The Fighter, Release Date 12/17, Diva Screen Date 12/25

This was a great boxing movie and overall great sports movie. Unlike Invincible, this is a much grittier, non-Disney and realistic portrayal of a real sports figure, Micky Ward.
This movie is one of those where every actor is incredible in their role, Wahlberg, Bale, Adams and Melissa Leo, as Micky's mom Alice, are all up for Golden Globes. It was one of those movies where you forget who is playing the roles because they are all so believable. The best is by far Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund, Micky's older brother. Completely emaciated, Bale actually seems to be the crack addict that he portrays in the film.
The father role was a bit difficult to figure out who's who and the sisters looked to have such a rough life that they appeared to be the same age as their mom, Alice. It was the craziness of the family that made it even more real and I liked that they didn't glam up the family for the sake of the movie. In an SI interview with Micky Ward he states that the portrayal of his family is correct and that he doesn't want to be sitting by his mom and sisters when they see it. I don't blame him!

True Grit, Release Date 12/22, Diva Screen Date 12/24

I wasn't sure what to expect with True Grit, not having see the first one. My other reservation was that it is a Coen brothers film, some of which I've liked but not always. This was a great movie and I actually want to go back and see the original John Wayne version.

The girl who plays Mattie was fantastic, I will definitely watch for her in future films, hopefully she doesn't go the way of Lindsey Lohan or other teen stars gone wrong!

Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon were great too. Both in roles that they were able to blend into, for once you didn't pick up the Matt Damon South Boston accent in his role as the Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf.

I did feel they had their time frame a bit off at the end, but the hubby reminds me that "it's a movie" so I will believe that Matt Damon's character would have been in his late 50's in this movie...the Texas Ranger must have used a really good night cream:)

One last mention goes to Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned, I've missed him! Finally, although highly mentioned in the advertising and listed on the movie poster, Josh Brolin is just OK and really didn't deserve the high billing.

Due Date, Release Date 11/5, Diva Screen Date 11/13

I've said it before and I'll say it again...how can you go wrong with an RDJ movie!?

I was not a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles fan...but this is PT&A for 2010. Robert Downey Jr. is great in his role as the straight man in this. You have to wonder how difficult it was for him to shoot the pot smoking scene!

Zack Galifinakis was funny, but it's starting to seem he is a bit Will Ferrellish...playing strange but very similar characters in each movie that he is in. Every movie that we've seen he has the purposeful, funny (gay-looking) walk with the nose in the air and is a bit off-kilter.

A funny movie that you can actually feel the discomfort in, it was very funny from beginning to end. I didn't really get the who Jamie Foxx cameo and felt his storyline was unresolved, maybe he is a buddy with someone in charge of this movie, it could have been done without him.

Overall, a Diva recommendation goes out for this. See it in the theater for a good laugh!

Secretariat, Release Date 10/8, Diva Screen Date 10/17

This is a fantastic movie. The acting is probably better than the movie itself, but it is a must-see.

Diane Lane and John Malkovich are at their best. Malkovich plays quirky in most of his films, but this weekend (RED) was a shining moment in lovable quirkiness! As the trainer, Lucian, he is at his best. Diane Lane is in the role of the not-to-be-messed-with housewife who won't take no for an answer. It makes you curious as to the liberties the producers have taken with the true story.

This movie is one to buy, a happy, clean store that's ok for all of the moms and mother-in-laws in the world. A feel good story that is a Diva must see!!

Red, Release Date 10/15, Diva Screen Date 10/16

My biggest question has to be "where is the hype?"
This is one of the best action-adventure movies I've seen in a long time. I go to a movie nearly every week and I've never seen a preview for this until two nights before I went to it!

Great cast, great storyline, great action! Very suspenseful.

I was worried in the beginning that it may be too much of a mushy, cheesy film...but it's not...AT ALL! This was shoot'em up, who's dead, who's alive and keep you guessing from beginning to end.

Helen Mirren must be one of the most beautiful "age-advanced" actresses there is. She is fun to watch and is downright funny. Mary Louise Parker is still able to play the doe-eyed innocent who you can't help but like.

This is a diva thumbs up and must see!

You Again, Release Date 9/24, Diva Screen Date 10/10

This was miss-billed as a romantic comedy, it should have been billed as a straight on chick flick.

A very cute and clean movie, anyone who is the least bit girly (apparently this even includes the random middle aged gay guy) should go see it. Both your mom and your 10 year old daughter could go!

The movie kicks off with Marni receiving a promotion and heading home to her brother's impending nuptials. It's during an in flight call that she learns her brother's bride is her most hated high school nemesis. Hilarity ensues and so does a brief appearance of Betty White as Grandma Bunny. Not only is Joanna (the bride to be) a part of Marni's past, but Joanna's aunt Mona (Sigourney Weaver) is a not so great blast from the past to Marni's mom (Jamie Lee Curtis).

From cat fights to food fights, matchy-match dresses, and blatant sabotage, this movie was funny, if not a bit cringe-worthy in parts.

It's a Diva must-see!

Wall Street: Money Never Sleep, Release Date 9/24, Diva Screen Date 9/26

I was expecting a mediocre sequel in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, but was pleasantly surprised with a very good movie.

By no means did Gordon Gekko come out of prison a changed or saved man. He didn't even become a guy that you wanted to like.

This is a new story, not just the original regurgitated for 2010 which is nice to see. You still have your good guy who's a little bit bad but wanting to be good. Along with your typical bad guys.

This is the first movie that I've seen Shia LeBouf be a "grown-up" and he seems to fit the roll well. Sorry, Transformers, I won't be watching you anytime soon!

Other than the jack-ass sitting behind us in the theater who felt it necessary to give running commentary on how the financial/wall street world works, I thought this was a great movie. Just screen your neighbors when they sit down to make sure you are by the quiet people.

Easy A, Release Date 9/17, Diva Screen Date 9/19

Easy A was better than expected!

It is the story of a high school girl who gets paid to lie that she is having sex with the guys in her class. No worries for the kiddies going to this movie, she's not.

Olive (played by Emma Stone) is a modern-age Hester Pryne from the book the Scarlet Letter, right down to putting a red "A" on all of her clothes.

Reminiscent of a John Hughes movie, they do him justice with a reference and a montage of films.

You can't help but immediately love Olive, who is clever and sharp tongued but in a way that does not suggest she is above those around her. She has a humor beyond her age that is similar to that in Juno, just less independent-movie-ish! I like that writers are realizing that kids are smart and funny and not necessarily adolescent.

So many versions of Cinderella and Taming of the Shrew have been retold set in modern teen times, it's great that they have finally chosen a new book to adapt. Now if they just can figure out how to adapt "To Kill a Mockingbird" in modern teen humor and angst...

The Town, Release Date 9/17, Diva Screen Date 9/18

I usually just see the trailers, but in this case I happened to read a review that said "this is Ben Affleck's comeback...welcome back".

That statement was the truth! Not that I haven't enjoyed the brief flash of his star here and there over the years, but this movie just goes to show that Ben Affleck needs to write his own material.

The was compared to a mix of The Departed and Heat. Although I haven't seen Heat, I've seen and really liked The Departed. This beat them both (Dave told me that Heat is not nearly good as The Departed).

Affleck plays a bad guy, but he's the good bad guy, the one you root for and the one you hope will turn good for the sake of the outcome. Rebecca Hall was very believable as the shell-shocked victim of a bank robbery and you can't help but root for her and Affleck's character to get together (no matter how wrong it may be!!).

This was a great movie, best we've seen in a long time! It's a Movie Diva thumb's up...that is, if the Diva would stoop to put a thumb up!

Eat, Pray, Love, Release Date 8/13, Diva Screen Date 8/22

I was not expecting much from this movie. Because of ratings both professional and user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes I thought it would be one of those regrettable movies that I would later wish I hadn't seen.

It wasn't bad.

It wasn't the best movie that I've ever seen and it really copied a lot of it's idea from Under the Tuscan Sun, but it was still good. The Italian part of the movie (or the "eat" part) was probably the best. It actually made me so hungry we had to have pasta for supper. I could have done without "pray" in India, she could have just kind of wrapped up Pray and Love into one section. Don't get me wrong, I get that this is based on a book that I've not yet read and I suppose you can't veer too far off topic when the title is telling you that there will be three distinct sections, but I still think if nothing else, this could have been a bit shorter.

James Franco is briefly in the movie and I can't help but feel that if I'd read the book, I'd understand the importance of this relationship to her life. It also seemed to happen so fast before she's divorced and was implied that it was impactful yet didn't seem to last more that a few weeks. It left me confused.

Thank goodness for Javier Bardem. Right about the time I was getting hungry from watching Julia Roberts eat Italian food then bored and getting sleepy from watching her pray, we got to the love part. If you go to a chick-flick you've gotta love the love part! In this case Javier Bardem breathed a little life back into this flick when she got to Bali.

Overall it was a good movie, worth going to (just don't drink a large soda or you'll have to take a potty break) but only go with the girls, DO NOT drag a guy to this!

The Other Guys, Release Date 8/6, Diva Screen Date 8/21

The Other Guys could have been a funny movie...but it wasn't.
It was nearly 2 hours of Mark Wahlberg yelling and Will Ferell being his usual self...NOT funny. He is a skit man and should always be taken in small doses. The last time I saw him be funny? A guest appearance on SNL. Last movie that he was funny in? It's a tie, Old School and Elf (both from 2003).

Diva's opinion is to wait until this one is on HBO, maybe even until it's on TBS during a Will Ferrell marathon so you can watch all the crappy movies with it: Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and Land of the Lost.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Release Date 8/13, Diva Screen Date 8/15

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based on a comic book and in this movie they tie in the "ka-pows" in writing that are usually reserved for an illustration or a Roy Lichtenstein painting.

This was a good ass-kicking movie, the type that makes you want to learn some sort of marshal arts.

I am a big Michael Cera fan, I think he is funny and has great delivery of his performance in that uncomfortable, gotta love him sort of way. In this movie, though, Kieran Culkin steals the show. After seeing this, I'm looking forward to seeing Culkin play the son of Robert Downey Jr. in a future flick. They would be a great combo. Culkin has that dark sort of warped way about him the only RDJ has done in then past.

Thanks to Kieran Culkin this is a big Diva's thumbs up. With out him it would have butt just a small thumbs up!

The Expendables, Release Date 8/13, Diva Screen Date 8/14

The Expendables is a throw-back to the 80's action type move. There is a plot (yes, even if my reader disagrees) there definitely is a plot. A small island has been taken over by a former CIA operative, plummeting the island into ruin. The former Generals daughter has reached out to a band of "expendables" for help.

This is a super duper shoot'em up kind of movie, to the point that when someone gets shot their entire head or top half explodes.

It's unrealistic and fantastic. It's also nice to not have the corny mushy love stuff worked in. Thank you Sly for realizing that although this movie was your concept, you were too old to get the girl.

The names were not very original but totally reflected Sly's genre of 80's moves with names like Barney, Lee Christmas, Ying Yang and Toll Road

Frankly, I love that these guys get so fired up about a knife throwing contest. I've seen the truth, when a group of guys are together, they don't need entertainment past sports on TV or their own contest to keep them occupied. Never have I seen the hubby and his buddy's need to have porn in the background or some modelesque girl to entertain them, just good ol' male competition. It was probably the one true, nonfiction portion of the movie.

I really liked this movie and give it a Diva's action adventure thumbs up!

Dinner for Schmucks, Release Date 7/30, Diva Screen Date 7/31

What can I say about Dinner for Schmucks? It's 114 minutes of my life I will NEVER get back!

I am not a big Steve Carell fan, but I love Paul Rudd so I thought it would be a fun movie.

It took forever to get to the dinner, lots of fumblin' bumblin' antics had to be done first. Once it did finally get to the dinner, it was great! That is what I had come to see, unfortunately that was only about 20 minutes of the entire movie. It should have been at least 45 minutes!

Jemaine Clement was probably the funnies person in the movie, excluding the dinner scene, as the artist Kieran. Don't waste your time on this one, get it from your local Redbox a few months down the road and skip right to the dinner scene. You won't miss a thing!

The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Release Date 7/14, Diva Screen Date 7/25

I must admit that I was not expecting much from The Sorcerer's Apprentice, other than dancing mops (which it had). I was wrong, it was actually a good movie! Far-fetched, as a movie about a sorcerer's apprentice should be.
This movie was clever and funny, I would also imagine highly entertaining to kids as it was to me.
The movie kicks off with a LOT of background info on how Balthazar came to be in the 2010's and the drama that goes with it. Dave, the Jay Baruchel character, is a bit nerdy and without confidence due to an incident from a decade prior. Still aching for the same girl from when he was 10 years old, he is now a physics major in college who seems way beyond the normal college student capacity of learning...good thing since he is the Prime Merlin apprentice (or something like that) and is sort of the new "chosen one". Nicolas Cage is funny and interesting to watch in this film, which is a first in a long time!
Dave, my husband...not the character in the movie...is a big pooper and I kind of want to drop you off at a showing of those crazy assed Twilight flicks and leave you there right now!.
Anyway, this movie is a Diva's thumbs up and thoroughly enjoyed. A great escape into air conditioning for about 2 hours.

Despicable Me, Release Date 7/9, Diva Screen Date 7/18

For all of previews and teasers over the last year, I was expecting a lot from this movie. Based on my expectations, it was just OK. I chose not to see the 3D version and instead go to a quieter theater to catch this. The loud guy in the back of the room may not have helped my opinion...

This movie felt like a mixture of The Grinch, A Christmas Carol, and Annie rolled into one (minus the Christmas themes). Gru was interestingly voiced by Steve Carell and was a fun "bad guy" that you couldn't help but like, sort of an underdog in the villain world.

My favorite character(s) had to be the Minions, they are adorable Twinkies looking characters and although you couldn't understand a word they were speaking you could still get the gist of what they were saying.

Of course it's necessary to have a villainous villain, which was voiced by Jason Segel and is Gru's nemesis.

Overall Movie Diva opinion: unless you have small kids, wait until this one comes on the premium channel.

Knight and Day, Release Date 6/23, Diva Screen Date 7/5

This is Tom Cruise at his best since Mission Impossible 1 or Jerry McGuire (OK, except for his run as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder!), this is what we USED to expect from Cruise, funny with some action adventure thrown in.

Cameron Diaz is always great and is her understated hysterical best in this. Sweet and innocent yet downright hilarious.

I thought this movie may be a case of the best parts being shown on the trailers on TV, I was wrong! This was a great flick. It was fast paced and funny and didn't feel the need to show every single trick in excruciating detail (thinking of the drugged up scenes)...sometimes less really IS more!

Action abound, this is a Diva and hubby must see!

Grown Ups, Release Date 6/25, Diva Screen Date 7/3

Grown Ups was one of those movies that makes you laugh from the beginning until the end. All of the fat-guy jokes with Kevin James were sadly-hilarious, along with the extremely whipped version of a normally mouthy Chris Rock.

It's amazing how Adam Sandler shamelessly gives himself the hottest of the female leads (in this case Salma Hayek Pinault) and yet we are supposed to believe his self-deprecating humor.

This was very funny from the big boys making a "sissy" in the pool to the inappropriate drooling over two of Rob Schneider's three daughters. Dave commented, "not sure where they found those bimbos..." Sure honey, I believe your distastes in mile-long legs!

This was a good one, great to see all of these SNL guys back together again. Thanks Sandler, for making it happen!

The A-Team, Release Date 6/11, Diva Screen Date 6/12

If a series from the 80's is going to be made into a movie, then this is how to do it.

I know that Dave was not as excited to see it as I was, but I drug him to it anyway. I actually don't know who laughed harder, me or him!

Somehow they managed to have "Face", played by Bradley Cooper, without his shirt for about 75% of the movie, that works...even if he is a bit thin for my taste!

The movie is not only funny but keeps you on your toes with action. Trying to recover $100 bill mint plates, this foursome plays a game of shoot'em'up with whoever gets in their way. Wrongly accused for a crime, they get sent to prison from which they have to escape to try and clear their names. It is ripe for a sequel.

Along with Cooper is Liam Neeson as Hannibal, UFC Fighter Quinton Jackson as the new BA Baracus, although he goes by Bosco in this version; and finally Sharlto Copley as Murdock, the crazy pilot. I've not seen Copley in anything else but I would probably watch any comedy he was in.

It's a Diva's thumbs up on this one!

Sex and the City 2, Release Date 5/27, Diva Screen Date 6/7

I was not expecting much from this film. I was a huge fan of the series and I've seen the first movie at least 30 times. No way in my head would this even compare...





and then I saw the movie! I loved it. It wasn't as true to what life could be as the first one, it was a great escape. There was a fabulous gay wedding in the beginning and great cameo by Liza Minnelli. Then an unbelievable trip to Abu Dhabi that took part for nearly the latter two-thirds of the movie. I was starting to wonder if they were ever going to go back to the US, however in movie time they were only there for two days.





Of course the appropriate amount of drama ensued...Charlotte being frustrated with motherhood, Samantha getting into her usual trouble, and of course some drama for Carrie and Big. Only Miranda seemed to skate through this movie with very little drama in her life once she cuts it out in the beginning.

The fashion was, as expected, unbelievable. There was even a fun moment when age-appropriate dressing came up with a scene which had both Samantha and Miley Cyrus wearing the same mini dress. All in all, this is a big "thumbs up" for this Movie Diva!

Killers, Release Date 6/4, Diva Screen Date 6/6

Not taking the hubby was a wise choice on this. It lived a bit too much in the "love bubble" for his taste. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. It was funny and quippy, a little predictable but still fun.

I love Tom Selleck and he and Catherine O'Hara made a great couple in this as Jen's parents. They did try to throw a few surprises at you in this and they really only made me scratch my head in the end.

Anyone who likes Heigl in movies like Knocked Up or 27 Dresses will like her in this.

Get Him to the Greek, Release Date 6/4, Diva Screen Date 6/5

I really liked and laughed at about 75% of the Get Him to the Greek. It was very funny and for once they didn't show all the funny stuff in the commercials.

Jonah Hill is always best where he looks a little bit uncomfortable, and that he did. Whether it was during the awkward "Europoean" kiss hello to the threesome, it was all uncomfortable!

I never really got the appeal of Russell Brand before, but he was hilarious. I think him and Amanda Seyfried should do a movie together at some point, although they are polar opposites they both have that childish, gummy smile that makes you want to hug them.

It might not be a must see, but it definitely worth your $7.00!

Letters to Juliet, Release Date 5/14 Diva Screen Date 5/16

Letters to Juliet was very expected, not as much due to the name of the movie as the previews. This is one of those movies that has been previewed on the big screen for months. It's been featured on the Sprint movie commercial for several months and in spite of it all, it was a great movie! Romantic and sweet, predictable yet fun.

You could see from a mile away exactly what was going to happen, but that's OK. It was a romantic film in the midst of many action adventures and sci-fi flicks.

You can't help but like the sweet Amanda Seyfried, with her big watery eyes and little girl smile. She has come a very long way since Mean Girls!

Movie Diva recommends this to any girls wanting to see a movie without a significant other! (be glad I didn't drag you to this one Dave!).

Robin Hood, Release Date 5/14 Diva Screen Date 5/15

This version was a little different than what we were expecting...more like a cross between Braveheart and the beginning of Gladiator, a bit confusing but good. I look forward to seeing this movie again on DVD.

There were a few too many actors who looked alike...the sheriff of Nottingham and the King of France, I couldn't tell them apart!

Cate Blanchett as "Lady" Marion in this go-around is fantastic, strong-willed and beyond what you'd expect from this lady.

Russell Crowe was great as Robin, just as he is great in all of the period pieces that he has done.

This is more of a "before he stole from the rich and gave to the poor", it will leave you longing for the sequel.

The Losers, Release Date 4/23, Diva Screen Date 5/2

It's a slow weekend for movies if you aren't into Freddy Krueger, which I'm not.

I've wanted to see The Losers, so with Dave at a golf tournament, I went this afternoon. Based on a comic this is a fun, far-fetched action adventure movie.

The storyline is a group of operatives who are left for dead and battle their way back seeking out the person who betrayed them. Not an overly original plot, but told a little differently than you regular fare.

There is a great fight sequence between Aisha (Zoe Saldana) and Clay (Jeffery Dean Morgan), normally I'd be against seeing a girl get her butt kicked by a guy, but she doesn't, she kicks butt right back so I'll condone it this time.

This had a good story and I liked all of the actors, there was a bit more flipping between countries than you could keep up with and a few too many slo-mo walking or shoot'em up scenes. But overall the Movie Diva gives it a thumbs up. I'll be waiting for the sequel...

Kick Ass, Release Date 4/16, Diva Screen Date 4/18

This was a very interesting and unexpected movie. It was almost a little like a Tarantino film, but I actually liked it!

Chloe Moretz kicks butt like the ladies in Kill Bill, not what you'd expect from an eleven year old. She is great in this movie and it makes me hope for a spin-off or sequel to see her kick some more ass.

Superhero-wannabe "Kick Ass" was the kid that you hope most teens have buried (deep) inside them, just a nice person wanting to help others and see the world be a little bit better place.

The narration by Kick Ass brings up a good point right off the back...aren't you surprised that no one has actually tried to put on a super hero suit and fight crime??

Death at a Funeral, Release Date 4/16, Diva Screen Date 4/17

We'd been anticipating this movie for a while...it started out a little slower than expected but picked up as it went along. There were some parts that were so funny, I thought I'd have to help Dave off the floor after he laughed himself out of his chair.

This entire movie happens in the course of a few hours at a family funeral. Typical family chaos and dysfunction abound keep the plot moving from one story to the next and back again. Usually I can't handle throw-up scenes, in this there is a poop scene that rivals any projectile vomiting I've ever seen. James Marsden, who I didn't even realize was in this movie, stole every scene he was in. Danny Glover was great as the cantankerous elder relative that makes everyone miserable. The only thing I didn't understand was why and how Tracy Morgan related to the rest and other than making the poop scene possible, the movie could have done without him (and Luke Wilson for that matter).

This was very funny and I look forward to seeing it on DVD!

Date Night, Release Date 4/9, Diva Screen Date 4/10

We went to the Tina Fey, Steve Carell movie Date Night this weekend. In a matter of minutes I could tell that Dave wasn't into it and didn't think it was funny...but in the second half he came around.

I'll admit, it did start out a bit slow while they built the story. A mistaken identity comedy and Marky Mark with no shirt on isn't too bad of a mix (ha ha Dave, had to put that in there just to irritate you!). As the date progressed, there was a car chase that was so funny I think I laughed for about 3 minutes straight.

This movie actually made me glad that we aren't the kind of people who have to have a standing requirement date night, but also continues to further solidify my already-cemented beliefs in not having kids!

This was a very funny movie, Tina Fey is great and it was one of very few where I actually enjoyed Steve Carell.

Alice in Wonderland, Release Date 3/5, Diva Screen Date 4/4

As you can see by the pictures, Alice has had a lot of looks over the years, and somehow through all of those looks I've yet to read the story or see anyversion of the movie.

Until now.

I can't say I'm always a Tim Burton fan, or even a Johnny Depp fan, however this movie may have changed my mind! I am actually feeling a bit inspired to go and read the original Lewis Carroll book and see what, exactly, I've been missing all this time.

A clever story, and apparently a new take with Alice "going back" to Wonderland as a young woman. As the story goes, she was actually a child when she was in Wonderland the first time.

I saw this in 3D and it was pretty amazing. There were times when it felt like items were coming at you out of the screen and others when it felt as if things were moving toward the screen from behind. Colors and characters were both amazing.

I am glad that I wasn't taking a kid to this movie, I think it would have been a bit too dark and scary. It was rated PG for (in the words of IMDB.com) "fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar."

My question is, just what exactly was that caterpillar smoking??

I really liked this movie, and when i talked to my mom today, she said she really liked this movie. It was fun and different and made for adults. Loved it. Go see it!

The Bounty Hunter, Release Date 3/19, Diva Screen Date 3/28

I thought I was going to a chick-flick, so I didn't take Dave. What I ended up seeing was a ha-ha funny movie that didn't get (too) girly and definitely didn't take the cheesy way out at the end.

Jennifer Aniston was in her usual role as the smart-assed funny female. Gerard Butler was very funny, I don't know that I've seen him in anything else, but I would definitely watch something else with him in it. He has that dry way of playing humor that is a little bit like Russell Crowe.

The movie was funny, entertaining and played quickly.

How I was the only person in the theater is beyond me, but it was $6 well spent. Sorry AMC for having to lose some money on my ticket!

Drive-In's, Burritos, Popcorn and The Blind Side

Saturday was a date day (YAY!!), not only did I get an afternoon movie date to Hot Tub Time Machine (see previous post for review) but I also got to see a movie at the Drive-In theater!
The Blind Side just came out this week on DVD but seeing it a second time at the Drive In theater was fantastic.
From the fried burrito to the over-buttered popcorn everything at the drive in is a little white trash and a little bit awesome!
The movie is a must see, from Oscar-winning Sandra Bullock to a quiet supporting role by Tim McGraw, they are both great. The first time we saw this movie I did want to cry, not this time...I just enjoyed the great movie that it is. See the movie!
The 112 Drive In in Fayetteville is one of a few great survivors. Showing a double feature for just $12 per car, you just can't get cheaper entertainment. Throw your cooler with goodies in the car to save even more, but please please please buy something at the concession stand because you hate to see a gem like this shut down due to lack of revenue. It's probably not necessary to spend an additional $17 in the concession stand like we did. But, it was worth it!

Hot Tub Time Machine, Release Date 3/26, Diva Screen Date 3/27

Finally, a John Cusack movie produced post-1989 that I will watch again and again! The fact that he is a producer on this goes to show that he hasn't lost his sense of humor and he still does it best when it is self-deprecating.

The movie was so funny there were times I thought Dave would actually fall right out of his movie seat. Although there were a few times that you could predict what was coming but it didn't matter, it was hilarious.

What made this movie even better to me were the great throwback scenes and lines from classic 80's movies like Sixteen Candles, Karate Kid, Back to the Future, and some even came from one of my favorite Cusack movies, Better Off Dead. I was actually hoping for the paperboy to show up at some point yelling, "I want my two dollars".

If you were in high school or college in the late 80's, have an appreciation for the crazy fashion, fun music, and gut-busting comedies from that decade then this throw-back movie is a must see.

Cop Out, Release Date 2/26/20, Diva Screen Date 3/6/10

It is what it is and it just happens to be a fun movie. Ratings on-line weren't great, but I wasn't looking for Oscar-worthy, I wanted to laugh and have a good couple of hours of escapism.

Bruce Willis was a great sarcastic lead. Tracy Morgan totally overacted it, but do we ever expect him to be subtle? Probably not. I loved seeing Kevin Pollak in this, he's kind of disappeared from anything I've seen lately.

That's it, short but sweet because the Oscars are coming on!

Film: Crazy Heart, Release Date 12/16/09, Diva Screen Date 2/6/10

Wow! What a great movie.

The hype round Jeff Bridges performance as Bad Blake is completely understandable. I don't like most country music, but I may have to download the soundtrack.

Someone as we were leaving said it was the most depressing movie she ever saw, two ladies in the same row as where we sat were crying. I didn't think it was depressing or anything to cry about. It was just a really well done movie with great characters you connect with and care about.

I will say the theater was packed with an older crowd, some of who apparently never have been in a movie before. Loud talking was prevalent during the movie as some people had to predict what was going to happen next.

Final words on this, don't miss!

Film: When in Rome, Release Date 1/29/10, Diva Screen Date 1/31/10

More of a romantic comedy and less of a chick-flick (yes, there is a difference and I'll explain it another time) this was just the movie I was looking for!

I thought this was cute, fun, clever and managed to be romatic without getting too corny.

Kristen Bell is really funny and definitley carries this movie. Josh Duhamel is a pretty face but probably needs to start getting a little meat behind his movie roles (you know what I mean if you saw "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton"!) Overall he was ok in the limited requirements of his character. A nice surprise that hasn't been shown in the previews were cast members Danny DeVito and Anjelica Huston.

The movie moved along quickly and although it wasn't a gut buster, it was pretty funny even when they switched to a little slapstick humor through Duhamel's clumsiness.

If you like romantic comedies, you should go see this one.