Summer Movie Diary: The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)

Summertime means going on vacation and what better vacation is there than a trip to Rome with Hilary Duff?

What it's all about: Based on the Disney Channel gem, The Lizzie McGuire Movie follows Lizzie and Gordo on a school trip to Rome after their junior high graduation. Lizzie wants to have the perfect European vacation and she seems to get her wish when she meets Paolo, an Italian pop star. After a falling out with his singing partner Isabella, Paolo convinces Lizzie to sing with him at the Italian Music Awards. Gordo continually helps Lizzie sneak away so she can rehearse, even though he starts to figure out that Paolo may not be as wonderful as he seems.

Why it's great: I could be boring and call this movie a guilty pleasure, but it's not. It's just a fun movie that makes you laugh, shake your head, and sing along to the amazing soundtrack - no need to feel guilty at all. If you enjoyed the early 2000's silliness of the TV show, the movie is right up your alley (even though Miranda does not make an appearance in the film, which is definitely a disappointment). Nevertheless, The Lizzie McGuire Movie has a lot of fun moments and one of the greatest plot twists/villains in movie history. Plus, the ending is absolute perfection: Hilary Duff sings a duet of "This is What Dreams are Made of" with herself. 

Why it's a perfect summer movie: This movie is just pure fun. Nothing too serious or too much to think about - just plain entertainment. There was also this period in teen movies and TV in the 2000's with characters that were obsessed with having perfect "moments:" perfect school picture day, perfect prom, perfect date, perfect vacation. I believe that the European summer vacation in The Lizzie McGuire Movie was what every tween in 2003 would have hoped for. Mary-Kate and Ashley would have been proud.

Now Playing: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

There are few really good horror movies that have come out in the past 25 years or so, but when one does hit the scene, people take notice right away. That's the story of 10 Cloverfield Lane, a surprisingly fantastic addition to the Cloverfield franchise. I have never seen Cloverfield so I went into this movie having no expectations except hearing that it was amazing. This movie certainly lived up to the hype. From the cinematography to the acting, 10 Cloverfield Lane is definitely one of the most thrilling movies I have seen in a while and I think it's up there with some of the best horror films ever made.

10 Cloverfield Lane stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher, Jr. It tells the story of a girl named Michelle who gets into a car accident and then wakes up trapped in an unknown location. It turns out that she and another man are being held in an underground bunker by Howard Stambler, who is convinced that Earth has been attacked and it is unsafe to go outside. 

There are so many elements to this film that make it wonderful. The acting, cinematography, and general direction all deserve praise. The story was smart and interesting and I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie.

There's been a lot of acclaim for John Goodman's performance in this role, but frankly, the three leads all were fantastic. I loved Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and this movie also proves that she needs more recognition. Her character Michelle was such a badass and that's always really refreshing to see in a horror movie. She was resourceful and brave; she was confused and frightened. Winstead gave us a horror movie heroine that was both relatable and inspiring. John Goodman's Howard, I think, will go down as one of the best horror movie villains of all time. You didn't know whether he was crazy or not the whole movie and it was exciting and frustrating. John Gallagher, Jr. played Emmett, Howard's old employee who is also living in the bunker. You loved Emmett; he tried to keep a good sense of humor throughout the ordeal and be friendly with everyone. All three characters were really different and played so well. 

I think my favorite technical element of 10 Cloverfield Lane was the cinematography. Holy wow, every shot was absolutely beautiful. At times, it felt like Wes Anderson had made a horror movie. Every scene was perfectly set in a very specific way. The lighting was great. The cinematography gave the bunker a homey feel while also making it seem eerie at the same time. Horror movies are difficult to make on a lot of levels. The story has to be right and the characters have to be real. Sometimes the focus of making a good villain and having a lot of jump scares leaves a horror movie looking bland. 10 Cloverfield Lane achieved great story, great characters, and a great look. Jeff Cutter, the cinematographer, deserves a gold medal. 

I really appreciate the storytelling of 10 Cloverfield Lane. And what I mean by that is how this film didn't dumb anything down or pander to the audience. Not everything was right out said or explained. This is due to many things: the script, the directing, etc. But overall, what made this movie great was the ability for the audience to come to their own conclusions about certain characters and certain events. It's great when you watch a movie with people and immediately want to discuss it afterwards. Films today often treat audience members like they're idiots, and because we give these kinds of movies lots of money, they turn out to be right. It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But when a movie like this makes us put the pieces together ourselves, and does really well, it makes us set a higher standard for movies later on. And that's a good thing. I also like that you didn't have to see Cloverfield or know anything about Cloverfield to enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane. In fact, now I'm curious to watch Cloverfield to see if there were any little connections. 

If you're more of a fan of psychological thrillers than gory, jump-scare-filled horror films, then you should give 10 Cloverfield Lane a try. This film plays on your anxieties and keeps you excited throughout. If they continue to make Cloverfield movies, I hope they are as good as this one. 

Summer Movie Diary: Jaws (1975)

Today is the first day of summer and so it seems like a good time to start a Summer Movie Diary on my blog. Last year I did a Halloween Movie Diary and it was really fun. There are so many great movies that can get you in the mood for summer so I thought I could share some of my favorites with you for the next few months. This post will be all about the 1975 classic Jaws.

What it's all about: Jaws takes place in an American summer resort town called Amity Island. A few gruesome shark attacks leave both the tourists and local islanders worried. Police chief Brody, marine biologist Hooper, and shark hunter Quint head out to sea to find and kill the shark that's been killing and eating so many people.

Why it's great: Jaws is a movie that made history. It's considered to be the first summer blockbuster ever. It was a box office hit, a critical success, and is preserved in the National Film Registry. The John Williams soundtrack is recognizable to anyone; it's one of the creepiest film scores ever. The writing and acting is also sensational. Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider are both such likable guys. You root for them the whole movie. The shark itself is also unforgettable. This is a monster movie that has a real monster. And the shark is considered to be one the greatest movie monsters of all time. It stands out among the Frankensteins and Wolfmans as something that is actually real and very dangerous. Imagine seeing this movie in the theaters in 1975. It would have been terrifying. Jaws is also just a perfect Spielberg creation: it's tense, exciting, funny. There's character development as well as great action sequences. Jaws is simply a jack-of-all-trades, so to speak. It's a horror film, it's an adventure film. You've got hilarious one-liners and a couple of bloody, chewed-off limbs; you can't go wrong.

Why it's a perfect summer movie: It's set during the Fourth of July and it's just a fun, lighthearted beach flick for the whole family.

7 Awesome Fictional Rock Bands in Movies

Movies can have this incredible ability to share a 90 minute story of a person who isn’t real and completely inspire the viewer to live their life as this person. Who didn’t watch The Sandlot and came out not wanting to play baseball? Didn’t everyone want to be as cool and daring as James Bond after watching one of his movies? Movies about musicians have the same ability, whether you play music or not. They can be inspiring tales of perseverance and raw talent or comedies about trying to make it big. It’s really exciting to see musicians perform in movies and it’s somehow more exciting when they’re performing rock and roll. Some rock bands played big roles in movies, some standing the test of time to becoming household names today. This list will include seven fictional rock bands that stuck with us and made us all want to rock out.

7. Pink Slip from Freaky Friday (2003)

 In 2003, Evanescence was playing on the radio and Avril Lavigne was in her heyday. Was there a cooler time for pop-rock music for girls? That bratty girl pop music blared throughout the soundtrack of the 2003 remake of Disney’s Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. In the movie, Lohan’s character Anna is in a band called Pink Slip. This five-member band led by three girls was inspiring for girls watching at the time. And with lyrics like “Don’t wanna grow up/I wanna get out,” just about every tween audience member felt the urge to buy a Telecaster and scream into a microphone. High school rock bands, especially in the movies, often ride the line between fun and desperation to make it big, but either way, there is something infectious about the music. Pink Slip was a rock band that made you want to both cringe at the awkward teen-drama moments and secretly wish to form your own garage band with your friends. 

6. The Weird Sisters from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

There is so much lore in the Harry Potter universe, we often forget that there was a famous rock band in the wizarding world. Known as the Weird Sisters, the band was one of Harry Potter’s favorites and they played at the Yule Ball during his fourth year at Hogwarts. A wise directorial choice allowed real rock stars to write songs for and perform as the Weird Sisters in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire film. With all the dangerous situations and magic spells, this was one part of the movie that was truly relatable to the audience: teens dancing to a rock band performing at a school dance. All the band members wore black makeup and had dark costumes. The instruments even had interesting designs. The Weird Sisters were glam in all its glory. What is great about the Weird Sisters was that they were all played by real rock stars: Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey of Pulp, Johnny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead, Jason Buckle of All Seeing I, and Steven Claydon of Add N to (X). Cocker even wrote all the songs for the film, including the dance jam “Do the Hippogriff.” Seeing a glam rock band played by recognizable musicians in a Harry Potter movie was unique and fun. Who doesn’t want to picture Hermione Granger headbanging to rock and roll in a ball gown?

5. Sex Bob-omb from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based off the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim, is an amazing film for so many reasons: the writing, the humor, the action, the visual effects. But music also plays a huge role in this film. There are several fictional bands that make appearances in the movie, including Crash and the Boys and the Clash at Demonhead. But this list needs to incorporate the band that plays the biggest part and includes the protagonist as its bassist: Sex Bob-omb. Named after the Super Mario character, the band consists of Scott Pilgrim and his two friends Stephen and Kim. The band is desperate to get gigs and is constantly competing with other bands in the movie. Although wanting to be successful, the band members realize towards the end it isn’t worth selling out and playing music they don’t want to play. The energy that comes from this band is amazing. And getting to know the characters throughout the film makes you vouch for this band even more. The songs are hilarious and raw at the same time; Sex-Bob-omb is just a band you would want to go see in real life. PS: Sex Bob-omb’s songs were written and performed by Beck in the film. Go Beck. 

4. Wyld Stallyns from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

This might be a strange choice for this list, because the audience never got to experience the band Wyld Stallyns being good in the movie. But the entire plot revolves around the fact that one day Wyld Stallyns’ music will cause world peace and be the foundation for a future utopian society. And that is reason enough for this band to be memorable and be a part of some of the best fictional rock bands that film has offered. Bill and Ted are two teenage idiots who have formed a band called Wyld Stallyns, regardless of lack of musical know-how. As they travel through time (to gather famous people for a report so they don’t fail history class), they even gain two more band members from medieval times. But this foursome, though talentless at first, eventually create music that is both inspiring and “excellent for dancing.” Plus, how many bands have a catchphrase accompanied by guitar music?

3. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem from The Muppet Movie (1979)

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is the only band on this list that is not comprised of human beings. But that doesn’t stop them from rockin’ out. The band had been playing on The Muppet Show years before but made its film debut in The Movie Movie. They help Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear trick out a van while singing the amazing song “Can You Picture That?” This song was a jam and it had great lyrics, including “Fact is, there’s nothin’ out there you can’t do/Yeah, even Santa Claus believes in you.” Three distinct voices, a blaring organ, a smooth saxophone, and a crazed drummer - you can’t go wrong with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Does it matter that they’re Muppets? That makes them even more impressive. This is a band that does everything from variety shows to rock concerts. There’s no stopping them.

2. Spinal Tap from This is Spinal Tap (1984)

The crowning jewel of mockumentaries, This is Spinal Tap offers probably the most famous fictional band ever created. They’re so amazing, that one could easily confuse the film’s soundtrack as an actual awful glam rock album. This is Spinal Tap tells the story of an aging rock band called Spinal Tap trying to make a comeback with an American tour. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer so perfectly capture the essence of glam rock: the oversexualization of rock stars, the huge production value of musical numbers, the fascination with magic or whimsy in lyrics, the crazy costumes and makeup, and constant balance between being edgy and being popular. Who can forget the laughable performances of “Rock and Roll Creation” and “Stonehenge?” Or the cringe-worthy lyrics of “Big Bottom” and “Sex Farm?” And who hasn’t guiltily jammed out to “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight?” The songs are as memorable as the performances and Spinal Tap truly gave us the inside look at the ups and downs of being a rock star (mostly downs if you’re the drummer, of course).

1.   School of Rock from School of Rock (2003)

It doesn’t matter if you were 11 or 91; when you left the theater after seeing School of Rock, you wanted to be in a rock band. Richard Linklater’s School of Rock is not only one of the funniest movies ever made, it’s also just one of the best movies about music, period. It was incredible enough that all these kids could play instruments so well, but that they could write and perform rock music that really rocked, well that was something else. Jack Black’s character, no matter how silly, was truly inspiring to these kids. Stick it to the man, stick up for yourself, do what you love. This movie made every part of being in a rock band look cool, from the lead guitarist to the business-minded band manager. This movie showed that anyone could rock. The kids in School of Rock were the coolest kids ever: they played instruments, they wrote music, they said stuff like “kick-ass.” And having Jack Black as the lead singer of your band is just the perfect ingredient for a good time. This movie surely inspired many kids to pick up a guitar or learn how to sing. And it also made everyone in the audience watching more mad about the results of a fictional Battle of the Bands contest than an actual sports game. The reason School of Rock is number one is because it’s a fun, influential, truly rock ‘n’ roll band that’s out to stick it to the man and prove that you’re never too young or too old to rock.

Cult Film Friday: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

From Freaks and Geeks Episode 3: "Tricks and Treats:"

Lady: What the hell are you supposed to be anyway? The Tin Man?
Sam: I'm Gort. He's the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Lady: ...You look like the freakin' Tin Man.

Every time I understand a new reference from Freaks and Geeks, I level up. And this time, the reference belonged to a famous science fiction movie that had been on my list of movies-to-see for a long time.

The Day the Earth Stood Still tells the story of Klaatu, a man who visits Washington, D.C. in a UFO accompanied by an 8-foot tall robot named Gort. Klaatu intends to give the people of Earth a message concerning peace but he is thought to be dangerous and is hunted by the police. Disguised as a regular human, Klaatu finds friends that trust him and work to help him deliver his message. The film was released in 1951 to international acclaim. It won a unique Golden Globe award for "promoting international understanding" and was preserved in the National Film Registry in 1995. Today, the film retains a strong cult following and is considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made.

I honestly went into this film a little cautiously. There are a lot of older science fiction movies with reputations for being bad. I remember watching The Angry Red Planet and thinking it wasn't so bad it was good; it was just bad. The Day the Earth Stood Still was a wonderful surprise. It was very well-written and the dated effects didn't take away from the movie; in fact, I quite liked them. Michael Rennie did a great job in the role of Klaatu and Bernard Hermann's score was magnificent. And overall, the reflection of Cold War culture in America as well as the idea of creating peace among nations made this science fiction film stand on its own as something real special.

The Day the Earth Stood Still grabbed my attention right from the start. The movie begins with the UFO coming to Earth and it shows the whole world becoming both hysterical and excited. From the moment Klaatu comes to D.C. until the moment he leaves, you are involved in his story, rooting for him the whole way. Klaatu has been described as a Christ figure. He comes to Earth to deliver a message of peace, is hunted and killed by many of the people he encounters, and then comes back to life to finish his mission. It is aspects like this that make The Day the Earth Stood Still stand above the countless space B-movies that came out around the same time.

Another part of this film that stuck out to me right from the beginning was the music. The score was composed by Bernard Hermann. He composed the music for many movies, including Citizen Kane, Psycho, and Vertigo. Hermann can really get into the realm of whatever movie you are watching. The music from Psycho, for example, is so recognizable and so scary and intense. The music for The Day the Earth Stood Still was so freakin' spacey. The opening credits had you feeling like you were flying through space yourself. The score set the mood perfectly for each scene and really just upped my appreciation for Bernard Hermann.

I also really enjoyed the special effects. I feel like a lot of people today would think they are cheesy and bad. I suppose they are, but they were good for the time, and heck, they worked for me. The simplicity of the ship or costume designs didn't detract from the movie at all. I think the sleek look of the ship and Gort really reflected what UFO's and spaceships in general were thought to be in the 1950's. I think that this spaceship conception inspired design in later space films, such as The Angry Red Planet and Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. At times, it even reminded me of episodes of Jonny Quest. I also thought the structure of Gort was quite interesting. Compared to the recognizable voice of Hal 3000 and the intricate designs of R2-D2, the silent, almost featureless robot in The Day the Earth Stood Still seems more menacing and mysterious.

What I loved most about this movie was the tie-in to Cold War culture in America. Whenever I watch a movie related to the Cold War in some way, it seems my mind goes "HISTORY MODE ACTIVATED." I just get real excited. Klaatu's message to Earth states that his planet, which has obtained peace, has been observing Earth. Seeing that Earth's people are prone to violence and destruction, Klaatu's planet fears that soon, with the rise of technology, this violence could reach space and other planets. Klaatu warns that if this happens, his planet will destroy Earth. This admonition must have struck a chord with viewers in the fifties, many of whom had experienced one if not two world wars and were living through the tense political climate of the Cold War. Klaatu was not only warning the people in the movie; he was warning us. I also liked that Klaatu was determined to give this message to all the world leaders, not just to America. It showed that not one country was to blame for the Cold War, or even the culture of warfare and violence in general, but all were to blame. Klaatu refused to just meet with President of the United States; he needed every leader of every nation to hear what he had to say.

From the religious metaphors to the prop design, The Day the Earth Stood Still goes above and beyond and remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. And more importantly, it remains a film with a message. World peace isn't in reality attainable, but are we really doing the best we can now?