Movie of the Month: Magic Mike

I've gave this month's choice a lot of thought. At first I was thinking of going for the obvious choice - Valentine's Day, since this is what February is all about. I mean you spend the first fourteen days expecting/dreading the day, and the next fourteen telling everyone about how amazing/awful it was. But since I'm single and kind of not in the mood for any cheesy romance movie (that's not true, I love cheesy movies, as long as they have a happy ending) I decided to go with the less obvious choice. I proclaim this month's "Movie of the Month" to be Magic Mike!

I mean  single or not single, there's not a woman in their right mind that didn't want to see this movie. And I'm not gonna play stupid and pretend it was for the exceptional story line or acting (I have no qualification in judging if someone is a good actor or not, but I've see more than enough movies to know if a movie has a weak storyline, but trust me when I say, it doesn't really matter). But I will say that 2012 was the first year in history of film, that all the man were running to the cinema to watch a movie about a teddy bear (=Ted) and all the women went to see a movie about strippers. This was a huge year for the human kind. So many things has changed!

As far as the story goes, this clip shows you all you need to know. And I can sum it up in one sentence: There's a bunch of real hot male strippers. And that's all it really matters.

The movie includes some of the finest Hollywood hotties, including Channing Tatum, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey and Alex Pettyfer. They are all sporting some serious abs and great dancing (read: stripping) skills.

THE VERDICT

If you're a female looking for a fun movie, Magic Mike is the one. If you're a male, looking for a movie your lady will definitely love, Magic Mike is the one. If you're a lonely soul looking for something to cheer you up on Valentine's Day, Magic Mike is the one!

Basically, the story line might be weak, but the video below gives you all the reasons you need to decide to watch this movie.

Also Channing Tatum, the moving force behind this movie, confirmed, he's writing the script for the second part. And in the name of all red blooded females, we're thanking you, for listening to our united verdict, that this movie should last at least another hour, so.

xxx

Lucy Jane

Movie of the Month: Heart of the Country

Hey! I know I'm five days late, but I kind of ran out of time. The thing is I saw and decided on a movie, but didn't have the time to write about it. I got caught up in studying and today is the first day since the last post (Quotes of the Week don't count, I only need about five minutes to snap a photo and write three sentences next to it.) I was able to find the time for writing this. The point I'm trying to make is, better late, than never right?

So at the end of January I watched this wonderful movie and I decided I just have to write about it. It's called Heart of the Country and iMDb categorized it as drama/romance. The story has some really heart wrenching moments, and I cried at the end, so it definitely is a drama. But I also cried while I watched Iron Man 3, and there's nothing sad about that story (except the end. I have some issues with endings where happens three thounsand stuff in 30 second frame, but before we ha to watch a minute frame of Tony Stark driving a car. Sometimes I just can't understand Hollywood), so me crying probably isn't a legit way to categorize movies.

STORY

The story centres on Faith (played by Jana Kramer) a woman whose husband is accused of fraud in a Wall Street Ponzi scheme. When he's arrested, he tells Faith to leave New York and luxurious lifestyle she can no longer afford (FBI froze their accounts), and go back home to rural North Carolina, to her father and sister. Because of the movie's  portrait of the love between father and daughter, the plot of the story is also said to parallel the famous parable "Prodigal Son". I don't want to write any spoilers, so this is all about the story I will write, but I think it's a nice tale, telling love can concurs all (I'm not talking just about the romantic love, but also fatherly love, which is a nice diversion from all the romance movies I saw in the past years).

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ACTORS

Jana Kramer, who portrayed the main female role, Faith, is known for her role of Alex Dupre, a character from a TV series One Tree Hill. She's also a country music singer with an album titled Jana Kramer. Her singing received many positive reviews from the critics and praises for her vocal performances. Her songs are also part of the movie.

Gerald McRaney who plays Calvin, Faith's father, is known for his work as Rick Simon from series Simon&Simon and Maj. John D. "Mac" McGillis from TV series Major Dad (I have to admit, I'm too young to watch these series, the only thing I know about them is what I read about them from the description box in iMDb). In the past few years he mostly played guest roles in different shows, like House of Cards, Fairly Legal, Mike and Molly...
Randy Wayne, who plays Faith's husband Luke, is known for his role as Brandon in Honey 2 (he played next to Kat Graham) and also for playing Justin Miller in now cancelled series The Lying Game (that role is the reason I felt like I know him from somewhere the whole movie. I was a big Lying Game fan). Currently he's working on four movies (don't know if he has big roles in them, that are just the information I found on the internet) and has a movie that came to theatres in America yesterday: Android Cop. 

THE VERDICT

The movie is sweet and I liked it, but the ending is kind of sad (as I said before I cried) and not at the same time. It was the type of ending for which the phrase "sweet and sour" was invented. Anyhow, the thing I like the most about the movie was the music, especially this one song called Weeds and Wild Flowers, performed by Jane Kramer. I've been looking all over for it (my latest info tells me it'll probably be on Jane Kramer next CD which will be released this year) and I can't find a decent recording of it. So instead I'm keep replaying the end of the movie. My final decision is, this is a movie worth your 89 minutes and 13 seconds.

xxx

Lucy Jane

It's All About: Which Movie Character Are You

I don't know if you remember, but a few years ago (I think it was around 2009) there was this really popular thing you could do on Facebook. You could make and solve all sorts of quizzes. And when I saw a post made by one of my friends, I got this weird déjà-vu feeling, like it was 2009 all over again. Partly out of curiosity, partly because I love quizzes of any type, I clicked on the link and got to a site where you solved a quiz and they would tell you which character from certain movie or TV series you are. There was a Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Mean Girls and few more.

I study psychology and on one of the first classes I was told those quizzes are bulls**t. I mean the quiz you take in Cosmo which is telling you're into guy with brown hair or something equally weird to predict is about as accurate as me telling you your faith from palm reading (I have absolutely no psychic powers, so I would probably just say you'll meet a men. Or maybe a woman, it's harder this days then it was hundred years ago, when you couldn't miss what a woman wanted to hear by telling her she'll meet a men. I'd be so bad at being a psychic I probably wouldn't be able to get the same person into my psychic office for a séance more than once. Or get them to recommend me to their friends.). But I still love to take them and then make fun of them. I mean I took the Mean Girls quiz and was informed I'm Regina, the main bitch in the movie. Which is kind of cool, since she is hilarious and I did like her character in a movie. But I'm a nice person, I was never a real queen bee in High School and I most definitely wouldn't cheat on that Aaron guy. He was way hotter than the other one.

Anyhow, this wasn't the only surprise that quizzes had in store for me today. When I took the Which Hunger Games Character Are You? I got Peeta. I mean seriously? Peeta? Not my favorite character and I can't find one thing we have in common. I mean the only good thing about him is he's physically strong. Which I'm not. I have problems with carrying anything that weights more than 3kg for more than 30 seconds. But I did get a feeling I'm a lot smarter than him. I mean how blind do you have to be to not realize Katniss is pulling an act just so she could get some food? Writing all that down sounds even more weird that it did in my head. Hope you won't misunderstood me, I liked the movie, but when a movie with a title Hunger Games doesn't have a character that looks at least a little bit hungry. However I do understand why was Jenifer Lawrence against losing weight and looking real hungry. She understands that Katniss will become a role model for a lot of young girls who are unable to understand, that she looks so skinny because she has nothing to eat. Oh, and  all the respect to Josh Hutchersen, because he somehow managed to make his character likeable. I read the books and Peeta looks like a real pussy. He never really does anything. I mean he gives Katniss a burned old bread. But not in a nice way, he throws it to her, like it's trash. In a book/movie, where hunger is the main issue they seem to be real careless about food.

But the biggest surprise of the day was which character I am in Harry Potter. You'll never guess, probably because you'll never get the idea that this character is even an option. Before I tell you the shocking news, let me just say I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter and when I was reading the books and watched the movies I always imagined myself as Ginny. Remember, this was before Ginny and Harry were an item. Way before. I fell in love with that character in the first book, even though she was barely mentioned. And when I read the second one, the one where her role is much more significant I was determent I want to be her. If I'd have a chance to audition for a part in a movie I'd want to be her. The only problem is I'm not really a ginger, but hair color can fix that. Well, if the hair were the only important thing to get a role, I'd probably get Hermione, since they were so curly my mother had to brush them for more than an hour just to get me look like a normal person, not someone who just woke up. They are straight now, thanks to this wonderful thing called straightening iron and huge amounts of conditioner.

 Oh, and what character do you think I got. Well if you figured it out without peeking at the photo, than congratulations are in order. According to this quiz I'm The One Who Must Not Be Named (a.k.a. Tom Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort). Told you, you wouldn't think of that one! Well it's probably my fault I got this, since I clicked on Evil when there was a choice between Good and Evil. 

But evil is what makes the story so compelling, isn't it?

xxx

Lucy Jane

Movie of the Month December: Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past

The third day of my December resolutions, and I already broke one. Yesterday, I didn't post anything on my blog. I do have an excuse though. I had a stomach bug and became inseparable with my lovely toilet. Disgusting I know, but this is my excuse and a damn good one, if I may add.

But back to the topic. I want to do a new best-of-the-month series, this one called Movie of the Month. I know I missed it for November, but I think you didn't need to hear it from me too (well you're gonna hear it anyway). The title for November was fair and square won by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The movie is amazing, story is amazing, and the cast is amazing. I loved Jennifer Lawrence in it and I can't wait to see her next movie that comes out right about now: American Hustle. I saw the trailer and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

 

So I told what I (and another half of the world) think about what was movie of the month November. But what about December? I was thinking something Christmassy or maybe at least something with a lot of snow. I couldn't decide, so I made a short list and watch all three movies again. Well I saw Frozen for the first time, and other two for like twentieth, but who's counting? The other two being Just Friends (with Ryan Reynolds, the gorgeous husband of Blake Lively) and Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past (with Matthew McConaughey). It was tough, especially after seeing the pretty new Disney tale about two sisters that love each other so much that are willing to do everything for the sake of other's well-being.

But seeing Matthew McConaughey shirtless resolved all the issues I had before and Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past has won in my book.

The story is not hard to tell. If you think hard enough, the title will remind you of another one you probably heard before. Well, the title isn't exactly the same, but I'm sure you all heard of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. No? Then you should go back to school! Just kidding. The stories have the same concept. A guy (Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Connor in Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past) did some horrible things in the past (Scrooge was super greedy and didn't want to share his wealth, Connor had a lot of girlfriends and hurt the one he truly loves) and the higher power that controls life (in a story) decided that it's time to give them one last chance before they destroy any hope of bright future they might have. So during the night three ghosts visit them, a ghost of their past, present and future. As always in romantic comedies, everything turns out just fine (and exactly the opposite of what the ghosts predict).

The thing I liked the most about the movie (besides Matthew McConaughey and the fact that there's a wedding and snow) is that Emma Stone is in it. She plays this crazy ghost of the past. She is super cute with curly hair and scrunches and all the eighties clothes she's wearing. And the fact that she behaves like she has enough energy to jump up and down for eternity. And the fact that she uses a bed as a car. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt afterwards. She was just so funny in this movie! I loved it!

The verdict:

So Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past is a romantic comedy you want to watch when you're cold and tiered and fell like, I need some time for myself. Or at least that is what I do, because I always forget about my problems when I'm watching a hot guy chasing a girl of his dreams (or in this case, half of the movie pushing her away and chasing other girls). And not to forget, there's enough shirtless Matthew McConaughey and some hot girls in lingerie for both you and your boyfriend (if you have one, which I don't. Just saying. Not complaining). And there's a car chase that is at the same time romantic and full of adrenalin. Really it's a win-win movie. And you can watch it every Christmas and it never gets old. 

Let's Dance!

I know that it is an old movie (like so 2012) but I just couldn't resist. Hope y'all forgive me =)

 Today while surfing the web I came across the trailer for Step Up Revolution. It's kind of a sequal to previous Step Up movies, even though there is no Channing Tatum in it (don't know what do you think, but  for me that makes it half less interesting to watch). But I rememberd that Moose is in it and I couldn't resist and I wached it again. I must confess, it is not as good as the first Step Up (which I adore and know by heart) but it's good enough to watch it more than once (and not fall a sleep while doing it). 

Basically the movie is about bunch of kids that love to dance. They want to become famous, via winning a YouTube contest. So they make (or do, I have no idea how to say this right, and google doesn't know either...) flash mobs around Miami. But when a "mean" tycoon wants to build bounch of hotels in their neighborhood, they use their dancing skills to protest. Oh, and there is a pretty girl that falls in love with a hot shirtless guy (the reason that women love to watch those movies).

 

Obviously I have a lot of free time and I spent the majority of it in front of  a computer watching movies/TV shows/videos of Ellen Show on YouTube... And now that I'm writing about this "so last year" movie I would like to suggest some good (and not so good) "dance movies" that I watched I liked.

So here's the list:

-my personal favorite STEP UP

-HONEY (This movie has a sequal but I didn't like it. But as a Vampire Diaries fan I had to watch it since Kat Graham plays the lead)

 

-TAKE THE LEAD

-MAGIC MIKE, ok maybe it isn't a dance movie, but strippers dance right?

-CENTER STAGE 1&2 sequals about the hard world of ballet

-STOMP THE YARD

-SAVE THE LAST DANCE (also has a sequal which I did watch yet, but can't wait to do it)

-STREET DANCE, there is a bunch of hot shirtless guys with British accent. Do I need to say more? Oh, and it has a sequal, which I didn' watch. Yet.

-SHALL WE DANCE

I think I wrote down all dance movies that I came up with in the last 10 minutes. Of course they dance in musicals too (like Chicago and A Chours Line), but a musical is a musical, the main thing there is singing. But who didn't try to dance on All that jazz, or on Welcome to Burlesque?

I know I had a great time doing it =)

Lucy Jane