Movie Update

So...when last I posted about movies (which was, I am aware, a shamefully long time ago), I had just watched the aptly named Dr. Strangelove. Since then, I have watched a number of old favorites, and a handful of new (to me) films. They are as follows:

#12. That Thing You Do!: My friend Hayley demanded I see this Tom Hanks movie. As in, every time we talked on the phone, she asked me if I'd seen it yet. Finally I gave in, rented it on iTunes, and absolutely loved it. I love Tom Hanks in general, and this film (while not one of his high-quality Oscar-winners) was really fun. Hanks wrote, directed, and co-starred in this movie about a 1960s boy band that made it big with a hit single. I loved this movie-- could watch it again and again, because it's just one of those films that puts you in a good mood.

#13. Dan in Real Life: I saw this Steve Carrell film when it came out in theaters last year, but I have no recollection of it due to a concussion that I was suffering at the time. My friends said I liked it, so I decided it was time that I rent it and see for myself if I really did. Carrell portrays a family columnist who has a hard time with running his family in real life. I found the film somewhat comedic, though less so than most of Carrell's other films, and incredibly heartwarming as Dan learned the inevitable lessons of reality.

#14. Sex and the City: The Movie: A shameless chick flick based on the hit TV show. Great for girls, not so much for guys. I watched it my sister and a (girl) friend, and enjoyed it.

#15. The Parent Trap: An old favorite...a young, cute Lindsay Lohan back before she "went bad." Somewhat sad now due to the recent loss of Natasha Richardson.

#16. How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days: Again, an old favorite chick flick with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Fun plot-- girls' magazine How-To columnist is assigned to write an article about how to drive men away; advertising representative makes a bet that he can make any girl fall in love with him-- both in ten days.

#17. When Harry Met Sally: One of the best chick flicks of all time. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are great as college peers who become friends over the years then fall in love. Funny and sweet.

#18. Batman (1989): I loved this movie. Michael Keaton plays Batman, and Jack Nicholson plays the Joker. I like getting to see the backstory of how the Joker got to be as he is, which you don't really get to see (conclusively) in The Dark Knight. I love both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but I have to say this is up there with them. (Make sure to watch the Nostalgia Critic's side-by-side comparison of the films.)

#19. You've Got Mail: I love Tom Hanks. He's hands-down my favorite actor. And this is absolutely my favorite chick flick of all time. Books...Tom Hanks...Meg Ryan...great soundtrack...good plotline. How could you go wrong?

#20. The Princess Diaries: It's a cute if inaccurate adaptation of the Meg Cabot book. Anne Hathaway is quite good as awkward Mia Thermopolis who, upon a royal surprise from her grandmother, eventually turns into Princess Mia. Call it a guilty pleasure, I enjoy this movie.

#21. Rent: In one word: powerful. Movie version of the hit musical by Jonathan Larson about a group of New Yorkers in the late 1980s, struggling with AIDS and living the bohemian life. Seen it several times, but it's still one of the few movies that has ever made me cry.

#22. Across the Universe: I gotta admit, Across the Universe really wasn't much my cup of tea as a movie...at least this first time that I've watched it. Don't get me wrong, the music is phenomenal, I found the characters interesting, and and it's very artistic and spends a lot of time on depicting the struggles of the 1960s. But I have issues with movies that spend too much time on artistry and not enough on developing a plot. Still, I have to admit, it was well made.

#23. The Man With One Red Shoe: Again, I love Tom Hanks. This is one of his older, seemingly lesser-known ones that I picked up on a whim at Blockbuster. Hanks plays a concert violinist who is mixed up in a battle between two CIA bosses, both out to get the other. As he is entirely oblivious and falls in love with one of the spies tailing him, the bosses wreak havoc on his life. Not one of Hanks's best movies, but still, of course, enjoyable.