I've been ultra busy the last two months. So I didn't end up being a zombie, but instead I was cast as Calpurnia in To Kill A Mockingbird, Ensemble in 9 to 5 the Musical, and the mother of Harriet Tubman in a piece for Arts Fest. It has been so exciting meeting new people and getting to work on shows! To Kill a Mockingbird opened last weekend and it went really well - despite the minor hiccup of one of our actresses being sent to the hospital for the weekend. The cast is great, and we've all become so close throughout this process. Not having rehearsal with them everyday this week is going to be tough! Don't even get me started on when the show closes. Luckily a small handful of the girls are in 9 to 5 as well.
In the interim, I have seen quite an abundance of films - in theaters and on Netflix. Let's see:
The Adventures of Tintin - Ah-May-Zing! I grew up watching the cartoons on Nickelodeon, so to me this was golden! The casting was perfect, the story had me on the edge of my seat, and the action was awesome, especially for a CGI film. Jamie Bell was perfect for Tintin. I think they made the right decision in keeping the film animated instead of live action because there are a lot of elements to the action and the story that toy with suspension of disbelief that would be really tough to get away with in a live action film. Totally worth the ticket, and I definitely plan on buying the Blu-ray (for the special features) A ++
Underworld Awakening - Not the best, not the worst. I think I only liked it because I've been a fan of the series since the beginning. It's the most graphic of the 4 films, and it's provoked some mildly stimulating controversy on the message boards (Rooting for the bad guy to win: Are the Vampires the villians?) I say the Humans and the Lycans are the worst of the worst in this film, but some people believe otherwise. Ultimately, I say wait till this one hits the rental rack. C -
The Woman in Black - TERRIFYING! I couldn't sleep right for a week. But Daniel Radcliffe did a phenomenal job on his performance. He's the only reason I saw this film, and I still regret it. Nothing like an army of dead children crawling out of the mud to ruin your life temporarily. This film taught me that curiosity can sometimes be a bad thing, and you should never let go of your child's hand. Everyone else says it was full of cliche horror film techniques, but since I'm not an expert on the genre, I think it was effective in it's endeavor even if it did stray rather far from the original novel. B
Chronicle - Unique style, pretty creative, but rather predictable. I thought some of the story line choices were kind of general. Of course the emo, loner, abused, suffering kid is going to do bad things! Give me something I won't expect. I think the reason the film has been so well received is because of the film technique and the fact that it's a general fantasy of many (especially fan boys and girls) to stumble upon super powers. I do like the fact that it isn't your Marvel or DC variety hero story, but I still knew most of what was going to happen before it happened. Not gonnna lie, I was rather upset by the choice they made on who to kill off midway through the film. It all went downhill from there for me. B -
Journey 2 :Mysterious Island - An entertaining adventure that isn't to deep but is full of laughs and action that I think only work in IMAX - otherwise it's not worth it. Dwayne Johnson made this film better than the first one (his humor is less corny than Brendan Fraser's, although isn't it ironic that they both did The Mummy 2 together and now they've both done a Journey film) Just don't go in with low expectations and you won't be disappointed. C
The Vow - Predictable, sappy, and romantic. The best part of the film was the city of Chicago. Watching the film made me miss it even more! D
My Week With Marilyn - unfortunately a fire alarm went off in the cinema about an hour in to the film so I never got to finish it, but the hour that I did get to watch was quite brilliant. I became enamoured with Eddie Redmayne's performance and quickly watched any film I could get my hands on that he starred in (which is quite a lot). I had no idea Marilyn Monroe was so unbalanced and drugged up. The fact that she couldn't have any private life, that she lived in a fishbowl, was her downfall. I can't wait to see the end of the film. So far I give it an A for cinematic beauty, character portrayal and story telling.
Joyful Noise - Surprisingly good, although not to everyone's taste (especially if you don't like Dolly Parton). I found it to be very funny, sad, sometimes shocking, and thought provoking. The music was great! I was surprised at how far they took certain scenarios, but at the same time it was REALLY long. I almost think some scenes were a bit unnecessary. Luckily I saw it for free because of a mishap with the fire at the theater. WIN! B-
If I went on to list all the films I have absorbed on Netflix, I'd be up all night and no one would want to read that! haha I must say, though, I just watched Glorious 39 (another Eddie Redmayne film), and it shook me to the core. It showed a side of history during the cusp of WWII that I was totally unaware of. It was really well done, the kind of movie that stays with you and keeps you thinking long after it ends. It was unbelievable and unexpected. I definitely give it an A+ and suggest that those who have Netflix instant watch check it out.
I'm looking forward to this one:
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