Sunday Lists: Michelle Pfeiffer Roles, Ranked

This Sunday Lists is part of the Pfeiffer Blogathon hosted by Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies.

Nothing quite portrays my love for Michelle Pfeiffer, despite really not having seen a lot of her roles in her extensive filmography. However, between her and Meg Ryan (another upcoming Sunday Lists post), its some of my favorite actresses. Michelle Pfeiffer’s been in a ton of stuff so I’m only looking at her movie roles. I have a lot of catching up to do as the list below will reveal however, lets give this a go.

Let’s take a look at the top 5 of her roles (subject to change). This list will be updated regularly.

Susie Diamond – The Fabulous Baker Boys

Review

Selina Kyle/Catwoman – Batman Returns

Lamia – Stardust

Review

Verma Von Tussle – Hairspray

Review

Ingrid Magnussen – White Oleander

Tzipporah (voice) – The Prince of Egypt
Rita – I Am Sam
Rosie – I Could Never Be Your Woman (Review)
Titania –  A Midsummer’s Night Dream
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard – Dark Shadows (Review)
Ingrid – New Year’s Eve (Review)

Haven’t seen or can’t remember

 Suzie Q – Hollywood Knights
Sue Wellington (1940s) – Falling in Love Again
Codelia – Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen
Stephanie – Grease 2
Elvira Hancock – Scarface
Diana – Into the Night
Isabeau – Ladyhawke
Faith Healy – Sweet Liberty
Sukie Ridgemont – The Witches of Eastwick
Brenda Landers – Amazon Women on the Moon
Angela de Marco – Married to the Mob
Jo Ann – Tequila Sunrise
Madame de Tourvel – Dangerous Liaisons
Katya – The Russia House
Frankie – Frankie and Johnny
Lurene Hallett – Love Field
Ellen Olenska – The Age of Innocence
Laura Alden – Wolf
Louanne Johnson – Dangerous Minds
Tally Atwater – Up Close & Personal
Gillian Lewis – To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
Melanie Parker – One Fine Day
Rose Cook Lewis – A Thousand Acres
Beth Cappadora – The Deep End of the Ocean
Katie Jordan – The Story of Us
Claire Spencer – What Lies Beneath
Eris (voice) – Sinbad: The Legend of the Seven Seas
Lea – Chéri
Linda – Personal Effects
Lillian – People Like Us
Maggie Blake – The Family
Kyra – Where is Kyra?
Woman – Mother!
Caroline Hubbard – Murder on the Orient Express
Janet Van Dyne/Wasp – Ant-Man and the Wasp

What are your favorite Michelle Pfeiffer roles? Share them in the comments below!

Valentine’s Marathon: I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007)

I love Michelle Pfeiffer (and Meg Ryan) a lot and for those reasons, I always try to work in their movies into my schedule as much as I can. Its absolutely slim pickings on Netflix for these movies but we do have two right now that just popped up again. In the heart of a romantic comedy, I decided to check out I Could Never Be Your Woman. I have never heard of this movie before so I know very little about what to expect or what its all about. Still, its Michelle Pfeiffer and when the film started, there’s a very young Saoirse Ronan as well, so I think this movie is already looking up.

I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007)

Director (and writer): Amy Heckerling

Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Saoirse Ronan, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Fred Willard, Jon Lovitz, Tracey Ullman

A mother falls for a younger man while her daughter falls in love for the first time. Mother Nature messes with their fates. – IMDB

I Could Never Be Your Woman is an odd movie. Odd doesn’t mean that it wasn’t entertaining but rather that I can’t quite pinpoint how I feel about it. On one hand, it ticks the typical romantic comedy sort of story and feels a little like a partial Clueless reunion tour with Stacey Dash and Paul Rudd doing the high school things since Amy Heckerling did write and direct this movie. The movie feels like the other side of the camera of Clueless if anything. None of these things are bad things. Clueless is a fun movie and remains that way even if its dialogue and fashion is dated so in some ways, this makes this one feel slightly nostalgic levels. My only issue with it was really some over the top scenes that seem fairly ridiculous and made myself feel kind of embarassed to watching it happen. Maybe that was the film’s intention, who knows, right?

In terms of characters and performances, the cast here does a great job. I mean, we have a winning cast in Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd and Saoirse Ronan. Its funny to talk about Paul Rudd because over the years, he has done some good stuff but when you ask me what, I only remember very few of it. Here, he delivers on his role and is quite fun to watch, especially when he does all his silly things to make the woman he likes smile. He has some boyish charm that seems to not fade away since his Clueless days. Playing opposite him is Michelle Pfeiffer as Rosie, a divorced mom who is the writer of this high school series with dropping viewership and trying to fight through her feelings against falling for this young guy. In many ways, Michelle Pfeiffer is always great for this role because you can see that she still is beautiful and charming no matter the age difference here. While I think the issue here is that I felt like the characters themselves were decent but as a romantic comedy, it did lack a bit of chemistry. If you were to watch this for its funny moments, well, there is a lot of those.

However, my favorite part of this was Saoirse Ronan who debuts in a movie role and it is so obvious how talented she is. She plays as Rosie’s 13 year old daughter, Izzie who is believes she is falling in love with a boy in school and trying to get his attention. She is genuine and believable and so creative. She reminded me deeply of how it was to be in some silly high school crush back in my high school days and going through the phase of making everything feel more significant than it should. Of course, part of the best parts is watching her change the lyrics of two 90s pop songs and its both brilliant and awesome. Izzie is way ahead of her time and in the world of learning about loving this boy, Dylan who seems not worth her time, there are some valuable lessons here, even if its about loving who you are and believing that you are good enough. It was an fun experience to watch Rosie and Izzie’s mother and daughter relationship here as they each go through their first step into love both in different stages of life.

Overall, I Could Never Be Your Woman is a fun and silly romantic comedy. It falls a little flat on the romance department but has enough comedic moments to make up for it. Its just some simple harmless fun with a great cast who delivers on their performances, regardless if its Paul Rudd and his boyish charms or Michelle Pfeiffer and her elegant wit and especially the Saoirse Ronan, who proves that she was talented right from her debut role here that she’s made for success. While I can’t quite pinpoint the Mother Nature angle, played by Tracey Ullman, that it started with, it still brought in some nice banter and humor.

Ultimate 90’s Blogathon: Batman Returns (1992) by DB Movies Blog

Next up is DB from DB Movies Blog with a sequel of the 1989 Batman by Tim Burton, Batman Returns! One of my personal faves because it has the fantastic Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. DB Movies Blog has a range of film-related posts from reviews to trailer to lists and awards recap, etc. Lots of great material to check out! Without further ado, let’s pass it over to her to talk about her choice!

Batman Returns (1992)

Three years after directing “Batman” (1989), Tim Burton came up with yet another Batman film “Batman Returns”. Visually stunning and well thought-out, the film is about the rise to power of Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Danny DeVito), who has been hidden away and shunned by society for 33 years in the city of Gotham. In his quest to become the mayor of Gotham, Penguin is unwillingly helped by a dishonest businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) as the Penguin’s freaky followers intermittently wreck havoc on Gotham to discredit the present mayor and eventually make it look like the Penguin is fighting crime. Meanwhile, Shreck’s shy secretary, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), finds out too much about Shreck’s illegal activities, causing Shreck to try to get rid of her, and the result of his efforts is Selina’s transformation into a Catwoman. Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) is also not indifferent to the crimes orchestrated by the Penguin and is determined to stop the Penguin and his gang while having a love-hate relationship with Selina/Catwoman.

From the very first scenes of the film, we are intrigued. We are confronted with a Dracula-inspired-setting and gothic surroundings as we see a couple who gives birth to a deformed baby, and then some time later, on a cold Christmas night, rushes across a Gotham park to throw their newborn baby into a river crossing the park. The eerie wintry landscape and the menacing soundtrack by Danny Elfman complete this picture as we then see a crib of a baby-monster floating down the sewer of the city.

Prior to “Batman Returns”, Burton also directed “Beetlejuice” (1988) and “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), already establishing himself as the director for shooting the themes of supernatural, odd, unknown and dark. In that vein, Burton makes “Batman Returns” his very own. With Burton’s flair for presenting a Gothic fantasy, “Batman Returns”’s cinematography is moody and grim, now reminding of “Sleepy Hollow” (1999) or “Sweeney Todd” (2007), but with a comical twist, a freaks-show setting and more stand-alone odd characters. Burton transforms the city of Gotham into a lavish wintry high-buildings landscape populated by mysterious pale-faced personalities, odd freaks and brave anti-heroes. In his prior and forthcoming work, Burton relied heavily on the old German expressionist cinematography and “Batman Returns” is no exception. From the very first scenes, the film is all about sharp dark edges, futurism, and the macabre, similar to “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920). We also see the skyline of the Gotham City, and the tall buildings, grim atmosphere and fog reminds of “Metropolis” (1927). The elaborate sculpture work of the Gotham Zoo and the camerawork are also similar to the camerawork and the town scale model found in Burton’s “Beetlejuice”.

Action-wise, “Batman Returns” is also great. From the firebombing of Shreck’s department store to a faulty Batman car racing, the action is fast-paced with great visual effects. Add to this a rich animal symbolism, distinctively-gloomy, but deliciously macabre cinematography and a thought-provoking ending and it is safe to say that Burton has probably crafted the best Batman movie ever.

Having said that, “Batman Returns” is, primarily, a character-driven film. Michael Keaton reprises his role of the Batman, but the spotlight is not on him and he has to give way to “more interesting” and “crazier” characters. Keaton’s performance is unimaginative and unenthusiastic, though he is a very dignified and “intellectual” Batman; that kind of a Batman who will snug in on a weekend in front of a fireplace with a book rather than practise his combat moves in front of a mirror.

Every imaginable Hollywood actress was considered for the role of the Catwoman: from Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster to Cher and Meryl Streep. In the end, Annette Bening was cast, but was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer is perfectly cast and gives a very convincing, almost iconic performance. She is good as a sexually-frustrated shy secretary Selina and as a confident and blood-thirsty Catwoman. Selina’s duality and her transformation into a Catwoman are particularly well-presented. We see something close to the nowadays “Black Swan” transformation, because Selina is first surrounded by her pink soft toys and immaculate kitchen and then goes berserk and lusts for a dark and mysterious side of life. Her chemistry with Bruce Wayne is also very good, and it is interesting to watch how the pair is mentally trying to figure out each other’s true identities and thoughts.

The real revelations in the film are Danny DeVito in the role of the Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot and Christopher Walken in the role of Max Shreck. DeVito’s Penguin is very memorable: he is hideous, totally demented and power-hungry. Walken’s Shreck is also a show-stealer. Cool, strange and menacing, Walken as Max Shreck makes the atmosphere very uncomfortable, and it is a pity that the Shreck’s energy aspirations idea is left underdeveloped in the film.

It is true, however, that “Batman Returns” is not a perfect movie. We hardly get to know anything about the title character and his personal development (a hero’s journey) is questionable. The reason why Batman as a character is so neglected in this film is maybe because Burton/Waters/Strick is not really interested in him. In fact, Burton agreed to do “Batman Returns” only on condition that the studio gives him more creative control over the material and that Daniel Waters, a screenwriter known for his black-comedy “Heathers” (1988), comes on board. The influence of both is evident in the final product.

Another weakness of the film is that it has too many villains which form surprising partnerships, but the biggest criticism at the time of its release was that Burton’s version of a Batman movie was too gloomy and grotesque, sexually too suggestive (e.g. the Catwoman finds herself often on top of the Batman) and violent (e.g. child-kidnapping takes place on a regular basis). There are valid points, but should be seen in a perspective. Unlike the Superman and even the Spiderman series, the Batman series is all about the dark nature of humanity, mysterious personal duality, masks and camouflage, the colour black, unclear freaky characters’ origins, underlying childhood trauma and gloomy settings. Taking this into account, Burton’s gothic, macabre and dark take fits the Batman adaptation perfectly.

“Batman Returns” may not be the film to immediately spring to mind when you think “the films of 1990s”, but its unusually presented-superhero theme, advanced computer-generated special effects and the director’s distinctive influence on the style and plot of the film are the features which later came to define films shot in 1990s (wasn’t it the decade of the rise of independent cinema after all?). “Batman Returns” is a Tim Burton film through-and-through. Rich in visuals, it is grim, dark, fantastical and strangely enticing. It also a film which is very entertaining: it has an interesting plot, perfect casting, great soundtrack and a very memorable presentation of such oddball characters as the Penguin and Catwoman.

8/10

Thanks to DB for a fantastic review of Batman Returns. Definitely a great title (with its flaws) from the 90s!
Remember to head over to Drew’s Movie Reviews on Monday for the next entry!

Meg and Michelle 80s Double Feature by Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies – Ultimate 80s Blogathon

We’re in the 4th and final week of Ultimate 80s Blogathon! Time just flies when you’re having a great time. Next up to kick off the final week is Paul S over at Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies. I’ve never met anyone quite as knowledgeable as him when it comes to Meg Ryan and Michelle Pfeiffer.  These two ladies happen to be also two of my favorite actresses.  Its no surprise it is through one of the reviews of possibly a Meg movie that met Paul and knew about his fantastic site. If you want to read about movies and roles and performances of these two outstanding actresses, you can’t go wrong with heading over to Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies. Paul will be hosting the Meg and Michelle’s March Blogathon.  You can find the details HERE.

The 1980s. The carefree days of my youth and a decade that spawned so many classic films, from Raging Bull and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to The Fabulous Baker Boys and When Harry Met Sally…. I’ve spent the last few days scouring my DVD collection, trying in vain to select a favourite from the decade, ultimately finding I couldn’t choose between Innerspace and Tequila Sunrise.

​Innerspace (1987)

Innerspace is often compared to 1966’s Fantastic Voyage for obvious reasons, but Innerspace is no run-of-the-mill remake. Whereas Voyage featured the simple narrative of a team of doctors treating a patient from the inside, Innerspace is more of an absurd, over-plotted movie, but it is endlessly entertaining. A convoluted comedy of errors in a Silicon Valley setting.

The story follows Jack Putter (Martin Short), a hypochondriac who works at a supermarket. His mundane life is turned upside down when a man in a lab coat appears out of nowhere, jabs a hypodermic needle into his posterior, before promptly dying. What Jack doesn’t know is that the doctor was part of a top-secret project in which a willing subject, Lieutenant Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is sealed in a submersible and miniaturized, in order to study a rabbit from the inside. Instead, he’s been placed inside Jack, to prevent a gang of corporate thieves from getting their hands on the miniaturization chip.

Tuck knows his freedom depends on Jack breaking out of his malaise, and so he becomes a new voice inside Jack’s head, one that tells him to take risks instead of wallowing in worry. Complications ensue, most of them involving Tuck’s beautiful, estranged girlfriend Lydia, played by a gun toting Meg Ryan. She sparks an odd, amiably original love triangle, when Jack inevitably falls for her, even though he knows Tuck is eavesdropping on every move he makes.

​In the sweet-and-sultry-blonde sweepstakes of the late 1980s, Meg was emerging as Michelle Pfeiffer’s only rival, and here she elevates a character who could have been as much of a MacGuffin in the story as the microchips. She’s utterly cute and tenacious, so it’s no wonder Lydia becomes a bone of contention between Jack and Tuck, as the latter begins to truly realise how much she means to him.

Aside from a dubious plot point where Tuck is transported back and forth between bodies by the mechanism of a romantic kiss, director Joe Dante effortlessly guides the film from science fiction to action to comedy to romance, assisted by Sam Cooke’s wonderful Cupid and the undeniable chemistry of the cast. Remarkable when one of them isn’t in the same room for most of the film.

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Directed by Robert Towne, of Chinatown fame, Tequila Sunrise also features an all-star late-80s cast. Semi-retired drug dealer Mac (Mel Gibson) and his old friend, policeman Nick (Kurt Russell) go back a long way, and share a healthy dose of rivalry, brought to the fore when they cross paths with the stunning form of Jo Ann Valenari (Michelle Pfeiffer).  

Tequila Sunrise provides plenty of twists and turns, audacious supporting performances from J.T. Walsh and Raul Julia, and some gorgeous silhouetted sunset shots. As with Innerspace, the plot is convoluted, but that only reinforces the prominence of its photogenic stars, as they deliver endlessly quotable dialogue and share some epic, drenched 80’s kissing scenes. Besamé Mucho!

The Pfeiffer-Russell kiss happens first, on a rainy night in a dingy wine cellar. Restaurateur Pfeiffer is trying to move a barrel from beneath a leaking roof and tells Russell she doesn’t need his help as he might get dirty. Russell ignores her warning and starts to move the barrel himself, but the pressure from the leak builds up and unleashes a torrent, completely soaking him. Cue the saxophone music as Russell grabs Pfeiffer and they passionately kiss. The scene fades out.

Later in the film Gibson’s Mac and Pfeiffer’s Jo Ann have their “moment.” During small talk Pfeiffer makes a comment and Gibson takes offense, so Michelle apologises. Now it’s Gibson’s turn to be embarrassed, so he proceeds to gently kiss Pfeiffer and before you know it the soft-rock music swells again and they’re destined for the hot-tub.

As white sheets billow in the background, the camera slowly, voyeuristically works its way back to where the conversation was taking place. Suddenly, Mel and Michelle explode from the water in slow-motion, locked in a lustful embrace. They’re like a drowning man tasting air for the first time in days. Were they having a contest to see who could hold their breath longest? Or did they get lost in the hidden depths of the hot-tub?  I still wonder!

We watch the liaison reflected in the water, their silhouetted figures masked by steam. Gibson stands and lifts Pfeiffer from the ground before pulling the white sheets down over their soaked bodies. It’s bizarre, but par for the course, given the decade.

Afterwards, Michelle spoon-feeds Gibson with yoghurt. (No, honestly.)

​In true 1980’s style, the film ends with a freeze-frame. Once again Gibson and Pfeiffer are locked in a passionate clinch, and of course, they’re both soaking wet. Kurt Russell looks on as the odd man out, frozen in a moment when Michelle Pfeiffer lips were never more alluring, Mel Gibson’s eyes were never bluer, and those California sunsets were never hotter. It doesn’t get more 80s than this.

The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

Originally, I  had watched The Fabulous Baker Boys for Valentine’s Day marathon but that’s until I realized its more of a drama than a romantic comedy.  It also was also hitting a Netflix expiration and seeing as I have a Michelle Pffeifer crush since forever, I wanted to see this one.  Not knowing the plot or anything about the Fabulous Baker Boys, I turned it on…almost a month ago.

Side note, this is my kind of new plan.  I’m tracking my movies and there will always be movies that I don’t review right away but when I’m short on time with other priorities, I’ll dig the one I’d like to write about and do a post on it. Let me tell you, that list is long, maybe I’ll do some double features also.

Let’s check out The Fabulous Baker Boys, shall we?

THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (1989)

Director and writer: Steve Kloves

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Beau Bridges

 Frank (Beau Bridges) and Jack Baker (Jeff Bridges) are known as the Fabulous Baker Boys who are a long time piano duo who performs at lounges.  Times are changing and Frank feels that the two of them are no longer enough to thrive in their business.  They now need to audition and find a third person: a classy girl who can sing to their music.  Thats when they meet Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer), a former escort girl who is not only pretty but has a magnetic voice.  With Susie, their act is revived and everyone wants to book dates with them.  Eventually, the younger and less committed Jack start feeling attracted to Susie while the latter tries to keep their relationship strictly professional.

The Fabulous Baker Boys was really quite a treat.  The whole story wasn’t anything spectacular but then its hard to find a script thats going to not have been used or predictable, whatnot.  The Fabulous Baker Boys starts with Frank and Jack who are quite opposite from each other.  Jack is the more talented and less committed younger brother.  For him, this duo is a part of his life to survive but his passion isn’t in playing lounges.  While Frank, being more responsible and having a family to take care of, is the logic and reason behind their gigs.  He is less talented but he makes up for it in his management and social abilities.  Being brothers in real life, Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges are extremely great together.  They pull off the right chemistry and dynamic that they need to make this whole story about them seem convincing.  I’m going to be honest here and say that, I’m not exactly sure I’ve seen a lot of Jeff Bridges but his role here is really great.  It makes the decision to forego watching all those not to good looking movies he’s been in lately feel like a good decision because I’d like to remember him as Jack Baker.

Alert: massive girl crush here! Michelle Pfeiffer… What a talented lady! Susie Diamond is an amazing character.  I mean, Michelle Pfeiffer was awesome as Catwoman, Velma Von Tussle (Hairspray) or Ingrid Magnussen (White Oleander), which are all extremely memorable roles. But Susie Diamond is right there on top of the list. Right off, she brings in a much more relaxed feeling to the duo.  In a way, the Baker boys needs to transform her into a lady suitable for their classy acts. They need to guide her to learn the songs and lyrics.  There’s little clumsy bits on her performance and then when she finally finds herself completely, Michelle Pfeiffer is absolutely sexy in that performance there.  Plus, her and Jeff Bridges has this really great connection and chemistry going on. There’s the one scene (and if you’ve seen this, you’ll know which one I’m talking about) that is just breathtakingly romantic and passionate all at the same time (or maybe there’s a few more).

Thats what makes The Fabulous Baker Boys good, I believe.  These characters are believable and real.  They struggle and fight and need to find the courage to follow their heart.  There’s a bit of romance, really classy music, lots of great piano playing, a little brotherly drama and just great characters and performance all around.

This is a charming movie and I’m telling you, I never thought it possible but I think even I fell in love with Jeff Bridges just a little. Well, 1989 Jack Baker version of him at least 😉

Have you seen The Fabulous Baker Boys? What did you think of it?

Triple Feature: Killing Me Softly, Dark Shadows & The Next Three Days

Something about these triple features are very refreshing.  Its just a quick recount, straight-forward.  Sometimes, its just efficient and easier to do that because there are movies where there isn’t that much to say.

I did watch a fourth one with my boyfriend but I’ve already reviewed it and its the “so bad its awesome” Sharknado.  You can check out that review right HERE!

Lets move on to check out these three!

Killing Me Softly (2002)

Director: Kaige Chen

Cast: Heather Graham, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone, Ulrich Thomsen

A woman faces deadly consequences for abandoning her loving relationship with her boyfriend to pursue exciting sexual scenarios with a mysterious celebrity mountaineer.-IMDB

The last time I remember seeing Joseph Fiennes was in Shakespeare in Love which was really pretty good.  I watched it when I was younger and not really so knowledgeable about movies but I will see it again and I’m positive that it won’t disappoint.  BUT, to see him in this just makes my heart break.

I think whoever chooses a project opposite Heather Graham needs to be a good actor/actress because she is such a bad/unconvincing actress. Well, you also get to check out her body like totally up close and personal.  So I guess, its not a total loss, right? I’m not trying to be disrespectful because that is a compliment to her.  But her acting really could use some work. Or maybe its just every time I see her, the movie is REALLY bad. I mean the only movie I saw of hers was called About Cherry and that movie was SO boring! (review HERE).

Like Killing Me Softly was killing me so brutally.  I get the passion, lust and attraction.  I’m a romantic, I get all that stuff.  I even get that whole liking the dark, mysterious and brooding stranger but excuse me, this is like the perfect Shitfest contender but I like to stick to bad horror for that segment, so thats why we now have a minor rant session.

The best example was like, Joseph Fiennes is this overprotective guy who falls madly in love with Heather Graham’s character and then this pickpocket steals her purse and runs off.  He chases that dude down intensely and literally beats the crap out of him and then when she catches up, he’s like I will protect you forever and never let that happen again I promise you.  Marry me! And of course, she’s like kiss and totally agrees. Paraphrasing here, ok? Anybody think that this dude’s just totally unknown (which he is because she’s only known him for something like 3 days) and he has some anger management and violence issues. Just saying…

So no, the movie just tries too hard in the second part to turn this first half soft porn movie into a thriller and throws some twists that were completely predictable.  And to make a thriller work, you need a convincing lead and Heather Graham’s character was not. However, Joseph Fiennes was fine. With what he had, I think he was convincingly creepy and mysterious, exactly what was asked of his character. There’s the positive…

Dark Shadows (2012)

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcote, Gulliver McGrath

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.-IMDB

Dark Shadows has a beautiful mix of actors and actresses that I adore helmed by a director that has lost a little bit of steam in the past few years but I still have an immense amount of respect for. I always keep an open mind for extreme weirdness for anything Tim Burton.  With Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Chloe Grace Moretz, how can I not already want to see this.  I have to be honest that all the negative reviews held me back a little and to be honest, I could’ve waited longer. Dark Shadows is really nothing to call home about.  The mood and atmosphere is very Tim Burtonesque and the visuals are pretty stylish but beyond that, I really found it pretty blah.  Like blah where I kept fighting to doze off. Maybe because it was a little long and dragged out.

The characters are a little peculiar as they probably should be.  Still, the cast here does the best they can with what they have.  Johnny Depp certainly doesn’t disappoint as Barnabas Collins and everyone has this quirky humor that works for a good bit of the movie.  Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Chloe Grace Moretz all have rather interesting characters.  The villain in Dark Shadows is played by Eva Green.  When is she NOT a villain, right? I’m not complaining though because she’s good at being that sort of character.

SO…great cast, awesome visuals, slow and somewhat boring story..makes this kind of an average and disappointing watch.

The Next Three Days (2010) 

Director: Paul Haggis

Cast: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Ty Simpkins, Liam Neeson

A married couple’s life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder.-IMDB

The Next Three Days might be the hardest to review.  For one, I’m really not into extremely long movies.  I feel like my attention span has really decreased over the years and tolerance for long plots don’t really work as well because it always tends to fall apart a little.  Plus, I’m not a huge fan of Russell Crowe.

There’s a lot to digest for this story of a simple professor trying to break his wife out of jail.  On one side, he believes his wife is wrongfully accused even when she gives in to it and kind of gives up.  But then, the question still remains whether she did it and she messes with him (and the viewers) a little.   The whole deal is really in how believable the whole planning out the prison break is, right?

For me, there’s a few apparent flaws.  But then, I’m not saavy in the art of prison break so who am I to say anything. My huge issue was how he tried to keep everything down low but he just was really lucky in a way.  Like, who goes running around sketchy places buying meds and then sneaking in the question of where to get fake IDs? Its just really obvious what he’s doing and a little silly.  Thats just one example.

However, when I did believe what Russell Crowe’s character was doing, there was some pretty decent moments.  Plus, when the movie gets to the last part where the actual prison breaking happens, it gets pretty intense. And thats good because it ends it off in a much more gripping way than how it began.

My major issue with this one is the length.  Aside from that, if they edited it or chopped it a little, it could be a much better movie even if some parts a little not so believable.  I can deal with that, after all, I am watching a movie 😉

THERE WE GO! Another three done! I have to burn through probably another 3 more before January 1st but I’m pretty sure with the few housekeeping posts that have to go up, it’ll only be reviewed in the new year!

Anyways, next thing to look forward to is FINALLY that 2015 announcement posts which is going up tomorrow. I was going to do a poll but I’m still having a few second thoughts on next year’s projects. Back to my brainstorming…

Have you seen any (or all)of these 3 movies? Thoughts? Comments? 🙂

Hairspray (2007)

I’m a huge musical person! I love it all, well almost all…I have some issues with say, Nine.  Not the musical quality just the movie in general.  However, after a whole month of horror, torture, slashing, crazy people, I’m ready for some singing and dancing.  Corny movies are perfect for this phase and I’ve watched most of them so its perfect for this month while I’m writing like crazy 🙂 Hairspray is my absolute go-to movie when I need a lift in spirit.

Director: Adam Shankman

Cast: Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta, Zac Efron, Brittany Snow, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah

1962 Baltimore was influenced by the local TV show, The Corny Collins Show.  It featured a bunch of high school students who everyone wanted to be.  A “pleasantly plump” (as IMDB describes her) Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) lives and breaths the show, especially every month’s Negro Day.  Her and her best friend, Penny (Amanda Bynes) both run home after school to catch it and learn the new dance moves.  When there is an empty spot on the show, Tracy auditions for it but is turned down by the very snobby TV manager, Velma Von Tussel (Michelle Pfeiffer) who believes in upstanding the norms of skinny and white being the way it should be. When the show’s star, Link (Zac Efron) invites Tracy to go audition a second time at the dance event at school, Corny Collins (James Marsden) adds her in right away.  Her ideas of supporting integration doesn’t take a favor to Velma and along with her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow), they try to stop her. Despite all their efforts, she brings a whole new wave of thought to everyone around her.

I really don`t think any other movie makes me as happy as watching Hairspray 🙂

Thats what I tweeted after watching Hairspray once (for the millionth time) on Friday night.  What I love about Hairspray is that it has catchy tunes and the cast is absolutely fantastic.  Just look at the list above! Its filled with actors and actresses I love.  A lot of those when I first saw Hairspray had surprised me that they had agreed to take part in this.

Christopher Walken, really? Man, was he hilarious! Michelle Pfeiffer totally kicked some butt at being the racist and full of prejudice mother.  I’m a huge fan of Amanda Bynes back then because of She’s the Man and Brittany Snow because of John Tucker Must Die.  They were the teen flicks queens in my book (alongside Lindsey Lohan).  That one reason I want to see Brittany Snow’s career get better because she’s a respectful actress and I was happy to watch Would you Rather for Halloween (review HERE if you’d like to check it out).  These are all supporting cast.  My favorite would have to go out to John Travolta in what I assume is a body suit and playing as a woman.  He was impressive, especially when he did all the sequences with Christopher Walken, who played her husband.  However, the biggest joy I had was watching Queen Latifah on screen and everything she sang, its a total mood lifter.  Of course, our lead has to be amazing as well.  I have never heard of Nikki Blonsky before Hairspray and never after either. However, nothing takes away the fact that she was so fun to watch on screen.  She danced and sang and just took it away.

Hairspray doesn’t have a lot to talk about.  Its nothing that focuses on anything deep and profound but it does try to inspire change and to be open mind.  In the time that its set in, this was the situation they were in: the rights of blacks and whites.  Physical appearances like skin color and size was an issue that divided up people.  However, its as always, art, music and dance closes the gaps, with the help of a a few outstanding individuals who want to instigate change. Most of these musicals tend to carry a lot of inspiring messages. Its uplifting to watch it.

Hairspray may seem corny to the max,  (maybe thats why James Marsden’s character is called Corny  Collins) but it packs in a lot of fun and good times.  Its filled with catchy songs and cute dances.  The cast is funny and silly most of the times and its really hard to not just laugh out loud, if you’re into musicals.  In whole, its just some good energetic and full of passion. It never fails to make me jump out of my chair and do some dorky dancing 😉

If you’re having a bad day and you like musicals, this is an absolutely awesome choice.  Even if you’re having a great day, it’ll make you feel even better 🙂 I actually played this movie a second time later that night, just to give you an idea how much I love it.

Stardust (2007)

This week seems to be birthday week for celebrities.  We have Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis.  I was struggling to find a movie to watch for the next review and with that, I debated between “I am Sam” and “Stardust”.  Stardust won that battle.  Its one of those really fun adventure, romance and fantasy stories that I love.  I’ve had a tiring week (as I’ve mentioned SO many times before), so this seemed like a good choice to relax a bit 🙂

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Kate Magowan, Mark Strong, Ricky Gervais

In the village of Wall, a boy Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox) sees a shooting star fall out of the sky and in pursuit for a girl, he promises her that he will get her that star even if it means crossing into the unknown on the other side of the guarded wall.  At the same time, he learns of the magical story of his parents and his life and this leads him to have to travel across the wall to search for his mother as well.  Travelling unexpectedly to the unknown, he crashes (literally) into a beautiful girl, Yvaine (Claire Danes) who turns out to be the shooting star he was looking for.  However, while he is trying to lead Yvaine back to Wall to see the girl he likes, they also learn that Yvaine is seeked by an old (and evil) witch, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) who wants to cut out her heart to regain her and her sister’s youth.  Tristan has to protect Yvaine in the process.  In addition, the magical world is also going through a leader dilemma as the former king on his death bed sent out a gem that will only change back to the original color with the destined heir who finds it.  With coincidence, it also leads to their search for Yvaine and Tristan.  As Yvaine and Tristan escape, their paths are intertwined with friends such as Captain Shakespeare (Robert DeNiro) and not just enemies.  They both also learn a little bit more about what love is.  As the narrator (Ian McKellan) says at the beginning: “This is a story about how Tristan Thorn becomes a man, a greater challenge altogether.”

This movie is adapted from a book by Neil Gaiman and thats something I didn’t know for so many years that I’ve been watching it.  I’ve never read or heard of the book so I’ll probably need to look it up someday.  I’m a huge fan of this flick.  Its magical, fun, humorous and just completely adventurous.  The story itself is so cute and just brings up this desire to fall in love and how love is quite magical in its own way.

The main characters have to be Claire Danes.  I’m a big fan of hers.  I haven’t seen her in a whole lot of stuff but every time I’ve seen on her scene, she has this elegance to her.  I don’t consider an absolutely beauty but she has a very elegant feeling to her when she talks and when she acts.  In this movie, we see both her as Yvaine and Charlie Cox (who I have never seen in anything else) as Tristan being pretty naive youngsters. They do a very good job at it.

My favorite character was Robert DeNiro as Captain Shakespeare.  He plays a role where he pretends to be someone else to live up to his reputation.  As the Captain of a flying ship and following his father’s footsteps, he hides the fact that he actually is into plays and acting and occasionally dresses up in gowns and prances around with fans and whatnot.  Robert DeNiro is very much a manly man but its refreshing and funny to see him do this particular role.  It always makes me smile 🙂

I watched this movie in honor of Michelle Pfeiffer’s birthday. Her role as the evil Lamia was amazing.  But then, when is she not, right? I’m a huge Michelle Pfeiffer fan and same with Meg Ryan, I have a lot of catching up to do for her movies as well.  In this one, she is so awesome.  And her makeup as an old woman is quite worth the applause because it is very convincing.  When she needs to pull out the evil side, she does it in such a convincing way from her expressions to the tone of voice.

Stardust has a fantastic cast and I love the story.  What makes this movie very good is that its a little over 2 hours long and I never feel the length of it at all.  Its not because all the movies nowadays are at least 2.5 hours long but rather, this movie doesn’t give you too much of a down period and keeps the adventures going and moves the storyline along very efficiently.

If you haven’t seen Stardust, I highly recommend it.  Its fun and amusing.  Its like entering into a fantasy magical world and meeting all your fairy tales good and bad all at once.  Plus, its about searching for true love, with princes, pirates, witches and a hero that shines through to his full potential when he becomes a man.

I’m a bit late for the talented Michelle Pfeiffer’s birthday.  Are you a fan of Michelle Pfeiffer? What made you like her or dislike her?

New Year’s Eve (2011)

Its New Year’s Eve and I couldn’t let it go without watching this movie (since I bought it a few weeks ago at Plattsburgh for this)!

NEW YEAR’S EVE

DIRECTED: Garry Marshall (Valentine’s Day, Pretty Woman)

CAST: Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Hillary Swank, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Katherine Heigl, Russell Peters, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Abigail Breslin, Josh Duhamel

This movie has so many stories that interlink that I don’t even know how to start.  So lets start it off as they did it and sending a GIGANTIC thanks to IMDB.  We start with Claire Morgan (Hillary Swank) who is responsible for the ball drop in Times Square and making sure that things go smoothly up until the ball starts to descend. That is the Times Square story. Next up, we go to Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) who is somewhat of an introvert and scared woman who needs to find her courage to complete her resolutions with the help of Paul (Zac Efron). This story is referred to as Resolutions Tour.  Afterwards, we have the snapshot of two couples waiting for their babies and trying to get the first baby born in new year’s reward of $25,000 with Tess (Jessica Biel) and Griff (Seth Meyers) competing with Grace (Sarah Paulson) and James (Til Schweiger). This story is Maternity Ward.  Following up, we get introduced to Randy (Ashton Kutcher) a hater of New Year’s because of his past bad experiences, who gets stuck in an elevator with Elise (Lea Michele) who is in a

rush to get to Times Square. Also called Elevator Story.  Then, we go to Sam (Josh Duhamel) who is the witness of his friends’ wedding and needs to get back to the Ahern Party, also the name of this story.  After that, we run over to the Ahern Party where we meet Laura (Katherine Heigl) who is the chef for this party where Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi) is performing for this party. This one is Laura and Jensen’s story. After that, we get to Mr. Harris (Robert De Niro) who is dying in the hospital and has a Nurse (Halle Berry) keeping watch over him. I think I missed a story back there with Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her daughter, Hailey (Abigail Breslin) where its a mother who doesn’ t want to let her daughter go with her friends to see the ball drop because she’s protective over her. Thats the general idea of the movie and their short stories.

Did you get all of that? I just watched this yesterday and I needed to recap with playing this movie in the background and IMDB. Its a crash landing of a movie with lots of different actors and actresses into a whole bunch of diferent stories. There are some stars that are my faves like Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl.  I’ve had enjoyment watching Lea Michele as well as Zac Efron before.  But if asked what would I call this movie? A mess! A big mess! My highlight when I wasn’t rolling my eyes was when I saw Russell Peters talking in his Indian accent.  Now if you have about half the amount of love that I have for Russell Peters as a comedian, then there are parts you will enjoy.  I’m not saying it was all bad.  I can tell you that I HATED Michelle Pfeiffer in this movie and she was paired with Zac Efron in a role acting like he was wanna-be cool or something and it was a bit annoying.  Thats okay though. The story that grew on me was the elevator story because it was fun and cute.  The Times Square story and the Hospital one was quite heartwarming also.  There was even some Bon Jovi singing to bring it up so I’m alright with that.  I’ve never seen him act before and I did like him pretty much.  I also do enjoy Katherine Heigl so I felt it was an interesting match.  This movie was far from great.  Nothing like Love Actually, of course. There are some parts here and there that I was alright with and seeing as its New Year’s Eve, its okay.  I don’t want to be too harsh.

I’m off to party it up till midnight with a potluck and countdown at my friend’s NYE party.  I just had to post this up before I left, or else it wouldn’t be appropriate.  I’ll be back tomorrow to update some more of my post in the morning.