12 Men of Christmas

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Yes, it is July. Yes, I did watch this movie in the middle of summer. My mom and I thought it was fun to watch a Christmas themed movie in the comfort of our A/C. We sat under blankets to make it feel like Christmastime!

This was another movie that had Kristin Chenoweth in it as a part of my ongoing summer Cheno addiction. In this movie, she plays a woman who loses her job in New York and eventually accepts one in Montana, of all places(She also loses her fiance which devestates her even further). I think Montana is nice, but for New Yorkers, I guess that place is boring and weird. Anyway, she basically goes there with plans of moving back to New York in a year after a big project with the new job is done. The 12 Men actually are each a photo for a calendar that Chenoweth's character, E.J., is in charge of putting together in order to raise money for a search and rescue team. Getting twelve men of Montana to take off some of their clothing for a photo spread proves hard and E.J. is consumed with making it happen. Of course, the biggest opposition comes from one of the search and rescue guys, who happens to be amazinly gorgeous, and E.J. basically hates him. They fight endlessly and have a bit of sexual tension that also builds throughout the movie. (I often wonder how this heat actually grows between two people because I would just end up punching the jerk in the face and getting a restraining order against me)

I won't give you all the details and will just tell you to watch the movie. Not only do you get to see the amazingly cute and wonderful acting of Ms. Chenoweth, but you also get to see burly men with their shirts off. Hello, major win.

I give it twelve pin up models and an apple box to stand on(for Cheno!) It's good. Watch it. You won't be sorry and remember that cheesiness is happiness!!!

The Music Man

Image found at imdb.com

Apparently I was under a rock my whole life and really didn't know where songs like: "Gary Indiana," or "Good Night, Ladies" came from. Well, my friends, they are from The Music Man. I was too young(and actually not even alive) to appreciate either the Broadway hit or the 1962 movie, but I am very glad that I have recently been on a Kristin Chenoweth kick since reading her book because I got to watch this brilliant little movie.

I am not always a musical fan. Don't even get me started on Oklahoma! But I did really enjoy Annie, which probably is for younger audiences. I really think the reason I liked Annie was because it was very action packed and funny. This is also why The Music Man got my heart.

It not only has one of favorite songs to hum in it: "Seventy-Six Trombones" but it was also humorous and had romance. Basically, Professor Harold Hill(played by Matthew Broderick, and again I was under a rock my whole life and didn't realize he could sing so well or that he was ever on Broadway), is a scammer posing as a traveling salesmen. He basically comes into town with the promise that he will make a marching band to keep kids out of trouble but actually has no music ability himself and the kids never play a note. Chenoweth's character is Marian the Librarian, who is very skeptical of Hill and wants to prove that his act is a scam. Unfortunately, she falls for him(okay so not so unfortunate). Brilliant. And btw, Ms. Chenoweth has got some lungs. That woman can sing. You. GO. Girl! Not only do you get peppy songs you also get some dancing and some romance. I say watch this film. You will not be disappointed unless you are numb to fun!

Also, when you do watch, and you will, be sure to pay attention to "Shipoopi." I told my sister that my new nickname is Shipoopi because of my dating experience and she could call me Ship for short. Of course she said she will call me poopi for short. Silly seester!

I give this brilliant little film three batons and seventy-six trombones(of course)!
Enjoy!

Sliding Doors

Sometimes, just for fun, I watch movies that I really liked in the past. When I do this, I am often distracted by my iPhone and the interwebs. But the parts I did catch reminded me again how much I LOVE this movie. I am a big Gwyneth Paltrow fan these days(she rocked it on Glee) and I have a lot of her movies in my Netflix queue.

Anyway, the whole premise of this film is that maybe one small insignificant decision or incident can shape our whole life. In the movie, for Paltrow's character, missing or catching a tube train makes all the difference in her life. The story follows both stories. The story of catching the train makes Paltrow's character catch her boyfriend being unfaithful while also meeting a very nice man. In the scenario where she misses the train, her life spirals into a horrible scene where she is working two jobs and supporting the cheating scum.

I love how this movie makes me think about life and how maybe the little stuff does actually matter.

I give it four tube tickets. Watch it! Love it!

Life As We Know It

I was expecting this movie to be a flop but it actually was a good flick. And can I just say I am really liking Josh Duhmael these days. He is nice.

The whole story is about how two people are thrown into dealing with each other after their best friends die in a car accident and leave a little baby girl behind. They two, played by Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhmamel, had been set up on a blind date a few years earlier and hated each other. The movie basically goes through their struggle as suddenly new parents and how they deal with each other.

You knew already that they fall in love, but you should watch anyway. It is cute.

I give it three jars of baby food thrown on the ground.

The King's Speech

I was concerned that I wouldn't like this movie because I don't do well with remembering history. (Ok, let's be honest, I have a hard time remembering anything! Dang sometimers.)

It was okay that I didn't know much about the history of the royals over in England, because with my limited knowledge, I was still able to follow and love this story.

Basically, this is about George VI and how he was suddenly in the spotlight of King without the speaking skills to perform well(He suffered from a stuttering problem). The story is one of perseverance and passion. Even though George had a hard time, he kept at practicing with his speech therapist and goes on to deliver an amazing speech and lead his country through war.

I really think this is the best film I have seen so far this year and I give it five crowns and one hundred royal gems!

Toy Story 3

Pic found at imdb.com

The whole time I watched this, I was thinking about how brilliant the creators of the storyline have been. Seriously, as a child, I always thought of my toys as being real and always felt bad when I played with one toy more than another. I was sure they had feelings and would be sad when they didn't get adequate play time.

And who would have thought to write a story about how those toys feel when their owner grows up and goes away to college. Brilliant.

This is a fun little animated film and I am not usually a fan of animated. Watch it. Love it. Then go and play with those dusty toys, because you know you feel guilty about neglecting them.

I give it a double Ken and Barbie because those two characters killed it! :)

Johnny English

This movie is fantastic. A must see. If you are cool, and love British humor, you will love it. If you like Mr. Bean(and that makes you automatically cool) you will like this flick because the actor who plays Bean, is in this movie.

It is about this degenerate of a spy who goes from desk to front lines when all the British spies are killed at a funeral. He must step up to save the crown jewels.

This is a typical funny movie and a spy spoof. Slapstick humor at its best. Check it out soon.

I give it two Big Bens and a Tower of London award!!!