interested in cheating on his wife with J Lo, but they implied that from the beginning. He wanted to feel happy and why looking at a dispondant J Lo in the dance studio window made him think that he should start dancing, I just will never fully understand. But after a weekend of serious movies, I needed something just for the entertainment value alone. Otherwise, my week would have started on a weird footing - and I have enough weirdness in my life as it is.

Look, Richard is no Fred Astaire - no one ever can be again. But he is light on his feet and managed to take a brash, blonde, trailer-trash type dancer and make her look elegant and high-class on the dance floor - that was a feat. And Susan Sarandon has such range and is so believable in every role she undertakes - it was worth the $6.50.

Being Spanglish

Movie Review: Spanglish and Being Julia

First, I have to start this out with a bit of a rant. Why must the movie companies build trailers that completely misrepresent the actual movie people are spending their hard earned cash to view? This happens way too often for my taste, but I think I am one of the view who might still enjoy the picture. Thus bringing me to Spanglish.

I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan to begin with. But I do truly enjoy James L. Brooks' movies. Adam basically plays Thomas Keller. For those of you not into restaurants or the wine country, Thomas Keller is the owner and operator of The French Laundry in Yountville (Napa), California. This is the most sought-after reservation in all of the U.S. and it is more of a performance art piece than a meal at a restaurant...but I digress.

This movie was marketed as a Romantic Comedy involving a family and their Spanish-speaking maid. Instead, this movie is about said maid and her dealings with an off-kilter American family and how she learns to make her way in Los Angeles. Well done, Mr. Brooks. I was taken by surprise, and there were a couple of scenes where it dragged a bit, but over all, a break from the mold. It needs a run through the editing room, but there were a lot of aspects of this movie that I really enjoyed. Personally, I think Cloris Leachman stole the movie. This is great as a rental, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, take the time to go see this one.

Next up, Being Julia. Okay, this movie took some odd turns, and Annette Bening plays a great narcisist, but it was not what I went in expecting. The movie was on a pretty good run, and then it took a strange left at revitalized actress and then seemed to flounder a bit until suddenly it all became clear. It was like watching a great Agatha Christie novel unfold where all the suspects are brought into the study to discuss everyone's motives and watch the masterful mind of Hercule Poirot point the finger at the killer and no one's lives will ever be the same again. Fun!

Most people will not get this movie and will most likely get lost half way through Act II, but those select few will love this crazy romp through 1938 London's theatre scene. Ahhhh, I should have been living in the 30's - I would have had some fun :) One note - there is not enough of Jeremy Irons in this movie.

Too Darn Hot...

Movie Review: Closer and Kinsey

Let me start off by saying that I did not intend to see two sex movies in one night. It was all in the timing and I don't make the movie schedules. I was an innocent bystander.

Seeming to be more like a play than a movie, Closer was still enjoyable...at times. There seemed to be a lot of fast forwarding going on, only I didn't have the remote. Years would pass between acts, and that was the most disconcerting part of this flick.

Now, take Natalie Portman out of the long robes and heavy makeup, and put her in stripper garb and dyed-fire engine red hair and you can hardly recognize her. She has such versatility - I'm impressed with her a lot. Julia Roberts can do just about anything and I will enjoy watching it, but sometimes need a little convincing - but not in this movie. The words coming out of her mouth - shocking! I love Jude Law (see previous posts) but Clive Owen needs help. He is good to look at, I don't mind the deep voice, but he was less than convincing in this tale.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie enough to not be sorry I paid for it, and being pulled in SO close to a movie, was a little off-putting to me. I think I need to sit on this one a bit longer to figure out if I really liked it or not. I know I did, but not sure what I really liked about it. It was different - and different is always welcomed. And Mike Nichols is a genius. I guess this was his point - to make you feel involved and force you to examine your own relationships. Wow - maybe I need therapy!

Next up, Kinsey...

According to the Kinsey report
ev'ry average man you know
much prefers to play his favorite sport
when the temperature is low
but when the thermometer goes way up
and the weather is sizzling hot

Cole Porter said it best (and usually does). But truly, these characters were NOT average men. They were young men willing to do anything for the cause - sure they were, it meant having sex ALL the time and with many different people. Warning - this movie is not for the timid, shy, innocent folks out there.

This movie was amazing. Now granted, there are a lot of graphic scenes and dialog, but it is warranted. (The poor girl behind me left as she had had enough at one point.) This is the story of a man trying to figure out sex from a scientific perspective. He was a revolutionary. This movie really gives insight into who Dr. Alfred Kinsey was in his day, even if it was dramatized. Liam Neeson fit into this role a little too easily, which makes you wonder.

I think this was an amazing piece of cinema, that many would never understand. However, if you don't mind the graphical content, you should see this movie. It's a dispassionate look into sex - hetero, homo, and bi - that does not preach about it, yet still recognizes the true evil of sexual predators. It isn't for everyone, but it is excellent.

Back to the North Pole

Movie Review: The Polar Express

Think back to when you were just a kid. You believed in Santa Claus, elves and the North Pole. Can you remember when you stopped believing? Was it all at once, or a gradual thing? For me, I can't really remember, but I miss that feeling. Life was so much easier back then and I was much more hopeful and was a real dreamer. That's how I felt when I watched The Polar Express.

The people look a little fake, but they are in digital animation form (even if helped along by performance capture technology and every character is played by Tom Hanks). It was a little longer than I expected, but it was a feel-good movie. I will say that in terms of the original book, it was a much shorter trip, indeed.

Now I think a lot of people don't like the movie so much since it is such a departure from the book (if I remember right, there are more characters on screen than in the book and I don't remember anything about the train derailing), but for a holiday movie trying to restore your faith in things you cannot see or touch, I think they did a really good job.

This is not the typical kid-movie fare, where the script is written as much for the adults as for the kids. But I think most adults will enjoy it for what it is - a fairy tale made for the big screen with action and drama. Overall, a fun ride. It really just put me more in the Christmas mood than I already was, but I don't ming paying $8 for that!

So the one thing that was most disconcerting about this movie was the music. Now I love Robert Zemeckis, but I think he did us a dis-service by hiring the composer from Back to the Future, Alan Silvestri. So the whole movie sounded like Back to the Ghost of Christmas Past.

A Lookee-loo With A Bundle Of Joy

Movie Review: Ocean's Twelve

Well, it must be sequel week as this is the second one for me in as many days. But truly, the only thing the same about Ocean's Twelve, are the characters and it is about a heist. Who says that is a bad thing? I sure as hell don't!

Take George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in suits and you have a sure-fire hit with the ladies. But add in a heist or two, lots of misdirection, witty banter and in-fighting - you get a blockbuster worthy of seeing.

This movie had a few villians, lots of stuff to steal, complex schemes to steal said stuff and even had Julia Roberts making fun of herself (with a little help from her friends - hats off to Bruno). Steven Soderbergh knows how to make a sequel worth spending your hard-earned bucks on. He even shot this differently - it was more like Traffic than Ocean's Eleven (not a bad thing). The movie didn't even need to bring in new talent - enter Catherine Zeta-Jones, but she added a flair (and a love interest for Rusty).

So my advice to you, don't see this movie if you are expecting another Ocean's Eleven - you will be disappointed. In some ways, this movie is actually better. Look, who needs cookie cutter movies who just repeat themselves to death (say like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason). I don't - I want something fresh, new, fun.

Why did movies have to stop being fun??? This movie was truly FUN!

Whister's Daughter

Movie Review: Blade: Trinity

So let it be said that I am a sucker for sequels. If I enjoyed the first movie, odds are I will spend the money (or at least the time) to see the 2nd and possibly 3rd movies in a series...I would guess that's why the studios keep on making them.

Thanks to Leslie at 99X and Nick at Chud, I don't have to spend as much money on these as I used to. Whew.

So the first Blade movie was really good - I love a good vampire hunter flick - not to mention, I'll watch Wesley Snipes do just about anything on screen - yummy! The second movie, left quite a bit to be desired. But this third one caught my eye during the trailer. Quippy characters, yummy co-stars and more vamps. I was sold. Honestly, it may have fallen lower on the list of priorities if I was going to have to shell out $7 or $8 on this one, but free is good.

So truly, this movie is more about the sleeper cells of vampire hunters known as The Nightstalkers - a band of misfits helping keep the vamp headcount to a minimum. Quite a shock since the first two movies implied that it was all Blade's work that kept the undead at bay. This gang of renegades has really cool weapons, a blind mastermind of a scientist who has created the vampire Ebola virus and her daughter who looks as sweet as honey, but comes up with doozies like "My friends are going to come and kill you." Next comes the kick ass Abigail, played by Jessical Biel - I have never been a big fan of hers, but her fighting style brought me back to the days of Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Then there is hottie, Ryan Reynolds, whose witty comments and buff exterior make him a welcomed addition to the Blade series. My friend Randee went out with him a couple times; she neglected to tell me how yummy he truly was.

Now, add the villains. The original vampire (known in folklore as Dracula), was kinda cool, and the disturbed Danica, played by Parker Posey round out the cast - can someone please find her a good endontist before it's too late?!?

Overall I enjoyed this movie much more than expected - I will probably buy the DVD only to watch Wesley and Ryan with their rippling muscles and washboard abs. What can I say, I'm a chick!

So this leads me to rate some all time sequels in their order of greatness. Enjoy!

Star Wars Series:
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Revenge of the Sith (I hope)
5. Attack of the Clones
6. The Phantom Menace

Alien Series:
1. Aliens
2. Alien
33. (tie) Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection

Star Trek Series (the original):
1. The Wrath of Khan
2. The Voyage Home
3. The Undiscovered Country
4. The Search for Spock
5. The Motion Picture
6. The Final Frontier

Star Trek: The Next Generation Series: (you cannot rate these with the original)
1. First Contact
2. Generations
3. Nemesis
4. Insurrection

Indiana Jones Series:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. The Last Crusade
?. Indiana Jones 4 (this has to be better then TOD)
13. Temple of Doom

Jason Bourne Series: **honorable mention since it rarely happens that the sequel is that much better than the original.
1. The Bourne Supremacy
2. The Bourne Identity

That's all I can think of right now - I'm sure I will add more later. I never saw any of the Godfather flicks, which is why they do not appear in this post.