Movies to watch if you like... "Game of Thrones"

The fifth season of "Game of Thrones" has begun!
That means those of us who have the patience and the memory capacity to still be watching this show will want nothing more than to consume everything Westros.

My history with the show is very much like most. All of my friends had read the book and had been obsessed with the show since the beginning. But I had my own shows ("Once Upon a Time") to keep characters straight and didn't have the time or patience to sit through the three seasons I had missed.

This was quickly remedied by my roommate who had every season on DVD and together, for about a month, we marathoned from the beginning. That was quite an exhausting month let me tell you. I wanted to take a break after The Red Wedding, but she convinced me that things had just gotten started.

As of today, I am still a season behind but absolutely love the show. I have also learned to watch it by myself. In my own room. With the doors closed. You never know what craziness is going to pop up in this show.

So because I know the show has gained such a huge following and I really need to get myself up to speed, I decided to put together a list of movies to get viewers in the mood to return to Westros.

Please enjoy!

Dragonheart (1996)

Ok, so Daeny's dragons don't talk or sound like Sean Connery. But there are dragons in this movie and weird dragon magic.

The Princess Bride (1987)

A key plot of revenge-- Wouldn't it be fantastic if Arya went up to Joffrey and said,"You killed my father. Prepare to die."? Some romance-- definitely not as steamy or as twisted but it still counts. These two can be compared to Jon and Ygritte in the Fire Swamp- but Ygritte gets to be Westley because she knows what the heck she's doing.

The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

You won't be able to pronounce half of the characters names. There is tons of weird magic- including one scary sorceress. And you get to see Ned alive ... oh, wait. Never mind.

First Knight (1995)

Another story about a good king whose kingdom all wants to betray him. ... Wait, was there a good king in this show?

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

The ultimate revenge story with violence and betrayal and people who say they are friends but really aren't.

The Mists of Avalon (2001)

You need a movie of kick-ass, powerful women who hold the palm of a kingdom in their hands. Who rule the world? GIRLS!

Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Orlando Bloom and Kit Harington look EXACTLY THE SAME! In this movie, Bloom finds himself in the Crusades- the ultimate battle of violence- and the protection of a "wall" of sorts- Jerusalem.

300 (2006)

Violence. So much violence. And Lena Heady! But this time she's good. And there's no creepy romance involved.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

Kit Harington AND dragons! Check out my review here.

The Other Woman (2014)

For the times you want to punch Jaime Lannister in the face... Check out my review here.

In Review: "Woman in Gold"

A movie about the power of art and its connection to the past.

The Story

It's the true story about a woman who wants to get back a painting of her aunt that was stolen from her. The painting is one of Gustav Klimt's most famous paintings-- "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" otherwise known as "Woman in Gold", Oh, and the people who stole it from her-- the Nazis. Years later, when she is an old woman, she wants to get it back but by then, the painting has become the prized possession of Austria, nearly impossible for her to retrieve. But with the help from a out-of-luck lawyer, she travels back to Austria and back to the shadows of her past to get back what is rightfully hers.

The Stars

Helen Mirren plays the main character Maria Altman, a woman of unpredictable gumption and spunk. As expected, Mirren is comical and lovable while being the sassy grandma you wish you had. Ryan Reynolds has a complicated character to play. Randoul Schoenberg, great-grandson of the famous composer Arnold Schoenberg, is kind of a pathetic character who seems to be way over his head with this case. From the beginning, the only thing the audience sees is his failures and the fact that he is related to this semi-famous person. We can't possibly understand why this old lady asked this inexperienced kid to help her win this lifelong case. But then we see him grow, just a glimpse. It's not a full blown character transformation, but we get a glimpse of why this case means so much to him. And it's enough to tolerate his character and crack a smile at him every once and a while.

The Message

Art is a living breathing piece of the past that stretches across generations, across centuries to remind us to move forward. Art was all the freedom these people had. They could not speak up but they could sing. They could not hold protests but they could hold a cello in their arms and play. They could not look upon their loved ones anymore but they had the objects they left behind. She had the painting. Now I pray that there will never come a day when a single man can seize the world in a crippling fear. But the only way to do that is to remember that it did happen and millions paid for the fear and hatred of others with their lives. And to this day, there are still wrongs to be righted, possessions that have not been returned and scars that have never healed. But for this woman this painting this canvas of color and shine healed a piece of her broken heart by reminding her that our home is not where we live or where we were born. But the people we share our lives with. They mean everything.

Overall

This case is not what you watch CSI for, or SVU or even the West Wing. There are no dead bodies. No murder weapons. No scandals. It's a paper case driven by hard facts and started by people who are already buried in the ground. You shouldn't watch this movie for the thrill of the case. And most people won't understand this woman's connection to a piece of art, and why, when she is so old, does she still need to get it back.

The people who should watch this movie is someone who is fascinated by art. Not just thinks walking through an art museum is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. But someone who really gets it. Really feels for the artist who slaved over the a canvas for months, sometimes years, to create something out of nothing. Doesn't have to be someone who is artistically gifted. Just someone who understands why artists paint, draw, sing, play, dance, write and whatever else they feel like doing. Someone who is appalled by the injustice of art being destroyed, outlawed, art programs in schools being ended, and art being hidden from sight. That's what this movie is about. It's about a terrible injustice that was done many years ago-- their art, their lives, their souls were stolen from them.

3 out of 4 Paintings

(This is the real life Maria Altman with the famous painting of her aunt)

If this is a subject you are passionate about, here are more movies and documentaries about the art of WWII:
"Monuments Men" (2014)
"The Rape of Europa" (2006)
"Adele's Wish" (2008)
"Stealing Klimt" (2007)
"The Train" (1964)

Kids Movies No Kid Should Watch List

WARNING: Spoilers and serious chills ahead

I mentioned in my last post that I have a list of kids movies that should not be called kids movies-- they are inappropriate or extremely scary. These movies happen to be ones that almost every parent deems fit to show your small children, but really should be thinking twice about. I am no parent, but after watching these movies as an adult, I can't help but to raise an eyebrow and say, "I watch this when I was a kid?"

1. Monster House (2006)

A house that eats children. Not even on Halloween! That goes way beyond a ghost in a house or a monster under the bed in a house. The whole house is trying to kill you!

2. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Just because a movie is a cartoon that does not mean that it is meant for children. This is not a cute and cuddly animated movie about a dog and a little girl. It's about a cheating, lying, stealing dog who dies and then uses a cute little orphan girl to get back at his killer. The movie even shows kids what hell looks like.

3. Labyrinth (1986)

The very first time I watched this movie was at my aunt and uncle's house. I will never forget sitting on the bed with my cousins and we popped the movie into a VHS player. My aunt had assured me that I would love the movie being a fan of all things fantasy and sharing her love of fairies. I saw this single shot (pictured above), freaked out, and shut the tape off immediately. The creepy little creatures stealing the baby out of his crib had terrified me. It was not til I was fully grown that I attempted to watch it again. And then there were even more scary parts that I was glad I had missed as a child (the talking hands!!)

4. Return to Oz (1985)

What could be harmless about a little Wizard of Oz story? Everything. The 1935 Oz is very different from the Baum Oz. This movie is based off of the Baum version complete with a pumpkin-headed scarecrow and an evil with named Mombi who has a removable head and a whole room where she keeps her others . By the way, it was no picnic coming back to Kansas either. Dorothy was tortured with electroshock therapy to try her to get rid of the "dream" of Oz. Oh yeah, and it's a Disney movie.

5. The Witches (1990)

Another movie I waited to watch until I was grown. It's about a little boy who goes on vacation with his parents and happens to stay in a hotel inhabited by witches. And not your average witches, these are witches who eat children, use chocolate and candy to lore them away from their families, and then tear off their faces to reveal their true ugliness. This is the stuff of nightmares.

6. All the Indiana Jones Movies (except the 4th one) (1981, 1984, 1989)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

There is a way to get around these movies traumatizing your children. I successfully watched all of them before I turned 13 and I only had nightmares from "Last Crusade". Tell your kids to cover their eyes at the right moments-- before the evil priest ribs the guys heart out ("Temple"), before the Nazis get incinerated by the power of God ("Ark") and before the evil German dude turns to ash after drinking from the wrong cup ("Crusade"). These are classic adventure movies that every kid needs to watch at some point in their life (skip the 4th one though, not worth it). So a little terror won't hurt them.

7. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

You know the scene I'm talking about. Before you even got to this one, you knew it was on this list. The tunnel boat scene. It's the quintessential WTF scene. There is no purpose to scare the living daylights out of these kids and parents (honestly, they go through enough already), but the scene is still there.

8. Gremlins (1984)

#1 This is not a Christmas movie. #2 This is not a movie made for kids. The mean Gremlins are truly terrifying, there is mention of a death by fireplace on Christmas Eve, and the whole last portion of the movie. Why did he have to feed them after midnight?!!! Cute little Gizmo would have made a perfect kids' movie, but no. He had to feed them and get them wet.

9. Coraline (2009)

I only recently watched this movie for the first time. Mainly because of the movie description. It's about a girl who finds her way into a parallel universe where everything seems happy-go-lucky but is far from it. Her "parents" want to keep her in their world forever by replacing her eyes with buttons! And turn her into a zombie! And her Other Mother, as she is called, turns out to be a horrifying spider/anorexic monster!

10. The Dark Crystal (1982)

Just because it's Jim Henson (man who made "The Muppets") doesn't mean it's for kids. It's about a monkey-looking race that can only be saved by this lost shard of an ancient crystal and one money-looking thing goes looking for it. The creatures are just creepy looking. The evil bird-lizard things that take over are creepy. And the main characters almost look human but certainly are not, which makes them even more creepy.

11. The Black Cauldron (1985)

The forgotten Disney movie is forgotten for a reason. It is not for kids. The villain is an undead skeleton king who wants to raise his army of the undead to kill everyone and to do that they need to sacrifice a magic pig. The skeleton king will bring you nightmares for years. Which is why Disney World has never incorporated this movie into any of their attractions, but I hear that there used to be a walk through ride in Tokyo where you came face-to-face with the skeleton king himself. No thank you.

12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

I will never forget the first time I watched this movie. It was on a Snow Day. My siblings and I had just come from playing in the snow for hours outside. We were all excited because my dad had brought home a projector attached to a VHS player from his work. For some reason, we had rented "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"- something my parents had seen and thought we would like it. My sister did not. I can still remember her cowering under a blanket when she saw the Child Catcher- which is a pretty creepy concept in and of itself.

Extra: There are also parents who should really read the rating (to dad that took little kids to see R-rated "Watchmen") and the story description (to the parents who took their 7-year-old to see "Hunger Games" 2-- it's a war movie!!). Have any bad parenting at the movies stories? Any movies that terrified you as a child that I missed? Please comment and share!

Doggone Movies: Puppies in Film

Monday, March 23 is National Puppy Day! I know! There's a day just for puppies! Isn't it awesome?!

So here is a list of all the cutest pooches who have ever wagged a tail on the silver screen. (I promise not to pick all dead-dog movies)

Asta- "The Thin Man" Series (1936, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1947, 1957-1959)

This Wire Fox Terrier (named Skippy) compliments the perfect pair of William Powell and Myrna Loy. The pup starred in all 6 Thin Man movies and the TV show (Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk replaced the original Charles's).

Skip- "My Dog Skip" (2000)

A Jack Russell Terrier becomes a boy's best friends, getting him through bullies, criminals, and a world war. 

(Warning: Bring tissues)

Buddy- "Air Bud" Series (first 2) (1997, 1998)

This is not your average Golden Retriever. He also can dunk and make touchdowns! This dogged, named Buddy, was only in the first 2 films. (This pup also played Comet on an episode of "Full House")

Zero- "Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)

As Jack Skellington's ghost dog, Zero's life is quite a scream. With his glowing pumpkin nose, he is also able to lead the sleigh and save Christmas.

Lady and Tramp- "Lady and the Tramp" (1955)

These two love pups (an American Cocker Spaniel and a mutt) meet in the most unlikely of ways and have one of the cutest first dates ever.

Stitch- "Lilo and Stitch" (2002)

Ok, so this is a cheat. Stitch is actually an alien posing as a dog. But he sure does make a great best friend.

Toto- "Wizard of Oz" (1939)

This little brindle Cairn terrier (played by a female named Terry) was paid $125 a week (more than many of the human actors).

Milo- "The Mask" (1994)

A brown and white Jack Russell Terrier named Max played this little bundle of joy who confused "keys" with "cheese". At least he's cute right? It was the pups first movie and some of the times struggled to listen to his cues. One of the mistakes that made it to print was the scene when Milo wouldn't let go of the Frisbee so Stanley puts Milo and the Frisbee into the closet with the stolen money.

Hooch- "Turner and Hooch" (1989)

 This French Mastiff named Beasley is the true heart and soul of this movie. He just shows that big dogs are not scary but big softies.

Bolt- "Bolt" (2008)

Bolt is the actor dog who doesn't know he's acting. Played by John Travolta, he believes he lives life fighting crime as a superhero dog with his owner Penny (played by Miley Cyrus), but in fact the whole thing is set up for a TV show. Bolt's breed is never specified but animators based him off of a white German Shepherd.

Slinky- "Toy Story" Series (1995, 1999, 2010)

Again, a small cheat. Slinky is part dog part Slinky toy. But he is a loyal friend to Woody.

All 101/2 Dalmatians- "101 Dalmatians"(1961-animated) (1996-live-action), "102 Dalmatians" (2000)

The first animated film had 101 spotted puppies and the next movie introduced us to Dipstick's (one of the original 101 pups) children (one of whom takes a while to get her spots) and more than a few other spotted puppies to make a grand total of 102. So I guess that's a total of 202 puppies! Big enough for a Dalmatian Plantation.

Hercules- "The Sandlot" (1993)

Known throughout the beginning of the movie as The Beast, this English Mastiff turns out to be a big softy who loves baseball.

Hachi- "Hachi" (2009)

One of the saddest dog movies ever!! This loyal Akita Inu's movie is based off of a true story about a man (played by Richard Gere) who finds a lost puppy at the train station and the two become best friends forever.

Maya- "Eight Below" (2006)

This Siberian Husky bravely faces the wild Antarctic with her team of other Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamutes when they get left behind by their owner Paul Walker. It's a Disney movie so you know it has a happy ending. (This pretty girl also was in "Snow Dogs")

Demon- "Snow Dogs" (2002)

This Siberian Husky named Don Juan or D.J. for short also played Max in "Snow Dogs". In this movie, he is the trouble making lead dog of a sled team who likes to give their new owner Cuba Gooding Jr. a difficult time.

Charlie- "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (1989)

Enough though this movie is on the "Kids Movie Not Made for Kids" movie list, the dog is still cute. Charlie is a German Shepherd who cheats death by stealing a watch from an angel. On the way he meets the sweet orphan Annemarie.

Jenna- "Balto" (1995)

This red husky is the dog of an adorable little girl and the love interest of the famous real-life dog Balto (although Balto is a wolf-dog hybrid in this movie he was a dog in real life).

Rhett- "Steel Magnolias" (1989)

Rhett is the St. Bernard of ill-tempered Ouiser from the cry-your-eyes-out movie that every mother and daughter needs to see.

Copper- "Fox and the Hound" (1981)

The tears are coming even thinking about this movie! Copper is the adorable Hound Dog who becomes best friends with Todd, a red fox. The pair are told that they should be natural enemies, but they would rather stay friends.

In Review: "Cinderella"

As the first installment of Disney's new trend of animated-to-live-action films, "Cinderella" is not a bad foot to start on.

The issues I have with this film are very slight and very forgivable- simply extra sparkle I feel they could have thrown in. This is very much the original 1950 film simply told with living breathing people. Remember that as I continue.

The Story

It's exactly what you know. A little girl lives a carefree life with her family until her mother dies. Then her father remarries a wicked woman who has two ugly-hearted daughters. The father dies, and the three torment the girl making her become a servant in her own house. One day, the king holds a ball and invites all the ladies of the land to meet the prince from which he will choose a bride. Cindy is dying to go so she does her chores and spouses up her mother's old dress to attend the event. But the wicked stepmother forbids her to go. The poor girl is a puddle of tears until her fairy godmother arrives and transforms a vegetable and some farm animals into her transportation, her rags into luxurious fabrics and her old shoes into glass slippers. Cindy and the Prince dance all night, fall in love, and Cindy must run away before the spell is broken leaving behind a single shoe. Without a name to identify the magnificent woman, he sends his advisers to try the shoe on every maiden in the land to find his true love. And so he finds his girl, and they are married and live happily ever after.

Phew!

This new version has a few updates to liven up the classic tale a little bit-- the prince has a personality, the stepmother has a reason, and there are secret plots afoot. But you'll have to see the movie for those.

The Stars

Lily James from the popular TV show "Downton Abbey" stars as the little cinder girl in the most elegant way she can. With grace and goodness, she brings the drawings of Disney artists to life. Encouraged to be kind and courageous her whole life, she is still a passive character. Like I said, this is not the modern version of the animated movie. Cinderella is still very much saved by the prince and refuses to spit in her evil family's tea-- giving her grace and a greater strength than I could ever accomplish.

Cate Blanchett is the perfect wicked stepmother with an air of sophistication, a dash of mischief, and a bucket of evil. But again, these are living breathing characters with sides and shades. There is a very interesting scene where we get to see that this woman's wickedness is not entirely her choice.

Richard Madden (RIP Rob Stark) plays a charming prince who is completely taken by this mystery girl who shows a little bit of spunk and wonderful heart. Madden is also able to give depth to the character through his interactions with the King (played by Derek Jacobi). This was a truly inspired story decision to give the prince something else to love other than a stranger.

Helena Bonham Carter plays the forgetful fairy godmother. A far cry from Bellatrix, but Carter is able to do it with flair.

The Message

The reason people don't like the original animated Disney films is because of the damsel in distress characters who are saved by the prince and seem to have everything happen to them instead of taking life into their own hands. The reason why the princesses were written that way is because that is how women were taught to behave. The greatest accomplishment a woman could have was to get married. Women didn't get jobs or have career goals. Women would never talk back or fight for any reason.

Things are very different now. So it's hard to watch a movie about a woman who has this passive mindset. A woman who believes that kindness is how you are able to get through life with flying colors. I absolutely agree that without kindness you will never be able to fulfill your life. But my core being fights against this idea that if you let people step all over you things will be alright in the end. Although I'd love to believe that, it is simply a fantasy.

That being said, this is not a modern story. The strength that Ella does have is the strength to endure every evil and torture done to her with grace and an unfailing love and faithfulness. She is determined to stay in this house because she made a promise to her parents. She believes that there is always a possibility for good. She forgives when she should feel hatred. And that takes a more powerful strength than spatting back a well phrased and well timed comeback.

Overall

The costumes and cinematography in this movie are absolutely gorgeous. I could write a whole other review on how pleasing this movie was to the eye. But I will spare you. All I'm saying is costume designer Sandy Powell deserves her fourth Oscar!

One of the issues I had is the slight lack of continuity between the animated and the live action. Yes, the mice don't talk. Ok fine that would look weird anyway. But you didn't have to change Jacques to Jacqueline. And you didn't have to get rid of Bruno the awesome dog.

Also, fine you won't make it a musical. Ok, I can live with that. (I don't want to, but I will.) But why not even include the original songs in the score of the movie? (They could have been dancing to an instrumental version of "So This is Love") The music that's in this movie had no correlation to the story or the film's history. The theme song of the film, originally sung by Cindy's mother, "Lavender Blue" is actually from another Disney live-action movie called "So Dear to My Heart" and sung by Burl Ives. (The song won an Oscar) The lyrics are a little different than the original, but it is definitely the same song. The pop theme of the film is Ellie Golding's "My Blood" which is about-- BLOOD! and the loss of a love. Nope. That has nothing to do with Cinderella. And the other pop theme song is "Strong" by Sonna Rele which is about how life is not like a fairytale and you can't treat it as such. "In a perfect storybook, the world is brave and good/A hero takes your hand, a sweet love will follow/But life's a different game, the sorrow and the pain/Only you can change your world tomorrow" Was I not just talking about Cinderella as a passive character? Isn't this like a slap in the movie's face?

Overall, this movie was exactly what I wanted it to be with a few hiccups here and there. It sticks to the classic tale, is pretty to watch, and has some great actors that bring depth and life to one of the most recognizable tales ever told.

3 out of 4 Glass Slippers 

P.S. In the movie they were actually Swarovski crystal

P.P.S. "Frozen Fever" (the short before the film) is absolutely adorable!!!