Moonrise Kingdom:

Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson's new movie, looks amazing. I can't wait!

Why I hate most modern movies:

I just read this hilarious article called “Help! My Favorite Book is Becoming a Movie!” by Frank Paiva. Written in response to the upcoming film adaptation of the beloved children’s novel, “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”, this article is all about Hollywood’s desecration of classic literature. It’s hilarious, very nicely written. And entirely true. Exactly how I feel about so many movies these days, which is probably why we never go to the movie theater. I will not spend $20 to watch some director trash a treasured story. It’s complete garbage.

Here are a few excerpts with which I identify:

“My stomach is queasy. I'm sweating profusely for no reason. My hands are slowly balling into angry fists. I want to unleash my rage but have nowhere to turn.

Hollywood is making a movie out of my favorite book.”

“Remember that overwhelming mix of boredom and dread you felt when you realized "The Da Vinci Code" movie wasn't going to get any better?”

“What's that high-pitched crying sound? Oh. It's my childhood dying.”

“There's something uniquely jarring about a bad book-to-movie adaptation. It's only natural that Hollywood makes films from things that were successful in other forms of media. But I don't recall "Dukes of Hazzard" fans taking to the streets when Jessica Simpson became the new Daisy Duke. Gamers didn't take their hands off the controller when The Rock inexplicably became the lead in a movie version of "Doom." And did anyone throw a rock through Julie Taymor's window for "Across the Universe"? No, they did not.

That's because reading a book is an entirely different experience from watching a TV show or playing a video game or listening to a band. A book requires every reader to form his or her own vision of its characters and world as he or she goes along. Every person's visual conception of the novel will be different. Reading requires you to create your own reality through silence and thought. In that sense, it's the most anti-social of media forms.

Movies are the exact opposite. Unless you're at the art house, they require little thinking. They are meant to be an escape. There is no room for personal visual interpretation. Visual interpretation is the job of the filmmaker.

When people say the common trope that "the movie wasn't as good as the book" what they're really saying is "the movie wasn't as good as my perception of the book." Your perception is always going to be more pleasing because you created it.”

“Movies of novels should not be facsimiles of the original, but they should at least resemble the original. That's where my problem with "Mr. Popper's Penguins" lies. It's banking on affection for a great book to which it bears little likeness. In the past year I already had to sit through a desecration called "Yogi Bear" that had nothing to do with Yogi Bear. My inner child can take only so much abuse.”

It’s a great article and hits the point right on the head. As much as I enjoy a good movie, I love books more. It’s a depressing realization that this is actually becoming a thing. And it makes me sad for all those great stories out there that have yet to meet this fate. Their time is coming.

Read the entire article here.

It's kind of a funny story:

This movie came to us last night, via Netflix. And after grabbing some dinner @ Layla's (our favorite), we sat down with some hot tea (Barry's) to watch it.

We really enjoyed it. I'm always ready for a good story about someone with psychological issues -- especially one that is based on a novel. And Andrew loves Zach Galifianakis. So this movie was perfect for us.

Watch it if you haven't already. It's pretty great.

Creationary!

This weekend, we got this new game called Creationary.

Its like Pictionary, but instead of drawing something and trying to get everyone to guess what it is, you build it with Legos. Its fun. Here are a few of the creations we have made so far:

P.S. We saw the new Harry Potter movie Saturday afternoon. It was amazing. A roller coaster of emotion. And beautiful. I can't wait for the second half in July. If you haven't seen it yet, GO! If you're a Harry Potter fan, you will not be disappointed.

Elle Fanning is my favorite Fanning

This movie looks really great. It comes out in December. Not that we'd go pay to see it or anything. I hate going to the theater. Its overpriced and makes me feel like I need to go home and take a shower. Not to mention it conflicts with my whole hatred of large crowds/people talking during movies. But we will watch it when it comes out on DVD courtesy of Netflix.



Elle Fanning is so fun. I like her much more than her older sister. I think she chooses better roles and she's more believable in them. And she's only twelve. We saw Phoebe in Wonderland and we loved it. Its really great and she does a fantastic job. You should check it out if you haven't already.



"At a certain part in your life, probably when too much of it has gone by, you will open your eyes and see yourself for who you are - especially for everything that made you so different from all the awful normals. And you will say to yourself, "But I am this person." And in that statement, that correction, there will be a kind of love."

friday night is good for cruising the internet in your pajamas

I can't believe this new trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been out for two months already and I missed it. Doesn't it look fantastic? I can't wait.



Also, I'm dying for these bensimon shoes since last summer:

I'm thinking I should just suck it up and get them.

I think I'll make these delicious pieces of heaven this weekend.

P.S. I may have applied for a job with the secret service today.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

A few weeks ago, this movie showed up in our mailbox. We watched it and sent it back. And within a few days, we owned it. We love it. Now normally, I am not a fan of animated movies. You wouldn't be far off if you said I hated them. Not the old classic movies that we watched growing up, but all the new crap that they're putting out these days. What I hate most about these movies are those supporting characters (you know the ones) that say all this stuff that is supposed to be funny but really is just annoying as hell. They're trying too hard. But this movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox, it's not like all the rest. It is enjoyable. And its funny. Subtly funny. And that's the best kind of funny.

First off, Wes Anderson directs it. It seems weird that Mr. Anderson would direct an animated movie but he did a terrific job. The voice actors (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray) are perfect. And the more I watch it, the more it reminds me of the Royal Tenenbaums, and that makes me love it even more. If you aren't a fan of Wes Anderson movies, you have no idea what you're missing.

I've heard some bad reviews about this movie but I think those people just aren't Wes Anderson kind of people. And I really think a lot of the really hilarious parts of this movie go right over some people's heads. It'll do that if you're not paying attention. Plus some of the people who walk around saying negative things about it haven't ever really seen it and just made up their minds that they weren't going to like it.

Well we like it. Andrew is currently obsessed with it. And you will be too once you see it. So take a look at the trailer and then go rent it, buy it, whatever.





P.S. I should also mention that the Roald Dahl book this movie is based on is incredible as well. If, growing up, you somehow missed that (or any of his other books) I suggest picking it up. Its never too late to (re)introduce some Dahl into your life. I suggest reading his autobiography, Boy. It has some really hilarious tales to tell.


P.P.S. This film's soundtrack is phenomenal as well.