Old Kids Movies Are RANDOM!

A few weeks ago we had a friend over and were watching movies, and for some reason I convinced them to put on Pete's Dragon (there may have been alcohol involved . . . ) I hadn't seen that movie in at least 15 years (if not longer!) and it was so much fun to watch it again and realize I still knew some of the songs and characters (and that movie had some of the BEST songs! Oh man, I've been singing them for weeks now!)

That movie led me to start thinking about old kids movies, and how they would never in a million years get by today. Pete's Dragon has a whole scene in a bar, where you realize that Mickey Rooney is known about town for being a ridiculous drunk, and later, when he and his pal get scared, they start taking swigs from a flask. Then they share some of their drink with the dragon, who gets drunk and starts seeing double! WTF! Can you imagine any new movie coming to the theaters with a scene like that?

Nevertheless, it also got me on an "old fashioned, part-animation-part live-action" movie kick! And what we started realizing once we got started was that although the themes of some of the movies were questionable, gosh darn it, people in movies back in the day were TALENTED! You couldn't land a leading role unless you could sing, dance, and act. It's rare today to find a famous person who can do more than one of those things even adequately (and sometimes they aren't even good at whatever it is they're famous for in the first place!) I have such respect for all of those actors whose names I don't even know, but who can clearly kick butt right and left as an entertainer and performer.

Anyhow, after the first two that we watched I started asking people on Facebook for suggestions of similar movies, and it got so fun that I thought I'd post it here for everyone to see in one place :) Here is what we've done so far!


Pete's Dragon (as previously mentioned)
I really love the songs in this movie (have I mentioned that people in old movies can sing really well?) but in addition to the beer scenes I'd apparently also forgotten how really frightening the villains are! Talk about stranger danger! But all the same, this movie never struck me as odd or inappropriate as a child, and to be honest, maybe parents these days are too sensitive to things that end up going over kids' heads anyhow. (But I'm not a parent yet, so I reserve the right to change my mind in the future!)




Bedknobs and Broomsticks 
Again with the fantastic songs! Who knew that Angela Lansbury, from Murder, She Wrote could hold a tune! I sure didn't! (Until I looked up her filmography, that is, and realized that she was Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. Mrs. Potts has the best singing voice of any teapot I've ever heard!) It's funny how I went so many years without having watched any of these movies, but the moment the tune kicked in, I started humming along! Such a weird plot in concept, and boy were the special effects awful, but it's still such a classic!
 



Mary Poppins 
Okay, now we're really talking classics! Everyone's seen it and everyone knows it, so I was surprised to realize how much of it I had forgotten! Julie Andrews was absolutely amazing, talk about a triple threat! There's really nothing more I can say about it, except that if you haven't seen it in a long time, it is worth another viewing!







Reader Suggestions
I actually got quite a few suggestions from people who apparently don't read too closely, because when I went to investigate their movies for this post, I found that they had recommended old movies. Period. None that incorporated animation, like I was looking for. What a disappointment! But I do have some astute friends, and here is what they came up with!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Holy moly, I can't believe I hadn't remembered this one when I was making my original list! It was epic in terms of merging animation with live action, and I haven't seen it since I was a kid (that scene where the man is melted in the acid stuff and only his eyeballs remain has haunted me my entire life, though! I think I can handle it since I'm a big girl now, but still, whoa!) This one might also be a fun one to watch with some adult beverages, because I'm pretty sure it had more adult-themed moments in it than Pete's Dragon did!




The Incredible Mr. Limpit
We actually watched this movie a few weeks before I got started on this kick, and when I say "we" watched it, I mean J put it on and laughed hysterically while I did the dishes, folded laundry, and then took a bubble bath (I was that disinterested in it!) Now, some of the parts I did see were actually rather funny, but apparently J grew up watching it, so I think he had a greater personal connection to it than I did. But this one did get a vote from someone I went to high school with (hi Chris!) so it's not only old people like J who enjoy this one! ;)




The Three Caballeros
I VERY vaguely remember this one from my childhood (I think it was one of the first movies we had on VHS instead of beta, and I still sing the title song in my head from time to time!) I didn't remember it having real people in it, but I checked after it was suggested, and Wikipedia says it's the truth! So I guess I need to go back and watch it again!






Song of the South
How could I forget this one! "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah . . . " I don't know that I've ever watched this movie for real, so I guess now I have to!









So that's what I've gotten from everyone else, but I love hearing what other people have to suggest! I'm always open to watching new movies, and I love hearing about the ones I've forgotten, also! Tonight we're having a Will Ferrell marathon, though, so I'm off to watch that ;) But keep the ideas coming, and I'll get to those ones too!

 

 

** This post contains Amazon affiliate links. All that means is that if you use my link to access Amazon and buy something, Amazon gives me a kick-back. I don't even think it matters if you buy what I'd linked to in the first place, they're just happy that you ended up buying something from them at all! So if you need to purchase anything at all on Amazon, use my link to access the site, and help me afford a baby, by golly! :) Or not. It's your choice, and I'll love and respect you either way. But it would be cool if you did ;)

My Top 3 Underrated Movies!

I did a post on my top 3 underrated TV shows, so I thought it was about time that I followed up with my top 3 underrated movies! (And my definition of underrated are things I love that nobody knows what I'm talking about when I bring them up. So, as a friend pointed out, they might technically be more accurately termed "cult classics", but if I can't bring it up with people at work and think there's a chance they might know it, I call it underrated!)

The Count Of Monte Cristo

This movie is incredible, and everyone I know who has watched it has been blown away. I actually saw it in theaters with my friend (hi Kara!), so this isn't like the next movie I'm going to bring up that may have just skipped theaters altogether. It is really rare that I run across someone who has watched this movie, and I can't for the life of me figure out why that is. It's so incredibly good!

There are lots of movies that I like for specific reasons, but this movie really is the complete package. It has great actors, a really intense and compelling plot (I've never read the book but it's certainly a famous one, and based on the movie, I can see why! I need to buy that book), and there's no super fancy graphics but it is visually appealing . . . I think marketing just dropped the ball with this movie. 

So that's all I have to say, just go watch it. This one, I swear, you won't be disappointed. The next ones might be more subjective, but this one is just all-around wonderful.

Wet Hot American Summer 

 * Don't close your browser! Yes, I know it sounds like a porno title, but it's not, it's a comedy!

 

First of all, I don't like this new DVD cover because I feel like it's trying to capitalize on the fame of so many of the stars in it. Look, here is the original cover:

 

The movie is an ensemble cast, and frankly, I'm annoyed that they cut out half the characters, put the most famous ones on the front, and added that it's from the makers of "Role Models". LAME!

What has always made this movie so cool is that it doesn't try hard to be funny. It's got great comedic actors, a 70's camp movie spoof plot, and the most random one-liners ever. As far as I know (and I didn't bother checking any official movie database, so I could very well be wrong) this is the first movie that really showcased Paul Rudd's comedic chops (and David Hyde Pierce, for that matter! I never thought Frasier was all that funny). This movie is one of those great ones that feels like a bunch of random comedians hijacked a movie set, goofed around for a day, and then put it out on DVD. It's just all around fun to watch, which you don't find much of these days.

I'm guessing that this movie won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I've never had anyone watch it and not find it, at the very least, mildly entertaining. I could watch it a thousand times and never get bored, and with the splash that movies like "The Hangover" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" have made, I think this movie could make a resurgence (or it's first real surgence, at the very least! I swear this movie just skipped theaters entirely). So you should go watch it right now, and then when it ends up being a big deal you can say that you always knew how cool it was ;)

Shaun Of The Dead

Now, I think more people have heard of this film (particularly after "Hot Fuzz" came out and got such a buzz) but I still feel like people give me the blank, uncomprehending stare whenever I try to reference it. (And in case you're wondering, this movie is way, way funnier than "Hot Fuzz" was).

This movie is kind of a zombie/horror film spoof, and it has a very British sense of humor. So it's pretty deadpan, which I don't always find funny, but it works well once you factor in the absurdity of the zombies and how they are portrayed. I don't like zombie or horror films but I adore this movie, so it's not a humor that is based on a love of gore. It's actually a movie that seems to make fun of that gore. There's really no good way to describe the movie or argue that you should see it. You just should, because it's funny! I don't know anyone who has seen it and not liked it. (That seems to be my usual argument, but it's all I have to hold up as proof that I'm not the only person who has seen and liked the movie!)

So those are my top 3, what are yours? If so many people in the world have missed out on my favorite movies, I'm sure there are lots of other movies that I'm currently missing out on as well, and I'd love to know what they are! 

 

 

** This post contains Amazon affiliate links. All that means is that if you use my link to access Amazon and buy something, Amazon gives me a kick-back. I don't even think it matters if you buy what I'd linked to in the first place, they're just happy that you ended up buying something from them at all! So if you need to purchase anything at all on Amazon, use my link to access the site, and help me afford a baby, by golly! :) Or not. It's your choice, and I'll love and respect you either way. But it would be cool if you did ;)

Friday Favorites - Underrated TV Shows

So I thought it would be fun to do a weekly Top (multiple-of-five) of my favorite things, and Fridays seemed like a good day to do it (alliteration is as good a reason as any!) I got the idea when I was thinking about a show I love that I can't share with anyone because nobody watches it, so that's my first topic!

(And I fully realize that by the time this actually POSTS, it probably won't be Friday anymore. But too bad, people, cause this is my world now! And in my world, people have jobs with long hours and don't get home in time to get blogs in a purposeful or timely manner . . . But I'm working on that too!)

So without further ado, here are my . . . .

Top 3 Underrated TV Shows!

*(Top lists are ALWAYS multiples of fives, but I just don't know that many shows!)

 

Psych 

(USA, Wed at 10 pm)

 

This show is hysterical from beginning to end, and the only reason I can come up with for it not being a bigger hit is that it's on USA.
. . .
Wait, now I have a new idea, because I just tried a number of times to write up a basic synopsis of the show's concept, and I failed miserably. So maybe that is also why it hasn't caught on! It's hard to describe!

The bottom line is that Sean, with the help of his best friend Gus, opens a psychic detective agency and works with the Santa Barbara police department. The catch is that Sean isn't psychic, he just has a photographic memory and was raised by a cop who trained him to use that to his advantage. (Even that sentence is woefully inadequate, but it's been a long week, so that is the best you are getting!) The only people who know Sean is a fraud are Gus and his father; everyone else thinks he's legit.

What really makes this show so great, though, is that cast camaraderie. I think the best shows are the ones that convince you that the actors are actually as great of friends in real life as they are on the screen. This is the first show since Friends where I've REALLY believed that they must be having just as much fun doing their job as I have watching them do it. Everyone is SO likable, and absolutely perfectly cast so that you have a great comedic balance without any character seeming overly forced or caricatured. Sean's sense of humor is unique, and his character in particular plays off of everyone else really well. I love that they also include outtakes at the end of every episode, and unless those are staged, they really do seem to be having a fantastic time :)

So even if I wasn't able to accurately capture how really funny the show is, I hope I've at least got the word out there about it, because I don't want it to go off air :) Give it a shot at least and see if you like the humor (I think the website has clips from the show and fun games, too).

Legend of the Seeker 

(Sat at 2 pm, but I can't find what network. Just go with hulu!)

 

This was a show J had looked forward to for a while because he's read all of the books that they're based on, and I was actually mad at him the first time we sat down to watch it (we don't get much time to sit together and watch a show, and when we did, he didn't ask ME what I wanted to watch, just put this show on anyhow! The NERVE! It was one of those kinds of nights). When he put on a second episode, I was a little less mad and a little more intrigued, and by the third episode, I was totally hooked! Now I'm the one asking him if there are any new episodes ready to be watched (which, unfortunately, only gives him more ground to stand on when he tells me that he doesn't need me to tell him what I like because he already knows. It's INFURIATING when someone who always insists that they are right actually is always right). 

In any case, though, this is more of a J kind of show - it's a fantasy/adventure show, though it of course has comedic moments and some romantic tension (any TV show that wants to survive has to have those elements to some extent!). There's action, but it's not overly violent or graphic in any way (it's one of those shows where they are slicing and dicing people with swords, but there's never any blood anywhere! I'm always yelling at the show for that one) which I guess would mean that it could also appeal to queasy people and kids. Even with all those attempts to encompass as many demographics as possible, I still think the fact that it is based off of a series of novels means that there isn't a huge viewer fan-base (nevertheless on a Saturday afternoon, what a bummer of a time slot for them!) but I think people would be surprised at how good the show is if they gave it a chance.

The plot of the show has to do with this quest they are on to save the world and the bad guys they fight along the way (I give FANTASTIC show descriptions, don't I? That one specifically only applies to this TV show, no other movie has ever tried to use "good" versus "evil" as a plot before!) and this is another one where the chemistry between all of the cast members is what really makes it. There actually is a fair amount of emotion in the show, and for being actors I've never heard of before, they're very good. Also, for the sake of honesty, I should mention that the main character (everyone has weird names in this show, so he will now just be called The Main Dude) is really hot - I just need to put that out there right off the bat. Young, but hot ;) That always helps. The leading lady is also beautiful, though (in that kind of gorgeous girl next door way that everyone can agree on without feeling threatened or jealous of) so it's an equal opportunity eye-candy-fest! 

The show is a good one to watch when you just want something light and easy to follow that will let you escape the real world for a while. If you've read the books, you might be upset at some of the episodes they seem to throw in just to kill some time, but from what J has said, it follows the books fairly accurately. Give a few episodes a shot and see if you think I'm crazy for thinking it's great :)

Chuck

 (NBC, Mon at 8 pm)

 

Now, this one is probably the most well-known of the three (I'm pretty sure they did a big-deal 3D ad during a Super Bowl or something) but I still don't know anybody who actually watches the show! And that is such a shame, because it is so funny. This is another one where no matter how hard I try to write a plot synopsis, it's going to sound lame (I had to trick J into getting on board with the show by watching it when he was around but never actually asking him to watch it with me, because I knew if I told him what I'm about to tell you, he'd flat out leave the house. He ended up getting intrigued by the show when I was a few episodes in, so when I went back to show him the first episode, he was annoyed at it but already too invested in the character to leave. Chuck is just so gosh darned likable that J got over his anger towards the portrayal of technology in TV shows, and if J can, you can too!).

So, here is the plot: The CIA and NSA's super secret information is downloaded into Chuck's brain without his knowing it. (See, that is hard to swallow, I know). When he sees something in real life that has some kind of relation to the information in his brain, the information "flashes" and he suddenly recalls all sorts of important stuff. So, the government needs his help, but he just leads the Nerd Herd at the local Buy More (everything about the store and the Nerd Herd is such an obvious reference to Best Buy, it's hysterical!) so they have to send in top secret spy people to go undercover as his girlfriend and co-worker to manage him. 

THAT DOESN'T SOUND FUNNY AT ALL, I KNOW! You just have to trust me that the characters are so genuine and work so well together, and Chuck is just so inept at spy work (there is some great physical comedy, but in the good way! Forced physical comedy is awful, but when it comes naturally, I love it love it love it!) that it ends up being a recipe for success. There is some cool action and spy type stuff, but as I just mentioned, since a computer nerd is involved in it, it usually ends up funny :)

So what I think we've learned from this today is that I'm not very good at giving plot synopses, and I apparently like shows where the characters seem like they get along. (Who knew that was the recipe for getting me hooked on a show? Maybe not the recipe for a successful show, since I don't have anybody to talk about these shows with, but it at least works for me!) Also, I think we've learned that if I have daily themed posts, most people won't get to read them until the next day ;) Oh well, the anticipation is what will keep them coming back for more! And in the meantime, I'm always looking for new shows to watch (though I don't have enough time to watch the shows I currently follow, but you never know what else is out there unless you look for it! ) so feel free to share your personal favorites with me!