Braveheart

Mad: This is the first time it's ever taken us four sittings to watch one of the movies on our list.

Hanna: Yeah, this is a bloody long movie, literally and figuratively. I'm sure if we had've watched it all in one sitting, as opposed to over the course of eight days...

Mad: That's cause we were watching it with our older sister Amanda (who is going to Scotland in about two weeks)!

Hanna: And she couldn't focus on it for longer than fifteen minutes!

Mad: Well, I had trouble focusing too.

Hanna: Why? I thought it was pretty interesting.

Mad: Some parts of it were interesting, others I almost fell asleep during...

Hanna: Well, despite its lengthiness, I did enjoy it. Although I have to be honest, I've heard about the "great love story" but I didn't really buy it. William Wallace and Murron were one of the most awkward on-screen movie couples I've ever seen. They knew each other for like two days, and all of a sudden they were desperately in love.

Mad: It's called true love. And by the way, if she really was his one and only true love, he shouldn't gone  impregnated the king's daughter.

Hanna: I don't think that was cause he loved her; I think he was kind of flipping the bird to the king.

Mad: Yeah, I guess so. Changing topics, I get to be the one who talks about gore. I can proudly say that I only turned away once!

Hanna: It really wasn't that bad. You're a chicken.

Mad: You're a chicken.

Hanna: Let's revisit Alien.


Mad: Anyways...

Hanna: Let's talk about the acting. Did Mel Gibson pull off the Irish accent?

Mad: Well, I had to ask you if it was real or not, remember?

Hanna: I do. And I guess he was fine at the part, I just don't like him. And especially not his mullet.

Mad: The storyline was good, but it was history, so what can you do?

Hanna: Well I'm no historian, but I did do a bit of research on what in this movie is true, and surprisingly most of it was (give or take a few tweaks here and there).

Mad: So, in a nutshell...


Hanna: Braveheart consisted of long scenes, exciting battle sequences, one of the most awkward movie couples ever, and one awful mullet.

Alien

"Is it just like, a free-for-all in space???!"

This is what Maddie exclaimed about 30 minutes into Alien. Maybe it's because we weren't paying very good attention for the first chunk of the movie, or maybe it's because the sound quality of the dvd made the actors sound like the adults from Charlie Brown, but it just seemed like the crew had no rhyme or reason to their endeavors. "Oh, let's just go down into this deep, dark pit on a mysterious planet and start poking one of these creepy-looking egg thingies! It's not like it'll leap onto my face and somehow shove it's baby down my throat!" As I said, we may have missed a few crucial details as to why all this took place in the first place.

Anyway, carrying on, the movie then continues to document the perilous next few days of the crew of the ship Nostromo, as they bring the alien (which has now attached itself to the unfortunate crew member's face, as well as impregnated him) onboard. The alien bursts from the guy's chest and then begins to terrorize the crew as it rapidly grows larger, picking off the members one by one until only one is left to destroy the now fully-grown and terrifying monster.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Maddie chimes in. "It's not that simple! First, I had no clue why they were in space to begin with (even though I was paying attention, or at least, was really trying!!!). It was hard to hear. Secondly, don't they have to like, talk to NASA before they land on an unknown planet? Thirdly, well, it was really gross that the alien just CAME OUT of the guy's chest during dinner! I mean, it's dinner! After that, the rest of the movie was just filled with suspense of when the alien would attack! Like the scene where the guy was trying to find that cat (that caused so much trouble) and the scene went on for so long, and you thought the alien was gonna jump out at any moment. I was just waiting on the edge of my seat, my blood was pumping, and I screamed like I never have done in a movie before."

I can't deny that the suspense was intense in some parts (not gonna lie, I screamed too and I would consider myself a bit tougher than Maddie when it comes to jump-out scenes). This was definitely not a bad thing for me though! I already enjoy suspenseful movies to begin with, but watching them with Maddie makes it 100x more enjoyable. Her scream... enough said.

"I don't know how you convinced me to watch that movie." Maddie continues. "You know I hate scary movies. Scary, intense, jump-out, bloody movies!"

Obviously Maddie was not a fan. I, however, enjoyed it and would certainly watch it again. One thing that Maddie and I did agree on was that the graphics (for the late '70's) were impressive. There are a couple of moments that, in this day and age, are somewhat laughable, but for the most part we were both pleasantly surprised.

Final conclusion: I thought it was an excellent horror/suspense film. And Maddie? "I respect it for what it  is, even though it is not my cup of tea."

How Do You Know

Saturday. June 18th. Hanna and I (Maddie) were standing at the Redbox outside of Walgreens, trying to decide on a movie to watch. Our eyes scanned over the various movie titles, looking to see if any of them would catch our eyes. Then suddenly, a man appeared in line behind us. The pressure began to mount; beads of sweat collected on our foreheads. The clock was ticking... we had to make our decision, and quickly! Abruptly, Hanna suggested the film How Do You Know, and out of the desire to remove myself from the stressful situation, I agreed.


Why, may you ask, did I dramatize our very non-interesting visit to Redbox? Because I have far more interest in writing about that experience than I do about this movie. But that's not what you want to read about, so I guess I'll just write about the movie.


It was ok at best. I was never very interested, and nothing about the story drew me in. We've seen this movie a million times before: Girl meets boy. Girl meets other boy. Girl has to choose between the two. This storyline is getting old (except for a few exceptions). I really don't have anything else to say. Hanna, on the other hand, had a few things to add.


"I had somewhat higher hopes for this movie. The cast seemed solid, the storyline perhaps a bit overused, but still with some potential. I was very wrong, sadly. This movie was a bit of a mess. The plot was extremely cliché, and coming from me (who usually enjoys a somewhat stereotype chick-flick every once in a while), you know that it's overused. There was nothing redeemable whatsoever in any of the characters; they were all as shallow as a puddle. The actors did nothing to help their cause; they just seemed disinterested in playing their respective roles. Overall, I was bored and unimpressed."

Super 8 *Caution! Spoiler Alert!*

If E.T. had a cousin...

Who knows? It might, just might be the mammoth alien portrayed in Super 8. They both are from outer space, befriend a young boy (around the age of 10) and are determined to go "home"... wherever home may be.

I (Hanna) will start the review with the plot. Basically, a group of 5 kids witnesses a truck crash an entire freight train (a concept that I'm still skeptical is even possible to begin with). Their Super 8 camera records the whole thing without them knowing, and upon viewing the footage after the fact, they see the shadows of a terrifying creature emerging from one of the freight cars. The movie then illustrates the mysterious happenings that unfold, from the disappearance of dogs and appliances, to the monster making brief appearances only to snatch up unsuspecting people.

Since this is a Spielberg-related film, there was naturally a happy ending where the main boy bonded and "understood" the monster, or rather, the misunderstood space creature. I didn't hate the ending, but I thought that it was strange that they depicted the boy and the alien suddenly having this deep bond and understanding for one another. In other movies, such as E.T., this bond is built over the course of time, and the audience can actually relate to it. This was the only thing I found lacking about this otherwise very enjoyable movie. The suspense was excellent; there were times that I jumped about a foot in the air/was pinned to the back of my seat with fright, and felt tingles all the way down to my toes.

Here, Maddie cuts in. "I disagree," she states. "I loved the ending. The first time I saw the monster, I got all freaked out of it, but then I realized that it actually had a heart and all it wanted to do was go home. This took away all the fear, and made me love the monster." And there, Speilberg, is what you were shooting for. Maddie continues, "Before I saw the movie, I read this thing that said the less you know about it beforehand, the better the experience of watching it is, which is true! First of all, I don't like scary, jump-out movies... (at this point, I (Hanna) question whether Maddie likes any movies at all, but I digress...) -but this was actually a pretty good one that had me leaving the theater going "WOW!""

Tron

Where to begin?

I (Maddie) was actually excited to see this movie, mostly because I loved the sequel Tron: Legacy so much. I don't know what I was expecting with an 80's-made film renowned for its groundbreaking special effects (for its time, at least). Hanna and I spent half the movie laughing at the graphics, and almost fell on the floor when they were playing catch with crab-claw arms as one of the "terrifying" Games. I was constantly comparing it to its 2010 sequel, which didn't help it much. And as a side note, what was with the music? The original soundtrack would have been suitable for an 80's chick flick, whereas Daft Punk's incredible music in the sequel blew me away.

"Basically to reiterate what Maddie said," said Hanna, "I can understand why this movie was a stepping stone in the world of CG and special effects, but it's really only watchable once. However, credit must be given where credit is due, and without this movie and others of its kind, filmmakers wouldn't have been able to produce digital masterpieces such as Avatar and Inception. Also, without this movie, there would never have been Tron: Legacy, which has easily placed a spot in my top 10 favorite movies (no judging)."

Armageddon

"It's much better to teach oil drillers to be astronauts than teach astronauts how to drill a hole."


This quote basically sums up Armageddon, taken from this Facebook group found here: https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2210819155. 


The movie, while intriguing and entertaining, was completely absurd. I (Hanna) don't even think the ridiculousness of the whole film set in until after the credits started rolling.


"You know what's weird, is I hate end of the world movies, but this didn't feel like one," says Maddie. "No, honestly, it was pretty far-fetched. Why was it one of our top movies to watch again?"


To this, I answer, "Well, it wasn't a must-see but it was on the list because it was a huge movie in terms of special effects. Michael Bay (the director, also known for Pearl Harbor and the abysmal Transformers movies) isn't one to do things small, and this was clearly evident in this movie. He put practically all of his attention on the action/destruction sequences, and seemed to neglect the plot, character development and overall realism that seems to be absent from most end-of-the-world movies, even to this day."


"And once again, in this end-of-the-world movie, the world didn't end." Maddie adds.


Certainly not a must-see, but definitely something that you might get a laugh out of.

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True Grit

Dusty.

That's what I (Maddie) think of when the words "Wild West" are mentioned. Cliché, I know, but true. When Hanna told me True Grit was on the list, I thought it was about cowboys, tumbleweeds and saloons. I was pretty far off. As I watched the movie I realized it was more than just a movie, it was an excellently-told story. As for the soundtrack, there were times when I was paying more attention to the the music than I was to the movie itself. It fit the film perfectly, not being too over-the-top. My favorite performance, despite the excellent cast, was Little Blackie's.


Switching over to me (Hanna), this was my third (and definitely not my last) time watching this incredible film. I didn't really have high expectations going into it the first time I watched it; like Maddie previously said, I thought it was going to be a somewhat cliché cowboy movie, despite the Oscar buzz that was surrounding it. I was very, very wrong. This movie blew me away. The story, the plot, the acting, the music; all of it was 5 star caliber. The movie wouldn't have been nearly as good if it weren't for the extremely memorable performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and particularly Hailee Steinfeld. All of them delivered excellent, believable performances. It's unbelievable that this movie didn't win anything... but I'm learning that my opinion greatly differs from those of the people who choose what films win (much to my dismay). With that being said, this was easily in my top 3 favorite movies of 2010. Definitely not be overlooked as "cliché" or "dusty"!

Gladiator

This was definitely my (Hanna) favorite movie that we've watched so far. I'm a sucker for epics as it is (with Lord of the Rings being some of my favorite movies of all time), and this movie did not disappoint.

This is also another example of a historical movie which we have visited some of the locations in which the actual events occurred. Granted, it's been about 12 years since we stood inside the walls of the Colosseum (the last time we were there, Maddie had to have her diaper changed while there, if that's any indicator of how long it's been), but I still clearly recall things about it, such as the tunnels which were used to keep wild animals underneath it for the gladiators to fight. The movie made the things that I saw when I was just 6 years old come to life. It was an excellent story, with memorable performances from Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix (in the creepiest role of the film... ha) and great special effects. The thing about the movie that really stood out for me was the haunting soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. I know Maddie will have a lot more to say about it than me, but it was the perfect backdrop to the film, capturing the emotion of each scene perfectly. This has been by far my favorite movie that we've watched thus far.

Maddie's take on the movie: "I love movie soundtracks!! Hans Zimmer is definitely my favorite composer. This score was really awesome, and it fit the movie. It reminded me a lot of the first Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. Besides the music, the movie was really good too. Something I really liked was how in the fighting sequences, it wouldn't linger on the violence, which surprised me but pleased me at the same time. It reminded me (in parts) of Lord of the Rings, cause if you replaced the Orcs with humans, the fighting scenes would basically be the same. The ending surprised me too, but I won't give it away!"

Back to the Future

Our first movie on our blog that isn't rated R! Not just that, but this 80's classic is a nice, tame PG! Whoo!

Maddie: Hanna, your thoughts on this non-violent, non-scary and non-confusing movie?

Hanna: It was amusing... not sure if it'll go down in my list of favorites, but it was fine.

Maddie: I'm just glad I didn't have to close my eyes every 5 seconds!

Hanna: Yeah, it was definitely a switch-up. Did you enjoy it?

Maddie: Yeah it was a funny movie but it didn't really leave an impact on me or anything.

Hanna: I think we're taking this movie way too seriously, when it wasn't meant to be taken seriously!

Maddie: Yeah I guess so.

Saving Private Ryan

If you're in the mood for a feel-good movie which you come out of feeling uplifted and cheerful, this is not it.

However, something that I (Hanna) have learned is that sometimes, you just have to sit down and watch a movie, regardless of how unpleasant it is, if only to get an idea of historical events and what they were really like.

Saving Private Ryan is the goriest, most intense, and unenjoyable movie I have ever seen. I've seen the movie twice now, but refused to watch the first 25 minutes (the horrific landing on Normandy, where nothing is left to the imagination) a second time. This meant that Maddie (who is big-time a gore-a-phobe) was in luck. We skipped over the more unpleasant scenes (which isn't saying much) but the images portrayed from the first time I watched it were still burned into my brain. I've been told that it's the most realistic war movie out there even to this day, and it really helped me visualize the things that happened on places where me, Maddie and our family have visited (the beaches of Normandy being one of them). It's an incredible story, with 5 star performances all around. You truly do forget that it's acting. I always have an opinion about which movie should have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and normally, I don't agree that the film that wins should win. This applies to the year that Saving Private Ryan was released. I'm at a loss at how Shakespeare in Love (which I have not yet seen, but is on our list of movies to watch) beat out this amazing film.

Maddie had her own thoughts. "I don't like violent movies, but I felt that I had to watch this one (after years of my mom telling me I had to) and afterwards I realized why. Even though we skipped the Normandy scene, I still went away from it with a better understanding of the intensity of war. The acting was awesome making the characters seem like they were real people with real pasts. Despite not seeing about 30 minutes of the movie, I still appreciate the movie for what it is - an incredible story backed by amazing performances."

Donnie Darko

Obviously, we decided to mix it up a little bit after The King's Speech.

I, Maddie, was pretty hesitant about watching this movie, because she was convinced it was a horror movie with a scary person in a bunny rabbit suit stalking people. Hanna, who had already seen this movie, somehow convinced me into watching it.

The movie follows the title character Donnie Darko through a few weeks of his life. He's always been emotionally troubled, and it becomes extremely prevalent as the story progresses that there is something very wrong with him. He has fantastical delusions about a doomsday-prophesying person in a bunny suit, who continuously gives him instructions of things to do before the world ends in 28 days. To add to his confusion, he begins exploring the notions of time-travel after a jet engine crashes through his room, while the rest of the aircraft is nowhere to be found. Without giving away any spoilers, the film concludes without much explanation for anything, leaving the viewer to figure out what truly happened - and what was just a delusion.

Hanna's thoughts, after a very necessary second viewing, were that even after watching it for a second time, she still doesn't fully understand the chronology of the events of the film. She says it's one of the most complex plots she's ever seen in a movie, as well as one of the most intriguing psychological thrillers she's seen recently - right up there with Black Swan (which is not on the list, for my sake).

I thought the movie was confusing beyond belief, as well as weird. I still don't understand what was going on with the water bubbles and the bunny. Even after I learned the bunny had a name (Frank) and it took off it's mask to reveal a normal person inside, it still scares me!  But all in all, I'm sure there was a point to the confusing plot and the bubbles. If I watch it again, I'm sure I'll understand it better (hopefully).

The King's Speech

                   

This was the first movie on our list that we chose to watch. Being that this film won Best Picture, it seemed like an excellent first choice.

Our thoughts (in the form of a script):

Hanna: I tried! I really tried to like this movie!

Maddie: You did not! You were texting the whole time!

Hanna: Cause I was so bored! But seriously, I truly don’t understand how this film won Best Picture over, in my opinion, far superior movies *cough cough Inception*. I understand the historical importance of this movie, the acting was superb, but I just found it incredibly dull. Do you agree with me?

Maddie: Well, yeah I was kind of bored, but there was a lot of hard work put into the movie and I appreciate that. I also don’t like to put movies down, cause people put hard work into it and I don’t want them to feel bad.

Hanna: Really? It should have won cause you felt pity on it?

Maddie: It just had the feeling of an important movie as you watched it!

Hanna: That’s all well and good; I’ll take my non-important movies any day.

Maddie: And it was a true story, which, I don’t know, bumps it up in the league, gives it a head start, I don’t know.

Hanna: Yeah, it was history. It was a speech. How did they stretch it into two hours is the greatest mystery of me.

Maddie: There was a sub-plot behind the speech, and if you had’ve paid attention you would have known what it was.

Hanna: I was paying attention! I caught the sub-plot!

Maddie: Yeah, I don’t think you did.

Hanna: So we can agree: We will never watch the King’s Speech again if we can help it.

Maddie: Sure. But we will appreciate it for what it is.

Hanna: Sheer bloody boredom.

That’s a wrap!

Welcome to our Blog!!

If you’re even bothering to read/keep up with us, then you’re in for the most stupendously incredible, most amazingly reliable movie review criticisms in the world.

Nahhh not really. We’re just two sisters, Hanna (on the right) and Maddie (obviously, on the left), and we love movies. More than that, we love to talk about and give our opinions on movies. We try to keep open minds in terms of what films we choose to watch, and how we react to them. Primarily, the two of us share an interest in the genres of drama, action/adventure, comedy, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and the occasional documentary. We steer clear of horror/gore-fest films, although Hanna does enjoy a jump-out movie once in awhile (Maddie has no time for this sort of thing).

Here is our endeavor: To become more well-rounded in the world of movies that have been called outstanding. Just a few weeks ago, we realized that there are so many excellent films that will stand the test of time, that we haven’t yet seen! Our goal is to watch as many of these films as possible before the end of summer, write what we think about them here, and hopefully come away with a great number of new favorite films. However, we’re going into it with a comedic approach. We’ve never been the serious type, and don’t plan to leave that on the doorstep of this blog.

We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we’re enjoying creating it!

Lights, Camera, ACTION!