You should've gone to China, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.

I was lucky enough to see an early screening of the film JUNO, starring Ellen Page and Michael Cera. People are already calling this film the “Little Miss Sunshine” of the year, with rave reviews at both the Toronto Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival.

Ellen Page carries this movie, with clever direction from Jason Reitman (he also directed the awesome 'Thank You For Not Smoking'). There are some hilarious lines from writer Diablo Cody delivered perfectly from an all-star cast, including Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner. Side note on Jennifer Garner—usually can’t stand her but she really made me feel for her in this film. Michael Cera plays his adorable self—with some of the cutest lines in the film. “You weren’t bored that night. The Blair Witch Project was playing on Starz….”

Despite some moments where I felt the lines, characters and set design were drowning in forced quirkiness (hamburger phones, Tara Mcpherson art on the walls, Moldy Peaches and Belle and Sebastian songs), the movie was very funny and memorable.

This movie is one of my favorites this year; I wish it was coming out sooner so I could see it again. More info and the trailer here.

Daily Indie Film Reviews courtesy of The Honda Fit!

Nanny Diaries

I once took a babysitting class in the 6th grade because I thought it would be a good idea to build my client list and my non-existent bank account. Turns out I hated babysitting because it was a whole lot of effort with a seriously low cash reward. This movie was kind of the same thing—a good idea in theory, but it turned out that the movie provided little to no reward.

Let me say that Nanny Diaries is full of amazing actors—Laura Linney, Scarlett J., Paul Giamati and Alicia Keys! The actors are great, the apartment on the upper east side was awesome. I will probably never have enough money to live in such a place, hence the admiration.

The story is a little lame, and the characters use the phrase “Harvard Hottie” throughout the movie to describe this dude who probably couldn’t get into Harvard and really isn’t that hot. (He’s hot in that check out my baseball hat and khaki’s combo kind of way.)

It’s also a good movie to reinforce the fact that the only people who really should take care of kids are their parents, the rest of us just get annoyed. Scarlett J. apparently adores the boy she nanny’s for, despite the fact that they only share like 2 sappy moments together in the whole film.

The movie comes out on DVD December 4th. I think the movie will do well because the book was really popular and Scarlett J. is pretty hot. A good movie to watch if you want to show your parents how they messed up by getting you a nanny when you were a kid, or a good film to prove to yourself that the babysitting class in 6th grade wasn't worth it after all.

Spend Christmas With The Man In Black? Okay!!!

Christmas specials are always ridiculously cheesy, but people love them. They have become a staple of the season and that’s why networks keep doing them year after year. I used to tape Christmas specials on VHS and then watch them over and over again. I was 7 years old and already shaping up to be a giant nerd. 

For the first time on DVD - 'The Johnny Cash Christmas Special' from 1976 and 1977 are available to buy. It’s the first time in 30 years the shows have been available, and because I wasn’t alive in the 1970’s I have no VHS copy of' The Johnny Cash Christmas Specials'.

So I checked them out, and being the nerd that I am I totally loved them both. They are awkward and cheesy and full of amazing 70’s fashion and dialogue. But what’s striking is to see Carter and Cash at their home in the 1976 special.

I’ve seen pictures and the film 'Walk The Line', but I never had the chance to watch Cash up close. The 1976 special is filmed at the couple's home in Tennessee. They literally bring America into their house to have a look around.

The 1977 Christmas Special is filmed at the Grand Ole Opry House and features performances from Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. This one is stronger musically and a great deal of the episode is dedicated to Elvis Presley, who had passed away 2 months before the episode was filmed. See a clip here.

The DVD’s are available via Shout! Factory and at online stores like Amazon. Check them out if you want to re-live the christmas specials of your youth, or see what the man in black looks like driving his tractor around his farm while singing carols. Good stuff.

Atonement.

I checked out 'Atonement' yesterday. Sorry to all of you moviegoers who heard me crying like a baby throughout the movie. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star in the film based on Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel of the same name. Watch the trailer to get a sense of what the story is about----love torn apart by lies, war, confusion and class system....Oscar nomination anyone?

The film is really well done, it's the kind of movie that hurts to watch, but you can’t look away. Both Knightly and McAvoy are so believable.

 

Even though the book came out in 2001, I kept thinking 'Atonement' was some sort of commentary on current events and U.S. foreign policy in Iraq. The film tells the story of a man who is sent to war based on a lie that was told, a lie that is cloudy and confusing to everyone involved.  He is sent away from his family and his love, Keira Knightley.

The only part that caught me off guard was the flash forward at the end—it really took me out of the story—even if it was necessary that the truth be told about the characters before the lights come on in the theatre. Also, a lot of the characterization and detail from the book was left out, because there wasn’t enough time. I felt like there were some moments lacking in the story, but the visuals in some sense made up for it. I just wished there had been more back story about the characters and the events.

 

It was a beautiful love story, and even in the moments of heightened drama, where I am known to poke fingers at cheesy kissing scenes or dialogue—I couldn't say a word....cuz I was too busy crying.

The movie got me involved on every level, or maybe I’m just a sucker for Keira Knightley in a green dress and James McAvoy’s eyes.

Speaking of that green dress, anybody know where I can find one exactly like it? I will pay someone to make it for me? I lovedddd it. Can't stop thinking about it actually.

If you want to be voted boyfriend of the year, take your girl to go see this movie and hold her hand at all the parts where Keira Knightley is about to cry and/or crying. You'll know because you'll be crying too.