The Movies Playing at the Bars During Christmas Time
After dinner out on the town with my family, we went to my favorite swanky bar.
Aunt to my mom, “You’re having another drink?!” (That being the second.)
My mom, “I ruined my reputation a long time ago.”
My mom’s husband, “You know what they say, tequila makes women’s clothes fall off.”
My boyfriend, “What does vodka do?”
My mom, “Vodka’s slower, just takes longer.”
I say, “I am writing everything you are saying.”
Mom says, “If you are going to write everything, you have to write everything, like how I said how much I love you.”
“That’s boring,” I say.
She goes on, “And how you said you can understand now because you love your dog so much, you even love when she poops? Did you write that?”
“No.”
What movies are playing at the bars during Christmas time?
BAD SANTA (2003)
… which is about a bad santa of course! Like the famous Dr. Seuss Grinch, all bad intentions and great plans get thwarted by a kid.
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writers: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac and Lauren Graham
Elf (2003)
A very big elf doesn’t fit in at the North Pole and adventures out into the world to find himself.
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: David Berenbaum
Stars: Will Ferrell, Edward Asner and Bob Newhart
If you owned a bar, what movies would you play for your holiday patrons?
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Hugo 3D: You’ve Been SteamPunked!
by Jaden
As a lover of Paris and all things old, 2011 has been a special year for me with movies Midnight in Paris and Hugo 3D. Both films touched me in the way an old photo album would. I’ve already reviewed Woody Allen’s Midnight, so let’s talk about Martin Scorsese’s Hugo.
Cinematically and visually, Hugo 3D is one of the most striking and stunning films to experience; it is definitely a REAL 3 DIMENSIONAL movie. Hugo, Avatar, and Jaws 3D are the movies that have best used the 3D medium.
The opening setup for the Hugo story is art film-esque.
The young troubled boy Hugo spends a lot of time steampunking his way through the clockwork systems of old Paris, running through endless cranks, gears, cogs, and steam! Venturing to our 1920s past, it is most au courant and fashionable today.
The story part of Hugo takes a long time to get going, it’s like when your girlfriend is giving you the silent treatment, making you frustrated with anticipation. Yes, you are beautiful, you acknowledge to yourself about her. Yes, I love you. But you want to scream, “What the heck’s your problem?!” Instead, you sit there quietly, patiently awaiting for the reason of her anger. This is sort of how Hugo unfolds, a bit slow and torturous, yet absolutely picturesque as you watch it; you sit there wondering what on earth is everyone’s major malfunction, but eventually everyone’s tale is told.
Late into the movie, we discover the tale of following your dreams, achieving greatness, and then having political circumstances completely crush your world and strip you of everything you ever had.
The second half of Hugo is largely a lesson in film history, and I say that most affectionately. Incorporating many of the most famous earliest films ever made, viewers have the luxury of seeing films they may otherwise never have the opportunity to see, save for going to film school. Scorsese splices real old footage with new footage and tapes together an entertaining and educational story.
There was one point of dialog and story that most moved me… it was the comparison of mechanical things to humanity on earth. There is a saying that is commonly used in America, “You’re just a cog,” meaning to say that you are not important, you are just this little part of a big machine. This story is the reversal of that saying, to say the same words but to have the opposite meaning, a positive one instead of a negative one. Hugo is trying to repair an old mechanical wind-up doll, yet he needs all sorts of small parts before it will function. In regard to this mechanical doll and the massive inner workings of the clocks of Paris to which he tends for work, Hugo points out how important the cog is: without one tiny part, an entire enormous machine can’t work. He says something to the effect that he imagines every person to have a purpose, to be a part of something bigger, and this was the loveliest moment in the movie for me.
The characters are uniquely interesting. The child actors (Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz) are dangerously beautiful and easily hold up the feature film. Sacha Baron Cohen plays the Station Inspector with a quiet subtle comedic timing, unlike his famous outrageous roles as Borat or Ali G; I loved seeing him do this understated style of acting and we all awaited anxiously for each of his delicate moments on screen. Ben Kingsley was intense and great as is his way.
Overall, the film Hugo 3D is visually exceptional: you must see in the theatre while you can. Hugo is a film for the now and for all time. Not only is the film beautiful, but it is historically informative, so it would make for a nice part of one’s DVD collection at home, especially for filmmakers, historians, and cinema enthusiasts.
Hugo 3D is written by John Logan (screenplay) and Brian Selznick (book), directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Asa Butterfield as Hugo, Ben Kingsley as a broken old man, Chloë Grace Moretz as an adventure seeker, Sacha Baron Cohen as the station inspector, Emily Mortimer as the flower girl love interest, and Jude Law has a small part as Hugo’s dad.
Don’t miss it!
Best Movies & Screenplays For 2011, So Far…
For some nice holiday movie gift ideas, here is a look at Screenwriting for Hollywood’s favorite movies and screenplays of 2011, so far…
#1 Midnight in Paris
Written by Woody Allen
A fantasy movie for literary, art, and travel lovers. Takes you away!
[2012 Update: WON GOLDEN GLOBE for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture]
#2 Puss in Boots
Written by Charles Perrault, Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler, and Jon Zack
Fun for the whole family, full of clever kitty jokes, twists on old fairytales, and modern humor. Brightens your day!
#3 PBS American Masters: Woody Allen: A Documentary
By Documentary Filmmaker Robert Weide
Get into the mind of the most prolific and successful screenwriter of all time, Woody Allen, he’s just as timid as the rest of us. Inspiring for writers!
(To support Public Broadcasting, purchase the DVD.)
#4 Tower Heist
Written by Ted Griffin (screenplay & story), Jeff Nathanson (screenplay), Adam Cooper (story), and Bill Collage (story).
A laugh out loud modern comedy about some people who set out on the impossible task of getting their life savings back from a top tier conman financial investor. Funny and moving story!
#5 Killer Elite
Written by Matt Sherring (screenplay) and Ranulph Fiennes (book, inspiration).
A fast paced action movie, we follow a reluctant assassin who does a job to save a friend. Can an assassin ever really retire? Excellent cast!
~ ~ ~
I have not seen yet, but am looking forward to seeing, Hugo. I am sure there will be several other great movies coming out in December, as is how it typically goes each year.
What are your favorite movies and scripts so far this year?
