Movie Monday ... missed it by *that* much ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Happening (2008)

[Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo]

This movie, by M. Night Shyamalan, is about some strange event causing people to harm themselves in fatal ways. It centers on a high school science teacher and his wife, and their attempt to avoid becoming victims as well.

I don't know. I just found this movie odd. The premise was interesting, but I just felt... let down, I guess. I suppose the point of it is "the unknown". I don't know.

Can't say I would recommend it, but it's not like it's a horrible film, either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009)

[Deborah Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas, Sean Lawlor, Vic Chao]

Well, I was excited to see this movie, as the hype over it a few weeks ago was intense. Seemed like it was going to be a really cheesy, but fun, action flick.

Sadly, I was more bored than anything. And my 13-year-old fell asleep halfway through the movie!

Too much of the film centered around the marine scientists and their drawn out realization of what they were dealing with, and then their plans to bring the two beasts together.

We do get to see some of the battle between the two at the end, but it isn't nearly enough to make up all that comes before. Recommended for die hard "mega animal" movie fans, but in general, it was just blah. A letdown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the Waterfront (1954)

[Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb]

This was the first time I have ever watched this silver screen classic. And I shouldn't have waited so long! What a great movie.

Brando is awesome as Terry, but so is everyone else in the cast, including Eva Marie Saint and Karl Malden. Just a great cast in a great movie, directed so well by Elia Kazan.

I am sure I don't have to summarize something so well known, but basically it is a film about how easy it is to do nothing when it is so very hard to do the right thing. Definitely deserves it's reputation as a classic.

Highly recommended, if you haven't already seen it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Movie Monday - Netflix Meme

Okay, so I have been really lax in my movie watching this week. But mainly this is due to my wife, our kids and I trying to catch up on season finales and all that stuff that builds up on the DVR. Add in Red Sox games, and life itself, and movies fell by the wayside.

So when Gilligan over at Retrospace did a "Ten Movies in Your Netflix Queue" meme, I was one happy blogger. (Thanks, Gilligan - I like memes, too!)

Here are the ten movies at the top of our Netflix Queue.

(Remember, this queue is used by me, my wife, our 13-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son.)

1. 10 Things I Hate About You (My daughter's choice, she is gaga over Heath Ledger.)

2. Essence of Echoes (I have had this in the queue for a long time, and keep moving it down in favor of something else. May just let it go through this time and get it over with.)

3. Lakeview Terrace (My wife chose this one, she likes thrillers. I am looking forward to it, too.)

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (My son chose this last week, but at the last minute asked me to switch it with MLB Bloopers, which we just finished watching. Good choice!)

5. Rest Stop (Have been looking forward to this one. Maybe Essence of Echoes will lose it's spot once more. hahaha)

6. Babel (Heard it was good, but keep moving it down. Mainly I haven't been in the mood for a heavy movie lately.)

7. Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (Oh boy - forgot about this one. Really want to see this, and my daughter does, too. Might be moving up the list ASAP!) [Don't judge me!]

8. And Then There Were None (My choice, I love old mysteries and Agatha Christie, but haven't ever seen this movie. Will be a good time when it gets to the top of the list.)

9. Doubt (Have heard good things about this one, so it moved up the list pretty quick.)

10. Live Feed (Don't remember when or why I added this movie. Doesn't have a good rating. Hmm...)

So, there you go, our top 10 out of the 263 movies in our queue. Yes, 263 movies. Some, way down on the list, just sit there, waiting for some one's fancy (or memory) to strike.

I wish Netflix would add more movies to their Instant queue, so that we could watch them when we want without waiting. My wife and I have done this a few times and found it quite handy.

So, those of you who do have Netflix (or Blockbuster) queues... What's your 10?

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus - Yeah, You Heard Me...

Calvin over in his Canadian Cave of Coolness brought this movie to my attention:

Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus



It looks so bad. So, so bad. Yet, I am intrigued.

A Mega Shark, a Giant Octopus, explosions, screaming, death, destruction, Lorenzo Lamas AND Deborah Gibson?!?! I know it won't live up to the sheer awesomeness of it's parts, but really, could anything live up to all that?

Johnny Boots did a post about 'guilty pleasure horror movies' today at his Freddy in Space blog. I tossed in my two cents for my choice, the mother of all "sub-par animal vengeance flicks", Jaws: The Revenge. I guess whatever flaw in my brain draws me to that movie also finds something, however small, in this new movie.

We shall see. Or at least, I know I will see.

Masochist. A movie masochist, that's what I am.

...help me...