50x3: Flakes (J-1)

As I was watching this movie I immediately thought two things: 1) Why is this not a thing? 2) Since it is not a thing, why can't I make this happen?

For Jessica's first film on the list I watched Flakes. I had never heard of this film, nor did I have any idea what it was about. I didn't even know who was in it except Zooey Deschanel - and that was only because she was on the cover of the poster.

So, the film stars Aaron Stanford as Neal Downs, a struggling musician who works at a local 'restaurant' named Flakes. It is owned by an old hippie stoner, Willie (Christopher Lloyd).

The 'restaurant' is actually just a little place that serves bowls of cereal. What an amazing premise. Who doesn't love cereal? I mean I can eat it at pretty much any meal, or just grab it as a snack - with or without milk.

This place is a Cheers-esque place where they have a certain repeat clientele - and sort of created their own little niche in the area. They brought in special cereal from all over, and worked at getting some brands that were even discontinued.

Deschanel plays Pussy Katz, Downs' girlfriend. She is pretty much a struggling artist, who really encourages Downs to get back into the studio and finish his album - which would mean taking time off at the restaurant. He promises to take some time off to finish it, but stuff continues to come up and he never does it.

One afternoon, Stuart (Keir O'Donnell) comes into the restaurant and sees a moneymaking opportunity and asks Downs if he would like to franchise the place. Downs and Willie are both pretty anti-big business and toss Stuart out.

But, not long after a place just like Flakes opens across the street - and to his surprise is run by Stuart. As the two restaurants begin to fight for customers - Downs decides to stay on board and not take the time off to work on his album. This angers Pussy, and to hurt him in a way she takes a job for the rival restaurant.

So, Downs now has three things going on - save the original Flakes restaurant, finish his album and make peace with his girlfriend.

Very surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. I pretty much like most Deschanel films, and adding a little Christopher Lloyd to the mix only enhances that. I wasn't familiar with many of the other actors, but they all did extremely well.

A small, odd film about cereal - it's amazing how such as simple premise could be so enjoyable.

Grade:

Tuesday's With Movies: 10/9/12

Prometheus: Honestly when I first heard of this I wasn't really into it. But, after hearing it was a prequel to the Alien films, I became a bit more intrigued. I have actually only seen the first two Alien films, but I will definitely have to check out the others and will eventually look into this one as well.

Rock of Ages: Heard some good and some bad about this film. I can say, though, that when I saw the trailer in the theater I definitely wanted to check it out. Alec Baldwin looked like the stoner, old roadie - then Julianne Hough (fresh off seeing her in Footloose) and Tom Cruise as an aging rock star. I was all in - and I still will be checking it out despite some of the harsh reviews.

The Raven: Growing up one of the few authors I did enjoy was Edgar Allen Poe - and I really enjoy John Cusack, but this just doesn't look like a film for me.

50x3: Rent (E-1)

Let me first preface this by saying I have obviously never seen the Broadway show that this film is based upon. After doing some research I did find out that most of the characters from the original Broadway cast reprised their role in the film, which was obviously a good choice.

Anyway, the film is title Rent (the first film from Erika) for many reasons - the most of which I believe is that the characters are showing us the we are all just 'renting' our time here on Earth and eventually our lease will be up. The more literal reason is pointed out that Mark Cohen (Anthony Rapp) and Roger Davis (Adam Pascal), who have been living in a rent-free apartment, all of a sudden are being notified that they need to pay a year's worth of rent.

Former friend and now husband of a girl whose father owns these buildings, Benjamin Coffin (Taye Diggs), is the one sending out the notices to those in the apartment. But, if Mark and Roger can somehow force Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel) to not perform her protest, then their rent continues to be free.

A lot is happening in this film (show) over the course of  a year. Tom Collins (Jesse L. Martin) comes to visit his friends Mark, who is a struggling film maker, and Roger, who is a struggling musician. Before making it to the apartment, though, Tom is mugged and found in the street by Angel Dumott Schunard (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), a drag queen. Tom and Angel share a few things in common - both are gay and both just happen to have the AIDS virus.

Maureen is Mark's former girlfriend, who is now dating a lawyer named Joanne Jefferson (Tracie Thoms). Mark had never met Joanne, and for the longest time thought she was a man.

Finally we have Roger, who lost his girlfriend after she killed herself upon learning the both had contracted HIV - that we speculate was due to his use of drugs. He has sort of shut himself off from love while trying to write the perfect song - but a downstairs neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) comes up to get a candle lit on a cold night and the two sort of hit it off. But, since Mimi is currently still using drugs, Roger kicks her out.

So much going on and, for the most part, we learn almost everything through song.

I would say that about 3/4 of the music in the film is outstanding, while some of the songs I felt were rather forced just to push the story along. But, I definitely came away with a lot of new songs stuck in my head - but especially the first song (though I had heard that one before).

The characters and the acting in this film were so amazing. Obviously using, for the most part, the same actors from the Broadway production was the right way to go. They had been these characters for awhile and knew how to portray them. I am not saying it would have been a terrible film if they had used different actors - but you can just tell that they really owned their characters.

Grade:

Tuesday's With Movies: 10/2/12

Dark Shadows: A Tim Burton film with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. STOP THE PRESSES! I had previously never heard of the television series that this film was based upon, but I guess from things I have heard the film didn't really stay true to the series anyway. I will probably check it out, but I am not really expecting much.

People Like Us: So, ever since Star Trek I have sort of enjoyed Chris Pine's work, and tend to check him out when I can. Plus, this film has Mark Duplass from The League and the always enjoyable to look at Olivia Wilde. Film looks more like something my wife would like - so probably a film we can check out together.

Iron Sky: This premise just sounds so crazy: the Nazis are apparently not gone, but are living on a secret hideout base located on the moon until they plan to return to the Earth in 2018. How crazy is that?

Red Lights: The cast in this looks great, Cillian Murphy, Elizabeth Olsen, Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro - but the story itself does not interest me, and I am apparently not alone as it didn't do that well with the box office.

Peace, Love & Misunderstanding: Wow, I like a lot of people in this movie as well. But, I was expecting this to be a Sarah Jessica Parker film, yet it isn't. This just looks really bad.

50x3: Three O'Clock High (M-1)

It seems with each list I am able to get caught up on some '80s high school films I missed for some reason or another, and this list is no different.

So, with the first selection off of Matt's list we have Three O'Clock High. The film is probably the step-child of those brat-pack films from John Hughes. The film had the same sort of feel of those films - and it's odd that this one is never mentioned.

Like most '80s film the premise revolves around a kid, Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko), who is a run-of-the-mill high school student and it just so happens that his parents are out of town - though this really doesn't have much to do with the actual story.

Mitchell is one of the school store runners, and also happens to be a journalist on the school newspaper. On this particular the day, the school is abuzz about a new student that is coming to school, Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson). Buddy brings with him a ton of a rumors (think Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You - except that it may actually be true).

Mitchell's journalism teacher selects him to do a piece on the new student as a way for the high school to get to know him - and as a way to welcome Buddy to the school.

A chance meeting in the bathroom with Buddy, Mitchell decides to try and talk to him - but it appears the rumors may in fact be true as Buddy doesn't want to be bothered. As Mitchell tries to get closer to him he touches him - as one of the rumors clearly stated never to do - and Buddy decides it's too much and tells Mitchell there will be a fight after school at 3 p.m.

The rest of the film is Mitchell trying desperately to find a way out of the fight, whether that be trying to get Buddy kicked out of school, escaping, paying a bigger guy to fight Buddy, or flat out paying Buddy not to fight him.

Like most of the '80s brat pack films this was was rather enjoyable, though it did lack that bit of heart that those films usually have woven into it.

Siemaszko, though apparently still acting, I have never heard of except in this film - and he wasn't a real standout actor.

To me the standouts were Tyson as Buddy - a really great villain (you may remember him from Kindergarten Cop), with a lot of hair. And, Jerry's sister Brei, who was played by Stacey Glick. I looked up her resume as well, and she has been in nothing - which is a shame because I felt she was really great as his kid sister.

Again, decent. Not spectacular, but a fun watch that I can see watching again.

Grade: