This Movie Trailer Might Make You Pee Your Pants

When I first heard that Daniel Radcliffe was going to star in the movie version of The Woman in Black I was super excited.  I feel a strong connection to that story since I survived seeing the play when I was in London.

Why do I say “survived” seeing the play?  Because the play is freaking terrifying!!  When I was in London, I latched on to a lovely group of theater majors who were also on the trip and we went to a lot of shows together.  I think I went to 12 in all during the three months I was there.  I missed most of the big ones (The Lion King, Wicked, Chicago, etc.) but offhand I remember seeing Les Mis, Stones in His Pockets (the play Dan went to with his parents and met David Heyman for the first time……not a play for kids btw), Mama Mia, Noises Off, Private Lives (with Alan Rickman!!!) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (with Brendan Fraser).  It was easy for us to go to so many plays because if you had a student ID you could get any last minute tickets for super cheap right before the show started.

Well, one evening Josh asked if I wanted to go see The Woman in Black.  I said sure, whatever, because I had no idea what I was getting into.  Not until we got to the theater and I saw all the super creepy posters did I realize that this was a SCARY play.  I figured, “how scary can it be?  It’s a play, it will be so easy to tell that everything is fake!”  I could not have been more wrong.  The Woman in Black is soooooooo terrifying.  I don’t even remember much about the plot, just that this young dude spends some time in this spooky house and a woman in black keeps appearing.  It may sound kind of lame, but trust me, it is anything but.  At one point during the show, the woman actually walked down the main aisle of the theater and everybody screamed bloody murder.  If I hadn’t been safely up in the cheap balcony seats I would have run out into the dark streets of London by myself to escape the horror.

So anyway, enough rambling.  I figured that since I survived the play, the movie would be no problem at all.  Well, after seeing this trailer, I think I am going to skip this movie until I can watch it in broad daylight, surrounded by family and friends and my cats.

Awwwww man!  Why did I have to watch it again??  Now I am going to have nightmares for days.

Jen

Edit:  I just found the website for the play!!

Breaking Dawn Trailer…..Duh Duh Duuuuuuuuunh!!

After dealing with all the heaviness of national publications attacking books we love and Summer Reading Programs starting all over the country, we all need a little bit of levity right now.

So…….here is the first trailer for Breaking Dawn Part One.*  I happen to be in the camp of people who adore Breaking Dawn (hey, Jacob got his happy ending, that’s all I wanted….I don’t care how gross it is) and the Twilight movies always make me happy, so I am super excited about this.

I really love the way it starts out with everyone receiving the invitations.  And the wedding itself looks gorgeous!!!  I just can’t believe they revealed so much of the plot.  I guess most people who will be seeing the movie already know what is happening, but still…..they could have left a little to the imagination.

I am really excited to see what the fancy pants director does with the impossible-to-adapt material in the book.  Is anyone else looking forward to it?  At least it will give me something to do after the last Harry Potter this summer.

Jen

*Sorry, I couldn’t get it to embed and I was too lazy to devote time to making it work.

 

Harry Potter 7 – P2 Trailer

Yes, I am doing two posts in one day.  I decided it was important to share the trailer for Deathly Hallows Part II with all of you.

And now I have a question I need advice on.  Should I re-read Deathly Hallows before the movie comes out?

I really want to re-read it because it’s been awhile and I have forgotten a lot BUT I am afraid when things are different in the movie, I will be confused and distracted.  I didn’t re-read before Part I, and I don’t feel like I was as excited or as into the movie as I would be if I re-read.

So…what do you think?  Arguments for and against?  GO.  🙂

Thanks,
– Jill

Am I Too Old To Go To “Prom?”

I spent last weekend at home with my family and I kept trying to convince my sister that we needed to go see the movie Prom.  I kept pushing her because I knew she was one of the only people who would not be embarrassed to go with me.  She is a 27 year-old who loves Justin Bieber and the Disney Channel (there is no doubt that we are related) so I knew she would be game to see this movie. I was devastated to learn that the movie doesn’t come out until THIS weekend.  Rats!  My great plan was foiled.

Now I will have to try to convince my much more mature local friends to see this with me.  I guess I could be the creepy old person who goes to a kids movie by herself.  I have been there, done that.  Or I could wait until Mother’s Day weekend and go with Anne then.

But really, I don’t know if I will be able to wait because the movie looks completely awesome.

I am pumped because it has the dorky glowing kid from Sky High in it.  Also, the totally hot guy with the long hair (come on, you know he is gorgeous) is like 24, so it is not inappropriate to drool over him.

I am going to see a grownup movie tonight (Water for Elephants) so I can make up for that by going to see Prom this weekend.

Jen

Go See Rapunzel…I Mean Tangled!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their families.  I had a great time hanging out with my family during the 4-day weekend.  We played games, went to a craft fair, watched football, ate, and went to the movies.  We were going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One (it would have been the 2nd time for me, my mom, and my dad, and the 5th time for my sister) but we chose to see Tangled instead.

Boy am I glad that we chose Tangled!!  Not that I don’t still love HP, but I don’t think I would have gone to see Tangled otherwise.  Now I have seen it once and will probably go to it at least one more time in the theater.

We just went to a regular old show, not a 3-D one, but I don’t think we were really missing out on anything.  There were not a whole lot of really obvious 3-D things going on, so I don’t think it is necessary to see it that way.

Let me just say that this is my favorite animated movie in a very long time.  I will say that I loved Wall-E and Up, but they are so emotionally draining to watch that I just can’t do it on a regular basis.  I could honestly watch Tangled every week for months and never get sick of it.  I wish it was out on DVD so I could literally do that.

Tangled is the story of Rapunzel (they didn’t call it that because they thought boys wouldn’t go see it…..stupid marketing people!) and her amazing magic hair.  Mandy Moore does the voice for Rapunzel and I thought she was fabulous!!!!  I know not everyone likes Mandy, but I have a soft spot in my heart for her because of Chasing Liberty.  She does a great job with the character and of course, does all of her own singing.

But the best parts about the movie were the other two main characters.  Mother Gothel is the bad guy (voiced by Donna Murphy) and she is awesome.  She really freaked me out.  She’s emotionally abusive and totally manipulative and just plain perfect as the baddie.  She reminded me of a combination of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and The White Witch from Narnia.

But what I really want to talk about is Flynn Ryder!!!  He was so fantastic!!  The guys in Disney Princess movies usually don’t get to do a whole lot.  They show up for a few minutes, sing a song and then disappear for most of the movie.  Flynn gets just as much screen time as our fair Rapunzel and thank goodness he does because he is so funny!!  Did I mention this movie is funny???  It is freaking hilarious!  Zachary Levi is really good at doing Flynn’s voice, and dare I say it?? Flynn is actually kind of a hottie (does that make me weird???).

The movie is funny and charming and warmed my little grinchy heart.  The songs aren’t bad (they aren’t phenomenal, but they are kind of catchy) and thankfully everyone in the cast can actually sing.  There is one scene near the end that was so beautiful it literally took my breath away.  It reminded me of the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast when the camera pans down through the chandelier.  My breath stopped short when I saw that for the first time, and it totally happened again during Tangled when they lit the lanterns.  So gorgeous.  Okay, now that I think about it, that might have been great to see in 3-D.

So, I have rambled on longer than the movie now, so I will just say go see Tangled!!!!!!  You will not be disappointed.  Everyone in our theater was laughing and having a good time.  Out of our group of four (one of whom is very picky about animated movies) we all adored it, so I know you will too.

Jen

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

I am currently on an adult nonfiction kick, since it has been forever since we’ve had new kids books at the library (hmmmm, I wonder whose fault that is???). I just finished reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston, and wow…what a book!

For those of you who have never heard of Aron, he is a hiker/biker/skier/mountain climber/adrenaline junky/adventurer who fell into a desert crevice and got his hand caught between a boulder and a rock wall and was forced to amputate his own hand to survive. (I don’t think this is a spoiler because he is shown on the cover of the book with his artificial hand.) Knowing all of this before starting the book, I wondered how it would hold my attention for over 300 pages. Would the first 280 pages be worth it knowing what is coming at the end?

Well, I will say that it is definitely worth your time to pick up this book if you get the chance. The book goes back and forth between describing Aron’s predicament in great detail and sequences that describe his earlier adventures with avalanches, bears, and mountain climbing. There is also a part near the end that tells about how his family and friends tried to locate him during the many days that he was missing (one of the HUGE problems with his situation is that he never told anyone where he was going).

The parts that describe his earlier adventures are all pretty interesting. After reading about what a 27 year-old was able to accomplish in such a short period of time, I felt like a lazy lump of a person. This guy has done so many wild and crazy things and almost died on several different occasions. I found him to be kind of a cocky guy who bordered on being an a-hole in these flashbacks. This actually made the sections about being trapped in the crevice very interesting because he kind of comes to terms with his arrogance during the ordeal.

His descriptions of being trapped are very detailed and very graphic. Sometimes I was like, “Ewwwww, overshare!” but I guess that is probably why most people read the book. Even though you know exactly what’s coming, the book does build up suspense near the end. He gets trapped on a Saturday afternoon and decides it would be a miracle for him to make it to Monday. Well, it is many days AFTER Monday that he finally makes his escape. As the book got closer and closer to the end, I kept asking myself, “How is he going to do it????” He knew amputation was an option, but he didn’t have a tool sharp enough to do it. The actual solution is so brilliant and brutal and really awful to read about. But by the end of the book, you totally feel like you are trapped right there with him.

So, if you are into survival stories, or adventure, or thinking about going on a dangerous expedition on your own, I would recommend this book. But be warned….it is not for the faint of heart. I was flipping through the book and came to a section with photos. I was like, “Cool! Pictures!” Well, then I flipped to the next page and there was a picture of his severed hand still stuck to the wall!!!!!! AAAAAACCCCCKKKK!!!! I was not prepared for that.

The reason I read this book is because it is all over the media now because of the new Danny Boyle movie 127 Hours. I don’t think I could watch the movie because it will be too intense for me, but I have heard that it is remarkable. James Franco usually rubs me the wrong way, but there is something about the way he says the second “oops” in this commercial that makes me think he can pull this off in a great way.

So, are any of you brave enough to see the movie? And if you do, will you read the book first?

Jen

Uh-Oh…There’s a New Jane Eyre!

In the past year, I have become a huge fan of everything Jane Eyre…some might even call it an obsession. I have watched at least three different versions of it (the newest BBC one at least a dozen times) and read the book. I also just recently read Jane by April Lindner, which is a modern day version of the story (great book by the way…the part of Mr. Rochester is played by a washed up rock star…loved it!). So, hearing that there is a new theatrical version coming out makes me very excited.

Most people will probably roll their eyes and grumble something like, “does there really need to be a 57th version of that story??” To those people I say, “YESSSS!” I feel that each new adaptation adds something different to the story and gives me a new way to enjoy it. I think that there could never be too many versions of Jane Eyre (just like there can never be too many adaptations of Jane Austen novels).

Here is the trailer for the new movie which comes out in March. (Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to embed it here.)

http://www.traileraddict.com/emd/30183

Doesn’t it look awesome!!! I am super excited to see Dame Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfax and Jamie Bell as St. John. And whoever that is playing Mr. Rochester….wow…he sure knows how to smolder!

I know that I will be marking my calendar to make sure to catch this in theaters….who’s with me?

Jen

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Will Blow My Mind!

So the MTV Movie Awards aired on Sunday night and apparently it was all about vampires and werewolves.  They did allow a few precious seconds for the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Holy Buckets!!!  Here it is:

So, I have watched this several times (and by several I mean over and over and over again).  These are my quick observations.

1.  Wow, the trio look like grownups.  When did that happen???  Harry looks so freakin’ old!

2.  The fight scene with Ron and Harry looks AWESOME!!!  I’m pretty sure that I would have pulled a Ron if I was forced to camp with a piece of Voldy’s soul for such a long time.

3.  Emma Watson looks like she is once again using her only emotion—on the verge of tears.  But for this movie, it probably works.

4.  So does the scene of Hedwig flying away mean that she will be spared???  Who knows, a girl can hope.

5.  Ummmmm, so this trailer has the Gringott’s dragon in it……does that mean they are going to make it all the way through the Gringott’s scene in the first movie???  That seems like a pretty bold choice.  That would leave nothing left but the Hogwarts stuff right??  It’s been too gosh darn long since I’ve read that book.

6.  This looks amazing!

Jen

Hot Guys Hail From Everwood

I first saw the Letters To Juliet trailer all the way back in November with New Moon.  I knew right away that I wanted to see it because it is exactly my type of movie.  Beautiful foreign location, sappy love story, hot guy with foreign accent, etc.  I was super excited to see it and it is FINALLY coming to theaters in May.

The one thing I noticed while watching the trailer (which I have seen many times) is that I totally recognized the guy in it.  It was one of those situations where it drove me crazy because I could not place him until I woke up in the morning at 3 a.m. and yelled EVERWOOD!  He is the guy who tried to date Hannah during season four!!!  Hooray!  I should have known.

So, here is the trailer for this awesome movie.  Be warned though, it does give away the ENTIRE plot of the movie, so if you want to be a little bit surprised, don’t watch it.  But seriously, how could you not watch it?

Jen

P.S.  You’ll notice that having to post everyday, I will usually revert back to the basics of Everwood, Harry Potter, Twilight, or my cats.

Paul Rudd Can Do No Wrong In My Book

Paul Rudd turned 41 years old this week.  Let’s all take a moment to think about that…….Paul Rudd……Josh from Clueless, is 41.  I am officially an old woman now.

I have loved him ever since I first saw him as Cher’s adorable former stepbrother (or whatever he was supposed to be).  And can I say that he remains unchanged these many years later (he must have made the same pact with the devil that Peter Facinelli did).

Here he is in Clueless

Here he is today...Yum!

Well, I love Paul Rudd (have I already said that?) and I am so happy that he has had such a career resurgence in the last few years.  He apparently has a new movie coming out with Steve Carrell and Zach Galifianakis, which is enough right there to make me want to see it.  The trailer is not hilarious by any means, but I think the movie has the potential to be really really funny.

Jen

P.S.  Also, Bruce Greenwood is in it, playing the mean boss guy and I adore him!!!!!  He was in one of my favorite Road to Avonlea episodes, “Stranger in the Night.”