A New Year's Resolution is Completed with Gone with the Wind (1939)

For my final movie of the year, I saved another classic for last. Today's film is the 4 hour epic Gone with the Wind. About a spoiled girl who always gets her way when the American Civil War comes to her home lands of the south. Starring Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara and Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind is one of the biggest classics in all of film history. I wasn't entirely sure what I would think of it, especially after being disappointed with Magnolia. I expected something similar in scale to Doctor Zhivago (which I liked) since that was also an old classic, but then again, this film is quite a bit older than that. To put it another way, I had some ideas of what to expect, but my expectations still weren't that high. You'll find my thoughts on this 1939 classic on the other side of the jump. And with this, I have completed my goal to watch one new movie everyday, for the whole year. Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Ben-Hur (1959)

Today I took the dive into one of the biggest classics that I knew of: Ben-Hur. This was one of the movies I had been intending on watching ever since I started this whole movie watching project, but I kept putting it off because it's over 3 hours long. Not only that, but 50's movies aren't known for being the most action-packed. Oh yeah, one more thing. This was yet another movie that pretty much just proved how ignorant I can be about old classics, and also why I started doing all this to start with. So what was I so unaware this time? That this was a religious film. I thought it was just about Rome, gladiators and chariot races. I got a little bit more than I bargained for. Hit the jump for my impressions.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Merry Christmas Everybody!

I've heard dozens of times that the best Christmas movie ever is It's A Wonderful Life. That combined with never having seen it myself meant it had to be the movie I watched on Christmas day. I had very little idea what the movie was really about, so when I was suddenly face to face with a movie all about the finacial struggles of a small town, and one man's desperate struggles to keep it afloat, I didn't really know what to think about it. One thing is for sure, this is a far more relavant movie for the times than I think many would realize. So did this Christmas classic warm my heart and make me believe in the spirit of the season, or simply bore me to sleep? Hit the jump for my first time thoughts on this 1946 Christmas classic!

"Chasing Amy" (1997)

Merry Christmas everyone! A while back Jim forced me to watch "An Evening With Kevin Smith", after watching this I was motivated to catch up on some of his other movies. So when Netflix Canada recently got "Chasing Amy" I needed to check this out. I did like the Clerks series which I saw earlier this year, and I was hoping it to be more like that. But this is a Kevin Smith movie and I haven't found one I hated so far.

Have a Merry Christmas with Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Today, being Christmas Eve, seemed like the perfect day to remedy my error a few days ago. I had mistakenly watched the remake of the 1947 Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street, when I had meant to watch the original. I don't think I'm the only one who might make that mistake though. Even talking to a friend the other day that I was going to watch this film, he assumed I meant the 1994 remake, and advised me against it. When I clarified that I'd be watching the original, he gave me permission to go ahead, haha. So did this Christmas classic set the perfect tone for the big day tomorrow? Hit the jump to find out!

Force Fed Films: Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

The movie Puneet made me watch today was James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause. I've never seen a James Dean movie as far as I know, but it makes sense as he wasn't in very many due to his unfortunate early demise. I wasn't sure what to expect from this film. Is it famous just because it was one of his few films, or because it was actually good? I remember hearing that he had a massive amount of fans, but I think that was basically because he was one of those "heart throb" guys back in the day. Kinda like the Beatles I think, but on a smaller scale. Anyways, you'll find my thoughts after the jump.

How to Steal a Million (1966)

I found How to Steal a Million one day while looking up great comedy pairings. I was actually looking up Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, but among the comedy pairs was Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. That was months ago, but today was finally the day that this film called out to me louder than the others (also because a lot of the other movies I have to watch are 4+ hours long!). I'd only ever seen Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, so I was eager to see her in another film. Likewise, I haven't seen O'Toole in many rolls besides Lawrence of Arabia, so that was also a draw. Hit the jump to find out if this is possibly something you might also want to seek out.

North by Northwest (1959)

Today I knocked another old film off my list by watching North by Northwest. This is a spy thriller about an advertising exec who gets all mixed up in Cold War spy business when he's mistaken for a secret agent by the enemies. This film was rated extremely highly on IMDB so I figured I had to see it. It also has that scene of Carey Grant running away from an airplane that is so recognizable, and I just had to know the circumstances. The plane is coming fast, so if you want to know my thoughts, you'll have to jump for it!

Poll Position: "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005)

At first I had no idea that "Memoirs of a Geisha" was a romance movie, but after I quickly looked up what this movie was all about, I was slightly intrigued. I'll admit that I know almost nothing about geishas. I thought they were just dressed up escorts, but little do I know it's more than that. They are artists, musicians and beautiful dancers. Just everything about the geisha is pure and beautiful, if the movie comes anywhere as close to the beauty that these geishas process. I cannot see how this movie can be a bad one.

Poll Position: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Last week's poll looked at a lot of different romance movies. While Date Night was an early favorite, Memoirs of a Geisha came out ahead and took the poll in the last days of voting. I've actually been wanting to see this film for a long time, so I'm glad it won in the end. I didn't know if this would be an English language movie or if it would be spoken in Japanese with English subtitles, but it turned out to be an interesting hybrid of the two. I'll get more in depth on this fascinating love story set in a changing culture on the other side of the jump.

Force Fed Films: "Moulin Rouge!'

I never actually knew what "Moulin Rouge!" was about, just that it was a musical and a drama. When these two things collide, I am not all that passionate about it. I just assumed after watching the music video for Lady Marmalade it was a toss away movie. Thankfully, Jim forced me to watch it. Because I fear I might have missed this movie if he hadn't. And there was no way in hell I would have checked this out by my own will.

Great Expectations (1998)

I wasn't planning on watching this movie... ever, to be honest. But after yesterday's viewing of Jarhead, I noticed a bit of a theme with the past 3 films, so I decided to go with it. We'll see if anyone can pick up on it as well!

So this is an adaptation of the classic book of the same name, but besides the title, Great Expectations only shares some basic themes. That is to say, it's not exactly the same as the book. For one thing, it's been modernized a bit to give it a bit of a new twist. This spin on the classic story starrs Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft, and Chris Cooper.

Force Fed Films: (500) Days of Summer (2009)

How do you talk about a movie that ends up affecting you in a very personal way without getting personal about it? That's the problem I'm having with (500) Days of Summer. I'm not sure what suddenly made Puneet think of this movie when coming up with something for me to watch this week, but I certainly remember all the buzz surrounding it. That was back before Inception made me not hate Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I'd also have to say I had a very wrong impression about this movie. I thought it was going to be all highschool sappy falling in love. Actually it's a very grown up look at relationships. A few of my thoughts after the jump.

Tom & Meg, Yet Again: Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

There was one more rom-com I had heard of many times and had never seen. Sleepless in Seattle is yet another Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie where the who fall hopelessly in love. Well, kind of. I'll get to that in the body. As a recap for those who haven't read my previous Tom & Meg reviews, I thought Joe versus the Volcano was nice, but I really liked You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan was also in When Harry Met Sally, but that wasn't with Tom, but it was another rom-com I liked her in, and it's very similar in tone to this kind of thing. So have I become tired of Meg falling for Tom and Tom falling for Meg? Or does this rightfully hold its title as a great rom-com?

Now Playing: The Three Musketeers in 3D (2011)

Today some friends stopped by who wanted to go see The Three Musketeers in 3D directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Its main starring roles are filled by some slightly lesser known, but refreshing faces Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Logan Lerman. But it also has some more recognizable faces in Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, and Milla Jovovich. It's no surprise to see Jovovich here though, considering she's married to the director, and appears in nearly every movie he makes as the leading lady. Ever hear of Resident Evil? Guess who directed it... But this is about those famous Musketeers! Is it worth the cash to see it in the theater? What about the 3D? All that and more right after the jump!

Inferno/Desert Heat (1999)

Today I had a couple of friends over, and when they didn't want to watch some old classic movie, I had to break into some of my stash of old DVDs I had borrowed from my parents. This includes about 6 Van Damme movies, including Inferno. Although, to be honest, the DVD I have says Desert Heat on the box, but that's not the title it seems to go by on IMDB and other places. As far as titles for movies go, this odd mix-up is one of the strangest I've seen. Even the IMDB page, while calling in Inferno, shows only half the box of Desert Heat, and then half of the box of The Order which is another Van Damme movie. I just don't understand. Hopefully the movie makes more sense than this. Hit the jump to find out!

He Became a Better Man, by Being a Woman: Tootsie (1982)

I've always seen shots of Tootsie and always thought to myself, "I bet that's a weird movie." But it seemed like something fun and lighthearted for me to watch, which is exactly what I needed today. As weird as it seems, Dustin Hoffman stars in this movie as an actor who can't get any work, so he dresses up as a woman. Think Mrs. Doubtfire, but set in the 80s, and without the kids. I was curious, and a little worried, how an 80s film would portray a cross-dresser, and how negative it might be towards gay and lesbian people. Hoping for the best, I pressed play. If you're curious on what I found, just click that little link below!

Joe versus the Volcano (1990)

I've had my eye on Joe versus the Volcano for quite some time. I've put it in various polls out of curiosity of it's public perception, but despite my own interest, it never ended up winning. So today I said "Enough!" and put it on for myself as my first movie stepping out from under my dark cloud of horror films, and into the sunshine again. I wanted a fun and funny movie, and I figured this would be just what I needed. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were also both in You've Got Mail together, which I really liked. After realizing they were paired up again in this, a quick search revealed they're also in Sleepless in Seattle, so expect that somewhere down the line too. But this is actually their first pairing, so it must have been special. Hit the jump to see if that's what I found.

Not All Wolves are Bad: Teen Wolf (1985)

Today I thought I'd take a break from all the horror, and jazz up my Halloween with some lighthearted comedy. That called for a viewing of Teen Wolf starring Michael J. Fox. I had literally zero idea of what was in store for me. I've never even seen what Fox looked like as the wolf in this movie. Of course I suspected that the comedy would be set mixed in with a supernatural or spooky feel to it. But I could certainly envision awkward and funny moments arise as he has to duck and hide his affliction and still maintain a teenager's life. With that as my mindset, I hit play. For those who have seen it, you probably know what's coming. I detail my experience on the other side of the jump!

"Låt den rätte komma in" (2008)

First of all I want to thank Neil for recommending this movie to us. Jim has already seen “Let the Right One In”, so I decided to check it out. The movie is actually based on the book “Låt Den Rätte Komma In” I was thoroughly surprised at how this movie turned out. I was a bit disconcerted about it being a vampire/romance movie, but after hearing all the praise it is only fair to give this movie a chance. And being a Swedish film, I was more than thrilled to get a change of pace of Hollywood horror films. But enough about the hype lets dig our teeth in “Let the Right One In”.