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The Hunger Games
Posted by Mainstream Chick on March 22, 2012
May the odds be ever in your favor. Odds are, if that means anything to you at all, then this review is totally irrelevant – you’re going to see The Hunger Games. As well you should. It’s good. It’s not “oh my gosh – this is, like, the best movie ever” good. But it does serve the book and its fans quite well. In case you’re unfamiliar, the movie is based on the first book of a young-adult, adventure science fiction trilogy by Suzanne Collins. That means we can expect at least two (or if the studios take a page from Potter and Twilight, at least three) more installments of what’s sure to be a gazillion-dollar franchise.
The premise is admittedly bizarre. Every year, a teenage boy and girl from the 12 districts of Panem are sent to the Capitol to compete in a nationally televised, fight-to-the-death competition known as The Hunger Games. The Games were created as punishment for an uprising against the Capital decades earlier – and perpetuated as a way to keep the districts in line. Think of the 12 Districts as home to the 99 percent. The Capitol houses the 1 percent.
The Games’ participants, known as Tributes, must fight one another until one survivor remains. And just like Texas with the Miss America pageant, some tributes are better prepped than others for the competition.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Posted by Mainstream Chick on March 15, 2012
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen may sound like a boring documentary, but it’s actually a rather charming chick flick that will likely need strong word of mouth to expand its audience beyond the indie/art house crowd. So check it out and talk it up! Trust me, there’s a strong chance you’ll like it, even if you can’t find Yemen on a map or couldn’t care less about fly fishing or the migration patterns and ecological needs of salmon.
Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria, The Devil Wears Prada) plays Harriet, a British public relations executive who is given carte blanche to help a wealthy sheik realize his dream of bringing salmon fishing to the desert. She turns to the UK’s leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) for help, but he finds the entire project completely absurd. So does the British government – until the Prime Minister’s press secretary (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) decides that the salmon project is just what the government needs to divert attention from another Middle East ‘project’ that isn’t going so well – the war in Afghanistan.
A Separation
Posted by Arty Chick on March 8, 2012
A Separation won the 2011 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, marking Iran’s first Academy Award ever. It was also nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, unusual for any foreign film. While the world frets about their nuclear intentions and tension mounts, it is nice to see a fairly non-political depiction of life there. This is a film about relationships and cultures and power and truth, pretty universal themes played out on a very human scale and directed with a masterful hand.
Top Ten Big-Screen Pet Names of 2011
Posted by Adventurous Chick on January 11, 2012
Our friends over at PetBabyNames.com have compiled their top ten list of the best pet names in the movies for 2011. Check it out:
This was a great year for animals on the silver screen — from several fabulous dogs and a heroic horse to one unbelievably talented monkey. So if you and your family welcomed a new pet this holiday season, you might consider naming him or her after one of these very worthy movie stars.
1. Arthur, played by Cosmo — Rescue dog Cosmo is a true canine star, having appeared in such hit movies as Hotel for Dogs as Friday and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. This Jack Russell Terriergives such a natural and charming performance alongside Ewan MacGregor in the acclaimed film Beginners, his name is even being barked about for an Academy Award nod. In terms of name value, Arthur fits the current trend of giving pets classic people names, while Cosmo (short for “cosmopolitan”) is a very cool and sophisticated moniker for a fan of the cocktail — or for fans of Seinfeld, since it turns out to be Kramer‘s long-hidden first name.
The Descendants
Posted by Mainstream Chick on November 23, 2011
If you’re looking for an adult movie that can appeal to the mainstream, adventurous and arty crowd this holiday weekend, then I highly encourage you to seek out The Descendants. It’s got George Clooney. Need I say more? Actually, I do need to say more – because this is Clooney at his best. He delivers a powerfully low-key performance as a fairly regular guy named Matt King who is forced to step it up as a father when his wife suffers catastrophic injuries in a boating accident. As she lies comatose in a hospital bed, Matt is left to process her impending death, comfort and support his rebellious and rambunctious daughters, and oversee the difficult sale of a large piece of pristine land that his Hawaiian ancestors left in a family trust (thus the title, The Descendants). On top of that, he learns his wife had been having an affair.
Arty Chick’s Top Picks of 2010
Posted by Arty Chick on January 3, 2011
I’ve been looking back over all the films I saw during this past year and while I feel like it was a pretty good year for movies, for me it lacked that “destined to become a classic” film, which is not to say I don’t have some favorites. I will admit, I missed a lot of films by virtue of living in a small town, and I have heard from many (including my 4-year-old nephew) that Toy Story 3 was awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing many of what will no doubt be the contenders for the best in foreign film and documentary when they get here or to Netflix.
Adventurous Chick’s Top Picks of 2010
Posted by Adventurous Chick on January 1, 2011
Alright, Mainstream Chick gave you her list. Here’s mine. Now discuss. We’d love to read your lists too. So comment here or post them on our Facebook page.
Mainstream Chick’s Top Picks of 2010
Posted by Mainstream Chick on January 1, 2011
As we celebrate our first full year in the blogosphere, the Chicks want to thank their loyal followers in the Chick and Rooster nation. We wish you all a happy 2011 and hope you’ll continue to be part of the discussion here and on Facebook.
Golden Globe Nominees
Posted by Arty Chick on December 14, 2010
And so the awards season begins. The Golden Globes nominees were announced today. And as usual, unless you live in a big city, there are a lot that you will not have had an opportunity to see yet. But there are no big surprises here, except perhaps that there are no real blockbusters in the mix. Toy Story 3 was the highest grossing picture of the year. Remember though as you read that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the Golden Globes is just 90 journalists’ opinions and they frequently nominate stars they like no matter what they’re in (see this year’s Johnny Depp.)
