Domestic Psychology

Previews

// January 21st, 2013 // No Comments » // movies

Movies have devolved into bad CGI or good CGI aka comic books or graphic novels.

Avengers x 2

// May 7th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // movies

I love movies. My first job was at a Memphis movie theater because, I wanted to see more movies. The spending money was nice, but it was the movies that motivated me to work while still in high school. It turned out to be the perfect job. The staff of teenagers working for less than minimum wage ignored the manager turning off the counters on the arcade machines while the manager allowed the underage employees to run amuck. On days when new reels of film were delivered, the last paid customer would be quickly shooed out of the building and we would be the first in town to screen every mid-1980′s movie. There were some treasures and some stinkers, but they were all fun for after midnight movie parties.

I never stopped loving and attending midnight movies. There’s a palpable enthusiasm in midnight movie audiences. You don’t take an unwilling date or spouse to a midnight movie. The audience is filled with people who are eagerly anticipating the movie. Every preview gets enthusiastic cheers and applause. Preview for a movie that should have been called “Geezers with Guns 2″? Clapping and three syllable “Yeah!” Preview that makes the Alien movies seem cheerful? Oohs and ahhs. Preview for a comic book movie? People cheer and make happy noises that would make Meg Ryan’s Sally in a restaurant seem timid.

The mood in the audience is so contagious that reserved and quiet people find themselves laughing at the audience comments and applauding when they would normally have smiled and nodded. Everyone’s brain Fandangos tickets for the previewed movies. At that moment in time, everything is wonderful.

I try to act my age and wait to see movies during matinee hours, but sometimes… I have to stay up past my bedtime and join the party. I don’t have the free time to sit thru a lengthy movie marathon like Thursday’s Marvel Marathon. While Aspie Caveman had the desire and interest, he lacked the transportation. Being the designated taxi driver was enough of a nudge to indulge and join the midnight Avengers screening.

It. Was. Perfect. Instead of throwing the 3D at the audience, Avengers used the 3D to pull the audience into the screen. The dialogue was clever and witty instead of melodramatic. Violence was carefully CGI’d to keep the comic book feel. The cast was enormous, yet carefully balanced. Words and images that we remember reading on long family car trips or by flashlight past bedtime, came to life even better than they were ever imagined.

We have all been trained to remain seated during credits for the reward of an extra scene. Avengers treats everyone who sits beyond that scene. After so many additional credits roll that the audience posted tweets, checked Facebook, scrolled their feed and texted their babysitters, the bonus was something completely different that had every nerd who waited, smiling as they left the theater.

Driving home at three in the morning, I found myself staring at the familiar streets with the eyes of a stranger. “Is this my street?” Wisps of fog floated randomly and at that moment, I declared my super power to be fog absorption. I was saving the other drivers from visual distractions even though it caused me brain fog. I became over-tired, brain cloud mom! I came home hyped up from the movie and stared at the television. I had brilliant insights on gender roles in Marvel comics that I didn’t write down. I figured out Black Widow’s super power and mentally compiled a list of others with the power until I decided it was more evil than super. At four a.m., I decided my brain was too active for sleep and I should start my day. The early morning would make me super productive just as soon as I stood up and began moving. I blinked and it was six hours later. Brain Cloud causes blinking to slow way, way down.

After my hibernation, I started to wonder how much of the midnight experience was influencing my praise for Avengers. I generously offered to accompany the teen and spouse who were unable to attend the first screening. Selfishness may be a temporary side effect of Brain Cloud.

After the second screening, I tried to Amazon pre-order the just opened Avengers. It really is that good.

Fright Night ramblings

// August 21st, 2011 // 3 Comments » // me

Friday night, we left the sleepy small children in the care of girl teen and went to see Fright Night. Anyone who saw the original Fright Night knows that it was not a sleep with the lights on afterwards or a nausea inducing festival of escalating grossness that defines most horror flicks. The original Fright Night was more of a comedy than a fright. The remake is extremely loyal to its predecessor with a cameo appearance from an original cast member just for the geezers in the audience. Go see Fright Night.

I was too busy braiding and making knots with my Twizzlers to jot down all the movie previews before Fright Night. There was something with Daniel Radcliffe in a haunted house that doesn’t look very challenging for his acting talents. Harold and Kumar made a Christmas movie that should go directly to Netflix for late night, tv in bed viewing. I’ve been anticipating the John Carter on Mars ever since it was just a rumor and even though it looks like Disney has added an extra layer of cheese that an adult studio wouldn’t have done, I’ll still be going to see it.

My only problem with Fright Night was the absence of any filler scenes that are really just bathroom intermissions. When we watched the last Harry Potter, everyone knew to race to the bathroom while Harry was in the empty train station. When I am at a guy movie, I know that if I leave at the beginning if a battle scene, they will finish fighting just as I return. I need an app that alerts when scenes that add nothing to the plot are beginning so that I can take a potty break.

I suppose I could just skip the giant bucket of beverage that I sip the entire movie.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (Non-spoilery Review)

// August 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // movies, parenting

Aspie Caveman went to see Scott Pilgrim vs the World and offers the following review.

“It was really fun. If you don’t play video games, you won’t get it.”

My get off my lawn response.

“You whippersnappers hadn’t even heard of Scott Pilgrim until they decided to make it a movie. Back in my day, we had to read about it. By candlelight. Barefoot. Uphill both ways. Now bring me some tea. What time is it?”

non-spoilery movie reviews

// June 27th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // movies

Toy Story 3
Beautiful. Fans of the first two Toy Story movies will appreciate the continuity and new fans won’t feel like they’re missing something. Before the movie, I accidentally read an article that said the writers thought about “The Great Escape” when they wrote this movie. I don’t want to spoil “The Great Escape” for anyone, but it doesn’t have a happy ending. That review combined with nearly every single person who saw Toy Story 3 writing that they cried during the movie made me very nervous. I didn’t want my children heart-broken over a movie. My worries were for naught. The children were the only people in our group who didn’t cry, but we ALL loved the conclusion of this trilogy. Unlike other studios that think a family movie is inappropriate jokes book-ended by flatulence humor, Pixar knows exactly how to reach out and pluck the heartstrings of the parents whose children watch their movies. It is more subtle than “Up,” but it is no less effective. See Toy Story 3 on the big, big screen.

Amy & Evan’s review: “Let’s go see it AGAIN!”

A-Team
They were trying too hard. I laughed out loud a few times, but the actors just looked uncomfortable in their characters. They clearly wanted the plot to be a surprise to the audience, but it was much too easy to see from the very beginning. The grandparents and small children in our group fell asleep during this one. The teen boys in our group did stare at the screen with grins on their faces the entire movie. Wait and get this one from Redbox or Netflix.

Batman v Darth Vader

// May 25th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // kid quotes, movies

Amy: “I’m Batman and I can beat you up.”
Evan: “Well, I’m Darth Vader and I can win without even touching you.”
Amy: “Nuh-uh. Batman is better than Darth Vader.”
Evan: “Darth Vader is the best bad guy EVER. He always wins.”
Amy: “That’s not fair. You love Batman.”
Evan: “I love to win. Darth Vader wins.”

Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear

// April 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // movies, play

Is he in the Disney Store now or are they waiting for June 18th?

Christmas Movie Marathon

// December 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // holidays, movies

While watching the Rankin/Bass channel aka ABC Family this week, I started mentally composing a list of my favorite Christmas movies. In no particular order, I like to wrap, craft and snuggle while watching:
Elf
The Santa Claus 1 & 2 (not 3)
Die Hard
A Christmas Story
Mixed Nuts
Fitzwilly
While You Were Sleeping
Christmas Vacation
Scrooged
The Homecoming
Auntie Mame – original version
How the Grinch stole Christmas – animated version
The Nightmare before Christmas – which is more Halloween than Christmas
Gremlins – again, more Halloween than Christmas

Also:
Home for the Holidays – even though it is technically a Thanksgiving movie

Related: Halloween movies

Doug says:

// October 22nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Doug, me, movies

Me: “You remember wonderinging where they filmed when we were watching The Holy Grail?”
Doug: “The Holy Grail? I remember wondering where something was filmed, but I don’t remember what it was.”
Me: “It was Holy Grail. You asked where they filmed it.”
Doug: “Noooo. I think it was Planet of the Apes.”
Me: “Are you sure? I thought you asked where Holy Grail was filmed.”
Doug: “Nope. It was definitely Planet of the Apes.”
Me: <- sigh ->
Doug: “Go ahead and tell me. You know you have to say it.”
Me: “No. It doesn’t matter now.”
Doug: “Come on. Let it out.”
Me: “Scotland. And they used the same castle for every location.”
Doug: “Feel better now?”
Me: “No. I have to look up Marky Mark AND Charlton Heston.”

Walter Cronkite through my children’s eyes

// July 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // cartoons, movies, people

Watch the rest of “We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story” with the voice talent of Walter Cronkite as Captain Neweyes and multiple Jurassic Park references – part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and the conclusion.