Top 10 Movies of 2007 (10)

Happy New Year fellow movie goers! 2007 has come and gone and the best and worst movies of that year will soon be replaced with equally worse and better movies in 2008. I thought it would be fun to countdown my favorite movies of 2007 and then after that countdown my favorite movies to be released of 2008. I posted previously movies I was looking forward to over a 4 years span as I found them on ComingSoon.net. Enjoy!


10. Waitress

Jenna is a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the deep south. She meets a newcomer to her town and falls into an unlikely relationship as a last attempt at happiness. I thought this movie was... cute. I even put this on my "must see of 2007" at work and get made fun for it all the time. Everyone deserves a little "chick-flick" now and again. Regardless of what you want to think of this movie or label it, Keri Russell is exquisite in it. And, for all those Joss Whedon fans like myself, Nathon Fillon was equally good. I saw this movie solely for the reason that Fillon was in it and in the end, I was surprised. It has funny quips, a good cast, and was one of the only movies in 2007 that wasn't a sequel, threequel, or remake. Surprise! Rent it!

HAVE YOU HEARD??? 2008 check it out

Above image from Shoot 'Em Up


I know that the title of this blogsite is "you're renting what?" but there are some movies I wish to talk about that will be released to theaters soon...

So as the year begins, excitement stirs in movie lovers about what new flicks will come out. I am one to delve into trailers on the Apple website to see what movies I want to see and what I would most likely skip. This compulsive act was bestowed upon me by Miss Ashley and I thank her for that lovely introduction. :-) So a preview at the insanity to look forward to in 2008... and maybe what not to look forward to?


1. There is a movie coming out... I kid you not... about a girl who has teeth in her vagina. The title, so cleverly thought up, is Teeth. I saw the trailer and though it is such a bizarre concept, I think that it is going to be a darkly humored film with a biting message (Oh, Izzika). Anywho, this is about a girl who wishes to remain abstinent, but is sexually assaulted by her stepbrother... that's when she discovers her lady part could be used as a weapon against those crazy sex fiends with meat poles. If I am getting too graphic, I apologize and obviously this movie isn't for you. You can see it May 2008.

2. In February 2008 we will see yet another American remake of a Japanese film. This one is The Eye starring Jessica Alba. Ms. Alba has had some hits (Sin City) and some misses (Fantastic Four... and the sequel to the ill fated first Fantastic Four) and I think this might be a middle ground. I don't think that it will go crazy in the box office... unless the majority of the audience is of the male gender. It looks like another Grudge or Ring movie with more adrenaline pumping scare scenes rather than a thrilling and chilling "Alfred Hitchcock" fear flick. The difference being plot substance.

3. Oh this one I am super excited about The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian which comes out in May of 2008. If you have seen the first Narnia movie then you would know the excitement, if not, then GO RENT IT NOW! It's wonderfully imaginative and awakens the child in us all. I hope that the other siblings have more of a role than the youngest in this one though. She got a little bit annoying in the first one, but find out for yourself.





As for other movies to find at your local video spot:
* I hope that the move Wristcutters: A Love Story becomes available for home viewing in 2008. This movie was only in a limited number of theaters, none of which convenient for me, and I desperately want to see it! It is about a world after suicide where you "live" the same boring life day after day, doing a tedious job you don't like, unable to smile or have hope. But one man (played by Patrick Fugit, whom you probably remember from Almost Famous) finds out that after his suicide, the woman he loved in life has also kicked the bucket by her own means. So he sets off to find her with people he meets along the way and it looks absolutely marvelous. And Shannyn Sossamon is in it, she rocks.

* A MUST SEE! RENT IT TODAY: SHOOT 'EM UP... Clive Owen plays a gun slinging hero who eats carrots and has corny one-liners... and looks so good doing it. Paul Giamatti is the villain- and a mighty good villain if I say so myself. If you like action and interesting twists, you'll love this. It's like Bourne only better because Matt Damon isn't in it. (Was that mean?) It may be confusing at first, but no worries, all will be revealed. I think that's the only thing it has in common with Bourne, that an the action... the plot is different... well both also have something to do with politics. hmmm... I think Matt Damon is the only difference... and a good difference at that.

And that's all I have for you right now. Keep watching. 2008 is going to be a helluva year.


Izzika~

Coming Soon

The Holiday Movie List has been updated with some of our movie friend, Frank's, picks. Be sure to add your two cents on the list by commenting on this post!

Today I did some snooping. I'm a bit of a IMDB stalker. It's one of those sites that is addicting and I could easily spend hours surfing. It's sad, but true. Another website I love to visit on a daily basis is ComingSoon.net. Upon surfing this website I found an area where you can see all the upcoming movies that are projected to be released within the next 1-4 years! Here are some of my favorites for 2008:

JANUARAY
27 Dresses -- A young woman (Heigl) who has made a career out of being a bridesmaid but never a bride and faces her worst nightmare when her sister (Akerman) becomes engaged to the man of her dreams. Luckily, the wedding brings around the man (Marsden) who will change her bridesmaid status for good.

The Air I Breathe -- A businessman (Forest Whitaker) bets his life on a horse race, a gangster (Brendan Fraser) sees the future, a pop star (Sarah Michelle Gellar) falls prety to a crime boss (Andy Garcia) and a doctor (Kevin Bacon) must save the love of his life. Based on a Chinese proverb, these four overlapping stories dramatize the four emotional cornerstones of life: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.

Cloverfield -- Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

FEBRUARY
Diary of the Dead -- The latest sequel to Romero's 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead," finds a group of young film students who run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.

Possession -- A woman's life is thrown into chaos after a freak car accident sends her husband and brother-in-law into comas, but then the latter wakes up thinking he's his brother.

The Spiderwick Chronicles -- From the beloved best-selling series of books comes "The Spiderwick Chronicles," a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.

MARCH
10,000 BC -- It was a time when man and beast were untamed and the mighty mammoth roamed the earth. A time when ideas and beliefs were born that forever shaped mankind. 10,000 B.C. follows a young hunter (Steven Strait) on his quest to lead an army across a vast desert, battling saber tooth tigers and prehistoric predators as he unearths a lost civilization and attempts to rescue the woman he loves (Camilla Belle) from an evil warlord determined to possess her.

21 -- "21," based on Ben Mezrich's best-selling nonfiction book "Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions," revolves around a group of young men who become experts in the art of card counting.

APRIL
The Ruins -- Based on the Scott Smith novel, "The Ruins" centers on a group of friends whose leisurely Mexican holiday takes a turn for the worse when they accompany a fellow tourist on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- No plot available.

JUNE
Get Smart -- When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the only other agent whose identity has not been compromised: the lovely-but-lethal veteran Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). As Smart and 99 get closer to unraveling KAOS' master plan—and each other—they discover that key KAOS operative Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his sidekick Shtarker (Kenneth Davitian) are scheming to cash in with their network of terror. Given little field experience and even less time, Smart—armed with nothing but a few spy-tech gadgets and his unbridled enthusiasm—must defeat KAOS if he is to save the day.

JULY
Step Brothers -- Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who last teamed in the box-office smash "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," now star in "Step Brothers," a comedy about two spoiled grown men, still living with their folks, who become competitive stepbrothers when their parents fall in love and get married.

AUGUST
He's Just Not That Into You -- Based on the best-selling book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. The Baltimore-set movie of interconnecting story arcs deals with the challenges of reading or misreading human behavior. Jennifer Connelly plays a woman stuck in a tired marriage with Cooper's character. Kevin Connolly, meanwhile, is a man pining after a woman, still not cast, who is having an affair with Cooper. Goodwin is a young woman obsessed with Kevin Connolly's character who tries to set up accidental meetings with him only to run across his friend, played by Long, who takes her on as a "My Fair Lady" experiment. Barrymore plays a woman perpetually confused by dating, now more than ever in a culture that is more obsessed with technology than actual human contact.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperer -- The blockbuster global "Mummy" franchise takes a spellbinding turn as the action shifts to Asia for the next chapter in the adventure series, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." Brendan Fraser returns as explorer Rick O'Connell to combat the resurrected Han Emperor (Jet Li) in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the frigid Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex (newcomer Luke Ford), wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) and her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). And this time, the O'Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service. Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to spend eternity in suspended animation, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O'Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 -- Sequel to the 2005 sleeper hit "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" in which four best girlfriends hatch a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives start off in different directions: they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each of their bodies perfectly.

SEPTEMBER
Nothing But the Truth -- The story centers on female newspaper reporter (Beckinsale) who outs a CIA agent and is imprisoned for refusing to reveal her source. Schwimmer will play Beckinsale's husband, who initially supports his wife's decision not to name names but as time goes by begins to resent her for choosing a principle over her family.

OCTOBER
Where The Wild Things Are -- "Where the Wild Things Are" follows the adventures of Max, a head-strong young boy who leaves home after having a fight with his mother -- only to find himself in a mysterious forest bordering a vast sea. Misunderstood and rebellious, Max sets sail to the land of the Wild Things, where mischief reigns.

NOVEMBER
Bond 22 -- No plot available. Craig will be back to reprise his role.

DECEMBER
The Day The Earth Stood Still -- A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic about a humanoid alien named Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) who arrives on Earth accompanied by an indestructible, heavily armed robot and a warning to world leaders that their continued aggression will lead to annihilation by species watching from afar.

TBA 2008

Frank, Life, and Quotes

This blog has seemed to turn away from the original concept. Regardless, I enjoy blogging about random ideas, findings, and reviews on movies I love, hate, and love to hate. Although I have just recently posted my soon-to-be long list of holiday movie recommendations, I made my way over to Frank's Films and was pleasently surprised to see his review on BUG. I had mentioned a couple posts ago that I wanted to see what he thought of the movie. Frank, I'm always happy to see that you put so much effort and thought into your weekly movie reviews (PS, I will be renting Pi this week). So, if it counts - A+ for effort!

I'd like to think that beyond reviews, ramblings, and whatever else I can think of posting, that this blog is definitely a release from the frustrations of the "real world." Who likes the real world anyways? I want to live in Kansas with Dorthy and be married to John McClane, but not everyone gets what they want. So... I post.

Now, I post about quotes. Izzika IMed me (feel free to, by the way at: bgbeebs) earlier and asked if we could post some quotes on our fabulous blog. OF COURSE! I said. Who loves nothing more to have entire conversations based soley on various movie quotes that you know so well. There is no doubt that some of you, if not all of you, have said a movie quote today. If you haven't yet, you will and you won't even realize it. Today, for example, Izzika called me to tell me that she was "hungooooova'; famously said by Paul Rudd's character, "Brian," from Anchorman. Quote one of the day: Check!

There are classic quotes...

My personal favorite from Aliens:
Ripley: Get away from her, you bitch!

I can remember when I was young and my dad and I would have "father/daughter" movie nights (see, my love for movies is deeply rooted) every Saturday night. I was 8 years old watching Aliens. Can you believe it? I remember that everytime that line would come on near the end of the movie I would ask my daddy sweetly, "Can I say it, daddy?" And he would say, "Yes, but only around me". So I would walk around all day and night around my dad saying, "get away from her, you bitch!" It's funny the little things you remember. Now, 14 years later, I'm hoping that Santa brings me the Aliens Quadrilogy. A girl can dream.

There are common quotes...

As mentioned previously, a quote from Anchorman:
Ron: I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly...

Anchorman seems to be the most commonly quoted movie through my circle of close friends. Quotes constantly sneak their way into daily conversation, it's pretty bizarre.

Now I ask you all: What are you favorite quotes? Everyone has that movie that they are constantly quoting from (whether people realize it or not). What's that movie? What's that line?

T-Minus 25 Days

It's December! Holy cow! T-minus 25 days and counting for my broke butt to purchase oodles of gifts. Looks like everyone is getting $10 gift cards to Wal-Mart!

In the holiday spirit (or lack of), I thought it only appropriate to list some splendid holiday movies. Some are quite obvious others, not so much. If you feel I've not included a great movie then comment! We'll be sure to add it to our list of favorites. There will be no reviews in this post, however, just a long list of holiday movies that I enjoy and think you might too.

Updated 12/02/07 @ 2:57PM
Die Hard
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Love Actually
The Holiday
When Harry Met Sally
It's Christmas, Charlie Brown
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
**Bad Santa
**Joyeux Noel
**La Buche

"**" new addition

So far, that's all I can think of. My brain is mush. Feel free to add via comments and I'll be adding for the next 25 days. Eventually I will add my own tid-bits on each movie and I'll include yours as well!

I Know Who Killed Me & Waitress

Wowzers! Talk about a lack of posts for this month. No worries though, I come at you today with two movies: I Know Who Killed Me and Waitress.

If you're in the mood for a light, romantic comedy, with a sweet happy ending, then Waitress is for you. Staring the beautiful Keri Russel and the amazing (I say that because I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan and any cast members from his previous works are amazing) Nathon Fillon. It's weird to see Fillon as your typical "Jude Law" kind of character. He's cute, slightly funny, and you are rooting for him to get the girl. If you haven't heard anything about this movie it is as follows: Jenna is a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the deep south. She meets a newcomer to her town and falls into an unlikely relationship as a last attempt at happiness. The end. There's really nothing more or less to this movie. It's cute and pleasant. I enjoyed it. I say: rent it.

As for the other movie... I Know Who Killed Me, pass on that.

Quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. I think it comes close to how Matt and Liz felt about Bug. I think IKWKM had the potential to be a really great cult classic. However, in the end... It fell short. Way short. The plot of the movie is kind of interesting (a young girl is kidnapped and "turns" up with missing limbs but is not the girl everyone says she is) and the whole "stigmata" theories to the movie were neat, but the acting fell short and the whole slut/non-slut character twist with Linday Lohan fell short of anything that could have been considered "interesting." I'm usually a fan of movies that are disappointments to critics (Postman), but this movie is just... Awful. I say: do not rent.

And You Thought Your Family Was Crazy?

This is another movie based off a book, however, I have not read this book. My bad. Anywho, Running with Scissors is a dark-humored drama about a young boy of about 14 years old who's parents get divorced, mother is INSANE, gets adopted by his mother's psychiatrist (who's family is also off the edge of reality), and is dealing with being homosexual in the '70s. It is original and has very poetic moments of dialogue. Augusten - the main character - is also the narrator and the voice over narration is excerpts from his diary. And though his mother is a fame-obsessed poet (who doesn't really become famous), I wouldn't say that her poetry were the most "poetic moments," in fact I loved simple one-liners that came from each individual character. I suppose if you spliced all those instances you could come up with a kick-ass poem... or a book, much like the one this movie was based on? hm. Jackpot. I have no idea why I am rambling like this. I must sound like a lunatic. Don't worry, the movie isn't contagious. And it might make you rethink trusting in shrinks and taking meds. ENJOY!!!

Mask

They told 16-year-old Rocky Dennis he could never be like everyone else. So he was determined to be better.

Tim and I were flipping through channels last night and we ran into Mask. If you haven't seen this movie it is definitely worth it. Made in 1985 and staring Cher, Sam Elliot, and Eric Stoltz, this movie never stops becoming more and more touching than the first time I watched it. Personally, every time I watch this movie I feel inspired to be a better person, to think more positively. Besides it being a great movie, Cher and Sam Elliot are fantastic in the movie. If you're looking for a movie that will inspire you, make you laugh, and definitely make you cry then I say: RENT IT.

I Now Pronounce You...

Watch'n'Blog
Oh Adam Sandler... I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is proving to be comical within the first five minutes and is keeping me interested as any other Adam Sandler movie would. I must admit, I mostly wanted to see this movie for Kevin James. I've noticed that in many of Adam Sandler's films he repeatedly casts the same people. I like that. It's like Will Ferrell movies and the "Frat Pack." Except, with Adam Sandler it's more of a "Stupid-Pack" since most of the "repeaters" in his films all portray slightly handicaped people. I don't know yet how I feel about Jessica Beil being in the movie. I kind of miss her 7th Heaven days. She was so cute and... virginal? Regardless of the actors and actresses in the movie here is what IMDB has to say about what the movie is about (warning: may contain spoilers):

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Chuck Levine and Larry Valentine are two firefighters. They are good friends. However, Larry is a widower (with two small children) and Chuck is single.

Larry dares Chuck one day to eat a dead rat, but he falls from the ladder that he was going to the drop the rat from. Chuck saves him but the two are rushed to the hospital and quickly recover. Larry calls in that favor big time when civic red tape prevents him from naming his two kids as his pension beneficiaries. All that Chuck has to do is claim to be Larry's domestic partner on some city forms. They think it will be easy because nobody will ever know. After Chuck agrees to the ruse (though reluctantly so, due in large part to his notorious womanizing), the two men go to Niagara Falls to get married, and Chuck moves in with Larry and his unsuspecting kids.

But an official becomes suspicious, and the new couple's arrangement becomes a citywide issue and goes from confidential to front-page news. Forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds, Chuck and Larry must now fumble through a charade of domestic bliss under one roof. After surviving their mandatory honeymoon and dodging the threat of exposure, the well-intentioned con men discover that sticking together in your time of need is what truly makes a family.

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Overall, the movie is pretty funny. Adam Sandler and Kevin James are pretty funny together and the concept of the movie is cute. It got pretty cheesy towards the end, but you can't have a funny Adam Sandler movie without the cheese-tastic happy ending. :) I say, RENT IT.

The Pontiac Game Changing Performance

In the spirit of watching football literally all day, I started thinking about some great football movies. Recently I just rented We Are Marshall. IMDB says, "When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach (McConaughey) and his surviving players try to keep the football program". If you haven't seen this movie and enjoy your true story/underdog/over coming obstacles sports movie, this is definitely for you. Admitedly, this is one of my favorite sports movies (with Miracle coming in first).

When I asked Tim what he thought were some great football movies he mentioned Rudy and Friday Night Lights, but I'll let him post (eventually!) about his choices.

So, what football movis are YOU renting?