Skyfall Encore!

Thinking I should see Skyfall in the theatre one more time before it's gone forever. For me, this was one of the best James Bond flicks in recent years. The fact that I'm a huge fan of Daniel Craig is another reason to take the leap (no pun intended). And of course seeing Javier Bardem remove the mouth piece that prevents his face from looking like a living skull is priceless.

Best line: Welcome to Scotland!

Django Unchained

Hands down, the best movie of the year!

Synopsis: Set in the pre-civil war south, white bounty hunter, Dr. King Shultz and former slave Django partner up to buy Django's wife from evil slave owner Calvin Candie.

I'm not a big Quentin Tarantino fan. His films are typically too violent, crude and profane for my delicate sensibilities.

But the violence in Django Unchained is justified. The horror of slavery is graphically portrayed, creating intense emotions in the audience. Yet, Tarantino tempers the violence with tasteful humor. A difficult balance to say the least.

Jamie Foxx (Django), Christoph Waltz (Dr. Shultz), Leonardo DiCaprio (Calvin Candie)...all brilliant in their roles.

The cinematography, script and music work together to create a provocative film that you will never forget.

I'm pretty stoked as the winter scenes were shot in my home state of Wyoming! Jackson, Wyoming to be exact. It was pretty cool seeing those magnificent shots of Wyoming's bison and elk herds.

Auf wiedersehen, ya'll.

Dear Readers:

I will be taking some time off from blogging for a while. Thank you all so much for you support and encouragement. Not sure when I will resume but I will keep you posted.

Thanks again!

Luana

This Week at the Movies

I'm in Boston this week on vacation and I've been going to the movies a lot. The weather is so hot and humid that the cool refrigerated atmosphere of the cineplex is a welcome reprieve.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (Papa Mammoth Manny is worried about losing his little girl ... as well as it being the end of the world. Scrat, in his enthusiastic pursuit of an acorn, spins the Earth's core like bowling ball and starts the continents to drift.)

To Rome With Love (Alec Baldwin guides Jesse Eisenberg is his relationships. Meanwhile Woody Allen acts as impresario to an opera singer who can only sing in the shower. Best Line: "Go ahead. Walk into the propeller.)

Total Recall (Colin Ferrell goes for one heck of a ride. Is he secret agent? Does he have a wife? How can he crash his car so many times without breaking every bone in his body?)

Brave (Red Hair. Bears. Bagpipes. Archery. Witches. Spells. The Eating of Pastry.)

Whew! And that doesn't count what I saw on DVD:

The Lightning Thief (The Son of Poseidon tries to clear his name and in the process must rescue his mother and defeat the real lightning thief, Luke, Son of Hermes. There is also a crazed five-headed dragon that is turned into stone by the head of Medusa aka Uma Thurman.)

Underdog (Non animated version of the classic cartoon. Doesn't come close to the adorable Shoeshine Boy of my childhood. But I must say ... this beagle ROCKS!)

Anatomy of a Murder (James Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara in a murder mystery that was pretty risque for it's time. Didn't know you could say "b***tch" in the movies in 1959.)

The King

Cartoon by Mark Parisi - "Off the Mark"

So I was flipping through the channels last night and came across Stephen King's "It." Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Tim Reid --- oh YEAH! I'd been wondering what book to bring with me on my vacation and now I have my answer.

Isn't it ironic that clowns frighten children? What does that say about Ronald McDonald? He's the creepiest clown I know. I read  that McDonald's is doing away with the clown. It's about time.

What's your favorite clown movie?

Wicked Wednesday: Cruella DeVille

The worst kind of evil. Murdering sweet little puppies just so you can feed your tremendously vain ego with a Dalmation fur coat!

Cruella is a Fashionista Nazi. Yes, her clothes are fabulous, but at what price? Do the ends justify the means? Absolutely not! If there ever were a time for faux fur, it's now.

I've always wonderd what Anita saw in her. They are best friends? You've got to be kidding! I can't picture them together having lunch, shopping and chit chatting at Starbucks.

Crazy People

I watched this creepy move on Lifetime Movie Network the other day. "An Officer and a Murderer." It's about a well-respected Army colonel who stalks women, breaks into their homes, ties them up, photographs them and then video tapes himself with them. He makes them wear a blindfold so they don't see him. If they  do see him, he kills them. He also takes their underwear with him and wears it under his military uniform.

The crazy thing is that this is based on a true story. When he was finally caught, his friends and neighbors said they couldn't believe it. He was such a "nice guy."

Last week I was hanging around the bargain section at Barnes and Noble and came across a book with an intriguing title: "The Sociopath Next Door." It was written by Martha Stout, a psychologist. In the book, she explains anti-social disorder and gives examples from actual cases (a composite of the people she has actually treated in therapy). The book is fascinating. I was especially intrigued because I have a gradute degree in psychology and have always been interested in human behavior, especially mental disorders.

ANYWAY...because of this book I've been attuned to sociopathy and have noticed it more and more in characters in films. It seems as though many villains are either psychopaths or sociopaths to some degree. As a screenwriter, I think that knowing about these mental disorders will make my characters more realistic. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Movie Music Monday: The Pink Panther

Henry Mancini rocks the HOUSE!

Wicked Wednesday: Biff

Biff Tannen was the biggest bully in Hill Valley. Just ask George McFly if you don't believe me. He made George's life miserable! Fortunately, George's son, Marty went back to 1955 and changed the future. Daddy George became a successful science fiction author and Biff ended up with the fuzzy end of the lollypop. Ah, sweet justice.

Getting Ready for the Shoot Out

Friend and co-producer, Susan V. and I have started our plan of attack for the next Cheyenne Shoot Out Filmmaking Festival. Slated for the first weekend in October, the event challenges filmmakers to create a  film in 24 hours with only in-camera editing. The film can be no longer than seven minutes including credits and it must include elements from a "Brief" given to the filmmakers on the day of the shoot. The Brief includes specific locations, various "Cheyenne/Wyoming" items, and a phrase (either spoken or shown) that must be in the film.

Last year was our first attempt and we were thrilled to have won three awards for our movie, The Bear Switch Project (Best Comedy, Best Actor and Best Film).

This year we have experience on our side. We know what to expect. We know what worked and what didn't.

We met last week to brainstorm story ideas and now I'm writing the first draft of the script. I can't tell you about the movie but I will say it's a comedy and involves an alien.

Until next time, adios, amigos!