pay no attention to me, its the heat

Hot.  It's hot.  I'm hot.  There is too much heat - everywhere.  You have to understand that I consider anything above 75 hot.  And it has been triple digits around here.  We don't have AC.  I am barely functioning.  I can't go on much longer....  I only have the energy to complain because it is morning and it is only 67 right now.  Thank God for cool nights.  And I'm pleading with him for rain.  Rain cools the air 20 degrees or more, plus, we are just going to shrivel up and blow away if we don't get some.

Ok, enough of that.

There are some movies that people rave about and I just don't get...

Some examples:

Bridget Jones Diary.  I hated that movie.  First of all, why not just cast a British actress?  Why use a girl who has a terrible phony accent?  I want to watch Miss Potter, but I don't think I will be able to stand it!  Second, what was so funny about it?  Maybe I just missed the humor because I was too busy gritting my teeth.

Jerry Maguire.   I just don't get what was good about that movie.  In fact, I don't even remember what it was about.  Some greedy guy?  "You had me at hello"?  Which was just sooo corny to me.

Pretty Woman.  I guess there is the knight on a white horse part.  And every girl dreams of being rescued by a rich, handsome man.  But still... I just don't think the movie is "all that".

Dirty Dancing.  The only good part in the whole movie is when whats-his-face says "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."  And then they dance.  The rest?  Gag.  A bratty girl defying her parents and sleeping with a gigalo who is on a mission to help his friend get an abortion?  Whatever.

Wow.  This post seems kinda snarky.  Sorry about that.  It's hot.

wall-e

We saw WALL-E  yesterday.

It is a very cute movie.  Not a lot of dialogue, you know, since he can't really talk much.

It's a love story, and above all a story of hope.

I was afraid I was going to be disappointed.  I love PIXAR movies and the trailers for this just didn't look very interesting to me.  But it lived up to their standards and to mine!

Wall-e is sweet and outmoded.  He falls in love with a more sophisticated girl and it is really fun.

I love a part in the film where it portrays "I once was blind, but now I see."  When you watch it, you will know what I'm talking about.

So, grab the kids go see it.  Hey, the theater is air conditioned, too!

Prince Caspian

I really enjoyed this movie!  I loved the first one better, I also enjoyed the first book more.  Prince Caspian is a good story, but not one of my favorites of the Narnia series.  There are a lot of battles and that's not really my thing.  This movie does have a lot of killing in it, but nothing graphic or bloody.  Still, you might keep that in mind if taking your children with you.

It's been a while since I've read the book, but as far as I could remember the movie stayed pretty close to the book.  It did add in one little facet that isn't in the book, but movies like romance.

The book of course goes into more detail as to the spiritual reasons why some people could see Aslan and others couldn't.  But it's always harder to get those things across on film.

One part I love in the story is when Aslan asked "But why didn't you follow me anyway?"  Good question.

But later in the story she has the opportunity to demonstrate her faith as she stands alone against a massive onslaught.  Alone, but for the mighty Lion at her side.  I loved that image and I hope to keep it in my mind.  I want that kind of faith.  The armies coming against her appeared insurmountable, but she stood firm, her little dagger in hand.  She stood because she knew the one beside her.  She knew who he was and that all the power belonged to him.  She also knew who's fight it really was.  I want to remember that.

So, I recommend the movie.  It was very well done and very exciting!

thursday thirteen

Movies that I find funny.  I didn't include romantic comedy - that's another post.

A double feature because I couldn't choose just 13.  I made them all into links so you can learn more.

You can tell a lot about a person based on their sense of humor. 

Don't judge me.

1. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

2. City Slickers

3. Throw Mama From the Train

4. Harvey

5. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

6. Arsenic and Old Lace

7. The Gods Must be Crazy

8. Tootsie

9. Pee Wee's Big Adventure

10. Napoleon Dynamite

11. The Burbs

12. The Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers

13. O Brother Where Art Thou

1. Back to the Future

2. What About Bob?

3. The Frisco Kid

4. Young Frankenstein

5. Wayne's World

6. Waking Ned Divine

7. Fun With Dick and Jane

8. Little Big Man

9. Stranger Than Fiction

10. Wild Hogs

11. Mars Attacks

12. The Trouble with Angels and Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows

13. Austin Powers 

no autographs please

When I was a teenager my mother, sister, friend and I were extras in a movie. We saw the ad in the paper, so we went out to a place outside of town along with a hundred or so other people.

We waited around in the hot sun for what seemed like a very long time.

The movie was so low budget that the leading lady borrowed my friend's Cover Girl compact for a touch up.

We finally got to do our part. We'd all been brain fried by the planets aligning or something like that, so we had to just walk along, zombie like in a big crowd. And whatever we did, we were NOT to look at the camera. He made that very clear. Numerous times.

Maybe you've heard of it... The Spirits of Jupiter? No? Wow. I'm so surprised.

We even went to the premier in our little theater in our little town. It was funny because the stars were acting as if it were a real premier, smiling for the one photographer that was there. Primping and posing.

We kept watching for ourselves in the film of course. There we were. Finally. Literally. We were the crowd of people marching along as the end credits rolled by. I did see myself because I had on a red shirt. So keep in mind if you ever get the chance to be an extra to wear red.

thursday thirteen

Thirteen movies filmed (at least in part) in Colorado.

1.     Cat Ballou

2.     Mr. Majestyk

3.     True Grit

4.     Lightning Jack

5.     The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox

6.     The Sacketts

7.     The Cowboys

8.     True Grit

9.     City Slickers       

10.  Independence Day

11.  War Games

12.  How the West Was Won

13.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

thursday thirteen

Thirteen favorite movies that make me cry:

1. Camelot
   


2. Westside Story
   


3. My Girl
   


4. Beaches
   


5. Steel Magnolias
   


6. Simon Birch
   


7. We are Marshall
   


8. Life is Beautiful
   


9. Reign Over Me
   


10. Schindler's List
    


11. Beyond the Gates
    


12. Cast Away
    


13. Old Yeller
    

amazing grace

Maybe you're like me and don't get to the theater very often. I did see this film in the theater, though, and at a time when God was taking me to a place where I would see just how amazing His Grace really is.
If you haven't seen this yet, run out right now and pick it up. It is a powerful film. There are so many truths in it. And I love the way it demonstrates what kind of difference one person can make. It is very easy for us to think that we can't have much influence, but oh yes we can. It isn't easy, but I think God is just waiting for us to be willing to step out, put ourselves on the line, and He will use us to change the world!

Beyond the Gates

I have mentioned this movie before. With all that is going on in Kenya right now, it might be a good time to watch this. It is rated R. There is violence and language. I did see, however, that there is a clean language version. Not sure if the rental places carry that version or not.

thursday thirteen

Thirteen good movies I saw in 2007:

1. Meet the Robinsons
2. Amazing Grace
3. Spiderman 3
4. Beyond the Gates
5. Bridge to Terabithia
6. Reign Over Me
7. Ethan Almighty
8. The Painted Veil (both versions)
9. Premonition
10. Freedom Writers
11. The Last Sineater
12. The Astronaut Farmer
13. Pride

mr. magorium

I really liked Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Reading the reviews, I find that I am in the minority. But what's new?

It had not one foul word or naughty euphemism. I thought it was fun and I laughed out loud more than once.

It is also touching and opens doors for some discussion about death and Heaven, (as opposed to Elysium and Nirvana).

I am a longtime lover of magical stories along the lines of Mary Poppins; Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang; Willy Wonka; and such. This one fits right in there.

I think God has given us all a longing for this kind of magic. He is magical beyond all imagination. The devil does not have the capability to come up with anything on his own. Every idea he has, he got from God. He takes something pure and beautiful and warps it to his purposes. So must be the case with magic. His wicked sorcery is an evil adaptation of God's Wonder Working. What is turning water into wine? Multiplying the loaves and fishes? Miracles! Magic!

So, I hope I'm making sense. I just think this thing in us that likes wonders, is a God-given thing. We must guard it, though, because the devil certainly likes to mess with us if we let him. And take this desire and turn it to things God never intended.

Anyway, if you are looking for a fun movie, go see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I can't say if your kids will like it. We didn't take ours.

monday meanderings

I hab a terribo code.

So, in between naps, I thought I would post a little something.


A couple of good movies I've seen recently:


Reign Over Me. I don't usualy watch R movies and this one has absolutely unnecesary terrible language and it also has a lot of references to certain sexual behavior. But it's all talk, no action. I hate that kind of language. Some argue that it's realistic. Fine. I hear it enough in real life. I don't want to hear it in my movies. But, in spite of the language, I really, really liked this movie. And I've been trying to figure out why, exactly. I like Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle both. But I have certainly seen Adam Sandler movies I didn't like and there are some I haven't seen at all because, well... they're just too dumb even for me. But this movie is very smart. It is deep and it is very moving. It's about the power of pain and denial. And the redemptive power of friendship. No man is an island. And while sometimes we may need to find our own way, we really can't find it without help.


Spider Man 3. I didn't even see number 2, but I don't feel like I missed anything. I was able to pick right up. Again, this movie portrade redemption and forgiveness. It even had a "foot of the cross" experience of repentance and cleansing. We all make choices and we are in control of those choices. It has a great message.


Keep sending in those introductions!