Movie Choices, Anyone?

Stephen was showing me the Internet Movie Database's top 250 movie list. I find it very sad that I'd seen 111 of the top 250. And about 5 of the bottom 100! YIKE! Maybe I watch too many movies. Then again, movie collecting is a hobby of mine. I just like having all my favorite movies on hand so I can see them again, if I want. Problem is, I've seen most of them maybe twice and watch my real favorites over and over. Although, I have seen some really good movies lately. I've started taking recommendations from other people and have found that sometimes I really enjoy some movies I'd been critical of for a long time and refused to see. Here are some of my more recent movies:

Hellboy: Why would anyone want to see a movie by that name (the sequel comes out this summer, for those who want to know)? Jane saw it had 3 stars in the TV Guide and decided to sit down and watch this movie. I wasn't expecting a great movie since I figured it must be a 3 star movie out of 10 stars or some alternate scale. Seeing as I wasn't expecting much, I was pleasantly surprised. IMDB describes the plot as "A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness." It has a quirky sense of human and is enjoyable to watch just for the interaction between Ron Pearlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, and Jeffrey Tambor. On a Kristin Scale of Movie watching (Thumb up, Thumb Down, Thumb in the Middle, or A Wenzel Elbow Salute *think flipping off someone*), I give Hellboy multiple thumbs up for entertainment, but a thumb in the middle for actually wanting to own it in my library. I think I'll stick to watching it on TV, thank you very much.

Little Miss Sunshine: I actually wanted to see this one in the theatre, but no one else in the house wanted to waste their $9 on this one. Then Jane decided she wanted to see it when it came on video, but was unwilling to spent the $17 on buying the DVD. So, we waited until it was on the Super-Duper-Closeout-Video-Store-Closing rack for $3. IMDB calls this one " A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus." Oh, but it is so much more than this! It is about a totally dysfunctional family who don't understand each other in the least trying to get a little girl to a pageant where she absolutely shows what being an individual is all about. Along the way, we learn more about how they became the way they are, how they become closer, learn more about death, color blindness, and depression/suicidal. I didn't think I would laugh so hard at the way they completely muddle through every situation... including keeping a dead body in the car ala the original Vacation movie. Nothing is going to stop this family and it keeps the viewer watching for the whole movie. Hey, I liked it enough to want my husband, the major movie critic, to see it. So, this one gets multiple Wenzel Thumbs UP (WAY UP!) for both viewing pleasure and for ownership.

My next movie was Night At the Museum. I expected this to be another campy Ben Stiller comedy like Zoolander. Ok, it was another campy Ben Stiller movie. But, it was campy in the way of Keeping the Faith and Heavyweights. Very enjoyable movie! And, to think they are working on the sequel (Night At the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian). IMDB underexplains this one as "A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc." It is so much more! It is about a guy finding out who he is and that greatness isn't what we think of. Sometimes it is just having the courage to make things better or more controllable. I do not currently own this one... but my Father In Law owns it. So, although I give it a Thumb WAY up for enjoyableness, I won't purchase it until we move out. One copy per household is enough for this movie.

Maybe in my next blog entry, I'll post the three movies I've watched recently that I couldn't stand and wonder if I should have been paid to have to sit through this movie. Til then, blog readers. I'll see you... at the movies? Wait.... no, I'll see you when I see you! :)