#98 - Yankee Doodle Dandy

Amber:  I guess the fact that we watched this 2 days ago and are just now blogging about it might be an indicator of how enthusiastic we were for this film.  Generally, I love old musicals and the fact that we all snuggled in to watch the movie together should have made it a no-brainer on my enjoyment level.  But, it just kinda left an "eh" in my head and I found myself wondering what made it such a great movie.  But, the kids stayed engaged and we got to talk about American history, stars on the flag and presidents...I love that they asked lots of questions and knew more than I thought they did.  So, I'll give it a solid C and hope for something else to WOW me this week.

Justin: A fun musical, but it's not a new favorite for me. I guess it was pretty influential in its time, which is probably why it made the Top 100 list. I learned a lot of trivia, though--- I had barely heard of George M. Cohan before, and didn't know the origin of the two songs he's most famous for ("The Yankee Doodle Boy" and "Over There")--- especially that Mr. Doodle went to London just to ride the ponies. The kids really enjoyed it, though. I guess having a different musical to watch every three minutes helps their 21st century attention spans.

On a side note, who in the world thinks that Avatar is a quality dramatic movie? The fact that it's won an award for anything other than visual effects is stupefying. I think that when James Cameron says, "you feel like you are in a classic story," what he means is, "you know exactly where the entire plot is going in the first five minutes, and even the cinematography is predictable." But it was good eye candy. [Editor's note: You don't want to do the google search for that by yourself. Consider yourself warned.]

#97 - Blade Runner

Amber:  Well, that was bizarre...

Literally the only thing I knew about this movie was that Harrison Ford was in it...and I didn't even know that until we borrowed the DVD from Russ and there he was staring at me from the cover.  I didn't even really comprehend that it was Sci Fi (my least favorite movie genre).  I chose it for last night's selection because I thought it would be "lighter" that Blood Diamond a few nights earlier (it wasn't on the list but was something Justin and I had been wanting to see for a while).  That one kind of messed me up for a few days so I was looking for something a wee bit different.  I got it.

As the movie started, Justin gave me the very abbreviated synopsis of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and without that, I probably would have been completely lost for the whole movie.  There were a few more references in the movie that Justin pointed out so, with those things in my frame of reference, I felt like I tracked the story pretty well.  Of course, I love trying to figure out plot points ahead of times so I had this internal "Is he or isn't he?" thing going on the whole time.  Apparently, I'm not alone.  I fully expected Rachael to show back up during his final scene with Roy but ended up liking how they closed those two relationships. 

I think one of the things Justin and I enjoyed the most was the fact that, because I was seeing the movie for the first time, I noticed cultural references or made connections that Justin didn't because he was familiar with the movie.  With my perspective being a bit different, Justin saw it with new eyes too.

But, all in all, I thought it was just weird.  Not bad weird but weird, none the less.  I can appreciate that...but I probably wouldn't list it as a favorite movie of mine.

Justin's two cents: I saw this movie on video probably twenty years ago, and loved it. I probably watched it five times. I hadn't seen it for a while, so my neighbor and I watched the re-release again last year. I thought, "This ... movie ... is ... soooo ... sloooooowwwwww...." I had a similar reaction the last time I watched "2001: A Space Odyssey", and when Amber and I saw "AI" in the theater. But for whatever reason, I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. Amber seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I expected. But she's been married to me now, so weird has apparently grown on her.

Of course, I liked the book a lot more. It's far weirder. 

#99 - Toy Story

Image from www.pixar.com

Amber:  We kicked off our project with "Toy Story" and a family movie night complete with popcorn, milkshakes, all 5 of us on the couch and a Snuggie!  I rarely sit down and watch a whole movie with the kids and it was such a treat. I found such joy in listening to their reactions, laughter and gasps.  Justin and I enjoyed the "adult" humor, including my favorite moment in any Pixar film, where Mr. Potato Head takes his lips off and...well...makes them kiss his keester.  It's a great film, pretty timeless (other than Sid's dog being named Scud) and was an enjoyable way to start this project.  We've told the kids that they will be welcome to watch any other kid appropriate movies with us so we'll get their take on things in the future as well.

Justin: With three kids, we've seen this movie more than a couple of times already, but it's been a year or two since the last time Amber and I saw it. Amber and I enjoyed looking for stuff we hadn't noticed before, like the book by Lasseter on the book shelf in the background, and Woody calling Buzz "Light Beer". Svea enjoyed the Dinoco gas station, and noticed that the mom's car is the same Dinoco blue that's in Cars. My favorite shot is of the dog noticing Buzz and Woody running after the moving van-- I'm not quite sure why, but that shot makes the whole film for me.

To Infinity and Beyond...

Whew, all done...and What's New?

I found that I really liked having a "project", somewhere to focus my creative and educational energies.  So, we've signed up for yet another project:  Watch the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest American Films!  The list was first released in 1998 and then updated in 2007 (which we are using).  While my last project was solitary, I've recruited my husband to join me on this one so look for some "guest blogging" in the near future.  We're taking the list 5 at a time, meaning that we're not watching them in exact order and giving ourselves some freedom to pick what we're really in the mood for on any given night.  We don't expect to complete the list in a year...probably more like two, but I'm looking forward to building my film repertoire and eating lots of popcorn.

1.	Citizen Kane (1941)
2.	The Godfather (1972)
3.	Casablanca (1942)
4.	Raging Bull (1980)
5.	Singin' in the Rain (1952)
6.	Gone with the Wind (1939)
7.	Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8.	Schindler's List (1993)
9.	Vertigo (1958)
10.	The Wizard of Oz (1939)
11.	City Lights (1931)
12.	The Searchers (1956)
13.	Star Wars (1977)
14.	Psycho (1960)
15.	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16.	Sunset Blvd. (1950)
17.	The Graduate (1967)
18.	The General (1927)
19.	On the Waterfront (1954)
20.	It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
21.	Chinatown (1974)
22.	Some Like It Hot (1959)
23.	The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24.	E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
25.	To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
26.	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
27.	High Noon (1952)
28.	All About Eve (1950)
29.	Double Indemnity (1944)
30.	Apocalypse Now (1979)
31.	The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32.	The Godfather Part II (1974)
33.	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
34.	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
35.	Annie Hall (1977)
36.	The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37.	The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38.	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39.	Dr. Strangelove (1964)
40.	The Sound of Music (1965)
41.	King Kong (1933)
42.	Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43.	Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44.	The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45.	Shane (1953)
46.	It Happened One Night (1934)
47.	A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48.	Rear Window (1954)
49.	Intolerance (1916)
50.	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51.	West Side Story (1961)
52.	Taxi Driver (1976)
53.	The Deer Hunter (1978)
54.	M*a*s*h (1970)
55.	North By Northwest (1959)
56.	Jaws (1977)
57.	Rocky (1976)
58.	The Gold Rush (1925)
59.	Nashville (1975)
60.	Duck Soup (1933)
61.	Sullivan's Travels (1958)
62.	American Graffiti (1973)
63.	Cabaret (1972)
64.	Network (1976)
65.	The African Queen (1951)
66.	Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67.	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68.	Unforgiven (1992)
69.	Tootsie (1982)
70.	A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71.	Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72.	The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73.	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74.	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
75.	In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76.	Forrest Gump (1994)
77.	All the President's Men (1976)
78.	Modern Times (1936)
79.	The Wild Bunch (1969)
80.	The Apartment (1960)
81.	Spartacus (1960)
82.	Sunrise (1927)
83.	Titanic (1997)
84.	Easy Rider (1969)
85.	A Night at the Opera (1935)
86.	Platoon (1986)
87.	12 Angry Men (1957)
88.	Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89.	The Sixth Sense (1999)
90.	Swing Time (1936)
91.	Sophie's Choice (1982)
92.	Goodfellas (1990)
93.	The French Connection (1971)
94.	Pulp Fiction (1994)
95.	The Last Picture Show (1971)
96.	Do the Right Thing (1989)
97.	Blade Runner (1982)
98.	Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99.	Toy Story (1995)
100.	Ben-Hur (1959)

All Done - Week 52

A self-portrait per week.
A look into my soul.
A way to express what I'm thinking.
A means to be creative.
A project to sink my teeth into.
A year...and I'm glad.

Thank you Project 52. 

Snow - Week 51

24 inches = being together, piles of wet clothes and boots by the front door, gallons of hot chocolate, PJ's all day, sitting by the Christmas tree, shoveling with friends, snow in our socks, and moments to just be together. 

Tis The Season - Week 50

Tree is up. Lights are hung. Presents are purchased. Parties are planned. Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy the season. My dear friend, Bert, and his family came over tonight. He is one of my photography "mentors" and not only gave me my beloved camera but constantly gives advice, suggestions and is always happy to loan a lens. I love this fish eye lens! I love his creativity and willingness to try something new and silly. Thanks, Bert! 

Snapshot - Week 49

I won't say that this project has made me a better photographer, a better woman, a better mother, or a better wife...but it has given me a glimpse into me that will have a tangible impact on my future. I look forward to being 80 and looking through these photos with my daughter. A snapshot of her mom in 2009. 

Give Thanks - Week 48

I have much to be thankful for including a wonderful day of food, games and snow at the farm. 

Rhotonopoly - Week 47

A gift from my cousin many years ago...
A humerous and significant gift...
A gift that signaled forgiveness, love...
A gift that was a record of of many life events and experiences...
A gift lost for many years...

We found the gift this weekend, as my cousin was visiting. It was wonderful timing. It was good to look back and remember. It was good to play and laugh...

And I'm thankful.