What I've Been Watching: New Movies

I am so excited to share with you some of the movies I've seen recently! I believe most of these are still in theaters. In April I signed up for MoviePass and have been using it quite frequently ever since. I definitely recommend the service. It's $10/month and you can see a new movie every day in theaters. Some of my friends have mentioned seeing complaints about the app and the companies customer service, but my experience has been very positive. I love watching movies and this is a great deal to see way more than I normally would. I've also used my pass to see A Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name, and I Feel Pretty.


AMERICAN ANIMALS 

Now this is definitely a movie I probably never would have never seen in theaters if it wasn't for MoviePass. They did a lot of advertising for it and that definitely drew my attention. AMERICAN ANIMALS is based on the true story of four college students who plan a heist to steal millions of dollars in rare books from their school library. This was extremely well cast and I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the film. It was very tense and I had no idea how things would end. AMERICAN ANIMALS also included the real people who participated in the heist and were impacted by it. Their comments were interspersed in the movie and it worked perfectly. Highly recommended! 

A QUIET PLACE 

This movie was crazy good! I hate "dumb" scary movies where people are just getting killed or chopped up for no reason and every character makes the worst decisions. A QUIET PLACE was smart, creepy, and incredibly tense. This is not the kind of movie you want to watch with someone who talks a lot or in a loud environment. The silence is part of what makes it so wonderfully scary. I've always been a fan of Jon Krasinski (literally just because of The Office), but he proved himself as more than capable to handle diverse roles and be a creator himself. The cast was superb and I was literally on the edge of my seat from the first scene to the last. 

OCEAN'S 8

I've never seen the original Ocean movies, but I was excited by the idea of an all-female heist movie. Plus, I loved the cast. It started out very fun and exciting, the only thing that seemed a bit hard to believe was the ending. OCEAN'S 8 had incredible fashion, celebrities, and a unique plot, but it wasn't my favorite heist film. It was overall very feel good and a nice guilty-pleasure to watch on a rainy afternoon.

BOOK CLUB

This is another one I probably would never have seen without MoviePass. Even though it's about books and has a stellar
cast, the trailer didn't really have enough to draw me in. Luckily, this ended up being a very real and enjoyable film. The four women in the book club are each dealing with things in their personal lives, mostly related to their relationships, and when they decided to read Fifty Shades of Gray for their book club, everything changes. Jane Fonda seriously never ages and I loved how this story would appeal to both older and younger generations. 

SOLO

I am definitely a Star Wars fan although it has been years since I've watched the originals. I need to remedy that! I enjoyed The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, but haven't seen Rogue One. It has been a bit of Star Wars overkill, so that could partially explain why SOLO is performing so poorly at the box office. Still, I actually enjoyed SOLO a lot. It might not be made for the tried and true fan of the series, but it was entertaining with a great cast. My favorite aspects of the story were about Han and Chewbacca's meeting and watching their relationship develop. Some aspects of the story were a little off and I didn't love the ending. All in all though I do not think SOLO deserves all of the hate because it was an enjoyable story that kept me engaged until the end.



Have you seen any of these movies? I'm hoping to go see Adrift this week. 

Movies I've Watched Recently (2)

I posted one of those lists last month and I had a lot of fun talking about the different movies I'd been watching. I decided to do it again! Feel free to share your thoughts on these films in the comments or about any movies you've watched recently. I only have four movies to talk about this time, but I loved them all! 

1. Juno 

Release date: December 25, 2007

Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, and Jennifer Garner 

Where?: Personal DVD

Series: No

Rating: PG-13

I pride myself on being a huge teen movie fan, yet I'd never seen Juno! I'm kicking myself for not watching it sooner, because it was fantastic. I can definitely see why it was a nominee for Best Picture and the acting was fabulous. Ellen Page did an amazing job portraying teen pregnancy and I need to watch more of her movies ASAP. Most people have probably already seen this, but if you've been putting it off for whatever reason, watch it now! 

2. The Artist

Release date: January 20, 2012

Starring: Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo

Where?: In Theaters

Series: No

Rating: PG-13 

Wow, wow, wow. The Artist deserves all of the wonderful buzz it has been getting because it is great! I loved it! My mom and I saw this in theaters last weekend and I hope it wins Best Picture. A lot of my friends won't even consider watching this because it is a silent movie, but don't let that deter you- it is a fabulous movie. There is romance, drama, laughs, and so much more. I was blown away by The Artist and can't wait to see how many awards it racks up at the Oscars this month. 

3. Midnight in Paris

Release date: June 10, 2011

Starring: Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams

Where?: Rented 

Series: No

Rating: PG-13 

This is the second time I have seen Midnight in Paris (the first time was in theaters), but my mom wanted to see it so we rented it on DVD. I adore this movie and I highly recommend watching it before the Oscars. It is sweet, romantic, and entertaining with a great message. Owen Wilson does a great job as the struggling writer seeing Paris in a new light and all of the secondary characters were fantastic, as well. Paris is one of my favorite cities and the scenery in this movie was breathtaking. Midnight in Paris is a unique little film, but I loved it nonetheless and will gladly see it a third time. 

4. The Vow

Release date: February 10, 2011

Starring: Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams

Where?: In Theaters

Series: No

Rating: PG-13 

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams are two of my favorite actors and when I heard they were doing a movie together I was beyond excited. I am a sucker for romantic dramas like The Notebook and Titanic, so The Vow seemed right up my alley. I went to see it on opening night and the theater was packed! The movie was wonderful, though. I know critics are tearing it apart, but I loved The Vow. It was the perfect mix of emotional, sweet, and romantic. Finding out it was based on a true story made it that much more impacting. 

Movies I've Watched Recently

In addition to reading, I have another love: movies! Since this is a book review blog, I usually don't get the chance to talk about films, so I figured I would do a spotlight post discussing some I have watched recently! Let me know in the comments what you've been watching lately! I'm thinking about making this a monthly feature, but we'll see. For now, here are some of the movies I've seen lately, whether in theaters or at home:

1. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol  
Release date: December 21, 2011

Starring: Tom Cruise 

Where?: In Theaters 

Series: #4, can be seen out of order though

Rating: PG-13

I was a big fan of the first and second MI movies, but the third fell a little flat. I wasn't sure what to expect regarding Ghost Protocol, but I ended up loving it! We went as a family to see this one, and I know both my mom and dad enjoyed it as well. The plot was unique and addicting and the action was endless. I was on the edge of my seat quite a few times and all of the actors were fantastic. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton all did a wonderful job and I can only hope to see all of them back for a fifth adventure!

2. Monte Carlo 

Release date: July 1, 2011

Starring: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy

Where?: Personal DVD

Series: No

Rating: PG

I remember wanting to see this when it was in theaters, but I never had the chance because of other conflicts over the summer. Now that our Blockbuster is going out of business I have been loading up on DVDs and this was one of them! This was just what I was expecting: a cute, frothy love story. I've always liked Selena Gomez's music, but I never connected with her on Wizards of Waverly Place. Luckily, I felt she did a great job in Monte Carlo. The scenery was beautiful and while the plot did seem a tad unrealistic at times (or completely unrealistic), I did enjoy this. If you're looking for a fun and entertaining movie to watch on a rainy day, I definitely recommend this!

3. Thor

Release date: May 6, 2011

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman 

Where?: Rented 

Series: Yes, #1 

Rating: PG-13

When my mom rented this I had no idea what to expect. I'd seen the trailer a few times and it definitely appealed to me, but I didn't know much more about it. I do love Natalie Portman, though, and was eager to see what her role would be. My family and I definitely enjoyed this one! Chris Hemsworth was a terrific Thor and this was a unique action movie that was different from the other Marvel super-hero films. The plot was action-packed, but also entertaining and romantic. Kat Dennings added a lot of the humor and I loved her character. Natalie Portman also did a nice job! Thor 2 doesn't seem to be on the horizon for quite awhile with all the director drama, but at least we'll see Thor in The Avengers and Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and the Huntsman! 

4. Easy A 

Release date: September 17, 2010

Starring: Emma Stone

Where?: Personal DVD

Series: No

Rating: PG-13

I LOVE THIS MOVIE! This is third time I have seen Easy A and I loved it just as much. It is a fantastic "teen movie" that is perfect to watch with friends. Emma Stone is one of my all-time favorite actresses and she did a fantastic job in Easy A. I can't tell you how much I adore this movie- just go watch it for yourself! 

5. The Princess Bride

Release date: September 25, 1987

Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin

Where?: Personal DVD

Series: No

Rating: PG

Another personal favorite! My family and I watched this on Christmas Eve, I just love reliving the magic of this movie over and over again. This is another one of those movies that if you haven't seen already, go see it right now! The action, the mystery, the romance, the adventure, everything is fun and exciting. As a book lover I still can't believe I haven't gotten my hands on a copy of the novel, though!