Living at the Movies

Movies have been a huge part of my life for as long as I’ve been able to sit still and focus my attention on the screen for a couple of hours at a time. I will never forget Billy Mitchell’s eighth birthday party at the Coronet Theater when we saw Star Wars. Nor will I forget the time my parents took me to see Animal House in the theater and they spent the whole time covering my ears and eyes every time someone swore or flashed a little skin on screen. And how could I ever purge the memory of all those Lifetime movies that I watched on the couch with Fehmeen (some of which I enjoyed, babe, honestly).

So I figured that since I watch so many movies, it would be a whole lot of fun for me to write about them. I also think that it would be cool to engage in a discussion of these movies so please feel free to comment. Thank you for your consideration.

Gran Torino

I saw this movie as one of the only white boys in a crowded, multi-ethnic movie theater. Knowing what I knew of the movie from the trailer and reviews, I was a bit nervous about that fact. But as the film rolled and Clint did his thing on screen, I noticed that the audience was laughing at his character’s over-the-top racist remarks. While the comedic undertone of the main character’s comments were, I assume, unintended, the story of community and heroism ultimately emerged in what turned out to be a very compassionate and courageous movie. Grade: A-

The Wrestler

I initially enjoyed this film a lot more immediately after seeing it than I did after taking the time to reflect on it. The movie itself was fairly predictable and turned out the way I knew it would, but that’s not the reason for the downturn in my opinion. It has to do with the hype surrounding the lead actor’s performance. I loved Mickey Rourke in Diner and even in Angel Heart, but I didn’t see what all the fuss was about his acting as The Ram in The Wrestler. I mean wasn’t he playing the same character on screen that he’s been playing in the world for the past twenty or so years? I just don’t get all the hysteria. Grade: B-

The Spirit

I am unapologetically the biggest comic book reading nerd that I know. I also loved the big screen adaptations of Sin City and 300 (both original Frank Miller comics). But there is not enough tetrahydrocannibinol in the world to get me to sit through this trainwreck of a piece of crap it was so horrible that at least ten people left after ten minutes excuse of a movie. Trust me, I tried. Not even the inclusion of Scarlett Johansson and Paz Vega in the cast could save this film from itself. Grade: D-

If you enjoyed this Living at the Movies post, be sure to visit my new Living at the Movies blog. Bookmark it now and check in every few days for a new review and discussion. Thank you.

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