I’m surprised I’m the first MLDer to write something about UP. I would have thought with the rate at which the other MLDers seem to see movies, I’d be merely joining THEIR conversation. As it turns out, I’m first. Yep, I have a short memory. Angie was INDEED first, and it seems I’m echoing her feelings!

Pixar is the best animation studio out there, in terms of consistent hits. It’s not just the excellent CGI/cartoonistry, it’s the solid story writing and perfect casting. It isn’t all princesses and heroes. It’s small stories, small people/things/toys/animals writ large, speaking to the universal person in all of us. Pixar doesn’t deny the existence of sadness and death, either. Even though UP, and the other Pixar films, are animated features, there’s a lot more reality to them than even live-action movies anymore.

I don’t want to give anything away about UP, but I have to say I fought back tears several times during the film, especially during the opening 20 minutes. Masteful mix of backstory, montage and segue back into present day that didn’t feel hokey and easily sold me on the emotional merits of the film.

And honestly, I also like the film because when my hair grows in, I look a lot like the chubby Wilderness Explorer Russell. Also, I’ve wanted to hang out with Ed Asner since I saw reruns of FISH when I was 6.

Go see UP.

We saw The Proposal tonight.  Luckily I hadn’t seen too many previews for it, since after, I was told that all the funny parts happen in the previews… Anyway….

If our readers can claim Shia Labeouf was the only good thing about Indiana Jones 4…. then I can safely say that Betty White and Oscar from The Office stole the show in this movie.  Ryan Reynolds presence doesn’t hurt it one bit… But Betty White seeming like she may not be faking the crazy old lady thing, and Oscar…well – that you have to see for yourself.  They were hilarious.

Overall, I was pretty happy with seeing this.  For a romantic comedy, it had a lot of comedy.  Yes, it had a lot of cliches, but the funny was funny.  There were a lot of laugh out loud moments.  Yeah – that’s right – it made me LOL.  Oh – and a lot of it being in Alaska was nice too.  Alaska is pretty  🙂

I didn’t really think about it until this weekend, but on some level I actively avoided seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  After hearing so many people come away disappointed when it was released last year, I clearly let that affect my efforts to see it.  It’s not like it’s something I’d run out to see, but I think I would have checked it out before this weekend if I was really unaffected.

After watching, I can find nothing wrong with this movie.  It fits well stylistically with the previous chapters.  It acknowledges what came before and broke new ground.  Nothing is any more far fetched or unbelievable than a Nazi melting smoke monster.  Shia Labeouf was annoying, but I think you could have the same reaction to Short Round.  Honestly, if you liked any of the Indiana Jones movies you should like this.  My only complaint, no monkey assassin.

Raiders is a classic. It’s a great movie even if it drags a little during the end of the Cairo segment. On Saturday night, the Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania presented Raiders on the big screen as part of their classic Midnight Movie Madness series.

It was the first time I had ever seen Raiders on a large screen and was definitely a worthwhile experience. The giant boulder seemed gianterer. On the big screen, the face meltings oozed of cheesy deliciousness. The film’s serial roots shown through far more clearly than I remember from my old VHS experiences especially during the brilliant opening scene.

By the way, I’m pretty sure we’re going to find out next year that the climax of Raiders takes place on a Lost-related island due to the white smoke monster that erupts from the Ark.

And what was with the obsession with bad lightning effects in the early 80s? In Raiders they use it as the Nazi’s die on the island. Earlier today I happened to catch the ending of the original Terminator and laughed out loud at the unnecessary lightning effect they used as the T-800 was crushed, it’s metal fingers wrapped tightly around Sarah Conner’s throat.

Anyway, Raiders is just full of classic iconic moment, plus lots of Nazi’s get killed. What else could you ask for in a popcorn flick?

The two downsides to the experience include the fact that some members of the crowd were apparently confused and thought they were watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Their annoying need to try to interact with the film and make everyone us all laugh fell flat repeatedly or resulted in just slight nervous laughter of embarrassment.

And secondly, the battle to stay awake during the film just hammered home the fact that I’m f-ing old now.

Despite the at times aggravating crowd, I’d be willing to give the Ritz the benefit of the doubt and try another one of these midnight movies. Upcoming showings include Ghostbusters, the Dark Crystal, Rushmore, and the Goonies. For more information or tickets see:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81677822236&ref=nf

I liked it a lot better when it was called Dude, Where’s My Car?

Actually that’s not really true, but for me I couldn’t get that thought out of my head while watching the Hangover, except it lacks Dude’s weird Sci-Fi twist. A lot of the jokes recall other comedies beyond Dude including the Chris Farley classic Tommy Boy but it is still a funny movie with a fun cast. I think it’s worth seeing if you have a high tolerance for male nudity.

It’s also weird seeing Heather Graham in a movie in a theater. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve done that…