Crossing another film off the list of my wife’s favourite movies that I have not seen brought me to The Pirate Movie. Not to be confused with Pirates of the Caribbean (Johnny Depp) or Pirates (adult), but the 1982 comedy, musical, adventure shot in Australia. It is now considered a cult classic, full of innuendos, laughable dangers, and makes some references to other more recognizable films almost making it a full on parody. The film is about a pirate and…
Currently at the Telus World of Science in Edmonton is The Science Behind Pixar Exhibition and an IMAX theatre which is playing Pixar movies. I recently visited both with my wife as we enjoy going to the exhibits, having also seen Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Sherlock Holmes. It begins with a quick video to introduce how to experience the often interactive displays, as well as get folks excited to see behind the scenes on some of the biggest computer…
Michael Keaton turns 66 today and I watched Night Shift, his 1982 comedy about a pair of morgue workers who turn their workplace into a brothel. Keaton was born in Corapolis, Pennsylvania, got his first acting credits for Mister Roger’s Neighborhood (1974-1975), and his first film role in Rabbit Test (1978 comedy with Billy Crystal). He was perhaps best known for playing the title characters in Beetlejuice (1988 comedy fantasy with Alec Baldwin), Batman (1989 action with Jack Nicholson), and…
My wife and I are big fans of animated movies, we liked them as kids and now we can fully appreciate all they have to offer. There can be brief jokes that only adults get, including in G rated family films, but there is also the wonder, the fantasy, and the ever increasing ability to produce them. I watched two of her favourites, Tinker Bell (2008) and Finding Dory (2016), we saw The Emoji Movie (2017) at a drive-in in…
The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action comedy pairing Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as bodyguard and hitman who have to work together to get to a court on time, all the while being at each other’s throats and hunted by the baddies. Filmed in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and the UK, and written by Tom O’Connor (whose only other credit is writing Fire with Fire, 2012 crime drama with Josh Duhamel), The Hitman’s Bodyguard delivers on laughs, foul language, and…
Cameron Diaz turns 45 today and I watched Bad Teacher, her 2011 comedy (the unrated edition, not the theatrical). Diaz was born in San Diego, California, got her first acting credit in The Mask (1994 comedy with Jim Carrey) and is perhaps best known for the comedy There’s Something About Mary (1998 with Ben Stiller) or the Charlie’s Angels action films (2000 & 2003). She can play the somewhat ditzy role well but as was on display in Bad Teacher,…
In 2012, Mud & This Means War were released, both with Reese Witherspoon in them. Mud, a drama involving 2 boys helping a stranger in Arkansas starred Matthew McConaughey, and This Means War, a rom-com with action pieces, was about 2 spies fighting over the same girl starring Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. Both films had Reese at the centre of the motivation for the leads, all 3 claimed to be in love with her. Previously, Reese was in Water…
Owen Wilson is a big part of 4 movies I watched recently, voicing the lead in Cars (2006 animated comedy), and playing the best friend in 3 live action comedies, Hall Pass (2011 with Jason Sudeikis), The Internship (2013 with Vince Vaughn), and Zoolander 2 (2016 with Ben Stiller). I had seen all but Zoolander 2 before, finding them all funny with bits of heart thrown in, and Owen Wilson usually plays a goofy but likeable co-lead in comedies, half…
Sleepless in Seattle is a romantic comedy about a widowed man whose story is broadcast over national radio starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Filmed primarily in Maryland and Washington, Sleepless in Seattle was nominated for 2 Oscars, Best Writing and Best Music. Director Nora Ephron loved using Meg Ryan as the pair teamed up previously in When Harry Met Sally (1989 with Billy Crystal) and later in You’ve Got Mail (1998 with Tom Hanks) and Hanging Up (2000 with…
August: Osage County is a dramatic movie version of a stage play about the women of a family in Oklahoma. It stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts (who both received Oscar nominations for their work), and other talented actors in a film that is heavy on dialogue and stress from family. Filmed primarily in Oklahoma, the movie showcases the south (for better or worse), differences in generations (Abigail Breslin is the youngest of the family), and not so gently deals…