MEOW! Presents: I've got a drug...careful, it may include SIDE EFFECTS...

February 16th, 2013

MEOW!

Good day. I'm Dr. Meowza. Have you ever felt upset of the films you were forced to see against your will? Do you need a drug that'll make those upsetting memories go away with a snap? If so, I've got the drug for you:

 

What does this drug accomplish for a good person like yourself? Well, allow me to enlighten you with a couple of facts:

 

--You are able to appreciate the cinematography that Steven Soderbergh applies here.

--You are able to appreciate a terrific ensemble led by Jude Law and the beautiful Rooney Mara.

--You are able to indulge in the magnificent score composed by Thomas Newman.

--You are able to appreciate how unpredictable the film can be, for the most part.

 

..which leads me to the, pun intended, SIDE EFFECTS:

 

--You could feel disoriented from all of the unnecessary plot twists that undermine the honest, emotional impact of its story.

--You could start to feel a little drowsy from the unnecessary length it takes to tell its story.

--You could start seeing something random on the screen, and laughing at it from the drowsiness of your situation.

 

Overall:

If you are interested in this drug, I'd suggest you wait for it to come to your local DVDrugstore, and either buy or rent it then. Otherwise, this post did nothing for you. In the immortal words of Mr. Wonka, YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY, SIR!

 

Until next time,

 

MEOW!

 

 

No...no, they don't.

MEOW! Presents: A Preview of my ANNIE review as a part of MEOW!'s MARCH MOVIE MUSICAL MADNESS! MOUTHFUL!

February 9th, 2013

MEOW!

Er, I mean, WOOF!




Nostalgic Insights: When I was growing up as a child in the late '90s to the double 0's, I absolutely loathed the 1982 version of Annie. To me, it was just unpleasant seeing Tim Curry creeping me out as a Rooster without clown make-up on. I also didn't like the fact that Annie offended Sandy by singing about how much of a 'dumb dog' he is. That poor mutt. Somehow, the rest of my family seemed to love it just as much as I loathed it with a passion. Now the 1999 version, on the other hand...I adored it. I should emphasize the *A* in the word *A*dored. It was one of my favorite movies, TV or not, while literally growing up to become Rooster himself (the good-guy edition). It was a delight that was pleasant to sit through, and I never had to hear Annie call Sandy a 'dumb dog.' It was one of the few times where the remake EASILY surpassed its predecessor. Other times Annie got involved in my life was when my dad directed a production of it in 2003. Next to the EHSYF production of Carousel, it was the best production my dad ever directed, and it was then I became good friends with Julianna Lyons, who played Annie at the time. I also realized that the reason why I loved the production so much was because it beared much resemblance to the 1999 version. As it turns out, the 1999 version was more faithful and respectful to the original stage musical than the 1982 version, which consisted of indian servants, unnecessary fourth of july fireworks, and of course, dumb dogs named Sandy (sad face).

All nostalgic insights aside, what do I think of the 1999 version of Annie today when compared to yesteryear?

My response, oh readers, is to come March 1st...

Until next time,

MEOW!

MEOW! Presents: A Preview of what is to come for MARCH MOVIE MUSICAL MADNESS!

February 4th, 2013

MEOW!

In honor of a month where irish people sing to the top of their lungs and can possibly get away with it, I have decided to review films of a sub-genre that fits well with the letter M. That is, of course, movie musicals. For almost every day in the month of March, I will post a review of a movie musical that I have either watched, or will watch before the date I'm gonna wreck i--er, I'm gonna blog it. Some musicals are animated, some are live-action, some are films that were made for television, and some are just horrible sing-along blogs, which...kind of counts as being a movie musical. Some films are awesome, some are very good, some are okay, and then there are some that I want to throw into the Hellfire, if necessary. And of course, I haven't seen a couple on this list. So with that being typed, here are the films I will be reviewing as a part of MEOW! Presents: March Movie Musical Madness!

Annie(1999)--March 1st, 2013
Beauty and the Beast--March 2nd, 2013
Camp--March 3rd, 2013
Cats Don't Dance--March 4th, 2013
Chicago--March 5th, 2013
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog--March 6th, 2013
Dreamgirls--March 7th, 2013
Evita--March 9th, 2013
Fiddler on the Roof--March 10th, 2013
From Justin to Kelly--March 11th, 2013
Godspell--March 12th, 2013
Hairspray--March 13th, 2013
The High School Musical Trilogy--March 14th, 2013
The Hunchback of Notre Dame--March 16th, 2013
Jesus Christ Superstar--March 18th, 2013
Kiss Me Kate--March 19th, 2013
Les Miserables--March 20th, 2013
ManMen MaShop: Both reviews of Little Shop of Horrors and The Little Mermaid--March 21st, 2013
Mamma Mia--March 22nd, 2013
Once--March 17th, 2013 (St. Patrick's Day--Irish film--What's not to get?)
The Phantom of the Opera--March 23rd, 2013
The Prince of Egypt--March 24th, 2013
The Producers--March 25th, 2013
Rent--March 26th, 2013
Singin' in the Rain--March 27th, 2013
The Sound of Music--March 28th, 2013
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut--March 29th, 2013
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street--March 30th, 2013
West Side Story--March 31th, 2013

Until Next Time,

MEOW!

MEOW! Presents: WARM BODIES...what a great title for a film--My Review Right Here!

February 2nd, 2013

MEOW!



Plot Summary: R is a zombie who looks like Edward Scissorhands if he got a haircut. While eating her ex's brains, he comes across a beautiful blonde named Julie; the two eventually form an unlikely relationship that could change R's heart from dead to alive. 

Thoughts: Warm Bodies left me cold. That's the truth, actually. The film contains several great ideas within an ingenious concept--if any zombie feels emotions, it can possibly turn back human; it breaks so many rules of zombie lore, but hey, love conquers all--and yet, most of them are not used to their true potential. Some are the exact opposite, however; when a zombie eats a part of a human's brain, he/she/it is able to see the memories of that human, and actually feel something while they are, in fact, dead. Another great idea used wisely is that, in time, the zombies becomes *bonies,* which are skeleton-like creatures that munch on anything with a heart (SIDE-NOTE: Is it just me, or do they look like the aliens from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?). Apart from that, this is one zom-rom-com that doesn't emphasize the 'com' part of the sub-genre. In fact, had it emphasized the 'com' part in certain ways, this could've been a comedy classic for generations to come. One thing that could've been changed was making Nora (Annaleigh Tipton) the love interest instead. Take a still photograph of her, place it next to a photo of R (a very effective performance by Nicholas Hoult), and...man, the comedy can be THERE! Instead, there's Julie (the lovely Teresa Palmer), and the comical moments between her and R is amusing at best. Problems arise, though. For one thing, there should've been more witty dialogue between them rather than just the conventional "everything is going to be alright" lines. Also, why no development between either of the two leads? And if it's going to explore the pasts of their friends or ex's, why not explore both of their pasts as well? It doesn't make sense given the fact that the film's heart would lie in their relationship in the first place. There's also a few nitpicks within the story's structure, such as how can Julie be upset about R eating her ex's brains a few days after she was there shooting at the group of zombies R was with. Still, there are some nice touches here and there. Some of Jonathan Levine's direction has an interesting scope, ranging from the epic wide-screen shots involving the *bonies,* to the intimate moments between two characters.  I like that R has a semi-passion for old music records ("Feels..alive," he says), and there are some tender moments between R and Julie that definitely gets the 'rom' part of 'zombie-rom-com.' And for whatever character they do develop in this film, such as exploring the past of Julie's ex Perry (Dave Franco, also known as the man-who-is-afraid-of-something-that-rhymes-with-grape from 21 Jump Street), it's those moments that keep the audience involved in the story. However, where the film should succeed--the romance between both R and Julie--ultimately fails to connect. While I won't say this film is bad in any way, when you think about where this film could've gone, it ends up being a bit underwhelming. That said, if you are planning to see this film anyway, please eat something first. I was getting hungry for some brains during the last third.

Out of 5 Bacon Strips, I give Warm Bodies:



Until next time,

MEOW!