2008 Movie List

I decided to do another list with the movies I've watched in 2008. None so far, and I won't count stuff I see on TV, even if it is a movie. The commercials make it so not the same.

Boiler Room - watched January 5, 2008
Giovanni Ribisi reminded me of Edward Norton. Just sayin. I could totally picture him in that role. Overall, the movie reminded me of a lot of sales meetings I've been to. Not in a bad way, though. Kind of exhilirating.

Dirty Pretty Things - watched January 17, 2008
I don't remember what originally inspired me to put this one in the queue, but I liked it better than I expected to based on the description on the envelope. There were quite a few really good lines. And it was more plot and story than horror, which was good news for me (too much horror gives me bad dreams :( )

Johnny Suede - watched January 21, 2008
This was sort of odd. Both hubby and I agreed it reminded us of a David Lynch film. Some elements just didn't go together, but it was the way they were supposed to be. I think I'd watch it again. Maybe.

Superbad - watched January 24, 2008
I actually liked this better than I expected. I'm usually annoyed by teenage boys, but this was pretty amusing. The cops were the funniest.

Stranger Than Fiction - watched January 30, 2008
This was okay. I LOVE Maggie Gyllenhaal, and she was wonderful in this film. Otherwise, it seemed sort of...predictable. Although the ending was a fresh surprise for me, getting there was sort of dry in places.

Living in Oblivion - watched February 23, 2008
Meh. Kind of reminded me of the 'flavor' of Ed Wood, but not nearly as bad (which was his whole claim to fame...). Overall, I didn't really see it as an original idea. There were a few funny parts, but not enough to watch it again.

Farce of the Penguins - watched February 25, 2008
Just a parody of March of the Penguins. Lots of potty humor. Decently done for what it is. I love to see penguins though, so for $3.99, the movie was worth it. We'll probably watch it again someday (now that we own it an all...)

Next Stop Wonderland - watched February 27, 2008
Better than I (and hubby, I think) expected from an independent film. Don't get me wrong, I keep watching them, but this wasn't quite as 'quirky' as some. And sometimes that's good. A LITTLE BIT OF A SPOILER: I'm glad Puff didn't actually die. Just sayin.

Shrek the Third - watched March 1, 2008
This is the first movie I saw in an actual theater this year - and the first movie Maggie ever saw at the theater! It's the first of a series of free matinees at Goodrich theaters. Anyway, I really liked the movie. You can't go wrong with Shrek. I just finished perusing the trivia at imdb, and they've done it again. All the musical and pop culture references in Shrek movies always amuse me.

The Business of Being Born - watched March 1, 2008
I had this at the top of my Netflix queue for when it was released on DVD last week. Honestly, since I was already relatively 'crunchy' in my birthing choices, only the statistics in this movie really floored me. It was rather one-sided, but for me, it showed all of 'my' side. Hahahaha... I hope others find it enlightening and give thought to the actual choices they can make about giving birth.

Transformers - watched March 12, 2008
Seriously? This movie was so much better than I expected! The writers for this should be commended. They took a popular toy and made it into a full-length (144 minutes!), entertaining movie with action, a plot, and even robot-characters! I would actually recommend this movie. And that surprises me almost as much as the movie did.

3:10 to Yuma - watched March 19, 2008
I hate when a movie doesn't have a 'happy' Hollywood ending. Just sayin. Overall, I liked this movie and had no genuine complaints. But it was just a plain old good movie. No need to watch it over and over, but not a bad way to spend a couple hours.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - watched March 21, 2008
Funnier than I expected. I accidently startled the baby a few times as she was falling asleep nursing, and I'd start laughing out loud. Angelina Jolie was hotter than Brad Pitt in the movie. Except for a few of the ab shots. Just sayin.

Habit - watched March 26, 2008
Meh. I've always had a thing for vampire flicks. The vampire is the only good thing I can say for this movie. I didn't really like the characters or the plot. One hundred twelve minutes of my life I'll never get back.

My Life Without Me - watched April 7, 2008
This was a really powerful movie. A 23-year-old wife and mother of two finds out she's dying, but doesn't tell anyone. Instead, she just sets out to fulfill a list she writes of the things she wants to do before she dies. The movie follows her as she lives the last few months of her life, and tries to do everything she wants to before it's too late. It's a real thinker.

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - watched April 12, 2008
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Just sayin. Although some of the 'dialogue' was a bit difficult for me to understand (between the singing and the English accents), the story was clear enough. As usual, I did not predict the twist til seconds before it was revealed. I watch movies for entertainment, so I'm never watching for those things! Hahahaha...

August Rush - watched April 13, 2008
I put this in the ole Netflix queue after a couple of people who saw Maggie's guitar debut video mentioned it to me. It was a very sweet story. I liked the happy ending. I always like happy endings.

Juno - watched April 24, 2008
I LOVED this one! Very, very funny. I still laugh out loud just remembering some of the lines. It's about a teen (Juno) and how she deals with her pregnancy. I'd totally watch it again.

No Country for Old Men - watched May 1, 2008
Meh. I'd seen reviews of people who loved this movie, and people who hated it. I really just didn't care much about it at all. And it unfortunately had the indecisive sort of ending I hate. I wouldn't warn people away from it, but I wouldn't recommend it, either.

Mean Girls - watched May 22, 2008
I think I saw this before, and forgot. I'll probably forget I saw it this time too... It didn't make much of an impression on me. Not a bad movie, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in a theater.

The Deep End of the Ocean - watched May 27, 2008
Based on the book I read last month, I really liked this movie. You know how some movies just stray too far from the book to be comparable? This wasn't one of those. There were a few (inevitable) differences, but the story was still consistent. I didn't even hear hubby grumble too much about it being a 'chick flick.'

27 Dresses - watched June 6, 2008
I'm a sucker for chick-flicks. Even thought they're usually pretty predictable (which drive my husband nuts), I like the happy endings, and the quirky incidents along the way.
In this one, Katherine Heigl stars as Jane Nichols, who loves weddings. It's a good thing, since she's been in 27 of them, sometimes more than one in the same night! She doesn't complain about it at all - she loves it! - until the wedding she's helping to plan and supposed to be maid of honor in is between her sister, and the man Jane has pined after for years. Never mind that she accidently falls in love with a much cooler guy along the way.
You might know just what happens now, but watch it anyway. It's fun.

Frida - watched June 10, 2008
Interesting. I can't say I was thrilled to see Selma Hayek with a unibrow and faint mustache, but the story was interesting. It was based on the life of Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican painter and political activist from the '50s (I think that's right...she died in like '54 or something...). Her husband, the muralist Diego Rivera, was better known, I think. Real lives can be very interesting to watch, even if enhanced by show biz, instead of just another script.