2012: Best Moments in a Theater

Chick 2 says:

Tom Hardy throws a kid over a paintball obstacle as the kid screams, “it’s just a game, mister!” in This Means War.

The countdown to the Hunger Games sounds as Katniss decides whether or not to go for the arrows.

Zac Efron stars in The Lucky One.

The Hulk smashes Thor in his handsome Norwegian face after they take down a huge alien together.

David’s disembodied head continues to talk calmly to Dr. Shaw as they escape in Prometheus.

All the 80’s music and hair in Rock of Ages.

Any given “good guys continue to fight against all odds” moments in The Dark Knight Rises.

A young cast moves you and Emma Watson is not at all Hermione in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Thinking OMG I have no idea how this will or even should end in Looper.

Beautiful lighting and cinematography in Skyfall.

Crying hysterically to Anne Hathaway’s I Dreamed a Dream.

Posted on January 6, 2013 by wj11 in Year in Review 941 Comments

Short Takes: Les Miserables

Chick 2 says:

Overall Concept: A Obviously a beloved classic

Acting: A+ Brilliant performances by everyone

Script: A- It’s a musical that covers an entire epic novel. But the story is classic and moving.

Cinematography: A- Beautiful. Gorgeous. As well as the Art Direction. But the missed focus caused by the shallowest of Depth of Field drove me crazy!

Hotness of Cast: A This is a tough one because this movie takes some beautiful people and makes them look as bad as they can. But the beautiful singing voices coming from them remind you why they’re stars.

Wardrobe: A I’m ready to go buy some French military jackets and pin a Vive La France badge to it.

Location/Setting: A I loved the sets and the painterly look of the backdrops. These are the views we’ve seen of this historical time period and it felt like we were in a painting.

Climax: B There are several climaxes (epic novel) and each one is moving, but after you’ve cried through 5 or 6 of them you’re a little worn out. The end shot is beautiful however.

Special Effects: A

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 370 Comments

2012: Best Moments in a Theater

Chick 1 says:

It’s that time of year again; a time to revisit the year’s highlights in filmmaking. SPOILERS follow so I would recommend reading the tags to make sure you’ve seen all the movies listed here.

And without any further ado: Read more

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Chick 1 in Year in Review 469 Comments

Review: Les Miserables

Chick 1 says:

Confession: I’ve never seen Les Mis, not other movies, none of the stage productions, never even read the book. So the plot was a complete unknown for me. I was surprised at how much story there is and how quickly it moves along. Even at almost 3 hours, it feels like we barely are introduced to one character or idea before we’re whisked along to the next scene. (“Oh, she’s destitute already. OK.”) This doesn’t mean that there is no depth to the story; the music, acting and, filmmaking make sure you know each person well enough to care what happens to them. But despite the brisk pace, it does at times seem a bit long. Read more

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2010s 290 Comments

Trailer Trash: Two Costume Epics

Chick 1 says:

As we enter the second half of the year, Oscar contenders start sticking their heads out of the ground and sniffing the air like groundhogs on Groundhog Day. The real onslaught won’t start until the fall but here are a couple to whet your appetite that have some of my favorite elements in common; lush costumes, big talented ensembles, and lots of accents.

Les Miserables

I have never seen or read Les Mis in any form. I know. I know. I should have seen it on stage when I was in London. Anyway, this will probably be the one.

Chick 2 comments on this trailer: “Sniff, sniff.” And I quite agree. Read more

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Chick 1 in Trailer Trash 1,086 Comments