Thursday Movie Picks #28: Movies with Colour in the Title

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Movies with Colour in the Title

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The last few weeks I've been going into how I came up with the particular theme of that week but this week there is no story to it so let's get straight on to my picks. Today all of them are gems with only one which I'd really call hidden gem:

Blue Jasmine (2013)

When Jasmine's husband dies after being uncovered as a fraudster, Jasmine privileged life crumbles and her sanity disintegrates. Cate Blanchett won an Oscar for this so yes she was brilliant as Jasmine. Jasmine is definitely not a likable character but it is quite heartbreaking when her efforts to be independent gets crushed and especially when we finally see her completely lose it becoming one of the people you'd sometime see having conversations with themselves.

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

This would be the hidden gem of the week. In Green Street Hooligans Elijah Wood plays an American who comes to England to visit his sister and soon finds himself a part of die hard football fans who have a penchant for violence. I used to watch quite a bit of English football and no doubt one would hear something of the hooliganism that plagues it. I'm sure this movie probably only scratches the surface of the hooligan culture, still I found it to be a fascinating watch.

Ruby Sparks (2012)
A novelist writes about his dream girl and somehow wills her into existence. Basically it's about loving the idea of a person instead of the person and thinking about this movie reminds me of Amy Dunne's of Gone Girl Cool Girl speech...except I suppose the geek version of the cool girl is the manic pixie dream girl.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out some of my most viewed Thursday Movie Picks

 Thursday Movie Picks #19: Movies Set in a Boarding School
Thursday Movie Picks #5: Movies that feature Food Predominantly
Thursday Movie Picks #2: Movies with an Ensemble Cast
Thursday Movie Picks #26: Movies that feature an Irreparable Mistake
Thursday Movie Picks #27: Musicals

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Thursday Movie Picks #27: Musicals

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Musicals.

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When I set some of the themes for the 2015 Thursday Movie Picks I tried to tie in the theme to some current big release. I had then referred to IMDB and apparently it showed that Into the Woods is released this week. Only recently did I realise that the location had been set to local release dates and that Into the Woods has been released about 2 weeks ago everywhere else. Oh well there goes my careful planning. 

Anyway this week's theme is musicals. It's not a genre that I usually drift towards; I usually can't stand the stagy-ness, the overacting, and the talking and breaking into song which are common in a lot of musicals. Since I haven't watch a great many musicals to come up with hidden gems this week I'm going to go with three that really won me over becoming some of my favourite movies.

Grease (1978)

This is a childhood favourite. I watched this so often then. It's a fun teen flick with great catchy songs. It's also set in the 50's which means they're all in the cute colourful costumes and as a kid I just fell in love with Grease.

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Like I said, I'm not big on musicals and I was so reluctant to see this when it came out but was eventually persuaded to and I love it. I love the story, the visuals and its use of re-spun pop music which were all perfectly used. And it has actors that can act without overacting even though it is set in this wild theatrical world.

Once (2006)

This this! Is this even considered a musical? It is so different from any of the musicals I've seen before and honestly I don't care because it's great. It has this quiet and low key way of storytelling, and often it just seems the cameras just happen to be there catching the people in it meeting and making music, it's just so organic. Then couple that with the brilliant music it's just magic. The music of Once is also exactly the kind of music I love to listen to, so yeah I definitely fell for Once...not slowly but at once.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out my past Thursday Movie Picks

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this meme, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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2015 Blind Spot Series

This year I'm participating in the Blind Spot series which was launched by Ryan McNeil of The Matinee. The gist of the series is that we're supposed to pick 12 movie blind spots, that is, movies that you've wanted and feel should watch but yet have somehow still not seen.

I'm a little late in compiling the list but it is tough narrowing it down to just 12. Accessibility is a major factor for me picking my 12 so I've done my homework and have determined that I can get my hands on those that I've chosen. I've been reading several bloggers' blind spot entries it seems for most the 12 movies are spread over 12 months, however, I am doubtful that I'd be able to do it that way. I'm such a mood watcher, I'd probably have a month where I will not be interested to watch any on my blind spot list. Basically my solution is to do a quarterly recap on those that I've managed to watch.

Finally here are my 12 in alphabetical order:

All the President's Men (1976)
There's an upcoming Journalist/Reporter theme for Thursday Movie Picks and this is a blind spot for me.

The Big Lebowski (1998)
One of those movies gets mentioned and referenced so often I'm starting to feel left out of the conversation.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
The 1st Thursday Movie Picks of 2015 was Bank Robberies and I'm reminded by the fact that I still have not seen this.

Chungking Express (1994)
I've watched In the Mood for Love and it's just a gorgeous film and I've been meaning to check out another Wong Kar Wai movie.

Doctor Zhivago (1965)
I want to watch a sweeping epic film, and this looks right especially since it's been sitting on my shelves for years.

Groundhog Day (1993)
Yes it's true, I've not seen this (unless of course I did and forgot all about it which I'll never know until I do try and watch it this time) so I never got any references people make.

Magnolia (1999)
This was someone's pick for one of the Thursday Movie Picks (was it ensemble or talking movies?) which reminded me that I've had this movie for quite sometime so I think it's been about time I watch it.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
I've had this on my movie queue forever. It keeps getting bumped down whenever a newer movie becomes available so I'm going to make an effort to see it this year.

Roman Holiday (1953)
I wanted to include a fun modern fairytale on this list and I think this would be perfect.

Timecrimes (2007)
This movie often gets mentioned whenever Time Travel movies is discussed and for a long while I thought I'd never get to see this as the not-so-big foreign movies are difficult to find, but now I know where I can borrow it so yes I'll finally get to check it out.

Wall-E (2008)
Said to be one of Pixar's best so definitely a blind spot.

West Side Story (1961)
I've only seen parts of this and last week it was referenced on two separate non-movie podcast I was listening to; I've got to be in on these movie references.

Thursday Movie Picks #26: Movies that feature an Irreparable Mistake

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Movies that feature an Irreparable Mistake

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I'm wondering if this week's theme is challenging because I didn't need ponder over my picks this time around seeing that my picks (The three will all be hidden gems picks and I'll also include one bonus) today are the movies that inspired the theme. Back in 2008 I watched a trio of movies all around the same time that coincidentally had characters making mistakes, irreparable ones. These movies stuck with me because they involved children in crimes/incidents that destroyed lives. You can't help but think their own lives too would forever have a before and after. An after, if they had a conscience, would be filled with deep guilt and regret. How terrible it is to know and carry such a thing so young.

As always in alphabetical order:

Boy A(2004)
Boy A has quite a controversy surrounding it; first the plot is somewhat similar with a real life crime that occurred in the 1990's and the other I suppose for depicting a person who committed a heinous crime as human. Boy A is indeed bleak and challenging and is I think a very well made movie featuring a great performance by Andrew Garfield as Jack the Boy A in the title. Jack is a young man recently released from jail and has a tough road ahead as he tries to reintegrate back into society and carry the weight of his crime.

Mean Creak (2004)
A couple of friends lure a bully to the woods to play a prank and humiliate him but buttons get pushed way too far and things don't go exactly as they plan. This movie is just so good especially the performances of the child actors and I hardly see it get mention anywhere. One of the memorable scenes in the movie is the one that is shown in the posters...just the shock horrified look on the kids.

Paranoid Park (2007)
Alex, a teenage skater, is involved in a terrible accident. We mostly don't know what it is but he is deeply affected by it and becomes distant and distracted. This movie is a slow one but it gets there. I actually thought that they weren't going to show the accident but it does and it is pretty horrifying. It's one of those movies that I'd never watch again because of that scene.

Bonus Pick:

Atonement (2007)
I thought I'd add a more well known and perhaps more accessible film for this theme as well. In Atonement, 13 year old Briony is an aspiring writer with an active imagination who makes a false accusation against her sister's lover for a crime due to a misunderstanding. At the time she did not  fathom the repercussions of her accusation and would live the rest of the life in regret and attempts to atone for her error in the only way she can.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out my past Thursday Movie Picks

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this meme, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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2015 Movies I'm Anticipating

A new year gives all of us excuses to make lists. Everyone is making them, so I’m making one too; a list of 2015 movies I’m anticipating. I know some of the movies may have been already released in 2014, but where I’m from it has not been released yet. 

A little intro on my list; I don’t usually watch trailers so my interest on a particular flick  is usually based on the plot summary, the people involved, the promo stills and the general buzz surrounding it. You might not see some of the bigger blockbusters on my list because even though I will most likely watch them, they’re not the ones I’m intrigued by and am anticipating. I’m also pretty sure I’m missing out some other good ones that I should keep a look out for so feel free to make a suggestion.

(in alphabetical order)

Cinderella - I did not like Maleficent, so I'm hoping I'd like this one better.

Crimson Peak - There's not much detail in the plot summary on IMDB. It looks like a gothic period movie. It's directed and co-written by Guillermo del Toro, so I'm in.

The Dressmaker - I just saw the first image of the movie and Kate Winslet looks gorgeous in her period costume. Since the movie is about a dressmaker, I expect to be wowed by the costumes.

Equals - The plot summary on IMDB is so brief and it kinda sounds like a YA novel plot.

Experimenter - Ever heard of the Milgram experiments? It's both fascinating and scary.

Far from the Madding Crowd - Love watching period dramas and adaptations. I have already seen the Julie Christie one so naturally I am looking forward this new adaptation.

Gemma Bovary - An adaptation of Madame Bovary set in present day.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 - It's the Hunger Games so of course I'll see it.

In the Heart of the Sea - I'd love a good ship at sea movie.

Insurgent - Divergent was a pretty good movie. Insurgent (the book) was boring so I'm curious how the movie will play the story out. By the looks of the posters, it seems like they are playing up on the action more even though at least from what I remember of the book it is the least actiony of the trilogy.

Into the Forest - I like apocalyptic tales so this one has me interested. It's also based on a book I've been meaning to read but haven't had a chance to. I'll probably end up watching the movie first.

Jem and the Holograms - I grew up watching the cartoons! 

Jupiter Ascending - This is one of the few movies on this list that I've actually checked out the trailer. It looks like it could be really cool or just incredibly bad especially since its release date has been pushed back quite a few times I think.
The Keeping Room - Sounds a little like Cold Mountain in that it has some strong women surviving during the Civil War. Also stars Brit Marling and I've pretty much liked everything I've seen her in.

Kingsman: The Secret Service - So I'm only going by the plot summary and some of the promo pics I've seen of this; I think this could be a fun watch plus I've enjoyed all of other movies Matthew Vaughn directed.

The Light Between Oceans - Not a big fan of the book but it has an emotional story with a huge moral dilemma at the centre...and I'd love to see Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander potray the two main characters.

London Fields - The plot sounds soo interesting. Should I be reading the book first?

Macbeth - I think  may have read a tiny part of the play but I remember nothing other than something about witches...I'm terrible.

 

Madame Bovary - The only Madame Bovary I've seen was the 2000 TV movie, so yeah I'm looking forward to this one. Mia Wasikowska also plays the title role; she was great in another classic adaptation, Jane Eyre.

Paper Towns - This is the second adapation of John Green's books. The first was The Fault in Our Stars, a movie I quite like. I haven't read Paper Towns but will hopefully do so before seeing this.

Pitch Perfect 2 - The first movie was so fun!!!

Predestination - Time Travel? Im in!

Project Almnac - I don't like the title at all. Anyway it's a teen movie that has time travel and it sounds pretty cool.

Sing Street - It's written and directed by the same guy that made Once. I still haven't watch Begin Again, but I love love Once. 

The Stanford Prison Experiment - Another pyschological experiment movie. It has been made into a movie twice quite recently (2001 and 2010), both of which I have yet to see. This new one does star a number upcoming actors so I'm looking forward to it.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - It's Star Wars! I grew up with the prequels and it's just so amazing that we're getting a new trilogy.

Stockholm, Pennsylvania - I like Martha Marcy May Marlene and I'm getting a sense this is going to be somewhat similar.

Tomorrowland - I saw a teaser for this. It looks cool...looks like good old movie magic.

Tulip Fever - The last time I visited 17th century Netherlands was in Girl with a Pearl Earring and this (also based on a book) could be another visually stunning movie coincidentally also about an artist and a woman he is painting.

Victor Frankenstein - I've never seen a Frankenstein movie before and this has James McAvoy as the Dr and Daniel Radcliffe as Igor. I wonder who plays the monster?

While We’re Young - Just sounds like it could be good.

 

Thursday Movie Picks #25: Bank Robberies

Happy New Year!!! Can you believe it? It's 2015 already. Every year it feels like as if the year passes quicker and quicker.

This is the first Thursday Movie Picks of 2015 and we're now in the 25th week of the series! If you're reading this now, I'm so glad you decided to join us in the new year.

Before we start, for new people who may have just wandered here, the rules of this weekly series is simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.For further details and the 2015 theme schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Bank Robberies.

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This week's topic started life as Heist movies. That is a pretty broad topic. Then a few weeks ago I watched a bank robbery movie which made me mentally list out all the other bank robbery movies I've seen, which turned out to be quite a lot...which also means that there must be plenty others that I haven't seen. So I scratched out Heist movies as a theme (by the way, Heist Movies will be a theme next year) and chose for today a more specific theme: Bank Robberies.

Dog Day Afternoon (1976)
So this is the movie that sparked today's theme. Wow has the bank robbery in this one go totally wrong from the start. From there not being much money in the bank to one of the robbers flaking out to being completely surrounded by the police so soon and to complete that is the media circus that follows as the robbery stretch on for several hours.

Flypaper (2011)
This is my hidden gem for this week. I knew nothing of this movie and only picked it up because of two of the recognisable names in it. Ended up enjoying it. There's action, its funny and it has some pretty good unanticipated turns. In Flypaper a man (played by Patrick Dempsey) gets trapped, as one of the hostages, in a bank when it is held up simultaneously by two different teams of bank robbers. Unable to get to the pharmacy to get his meds, he becomes increasing neurotic and obsessively tries to figure out how the two robberies could occur at the same time. 

The Lookout (2007)
I have mentioned this movie before; it was one of my picks for Movies Featuring Amnesiacs. I'm picking it again because it is a perfect pick for today's theme and because I don't think it's widely seen even though it's great. In the Lookout, ex-school hockey star Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is left with brain damage which severely affects his short term memory after a car accident. Due to his mental incapacitation Chris now works as a janitor for a bank and soon finds himself becoming a target of thugs planning to rob the bank as he can provide entry to it.  
 

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out my past Thursday Movie Picks

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this meme, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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Thursday Movie Picks #24: Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

This week is the last Thursday Movie Picks of 2014! How the weeks flew by. It's been a wonderful run. To those that have participated this year I hope you had fun, as I did, sharing your picks each week and hopefully have even been checking out your fellow participants picks as well. And if you are new to all this and are thinking about participating in 2015, the 2015 theme schedule is already up. You can check it out at the series main page here.

Before we start as usual, for new people who may have just wandered here, the rules of this weekly series is simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Movies Driven Entirely by People Talking

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Since we had a movies adapted from a play them recently (most based on play movies are very dialogue heavy) I decided to avoid them entirely...so there goes Closer which would have been a perfect choice this week as well. I like dialogue heavy movies so naturally I watch quite a lot of them so even without movies based on a play I am pretty spoilt for choice. And so these are three that I've settled on.

Before Sunset (2004)

My favourite of the Before trilogy. I love the long conversation they have (we did wait 9 years for it!) and just how seamlessly it flows from one topic to the next. If you haven't seen this trilogy what are you waiting for?

In the Loop (2009)
In In the Loop, a British minister makes a remark about war sending reporters in a frenzy and sets off maneuverings by war and anti war factions in the governments of both the UK and US. This movie is just completely foul mouthed but insanely hilarious. And if you love Dr Who...the current Dr reprises his TV (The Thick of It) role and spews out profanity filled lines in this one.

Network (1976)
Just watch this a few weeks ago. I think it's commentary on news, TV and the media in general is possibly more relevant today than the period it was set...which is just amazing. Having watch Michael Clayton before this, the rantings of Peter Finch's character in Network reminds me so much of Tom Wilkinson's character's breakdown rant.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out my past Thursday Movie Picks

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this meme, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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Thursday Movie Picks #23: Coming of Age Movies

Hello and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks! Before we start, for new people who may have just wandered here, the rules of this weekly series is simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each. For more information and future topics please visit the Thursday Movie Picks page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Coming of Age Movies

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There's an abundance of male coming of age movies so I decided to challenge myself and go for female coming of age picks.

An Education (2009)

This isn't Carey Mulligan's first movie (you may remember her as Kitty in the movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) but this is her breakout role and she is pretty fantastic in it. In An Education, Jenny foolishly decides to forgo her education so that she can live the life of a fabulous married woman.

The Man in the Moon (1991)

It's been such a long time since I've seen this but I remember liking it a lot. It also stars a young Reese Witherspoon as Dani who discovers love, jealousy and lost the summer before her older sister leaves for college.

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
I had trouble coming up with a third pick as always. In the end I went with this even though it has a much younger protagonist than the typical coming of age tale. Plus I thought it really is good. It's a painful tale of a socially awkward preteen, played wonderfully by a very young Heather Matarazzo, who is ill treated by her peers and ignored by her self absorbed parents. 

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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Check out my past Thursday Movie Picks

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If you are participating be sure to add your blog post to the linky widget below (Enter your Blog Post URL, your Blog Name and your email {which will remain hidden}). Please also visit the other participating blogs, spread the word about this meme, and also link back to my blog on your own Thursday Movie Picks post :)

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