I Have to Get to a Library … Fast!

Posted on November 7, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

3.5 Bowls of Popcorn (eaten, of course, in a library)

I had a professor that put a profound exclaimation point on the concept of symbols. It was my first day of my freshman year of college and I was sitting in an Introduction to Communication class. The professor walked in late (intentionally), stood at the lecturn without saying a word for 30 solid seconds, then proceeded to flip off the class of impressionalble freshmen. Why? Partly because he wanted to shock us, but mostly because he wanted to start the conversation about symbols. Why do they matter? What gives them power? 

It’s simple: They matter because we make them matter. They have power because we give them power. The problem with this oh-so-simple plan is that symbols are then left open to interpretation. 

This is the entire premise of The DaVinci Code. 

I give this movie 3.5 bowls of popcorn. As much as I love Tom Hanks, I stand by my 3.5. Why such an average score? Because the book only deserves 3.5 bookmarks. 

Yes, Dan Brown writes a thrilling tale, but it’s all so convenient. AND all his books are the same (therefore all the movies are the same). I do enjoy watching the movies (and reading the books), but after I watch a Dan Brown movie (or read a Dan Brown book), I always feel a little let down. It all fits together so nicely. Langdon always knows exactly the right symbol. Yes, yes, I know, he’s the hero and that’s how it is supposed to be, but it does get a little cliche after awhile. 

What does fascinate me about The DaVinci Code, however, is this: Dan Brown’s book may not be full of true theology, but he does speak the occasional line of complete truth.  

“As long as there has be one true God there has been killing in His name.”

…. Ouch. 

So if I cringe at this movie and don’t like how “easy” it is, why do I own it? Because symbols are awesome (see first paragraph). To think that a fork-shaped object symbolizes Satan’s pitchfork to some and Posiden’s trident and power to others is, well, it’s just dang cool! It underlines the power of interpretation and meaning. Symbols have power because they evoke emotion (whether we want them to or not). But it is the interpretation of those symbols that sets us apart by time and space and worldview. Simply put, if I had been born in France in 1700, a fork-shaped object would mean something completely different to me than it does in the United States in 2015. We assume symbols are unchanging things, but that is far from the truth. Need a modern example? What did the rainbow flag or the Union Jack mean a century ago?

Side note: What bank has a safe passage clause? Dude. I want enough money to have an account in a bank that has a safe passage clause!

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Posted in Action, Drama, Thriller

King of the Moment

Posted on July 3, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

5 Bowls of Popcorn (over a game of chess)

Do your worst, for I shall do mine. 
– Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo

This was my high school mantra. Watching this movie was always oddly empowering for me. I have always known that words inspire and motivate me in ways that little else does, but it wasn’t until years later that I actually appreciated why this movie was so great. 

Dantes and his best friend (who is really a douche) Fernand Mondego** meet up with Napolean (yeah, the Napolean) and Dantes, being the trusting* guy that he is, agrees to deliver a letter for Napolean. From there, all hell breaks loose for Dantes. He is accused of being a traitor to the crown and is sent to Chateau d’If (the French Alcatraz). Everything after that is a story of revenge and redemption. 

While in Chateau d’If, Dantes abandons all hope, then he meets The Priest (very “let go of everything you fear to lose” right?). The Priest makes him a deal: Help me escape and I’ll give you something priceless. Dantes thinks The Priest means his freedom, but he doesn’t. The Priest intends to educate him, because no one can take your knowledge from you. 

The concept that knowledge is power isn’t new, but watching its power play out (first in a book, then…) in a movie, it was enchanting to me.

There is another powerful theme in this movie that didn’t really sink in for me until I was old enough to vote: Long-term second chances. 

Let me do some simple math for you… Dantes is approximately 30 years old when he was imprisoned in Chateau d’If. He spent over 13 years in prison. He spends some time sailing with Luigi and his crew. He then spends at least a few years collecting the Treasure of Sparta and establishing himself as the Count of Monte Cristo. It’s not unreasonable to think that he lost two decades of his life. [Please Note: my math is based on the movie, not the book] 

Dantes lost 20 years, 20 long years. That seemed like an eternity to me until I suddenly realized that he had an entire life after his imprisonment and revenge. The best part of his life came after Chateau d’If and his quest for vengeance. When I realized this, it gave me an odd sense of hope. So what if I haven’t conquered the world by 30. Maybe my best is yet to come. We live in a world so focused on instant gratification (you can microwave a pop-tart in 3 frickin’ seconds for the love of all that is right and holy!) that we sometimes forget how much time we have. Yes, yes, I know – everyone says life is short or fleeting and it is, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time. What matters is what we do with that time.

*Dantes is trusting to a fault. His innocence, his willingness to see the best in people, is his undoing. 

**Mondego (played by the wonderful Guy Pierce) says a line that always gets me. When he is confronted by Dantes and Dantes asked “Why are doing this?” Mondego responds, “Because you’re the son of a clerk. I’m not supposed to want to be you.” 

Josh’s words: “I thought it was cool. I was surprised that I enjoyed it.” (Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean…)

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Posted in Drama

You’re Right, John. It’s Not Like In the Books

Posted on June 30, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

2 Bowls of Popcorn (and a swig of holy water?)

Keanu Reeves isn’t my cup of tea. He had one good run with the Matrix, but we aren’t there in our marathon yet. The only reason Keanu pulls off Constantine effectively is because this movie is about a surly, unhappy, angsty caucasian. That’s right in Keanu’s wheelhouse. 

It’s like every Constanine reboot tells a different version of the same story. In this instance, it’s a “buy your own redemption” story. This John Constantine lives above a bowling alley and smoke 30 cigarettes a day. He’s dying (of lung cancer) and he doesn’t care. The 2005 Constantine story meshes together the story of the Spear of Destiny with a Catholic suicide and a moody demon hunter. 

I’m not making this sound appealing, am I? Sorry about that. 

In truth, it isn’t that appealing. It’s a bit cheesy really. Why do we keep it? Excellent question. You see, Josh likes pretty much every reboot of the Constantine story. Me? I like the monologues. I don’t agree with them, but I like things that make me think. Here’s what I mean: 

Gabriel: You’re handed this precious gift, right? Each one of you granted redemption from the Creator – murderers, rapists, and molesters – all of you, you just have to repent, and God takes you into His bosom. In all the worlds in all the universe, no other creature can make such a boast, save man. It’s not fair. [leans closer]
Gabriel: If sweet, sweet God loves you so, then I will make you worthy of His love. I’ve been watching for a long time. It’s only in the face of horror that you truly find your nobler selves. And you can be so noble. So, I’ll bring you pain, I’ll bring you horror, so that you may rise above it. So that those of you who survive this reign of hell on earth will be worthy of God’s love. 
John Constantine: Gabriel, you’re insane!
Gabriel: [smiles] The road to salvation begins tonight. Right now.

Does “rising above” make us worthy? Hell no. Can we really earn Heaven? Nope. So if I disagree, why do I like the monologue. Good question, right? 

I like it because it makes you (me) think. We ARE handed a precious gift and we screw it up constantly. We throw away this amazing life we have been given in order to pursue our own desires. We aren’t worthy and we can’t make ourselves worthy. 

This movie also presents the idea that God and Satan made wager for human souls. The only rule was that the couldn’t have direct contact with humans; all they could do is influence. The movie posits that God and Satan made this deal just to see who would win. Now I don’t buy this premise, because I don’t buy that God works that way, but I do find this premise interesting in that it puts the power in human hands. 

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Posted in Drama, Thriller

This is America, Jack

Posted on June 28, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

3 Bowls of Popcorn (and a McDowells Burger)

 Josh did a 6 month internship in inner-city Chicago. The team he spent the majority of this time with told him that he needed a movie-cation. His parting gift from the team was 5 movies meant to expand his movie horizons. The 5 movies were… 

  • The Five Heartbeats
  • Coming to America
  • House Party 3 
  • Do The Right Thing
  • Harlem Nights

Upon his return from Chicago, we settled in to enhance our movie horizons. Coming to America was first up.

So let’s talk about Eddie Murphy. He wrote, directed, and starred in this movie. His character, who just happens to be fathered by Mufasa and mothered by Sirabi, is charming and naive, but he evolves. 

Quick synapsis: Prince Akeem leaves his privileged life as the prince of Zamunda in order to go to New York City, Queens specifically, to find a bride. What he finds is how to take care of himself and be a good man and leader. He doesn’t fake anything in order to be liked; he remains true to himself and finds the girl of his dreams. I’ll be honest, this lack of a twist shocked me. You expect him to be sidetracked from the right girl by a pretty face and ruin everything for himself, but he doesn’t. You expect him to be swayed by his privilege and money to make his time in Queens easier, but he doesn’t. He’s an unflawed, naive hero. The only lie he makes during the entire film is when he tells the love interest that he is a goat herder, not a prince. 

Watching this movie, I’m a bit taken aback by my own cynicism. 

The entire movie, I waited for Akeem to screw up, but he doesn’t. The first watching of this movie, I spent the entire movie not appreciating the movie and not trusting Akeem at all because I just knew he couldn’t possibly be as good as he appeared. But I was wrong. Akeem is honest and kind and sincere. 

It’s not uncommon for movies to teach me a thing or two, but coming face-to-face with the depth of my cynicism from Coming to America, that was new to me. 

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Posted in Comedy

Mr. Green, in the Hallway, with the Revolver

Posted on March 16, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

Mr. Green, in the Hallway, with the Revolver. 

3 1/2 Bowls of Popcorn (and an alternate ending) 

It was a dark and stormy night…

That’s how this movie should have started, with a deep-voiced narrator saying those cliche words. Don’t misunderstand, I don’t think this movie is cliche. In fact, I think it’s wonderful. 

I mean, come on. A movie based on a board game with alternative endings and Tim Curry…? Yes, please! 

Clue. I love the game. I’m good at the game. I own the Harry Potter version of the game. What’s great about the movie is that it gives life to the game characters by giving them connections (and adding key characters to give depth to the plot). 

Por examplo: Ms. Scarlet owns a house of ill repute and Col. Mustard frequents one of her employees. Mrs. Peacock used to employ the cook. Mrs. White’s husband had an affair with Yvette, the maid. So on and so forth… Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. 

Watching this movie, I’m reminded of 6 Degrees of Separation (or 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, take your pick). All these individuals are being blackmailed by Mr. Boddy (Body, get it). At first glance, they have nothing in common, but by the end of the movie, each thread of their seedy lives overlaps. Thin though those strings may be, they are as strong as carbon fiber, nigh unbreakable. But Clue is a movie. Those web strings are in a movie and movies, as we well know, aren’t real life. Or are they? In 1929, Frigyes Karinthy put words to those strings and found that no more than 6 people connected each of the planet’s inhabitants. Today, thanks to the wonderful world of social media, those 6 degrees are down by something like 2 1/2. So let’s follow this thread through… If I follow this logic, I’m connected, however loosely, to a planet of people. Murders, actors, scientists, motorcycles gangs, detectives, doctors, lawyers,… I’m connected to these people. I’m not sure how that makes me feel.

Oh, when you get to the title menu of this movie, you have two choices: 1) watch the theatrical ending, or 2) let the movie choose the ending for you (can you say “choose your own adventure”…?).

Of course we opted for the latter. In our version, Mrs. Peacock was the killer. 

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Posted in Drama, Thriller

What is Your Greatest Fear?

Posted on February 18, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

5 Bowls of Popcorn (and Rich what? Richmond!)

Coach Carter ranks in Josh’s top 5. We own it because it was a gift from me to him. I hadn’t seen it before I bought it for him. I didn’t know what to expect when we sat down to watch it half a decade ago. I just knew it was about basketball and starred Mace Windu. 

Watching this movie was like a window into Josh’s head. In high school, he had a coach that was slightly milder version of Coach Carter, so watching this movie is a walk down memory lane for him. For me, it’s a doorway into an unfamiliar world. 

I didn’t play basketball in high school. Josh did. I didn’t attend a school like Richmond. Josh did. I didn’t watch as my teammates made the choice between gang life and finishing high school. Josh did. I can’t say that basketball saved my life. Josh can. 

The power of this movie is in the transformation. A broken and disjointed group of ball players slowly and painfully becomes a team by the end of the movie. There is something powerful in that. It reminds us that broken thing can be mended. 

But what gives me chills every time I watch this movie is when Timo Cruz stands and finally answers Coach’s question: What is your greatest fear? 

Timo’s answer…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

No one wants to be inadequete. Everyone wants to matter.  

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Posted in Drama

The Clever North Wind

Posted on February 14, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

5 Bowls of Popcorn (covered in chocolate)

I remember the first time I watched Chocolat. I was living alone at the time and Redboxed (yup, it’s a verb) it on a whim. 

With a bag of chocolate chips in hand, I settled in to fall in love with Johnny Depp (and chocolate) all over again. But I don’t love this movie because of Mr. Depp or because of the decadent amount of chocolate lavishly flowing across the screen. I love this movie because it’s about life. And it has a few things to say about (and to) overly-pious Christians. I’m always a fan of watching judgmental people be put in their place. 

This movie boils down three key players: Vianne, a bold and confident woman* who knows who she is and what she stands for; Comte de Reynaud, a man who knows how to live, but he has forgotten what it means to live; and Armande, a woman who is powerfully full of life so close to her death. 

Vianne, with the feel of wind on her face, travels with the pull of the North Wind to places that need her. The small French village she’s led to needs her. It needs her to annihilate tradition and breathe life into it! Bring it on pious goodie-two-shoes town! Vianne wears red high heels and owns it!

But I digress….

So, as I was saying, Vianne and her daughter move to a tiny French hamlet and open a chocolatiere… during Lent. This pisses off the Count of Douchiness (as I call him). He blackballs her and sabotages her efforts to make any headway with her business. Why? Because Vianne refuses to conform. She’s different and she knows it. She different and embraces it. 

Vianne befriends the wrong people, pisses off the wrong people, and makes the wrong choices… and she does it all for wonderfully right reasons. 

When I watched this movie the first time, I was forced to ask myself a rather painful question: Am I like Vianne or like the Count? Do I breathe life into the world around me or do I abide by rules for the sake of rules? I strive to be the former, always. I must remember “not to worry so much about supposed to.” 

Also, when I watch this movie, I desperately want to look into Vianne’s spinning disk so that she can tell me which kind of chocolate I love most. 

*Though I know that Hollywood has taken leaps forward in the world of gender equality, we are nowhere near equal (yeah yeah yeah Katniss and Tris yeah yeah yeah, don’t get me started). But this movie revolves around a woman who is driven and passionate and can stand, willingly, on her own to feet. 

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Posted in Drama

A Curious Name for a Motorcar

Posted on January 16, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

3 bowls of popcorn (and Toot Sweets!)

Josh and I were walking through Walmart 2 years ago when, lo and behold, there appeared a wild $5 movie bin. We couldn’t resist. The pull was too strong. Though we resisted with all our might (OK, let’s be honest, we didn’t try that hard), we found ourselves drawn to the bin of goodness. We thrust our hands amidst the terrible DVDs and, at first, our archeological dig yielded nothing whatsoever. We were about to call it quits when suddenly, Josh pulls from the depths of the bin … Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

We brought home our nostalgic purchase and put it on our shell. We didn’t touch it again until we came to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in our Movie Marathon. We were both reasonably excited to watch this classic. The one small hitch in that excitement was that neither of us has seen this cinematic classic for a good 15 years. Our memories were a little spotty. That’s not to say the movie isn’t great; it is. But in a decade and a half, Josh and I had forgotten the plot, the length, the creepiness (the kid snatcher!?), and the imagination. What we hadn’t forgotten was the music. 

We popped in the DVD and were delighted to find a Sing-Along option. Of course we chose that option. 

That was the first thrill of this movie for us. The second was the wonder that is “the imagination.” I had forgotten how rich and deep imagination can be. Jeremy and Jemimah Potts believe they live in a castle. They believe that the broken down old racing car is the fastest car in the world. They believe that their dad, Caractucas Potts (yes, that’s his name, look it up) is a genius (and he is!) when everyone else seems to think he is a crackpot. Their imagination is beautiful and honest. It’s how we all should be. 

The third thing we noticed about this movie was this: Caractucas Potts is a hero to his two kids and they are his world. Family is powerful. Family is beautiful. *Cue Hushabye Mountion and some tears*

So, my final thoughts on this movie… 
1) If you watched this movie as a kid, rewatch it as an adult and LOVE the music
2) Memorize Hushabye Mountain and sing it to your kids
3) Watch this movie and appriciate the sheer genius that is Dick Van Dyke
4) Chootchie-Face is the weirdest song in a kid’s movie… ever

Extra fun fact for you, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the book, is by Ian Fleming, the man that brought us Bond, James Bond.

Posted in Uncategorized

What in the world did I do with that magic wand?

Posted on January 14, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — Leave a comment

2.5 Bowls of Popcorn (and a bit of a shoe fetish)

You want to know the best part of watching a Disney movie with Josh? He knows all the words and sings along. Yup, it’s true. My tough-guy, gangsta-rap-lovin’ hubby has a soft spot for Disney tunes. It makes me melt. 

As for Cinderella, the movie, there’s really no need to analyize it too much, right? It truly is a “tale as old as time” after all, but the tale is a little frayed for me around the edges, for me. Why? Because it’s pretty sexist (like most Disney movies) and that’s a bit annoying. How so? Well, I’m glad you asked. I’ll give you an example. The King is all about marrying the young prince off to a young maiden, not because he wants the prince to be happy and not because he thinks that his son needs a strong woman in his life. It’s because he wants the prince to procreate. He wants grandkids. That’s all he cares about. Good grief. 

Anyways, as for the good parts of Cinderella, I always liked that she believed in the power of her dreams. That’s always been (and always will be) important to me. Though I am stymied by the concept of “if you tell a wish it won’t come true.” I remember watching this movie as a kid and believing that this sentiment was true. Due to this flawed dogma, I was a phenomenal secret keeper as a kid. It’s a skill I possess to this day. I’m not sure if I should thank Cinderella or shoot her.  

Fun Fact: Gus’s life was saved from Lucifer because he lost a shoe. Coincidence? I think not. 

PS – Word to the wise, don’t trust a woman who names her cat Lucifer.

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Posted in Animated Movie, Disney

Take The Jinx Off Our Janx

Posted on January 9, 2015 by mysecondcupofcoffee — 3 Comments

1 Bowl of Popcorn (and “I said it LOOKS clear”)

Ever watched a terrible set of movies, I mean truly terrible – bad acting, bad cinematography, bad writing, the whole nine yards – just because you respect the protagonist so dang much? Josh and I have. Actually, we just watched it and the protagonist’s name is Richard B. Riddick (“Escaped convict. Murderer.”). 

There is nothing good about these movies, nothing that is, except for Riddick. Riddick has the best lines and his character is one which, well, there’s just something great about him. Don’t get me wrong, he’s completely unrealistic. He’s so overpowered it’s ridiculous. But as broken as he is, you can’t help but root for the guy. 

Here’s the deal. The entire premise of these movies this: Riddick wants to go back to his home planet, Furia, and every Merc in every system wants to keep him from doing so. Let’s forget how terrible these movies are for a minute and think about how simple – how literary even –  the plot is*.

There are four movies in this series (thus far). The first, Pitch Black, is set on a dead planet and Riddick saves the day. The second, Dark Fury, is terrible (and anime, oddly enough) but it’s a bridge between two movies, so it’s necessary to keep in our collection. Riddick and his compadres are stuck in a pickle and Riddick saves the day. The third, The Chronicles of Riddick, is set in a fantasy world and planets are being destroyed and Riddick saves the day. The fourth (the reboot) Riddick, is the best of the series and is the story of Riddick when he is marooned on a planet hellbent on killing him. When mercs come to try to kill him, he ends up killing half of them and saving the day.

Clearly there is no original plot-line here. That’s why I say these movies all boil down to great one-liners and one good character. The problem is, Riddick let’s me down from time to time. You see, I want to believe that Riddick is a good guy. I want to believe that Riddick will make the tough choice and be the good guy at the end of the day. I want to believe all that. At times, it seems like Riddick is just that guy. Then there are moments where Riddick leaves his team to die on a harsh planet and I think, man, I thought he’d make the right call. 

Josh and I actually agree on these movies. We both think Riddick is bada$$ and we both think that apart from him, these movies blow like the North wind. 

This is not a set of movies that you should RedBox this weekend or anything. Seriously, it’s not worth your time. However, if you stumble across it on FX or something, grab some popcorn and stick around. It’s worth a laugh or two.

*Riddick is on a quest, though he wouldn’t call it that. Obstacle after obstacle is thrown in his path and yet, he never loses sight of his goal. This quest isn’t days in the undertaking, it spans years. I’m going to make a grand literary leap here, so English majors, please forgive me. Think of Riddick as the modern-day Odysseus  He’s on a journey home after a war. Each movie is just another obstacle in his path. At the end of Riddick, he still isn’t home. 

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Posted in Action