Movie Monday: Undercover Blues

Undercover Blues is one of my all-time favorite movies, which is to say that it is actually my favorite movie but I"m too ashamed to admit it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to track down any pictures yet because... well... no one actually cares about this movie but me! My love for this movie knows no bounds. If you expect to be considered a member of my family you have to watch this movie and when you tell me that it's bad I will assuredly tell you that you're just joking. If you really want to show me that you love me you will watch this movie with me multiple times and you won't even be mad that I say the lines with the actors and actresses half of the way through. In truth, I probably have the entire movie memorized, although I'm not sure that's something I should admit to publicly. And when I read the Wikipedia page on this film just a few minutes ago I laughed throughout the entire article.

I first watched Undercover Blues when I was seven or eight. I don't think I was supposed to do but I did and I have been in love ever since. I'm fairly certain that this movie was not well-received by most people but they just don't realize what they're missing. What do I love most about this film, you ask? The characters and the actors who play them.

Dennis Quaid plays Jeff Blue, the husband in the husband/wife spy team of Jeff and Jane Blue. Jeff can fend off a mugger with a knife while holding his baby in one arm, but in pretty much everything he comes second to his wife in terms of knowledge and skill. He readily admits to that as well. One thing he does have is his wit and his charming smile.

Kathleen Turner plays Jane Blue, and lets just say I would not want to get into a fight with her. However, if I needed to someone to defend me and I was best friends with her (because, of course, I would be) she'd be the first person I'd call.

Stanley Tucci plays Morty, a mugger intent on taking the Blues down. And while you're cheering for the Blues, a little part of you cheers Morty on as well.

Honestly, between these three characters I can't tell you which is my favorite. I don't think I have one. And the actors play their parts perfectly. I won't go into detail but the supporting cast is also fantastic. I hope, if you ever have a free hour and a half and the inclination to watch a funny film, that you'll give this one a shot. I don't expect anyone in the world to fall as madly in love as I am but I do hope that these characters will at least touch your heart in a small way. They are totally worth it!

Life has been busy recently but I'm hoping to make more appearances than just popping in once a week for Movie Monday. We'll see how that works!

The movie cover was taken from Wikipedia.

Movie Monday: Closer

In honor of Natalie Portman's recent Golden Globes win, I chose one of the few films I've seen her in, Closer. I have to admit, when I first watched this movie I didn't like it at all. But I did walk away intrigued so I watched it again and so began my love of the film. My favorite thing about this movie is its characters, because none of them are all that likable. I love flawed characters, and this film has some incredibly flawed characters! While the movie can be uncomfortable to watch at times, it's interesting to see how the characters work through the mistakes they make and deal with the consequences of each others actions. It also has some wonderful quotes, like this one from Alice: "Oh, as if you had no choice? There's a moment, there's always a moment, "I can do this, I can give into this, or I can resist it", and I don't know when your moment was, but I bet you there was one."













Movie poster and images are from Yahoo! Movies.

The Back-Up Plan

As is usual right before a semester begins I have been reading lots of books and watching lots of movies and television. It's my time to load up on the fun stuff before months of burying my head in schoolbooks.

Last night I watched The Back-Up Plan, expecting your average romantic comedy. Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy rom-com's, especially when an actor or actress I like has a starring role. I enjoy the type of comedy found in these movies. But I don't expect anything different when I pop one into my DVD player.

I was watching this one for that man whose face is, unfortunately, half-covered by J Lo's hand in the above picture, Alex O'Loughlin. As surprised as I was to find Alex O in a romantic comedy, I soon discovered why as the movie progressed. This rom-com is actually different. Instead of hating each other, the two characters show an interest in each other from the start. The problems arise when Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) learns that Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) is pregnant after being inseminated the day they met. What follows is a funny, awkward and heart-filled story.

If you're looking for a light-hearted comedy that is slightly different than the rest, this is a movie for you. But really, whether you're into romantic comedies or not, this one should definitely be on your to-watch list for the reason of Alex O'Loughlin alone. Once again, he was fantastic.

Who's excited to see him in the new Hawaii Five-0 this season? I know I sure am!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Lately, I have been reading and watching books, movies and TV shows of the fantasy, supernatural and sci-fi genres. This is partly because my friend and I have been watching the first seasons of Moonlight and Sanctuary. But, like my friend Sarah says, "I'm a normal person. Why would I want to watch shows about normal people?"

Outside of watching Moonlight and Sanctuary I have started rereading the Harry Potter series. I also began the Percy Jackson & The Olympian series.

I read the first book, The Lightning Thief and last night, I watched the movie adaptation of the book. It was interesting to read the book and watch the movie so close together because the differences between the two were made that much more apparent. And differences there were! I have to say that I greatly enjoyed the movie--probably more than the book--because it was, I felt, more exciting. However, if one goes into the film looking for a good representation of the book, they will be disappointed, as it was quite different. It's one of the movies that, when you watch it, you need to separate it from the book. They took the idea and some of the great plot points and changed the story, made it their own.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the cast! Kevin McKidd as Poseidon, Uma Thurman as Medusa, Pierce Brosnan as Chiron. There were some surprises, though. I imagined Percy's mom much differently. I had envisioned someone who looked more like Michelle Pfeiffer or Nicole Kidman. Percy, Annabeth and Luke looked different than expected as well.

Overall, it was a fun book to read though I thought the movie was a little more exciting. I'm looking forward to moving on the series and hoping for more Percy Jackson movies to come.